by E. M. Moore
I shook the thought away and followed the princes down to the first row of benches and sat. People were scattered throughout the room, but there were still more vampires coming in every minute as we waited for the meeting to begin. Shock paralyzed me for a second as Isabelle Ravana took a seat at the Council table a few down from her husband. There seemed to be some confusion about where Gregor would sit, but ultimately, he sat at the center of the table, and a man with red-brown hair sat next to him. Connor leaned over. “Philippe Checkov.”
I nodded and watched as he pulled the desktop microphone over to him and made sure it had the correct angle to capture his voice. He went though all the trouble, but when a series of loud clangs rang through the room announcing the top of the hour, Gregor grabbed the microphone from him and poised it in front of his mouth. “Good afternoon.” His eyes shone down on the room, landing last on his sons. The room quieted in an instant. “We are here today to hear testimony regarding the incident involving Royce Michaelson and Katherine Nichols. Philippe Checkov will reside over the meeting as my sons will be giving testimony. Thank you.” He slid the microphone over to Checkov without looking.
Checkov took his time placing the microphone in front of him and adjusting it. Finally, he smiled out at the seating area. I turned around in my seat to see how many had come in after we sat. There were only a few empty spots in the whole room. I wished I knew if this was a normal gathering or not. Surely these people had better things to do than listen to what we had to say about the incident.
A male voice echoed through the room. I twisted in my seat once more to find Checkov still smiling. “First we have Ariana Stuart giving us her testimony.” The vampire gestured toward the seat off to the side just like Nic said. I rose, taking that as my cue to move forward. “Ariana is training to be the guard for Nicolai, Christian, Stephan, and Connor Ravana, our princes.”
My heart was in my throat as I moved toward the seat. Once I sat, I looked out over the crowd of people and immediately wished I hadn’t. The vampires looked at me curiously, almost as if they could see right through me to the bone and marrow underneath. I squirmed in my seat before locking eyes with Nicolai who gave me a slight nod.
“Ariana,” Checkov said, garnering my attention. “It is our understanding that you were at the Rajyvik training facility when Kay kidnapped you.”
I cringed. I really hated that stupid kidnapped word. My throat ran dry and got worse by the second. I took a quick peek out at the crowd again and noticed others there that I hadn’t before. Lex, T.J., Matthews, and even Samuel sat in the last row. “Yes, Sir,” I said, forcing the words out. “I was at the Rajyvik party celebrating a new vampire child, Christopher.”
Checkov looked down at a paper on the desk in front of him. “And where exactly were you when she absconded with you?”
“I was outside speaking with Nicolai Ravana regarding guard duties.” The lie eased off my tongue as easy as the truth. “One moment we were just talking and the next, it was dark. I didn’t wake up until I was in a basement tied up and laying on the floor.”
Checkov finally turned his narrow gaze on me. His dark eyes weren’t as menacing as Nic’s, but there was something there that affected me differently. “Can you explain to us what happened from there, Ariana?”
I nodded, then cleared my throat and looked out over the crowd. “Kay told me she’d taken me because her vampire lover—” The vamps in the room stood up straight and looked uncomfortable. I turned to Stephan and held his eyes. I pretended I was just telling him what happened. “—her vampire lover killed himself because of a decision The Council made. It was then I realized she was the woman guard in the papers I read about who’d become pregnant from a vampire. She told me she blamed Gregor Ravana for Royce’s death and that she was taking me in order to get revenge on him.”
“Revenge on him? Did she explain?” Checkov asked.
It was ridiculous to be repeating all this. Gregor had to have related every bit of this information before. Why did they want to hear it direct from us? And for it to bring Stephan back to that moment, I hated it even more. I wondered if Gregor even knew what he was about to do to his son.
Instead of saying any of this, I just answered the question. “She said I was there as a lure to reach the princes. If she could hurt the princes, her revenge on Gregor would be complete.”
Another voice from the Council table rang around the room. I looked away from Stephan to find a woman on the end with long black hair staring at me. “Katherine Nichols felt she could use you to get to the princes? Do you know why that is?”
My heart started to pound. These were the kinds of questions I was dreading. Any questions that alluded to why the princes would care were dangerous. I decided for the truth. Well, at least the truth I would know if I was an outsider. “She didn’t tell me specifically, no. She told me to call them and get them to meet her so they could get me back. I refused. I knew that once they were there, she would hurt them.”
“But still, you did end up at the bridge that night?” Checkov asked. “How did that happen?”
I swallowed, remembering the insane look on Kay’s face. “She ended up calling them after a man showed up at the house we were at. I never saw his face, but he seemed to be the one pulling the strings. He told her to call and tell them where to meet.”
“Then what happened?” Isabelle asked. Her eyes were guarded, but she didn’t look right. She was too rigid, sitting up too tall.
I didn’t understand her reaction, but it was putting me on guard. “When Kay was putting me in the car, Stephan Ravana showed up. She was able to incapacitate him and then we were both in the backseat and headed to the bridge.”
“Were you still in restraints at this time?” Checkov asked.
“Yes, Sir.”
“And how did Stephan Ravana know where to find you? Did the Princes know it was Katherine Nichols who took you at that point?”
I peeked down at the princes, unsure of what to say. Their faces were complete blanks. “I don’t know. Perhaps Stephan can tell you more when it’s his turn.”
Christian nodded almost imperceptibly and I let out a breath.
Their remaining questions walked me through the fight, including Christian getting staked, which drew a chorus of gasps from the crowd. Then I told them how Stephan killed Kay and how the ‘others’—the ones who also weren’t happy with Gregor—that she was so sure would show up never did. Despite being scared shitless the entire time, I didn’t think my testimony went that bad. I’d only given them the information I felt they needed, glossing over the parts that might get us in trouble or cause them to ask further questions as to what our relationship status was.
It was Connor’s turn next. His testimony was even easier than mine. He informed them how they got Zeke involved to help talk his mother down. He certainly was a charmer. The tension in the room lifted while he was up there, even managing to inform them why Stephan was able to find me, but when he said it, it made perfect sense. I’d been hurt in training and he used an ointment of his own creation to heal me. Therefore, he was able to track me down before the others. When Checkov asked them why he’d been compelled to help me, Connor said, “Ariana Stuart was brought into this world by my brothers and I so it’s natural that we feel protective of her until she can learn to guard herself. Her training at The Fort is not completed, but once it is, we’ll expect her to take over in situations like this.” Then he looked at The Council and smiled. There was something almost suspicious about the look in his eyes. He was making me nervous wondering what was going to come out of his mouth next. “The Council is also well aware of my thoughts on guards being equal to us. I can’t lie and say that my personal thoughts did not come into play here. We expect Ariana to be our guard, not our servant. There must be trust both ways there, Checkov. She was captured because of us so we saved her. If we’d been captured, she would’ve done her duty.”
Checkov dismissed him shortly after that.
Nic shook his head. “I’m afraid not. Though, I did hear Kay make mention of it to her son, Zeke. I have no doubt there were, and are, others, but Kay was a sacrifice they were willing to make.”
“You think there are others who want to hurt your family?” Checkov asked, his question leading, thinly veiled in doubt.
“I think there are others who want to test us. With power comes responsibility. Even you can imagine that decisions made are not always approved by all.”
Gregor spoke up then. “Of course, Nicolai. Thank you.”
Though I didn’t dare look over, tension poured from the princes next to me. Nic looked as if he could care less though. He swaggered back to his seat, a small smirk on his face.
Christian was next. They spent a great deal of time talking to him about being staked and how, even asking where I was when it happened. My temper flared when Checkov frowned at me. I’d told them I was still tied up. I should’ve done better, but that didn’t mean I wanted them dissecting every move in the incident. It was clear Checkov had a different agenda. If we were just supposed to give testimony, why the third degree about where I was and how close the stake was to piercing his heart?
Before Christian stepped down, Checkov rubbed his chin. “One more thing if you will. This question’s been bothering me from the beginning. Why did you go to save your trainee by yourselves? Wouldn’t it have been wiser to contact your current guard?”
Christian glared at Checkov. “In this instance, we all agreed that time was running out. We didn’t know what condition Ariana was in, and then we couldn’t find Stephan. We had no idea if he was hurt or captured as well. We decided to act immediately on our own without the assistance of The Council or other guards. If we ever overturned the law regarding having only one guard per family, situations like this could be avoided.”
Checkov’s jaw ticked. Christian didn’t wait to be dismissed from the chair. After that remark, he stood and made his way back to his seat. There were murmurs behind me as he walked and I tried to hear what the other vamps were saying. Did they agree with him?
Who in their right mind wouldn’t? With everything that had happened recently, every vampire family would feel safer if they were surrounded by more guards. Once the incident at the gas station and the rogue vampires made the rounds, it would be stupid not to overturn that law as soon as possible.
Stephan rose from his seat next and walked slowly toward the now empty chair. Isabelle paled and Gregor shifted uncomfortably. Checkov opened his mouth to ask the first question, but Stephan held a finger in the air, effectively silencing him. “I just have to say one thing first.” He stared straight at me and my stomach flipped. “As you’ve already heard, I had to take the life of Katherine Nichols for the safety of my family. It’s something I would do again, but hope I never have to. The loss of a life is the loss of a life. It pains me to think that it came to this and I hope that we can move forward in help protecting all lives. Thank you.”
There were a few beats of silence where no one said or did anything. I wanted to look behind to see what the looks on the guards’ faces were. I also wished Evan, Shannon, and Liv were around to hear that. If anyone felt the loss of Kay, it was Stephan. It was what I tried to tell them before.
Checkov cleared his throat. “Thank you, Stephan. Now, we’ve heard most of the specifics, including your brash idea to run off to find Miss Stuart by yourself. Can you please explain that?”
Gregor balked. “Philippe, what does this have to do with the incident? Besides, Christian already informed us of their reasoning. There’s no reason for Stephan to answer it again or for us to have to hear the answer again. You’re wasting our time.”
“I am merely trying to understand what was running through his head in order to put himself solely in danger. Surely, Gregor, you can agree that his running off did no one any good. It made his brothers worry, and due to the loss your family has already suffered, I think it was an unwise one.”
Gregor’s eyes hardened. I’d never seen anyone look more murderous at that moment than the princes’ father. “I had no idea my son’s actions were on trial here.”
The other Council members spoke up and agreed that Stephan was not on trial. Gregor calmed a little, but what Checkov said had stuck in my mind. A loss they’d already suffered? I didn’t even know what he was alluding to, but I hated the fact that he questioned Stephan’s actions.
Stephan squirmed in the chair while they all talked amongst themselves. At length, he began to talk over them. “Someone I knew was in trouble because of me. It was not a difficult or hard decision. Maybe I’m just different from others, but—”
“But,” Checkov interrupted, his face cleverly confused. “Ariana is just a guard. Not even that. She’s a trainee and you risked your life for her.”
Gregor sat back in his chair, his arms crossing over his chest. Though he didn’t have a microphone like Checkov, his voice echoed through the room. “Are we going to listen to the facts, or are we going to continue to question my sons about every little decision they made? Clearly, you find fault in their actions. Others might call them brave, even selfless. For myself, I’m proud of my sons and their actions no matter what trouble they brought upon themselves.”
Checkov colored. “I don’t think anyone would deny that they were brave. I am merely bringing attention to the fact that they put their lives at risk for—”
“As I said,” Stephan interrupted. He shrugged once he had the attention of the whole room. His mask was still on, but I knew he was suffering. His green eyes were dull, not nearly as bright as they usually were. “I don’t differentiate when I hear of someone in need of help. My medical interests, my care for others, have been widely discussed many times at this table. I don’t believe I have to explain myself anymore than that.”
“You do not need to explain yourself,” Gregor seethed.
Isabelle’s wide eyes found mine and a shiver ran up my spine. This meeting needed to end, and now.
“Of course you don’t need to explain yourself,” Checkov said. “I was curious, and I admit, trying to prove my own point.”
The woman who sat on the end perked up. “You have a point in this line of questioning, Philippe?”
Checkov shook his head and smirked. “Truly I can’t be the only one thinking that this all could’ve been avoided from the start if we shied away from personal relationships with guards, or in fact, any humans.”
My hands fisted where they lay on my thigh. I glowered at Checkov as he still spoke. He was just a spineless, selfish child.
“Royce would still be alive if not for his affections,” Checkov said, spitting out the word. “Kay never would’ve tried to harm the princes. In fact, even the princes’ themselves wouldn’t have even plunged themselves into a dangerous position if they’d set ground rules with their up-and-coming guard.”
I looked around. My princes were tense. The whole room was like a pot of water coming to a boil. We’d worked up enough energy to spill over and we were moments from overflowing.
Gregor chuckled darkly. “You’ve turned this simple matter of testimony into furthering your own political agenda. Is that why you insisted on hearing from them, Checkov? You insisted on hearing the trainee out yourself.” Gregor addressed the spectators now. “I agreed to let the facts be heard, but this is now purely speculation, and a gross misuse of our time.”
To Checkov’s credit, he did shy away a little. “I believe all sides of every story should be heard. Your son said himself tha
t he doesn’t differentiate. Is not that the problem in all this though?” His voice started to rise as he gained momentum. “Since when are their lives as important as ours? We brought in human guards to protect us, not the other way around. It is clear something is imbalanced here.”
Voices rose up behind us. Everything mixed together so I couldn’t figure out if people agreed or disagreed with him. My pulse thrummed in my ears. The princes were all leaning forward in their seats, their gazes switching back and forth from Stephan to the Council members.
Stephan stood, his hands fists at his sides. “Haven’t you read any of our history books? Problems only happen when we forget about the cares of one side. What if we’d let Ariana succumb to the whim of Kay? What message would that send? That we have no feeling for those who protect us.”
A hard voice rang out from the back. “We already know we don’t matter.”
It was Matthews. I was one-hundred percent sure, and what he said last night was right. Sometimes he didn’t know when to shut his own mouth.
Gregor and Checkov turned to th back of the room. Checkov was the first to pounce. “Guards are not allowed in Council meetings unless invited. Please remove yourself.”
“Or what?” Matthews snapped. “Who’ll remove me for you?”
Oh shit.
I turned to find Lex’s hand on Matthew’s shoulder. She was speaking to him in hushed tones. The vampires around them all shied away.
No, this wasn’t right. It shouldn’t be an us versus them. Not at all. That was the exact opposite of the point Stephan was trying to make.
Gregor stood, his fist coming down heavily on the table in front of them. “There. Will. Be. Silence.”
The power of his voice blasted right through me and I automatically turned back in my seat and sat properly, my knees and head facing straight forward.
“This is not the time nor the place to discuss such matters. If you would like to bring this to a further discussion, Checkov, we can talk amongst ourselves. As far as the matter of Katherine Nichols’ death, and the events leading up to it, we are all dismissed.”