Once Eaven settled Isabelle in his chambers and encouraged her to sleep off her ordeal, he joined Sarus and Damian in the council room. The shadow man was waiting to be interrogated. He sat, conforming to the orders Damian had planted in his mind, in an old wooden chair, waiting patiently for the first question to be asked. But for all that Damian could make him obey his commands, there was no way to force him to speak the truth. All the same, the old box had been removed from his desk that the smoke would foretell a lie and the scent of flowers the truth.
Question after question, Damian and Eaven found themselves talking over one another, asking what questions were important to them. The shadow man tried to keep track and answer as honestly as he could. He knew the dangers of angering Eaven now. He was unlikely to risk that experience again.
"It is true, Clinton is involved. But it is not what you believe. He does not target Isabelle because of the prophesy that her death will destroy the world." The shadow man, a vampire named Owen began his tale by affirming the guessed the two men had already made, that Clinton was involved and that he was targeting Isabelle. But it was not the story they believed it was and both Damian and Eaven were confused as he continued to explain what his job entailed. "He no more wishes to drive his food source to extinction than you do. What he wishes is power. Absolute power such as the Master has. Clinton covets the rule of all the vampires in the world. He believes that Isabelle's death will grant him that power." He explained, no longer caring of his job, if it put his life at risk.
"I was hired by a man named Armstrong who demanded I kill Isabelle to clean up a mess that should have been taken care of years ago. In the process I would give Clinton the revenge and power he desired." Owen claimed, reminding Damian of the time he had previously interrogated Clinton. He had no doubts that he desired revenge for the fear he had felt that day, but to go through Isabelle and Eaven was taking things too far. Owen continued regardless of the curious look Damian and Eaven shared.
"A witch prophesied when Isabelle was born, that a hybrid would come to Avelina and hear the call for her. When the Haitian Ebben search lycan clans, he also discovered a prophesy foretelling Isabelle's destiny to die and shroud the world in darkness. That also mentioned her love for a hybrid. When the young hybrid was born and news reached Clinton, he began to prepare Isabelle for their meeting." Eaven showed signs of fear when Owen spoke that time. It was all Damian was could to place his hand upon his shoulder and encourage him to wait for the assassin to explain his meaning. He hoped they weren't going to be told that Isabelle had been told who to look for and all the right things to say to make sure he loved her. There was no telling what Eaven would do in the circumstance.
"He sent her to a cottage to live alone, away from the world, knowing nothing of vampires or lycans. When he heard the hybrid had left home a year before his due, he worried. He waited long enough for the hybrid to meet Isabelle and hear the call for her, then he sent me to kill her." What Owen said spoke of truth, but told Damian nothing that made sense. The box had shown each word to be honest as the scent of flowers filled the air. But it didn't made sense for Clinton to target the girl who was his stolen daughter and attempt to seek revenge on Damian through her. She had no connection to him until Eaven had fallen in love with her and had his visions. Why did he think his plan would work?
"Why? What would killing Isabelle accomplish?" He asked, hopeful that something would start to make sense soon. Owen only turned to look at Eaven and smiled as if the answer should have been obvious to them all.
"Clinton knew that killing her would destroy you. Unfortunately, the vampire woman who cared for Isabelle as she grew up, grew too attached to her and put a spell on the house. It meant that as long as Isabelle never left the cottage, she would be protected until her twentieth year. She came of age two nights ago. But the hybrid had already broken the spell. He fell from the sky and Isabelle left the safety of her cottage to save him, thus destroying the protection she was under." Owen surprised Eaven by telling him that his presence, as he had seen in his visions, had indeed led Isabelle to danger.
Damian had always thought it a silly fear of a young man in love, but now he knew the truth. Eaven's arrival in her life had sealed her fate and revealed her to a killer. He had stripped her of the magic that protected her. But Damian didn't blame him, though Eaven blamed himself. Isabelle had been drawn to Eaven as much as Eaven had been drawn to her. She chose to leave the confines of her cottage and garden, to save his life. That could not be a bad thing.
"Now that I have been captured another shall be sent to kill her...and then another...and another until the girl is dead and the hybrid heartbroken. You are too strong to take down alone. Killing Isabelle is the only way to break you. And you must be broken, at all costs, before you can take control of the clans from the Master." No-one knew how Owen had known of Damian's offer to hand down the rule of the vampires to Eaven. No-one knew how it was possible as William and Bryony, known participants in the plan, had already been kept well away from anyone they could have passed the information onto.
Bryony remained locked in her chambers and William's love for Poppy had changed his heart. He had accepted his treasonous actions and begged forgiveness. Who else remained?
"Since this creature is clearly finished being useful to us, may I remove him to the dungeons to await sentencing?" Sarus suggested, with a tone of disgust for the assassin. Damian was quick to agree, giving a nod to his scout and guiding Eaven to the council table where they could sit and talk, as they pondered the information they had.
"There may be a way to use this to our advantage. If we take the shadow man to the Elders who sent him, we may negotiate his return." Eaven hoped as he sank into his seat, uncertain of all the things his visions had shown him. He didn't yet understand where Bryony came into the plan or how anyone had known that the would agree to become a Master of a vampire clan. Whatever was happening was already beyond their control, that much he understood.
"No. If they have sent an assassin to prevent me from handing over the rule of the clans, they could attempt another assassination at the negotiations. They could kill me, in the hope of preventing me from handing over the rule to you or kill you so there is no-one to take over in my stead." Damian knew that trick all too well. Hadn't other Elders once tried the same thing not too long ago? Kaitlin had warned him of such tricks a million times and was terrified of the thought of him ever leaving the clan house. He could only imagine what she would say when she discovered that he had gone after Eaven to find the shadow man. But he wasn't made to sit indoors his whole life. He had spent centuries as another Master's scout and soldier. He was made to be busy.
"Surely none would face your wrath by attempting to kill you, father?" Eaven smiled as he expressed his doubts. But before he could relay the old story to the young hybrid, he got another thought.
"I believe Owen is right. If we kill him, they will only send another until the task is complete. Perhaps we may protect Isabelle each time, but there is a chance we may not. One moment of hesitation, one moment where we are not watching Isabelle for every moment...could lead to her death." For the longest time they sat in silence, neither appreciating the frankness of Damian's words or the truth of them. Eaven continued to look to Sarus for help, but the scout sat there silently, taking in everything and pondering it to himself. If he had ideas or opinions on what they discussed, he showed no sign of it.
"We must do something. I could take Isabelle back to my people. She would be safe hidden in a lycan clan." Eaven spoke only because he had come to his wits end with the silence. It was driving him mad to think that three intelligent men couldn't think of a way to protect an innocent human girl. Two of them were vampires who had lived for centuries and he was a hybrid. The first and only hybrid of the world. Surely they had some notion of a plan.
"I had hoped you would take control of the clans for me. That I could pass the reign to you and Isabelle." Damian felt all hope fading with Eaven's words. He had counted on the hybrid taking over his rule that he and Kaitlin might live out their lives together in peace. And, for once, enjoy watching their children grow up without the chaos of always being mother and father to the whole community. But maybe leaving vampire territory was the answer they were searching for. Maybe it was the only way to keep Isabelle safe from Clinton?
"But you are right. Perhaps that is the solution. I can find another to take my place, but you cannot replace Isabelle. She would be safer within a lycan clan." He decided that he would give up his plan of having Eaven take his place. After all, Sarus' children were grown and having relationships of their own. It wouldn't be long until they had children. Sarus might reconsider the Master-ship as a way for he and Savannah to settle down and watch their children blossom within the community. Or else his grandchildren might wish to take over in his stead.
"Forgive me father, I had forgotten." Eaven hung his head in shame. He hated that he had forgotten that he had already pledged his life to take Damian's place once he was ready to pass down the leadership. He hadn't actually thought seriously about the offer. He had been too happy to hear that Damian trusted him enough to take on the role. Now, he began wondering. "It is a heavy burden you bear. How long have you reigned as Master?" He wondered curiously, sounding so innocent and unsure that Damian could only smile and be honest. He didn't want to scare him away from the job, but he wanted to let him know that it wasn't always easy. But he also wanted him to know that he'd had a full life.
"It will be my five hundredth year this January, since I was given the Master-ship and united the Croiset, Kerensky and Charcot clans under one Master. I have had four children, soon to be six and watched them grow into fine adults. Some have passed and others remain. I have watched my children have children and united them to their mates myself. Now, my grandchildren have children." Damian patted Eaven's hand as he let him know that it was okay for him to refuse the offer. Many others before him had done the same thing, wishing a quiet life with no trouble and not responsibility. He couldn't give the task to someone who didn't want it, not when he had always known that he wanted to be the leader of the vampire clan he belonged to.
"I have seen vampires hide from the world, be exposed as witches and emerge and reveal themselves to the world. I have seen the first lycan to reveal that your numbers were not as few as we believed. I have witnessed the birth of a hybrid and watched as the world changed around me. I daresay another hundred years or so shall not be a hardship." He soothed his worries as best as he could, but still Eaven did not feel any better. In fact, he felt worse. Hearing from Damian's own lips how long he had lived, long enough to see technology change, the way of life he had been born into fade and then reappear. It was astounding. To hear him talk of lycans going from extinction to full clans distributed around the globe, made him realize just how long five hundred years really was.
"No father. I have promised to take this burden from you and I shall. It was selfish of me to suggest otherwise. You are offering me a great legacy...a place to belong and show the world a new era. You are offering me the chance to unite lycans and vampires under one banner...as one family." Eaven felt a great tug at his heart as he spoke. He didn't know where the words came from but he found that they flew from his lips as if destined to be spoken. He presumed he had always been meant to make such a choice. Damian was surprised to hear the extent of his plans for the leadership and smiled in approval of his notion to bring lycanthropes and vampires together as one family.
Already Damian had been successful in bringing peace between them, but a true family needed more than just peace, they needed a leader who understood both sides. And Eaven was that leader.
"I love Isabelle, but you are my kin. I shall remain and take the leadership from you when you are prepared to step down. Isabelle and I will remain here." He found himself speaking with more confidence than he felt, but even he knew the truth of his words. He wouldn't now deviate from the promise he had made.
"How will you protect Isabelle?" Damian asked uncertainly. Eaven could only be honest.
"Any way I can."
With Damian's leave, Eaven left the council room just a few moments later, to retire to his room and spend some time with Isabelle. He would need to break the news to her that their future was already mapped out, if she chose to remain with him. He entered his room, prepared to spend days and nights talking her through the truth of his people and Damian's, only to find that she was lying in bed watching the clock.
"I feared you would never return." She confessed quietly, making Eaven smile and realize that he had left her too long. She had suffered a terrible ordeal. Although it was obvious Kaitlin or the girls had been to see to Isabelle's needs, bringing her food, water and clothes, Eaven knew that what needed done now was to be his doing. As she was awake, Eaven climbed onto the bed and lay down beside her, starting their long night by revealing his true nature.
He told her of lycans and vampires and of his gifts. He explained about his mother and father, the news the shadow man had given him about her own ancestry. He told her of the wolf call and Damian's offer of leadership. All night they stayed awake talking until Isabelle understood everything that would soon matter to her. And then, finally, late on into the early morning hours, Eaven succumbed to the sweet kisses Isabelle gave him so freely and made love to her for the first time. Knowing that she had discovered the truth and still loved him made him reckless with his emotions. He cared nothing for propriety or waiting for their union. The only thing he cared about that night, was making sure Isabelle was safe and loved.