Shadow Born: Book 1 of the Shadow-Borne Chronicles

by Paul A. Cagle

  Alec snapped one of the heavy legs off the table and bashed one of the men in the head before he could gain his feet. The vampire that had threatened them was on his stomach, trying to crawl from under the table and was half way out when Alec stepped on top of it, effectively pinning the man down. Without warning, Alec raised the table leg over his head and with a howl of rage began smashing it into the vampire’s back over and over.

  Alec was suddenly grabbed from behind by a set of strong arms and pulled backwards. He spun, breaking the grip of who ever had grabbed him and raised the table leg to strike. He stopped suddenly when he realized that it was Marcus. He and his men had arrived and they had apparently busted the lock on the door so they could enter. Marcus had several heavily armed men with him in tactical vests and leather gloves. The men checked the rooms to make sure they were clear. One of the security men found the female cashier in the back and brought her out. He looked in her eyes speaking slowly and clearly. She had the same slack look as before.

  Marcus nodded and the vampires that were lying on the floor were cuffed with silver handcuffs and forced to their feet. The lead vampire looked like he was barely even alive. His blood covered everything.

  Breathing heavily, Alec dropped the table leg and checked on Jake who was still pressed against the wall, obviously in shock. Marcus looked like he wanted to say something but finally sighed and shut his mouth. Quietly he said, "Silas is not happy about this Alec. What were you thinking?"

  "I was thinking that I'm tired of being treated like a prisoner. I just want a normal life. I didn't ask for any of this and I'm tired of living by Silas's rules!" It had come out more forcefully than Alec had planned but the words were true nonetheless. His pent up anger hadn’t just been about those threatening his life but about those that thought they could control him.

  "Alec," Marcus said, his tone an admonishment, "I understand your frustration, but Silas is trying to help you. What would have happened if these men had hurt you, or worse, hurt Jake?"

  Alec sighed. He was frustrated and sick of all of this. His anger was suddenly gone and he just felt sick to his stomach at what he’d done.

  "I know Marcus... I know. But they didn't. I handled it."

  Marcus just shook his head. "You don't get it do you?"

  Alec just looked at him confused.

  "Yes, you took out five vampires all by yourself. But if this gets out then our enemies will know what you are capable of. They'll know you are not only half vampire but that you are much stronger than you are supposed to be!"

  "Good!" Alec said, raising his voice. "Let them know that I'm not an easy mark. Let them know I can handle them!"

  "Alec, you aren't thinking! What if next time they send ten vampires? What if one of them has a gun pointed directly at Jake's head? Can you take on nine vampires by yourself and keep them from putting a bullet in Jake's skull?"

  Alec's blood turned to ice and his mouth fell open but no words came out.

  "That's right Alec. They are testing you. If word of this gets out, the next attack will not be so easy to fend off."

  "Marcus, I'm sorry. I just... I..."

  Marcus sighed. "Alec, I know. I know you're frustrated and I know that this is not what you wanted and you never asked for any of it. But it's the hand you've been dealt and you have to play it whether you like it or not. Come on. Let's get back to Silas's and deal with all this before anything else happens.”

  Alec nodded and walked over to Jake. "We need to talk, but not here."

  "No shit, man! What the hell just happened? How did you do all that? I didn't even see half of what you did. All of a sudden tables and chairs were flying through the air and you were bashing people in the head." Jake looked a little scared. “I’ve never seen you like that.”

  Alec took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Come on. I have to go talk to Silas. I'm not sure how much I can tell you safely, but Silas will be able to explain." They gathered their things and headed out front to the cars that were parked there. Alec, Marcus and Jake got into the lead car and it pulled away, heading back to Silas's mansion.

  What the hell have I gotten myself into? Alec thought. This was a mess of epic proportions and Alec wasn't sure how mad Silas was or what he was going to say to him when he got there. This was just getting more and more out of hand. And worse, he’d almost lost complete control in there and killed someone.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  The Reckoning

  On the ride back, Alec was lost in thought, so Marcus introduced himself to Jake and explained that they were safe and no one would attack them. He let Jake know that a lot would be explained once they reached the mansion. When they arrived Jake's eyes were huge as he took it all in. "What are you mixed up in?" was all he said, looking at Alec. Alec was lost in thought and didn't say anything.

  When they arrived, they went through the front door and down the hallway. Alec's heart was beating a mile a second as he approached the double doors leading into Silas's study. He stopped, took a deep breath and tried to slow it. He sighed thinking about how disappointed Silas was going to be. He looked over at Marcus and Jake and proceeded.

  The guards standing there opened the doors and Alec, Marcus, and Jake, walked into the room with the five vampires that had attacked them and their retinue of guards. The doors closed quietly behind them. Alec saw that Silas was sitting in his usual place on the white leather couch towards the back of the room. And he wasn't alone. Cassandra sat there with a glass of red wine in her hand and a small victorious smile on her dark lips. That alone made Alec want to spring across the room and break the glass in her hand and slash her repeatedly in the face with it until her red blood stained her blue dress and the white leather couch.

  Wow. What was wrong with him? He was becoming a little aggressive. He needed to be really careful about that. He hated Cassandra, that was a given, but he'd never felt something like he'd just felt towards another human being. Well, Cassandra wasn't human but he'd never wanted to be that violent against anyone ever. He tried breathing again to relax himself and slow his heart rate. Perhaps he’d let himself go a little too far when he’d been trying to burn blood earlier.

  Silas's face was unreadable as they approached him, but his eyes were hard as stones as he took in the assembled men.

  "What happened?" he asked quietly.

  Before anyone could say anything Alec stepped forward. "Silas, this is my fault. I'm sorry I didn't listen to you. My friend Jake sent me an email that he was coming into town to check on me after…what happened, and I went to meet him. I completely lost track of time. Marcus texted me that when I left here, I was followed. By then it was too late and we had been found."

  Silas didn't say anything immediately; he just looked at each of them in turn. Jake fidgeted when Silas's gaze fell on him, but he didn't say anything. The handcuffed men were barely on their feet and looked sick. It took a moment for Alec to remember that silver had that effect on vampires. If it wasn't for the guards holding them up, they looked like they would have fallen on the floor unable to move, especially the one that Alec had almost killed. His wounds were healing but very slowly.

  Silas spoke to the guards. "Take them to the cells. I'll deal with them later."

  The lead guard saluted. "What about the human?"

  Several sets of eyes fell on Jake who looked very uncomfortable at being called 'the human' and having everyone stare at him.

  Silas merely shook his head. "I'll deal with him. Thanks."

  Alec tried to smile reassuringly at his friend but wasn’t sure how successful he was.

  The guard nodded once and then he and his three cohorts lead the prisoners from the room through a door on the back right that Alec had never really paid any attention to. That left Jake, Alec and Marcus standing before Silas and Cassandra.

  Silas said, "Please, sit," in a tight controlled voice and motioned for the butler that was standing in the back to bring drinks. Once they
were served, Silas turned towards Jake and spoke.

  "Jake, look at me," Silas said quietly. When Jake complied he sat forward a little, and Jake's face took on the slack look that Alec had seen on the waitress’s at the Slice of Life when she had been compelled. "What we are going to discuss here, and everything that you saw and heard earlier are private matters." Jake nodded once. "You are forbidden to talk about them to anyone other than those of us in this room, or without my express permission to anyone else. Do you understand?" At Jake's nod Silas released his gaze and Jake shook his head.

  Silas then turned to speak to Alec and his voice was controlled, if just barely.

  "Would you like to explain what happened?"

  Alec was seated beside Jake and had taken a couple of sips of his scotch. Jake was obviously afraid to leave Alec's side and sat on the smaller leather couch very close to his friend. His hands shook slightly and Alec could hear the ice in his glass tinkling quietly.

  Alec sat his glass aside and looked at Silas. He explained then about the email he had gotten from Jake about him coming into town to check up on him. He also explained how he'd gotten sidetracked with Doctor Schubert's tests and settling in with Marcus's help. It had completely slipped his mind to talk with Silas about the visit. He also explained to Silas how tenacious Jake could be when he thought his friend might be in trouble. Jake nodded at this.

  "So you snuck out," Silas said this accusingly.

  "Am I a prisoner?" Alec asked simply.

  "No Alec, you are my guest."

  "Then I guess I did not sneak out. I just chose an alternate way to leave." Alec was not trying to be snide and hoped that Silas understood.

  "I see," Silas said.

  Jake shook his head confused. "I don't understand what's going on here. Did Alec do something wrong by coming to see me?"

  Silas sighed and shook his head. "Alec's situation here is very... complicated."

  "Okay," Jake said slowly. "Please explain it. And why did everyone look at me funny when the guard back there asked about the human?" He stopped for half a second and asked with wide eyes, "Are you guys in the mafia?" He looked upset. “Is ‘human’ code for ‘victim’?”

  Alec couldn't help it. He laughed out loud. Silas did not look amused by Alec's outburst.

  "No Jake," Silas explained, "We are vampires."

  Jake looked confused. And then stunned. And then something occurred to him and he looked at Alec. "Is that why you moved so fast when those men attacked?"

  Alec nodded slowly.

  "You're a freaking vampire?" Jake asked, completely shocked.

  Alec didn't know how much to tell him. It must have been all over his face because Silas said, "Go ahead. He's been compelled but just tell him the basics."

  Alec didn't even know that was possible, but once he thought about it, it made sense. And he remembered that Doctor Schubert had mentioned it once. So Alec filled in the blanks of his story from when he'd been abducted to now. Jake just whistled quietly and shook his head.

  "Damn, man. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to cause any problems for you.” He looked at Silas then. "But Alec is right. I wouldn't have taken no for an answer if he'd said he couldn't see me. I'd have kept on until I either saw him in person, one way or another. Alec is a good friend and he never avoids me. I would have suspected something."

  At this Silas looked slightly placated, but only slightly.

  He looked at Marcus then. "So you got there in time to help Alec out?" he asked flicking his eyes ever so briefly at Cassandra where she couldn't see.

  "Yes," Marcus began slowly, but Alec interrupted.

  "They had us cornered with the doors locked. When Marcus showed up it gave me a chance to throw the table at them and distract them while Jake opened the door and let Marcus and his men in. After that, it was just a matter of…subduing and cuffing them."

  "Exactly," Marcus said.

  This whole time Cassandra had remained quiet. Alec was surprised. Maybe she was afraid that if she spoke, Silas would remember she was there and send her away.

  "Good thing Marcus showed up in time," she said a little too sweetly. She looked at Silas then. "Who do you think sent them?"

  He shook his head thinking. "I have no idea. I'm quite certain there are many who might see Alec as a threat of some sort."

  "I don't understand that," Alec said thinking. "How do I represent a threat to anyone? I'm just one man."

  "There are a lot of, um, zealots and purists out there," Marcus said. "And then there are some crazy conspiracy theorists running around out there as well." When he said this he looked at Cassandra and smiled. She frowned and raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything. Alec supposed Jake's influence was making all the vampires present tight lipped. He just shook his head.

  "Alec, there a few things I'd like to discuss in private with you. I'll have Xavier show Jake to a room and once we are finished you and your friend can catch up." Silas motioned to Xavier who approached them.

  Silas turned and stood as he addressed Jake. "I apologize for what happened today Jake. This is an unfortunate event. My kind can be rather direct when there's something we want but it’s a major breach of the law to reveal ourselves to humans or to threaten them in any way. If you'll go with Xavier he will show you to a room. Once I'm finished speaking with Alec I'll have him brought to you."

  "He's not in any trouble is he?" Jake looked worried for his friend.

  Silas just shook his head. "Alec will be fine. He and I will discuss today’s actions at a later time. Right now, I need to talk to him about another matter." Silas smiled warmly at the young man. Jake nodded and stepped towards Xavier. Before he left, Jake motioned for Alec to come over to him.

  "Are you going to be okay with these three?" he whispered quietly.

  Alec hid a smile. "I'll be fine. And they can hear everything we are saying," he said and glanced over his shoulder to find Cassandra watching him.

  "I don't care if they can hear me or not. If you need me to stay then I'm not going any damn where, man." Alec hugged his friend then, surprising him. Jake returned the hug.

  "Jake you have no idea what that means to me. But I'll be fine. I trust Silas and Marcus with my life."

  He frowned then. "And Cassandra?"

  Alec looked Cassandra directly in the eyes and said, "I trust Silas and Marcus with my life."

  Jake shook his head and said, "Gotcha."

  "When we are done here I'll come find you. You'll be fine Jake. This place is better than some four star hotels." Alec laughed to show his friend he was okay. "Hell, my chambers here are bigger than my apartment."

  "Chambers?" Jake said making a face.

  "Sorry. It gets stuck in your head after a while."

  Jake just pounded him on the back. "Man, if you need me, all you have to do is yell."

  Alec hugged him again. "I'll talk to you in a little while." Jake allowed Xavier to lead him off and out the double doors.

  Alec turned to find Cassandra and Silas in conversation. Marcus was sipping his scotch, lost in thought.

  Alec returned and sat on the small couch and picked up his glass and emptied it.

  "Cassandra, if you'll excuse us, I need to debrief Marcus and Alec."

  "Of course," she said handing her empty glass to Silas, who in turn put in on the table beside him. She walked slowly towards the door, her hips swaying back and forth and her heels clicking on the hardwood floor.

  Once the doors were closed and the three men were alone, Alec turned to Silas. "I'm sorry about everything. I'm also sorry about what Jake said before he left the room. I know you guys could hear us."

  Silas waved the last apart way. "Alec, you're lucky to have a friend like Jake. I believe he would take on every single one of us to keep you safe."

  "He might."

  "As for the other bit, Alec, Cassandra actually suggested that I send out the guards to drag you back here and shoot you if you resisted."<
br />
  "What???" He looked completely shocked.

  "Be glad you aren't in Laramie's district. She would have sent a squad out after you in a heartbeat."

  "Actually," Marcus said soberly, "You wouldn't have even gotten that far with Laramie. He'd have had you killed in the hospital."

  Silas nodded thoughtfully.

  What kind of world is this? Alec thought to himself. This is messed up!

  "Anyway," Silas said pushing the thoughts aside, "I've come to a decision. I've contacted the council and they've agreed to meet to discuss your, uh unique circumstances. They wanted to meet next week to discuss the situation, but I've convinced them that Doctor Schubert needs to run more tests on you before we can make any sort of educated decisions as to your future. I've gained us some time."

  "Good... I think?" Alec said wishing things were different.

  "I’ve gained us some time to figure out a strategy and for some of my people to work on the vampire populace at large to let them know that you don’t threaten our way of life or our secrets. But Alec," and at this point Silas looked him directly in the eye and made sure he had his attention, "you can not pull another stunt like you did tonight."

  Alec blushed and nodded and Silas continued. "I understand why you wanted to see your friend and put his mind at ease. I've known men like Jake before and you are right, they get something in their heads and they don't stop. But we could have arranged something. You could have been hurt tonight. Even worse, Jake could have been hurt tonight. That would have been disastrous and Laramie and the others would have put it in the worst light possible and used it against you during your hearing."

  "I'm sorry Silas. I never meant for any of this to happen."

  "I know Alec and I know that you aren't used to our rules, but in this world sometimes the simplest actions have the most drastic consequences."

  "Mentioning, what is going to happen to the men that attacked Jake and me tonight?"

  "Tell me everything," Silas said and refilled all their glasses.

  So Alec told him all that had transpired. He told him about the threats the vampires had made and everything that was said and done. When he got to the part about taking out all five of the vampires, before Marcus even got there, he hesitated and debated lying to them but decided that they should know the truth. Silas just sighed and shook his head.