by C. G. Powell
~~~***~~~
It was ironic that the Council held its meetings in what was once the headquarters for the United Nations. The Luminati of Magic – the witches’ equivalent of the United States marshals, were waiting for Howard’s arrival. They were the enforcers of the laws set down by the Witches Council and would be responsible for incarcerating Howard until he could be dealt with by them. They removed Howard’s beaten body from the back seat of the car and followed Aidan and Beck to where the Council meeting was taking place. The room was large with marble floors and columns that supported a towering ceiling. To the far end of the room sat thirteen seats in a semi-circle on an elevated platform with row upon row of bench seats opposite it. A balcony containing more seating loomed over the back rows of the bench seats. In the space between the platform and the public seating sat two tables, one on each side of the center aisle. They opened up to the platform and another two rows of seating on the side of the platform where members of importance or a jury would sit. It was reminiscent of a grand court room from another time. Meredith entered through a side door and met them at the rail which separated the public area from the platform area. She was wearing a long purple robe with gold trim signifying her status as a Council member.
“I am glad you caught him before the meeting, although we could have done without the beating,” she scolded, looking at Beck and cleared her throat.
Aidan handed her the papers the manager had given them. “The LM need to do a sweep of Howard’s apartment before Mozenrath sends his goons to clean up the loose ends.”
She took the papers from Aidan and looked them over, “Already taken care of. I was not the only person on the Council suspicious of Mozenrath’s activities and underground movements against vampires, which brings me to ask a favor of you, Beck. The leaders of the vampire community are here seeking justice on Mae’s behalf and the Council would like for you to play mediator,” her words were more of a command than a request as she relayed the wishes of the Council with overbearing confidence.
It was odd since he was so close to the situation, but something told him that it was all part of a bigger plan. “I do not know if that is such a good idea, Mere. As you know, I am not exactly on the best terms with my kind or even yours at the moment.”
“Their opinion of you seems to differ from your own, Beck. They requested you themselves, upon which the Council approved. Nikola and the others do not feel that war with the witches is in anyone’s best interest, but they cannot allow one of their own to be attacked without restitution,” Meredith explained, hoping he would understand the gravity of the situation. “This could mean war if it is not settled to their satisfaction. Not to mention, the Council is already divided as far as the accusations against one of their own. This whole mess goes beyond the attack on Mae. It is more about what Mae is and how it affects each side. Besides, you are the only one I can trust to do what is in Mae’s best interests,” she disclosed.
Beck sat down on the bench behind him and let out a deep breath. “I have been so angry about the shooting and catching Howard that I did not even consider it might be Mae’s existence on trial and not just the guilty party. I need to talk to Nikola and the others before we get started,” looking up at Meredith, who was grinning at him.
“I am glad we understand each other, my friend.” Meredith motioned for Beck and Aidan to follow her.
In one of the private chamber rooms sat Nikola in a high backed chair at the end of a long table. The other vampires were all seated around the sides when Beck entered the room. He walked over to Nikola and shook his friend’s hand with much reservation. “Nikola, I do not quite understand why you and the others have gathered here. If it is to support my research and the part in which Mae plays in that, then I thank you. But, if you are here just to stir up trouble with the witches, then I can do without your help.” Beck knew they had little time to beat around the bush as to the vampires’ true purpose.
Nikola looked at his friend and grinned, “After much discussion, we have come to realize the importance of your research. It has become increasingly harder for us to find sources to feed from. If you can find a way to for us to feed on Nauss blood without getting poisoned, then your research is worth defending, even if it gives the witches longer lives. But, I will warn you now Beckett, my opinion is in the minority and there are many vampires who disagree. They think it will endow witches and humans with the one thing that has given vampires the edge all these years…Longevity.”
Beck stood straight up and addressed the rest of the vampires. “My research is and always will be for the benefit of all. It is time for us to forget the past and move forward, we need the humans and witches in order to do that.”
There was some mumbling amongst the other vampires when Nikola chimed in, “And that brings me to the other reason for our being here. We cannot have witches attacking vampires. You know as well as I do that it is an act of war against us. Not only did they attack a fellow vampire using the one weapon that has been banned by both sides, but they destroyed your personal property and you know the rules of our treaty. They will have to compensate you for your loss, even if it means the life of one of their own.” Nikola pointed his finger at Beck then pounded the table with his fist.
Beck paced the room. “I have no intention of letting them get away with anything and I do not intend on starting a war.” He stopped and looked directly at Nikola, “Keeping Mae safe is my number one priority.”
“And I hear congratulations are in order…Has Helen finally returned?”
Beck sighed and sat down in a chair away from the table. “Helen is no longer here, she has moved on, thanks to a couple of silver bullets,” Beck said, sadness infected his voice.
The others gasped at his words, then went quiet. “Sorry to hear that, I was very much looking forward to you and Helen finally getting married after all these years.” Without Helen to keep him in check, there was great concern that Beck’s violent past would return, wreaking havoc on the world once more.
Beck clasped the ring hanging around his neck, it was singing its song again and he quickly let go. “I am engaged to Mae, if she will still have me after all of this.”
It was a bit of a shock to Nikola, but a relief that Beck had already found someone else to dote on. “I see, so congratulations are in order; we just need to get a little justice for her first.” Nikola winked and smiled at Beck.
There was a knock at the door; it was Meredith letting them know the meeting was about to begin.
The members of the Council took their places on the platform. The thirteen members were all dressed in purple robes similar to what Meredith wore. In the center chair sat Calcifer Agustus, the head of the Council. He was nearly two thousand years old and one of the oldest warlocks still living, besides Aidan. His age was showing however and white hair covered his head while deep lines etched his face as he sat proudly, straight up in his overly ornate chair. He looked imposing for an old man as his voice boomed out across the chamber. “If everyone would please take their seats, I would like to get this trial started.”
Everyone clamored to sit until silence finally engulfed the room and the vampires seated themselves to one side of the Council. Beck took his place with Nikola and Aidan at one of the tables in the center of the room, facing the platform. The LM guards carried Howard to his seat at the other table, where his counsel was already seated awaiting his client. The chamber was packed with on-lookers, which was surprising since little notice was given in advance of the trial. Beck assumed it would be a private meeting with the Council, rather than a full trial.
Calcifer stood up and cleared his throat. “I have here Howard Felix accused of the following crimes: Conspiracy to commit the murder of a vampire, use of a human under compulsion to do harm, use of a spell to do harm, destruction of property of a vampire in the amount of Two hundred and fifty million euros, attempted murder of a Council member, attempted murder of a foreign national, attempted murder of a witch/
vampire and the use of silver as a means of murder.” Calcifer sat still after he finished stating the charges against Howard. “Counselor Williams, is there any reason I should not bind your ward while awaiting punishment?”
Mr. Williams stood up nervously and addressed the Council. “Your Lordship and honorable members of the Council, my ward believes that his actions were for the greater good of all witches. He accuses the vampires of conspiracy to change the blood of witches to facilitate feeding and prefers not to be bound while awaiting his punishment.” Mr. Williams sat back down and waited for the vampire rebuttal.
Looking towards Beck, Calcifer addressed him, “What have you to say about this accusation, Mr. Worthington?”
Beck now knew why the vampires came for support. Howard was using his research as a means to justify his actions. Beck stood and addressed the Council. “Lord Agustus, honorable members of the Council, it pains me to think that someone so close to my research could imply that it was nothing more than a way for vampires to feed on witches. As most of the Council already knows, my research was for the good of all. It promised a cure for almost every disease known to human or witch and yes, it would have allowed vampires to feed on witches too, but is that not a small price to pay for longevity? We vampires are so few in number and it has become more difficult for us to find safe blood sources. Why should we not be allowed to feed on those who willingly offer themselves, regardless of their Nauss heritage? It is but a small price to pay for the eradication of such diseases as malaria, typhoid, AIDS and even cancer. What Howard destroyed was not a vehicle to ensure that vampires would gain power; for what we had to gain was minimal in comparison to what the world had to gain. My lab has no secrets to hide, in fact, what Howard failed to mention is that all of my employees are humans and witches who believe in what we do.” Beck defended his case truthfully and sat down.
Meredith chimed in, “Lord Agustus, I can vouch for Mr. Worthington’s statement, I have been to his lab and talked to his employees who are witches and everything he said is true to my knowledge.”
“Thank you, Madam Spencer. My next question will be asked under a truth spell.” The room gasped at his words and people started whispering to one another. It was unusual for the Council to use a truth spell during trial proceedings, but the gravity of the situation warranted it. “Please bring Howard forward.”
Mozenrath looked to Calcifer in panic. “Is this really necessary, Calcifer?” he asked in a hushed tone to the Council head.
“Lord Nadu, I believe we need to get to the bottom of this now,” he answered, eyeing the vampires that sat in the area nearest the Council platform. “So yes, I believe it is necessary. Don’t you?”
Mozenrath did not answer his question and Calcifer didn’t care if he did. The truth had to be known and all the guilty parties punished, in order to keep the peace with the vampires. The Luminati of Magic brought Howard before Calcifer. He looked like a mess and was still a little sedated from the drugs Aidan administered earlier. Calcifer leaned forward and set the truth spell on him. “Howard, why did you compel that poor farmer to shoot those women?” Calcifer asked calmly.
“They all deserved to die for serving a vampire of all things…They are traitors to our kind,” Howard spat out with pure hatred.
“Why did you burn down the lab?”
“He had it all figured out,” Howard said, pointing to Beck. “He finally had the key to making our blood and vampire blood inter mingle with one another,” Howard laughed hysterically as he continued. “Can you imagine the monsters it would create? Just like the one I shot. She is an abomination…half witch, half vampire.” The room grew louder with the mutterings of the crowd amongst themselves.
“Silence!” Calcifer demanded before he asked his last question. “Who helped you with this plan?”
As soon as Howard opened his mouth to speak, he grabbed his head in pain, screaming in agony as he crumbled to the ground…he dropped dead before he could reveal the identity of his master. The crowd grew louder while healers ran to his assistance, but the damage was done; there was no bringing him back. Seconds later, Mozenrath fell out of his chair, dead. He had not known that when Calcifer set the truth spell on Howard, he also set a boomerang spell. Any person who cast a spell on Howard would have their own spell slung back at them in full force.
Beck looked at Nikola and whispered, “What the hell just happened?”
“It appears the Council has saved you the trouble of returning for a trial,” he replied smugly with a smile.
The LM cleared the room of all the spectators while the Council gathered in the middle of the room with the vampires and allowed the LM to remove the dead bodies.
“Calcifer you old dog, I didn’t think you had it in you,” Nikola grinned, patting the back of Calcifer’s shoulder.
“Nikola, I must say, you are one hell of a schemer. I hope the vampires are satisfied with the outcome, I have been trying to weed out the trouble makers for centuries.” Calcifer was one of the main reasons there had been peace between witches and vampires for so long.
“It could not have turned out any better,” Nikola replied.
“That still leaves me with one problem…I need a new Council member.”
“I am sure you have a trove of young witches just clamoring to get that job,” Nikola laughed.
Calcifer sighed, “If it were only that simple,” he said, turning to look at Aidan.
“I know what you are thinking, but would he really be a wise choice?” Nikola had known Aidan for almost as long as Beck and he could remember Aidan’s days as Loki the trickster.
“He is the oldest of our kind. His age should have warranted him a place at the head of the Council before I was even born.” Calcifer let out a deep breath and laughed as he watched Aidan setting the tip of Meredith’s hair on fire. “But, I do see your point,” he said, shaking his head while Meredith patted the fire out with her hand and started yelling at Aidan. “Beck sure does have his hands full with all of those witches around him all the time.”
“He certainly is unique among my kind. He understood a long time ago the necessity for symbiosis between our races.” Nikola in some ways envied Beck’s happiness and his ability to live and love.
~~~***~~~
Now that the trial was over, Beck had only one thing still on his mind and that was Mae. His airplane sat on the tarmac at Heathrow waiting for its passengers to board. Aidan and Meredith stood at the boarding ladder arguing about Aidan’s sense of duty or lack thereof, while Beck finalized the flight plans so they could leave immediately.
Aidan threw his hands up in air and conceded, “There is no pleasing you woman, is there?” walking up the ladder behind Meredith.
Meredith stopped and turned around to look at him. “Aidan, you can’t keep avoiding your place on the Council. There are few witches with the life experience you possess.”
Aidan placed his hand on the small of her back, nudging Meredith to continue up the ladder and into the plane. Once inside, he turned her around and kissed her. Meredith stood there stunned by this kiss, it was completely unexpected. “Aidan, why did you just do that?” she whispered, with her body still against his.
Aidan gently moved the stray hairs away from Meredith’s face and smiled, “It was the only way I could think of to getting you to shut up.”
Meredith forcefully pushed herself away from his embrace. “Aidan, you’re such an ass!”
He quickly seized her hand before she could walk away. “I’m just kidding, Mere…please; I need to talk to you about something,” he begged.
She sighed and turned around. Her eyes were shooting daggers at him for playing with her heart. “What is it, Aidan?” she asked letting out a deep breath once more and rolling her eyes.
He brought her hand to his lips and kissed it. “Mere, when I found out you’d been shot; a panic went through me the likes of which I have never experienced. It has taken me this long to realize why I felt that way.”
&
nbsp; “Aidan, what the hell are you trying to say?”
“I love you, Mere!” he blurted out. “For as many times as I’ve tried, I can’t live without you.”
Meredith let go of his hand and sat down on a couch near the back of the plane. Aidan followed and sat beside her. “Aidan, we have been down this road so many times. What makes you think this would end any differently?” She put her hand on his leg and looked at him with bated breath, awaiting his answer.
Aidan placed his hand on Meredith’s. “Every time I start seeing someone new, it never works out because I spend the whole relationship comparing them to you. Is it no wonder that in all these years, you have been the only woman I ever missed being with?”
“And only you, Aidan would try to sway me back by comparing me to the other women in your life.”
Aidan clasped her hand as it inched closer to the top of his thigh. “Is it working?”
“First, answer one simple question. What do you hope to get out of this relationship?”
Aidan lifted Meredith's hand to his lips and kissed it. "I want what Beck has."
"You want Mae and a castle in the country?" she laughed, teasing him about his choice of words.
Aidan smiled and laughed too. "I want happiness, Meredith. Not just some temporary infatuation. I want real love and someone to look forward to coming home to every day."
Meredith stopped laughing and raised her brow. "You are being serious, aren't you?" she said somberly.
"Yes, I am. So, are you willing to give me another chance?"
Meredith turned her body, her arm reaching across his chest as she placed her hand on his neck and pulled him closer. She closed her eyes, bringing her lips to touch his in a simple gesture of her agreement. He put his arm around her waist and pulled her across his lap to where she was straddling his thighs. Her simple kiss had now turned into the passion of two long lost lovers, rekindling their feelings for one another. Aidan pulled her against his chest as they kissed, he could feel her heart pounding wildly against him. He moved his hands to the edge of her skirt, pushing it up until he could feel her lace panties brush against his fingertips, neither of them aware that Beck was standing in the doorway at the top of the boarding ladder. “Hmmm…” Beck cleared his throat and looked at the ceiling of the plane. Meredith jumped off Aidan’s lap and quickly adjusted her skirt. When Beck looked back at them, Meredith’s cheeks had gone completely red with embarrassment and Aidan was grinning from ear to ear.