Shift - 02

by M. R. Merrick

  The other elders passed whispers back and forth, but Blackwell remained calm and watched her ferocity. “Yes, yes of course,” he said, waving her away and scribbling in his notebook.

  Rayna’s knuckles turned white as she gripped the edge of the table, and she remained standing. Blackwell finished his scribbling and looked back to Rayna.

  “And lastly,” he said, turning to me.

  “Come on Blackwell, you know who I am,” I said.

  “Please, you of all people know how important procedure is,” he said, turning his gaze back to Rayna. “And you, young lady, can sit down.”

  “No,” Rayna snapped.

  “Excuse me?”

  “I said no. I didn’t realize you were deaf too. I thought you were just heartless killers.”

  Blackwell took his glasses off and set them down. “Young lady, you will show respect in–”

  “Respect?” Power flashed through the room as Rayna’s element moved around her. “Don’t talk to me about respect you–” Rayna cut Blackwell off, but before she could finish, Marcus was there. His dark hands gripped her wrist and his lips moved quickly against her ear.

  Anger filled Rayna’s eyes and her magic emanated off her skin.

  “May we proceed?” Blackwell tapped his pencil against the desk.

  Marcus said a few final words before stepping back, and Rayna turned her angry gaze to look at him. She stared for a long moment before sitting back in her chair, a deep breath huffing from her lips. Her magic that begged to be released disappeared back inside her, but the anger never left her eyes.

  Blackwell cleared his throat. “I said, may we proceed?”

  “Of course.” Marcus nodded.

  “Thank you. Now please, if you will.” Blackwell looked back to me.

  “Chase Williams,” I said through gritted teeth.

  “That wasn’t so hard, now was it? Why don’t we begin with how you, Mr. Williams, got involved with all this? If I remember correctly, you were specifically told to stay away from the affairs of the Circle and the Underworld.”

  “I wasn’t given much of a choice, considering the Underworld has spent the last three years hunting me.”

  Blackwell put his glasses back on and eyed me over the top. “Well, then why don’t you tell us how you managed to get so deeply involved?”

  I explained how I had stopped the hunters from beating Willy. That was when I had first learned some of the hunters were working for a different cause. They had been looking for the demon whose blood could open the portal. They had been looking for Rayna.

  “And what inspired you to show heroics to save a filthy demon?” Blackwell asked.

  “He–, Hey!” Willy said.

  “Silence!” Power flashed through the room and Blackwell’s deep voice bellowed at Willy.

  Willy’s skin turned back to the dirty brown of the chair and he slouched back down in his seat.

  “Chase?” Blackwell tapped his pencil against the desk again.

  I sat up in my chair and glared at him. “I took an oath as a hunter to protect the innocent. Last time I checked, torturing a helpless demon didn’t qualify.”

  “That’s preposterous. First and foremost, you are not a hunter. Second, no demon is innocent and we all know they are far from helpless.”

  “Well, if you ever spent any time in the field, you might realize it’s not that black and white, especially when it comes to Willy.”

  “Ch–, Chase!” Willy stammered, but was silenced again, this time by Blackwell’s gaze alone.

  “Must I remind you of your place, Mr. Williams? I can make an example of you if you wish. To show your peers how the elders are to be treated?”

  “I know my place, thanks to you, and it isn’t here.”

  “I don’t care if you think your place is amongst the scum of the Underworld. How you choose to live your life is up to you, as long as it doesn’t interfere with the Circle’s operation. It seems, however, your life has interfered with us, and as such, you will show us respect.” Blackwell’s voice was quiet, but the force behind each word was acute and strong.

  I didn’t respond. I’d lectured everyone on respecting the elders and ending this as quickly as possible. So far, I’d not only overlooked how all this would affect Rayna, but I was the one causing this process to be slow and painful.

  I checked my attitude and sat up straight in my chair. “I didn’t feel it was right to torture him. I thought if they were going to kill him, they should kill him, but there was no need to cause him unnecessary pain.”

  “Interesting.” Blackwell wrote in his notebook. “And how did you become involved with this…Rayna creature, and come to know Marcus Starkraven was alive?”

  “They both helped me when I was attacked by vampires.”

  “And you didn’t feel the need to contact the Circle once you realized who Marcus was?”

  “I considered it, but I was told not to contact anyone involved with the Circle. As you so pointedly just reminded me.”

  Blackwell nodded and continued writing. “Rayna, how was it you became involved with Mr. Starkraven?”

  Rayna sat with her arms crossed, the anger still pouring off her. “He saved me after your people finished off my mother.” She spat the words at him. Her eyes were glossy now and I wasn’t sure if it was because she was angry, or because she had to talk about her mother’s murder so plainly.

  “If I remember correctly, the house was searched quite thoroughly. How exactly did you manage to stay hidden?”

  “They didn’t check thoroughly enough.”

  “I see...and when did you discover you were the key to unlocking the portal?”

  “Brock and Lena tried to kill me in the basement of my old house. When my blood dripped on a symbol they’d painted on the floor, something happened to it.”

  “You said that you are both a hunter and a demon. What is it that makes you think you’re a hunter?”

  “I am an earth elemental.”

  “And how do you know your abilities don’t stem from your demonic magic? You are a witch, correct?”

  “I am, but my father was a hunter.”

  “Okay, who is your father then?”

  “He’s…I don’t know. I’ve never met him.”

  Blackwell laughed. “Then how can you make this ridiculous claim that you’re one of us?”

  “I…” Rayna’s anger faded and she was starting to get flustered. She looked to Marcus, but he only nodded. “Marcus told me he was a hunter.”

  “Ahh, back to Mr. Starkraven again,” Blackwell said, turning his gaze to Marcus. “Mr. Starkraven, how do you know her father was a hunter?”

  Marcus’ dark gaze didn’t flinch. He was calm and collected, like he expected it. “I knew Rayna’s father well. He and Rayna’s mother had been involved for some time.”

  “Her mother was a demon, correct?”

  “Yes, a witch.”

  “Given her heritage isn’t it possible that someone else fathered this child?”

  “No.”

  “Are you suggesting the demon was monogamous with this unnamed hunter?”

  “Yes, they were in love. And he is not without a name. His name–”

  “Preposterous.” Blackwell interrupted. “How can you suggest that such a creature is capable of monogamy, or love for that matter? She was a demon. A witch. Nothing more than a whore of the Underworld.”

  Rayna jumped out of her chair. “Don’t you talk about her that way!”

  “Sit down,” Blackwell commanded.

  “How dare you talk about my mother!” Power stormed through the room and the ground began to shake. Unoccupied chairs began to rattle and slide across the marble floor.

  Blackwell sighed and the pale gray of his eyes expanded until no white remained. The room filled with magic and Rayna’s body jerked back into the chair. The shaking stopped and her magic vanished.

  “I will not tell you again!” Blackwell's voice boomed through the room, echoing off
the walls.

  “Release her.” Marcus stood from his chair and his element came to life. My stomach clenched, and my nerves confirmed what I’d feared all along. There would be a fight.

  “She will learn her place, or she will die.”

  Rayna’s veins turned black and pushed against her skin. The pale flesh that shone under the bright lights of the room turned gray as the air was crushed from her body, and the witch came to the surface. Her magic prickled along my skin, and her eyes filled with black.

  I jumped to my feet and called to my magic, adrenaline overpowering all other emotions.

  Tiki's skin moved on its own like something else lived beneath it. I’d never seen his demon before, and it caught me off guard. His skin stretched and something primal threatened to burst out. At first I thought he might be a shifter, but he held his demon back as solid orange covered his pupils.

  Vincent's white skin faded into a transparent film, revealing the moving muscles beneath. His fangs dropped from his gums and his jaws clenched through clear skin, muscles tensing and flexing as black took over his eyes. Vincent opened his mouth and a horrifying roar escaped his lips. He’d released his demon in a way I’d never witnessed before and it scared even me.

  The elders pushed their chairs back and stood in unison. Elements filled the room, riding the air like an electric force. Power made the air thick and a tingling sensation danced along my skin. Earth, Fire, Air, and Water pulsed as the elders flexed their power.

  “Enough.” Blackwell held his hands up. The elder's magic faded, responding immediately to his command. Rayna coughed as air flooded back into her lungs, and she keeled over, gasping for air.

  Blackwell made a small gesture with his hands and the elders all sat down. Marcus stayed standing, anger flooding his dark cheeks like I’d never seen before.

  “Marcus, let us have this discussion calmly. There’s no need for it to turn violent. I simply ask your people to respect the rules of this court.”

  “You will not touch her again. Not physically, or magically. And you will give her mother, gods rest her soul, the respect she deserves, or gods help me I will end you.”

  Blackwell laughed and the salt and pepper hair from his mustache wavered as the air escaped his lips. “Soul? Respect? Where do you get such ideas?” The other elders chimed in and laughter filled the room.

  “We see the world in a different manner than you. You will show us that respect, or this meeting is over.” Marcus’ voice was low and fierce.

  Blackwell’s smile faded and he raised his hand; the other elders’ laughter ceased. He leaned over and spoke to the elder on his left that I recognized as George Carlyle. They whispered to each other before he turned to his right and continued with Tom Bradmoore. When they finished, Blackwell looked back to Marcus and nodded.

  “Your request is granted. The elders will do their best to abide.”

  Marcus looked back to Rayna and nodded, as though the simple action could help.

  Rayna caught her breath, but her eyes carried a silent battle. Sadness and anger flickered back and forth between them until sadness finally won. She adjusted herself in her seat, her hands rubbing the sides of her throat.

  “Is there a problem, Mr. Williams?” Blackwell asked.

  Vincent and Tiki had returned to their seats. Their demons had been pulled back and neutral expressions owned their faces, leaving me the only one left.

  “Yes.”

  “Oh?”

  “We’re here to cooperate and try to help with your…investigation, or whatever you want to call it. So far, you’ve disrespected everyone in this room, and some who aren’t alive to defend themselves. If this meeting is going to continue, it won’t be an interrogation, it’ll be a meeting of equals.”

  Blackwell smirked, his mustache wrinkling with the movement. “Is that not what we just agreed to? Please tell me you have further reason for delaying this meeting.”

  “I want to know what you know. We’ve shared information, now it’s your turn. What happened to Riley? He’s the one who orchestrated everything. The rest of us were just caught in the crosshairs. I want to know what happened.”

  “We are not here to exchange information. Your father…” Blackwell stopped and cleared his throat. “Riley Williams will be located and dealt with accordingly on terms decided by this council.” I shook my head and started to speak, but Blackwell’s voice shot out before I could begin. “That answer is final.”

  Blackwell’s eyes flickered, and I laughed. “You’ve no idea.”

  “I beg your pardon?”

  “That’s why we’re here. You don’t have a clue what happened. You’re hoping we can answer that question for you.”

  “Your foolish accusations are not welcome here, Mr. Williams. Now sit down.”

  “Why are you so against working with us? Riley is stronger now than ever. If we work together, we might be able to stop him.”

  Riddley Peterson stood up from his chair. Dark black hair hung loosely around his shoulders and matched his thick beard. “Come now Lawrence, this isn’t working. These are outcasts. They’re not going to cooperate. I say enough with this. We put them in the containment room and I take the answers from them.” His voice was hoarse and his dark green eyes stared at me with a hatred I didn’t understand.

  “No,” Blackwell commanded, and turned his angry gaze to Riddley. “We will continue this meeting in an orderly fashion.”

  Riddley shook his head and took his seat, but I could feel his anger pulsing towards me.

  “Mr. Williams, please take your seat so that we may continue.”

  I wanted to argue, but things were getting tenser than I wanted. I sat back in my chair, but Riddley’s eyes were fixed on me.

  “Before we get to the others, Mr. Williams, it has been brought to our attention that you made contact with Serephina, the goddess herself. Is this true?”

  The question caught me off guard. “How do you know that?”

  “Answer the question.”

  “Yes, it’s true.”

  “Where did this happen?”

  “The south woods of Stonewall.”

  “And you were given something there…a scroll and a ring. Where are they now?”

  “I’m wearing the ring. Vincent has the scroll.”

  Blackwell’s eyes shot open. “You gave the goddess’ scroll to a vampire? Why on earth would you do that?”

  “I needed to, in exchange for the safe return of Willy.”

  “You gave a powerful scroll to the head of a vampire family to save a demon?”

  “The magic of the scroll was gone. I was told it was of no use to him unless the portals were open. At that time, I didn’t know it was possible to open the portals, so yes, I gave it to him.”

  “What do you mean the magic was gone?”

  “It was gone. I already had it.”

  The elders shuffled in their seats and began whispering.

  “Order,” Blackwell said, tapping his gavel against the table. The elders quieted.

  “Would you explain exactly how you were able to find and enter a sacred sanctuary, obtain an ancient scroll, and extract its power?”

  “I hitched a ride into the sanctuary on Rayna’s earth element. After we defeated a trio of pureblood demons, the spirit gave it to me. Then–”

  “Stop right there. You said a spirit gave it to you?”

  “Yes. A piece of Serephina’s spirit occupies the soul piece and protects it.”

  Blackwell wrote furiously in his notebook. When he was finished, his eyes watched me with renewed excitement. “And you extracted the power how?”

  “The spirit told me to read the scroll. Once I did, the power just sort of…came into me.”

  “And this is how you developed your powers? From what I understand, you’ve obtained the ability to create and control both the water and fire elements.”

  I shook my head. “No, those came before.”

  “Then what exactly has the scr
oll’s power done for you?” Blackwell sounded flustered.

  “Nothing.”

  “You expect me to believe that you absorbed the magic of an ancient scroll and have nothing to show for it?”

  “I don’t know what else to tell you. It’s the truth.”

  Blackwell watched me for a moment before looking back to Riddley. “Then you won’t mind if Riddley takes a look? Just a peek to confirm this?”

  Marcus stood up from his table and walked towards me. “I don’t think that will be necessary.”

  “I can assure you, it will be simple and painless. It will do nothing more than verify his story.”

  Marcus looked to me, but he seemed as lost as I was.

  “Mr. Starkraven, surely you don’t have anything to hide?”

  Marcus sighed. “The court must agree to take an oath of honesty and intention. Chase isn’t to be harmed and Riddley does nothing more than confirm Chase’s story.”

  My eyes opened wide. “Marcus…” I whispered, but he didn’t respond.

  “Of course,” Blackwell said. “Riddley, if you please.”

  Riddley walked behind the other bench and down the stairs. His black dress shoes echoed and his round belly filled out his white council robes fully. He stopped before Marcus and without so much as a smile, took the oath.

  Marcus nodded and stepped to the side.

  Riddley’s dark blue eyes lit up with anticipation and then the color faded. Ready?” he asked, solid white eyes staring out at me.

  I nodded, but before the action was finished, a strange vibration moved through my head. His air element came to life, and a cool breeze washed through my skull. I winced at first, and a bright light filled my vision. I started to lose my balance and I felt as though I was falling from my chair. I braced for impact with the floor, but it never came. Riddley’s power moved over my soul and through my mind. The discomfort faded and the sensation of power was gone.

  “He speaks the truth,” Riddley said. “I can confirm his story.” He turned back to the bench, his golden sash bobbing with each step.

  Blackwell scribbled something in his notebook. “Give us a moment to deliberate please.”