We landed just before dawn on the northside of the compound. The trip home from Alaska had been a quiet one for all of us. We spent most of it lost in thought. I cannot speak for the others but I am puzzled by all the recent events.
I hope Summer is right about the answers being here in the research room. A very sleepy attendant rushed forward as we exited the plane. He informed us the council wants to see us immediately.
The words barely escaped his lips before he scurried off towards the watchmen's cabin. I can not blame him for the quick retreat. The sun is nearly up, and he is a nightwalker.
His skin would burst into flames should it come in contact with the sun. It's an awful thing to witness and even worse thing to smell.
This is not the case for all creatures of vampirism. It seems to be limited to only night walkers or Strigoi as they are known in popular folklore. The Pure bloods and the Moroi seem to have immunity to the sun.
Pure bloods are the first vampires born as a result of the true sin. They consists of seven families who reside on the council with Katherine Roswell as leader.
The Moroi are the offspring of a pure blood and a enchantress or even a lycanthrope. I was bitten by a Moroi in my human life and turned into a vampire.
This would technically make me a night walker but I also seem to have an immunity to the sun. I am a oddity, and such is not permitted.
Katherine gave me a choice to either join the guard to serve the council or be destroyed. I choose what I thought was the best option for me at the time. Little did I know, I would come to regret this decision in time.
I scooped up my bag and heaved it over my shoulder. Foster followed suit with his and Violet's bags.
He is being awful nice to her all of a sudden. "How mad do you think they are?" Foster asked.
I glanced up at the stone castle off in the distance. " They're up with the sun." I replied. "I'd say somewhere between very and murderous."
Foster nodded. "Yeah. I was afraid you'd say that."
"Are you coming or not." Violet tossed over her shoulder. She was gazing across the field with a determined set to her jaw.
Foster looked at me and shrugged but was quick to follow behind her every step of the way. The entire walk from the airfield to the front doors of the castle took less than twelve minutes.
I drew a deep breath, squared my shoulders, and slowly opened the set of oak doors. Violet squeezed my hand as she passed by me into the main hall. I waited until Foster had stepped through before letting the doors slam shut behind me.
A woman in her mid-twenties with light brown hair, a thin narrow nose, and wire framed glasses stood up from behind a desk.
"Brady. Violet, and Foster I presume?" She asked.
I nodded. "We are."
"There was been a change of plans." She informed us. "Please deposit your bags on the table and follow me."
We placed our bags on the table next to the door as she instructed. I barely enough time to release my hand from the bag before she started away.
A few minutes later Violet tossed me a puzzled look as we started down a series of hallways which led away from the common area into the council-only section of the building.
We continued down one poorly lit hallway after another to the point where I was beginning to think we were going in a giant circle.
Finally she stopped in front of blood red doors.The woman lightly tapped before turning the knob. She disappeared inside leaving us standing in a dark slightly creepy damp hall.
A few seconds passed before she emerged with a slight stagger. "He will see you now." She announced. She smiled flatly at then scurried back down the hall.
I got a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach. In the eighty odd years I've been serving the guard, not once have I been called to the private chambers of a council member.
Violet drew a deep breath then she slipped inside. I allowed Foster to pass through then I too reluctantly stepped into the room.
I'm not sure what I was expecting but it surely was not what I found. Eugene Roswell, one of the founding members of the council, and Katherine's husband was seated in a overstuffed chair in front of a fireplace.
He was dressed in green checkered pajamas and had a book open on his lap. In his hand was a glass of wine.
"You've had quite the adventure." Eugene stated. "Please shut the door and have a seat my friends."
He motioned to a set of chairs to his left. Foster and Violet took the chairs closest to the door, leaving me to sit directly next to him. Once seated Eugene offered us a glass of Wine. Violet and I both politely declined but Foster downed an entire glass before we could stop him. Eugene offered a second glass but he declined.
The council members are notoriously old school. They tend to lace wine with fresh human blood. My thoughts went immediately to the woman who showed us here.
Now I understood why she staggered. She was tonight's donor. Most of us avoid fresh blood. We opt for aged blood from donor bags. A few of us use synthesized blood with an animal blood boost to satisfied our hungry.
Fresh blood to a Moroi vampire is the equivalent of drinking a gallon of whiskey while snorting a boat load of cocaine.
The worst part is the addictiveness that comes after a taste of fresh blood. I will have to put Foster in quarantine as soon as we leave here or he will be trying to chew on every human in sight for the next few days. It will take at least a week for the blood to leave his system. A full two weeks before the bloodlust goes completely away.
Eugene swirled the reddish liquid around the rim of his glass. "Mr. Bach got into physical altercation with a pack of wolves while an Enchantress intervened by use of magic."
He took a sip from the glass.
"The Enchantress then escaped. And the three of you returned to the summit where you give away five thousand miles of council land. Plus kill the offending wolves. Did I miss anything?"
Violet and I exchanged a brief glance. She looked too visibly shaken to remember what we'd gone over on the flight home. I cleared my throat and turned to Eugene.
"Yes those things did occur." I admitted. "None of actions taken were without merit. We operated within the scope of our duties." I asserted.
Eugene sat his glass down. "How so?"
"The land was to calm the fractions after the wolves attacked. We believe it was an assignation attempt. My measures worked as all fractions signed the treaty." I explained.
He pick back up his glass. "What of this Enchantress?"
Violet having found her voice spoke up. "The Enchantress discovered the wolves plot to assassinate Foster and myself in order to get to Brady. She acted to stop them from succeeding in their mission."
Eugene did not look startled or even surprised by this information which I found rater peculiar. He should be hammering us with questions but instead he is being oddly silent.
A full ten minutes passed before Eugene spoke again.
"This Enchantress." He stated. "Did she do or say anything out of the ordinary? How did she manage to escape three guardians in the middle of the woods?" He asked.
Now was the time to put our carefully crafted story into motion. We decided not to mention Summer's claim of being a High Priestess. As it would undoubtedly lead to bloodshed.
"Do you mean like using a glamour spell to change her appearance every few minutes or the fact she claimed to be some high Priestess from the circle of Mage?" Foster blurted out.
Eugene perked up. "Did she mention anything else?"
The wine must be kicking in because Foster went on to tell Eugene about everything including our dreams about the winged woman and Summer's claim the answers were in the research room.
I closed my eyes and counted in my head until the urge to strangle him or at the very least glue his lips together passed. So much for trusting him.
"I see." Eugene uttered as he turned back to his glass of wine. He downed the contents in one gulp then pour another glass. After drinking more than half of the second glass, he pulled a gold coin from a box on the table next to him.
Eugene tossed me the coin. "This will get you into the restricted area of the research room. If anyone asks you found it in there."
I examined the coin. It had an angel on side and a serpent on the other. Most importantly I could feel magic radiating out from the center.
"My suggestion is to go now while everyone is asleep. If anyone should ask tell them I sent you to research the wolves that attacked you at the summit. I will clean up the mess with the council tomorrow." Eugene directed.
I was stunned. This is not how I pictured this going especially after Foster spilled his guts about everything. Eugene should be furious at us right now. The other council member would have been.
"Why are you helping us?" I asked.
Eugene sighed. "You'll know that answer soon enough."
For the first time since meeting Eugene, I seen what can only be described as a hopeful spark in his eyes. He obviously knows something but isn't saying anything. Why?
"Well thank you all the same." I replied.
He shook his head. "Don't thank me." Eugene stared me straight in the eyes. "You've no idea what fate has chosen for you. For all of us. Good luck." He turned away.
I could sense he was done talking about it, or anything else. He wanted to be alone with his thoughts. I am doubly certain he knows way more than he is saying.
Violet and Foster followed me to the door. I placed my hand on the knob then turned back to look at Eugene.
A feeling of sadness washed over me. Eugene had returned to his glass of wine but now in his other hand was a picture of his missing daughter Natalia. She was not actual missing but rather in hiding from the council. Twenty years ago Natalia broke the most scared of our laws and killed a member of the guard in the process.
Katherine in a fit of rage ordered for Natalia to be found and killed.
Eugene has never forgiven Katherine for that order. I never realized how incredibly hard this has to be on him... until now. He is a father who simply misses his daughter and for that my heart breaks for him.
Violet put her hand on my back.
"Brady." She whispered. "I think Eugene wants to be alone with his memories now. We should go now." She politely suggested.
I took one last good look at Eugene and then turned the knob. The same woman who had led us to Eugene's room was waiting to take us once again through a maze of dark hallways to an even older section of the building.
Foster tried desperately to get the woman to speak but the closest he got was her stopping long enough to place her fingers over his lips.
He quieted down and we continued plodding along. We came to a halt in front of an arched opening to a narrow stone staircase.
This must be how the council gets to and from the chamber without being seen by anyone.
"Your bags have been sent to your rooms. Use the guard entrance below to exit the building." She took a torch off the walk and handed it to me.
"Take a right at the bottom of the stairs." She directed.
I nodded. "Thank you." The Woman nodded back then spun on her heels and darted back into the darkness.
I hope her outcome here is better than the last human who worked for the council. The last one was attacked by a guard trainee and died in the transformation process.
As is the case for most humans as they cannot tolerate the pain. This is the reason turning a human into a vampire is against council law.
Midway down I understood the reason for the torch. Some of the stairs were missing chunks of stone while others were cracking.
We proceeded carefully avoiding the heavily damage spots. None of us wanted to reach the bottom the hard way. It wasn't a matter of not being able to survive the fall. We, as vampires and such are durable and self-healing. It was the humiliation and pain we'd like to avoid.
At the bottom of the stairs we came to yet another dark hallway. We were now several feet underground so on top of the darkness it smelled like musty dirt.
I hung the torch in the holder next to the door and proceeded down the hallway. We came out directly across from the chamber doors.
Yes. This is definitely how they get to the chamber without being seen.
"I can take the lead from here." Foster announced as he attempted to push himself passed me to the front.
I stepped in front of him and placed my hand on his chest.Violet flanked my right side effectively blocking off his path. I shook my head.
"The only place you're going is too quarantine until the blood laced wine is out of your system." I stated.
"No way!" Foster cried out. "I am perfectly fine."
Violet cocked an eyebrow. "The wine was laced with fresh blood."
Foster shrugged. "I doubt it but even if so...what's your point?"
"My point is Moroi cannot drink fresh blood without side effects. This includes bloodlust. Sorry. We just can't take the chance." Violet looked at him sadly. If I didn't know any better I'd say her eyes were a bit watery.
Foster frowned. "Look I'm telling you no blood was in that wine. Seriously, I am not feeling anything different. I can even prove it to you."
"How are you going to prove it?" I asked to humor him.
He counted backwards from ten while standing on one foot. He then proceed to walk then hop in a straight line. To further drive his point across he recited the alphabet forwards then backwards while standing on his head. "You see, I am fine." He stated.
Violet looked over at me. Her bottom lip twitched. This was my breaking point. I busted out in laughter bringing Violet along with me.
"What the hell made you think to do all that?" I asked between the fits of laughter.
Foster cocked his head to one side. "I saw it on TV." He replied. "Cops have humans do it all the time. It's an effective tool in determining a person's sobriety." He defended.
His explanation made me laugh even harder. I've seen the show in passing and they certainly do not have any humans stand on their heads.
Violet tapped me on the shoulder. "I think he's fine enough to proceed but-" She spun around on him. "One sign you're not and you go directly to quarantine no questions asked."
Foster held up his hands. "You got it boss-lady."
I didn't love the idea but he didn't appear to be showing any signs of aggression. I reluctantly stepped aside to let him led the way. We spent the next several hours combing through as many old books, files, and journals as we could find in the restricted and unrestricted area of the room.
One book out of hundreds remotely referenced a Lilith. It was in an old Bible Foster found at the bottom of a cedar chest. I seriously doubt the two Lilith are connected.
Violet, wasn't as convinced so I passed it to her while I explored more reputable sources.
I was Midway through an a dusty old spell book from the fifteen hundreds when the familiar echo of heels on stone brought me to a halt. I knew those clicks anywhere.
What is Katherine doing awake at this hour? I glanced up to warn the others but it was too late. Katherine stood tall and rigid in the doorway. Her eyes cold and penetrating as she took us in.
"Eugene said he sent you to research the southern Lycanthropes. I thought you might need help locating the right information." She stepped into the room. "What do we have here?" Katherine asked as she peered over Violets shoulder. "I don't believe you're going to find anything about southern wolves in there my dear." She held out her hand for the book.
"I actually took a break from all the searching, and thought it would be a good time to catch up on my bible studies, so I think I'll hang on to it for awhile. Thanks." Violet added with a giant smiled.
Foster and I both exchanged a look of caution with Violet. Katherine did not look amused.
"May I suggest going to church then." She yanked the book from Violet's hand. "I believe this book was in the restricted area." She narrowed her eyes. "How exactly did you get into the restricted area?"She demanded.
"I think it may have something to do with this." Violet held up the gold coin. "We found it on the table and was playing keep away with it when I stumbled into the restricted area."
This was nowhere close to the story Eugene had told us to give, but it worked as Katherine relaxed her shoulders and smiled at us again.
"Eugene is always losing that cursed coin. I will take it now." She held out her hand. Violet dropped the coin into her hand.
On the way back to the table Violet flashed a mischievous smile at me.What did she do? I didn't have time to figure it out because Katherine was studying me intently. Her icy demeanor thawed into a sudden forced warmth. "
Brady, you were born in Brookville Alabama correct?" She questioned.
An uneasiness settled into my stomach. "It was called Brooks town then but yes I was."
Katherine smiled. "I got a report of someone making newborns in Brookville. Since you know the area I think your best qualified to deal with this issue. You leave tonight." She concluded.
I haven't been back to Brookville since-no I can't think about that right now. I forced the air to move through my lungs. I also cannot say no to her or this assignment.
"As you wish Katherine." I finally answered.
Brookville Alabama is the last place on earth I want to go. I would rather walk barefoot into hell while my eyeballs are being picked out by crows then return back home again.
"Who said you cannot go home again." Katherine laughed. It was a haunting laugh.
The uneasiness inside of me churned as a new feeling washed over me. A feeling of dread. There is something coming for me. I can feel it deep inside my bones.It will either save me or it will destroy what little is left of me. Regardless of the outcome my day of reckoning is on the horizon for that I am certain.
Katherine stared Violet down. "I want you to accompany Brady as his second in command. Try not to screw up this assignment as badly as you did with the peace summit." She warned.
Violet flinched under the weight of her unspoken words. It didn't need to be spoken out loud to be understood. If anything goes wrong on this mission Violet will pay for it with her life.
"Oh and take the new kid with you as well." Katherine tossed over her shoulder on the way out the door. We listened silently until her footsteps died completely away.
"Well that was different." Violet commented grimly.
It was different. In fact it was too different which is precisely what troubled me the most. Katherine is the type of person whose every move is calculated and predictable down to a fault. The one thing she is not at any time is different.
Foster stood up from the table. "Did you see how weird she acted over Violet looking at that old bible? I honest was afraid she was going to snap Violet's neck over it." He commented.
"I did notice." I answered. Maybe we dismissed the bible too fast and there was something to it after all. "I also noticed she took it with her when she left." I added.
Violet cleared her throat and beamed a boisterous smiled at the two of us. "Lucky for you both I have an idyllic memory and have already committed more than half of the book up here." She pointed to her head.
"Okay, Is there anything to it?" I asked.
Violet frowned. "Maybe. I still need to research a few things before I can accurately say. I've seen that version before so I know more than that one exist. I just have to track one down." She explained. "I know where one is, but getting to it, may prove to be something of a challenge. "
I nodded. "You can work on tracking down a copy once we get to Brookville. In the meantime I think its best if we get out of here as soon as possible. I want you to go pack up and meet me at my car in twenty minutes. Pack light." I advised.
Katherine is expecting us to take the council plane at twilight which is exactly why we are driving out of here now. I am not leaving anything up to chance when I am not sure what Katherine is up too.
We spilt up once we stepped out onto the sidewalk. I cut across the east lawn which is highly frowned upon but luckily nobody is awake to know or care at this hour.
Once back in my room I placed three phone calls, two of them were to old friends who owe me a favor, and the last was to reserve a hotel room in Birmingham for when we arrived in Alabama.
Next I restocked my duffel bag with a change of clothes, my battle gear, a comb, a dozen sketch pads, and a handful of sharpened pencils.
I topped off the bag with a couple dozen bags of synthetic blood. It was enough to last a few weeks if I ration well. I took a step back and glanced around my room and once again I was hit with an overwhelming rush of sadness.
A realization this very well might be the last time I stand in this room. I let my eyes drink in every last inch and commit it to memory.
There wasn't much of me here beyond a couple of books, a few of my paintings, and a writing desk I added during my third year of service. Even so this had been my home for the past eighty-six years, and I will miss the comfort it provided me.
My watch alarm echoed as it reminded me it was now time to go. I walked slowly to the door and turned the handle. My legs felt heavy as I forced myself out into the daylight. When I closed the door, I felt it vibrate in my heart.
To be continued....