The Fifth Clan
Page 21
Being alone left me open for the chaos Tatsuhito created. It left me open to attack and I couldn't afford that any longer.
Tatsuhito had been created out of spite, from a mad mans want to play God and create something new, just to destroy me. In the end Tatsu killed Threntü. Literally tore the old Wind Bag to pieces with the amazing mental power given to him by the head of the Vayun himself.
A part of me pitied the child I had once known, and I admit to feeling more than a touch of guilt over my part in the whole thing. I had played the puppet far better than I thought, despite my struggles against that very thing.
"Here we go," Ghost muttered as he pushed open the doors leading into the Hall again and the three of us entered to stand above the seal once more. The floor had been cleaned of Tatsuhitos' blood and a part of me wondered how they had so thoroughly removed any trace of his blood from the stone for a brief moment before I focused on the situation at hand.
This was the day of our sentencing.
"Gabriel Winters, Rachel Monahan and Ghost..." Keilyn looked over at Ghost and her eyes narrowed. "No last name... are you prepared to hear the sentence, as decided by us, the Council of the Brotherhood?"
"We are," I said, speaking for all of us.
Shad stood, still in his shadow form and addressed the room at large in a strong, clear, voice. "Gabriel Winters. In regards to attempting to bring war to the Brotherhood we find you innocent, largely due to the interference of the vampire we have come to know as Tatsuhito."
"The council is wise." The response was traditional and tripped from my lips as easily as thought as I bowed my head to them, acknowledging their gracious generosity.
Yeah I can’t keep a straight face looking at that part either. Gracious and generous are not two words I would use to describe them.
As Shad continued I let my eyes trail around the room. I already knew how things were going to play out Tatsu had screwed everything up so badly they couldn't afford to alienate me. I had, after all, saved them from his continued influence when I killed him. If they tried to take out any of their displeasure over the whole situation on me they would end up looking bad in the eyes of their Children, and that they could never allow.
Vera stood nearby in one of the lower balcony seats, her amber eyes fixed on me but I sensed none of the hatred and hostility that I had felt before. Tatsu had obviously been taking great liberties with her emotions when it came to me.
I would still probably kill her one day.
"Thank you, Sires," Rachel said beside me and I focused my attention back on the proceedings. She stepped forward in response to something Grim had asked and produced my lighter from her pocket again. Holding it out on the palm of her hand there was a moment where everyone in the room seemed to hold their breath, then a long, slow, exhale as the lighter rippled and liquefied in her palm. It changed shape several times turning into a small metal horse, a bat, a motorcycle and eventually a coin in the representation of the Brotherhood token.
On one side of the brightly polished coin was the image of an eye and on the other, a tooth.
"Gabriel Winters," Grim said as he stood. "Given the evidence presented to us on this day, and the proof that you, and your Child, both possess a fifth power unique unto yourselves we are willing to offer you a position on this Council as head of the Fifth Vampire Clan and inclusion in the treatise of The Brotherhood of Vampires and Werewolves.
"Do you accept this appointment and will you sign the treaty to bind your clan to The Brotherhood, subject to its laws, and having a voice in its governing?"
I nodded and stepped forward. I quickly cut open a vein in my wrist to sign the contract presented by Kargon with a quill dipped into my own blood. After that was completed I stepped back and wrapped one arm around Rachels' waist and pulled her against my side.
The Fifth Clan was born and it looked to me like things were only going to get more interesting from here.
About the Author
Ryan Nelson is a husband, father, student mechanic, and avid motorcyclist. Growing up in Southern California, he still lives within a few miles from his Mother, Father, and Brother. His interest in writing was sparked by an early interest in reading. The work of the many authors he read as a child and into high school inspired him to write his own ideas down. He and his wife and children live in California.