Veridian Shores

Epilogue - Herald of What Was Lost

Arcil's expression crumpled with regret. "Gliss used us. She used Capper. If we go to war because of her, she wins." He shook his head. "I'll ... I'll do what I can to stop that from happening." Seemingly lost for any other words to say, he hung his head and staled away into the night with Altus close behind. She watched him for a moment, jaw tight.

"Milady," Lucille said quietly. "We should go."

*

Brooke straightened her back as she approached the gates of the Glaive compound. She would return as she left – an Elder-Blood, a high symbol of the clan. She could already sense dozens of guards patrolling the walls, three times as many as normal, so it appeared that nothing had eased the tensions in their absence. Clan Glaive was still on a war footing.

With Lucille walking at her heel like a hunting dog, Brooke approached the main gate, eyes flickering across dark figures along the wall top that tracked her movements with their bolt-throwers aimed. She was about to move over and speak into the intercom but before she got a chance the gates swung upon with a hiss of hinges. Brooke tensed, signalling for Lucille to stop.

The heavy armoured gates yawned open like a giant's mouth and beyond stood no less than ten heavily armed guards arranged in two lines on either side of the main path. Between them stood Marshall, clad in a long black coat with the dull sheen of body armour glinting beneath it. A pair of ornate duelling rods hung from one hand and his eyes glared daggers of hatred at them. For a moment they stood, staring at each other, before Marshall let out a snort of disgust.

"Take them," he spat, motioning the guards forward with a lazy flick of his free hand.

"Marshall," Brooke said, fighting to keep her voice calm. "I need to see the Elders."

"Oh you'll see them, don't you worry." The other Elder-Blood laughed mirthlessly. "I had no idea just how deep your infatuation with Capper was. Now you're going to pay for it." He shook his head and addressed the leader of the guards. "Get her out of my sight."

There was no more talk after that. Brooke found herself disarmed and manhandled through the grounds and into the mansion's atrium. The faces of stunned Elder-Bloods tracked her as she was marched through the centre of the room without missing a step and propelled through the double doors at the exit. A hollow feeling of dread settled in her stomach as they went. She needed to speak to the Elders, but it looked like they'd already settled on their plans to deal with her. Lucille was bundled away down another passage in the direction of the estate dungeons and Brooke's heart twisted guiltily, but there was nothing she could do to stop it now.

They didn't even break stride as they reached the Elder's inner sanctum. The huge slabs of reinforced wood were heaved open by the attending guards as they approached and Brooke was virtually carried inside.

A bolt of terror boiled within her when she saw all eleven clan Elders assembled and waiting, the black cloud of their Aspects burning the air around her. The fury was palpable and she couldn't stop a physical shudder from running up her spine. She'd never even been close to something like this. For the longest time she'd been the golden example of obedience and propriety for the clan, never straying from the Elders' guidance. Now she was a rebel, and in some eyes, a traitor.

"Leave us," Jocasta said to the guards, his voice measured and deep as a mineshaft. Dutifully the other vampires scurried from the room, understandably eager to be away from the confrontation, leaving Brooke alone to face the full wrath of the Elders.

Suddenly she felt very small indeed.

It was Brugen who spoke first, one of the mildly more sympathetic faces before her. He looked more disappointed than angry, leaning back in his chair with his fingers steepled together and pressed against his chin.