The Hunters Saga #2: The Wolfsbane Rubies

Chapter 22: Weakness

A/N: I've kept you waiting long enough... I know I promised a double update but it's just been so BUSY, this Christmas week :P Hope this chapter makes up for the wait! ;)  

Chapter 22: Weakness 

    "Is he here yet?" the master vampire asked Gavin Sinclair while lounging on a plush couch in the comfort of the rich vampire's mansion; specifically what most of his guests had considered to be the 'family room'. 

   "If you mean that rebellious, Chicago-raised soldier of yours, then no. He'll be arriving in Manhattan in three days max. Or so I've heard," Gavin muttered, effortlessly relaying the information that he'd acquired from outside sources.

   Robert's look of optimism morphed into a cold smile. "That 'rebellious, Chicago-raised soldier' is my-"

   "Yeah, yeah, I get it," the other vampire chided, clearly uninterested in the current topic that was taking place. "He's important to your plan. God knows why... "

   "Hold your tongue, Gavin Sinclair," Robert hissed at the red-eyed vamp. "You want to join your twin in exile? In the hunt and execution about to take place?" When the vampire remained silent, eyes slightly going wide, the master vampire chuckled suddenly, shaking his head in mock disappointment. "My niece managed to destroy a newborn tonight. A feat difficult to any and every vampire hunter in our history."

   "She had help," Gavin put in hastily, losing his sense of nervousness towards his master.

   Robert nodded in agreement. "Yes, I know. Henri assisted her. Another crime to be added upon his overall charges."

   Gavin chuckled slightly, and sat back in his chair. "My brother knew he was condemned from the second he betrayed you all those years ago when he protected that human." He laughed heartily. "His actions-"

   "I know," Robert cut him off with the wave of his clawed hand. The vampire casually looked around the room when his dark eyes settled upon a leather bound book near the pool table.

   "So... " Gavin started, sounding oddly uncomfortable in his environment suddenly. "How's the search going?"

   "Dead ends, all of them," Robert muttered darkly, his hands clenching at his sides with barely retrained anger.

   "What did you expect? I mean, the original witch's grimoire is thousands of years old," Gavin relayed matter-of-factly. "No possible way that piece of shit spell book is still floating around. At least not in the natural world."

   "The key," Robert explained sharply, his harrowed gaze leaving the book that held ancient stories of curses and monstrous hybrids, and focusing on the other vampire. "The key is in that grimoire. Viviana Garland wouldn't destroy her work."

   "Probably not, but she'd have to keep it hidden," Gavin pointed out smugly. "Releasing that kind of unrestrained magical energy, whether relatively good or bad, could be catastrophic."

   Robert chuckled again, his tone mocking. "Catastrophic? Since when do you care for humanity?"

   Gavin downright snorted, shaking his head. "Magic is power. Even you can understand that, being that you're so young to vampire society, but you've managed to gain the upper hand through your sire, the late master. May he rest in pieces... Anyway, magic is power, and vampires run on power. Thing is, witches and warlocks tend to manipulate magic, therefore power. They'd be able to overthrow the heads of the supernatural community – AKA any and every vampire society in America. Hell, the world." The vampire gave a small, short laugh, as if what he'd been saying actually amused him in some shape or form. "That would be terrible. I could care less if humans were annihilated in the process."