by Cree Storm
“Below the basement there are rooms. They have five-inch-thick steel walls as well as doors. They’re soundproof,” Etienne replied.
Nelson curled his lip, muttering, “I don’t even want to know what they would need with a setup like that.”
Lysander snarled, “You will die for your treason, Etienne.”
“It is only treason if I defy the Regal to the Re, Lysander. Orders from the Re outdo any from you, the Coven Regal, or even the Scion of our coven,” Etienne stated firmly.
Orion turned to Jael. “Have Theron gather ten men and escort these soldiers to the dungeons. Etienne will show them the way. Theron is to return back to this house with Etienne at his side. You and a group of men are to span out within the crowd. Anyone that becomes physical, or attempts to interfere with what I have to say, arrest them and put them in the cells below, but not in the dungeons with the other idiots.”
“Yes, sir,” Jael replied, and went to do as his Regal instructed.
Orion stood and waited for Jael to complete his orders. The people in the crowd were looking around nervously, everyone talking at once, the noise was almost deafening.
Once he and his men were in place Orion shouted, “Can I have everyone’s attention?”
Some people continued to talk, ignoring Orion until he drew in a deep breath, then hollered, “Everyone quiet!”
Immediately everyone went silent and looked up to where Orion stood. Once he knew he had their undivided attention, Orion began to address them, “For those of you that don’t know me, I am Orion Leventis, Regal to the Re. I have been sent here to investigate charges of crimes against our people. Treasonous acts against us all, committed by some of the very men in this coven.”
It said a lot to Orion when no one reacted in surprise at his statement, so he continued, “As of this moment many of your soldiers, both your Dires, the Regal of the coven, and your Scion have been detained and will not be released until this investigation is over… that is, of course, if I don’t find reason to have them arrested and placed on trial for crimes against our people. Does everyone understand so far?”
The men, women and children all nodded, saying nothing. Orion continued, “Good. Now let me explain what is going to happen here. Everyone is to report to their quarters. No one in or out unless you are directed to do so. My men, along with my mate, will come to your room. Each room will be searched and each and every person questioned. If you lie, you will be charged with perjury and placed in a cell until trial, and when I say everyone, I do mean every man, woman, and child.”
Nelson gasped, but didn’t say anything. Orion continued, but from the way his body stiffened, it was evident to Sabien that Orion knew he had just upset his mate.
“I promise, my mate is a gentle man. He will not do or say anything to upset your sons and daughters. All we are looking for is the truth. We want to know, whether it is true that Scion Haskel has people locked up without food? Is it true that people have been sentenced for crimes they have not committed? Are the Scion and his men charging more in livable taxes than our standard five percent, and if so, why? Is it true that your Scion has been stealing blood from the human banks instead of purchasing them through the proper channels? Is it true that Scion Haskel, with the help of his most trusted men, has been helping to plot and plan the takeover of our Re? Those are just a few of the things we are looking for at the moment. If anyone has any other charges to bring against your Scion, or his men, I will hear you out. I just ask for your patience. So, when my men come to inspect your quarters, you let them know and your name shall be added to a list. I promise you all, I will get to each and every one of you. Are there any questions?” Orion asked.
People immediately started talking at once. Orion held up his hand to silence them, saying, “Raise your hands and I will answer each question one at a time. If I answer the question you were going to ask, then all you must do is lower your hand. No one will be harmed, imprisoned, or scolded for asking a question. We are here to help you all, not hurt you.”
Sabien was surprised when so many hands went up. Orion pointed saying, “Jael, the woman next to you in the blue dress.”
Jael patted the woman on the shoulder, and she asked, “How long are you going to stay and when you leave, what will happen to us?”
“At the moment we are planning a week. We will stay longer if needed, but be assured, we will not leave until we are finished. As for what will happen when we leave? Well, that depends on what we discover in our investigation. Next question? The man next to the lady I just spoke to.
“What if someone did commit a crime, but did it because they were following orders of the Scion, or out of fear?”
Orion looked around the room, saying, “When you are following a direct order from your Scion, this will be taken into consideration. We are not here as a gotcha kind of thing. We are here to stop your suffering, and help this coven if need be. Just be honest and everything will be fine. However, from this point forward, anyone found committing an offense they know goes against our laws and does not report it… even if directed to do so… will be charged with crimes against our people.”
A woman dressed in a red pants suit yelled out, “What about the Re? He is friends with Scion Heskel. What if this is a ploy to see who is and isn’t loyal to Scion Heskel? Then you release him and anyone that spoke against the Scion is placed in the chamber of death?”
Sabien leaned closer to Orion, whispering, “That’s the starvation rooms.”
Nodding, Orion looked at the woman. “Use your sense of smell. You know a lie from the truth with one whiff. Know I do not lie and this is not a trick. The Re is the one that sent us here to help. Ezra is currently locked in a room with Heskel, with no phone, no access out of the room, no communications to anyone. Your two Dires and your Regal are currently residing in the dungeons below the basement in this building. I have them locked in separate cells and my men are guarding them. I can only say, if this is what you fear, ask the men questioning you, or ask to meet with me and question me yourself. You will smell no deceit from myself, or any of my men. Again, we are here to find the truth.”
Another woman stepped forward asking, “What of our children? You cannot expect us to keep them locked in a room for a week or more. They are young and need to run and play.”
Orion didn’t say anything, and then an idea hit Sabien. “We have the large ballroom. No one uses it and it has plenty of space for them to play. We also have the school grounds. They haven’t been used in a long time, but if we clear the fields they can go out there for fresh air in small groups.”
Nodding, Orion said, “That’s a good idea.” He then turned and gave Sabien’s suggestion to the crowd, and everyone was content with what they heard.
Manchester stepped forward with his hand high and Orion immediately called on him to speak. “Regal Leventis, what of our home? As you can see it is in ill repair. Much is needed to be done. Many rooms have no electricity, the roof has leaks, and the heating doesn’t work…”
Orion held up his hand, stopping Manchester from speaking further. “If you make a list of all that needs to be done and give it to one of my men, I will make sure a plan is put into place to fix what has been neglected for far too long. Also, I need an accurate number on how many people live in this coven and what species they may be.”
“But we are vampire. All our coven members are vampire. Scion Heskel did not allow matings with any other species or same sex matings,” Edward stated.
“Get me the numbers, Edward, and I will speak to you privately later in the week. As you go to your rooms, hand in your cell phones to the soldier in charge of your ward. You will get them back when we are finished analyzing them. Outside lines have also been disconnected and no one is permitted to leave until we are finished with our investigation,” Orion stated.
The crowd started shouting and one man raised his fist, “You can’t do that! We have jobs! We have lives!”
Orion yelled out, �
�I can and I am doing this. Unless of course you wish to leave the coven?” Looking around the room, Orion continued, “I know this is an inconvenience and may even feel like a violation to your person, but we are talking treason here. Members of my coven and I have been attacked already, and another member of a different coven was murdered. Make no mistake, people, we are going to find answers one way or another, and I will not jeopardize the lives of many for the hurt feelings and discomfort of the few.”
Everyone seemed to quiet down and then Orion said, “Okay, let’s get this started.”
Orion turned to the others. “No one is to ever go anywhere alone. I mean nowhere, not even the bathroom.” Turning to Nelson, Orion replied, “Yes, the other person can stand outside, but that’s it, mate. I’m not taking any chances here. I’ve already seen enough to bring neglect charges on Heskel, and I have a feeling by the time we finish here, there are going to be a lot more and much uglier findings.”
“Are you calling Jewel?” Nelson asked.
Nodding, Orion said, “I’m going to give my report to him and he’s going to relay the report with his mating link.”
“I do have to say that was a brilliant idea if I do say so myself,” Nelson chuckled.
Orion kissed Nelson hard and fast, then said, “Well that’s because my mate is a brilliant man who thought of it.”
Strife asked, “And you’re sure there’s no way Heskel will figure it out?”
Shaking his head, Orion replied, “No, and even if he did, it wouldn’t matter. Ezra and Jewel are linked, and no one can interfere with that. This way Ezra knows exactly what’s going on and can decide how to handle Heskel as time goes by. However, I am going to suggest he send other parties to the other covens. If this thing is intertwined, we need to know.”
Nelson looked at Sabien. “This is going to get worse, isn’t it?”
Sabien looked away then back to Nelson and replied in a sad voice, “I’m sorry to say, yes. I just hope there isn’t more out there that I don’t even know about, but I fear there may be.”
CHAPTER 3
“Why were we needed to stay, Ezra? I must get back to my coven,” Heskel argued, as he sat in one of the chairs at the conference table.
“I agree, old friend. I have been away from my coven long enough because of the ceremonies, but now I need to get back,” Killian said, as he too sat.
“I know and I’m sorry, but there are things happening in our world that I think you should all be aware of, and until we figure a few things out, I would prefer to have these conversations in person, privately, rather than on the phone,” Ezra explained as he locked the door, then turned and took the seat at the head of the table.
Enoch and Zaros joined them.
Once everyone was seated, Ezra connected with Jewel using the mating link. “Sweetness, it’s time. Please have Briar and Helios ward the room and tell Helios to be safe when he joins the others.”
“I will, Ezzy. You be careful in there,” Jewel responded.
“As long as you and Briar are still close by, I’m sure I’ll be fine. Have the rest of the Imperial Guard arrived yet?”
“Yes, mate. Ten more are here outside the door as ordered. And Cassidy has the rest out helping the remaining visitors pack up and leave Kaliss. He will join you soon.”
“Perfect. Thank you, Jewel.”
“I love you, Ezzy, and I’ll miss you while you’re stuck in that room,” Jewel said, and Ezra could hear the pout in his voice. He wanted to smile, but knew he couldn’t, otherwise the men gathered around him might become suspicious.
“I love you too, my mate, and I will miss you dearly.”
“So what is this about, Ezra?” Heskel asked.
Ezra knew the bomb he was about to drop would start this conversation off with a bang, but he needed to watch Heskel’s reaction. Ezra looked at each man in turn, then announced, “We have a traitor somewhere in our midst. I have come to find that someone in our ranks is working with a very powerful mage to try to kidnap both my mate and Orion’s.”
Enoch quickly sat forward in his seat, his brows going high as he said, “What? But I thought Nicu was the threat and Orion eliminated him.”
Even as Enoch spoke, Ezra kept his gaze on Heskel. The man remained stoic, not reacting at all to Ezra’s words. Which in itself told Ezra what he needed to know. That Heskel was indeed the one they were looking for, and having Orion and the others go to his coven was the right thing to do.
“This needs to be stopped, Ezra. I know I don’t have to say this to you, especially with it being your mate being threatened, but we need to do whatever is necessary to protect the Re’s consort and the Regal to the Re’s mate. If either of them fall into the wrong hands, it would be devastating to us all,” Zaros implored.
“Which is why I have called you all here for this official Conclave of Leaders.” Ezra waited again as he dropped that second bombshell. He smiled internally when Heskel now responded.
“An official conclave? What the hell, Ezra?” Heskel questioned angrily.
Ezra turned dark eyes on him and pinned Heskel with his glare. “I am Re and do not need to explain myself to you. I can call a conclave whenever I choose.”
“Ezra, you’re absolutely right, but you should have warned us. I need to contact my Regal and let him know I will be gone longer than expected,” Killian replied respectfully.
Ezra turned to look at his friend. “I understand that, Kill, but we all know what happened the last time an official conclave was called. With the seriousness of this situation, I wanted this kept on the down-low. Only those who absolutely needed to know. I chose to wait for all of you to join me here, and then inform you for all our safety. My mate, Orion and Nelson are the only ones who I have discussed this with. Orion, because he is my Regal and will need to step up in my stead, Jewel, because he is my mate and that is just a given, and Nelson, so that he and Orion may call all your Regals and inform them you will be staying on for a few extra days at my request. But they will not be telling them about the official meeting. Then, only an hour ago, I notified my Imperial leaders, so that they would place guards outside for our protection.”
“This is highly irregular, Ezra,” Enoch argued, but Ezra knew it was all a ruse. Enoch was in on the discussion about this meeting and why it was necessary. Ezra trusted Enoch like a brother and knew he was worthy of that trust. “You know as well as we do that an official Conclave of Leaders is supposed to have our Regals as well as other coven officials, like Dires and Elders present.”
“Not necessarily, Enoch. A Re can call a conclave at any time he deems fit, and who attends is entirely up to him. This is something more localized to our region here in the States, so to include the Canadian, European, Asian, or any of the other covens wasn’t prudent. If the situation becomes more dire, and evidence is found that goes beyond our borders, then I will call another conclave and include the parties needed. For now, it stays with us. There is also the risk factor to our safety and the safety of our covens if anyone finds out we are all here. You know as well as I do, that there are some who would use this as an opportunity to try to take over a coven, and I know none of us want that.” Ezra looked around at each man as he spoke, gauging their reactions. Everyone at the table reacted appropriately and as Ezra would expect them to. All, except for Heskel, who seemed to be fighting hard with himself to hold in his rage, but Ezra could see it in his eyes.
“So, seeing as this is an official conclave, does this mean we are being sequestered and will be stuck in this room for days?” Heskel asked.
“Yes. That is why I had you all hand over your cell phones and other devices. There will be no interference with the outside world and no communication. The room has been warded and is being guarded. No one is to come in or out. Only I have the authority to change any of that and only when I give a chosen Imperial Leader a specific code word. If any of the other leaders beside my chosen one is given the word, they will know that something is amiss and report i
t to me.”
“But what of blood? What about sleeping arrangements?” Killian asked.
“They will be provided. I have given orders that three times a day provisions will be left just outside the door. Another of my Imperial Leaders will give me a code knock so that I know to open the door. But I must warn you, if anyone tries to get out while the door is open, the wards placed on this room are rather nasty and you will be risking your safety,” Ezra explained, then pointed to a door across the room. “Through that door are bed chambers. One for each of us and they all have their own facilities, as well as stocked kitchens with bagged blood. The doors will open by my command only to let you enter. Once you close the door behind you, you will be locked in for the night. No one in or out until I come for you and let you out.”
“Why all the cloak and dagger, Ezra? This all sounds so over the top for a meeting,” Zaros questioned.
Ezra turned his head to look at the man. “Because of exactly what Enoch said. This is serious. It’s about the safety of our covens, my mate as well as Orion’s and I know I don’t need to tell you all, that if my mate was to fall into the wrong hands how insane I would become, thus putting all of our kind in jeopardy.”
“It sounds more like you don’t trust us, Ezra,” Heskel accused.
Ezra turned and pinned Heskel with his gaze. “That’s because when it comes to my mate and his safety, I don’t trust anyone. And I will not allow what happened at the last Conclave of Leaders to happen now.”
“And what of your mate’s safety while you’re trapped in here like the rest of us?” Heskel asked.
Ezra gave him an evil smile. “My mate is perfectly safe away from here with his brother, the king of the elves and all his army. And as for me being trapped in here like the rest of you, not quite. So, let’s get this meeting started. The mage and what we know so far.”
* * * *
“Have you been able to find anything in that computer yet, Strife?” Orion asked as he walked into the room.
