At First Sight (Persephonii Waters Book 1)

by Melanie Brown

"We will all go."Autumn replied, Blake nodded her head in agreement, but even Persephonii could see that the older brother would not put his sister in any more danger. "Autumn, Blake, and Lindsey can stay here..." Cain seemed to think the women were safer with her, she was about to speak up, when Maxwell got to the point before her.

  "We are safer together." Maxwell was shaking his head, the gesture somewhere between exasperation and a firm 'no' to Harker's statement.

  "No..it is safer for all of you here. The officer's are only looking for me...I am the one they want." Dark head turned, looking out the large windows, past the deck, out towards the forest, Harker seemed to make a decision, resolutely rotating back toward the table his gaze ran the length, landing on each face. Finally it settled on Persephonii, once again seeming to dare her to say something.

  "While that is a noble sentiment, we both know that the chances of clearing your name are better here." Persephonii was very matter a fact, she knew grand statements and pleading would not sway Harker's decision, but the truth and facts might.

  "And what of you? What of your involvement in all this? Will your connection with the law save you, or get you into even more trouble?" Harker didn't appear to want to play Devil's advocate in this, but his sense of honor had been triggered, and she knew he would not give up when so much was at stake. Well, neither would she.

  "If Mason wants to use the law against you, then perhaps it is time we used it for ourselves."

  The looks of confusion and hope from around the table gave her pause. Sending up a fervent prayer that this would work, she went forward with the backup plan she had been putting in place since she had invited them in.

  "We will take this chance from him. In this case, our best bet is the Law." Reaching for her empty cup she got up, suddenly needing something to do. Looking over at Harker their gazes met once again, and she saw understanding, the need for physical movement when the mental stress became too much. Switching directions after putting the cup in the dishwasher, she grabbed her satchel and sat back down. Rifling through her folders, she pulled out a small green one, opening it flat onto the table surface.

  "There is a small, lesser known section in the Wyr Pact Laws, it states something like... in the event that a Wyr is unjustly persecuted by the law, that a Housing party can seek Guardianship, for said person. Basically, they are saying that they will be under a kind of house arrest until the time that they can be proven innocent. Usually the status, known among the Para lawyers is Cabal, lasts for a year once filed."

  "Why have we never heard of this before?" Harker moved back to his seat, standing behind it, hands gripping the back rest like a life line.

  "Mostly because there are quite a few hurdles that have to be jumped through in order to be qualified to become a Guardian, some of which I must admit are a little crazy. But once all that is done, it's really just a matter of filing paperwork and letting the people in charge know of their plans, and change of status." She fanned out the papers in front of her, as the other's leaned in closer to read. Harker pulled one from the pile, sitting back down he started flipping it so he could read the heading.

  "Official Acceptance of Guardianship status." He spoke softly looking over the top of the paper at her.

  "I can't take credit for this, it was actually my eldest sister Cassi, who mentioned the law and started the paper work to put all of you under Cabal status."

  "Cabal?"

  "The official definition is; a small group who work together secretly. But for the Waters, it is kind of a protected status, I am officially your guardian... I made sure to put all of you on the docket, with Harker as the primary focus, just in case Mason decided to go after anyone else." They were passing around the papers, in-between looking at her with strange, dazed expressions.

  "Cassi sped through the red tape... like she does. She even placed a sanction on the Warehouse and Kyr's..Kyrian Havereaux's land so that you can have space to run free from time to time." She was obviously referring to their need to spend time in Wyr form. They'd been lucky in that the full moon had been right before their arrival.

  "There are a few rules and warnings that must be adhered to in order for us to be on the up and up." Harker in particular looked at her expectantly as she set out her phone to record the conversation.

  "I, Persephonii Waters, have accepted Guardianship and Housing rights for Mr. Harker Donovan and his pack. As per the law, I will now read the initial statements and document the responses for the official record." She paused briefly to look at Harker, who nodded for her to continue.

  "Mr. Harker Donovan, you are here by confined to this warehouse and stated grounds, of which you can only leave in your Guardian's presence. Should you be found outside of this space without said knowledge or presence, you give up you status as Cabal and will be handed over to the authorities immediately. Do you agree to these basic terms?

  "Yes"

  "Good. As Autumn Donovan is you sister and official ward, she is to remain here as well, though she has freedom to come and go as she chooses. In accordance to the Wyr laws and definition of Pack, the members of your group will be treated as part of the Cabal in order to maintain ties and ensure their safely. Any violence, and other unlawful acts will result in immediate dismissal of your Cabal status and being handed over to the authorities to be tried for said crimes. Do you understand these terms? Please state your Name and response for the record."

  "Autumn Donovan, I do." Even Autumn appeared surprised that she had spoken up first, but the others soon followed suit.

  "Maxwell Darrow, I do."

  "North, I do."

  "Cain Rutherford, I do."

  "Lindsey Payne, I do." Lindsey almost smiled as he said it, which was a huge improvement from his earlier state.

  "Blake Taggart, I do." Though Persephonii had expected Ms. Taggart to go last, she didn't expect the reluctance in her voice. It appeared neither did Harker as he gave her a long stare, confusion in his dark eyes.

  "As Cabal, you have been allotted the full calendar year from the date of your acceptance, to prove your innocence in any charges or additional charges brought against you and must accept that if these criteria are not met within the given time, you are to willingly hand yourself over to the proper authorities for trial. Do you accept these terms?

  "I do." Harker's deep voice, spoke clearly that if he could not free himself from Mason's clutches in a year's time then he didn't deserve his freedom. Persephonii knew these types of cases could be dragged out, but she sincerely hoped that a year would prove him vindicated. Grabbing her phone, she stopped the recording and would send the official e-mail to Carson, Cassi and Studwick after they were done. She felt a weight lifted from her shoulders at having official backing for them, but wondered how Studwick would take this additional development.

  After having them sign a few papers, Autumn had decided on calling it a night, and the others soon headed up to bed too. As Persephonii walked toward her study, she was on the receiving end of a quick stealthy hug from Lindsey, who was up the stairs and down the hallway before she could fully register what had happened. She smiled at the notion that she was beginning to think of this pack as, not only friends, but 'hers'.

  She still had a bit of paperwork on her end, a few official phone calls to make, and emails to send. Perhaps even a present to send Cassi for this colossal save. She had been worrying over deceiving so many of those she considered coworkers. Deception was sometimes a part of the job, but out right lying was not something she had ever been good at, nor comfortable with. Whether it was Cassi's gift of Foresight, or Truth that allowed her to see their need, she was extremely grateful for her family having her back even from thousands of miles away.

  Chapter 14: Gifted:

  Refers to those possessing supernatural or unexplainable abilities, referred to as 'Gifts'. Many Humans are Gifted, but are not considered Para.

  House of Mr. Paxton Blake: Salmon Creek, down from the Pine Crest Golf Course. 6:28am PST.
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  An early morning call woke Persephonii from a sound sleep, her cell having been left on the pillow next to her instead of the night stand. With the ringing tones of "what does a fox say?" still in her ear, she got dressed and headed out for a crime scene. Once the catchy song had come out, she had immediately assigned it as Agent Fox's ring tone. She was sure he wouldn't find it anywhere near as amusing as she did.

  In the early, wane light of morning, the exterior of the scene was covered in a fresh layer of white snow, but from the nauseated, green looks for the officers emerging from the interior, the house would not be as pristine.

  Mr. Paxton Blake was a pretty big name in the Vampyre circuit. He was a businessman first, having run a stocks and trading company that catered to Vampyres wanting to invest their amassed fortunes. A strange combination of modern cut throat banker and courtesan, he traded in everything from antiques to cars. If it had value Mr. Blake was in it up to his neck. Persephonii had often thought that the lure of immortality had attracted him at first, but having given up on being offered his main goal, he had turned to their money, and made a fortune for himself in return.

  Far from the media presence of Mr. Fischer, Mr. Blake was only known to those who knew the inner workings of the local Houses. Many knew him simply as Paxton Blake, owner of Blake Trading, and a wine connoisseur, as he had tried and failed, to create a winery in the area; grapes did not do well in the frigid forest air.

  Located in the back of a large, well groomed estate, the house was practically a fortress. From the outside, the metal, wood and stone structure looked majestic, but as Persephonii drew closer she could see signs of neglect. The bushes though covered in snow were large, uneven and unkempt. The drive was piled high with snow and the windows, large glass eyes looking out onto the lawn were covered with a miss-match of drapes, even from the outside she could see different lengths and textures through the glass. Mr. Blake had more than enough money to hire an army of landscapers to keep his estate pristine in the coldest of conditions. So what had happened in the last few months to warrant these signs of neglect?

  Persephonii tried to think back on the news and hearsay over these past several months, but came up short. Mr. Blake had been remarkably absent from the rumor mill as of late, which was unusual for him. Many had assumed that since the major players of the House of Thane had been away, the businessman had used the quite time for personal endeavors. It seemed now that the assumption was far from the truth.

  Stepping into the house was like walking into the Amazon, hot humid air, smelling of both fermenting foodstuffs and something like old smelly tennis shoes, assaulted the nose. Just from the entry way, large as it was, she could tell that something horrible had happened to Mr. Blake's mind. The expansive foyer was cluttered with everything from newspapers to shoeboxes, interspersed with magazines, mail, and the occasional can of food. And the piles continued further into the house, she followed a trail of torn pages leading from the front door down the hall where the majority of the officers seemed to be congregating, a garish yellow road, arresting against the cream stone tile.

  Agent Fox stood outside a far door looking in, watching the P.C.S.I try to enter the room. Even from further down the hall, Persephonii could see that the chaos gained space and momentum as it went, clearly focused on this room. Which apparently also held the body of Mr. Blake. A few officers, those first on the scene, looked green around the edges as they tried to maneuver through the piles.

  Sometime between now and the last few months, Mr. Blake had gone from O.C.D to downright hoarding. It was one of the worst cases she had seen, especially given the fact that she was sure, even two months ago, that the house had not looked like this.

  Stepping as close to Fox as she could get given the hall crowded with both people and items, she noticed that even this close to the office-study the hallway reeked of decay. If Mr. Blake hadn't been dead long, the humid, high temperatures would have sped up the decomposition process. Looking at him expectantly, she waited for what Fox hadn't said over the phone. Could this be another link in the Rogue Maker case?

  Nodding to the piles around them, Fox began her debriefing, waiting for the P.C.S.I and others to clear the area. Though he had not said it in so many terms, it was clear that he believed Mr. Blake's demise was, in fact related to the other cases. Fox and Persephonii were going by the assumption that all cases might be linked to the Rogue Maker until proven otherwise.

  "The majority of the housekeeping staff was fired a few months ago, from then on it appeared a lone housekeeper tried to reign in this mess...." A man in a makeshift haz-mat suit rushed from the room, the pale face red from the heat and tinged green at the edges, held a kind of desperation. Persephonii hoped he made it outside before he lost his breakfast.

  "Poor woman found him after a two week vacation, apparently he had told her to take some time off." Fox, looked down at his note pad, as more people filed from the room, the area was now documented and cleared enough they could enter. Waiting for the last of the personnel to leave, Persephonii pointed out the few things she had gathered just by walking in.

  "Mr. Blake was showing clear signs of paranoia, O.C.D and from the looks of things... miserly behavior. From the talk around town, he was socially active a few months ago. This behavior couldn't have begun more than, three to four months tops. Forces that could affect such drastic changes from his otherwise well documented, orderly life, had to have been well....obviously catastrophic. I can't say I follow the social pages. Any news on his public persona? From what I have pieced together since you called, he's been unusually quiet."

  At this point the room was cleared, Fox heading in first, as Persephonii slowly entered behind, senses nearly overwhelmed with lingering emotions. Mr. Blake had gone from loud boisterous business man, to hermit-like hoarder. His emotional spectrum was powerful enough that it still lingered in the room, nearly as powerful as the smell. It was interesting that this room, more than any other she had been near, echoed with his presence, and with the effects of a seriously deteriorating mind.

  Pausing to let the feelings settle, Persephonii looked around the room, trying to grasp some pattern in the chaos around her. Like much of the front of the house, this room was piled with paraphernalia, books, stacks of things here, piles of paper there. As Fox moved around the edges, skirting the middle of the room for the pathways closest to the desk and bookshelves, she stood and slowly turned. Making one slow full revolution, she came back to the area beside the desk. The closest left hand corner wavered slightly with a very familiar shimmer. The decorative knick-knacks, now haphazardly strewn in their display shelves drew her closer. For all their disorder, this shelf and its small area were relatively clutter free, that and the shimmer drew her nearer.

  Her intense focus must have alerted Fox to something interesting as he made his way over, waiting for Persephonii to tell him what she saw. Once again, she was glad Fox had so much more interaction with the paranormal than his counterparts. As she had no problems explaining the shimmer to him, and most importantly, him believing her. Calling for one of the P.C.S.I to 'grab a camera and get back in here,' he waited as the man made his way through the debris and over to their position. Ready and documenting, the three began to explore the small area. Persephonii was looking for another latch, perhaps even a key hole, when she went to move a small box from the shelve, only it didn't move. Stuck firmly in place, the small unassuming wooden box, obviously held a secret. Glancing over at Fox, they shared a look as she slowly opened the hinged lid and revealed a small key pad. The grey keys were a little smaller than the ten-key pad of a computer keyboard, but were not labeled. Mr. Blake had not wanted to make this easy for any uninvited guests. But Persephonii doubted even the person who had set these wards had met anyone like her.

  Taking a few moments to read the energies and keys, she let the P.C.S.I document the space more closely. When he stepped back to allow her in, she felt she had the code down pat. As part of her skill set, this o
ne came in handy in times like this, but it was also one she hesitated using in front of others. Nothing like letting someone know you could break into stranger's safes could either make enemies or interested parties, very quickly. She hesitated a moment too long, and was saved by Fox who grabbed the camera from the P.C.S.I who looked hot and sick in his makeshift haz-mat suit and offered to take the pictures, as he got some air. The poor man looked relieved to be offered fresh air and headed quickly for the door, not once looking back to his camera. He looked like one of the volunteers brought in to help with the work load at the precinct, and probably unprepared for such a fragrant case. Persephonii could say that it was clearly thanks to the overwhelming smell, even she had never smelled something so... wrong, and she'd been around a lot of decaying bodies.

  Ready to continue, she quickly punched in the code, with a soft swish the back panel of the cabinet slid open, revealing the matte black of a safe. Where the keypad was a matter of reading the energies and imprints on the object itself, this safe was state of the art and required a fingerprint to open. But thanks to the humidity and decomposition, Mr. Blake's fingers were not in any shape to literally... lend a hand.

  "Well, looks like we call in a the specialists, maybe talk to the manufacturer... Good job, Waters." With that Fox was already turning, headed back out the door, phone in hand as he called in for additional resources. Persephonii listened to his voice as it slowly traveled down the hall, his cultured tones clipped.

  Moving back around to take a closer look at Mr. Blake himself before they took him away, she stopped in her tracks. An all too familiar icy shiver running down her spine. In the continued oppressive heat, apparently the A/C heating system was so state of the art the techs were still working on how to shut it off, she had not felt the cold coming off Mr. Blake until she was nearly standing over him.

  There were very few present at the crime scene that were involved with the Rogue case. Fox was assigned as the Agent to decide whether or not the incident was part of the larger on-going case. But how to prove that it was? Fox would believe her saying it was connected, but what evidence, what proof could she give?