Invisible Elder

by T S Paul

  I shook my head. “Did anyone look at you funny or sniff you?”

  Ivan stared at me, and one eyebrow went up a bit. “Sniff me?”

  “It’s a Were thing, apparently. Did they?”

  “There were a couple of surfer looking guys whispering in the checkout line, but I don’t think they sniffed me. Why?” Ivan replied.

  “Vampires have a certain smell. Older ones, like myself, are hard to detect if we know we have to block it. If you had warned me, I might have been able to remove it from you. In the future, you will bath and completely change clothing after every feeding. Do you understand?”

  Ivan nodded.

  “Good. What else did you learn?” I sat back down on the bed as he gave his report.

  <<<>>>

  I am so screwed!

  Over twenty-five thousand Were’s are all around me on this island! According to Ivan, they’re everywhere. He claimed local police were blocking off local streets just to keep camper and squatters out. I will have to be on my guard every waking minute lest a stray Were scent me out and turn me in. I checked the official registry just before ordering Ivan here. No resident Vampires according to the lists. However, there might be a rogue or two hiding around here.

  We don’t have rogues. At least not the kind the Were’s and other paranormals have. Vampire society doesn’t work that way. Or at least it didn’t. I’m a bit out of touch for more than a few reasons. There are only two other official FBI Vampires besides Roy, Tom, and me,. Both of them were musicians that had a small bus accident on their way to a concert. According to Roy, it happened just outside of Wilbury, North Carolina. The bus was traveling down Highway 40 and hit a deer. The boys were being pursued by a local redneck Vampire that thought it was ‘downright funny to change his favorite group into Vampires.’

  Here’s the thing about Vampires. Not all are created equal. Any idiot can make one. Only the truly special can create a leader. That is how I was created. Or at least that is what I was told.

  The bus accident was investigated and the lone survivor interrogated. George was trapped in the cockpit of the bus and could only watch as his friends were dragged from the bus. According to records, the local Vampire Lord was contacted, and he took care of his wayward man. ‘Six feet under,’ is the term that was used. After a bit of training and some admonishment to not drink the civilians, Tom and Roy were cut loose by the locals.

  The entertainers were too high profile for the local lord to hide them. They weren’t witnesses to anything, so the Marshall service didn’t want them. That left either the FBI or a return to their homes. That part was actually out as well. Since they were legally dead, their heirs were tearing their places apart fighting over assets. Yet another reason to hide everything.

  I have an alternate location nearby, but it would mean calling in a favor I didn’t want to spend. The fewer species I involve in this, the better off I am.

  Chapter 5

  Groaning I sat up in bed. Blinking my eyes, I looked around me. My Vampire senses didn’t detect anyone, but I think it was the non-stop party next door that woke me up. Calling the police wasn’t an option for me. Way too many questions. With so much money to be made this weekend, all of my neighbors, as well as most of the town's native population, turned their houses into temporary rentals. The management company that works for me had the gall to ask if the private party in MY house was going to be there long. Since it was me, I let them have it with both barrels. Which, of course, was a mistake. I hate making mistakes. This so reminds me of something that happened when I was a girl. Maybe If the circumstances were a little better, my life might have been different.

  <<< >>>

  My childhood family estate was on a hill overlooking the city of Sirmium in the province of Pannonia. It’s almost impossible to find now. The civil war that is engulfing the region has destroyed so much. I have kept up my research of the area during my time with the FBI. After computers were invented, it became a lot easier than staring at old books and satellite imagery.

  “Father, why are they racing?” We were staring at several teams of chariots chasing each other around the Hippodrome.

  “It’s for sport. The Emperor has proclaimed a month of games to celebrate a great military victory. This is but one of the many exhibitions that will take place here.” My father pointed to a royal box near ours. “That is one of Emperor Trajan's nephews.”

  As I watched two of the teams cornered a third and forced the charioteer into the wall. I could hear the screams of the horses and the roar of the crowd. I felt a tear roll down my cheek. Horses were some of my favorite animals on the estate. “Why?”

  My father looked at me and scowled. “Wipe your tears. This is necessary. The commoners must be appeased with blood. They yearn for it. Better those of gladiators and charioteers than ours. This is a function of government and society. You may not like it, but you will appear to enjoy it or taste my whip at home! Showing weakness to anyone outside of the family is totally unacceptable. Now pay attention to the match.”

  I had already reason enough to know my father did not make empty threats. Drying my tears I watched. The crowd was more interesting than the racers. Women and men cheered and jeered the contestants as they shed blood and gave their lives for them.

  “Why do they even care?” I pointed to a group of women congratulating the winning team by throwing themselves at them.

  Father looked over at me and smiled. “The ways of men and women are something you will learn about later. Your mother’s brother, your uncle, Anthony, will aid you in choosing a husband worthy of our family when the time is right. He will join us in the coming year. As to them,” he pointed, “they wish to encourage the Gods to give them children by the next moon. Seeds of a victory might add to the family line. Do not be surprised when a noblewoman is among them.”

  I stared down at the men and women cavorting on the field. Being raised among slaves, I knew where babies came from. It was the slave's job to breed both themselves and the estate’s animal population. I just wasn’t ready to see it so blatantly exposed in such a public way.

  “Another tournament begins. Pay attention.” Father pointed toward the chariot gate.

  Down on the field, three groups of chariots were readied. One strange looking one was out in front. “Why is he different?”

  “Good eye. He is the ‘rabbit.’ The others are ‘hounds.’ The goal is to catch the rabbit. This rabbit has teeth, and he knows how to use them.”

  Father watched me watch the chariots. “This is a military maneuver. Strategy. Much of life is ruled by tactics and geometry. Demetrius says you are a good student in math. You understand the angles of things?”

  I nodded.

  “Watch and learn then.” Father nodded toward the field.

  The rabbit was given a small head start. Four other chariots began to chase him. Ignoring the directional laps, the rabbit crossed over the middle more than once to confuse his pursuers. Unlike the chasing chariots, the rabbit's had six horses instead of four. In addition to more horses, he was not alone in the cart. A man armed with a bow stood beside him. Blades and sharp looking spears stuck out in all directions from the vehicle. As I watched, the rabbit eluded his pursuers with ease. Horses can only run for so long though. The teams were forced to slow or lose their advantage of speed.

  “Here’s where we see the skill of the driver's.” Father pointed to the hounds.

  All three teams slowed to a crawl. The rabbit team allowed one of the hounds to get almost close enough to touch the horses when the archer popped up shooting and killing the lead horse.

  Having already heard more than one horse scream today I was prepared for, it but not the sight of an entire team of horses tumbling over the dead body of another. More screams and loud crunching sounds practically echoed off the walls of the Hippodrome. The crowd roared and pounded their feet in response. Ignoring my father’s orders, I looked away.

  “Eyes front, girl. Eyes front. Th
e rabbit has the will of the crowd now. The hounds will stop at nothing to catch him. Glory is at stake now. You must watch to understand the strategy.” Father admonished.

  Strategy? I watched the rabbit when I should have been watching the hounds. They herded him. The archer was a pest, but the hounds were careful to not come too close to him. Keeping their armored horses on his flanks, they forced the rabbit away from the center where he could elude them.

  As if mirroring my thoughts, Father spoke. “Everything was planned. Possibly even the loss of the hound. See how they herd him? He is tired and his horses near faltering. His one chance to elude them by crossing over is gone. Now he must fight or die on the sand.”

  True to Father’s word, the rabbit slowed to a halt. The archer, firing from partial cover continued to shoot at their opponent’s horses.

  “He’s doomed, isn’t he?” I asked.

  Father nodded. “Only so much room in that sort of chariot. His arrows are becoming a precious commodity.”

  The rate of fire slowed as the archer hit very few of the hound's chariots or horses. While one chariot charged the stationary rabbit, the other teams attacked on foot. A brief flurry of swordplay and it was over. The lead hound team waved the rabbit’s heads in the air splattering the sand with their blood.

  “As I said, strategy. Life is filled with situations that require that sort of tactics. Understand daughter that I brought you here to learn, not for fun. As a member of my household, you will be attacked politically and socially. You must learn when to attack and when to defend. Do not, under any circumstances, become the rabbit. Understand?” My father stared at me with a stern look.

  “I think I understand. How… How do you know of this? I thought you were an architect?” I replied.

  Father threw back his head in laughter. “Demetrius needs to start telling you the truth. No child, I am not just an architect. If you march with the legion, you work with the legion. Lording it over the soldiers that surround you? Not healthy. If they dig, you dig. I did my required service such as any citizen of the empire should do. My education served me well during our construction of palisades and entrenchments and brought me to my commander’s attention. My commander then brought my skill to the notice of the Emperor’s select. And the rest is, as Demetrius would say, history. It is my task within the Legion to build whatever the Emperor wishes. Tactics and strategy come in handy for much more than simple battle. If you were a boy, you would already know this.”

  And there it was right there. If I was a boy. There were several children on the estate that might be my half brothers and sisters, but none were legitimate in the eyes of the court. Plus, Father refused to claim them as his own. Too many inconsistencies according to Demetrius. Either that or he just didn’t want any more attachments.

  “Aeliana, to survive in the empire, you must be on your guard at all times. Think of life as a military exercise and let your head, not your heart guide you. I will not always be here to protect you.” Father pulled me close and hugged me.

  Looking back at those events now, I wonder if somehow my father knew what was to come. I had a tiny peek at the future when Publius Aelius Hadrianus visited the estate for the first time.

  <<< >>>

  I was studying some of my father’s technical drawings when Demetrius burst into the room.

  “Ah, there you are. You are to come with me to the main house, Aeliana. We have a visitor from Rome.”

  I jerked up in surprise. “We do? Who? Is it the Emperor?”

  My entire life I had heard about Emperor Trajan and how my father was his favored architect and friend.

  “No. Worse. Publius Aelius Hadrianus is a distant cousin of the Emperor, but he does have his ear. Remember what I told you about achieving close ties to those in power?” Demetrius quickly helped me pack up my schoolwork and father’s priceless drawings.

  “That the best way to gain access was to marry them or bear them a child?” I shuddered for a moment. Was this man to be a suitor?

  “Correct. He has done both. Hadrian is related to the Emperor through the previous one, and he married a niece of Trajan's. There are rumors that he may have been designated the heir.”

  I stopped what I was doing and stared at my tutor. “Of the Empire? This man could be Emperor?”

  Demetrius clamped one hand over my mouth. “Quiet! You will get us both killed. He may have been designated. Only the Senate and the Emperor would know for sure. Rumors…” He paused. “Rumors can get you killed at this level of politics. Keep your mouth shut and your ears open. Now come.”

  We practically ran to the main house and into what are supposed to be my private rooms. A veritable army of servants awaited me there.

  “Don’t argue. It is the will of your father, and you will not win this time. Change and prepare yourself. This man is a contemporary of your father’s. Not a suitor. Remember to keep the two separate.” Demetrius handed me off the slaves.

  In less than an hour, I was bathed, dressed, and made up. I found Demetrius waiting just outside my door.

  “At last. We have much to go over before you are presented. Now. Your father worked with Hadrian when he was in the legions as a Tribune. He also worked his way up through the military in a variety of administrative duties. His connection to the throne was kept secret at that time. He and your father crossed both paths and swords on numerous occasions. Hadrian thinks of himself as a student of architecture and construction. While he has served in the Senate for years, he now caters to them as a Sodale.”

  “He’s a priest?” I asked.

  “Not exactly. The Sodales are the spiritual representatives to the Senate. It’s their job to see to the wellbeing of the Senate and keep the worship of Augustus alive. It’s a political appointment, Aeliana.”

  “I thought the temples were out-of-bounds when it came to politics?” I looked questioningly at my tutor.

  Demetrius chuckled. “Show me a priest, and I’ll show you a politician. They are the worst. No, this man is not a priest. Treat him as a Senator and a Tribune.”

  “Can you guess as to why he is here?” We were almost to the great hall, the place Father greets all visitors.

  “Emperor Trajan’s forum and victory column were completed by your father just last year. Much in the way of accolades have been heaped upon him for it. The two may be related.” Demetrius replied. He opened the doors to the hall, and we slowly stepped inside.

  History remembers Emperor Hadrian as a great man who tamed the wilderness and beat back the barbarians. I remember the future emperor as a dumpy Spaniard with a scraggly beard. He barely noticed me, but the look on his face when he talked to father said it all. He was going to be trouble. The lessons father taught me would be stretched to their maximum by this man. I just knew it.

  Chapter 6

  In a darkened room of a nondescript building in a large city, a group of men was meeting. Seated in the shadows at a long table, the men all wore hooded cloaks that hid their faces. Another hooded figure stood in obvious agitation in front of the table.

  “The biggest threat this organization has ever faced is out there working for our government and you three just sit there. What are we doing to stop magic from influencing our government?”

  “There is a plan already in motion. You just have to be patient.” The leader of the Brotherhood of the Hammer replied. All three of the top officers of the organization sat shrouded by hooded cloaks.

  “I’ve been patient. That’s the problem. We spent millions of hard-earned dollars on devices that can penetrate magical fields and that menace to society took them from us. Now I hear from my spies near the Witches Council that all of our hard work has been subverted and is being used by our enemies! Two times. Two. That woman has stolen from us, and we have responded how? We tried to kill her before all of this happened for naught? Why have we not tried again? You said yourself that she was injured recently. Why not take advantage of that?”

  The leader smiled. “
So many questions. Do you question our leadership, Marcus? If you wish we can bring your membership into question. Would you like that?”

  The man known as Marcus paled. Understanding the consequences, he shook his head. “No, I will hold my tongue. For now. But other members are asking the same question. What are we doing about Agatha Blackmore and her vile family?” Bowing to the Three, Marcus left the room.

  “That went well.” The group's Master at Arms commented. His voice muffled by the cloak.

  “He will need to be addressed. And he is correct. The others are asking questions. The loss of those devices was a major blow to our scientific division. Did we really have to give Navy Intelligence both prototypes and the first production model?”

  The leader of the group pulled back his hood. “That was a mistake on my part. The loyalty of certain members of the American armed services is a problem. If we are to carry out our sacred duty and mission, all paranormals in the military must be eliminated. Possessing the intelligence services is not enough. I needed those machines to show our willingness.”

  “Willingness to do what?” The third member of the group uncovered his hood. If seen on any street in America, he would be instantly recognized for who and what he was.

  “Why, to return our world to one that only humans rule, of course. The desire of every Grand Master before me unto the very distant past. What is the use of planting our Agents in Rebus undercover in the very heart of the government if we never reclaim them? Like the frumentarii of old, we will control those that oppose us by hook or by crook.”

  Vice President Paul Montfort bowed his head, “That sir is why I follow and obey.”

  The Master at Arms and the Grand Master both shared a smile and nodded to each other. Everything was going according to the plan.