"The wards definitely had a vampire sound, Jaxon. There's no hiding from that."
"Well, they are wrong! Period. I am not a vampire. I go out in the sun! I don't sleep in a coffin! Oh, I even like garlic! I eat it all the time!" Jaxon got up and started to pace around the living room. Her mind was whirling with the accusation that her friend had just made. Several candles came to life and their flames flickered with the emotions that Jaxon was giving off.
Seth snorted his derision. "Vampires can eat garlic. We sleep in beds. We can even go out in the sun, it just isn't very comfortable."
Jaxon stopped pacing, "Why? Do you sparkle?"
Seth looked at her perplexed, "Do I what?"
"Do you sparkle? When you go out in the sun?"
Caislyn burst out laughing. "No Jaxon, they don't sparkle! Remember when I said forget the books?"
"I was just checking! So why is it so uncomfortable then?" Jaxon asked.
Seth rolled his eyes. "Because we are allergic to the sun's rays. We have extremely sensitive skin and sunburn very quickly. Which will lead to blistering and worse. It happens within minutes usually, but we do not turn to dust if we step into sunlight. We do not sleep in coffins, unless someone has a strange fetish. I have a very comfortable water bed, thank you. And I like garlic as well, especially in spaghetti."
Jaxon began pacing again.
Caislyn however, cocked an eyebrow up as she looked at Seth with a grin, "still living in the 1980s? I haven't heard of anyone with a water bed since I was a kid."
Seth shrugged, "I like it, so sue me."
Caislyn knew that her friend was trying to work through the information and find a way to deny it, otherwise she would have joined in with the teasing. "Jaxon, my father created the wards. The magic doesn't lie."
Jaxon just paced and shook her head. "I don't drink blood. I can survive without it."
Caislyn looked at Seth. "Well, now," Caislyn said, "that puts a wrinkle in the theory doesn't it?"
"See, I told you that I wasn't a vampire!" Jaxon pouted as she plopped down beside Caislyn on the couch.
"I don't know what all this means, at this point. But we will figure it out, Jax."
Jaxon looked at her friend, then over to Seth who was unusually quiet. "You know, you've avoided answering my questions this afternoon Seth. Why were you at the Causeway Park?"
"Wait," Caislyn said impatiently, "more importantly," she looked up from the sketch she was still holding and straight into Seth's eyes, "why were you there the night Jaxon killed Rick?" Caislyn pointed to the stranger in her sketch and then looked from Jaxon to Seth. "This was you, wasn't it?"
"What?" Jax exclaimed, "This is going too far! You were there? Why didn't you help me! What the hell is up with this stalker crap of yours?"
"Umm, Jax," Caislyn said as she rolled her eyes, "he did help you." She pointed again to the sketch. "He's the mystery person that dispatched the other Werewolf, and if I am not mistaken, he's probably also the person who cleaned up after your mess."
"Oh, well, it wasn't really my mess, it was Ricks. So you were there? You're the one I saw after I killed him?" Jax asked in a small voice. "Why? Why were you there to begin with Seth?"
Seth sighed at no one in particular before he began explaining why he was there, "I just wanted to make sure you made it home okay that night. You wouldn't accept a ride from me and I didn't get the impression that you were that well versed with the creatures of the night." He grinned as he continued, "I mean, you didn't even know I was a vampire until tonight."
"I can stake him right? I mean it may not kill him, but it will hurt like hell won't it?" Jax asked Caislyn.
"I think we may want to finish listening to what he has to say first, then you can stake him if you want." Caislyn said mimicking Seth's grin.
"You guys really know how to get a guy to open up, don't you? Like I said, I was making sure you got home safely. That's all."
"What about today? Why were you following me?” Jaxon pleaded with him to just tell her what was going on. "Things have just gone from bad to worse," she looked down and continued, "this is too much. I don't even understand what I am, the least you could do is tell me why you're following me everywhere!" She looked him dead in the eye and put all the force she could muster into her next command, "Tell me why you've been following me!"
"You were there the night of the rave too. I saw you when I looked back to make sure the vamps weren't on our tail. You were fighting them off as we ran," Caislyn recalled.
"Oh my God, that was him too?" Jaxon's eyes flashed over with a tinge of fear. "What the hell is going on, Seth?" Jaxon was yelling at this point.
Through another long sigh Seth began to explain, "I'm not stalking you," at the look he received from both girls he continued, "really, I'm not. I was... I thought..." He let both sentences trail off as he tried to form the words he didn't want to say. "First of all Jax, it wasn't you I was following in the beginning. It was Caislyn."
Caislyn looked startled, "What?"
"I worked with your parents before in the OTHS." Seth paused, unsure how to continue. "I have kept tabs on you now and again since their disappearance. I was hoping that you would lead me to those responsible, but you kept hitting dead ends."
Caislyn sat stunned, listening to the revelation.
"Wait," Jax interrupted, "You said in the beginning." She gave him a sideways look. "So, you were stalking both of us?"
"No I wasn't stalking anybody!" Seth remarked towards Jaxon. "I met you at work and thought you were interesting, puzzling is more accurate I suppose. Then my observations of Caislyn led me back to you and with all the talk of how the prophecy is supposed to be fulfilled soon, you tended to raise some questions considering you were supposed to be human and performing some rather inhuman feats."
"Oh, there it is again," Caislyn stammered on, "this prophecy, why is everyone talking to us about a prophecy?"
Seth looked a bit startled and his interest was definitely peeked when he began questioning Caislyn, "Who else mentioned the prophecy to you?"
Jaxon ignored Seth and continued to talk to Caislyn. "I know right? You'd think that they would have a better grip on their beliefs and prophetic ramblings."
Caislyn looked at Seth, amused, "How about we end this stalking nonsense and you tell us what you know and then, maybe, we will think about sharing more information with you. Because right now, I gotta tell you, I don't trust you as far as I could throw you and since I don't have vamp strength, that means not at all.”
Seth looked at both the girls. He wasn't sure how much sharing was necessary, but he knew Jaxon and Caislyn well enough to know they weren't budging until he gave them something.
"Okay, fine. The supernatural world is worried about some prophecy about an inter-species union that is supposed to create an ultimate power. Any time a new witch, vamp, Were, or anything else comes around, everyone gets twitchy. Jaxon is obviously not just human and so her presence is making waves." Seth explained.
Jaxon crossed her arms and leaned back into the couch with a huff. "I'm so glad everyone else could see that I wasn't human while I couldn't."
"And this prophecy is?" Caislyn prompted Seth to finish telling them.
Seth shrugged his shoulders. "I'm not sure really. Only the High Council members of each species really know. Most of them won't share it with their subordinates because they fear they will try to make it come to pass in order to control the power. The biggest thing to come out of the prophecy so far were the laws passed long ago against inter-species mating. The prophecy came from the old seer who has never been wrong, so they put a lot of faith in this one. Inter-species mating comes at a high cost – death."
"So that must be why the books never give anything but a mention then." Jaxon stated as she leaned forward to look in her empty tea cup. "Its a shame I can't read tea leaves."
"I've overheard portions of the prophecy, it starts something like this,"
"When Fair Immortal and
Death unite
the world will falter before their might
Their will be done, when worked together
altering legends and lives forever"
Seth continued, "but I don't know the rest of it. I just know that they are all afraid of this prophecy."
"Well, what the hell does that have to do with us?" Jaxon asked.
"I don't know the rest of the prophecy, myself, but it goes on to say other things. Because of all the fear of inter-species mating I can only assume it has something to do with that. Since you apparently don't know if you are a witch or a vampire, it stands to reason you could be both." Seth stopped and looked at Caislyn's puzzled face. "I know that you have noticed that you are a little bit different than the average witch, but I haven't figured out just how yet."
"You are most definitely wrong about that," Caislyn was interrupted before she could finish.
"Yeah, that doesn't sound anything like what Jaxon's been preaching to us, now does it?" Seth replied sarcastically as his phone signaled an incoming text message. "Excuse me, this is work. I'm going to have to go. But I suggest that you both take this very seriously. Fey do not attack without good reason. And I'm betting they haven't given up yet. Jaxon, I suggest you take some time off. I will take care of it with Ronald. I'll check in with you later," Seth stated as he went out the door and down the stairs.
"Son of a..." Caislyn began as the door shut behind Seth. She then turned to Jaxon, "He always has a clever excuse to leave before he has to give up too much information, doesn't he?" She walked over to the table and began pouring herself more tea. "He was right about at least one thing though, once a Fey hit squad comes after you they don't stop. We need to get prepared."
"Umm, how do we prepare for that? I mean we ran the only time I've ever been attacked by the Fey," Jaxon declared.
"We go see Ve."
***
The Pithview Agenda
Seth's cell phone chimed another incoming text as he climbed into the Escalade. after leaving the bookstore. He tossed it into the passenger seat as he started the vehicle and pulled away from the curb. He was in no mood to deal with his employer at the moment. The events of the day and their implications were swirling through his mind.
Seth hadn’t really lied to the girls when he said that he had worked with Caislyn’s parents before they disappeared, and he certainly hadn't lied about the fact that he had been keeping an eye on her since then. What he failed to mention was that it was an assignment from his employer, Marc Pithview. He had known from the beginning that there was more to his assignment than to observe Caislyn and follow any leads she had. Since every lead Caislyn pursued ended up going nowhere, Seth couldn't figure out what it was that his employer found so interesting. There had to be something else. Fortunately for him, Jaxon had come along and made an excellent distraction to offer up to his employer and a perfect way to get closer to Caislyn. He needed more information and the only way to get it was to be in the ring with all the players.
Of course Marc would not be too happy about that decision, but he had so far been able to show reasonable cause to get more involved. Jaxon's unique abilities had garnered attention from some local factions, especially after the werewolf debacle, and learning more about her proved useful. He hated using her that way, but he felt the key to everything lie with Caislyn or more so, with her parent's disappearance. The problem with that theory was what he had witnessed today at Causeway Park. It had been much more than he expected. Not only had both of the girls just appeared in front of him out of nowhere, but they had produced an energy shield that was stronger than Fey magic. He was quite sure he had never seen anything more powerful than that, which only lead to more questions, and a sinking feeling that he had just left the presence of what he had been seeking for over a century and a half, answers to the Old Seer's prophecy.
Being an investigator for former High Vampiric Council Chairman, Darren Stalwart, Seth had searched high and low about information concerning the prophecy. Darren's views on the matter were much different than those of the other High Council members. He felt that the prophecy was foretelling an optimistic future, rather than a dreadful one. Seth had respected and cared for Darren as a mentor and friend. Darren was of average height and slight build, with dark clean cut hair and dark eyes. He carried a silent intelligence and made his decisions based off of facts and rationale. He always had the Vampire community’s interest as his first priority. Darren's death had been a huge loss, not just to Seth, but to the Council and the Vampire community as well.
Since Darren's death Seth began to work for Darren's successor, Marc Pithview. Marc couldn’t be more different from his predecessor. Fair haired and blue eyed, Marc Pithview stood just over 6 feet tall. He possessed a lean athletic build and an air of intimidation as well as arrogance. He came up through the ranks of the council quickly and was known for his ruthless and aggressive actions. Although his charisma and public profile tended to win him the votes of many in influential positions, he did not tolerate disloyalty and disposed of any vampire under his rule that openly disobeyed him. While inner-species killings were frowned upon, Marc always made it appear legit. There would be proof of the deceased's vile deeds if ever the assassinations were questioned. His political views for the Vampire Community seemed to be just as aggressive in that he didn’t want to bend completely to the laws of humans, but thought that the supernatural species should have their own set of regulations and policies as they were far superior beings. Seth believed that Marc saw all supernatural species as unrivaled and that his obsession with personal power overwhelmed his desire to do what is right for the entire community.
That was exactly why the Vampiric Council members appointed Seth as Marc’s second in command. They believed that Seth could balance out Marc’s flare for being impulsive and supercilious. Seth had his doubts. He had seen first hand through his dealings with the new leader, that Marc was an expert manipulator, and now he was beginning to think that his boss had his own personal agenda, and that it had nothing to do with the Vampire Community or the High Council.
There was no way that Seth was going to tell Marc about what happened at Causeway Park. He had to tell him something, and soon, or Marc would send someone to find him and more importantly to find the answers he wasn't giving. Seth would video conference with Marc when he got back to his hotel. He was hoping it would give him a few more minutes to figure out exactly how much to tell Marc.
Seth pictured Marc tapping his pen on top of his desk, as he usually did when he was irritated with those he felt were beneath him. Marc's office was extravagant in size with bookshelves that ran along the entire length of one wall and a beige, suede couch nestled across from him. A huge picture window took up most of the back wall behind his desk with heavy dark blue curtains that were presently pulled closed to keep out what little daylight was left. Luckily, Seth only had to video conference with him today, not stand in that room with the vampire who was probably beyond irritated by now.
Seth had worked for Marc for too many years now and knew it was not wise to keep Marc waiting. He was already late reporting in, and had also ignored several text messages and a call. Nothing irritated Marc more than to be blown off, especially by a subordinate, being the one to do it made Seth smile inside. Seth finally finished setting up his laptop and dialed into Marc's personal video conference.
“Its about damn time,” Marc was saying out loud as the video conference connected.
Seth noted as Marc's face came into view that he did not appear very happy. 'Good,' Seth thought, 'because I'm starting to put the pieces together for myself and I can see your endgame now.'
Marc hissed through clenched teeth, “You’re late.”
Seth took a deep breath. “Yes, I’m sorry. I was in the presence of Caislyn and Jaxon. I did not think it wise to take your call while they were near.”
Marc shifted in his chair. “And what, pray tell, were you doing in their presence?!” Mark chastised.<
br />
I was talking with them," Seth explained and then saw the look on Marc’s face and decided he needed to explain further. “As you know, Jaxon works for the Pasquotank Art Gallery, one of your businesses. She displayed some of Caislyn’s art in the last show. I was merely using that as an excuse to get closer to them. I’m hoping to find out more information this way." Seth made a point of looking thoroughly bored by this revelation. "We were discussing her art work and if she was willing to show any further pieces. All of her work sold, and quickly, some of our more prominent collectors have been asking about her. I still have to continue the dealings for the gallery, Marc.” Seth looked thoughtful for a moment then added, "or would you like for me to simply drop all pretenses? I am not exactly sure what you are looking for here, since you haven't been open with me about that and quite frankly, it makes the job that much harder."
Marc glared at the monitor of his computer. Seth was dangerously close to being flippant with him and he knew it. While Seth reported to Marc, he ultimately worked for the council and that was his major bargaining chip. He wasn't as easy to get rid of as the lower profile vampires that rubbed Marc the wrong way. The Council would miss Seth’s presence if he were to accidentally disappear. “Enough of this babble. You do as your told, you report back with what you find, you don't need to concern yourself with the semantics of the mission. The dissemination of facts is for myself and the High Council to deal with. Now what do you have to report?” Marc demanded.
“Apparently Jaxon is going to help Caislyn with the search for her parents. I’m not sure why or what she would get out of it. I’m still trying to find a clue to Jaxon’s past. All I know is that she came from Raleigh and she was adopted by the DeLaney’s when she was just a baby. Before that, there is nothing. There are no records of her biological parents or her birth in any database or legal system. I ’m looking into private organizations, but so far no luck there either. I’m also checking with churches, but some of them don't keep very good records, especially if it was done anonymously,” Seth reported. He had given Marc more information than he really wanted but it was necessary in order to keep Marc’s attention off of Caislyn.
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