A Shade of Halloween

“True. The question here is why they brought this parchment to my house.” I stated.

  “It’s one of two things, Ros. If they were here to take Ryan, the parchment might have slipped out of someone’s pocket. But then, who plans a kidnap with all their plans tucked in their pocket? This brings me to the second assumption. Whoever’s behind this wants you to know about it.” He replied.

  “But why?” I asked. “They could have assassinated me just like everyone else on the list.”

  “They might still be planning to do that. We don’t know what the plan is with these guys, but we’re going to find out.” He replied.

  “So what do we know?” I asked.

  “We know what Nikolas Bordain’s death means. Every vampire made by him just got increasingly stronger, and that includes me. If they manage to kill more first generation vampires, there’ll be more vampires with enhanced abilities around. If this is a revolution of some sort, it means we’ll be facing much stronger opposition now.”

  I rubbed my hands over my face.

  “This just sucks. I have called a Council meeting for tonight.” I replied. “We need to figure out what’s going on before the world comes crashing down on all of us.”

  “But if Ryan was taken from your basement doesn’t that mean whoever did it would be a member of Council? Who else has access to your house?” He asked. “Why let them know your plans?”

  “I initially called the meeting to discuss the authenticity of the parchment. I noticed Ry was gone after I called the meeting but I can still use it to figure things out... and that’s where you come in. When I discuss the recent developments at tonight’s meeting, I want you to keep a watchful eye out for me. Report anyone suspicious and we’ll take it up from there.” I replied.

  “It will be done.” Viktor replied.

  “Thank you.”

  Viktor squeezed my hand and smiled.

  “I know how much you want him back, Ros. We’ll work together to find him. I promise.” He said.

  I nodded.

  “If Nikolas Bordain is really dead, it means that whoever is behind this really has the Archibald stake. If they’re the same group that took Ryan, we no longer need to just find him. We need to find him before they hurt him.” I stated.

  My desperation was getting evident in my voice. I knew I had to do everything in my power to find him. I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if he got hurt.

  “We’ll find him, Ros. I promise. Just keep it together at the Council meeting tonight. We don’t want the others to sense how affected you are by this.” Viktor stated.

  I nodded my thanks and watched him walk out of my study.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Omniscient POV

  A secret meeting held in a dark room just outside the city. In attendance were six Council vampires and twelve non-Council vampires, also known as the foot soldiers. Presiding over the meeting was a vampire with an air of authority around him. He had straight, long dark hair which fell freely past his shoulders and contrasted with his pale olive skin.

  “Have you gotten anything from the Soille twin in your custody?” He asked the other people in the room.

  His voice was deep and piercing, easily producing fear in the hearts of the foot soldiers.

  “Our witches searched his memory for the location of the Immortal Elect. They found nothing. He doesn’t know where she is.” One of the Council vampires spoke up.

  “And Rayna?” The presiding vampire asked.

  “We got a location from the Soille twin’s memory. Four scouts were sent to confirm her presence at the location. We believe it was positive at the time the scouts got there because they are all dead.” The vampire replied. “The next batch found nothing. She was gone by the time they got there.”

  “So you pretty much tipped her off.” The presiding vampire smirked.

  There was no time for the other vampire to reply. The presiding vampire was upon him in less than the time required to complete one blinking cycle. He plunged his hand deep into the vampire’s chest and squeezed his heart between his fingers. The replying vampire coughed up blood and looked up at him with pleading eyes. The tension in the room was palpable. No one dared move or speak.

  “What do you think this is?” The presiding vampire barked. “A trial and error takeover attempt? If you cannot accomplish one easy mission, what makes you think you deserve the power this mission affords us?”

  The other vampires in the room were deathly silent. The only sound that could be heard was the whimpering of the vampire whose heart was being clutched by strong cold hands.

  “Failure is not an option. I will go down in history as the only vampire who successfully usurped power from his premier generation. My legend will spread farther and wider than any other vampire before me. If I was as incompetent as the rest of you, Nikolas Bordain would still be alive today!” He snapped. “You have six hours to find Rayna’s new location.”

  The eyes of the vampire whose heart he was clutching rolled back, leaving only the white parts in display. It was a very scary sight, one that drove terror into the already cowering hearts of the foot soldiers. The Council vampires on the other hand, didn’t look phased.

  “We will do better, V...” Another Council vampire started, but was abruptly cut off.

  “You will refer to me as...”

  “Rex. My apologies.” The vampire who was interrupted bowed.

  The presiding vampire withdrew his hand from the first Council vampire’s chest, causing him to wheeze and fall to the ground. His enhanced healing kicked in immediately and soon enough, he was back to normal again.

  “I don’t need to remind you what you all stand to gain from this mission. Once we take over, everyone will bow to us. Our power will be unmatched. Our wishes will be law and vampires will once again rule the earth. We wouldn’t need to ‘hide in plain sight’ like your damn leader puts it. A real leader stands up and fights for his place. Let the hunters bring on their advanced tools. We will kill their children until they surrender!” The presiding vampire continued. “Thanks to your incompetence, we now have even less time than we originally did. Rayna should be moving in for a convergence of the first generation as we speak. We must strike before she notices they are gone. Keep the Soille twin in your custody contained. He is very vital to the success of our plan.”

  “We will, Rex.”

  “You better.” He snapped. “The strike on Sergio Lake will happen right after this meeting. Since he’s your maker, I expect all three of you to gain your enhanced abilities in the wake of his passing.” He pointed at three Council vampires. “That should equip us for the strike on Ronald Sky. Like you know, he is already in our custody. Our only wildcard is Rayna. Secure her location and I’ll bring her in.”

  “We still haven’t contained the Immortal Elect.” Another Council vampire reminded him. “We cannot pull a strike on Rayna until we have her.”

  “I am well aware of that fact. Securing the Immortal Elect should be the easiest part of this mission. She will come to us once she learns of the Soille twin’s condition - which our witches made sure she learned of last night. She’ll be here any moment now.” The presiding vampire replied.

  “And what about Ros?” Another Council vampire asked. “His maker is Rayna, which means he’s still stronger than all of us.”

  “He doesn’t know how close we are to completing this mission. That’s why we made sure he got the report after we’d secured all the vampires on the list. He should be focused on finding his brother right now, thinking he still has time. For all he knows, we still don’t know the location of Sergio Lake and Ronald Sky. If you don’t screw up your end of the deal, everything will be over by dawn. The first generation will be gone and together, we’ll be stronger than him. Especially since he won’t have his brother to align forces with. If he’s stupid enough to challenge us then, we will deal him the same fate as the first generation. Don’t forget we have the Archibald stake.” The presiding vampire rep
lied.

  “What about the rest of the Council?”

  “The moment power shifts, they will be wise to align themselves with us.” He replied. “Get to work. I expect Rayna’s location within the hour.”

  And with that, the secret meeting ended.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Ros’s POV

  Everyone rose to acknowledge my presence as I walked into the Council meeting. I waved them to sit, before getting right to the issue at hand. At a time like this when my brother’s life was possibly on the line, observing the usual entry protocol seemed like an unnecessary waste of time.

  “You all must be wondering why I called this impromptu meeting.” I addressed them from the podium, casting a glance at Viktor to remind him of his assigned task before continuing.

  “A few disturbing issues have been brought to my attention. A report surfaced in my home this morning, claiming that a group of vampires are attempting to break the sacred code.”

  I heard the gasps and whispers of my fellow Council members as the news sank in. My eyes darted across the room, scanning every face for any reaction that might be different from what was expected. Announcing the intent to break the sacred code should elicit nothing short of surprise from any vampire hearing the news for the first time, and surprise was etched on almost every face that looked back at me. I noticed the reaction of the Northern majority lead, Vladek Castor. While he had an initial reaction of raising an eyebrow, what I saw on his face wasn’t necessarily surprise. That was a red flag and I made a mental note to test my suspicion later. I lifted my index finger into the air to signal for silence and continued.

  “According to the report, the great Nikolas Bordain, a first generation vampire is dead.” I smirked.

  I was doing my best to act normal in order to conceal my true feelings. I was certain the vampires behind Ryan’s kidnapping were sitting in the room and the last thing I wanted was to show them how affected I was by their actions.

  More surprised gasps and whispers filled the room, and I continued surveying their reactions. I locked my gaze on Valentine Davidson for a split second and noticed his face was quite expressionless.

  “You all know that an issue of this magnitude is not to be taken lightly. However, before we swing into action it is necessary to confirm the authenticity of this report.”

  Now, this was the part where I intended to fish some of the culprits out. I knew for a fact that Nikolas was dead because Viktor not only felt the energy of his passing, he also got the enhanced abilities a vampire derived from the death of his maker. What this meant was that every other vampire made by Nikolas Bordain had gotten their abilities enhanced as well.

  “You know what happens when a vampire dies. All lower generation vampires in that bloodline receive a boost in their abilities. Is there anyone in this room that is of the bloodline of Nikolas Bordain?” I asked.

  Drew Nicholson and Vincent Lake put their hands up to signify that their affirmation. This took them off the list of prime suspects. If they were part of the takeover, they wouldn’t mention their link to Nikolas Bordain.

  “Have you noticed any difference in your abilities lately?” I asked.

  “Yes. I felt a surge in my energy levels today.” Drew Nicholson replied.

  “I noticed my enhanced speed got even faster.” Vincent Lake added.

  “Thank you. This proves Nikolas Bordain is truly dead. I now have reason to believe that there is some truth to the report which showed up in my home. As you know, this is an issue that concerns all of us. A strike on a first generation vampire is sure to incur the wrath of other members of that generation. From all cases in history, we know our only chance of survival is to produce the parties responsible for this outrageous act. I expect the other members of the first generation to be here in forty-eight hours or less. As a result, I implore you to go out in search of the culprits. Search from the smallest clans to the biggest ones – including our very own Serafino clan. Find these offending vampires and bring them to me. Bear in mind that you have less than twenty-four hours to do this. I don’t need to tell you what the consequences are if we fail to produce the culprits. This meeting is ended.” I concluded.

  I waited till the room was empty before turning to Viktor. “Did you find anything suspicious?”

  “Let us discuss back at my house.” He replied. “There could be ears lining the walls.”

  He was right. We raced back to his house and when we were alone in his study, he spoke.

  “I didn’t notice anything suspicious from the reaction of the Council members at the meeting. However, your question about those sired by Bordain’s bloodline will be vital in deciphering the truth. Only Nicholson and Lake admitted to be sired by his bloodline but I believe there are more. I’ll get a team of witches to do a bloodline trace right now. If they find anyone else, then we’ll know for a fact that they have something to hide. We can proceed with our investigation from there.

  “Viktor, I found Vladek Castor, Valentine Davidson and Roberta Reed suspicious. They all failed to show surprise when I announced the news of Bordain’s death. I say we look into them right now. Ryan might not have much time left.” I replied.

  “Ros, I understand how much you want to go after these people, but we need to be sure first. If we make the wrong move right now, we might tip them off and lose our element of surprise. It’s a good thing that you made them believe you didn’t know Bordain was really dead before now, and that you think the offending vampires can be from any clan. That should keep them relaxed for now, while we figure things out. My team of witches will get on the trace right now, and we should have results in about ten minutes.” He stated.

  I knew he had a point and it was best to let him do his thing. This was one of the great things about Viktor. He was always calm and calculated even in times of distress – a trait that came more from his sorcerer side than his vampire side.

  “Okay, Viktor. I’ll be back in ten minutes.” I said, stepping out of his study.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Selena’s POV

  We arrived at Sophia’s temple and Trina quickly grabbed my shirt.

  “I understand how urgent this is, but we can’t go back if you’re still bleeding. Let me see how bad the cut is.” She said, lifting my shirt up to expose the bare skin of my belly.

  I let her do it because I knew she was right. Though I wasn’t feeling any pain, it was a little creepy to have blood on my shirt.

  “Hmm.” Trina looked up at my face with raised eyebrows.

  “What?” I asked, looking down at the place the cut was supposed to be.

  There was nothing.

  All I could see was the dried blood that had stuck to my skin from the cut. For the first few seconds, I was confused. Did Ryan’s blood spill on me? If that was the case, then the stain should have been behind me because I was standing in front of him, facing the vampire that stabbed him. If it wasn’t Ryan’s blood and it wasn’t mine, then whose blood was it? It was in that moment that it struck me. Back when my powers had just begun to manifest and I was being attacked by the Council vampires, Ros mentioned something about my immortality. He said they had to kill me before my manifestation reached its peak.

  “Can it be true? Is it possible that I’m immortal somehow?”

  The thoughts confused me as well. It was ridiculous enough to be bleeding from a cut made in my dreams. But the fact that I was dreaming explained why I didn’t feel the pain of the stab right? If I was truly stabbed in reality somehow, where did the cut go? Why didn’t the blood disappear with it?

  “Hit me, Trina.” I demanded.

  “What?” She asked.

  “I said hit me.” I replied.

  “Now why on earth would I want to do that?” She asked.

  “Well, you’re not technically on earth.” I replied, smiling. “Okay. I know it’s not going to make much sense to you but I think I know where the cut went.”

  “Really?” She asked. “Wh
ere did it go?”

  “It healed.” I replied.

  “Like vampire healing?” Trina asked, raising her eyebrows again.

  “Not exactly, since I’m not a vampire. I think it’s something similar though. I’m still trying to figure it out, so please just hit me.” I replied.

  “How will hitting you explain the disappearance of a cut?” Trina asked. “What if I hurt you?”

  “Well, I didn’t feel the pain from the stab wound in my dream but I got the cut. I want to figure out why so please just hit me... hard.” I replied. “If you hurt me, I guess I’ll have to deal with it.”

  “Hmm.” Trina pursed her lips and took a step back.

  “Okay.”

  My eyes widened from the impact of the punch to my midsection. I reflexively buckled under the pressure of the impact and closed my eyes.

  “Goodness! How fast is a vampire’s punch?” I asked, smiling.

  “No. You’ve got to be kidding me. No pain?” Trina asked with wide eyes.

  “Nope.” I grinned. “I can’t explain it and I don’t even know if I want to believe it, but it feels damn good. Hit me again!”

  Trina laughed and pointed towards the temple.

  “I’ll really love to do that but we have an entire temple library to search.”

  “Yeah, let’s do that instead.” I replied.

  I was going to walk through the door when I noticed the dark cloud behind Trina. It moved towards her just as quickly as the dark cloud that attacked her when we first arrived.

  “No, please no.” I screamed, instinctively stretching my hands out in front of me.

  I understood what was happening. The city saw Trina hitting me and was going to attack her for it. I couldn’t let that happen. I didn’t want to relive the emotional and physical torture that came with it. Trina activated her vampire speed and raced in through the temple door. I stood outside and watched the cloud disappear into nothingness, just like it was never there.

  “Wow.” I smiled. “That was pretty cool.”

  I walked into the temple library Trina found the last time we were there, and discovered she was already searching the bookshelves with vampire speed. She leapt off the adjoining wooden ladders and searched all the different sections faster than my eyes could keep up.