"I want you to understand how much I trust you Silas. I could have lied to you about…how I did what I did. I trust you and I respect you. I want you to understand that." Alec realized how bold he'd gotten in the last couple of days. The old Alec would never have done something like he’d done today, or spoken to anyone like this, especially not the leader of a vampire clan.
"I do and I thank you Alec. Trust and honesty are a rare commodity these days. But to answer your question, they will be questioned and punished. Their punishment will be up to the council. It all depends on how they answer the questions we have for them. Excuse me a moment." Silas walked to the buzzing service phone and picked it up and had a short conversation.
He walked back to the couch and sat down again. "Mentioning, that was Dorn, the head of security. Seems Cassandra went down there and demanded to speak to the prisoners. I told them they were to have no visitors unless it's myself or Doctor Schubert."
"Wonder what she could have been doing down there?" Marcus asked sarcastically.
"Probably a conjugal visit. She doesn't look too picky," Alec said distastefully.
Marcus had just taken a sip of his scotch and almost spewed it across the room.
"Don't let anyone else here you talk like that Alec," Silas admonished, but Alec swore he saw the man's lips curling upwards slightly. "Cassandra may be hard to deal with at times, but she's a well-respected member of our society."
Getting back on track Alec said, "So working with your people, you think you can convince everyone to see me as, what?" Alec asked, searching for a word, "Harmless?"
Silas sighed. "Something like that. At least they will be able to put a face to the name. Maybe it will help some of the more vocal advocates out there think twice before they yell for your death."
"Great," Alec said unconvinced.
"Some vampires have nothing better to do. News and secrets are all they live for. Some believe the more they know, the higher up in our society they rank and others just love a good mystery," Marcus said.
"And others see a conspiracy in everything that’s different," Silas said carefully. "Some of us feel threatened by every small change to our way of life. You never know who's plotting or with whom."
"I don't see how you guys live like this. It has to get exhausting after awhile keeping up with everyone that is working against you and wants to see you fail," Alec said thinking about it.
"It's really not all that hard to keep up with Alec, pretty much everyone is out to get you at all times," Marcus said matter of factly.
"Yeah... that makes me feel better," Alec said sarcastically.
"Alec, why don't you go spend some time with Jake? Marcus and I have a few more things to discuss. We will talk more about this later."
Alec stood as Silas went to the service phone and summoned Xavier to show him to Jake's room. They bid each other farewell and Alec followed the butler up the stairs and to the room across from Alec's. At lease it wouldn't be hard to get back to his own 'chambers'. He laughed at the thought.
Alec listened at the door for a moment before he knocked and could hear Jake breathing heavy. Jake was probably exercising. He exercised constantly, especially when he was stressed. He hoped he was exercising anyway. He knocked quietly and waited.
After a moment Jake opened the door shirtless and covered in a light sheen of sweat.
"Hey man," he said and stepped back to let Alec enter. "I was just exercising to take my mind off of everything."
"That's what I figured,” Alec said as he entered.
"What?" Jake asked confused.
“I could hear you breathing and figured you were exercising like you always do,” Alec said laughing and shaking his head.
"Everything okay man?"
"Yeah, Silas had a few ideas he wanted to discuss with me."
"What exactly is going on here, Alec? How did you get mixed up in all this? What do they want from you?"
So Alec told him pretty much everything. He figured if Jake was compelled to keep what he knew to himself then he could discuss the situation with him. It was a good thing too. He really needed someone to talk to who knew him. He told Jake everything, even about being half vampire and half human, and the fact that the council might decide to kill him for being created without permission. His friend stood quietly, wringing his forgotten shirt in his hands listening to Alec unload his burden. He shook his head and just stood there when Alec was finished.
"Damn man, what are you going to do?"
Alec shook his head. "I don't know. Normally, unapproved vampires are put to death to make a point." He sighed heavily. "But I'm something different. I'm half vampire and half human, both sets of organs and all. I'm something that, according to Silas and Doctor Schubert, shouldn't even exist."
"So they are trying to convince this 'council' that they should study you and what, try to make more of you?"
"Oh hell no," Alec said looking upset at the very thought. "Could you imagine how much fighting there would be if there were more than one of me and vampires could hire us out or blackmail us to kill for them?" Alec shivered just thinking about it. That would be the biggest disaster in... well, history, honestly. Vampire super-soldier. Have abilities, will travel... and kill for the highest bidder. No thanks!
"Alec, have you considered just, I don't know, disappearing?"
"And going where? There are vampires all around the world. If I ran that would just make them think I was up to something and justify them coming after me full force."
"Dude, you have to do something. You can't just let them kill you, bro."
"I know." He sighed. "Silas is trying to help me. He's got a few ideas, and he's on the council. Maybe he can think of something." Alec just hoped that Silas could come up with a plan.
"Listen Jake, I'm really sorry about dragging you into all this. I should have just told you I couldn't meet you and put it off."
"Man, like you told Silas, I can be very persistent when I get something in my head. I would have eventually called the cops and I have a feeling that would not have been a good thing. Sorry, bro. Didn't mean to push you into this." He frowned, thinking about it.
"Jake, don't worry about it. I eventually would have gotten tired of being bossed around and I would have challenged Silas in some way. At least this way there was a good reason." He smiled.
Jake raised an eyebrow. "You would have eventually challenged Silas? That's not the Alec I know," he said smiling.
"I know. But as you can tell, I'm changing."
"You certainly are. Look at you man. You're built better than I am now and I work out every day and have since I was, what, fifteen?"
Alec nodded. "Yeah but my muscles are all vampiric in nature." He started laughing in the middle of that sentence at the sheer lunacy of it. He shook his head.
Jake walked over to him and lifted his shirt. "Shit man, you have washboard abs." He looked at Alec's taut stomach and shook his head. Alec flexed his abs. "Damn," was all Jake could say.
In a moment of craziness Alec pulled his shirt off and turned so Jake could see the changes in his body.
"Man I am so jealous! You don't even have to exercise or watch what you eat do you?" Alec shook his head no.
"I swear, I think you've even gotten taller. What are you like six feet tall now?"
Alec looked stunned at the idea. "No, I'm 5'10" same height I've been since I was thirteen."
"Bro, I hate to tell you, but you're not 5'10" any more. I'm 6'1" and you are almost as tall as I am." Jake stood chest to chest with Alec. Alec was looking him directly in the eyes. He'd always been shorter than Jake and now he was almost eye-to-eye with him.
Jake just shook his head. "Other than the whole 'vampires want to kill you for existing', you are a lucky asshole."
Alec just shook his head in disbelief.
"Man, you have changed so much. I mean honestly, I don't even recognize you as the boy I grew up with. The old
Alec wouldn't have snuck out and defied Silas. He would have done exactly what he was told."
Alec realized Jake was right. He wouldn't even have questioned whether or not to defy Silas in the past. He would never have snuck out to meet his friend.
"I like the new you," Jake said. "Don't get me wrong, I've always liked you and have considered you my best friend. But you really let people run all over you and never stood up for yourself. And tonight I saw you take on five men and win. Hell, not even men, vampires. You took on five vampires and kicked their damn asses."
"This is all so insane."
"Earlier in the restaurant, I had no idea what was going on. All of a sudden the table slammed into three of the men and then chairs smashed into the other two. The only time I really saw you move was when you bashed the leader guy with the table leg over and over."
Alec frowned. "Really? I didn't think I was moving that fast. I was just trying to keep them from hurting us. I was so angry that I just lost it.”
"Seriously Alec, the table zipped through the air, chairs smashed two of them and suddenly you were holding a table leg and hitting people with it." He laughed then. "It was kind of scary for a second. I thought a poltergeist had rescued us. What's it like when you use your, what do you call them, abilities?"
Alec tried to explain what it felt like to 'burn blood'. He had nothing to compare it to, but did his best. "The only thing I can really say that you will understand is, it's like time slows down, or stops and I have all the time I need to do what I want."
"That's probably because you are moving so damn fast."
"Maybe." Alec could only shake his head.
“Uh…” Jake said suddenly looking uncomfortable.
“What?” Alec said looking at his friend. He knew there was more and that Jake was reluctant to say it.
Jake looked like he was debating with himself over something and then finally said, “You were a little scary tonight Alec. Don’t get me wrong,” he said quickly, “I’m thankful that you saved us, but…when you attacked those men… you weren’t you. You changed completely. At one point you were growling. It was frightening.” Jake looked apologetically at Alec when he finished.
“I know,” Alec finally said very quietly. “Tonight was not what I expected and I was…taken by surprise. I didn’t mean to freak you out or anything.”
“I know, man,” Jake said putting his hand on his friend’s bare shoulder and squeezing.
Alec sighed and shook his head. "Okay, Jake, we need something to drink. What do you want?"
Jake pulled a face, thinking. "I don't know. Some sort of Tennessee whiskey?"
"Done," Alec said and walked over the service phone and called down to the wait staff and told them what he wanted. Within minutes there was a knock on the door with the requested liquor and glasses. After what they'd been through, they needed drinks. Alec hated that he'd dragged Jake into all this but he was so thankful to have someone to talk to that actually knew him. He hadn't realized how badly he had needed this. He knew he only had one night with his friend so he decided to make the best of it.
Alec poured them each a drink and they toasted one another. He'd have to make tonight count. There wouldn't be another like it, maybe ever. If he was going to be killed for Clarissa's mistake then he was going to make tonight one he could remember. He owed himself that much, and in his own way, he was telling Jake goodbye, just in case. He hoped not. But just in case.
CHAPTER NINE
Enemies Everywhere
The next day Alec woke up with a massive hangover. Thankfully he didn’t remember his dreams. To try a theory, Alec attempted to burn some blood to get rid of his pounding head and sour stomach. His head hurt so bad he couldn’t do it. So instead, he drank a lot of water and took a lot of medication. He said his goodbyes to Jake privately and Alec gave him his new number. He explained to Jake that Silas was paying for his cell phone and had full control of it. He was quite certain that it would be monitored so they couldn't have open conversations about anything that had happened or might happen in the future. They created certain safe phrases that would let the other know what was going on in their lives.
Before Jake left, Silas explained to him that he had contacted the District Protectorate of Kentucky and let him know the situation with Jake and that he would be looked out for. Alec wasn't certain that that piece of information made Jake feel any better but Alec was glad that someone was looking out for his friend. Silas gave Jake his number along with the Kentucky Protectorate and told him if he had any problems with vampires or the like, to let one of them know, or to let Alec know and he'd relay the message.
They said their public goodbyes then, shaking each other’s hand. Jake was driven to his car by one of Silas's drivers. Alec watched as the car pulled out of the private gate and disappeared from view. He hoped that this was not the last time he'd ever see his friend.
Marcus was called into a private meeting with Silas so Alec was left on his own. He didn’t have run of the place but he did have Silas’s permission to visit the library in the mansion.
Xavier had graciously led Alec to the Mansion’s library and left him with a promise to bring something to drink and a warning not to wander off. Marcus and Silas were holed up in Silas’s study as usual discussing God alone knew what and Alec was left to fend for himself that evening. The kitchen staff had prepared the most amazing rotisserie chicken that Alec had ever tasted. Even now, as stuffed as he was, his mouth watered thinking about the chicken and all the fixings that the kitchen staff had whipped up for him. For a group of people that worked for vampires and so rarely cooked, they could certainly throw down with some food.
Alec perused the books that decorated the shelves. This room was filled from floor to ceiling with shelves of tomes, some ancient-looking and others that looked as if they’d never even been opened. Alec had been expecting a room smaller than his bedroom here in the mansion. What he’d found was a cavernous space with warm wooden bookshelves lining the walls and in long rows with aisles between them, and tables that littered the floor with lamps for reading. On the walls between the shelves were lamps that were actually alight with flame giving the room a soft golden glow. Alec was in heaven. He loved to read. Reading had been one of his few escapes while living in the orphanage.
He wasn’t sure where to start or how to find a book even if he knew what he wanted to read. The door opened behind Alec and he turned to ask Xavier’s advice on how to decipher the location of books in this room. What he saw caused his heart to thud in his chest. Standing before the closed door with her eyes narrowed and arms crossed, was Cassandra. Today she wore a blue dress with dark blue heels. Her hair was pulled up on either side.
Alec wasn’t exactly sure what he should say or do so he nodded his head but didn’t say anything. He dropped his eyes to the thickly carpeted floor and licked his lips.
Cassandra stood there studying him a moment longer then finally said, “So, I see you know your place. I hate useless chatter. Better to keep your mouth shut and let others think you a fool rather than open your mouth and prove it. However in your case, I know you for a fool.” Alec missed the cruel smile on her lips; he was still staring at the carpet trying to figure out how to safely get himself out of this situation.
Alec was worried and didn’t know how to handle Cassandra alone. “I’m sorry,” he finally mumbled. “I didn’t know you were going to be here. I’ll just head back to my room. Sorry to have bothered you.” He walked towards the door but Cassandra moved into his path, blocking him.
“I haven’t dismissed you,” she said coldly.
Alec was nervous now. He was starting to feel as helpless as he’d felt when Clarissa had captured him. Under Cassandra’s cold stare he was having trouble breathing and his heart was thudding painfully in his chest. He tried to burn blood but couldn’t do it. He clawed desperately at the feeling of time slowing but he just couldn’t manage it as scared as he was. Somethin
g about Cassandra reminded him of Clarissa. Maybe it was the air of cruelty and crazy that they both had about them.
“I’m sorry Cassandra but I need to return to my room. Xavier is expecting me there soon,” he lied, sounding nervous even to his own ears.
“Really? I heard Xavier say you needed wine in the library. I of course told him not to bother. I wanted us to have some time alone to talk. And do not use my name. You may call me Ma’am.” Alec glanced up to gauge how serious she was and saw the glint of cruel, malicious glee in her hard eyes. “I do not allow lesser creatures, such as abominations, to speak my name.”
“Just let me go…please,” Alec said quietly. He was desperately trying to burn blood but couldn’t make it happen.
“I have an offer for you and you’d be wise to accept.” She studied Alec a moment with her cold hard eyes. A small corner of her lips crooked into a smile when she saw she had his full attention. She slowly walked towards Alec, her hips swaying sensuously.
“Laramie wants you to work for him. We can promise you protection from the council and from the others. You’d have to be a fool to turn his offer down.”
It took a moment for Cassandra’s words to sink in. When they did he had to work moisture back into his mouth to respond.
“Why?” was all he could croak out.
Cassandra shrugged but the cold hard look never left her eyes. “He could use someone with your particular set of… skills.”
Alec took a moment to just try and breathe before he said anything more. He worked on slowing his heart beat.
“How…how would his protection be different than Silas’s?”
“You would be his. You’d be kept on a short leash of course. A very short leash. No one would dare attack Laramie’s own property. If he presented you to the council as a controlled, bound animal, then they would know you wouldn’t be out in the world unsupervised like Silas is allowing. Laramie would train you and you’d serve him.”
Shadow Born: Book 1 of the Shadow-Borne Chronicles Page 12