Interrogation was the only word that came to Capper's mind as he strode into the inner sanctum of the Elders. They'd given him a short period of time to clean himself up and get changed into a simply black t-shirt and grey jeans, but otherwise had made it clear that they would not be wasting time in rendering their indictment of his actions.
When he entered the room, however, he was surprised to find only a handful of individuals waiting for him. Jocasta's presence filled the air, along with two of the next most senior Elders – Urda and Brugen. More surprising, however, was that Brooke stood off to one side of the dais, now clad in a simple dark-green tunic, black leggings and soft leather boots.
She looked guilty somehow, as though ashamed of going to the Elders with what she'd discovered. But that didn't explain why she'd been invited to this meeting. He knew he needed to say something to her – to apologise for not listening sooner – but right now he couldn't find the words. So he said nothing, instead waiting for whatever judgement was to be delivered.
The only other person in the room was Tithe, the venerable seneschal apparently one of the few who would be privy to Capper's fate. He drew his face into an unreadable mask as Capper entered the room and stood impossibly still in the corner of the room, hands clasped together in front of him over the pommel of his cane.
Jocasta looked up from the raised arc of seating. He looked calm enough, but Capper could sense the underlying simmer in his Aspect. The Elder was teetering on the brink of complete fury. He looked left and right at the others – Urda's expression made her disgust clear to see. Brugen looked more contemplative, brows set into a thoughtful frown and one hand cupping his chin as he gazed down. The guards who had escorted Capper into the room retreated, and the door boomed shut behind them with the finality of a gunshot.
For a moment no-one spoke. Capper didn't know what to do with his hands and they flailed nervously around him before he eventually gathered the wits to clamp them together behind his back. He glanced at Brooke but she kept her eyes averted, so instead he looked up, meeting Jocasta's judging stare.
"Capper ..." the Elder began heavily, shaking his head slowly. "I warned you."
"I know." He kept his voice steady. Whatever else happened, he would bear the consequences of his actions with as much dignity as he could muster.
"She was your responsibility. You brought her here. You tried to make her one of us. Now she has set something in motion which may yet see this city torn apart."
"I know," Capper said again. "It is not something I can undo. All I can do is apologise."
"Apologies are of little use to us," Urda hissed angrily. "You fool! Do you have any idea what you've done?"
"I thought I was doing what was best for the clan." Even as the words left his mouth Capper felt the futility of them. What was the old saying, the road to hell is paved with good intentions? Had he not been in a room with the Elders it might have made him smile.
"From what I've gathered of this," Brugen interjected, gently tracing shapes on the wood in front of him. "You were half right in what you tried to do. As I understand it, Clan Baelock did have this Keystone. The girl was telling the truth about that. What she has lied about is her own origin. Clearly she was sent here for the sole purpose of getting that weapon."
"If what Brooke has told us is correct, it is not a weapon," Jocasta rumbled.
Capper's brows shot up in surprise. "What do you mean it's not a weapon?"
"Capper," Brooke spoke up quietly, pulling his gaze down to her. "I told you I've tasted her blood, just before she escaped the grounds. I didn't get enough to gain a complete picture of what led her to us, but I got the most important things, those that were highmost in her mind at the time."
"And what was that?"
"The Keystone unlocks something," she replied and cast a dubious glance up to the Elders. "Gliss and her clan seem to think it will unlock the Tomb of the First."
He closed his eyes for a moment. It seemed like things were getting even more insane, if that were at all possible. "Wait. The First?"
"Yes."
"But I thought that was ... you know, just a story?"
"Stories come from somewhere," Jocasta told him. "And the Keystone is real enough. It may not be exactly what they think it is, but it is safe to assume that they would not have gone to these lengths to retrieve it if they hadn't found something. The ancient Vampyr wielded many terrible weapons, the destructive forces of which we can only imagine. If Gliss's clan have uncovered one of their repositories then Iron Hollow may be about to undergo a very violent change."
"From what I can sort out," Brooke continued. "They need the Keystone to unlock this vault – tomb, whatever it is – and then they won't just have one super weapon. They'll have dozens. That's what this was all about from the second she stepped through those doors. They figured out the Keystone was here and sent her to get it."
"You never should have trusted her," Urda said icily, and her eyes flickered to Jocasta. "And others should not have placed their trust in you."
Jocasta's Aspect flared angrily and he turned a glare on the other Elder. "You forget yourself, Urda. Capper is an Elder-Blood. If we cannot place our trust in them the clan cannot function."
"Maybe not, but Capper has made no secret of his disrespect for tradition. This venture was doomed to fail."
"So what do we do?" Capper asked quickly before she could take any more shots at his character. He no longer cared what the Elders thought of him, but the new information as to what the Keystone was for had sparked a new kind of terror in his mind.
"We?" Brugen shook his head incredulously. "I don't think there will be a 'we', Capper. I like you, but what you've done here can't be ignored."
He tensed. "So what are you going to do?"
"About?"
"About Gliss!"
"We have more immediate problems, thanks to you," Urda said. "Word of Baelock's attack has already spread through the city. Other clans are arming themselves for conflict and already many of them are probing along our borders. With the casualties from the Baelock attack we are stretched to police our territory effectively. Therefore, as much as I hate to say it, Gliss is beyond our reach for now."
"But ... but if they uncover these weapons-"
"For all we know there will be nothing but dust and ash in that tomb," Jocasta said firmly. "And Urda is entirely correct. No matter your personal feelings, or anyone else's, we're in no position to go chasing your friend up and down the continent. We need every able bodied vampire here in this mansion and out on the streets. We will need to turn fresh blood to try and match Baelock's numbers and try to head this off before the whole city falls apart."
Now he felt his temper beginning to rise. "So she gets away with it?!"
"I believe that is your fault more than ours."
"I'll go after her then!"
"Don't be absurd." Jocasta shook his head. "I'm sorry, Capper, but your judgement has been in serious error of late. And alone, you would never stand a chance."
"So that's it? I make one mistake and I can't be trusted ever again?" His hands flew to his sides, snapping into fists involuntarily. "If we don't do anything we'll be making a greater mistake than anything I've done."
"You're in no position to demand action from us, Capper," Urda snapped. "You forget, you are in this room to be punished for your actions in bringing a spy into our midst. You could be charged with treason."
"I must protest that," Brugen scoffed. "He's guilty of stupidity, at worst. You imply he wanted this to happen."
"I agree." Jocasta nodded. "Capper has shown poor judgement, but that is a long way from willingly betraying the clan."
"I would never do that," Capper snarled, his eyes fastening on Urda. "Blame me for whatever you want, but I'm not a traitor!"
A simmering silence opened between them as the Elders exchanged looks. Capper tried to calm himself and think. He had to convince them that there needed to be more of a response than shutting up the estate and cowering from the other clans. But how? He was still trying to get to grips with the suddenness of Gliss's betrayal, but he would deal with that later. He trusted Brooke – should've trusted her all along – and if she was certain, then he knew that sitting back and hoping Gliss was chasing ghosts was too much of a risk.
"I was wrong about Gliss," he said, straining to keep his voice level. "I accept that. I let my own feelings cloud my judgement. I'm guilty of that. But she's not here any more. She's gone and I'm left looking at the facts. I understand that the situation with Baelock has deteriorated, but she deceived them as much as us."
"No, Capper," Jocasta said sharply. "You went there with the intention of robbing them."
"And what if I did? They had the Keystone, Jocasta. What if they found one of these vaults? It was too dangerous to let Baelock keep it."
"You may have a point," Brugen grunted. "But it doesn't change how the cards landed. Now neither of us has the Keystone and Baelock are spoiling for a fight."
"It's not just Baelock," Urda jumped in. "Pyre's full force have been on the streets in their territory hunting for infiltrators. Furrick and Wolf have both withdrawn their envoys and fortified their holdings. Other clans are already turning fresh humans. Everyone except us is already getting ready for a war. Relieving Baelock of a weapon is a logical step, but you should have consulted us."
"You never would have agreed."
"Do rob them and murder a cleric on the eve of the Synod? No, I doubt we would have!"
"We're going round in circles," Capper said, desperation creeping through his words. "Please, if only listen to one thing I ever say for the rest of my damn life, listen to this: we have to go after her! Send me. It's my fault, so it is my job to fix it. And if I die out there ... well then you're rid of me for good."
Brugen shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "None of us want you dead, Capper. Despite how it may seem to you, this is not personal. Any other Elder-Blood who acted as you have would be disciplined the same."
"No-one is chasing anyone to Iron Hollow," Jocasta declared. "You, Capper, will be confined to your quarters for the foreseeable future until we have resolved the situation with Baelock. If we require you, you will be sent for. You will not be permitted to hunt, or train, or visit the archive. You will live by these conditions or you will be imprisoned in the dungeons and placed under permanent guard. Do I make myself clear?"
"I am not just going to sit here and do nothing!" Capper yelled shrilly, finally losing control. All the guilt and fury simply bubbled over like a boiling pot and his Aspect exploded outward to clash with Jocasta. "She is out there right now, getting ready to uncover a hoard of weapons that could turn the world upside down!"
"This is not a discussion," Jocasta growled.
But Capper was past listening. "It won't stop in Iron Hollow. They'll kill every clan that stands in their way and then they'll come for us. Maybe in a year, maybe ten years, but if we don't stop her it will happen."
"Thanks to your foolishness we can no longer afford to send a force to Iron Hollow, even if I was inclined to act on your suggestions ever again." The Elder shook his head sadly. "We are at war with Baelock now in all but name. It will be a miracle if I can avert it, and we will have to sacrifice hunting grounds and territory to do so."
"Can't you understand?!" Capper gasped. "If everything Brooke uncovered is true, none of that will matter!"
"That's enough, Capper."
"It's not enough – why don't you just throw open the hellgates yourself if you won't act?"
"Careful, boy!"
"I'm long past that. You think I've got poor judgement? Maybe you should spend more time judging yourselves."
Jocasta's Aspect erupted at that, flashing out across the room and causing the gas-lamps to gutter and flicker from the sheer world-bending strength of it. Capper felt it, but he stood his ground, his anger fuelling his defiance like oil on a fire. The leader of Glaive's Elders rose from his chair, towering over him like giant, power beating from him in waves.
"Capper, stop!" Brooke exclaimed, leaping between them and grabbing him by the front of his shirt. "Just ... stop." She pushed him back, holding him at arms length and looking desperately into his eyes. "Walk with me, please. Until you calm down."
He could have hurled her across the room he was so angry, but a small portion of sense reasserted itself when he looked into her eyes. Slowly the tension faded from his muscles and he nodded.
"Talk some sense into him, Brooke," Jocasta muttered, slowly sinking back into his seat.
Then Capper found himself spun around and shoved him towards the door before he could respond.