Shadow Born: Book 1 of the Shadow-Borne Chronicles

by Paul A. Cagle

  “Good, you’re here,” Silas said smiling at the three of them. “Dorn and I have been discussing your upcoming task. We’ve decided the less people who know the specifics of what’s going on the better. The council will have no knowledge of the particulars of the arrival and pick up of Victoria and Reginald’s parties. Dorn is the only one who has all the details. The information will be uploaded to our servers once Dorn receives it and can only be accessed by all three remaining elders inputting their security codes. Just in case something goes wrong, we’ve set up a secure communication system with coded phrases so security here can monitor your progress.”

  “I’m surprised the council is allowing this,” Alec said earnestly. “We really have them at their most vulnerable.”

  “Laramie was completely against this, arguing that you could take out two of the council members and their seconds and disappear and there’s nothing we could do about it. I assured the council you were completely trustworthy and Laramie was outvoted. This is a big deal, Alec and could go far in gaining you the trust of the council and being in their good graces.” Silas looked significantly at Alec.

  Alec nodded. “I understand. I think Laramie is more worried about us getting in good with the council than he is about us doing them any harm,” Alec said rolling his eyes.

  Silas looked from Alec to Steven. “I want to thank both of you for doing this. I trust Dorn completely with this but it’s nice having back up as the rest of us will be useless to you during the day.”

  Steven laughed. “With Alec around what more back up do you need?” Steven pretend-punched his friend in the arm and Alec acted like it hurt. Steven just shook his head and laughed.

  Silas smiled at the two young men. “I still want you to be careful and pay attention to everything around you. Alec is good and I trust him completely but you never know what can happen until it’s too late. Better to not take any chances.” Silas looked both Steven and Alec in the eyes to make sure they understood the seriousness of the situation. Both understood and nodded.

  “Good,” Silas said standing. “Marcus and I will leave the three of you to plan. Please be careful.” Silas shook Alec’s, Steven’s and Dorn’s hands. Marcus did the same. “Just be careful,” he said to Alec. “You won’t have me there to drag your ass out of trouble if anything happens.” Marcus grinned that cocky grin of his and clasped Alec’s shoulder affectionately. “Be safe.”

  “We will be,” Alec said nodding. “We will see you tonight when you finally get your lazy ass up and moving,” Alec joked.

  When Silas and Marcus reached the door, Silas turned. “Oh, Alec, could I speak with you privately for a moment.”

  Alec nodded and walked over the elder vampire, not really sure what he wanted to say that he couldn’t have said across the room.

  Silas looked seriously at Alec. “I want you to know that I trust Dorn completely,” he said very quietly. “But keep an eye on him in case he’s been compromised. He doesn’t act like he has been, but with this Devil running around brain washing people and making them do things against their will and without their knowledge…” his words trailed off.

  “Gotcha,” Alec said nervously. “Wait, how do you know I haven’t been compromised and might go berserk?”

  “Because,” Silas said clapping his hand on Alec’s shoulder, “I saw you withstand my Will last night during the meeting. Not even Laramie could do that. Only you and Doctor Schubert were unaffected by it. I doubt the Devil himself could force you to do something against your will,” he said smiling smugly.

  Alec looked embarrassed but nodded his head. “I’ll keep an eye out.”

  Alec walked back across the room and sat down on the white leather sofa as Marcus and Silas exited the room.

  “So,” Dorn said casually, “did Silas tell you to keep an eye on me in case I’d been compromised?”

  Alec’s mouth dropped open and he was unsure what to say to the man, he was completely embarrassed. Dorn started laughing at the look on Alec’s face.

  “He’s right to warn you. I was going to if he didn’t.” Dorn sighed and sat back on the couch. “We don’t know what’s going on or whose mind has been tampered with.”

  “Surely not yours,” Steven said incredulously. “Wouldn’t you suspect if something like that happened? I mean look what happened to Victor. He was forced to forget several huge events and it drove him crazy. Wouldn’t you be acting the same way?”

  Dorn shrugged. “I don’t know if that’s how it works. It might be that the victim remembers everything, including what they are about to do, but they are compelled to act normal and forced not to let anyone know.”

  “So is there anything you want to tell us?” Steven asked looking at Dorn.

  “Nope. I’m clean.” Steven looked relieved. “But isn’t that exactly what I’d be forced to tell you if I were being compelled?” Dorn finished.

  “Great, the head of security picks now to have a sense of humor,” Steven said quietly.

  Dorn laughed. “As far as I know I’m okay, just keep your eyes open for anything unusual. Silas was right to warn you.” Dorn nodded at Alec to make sure he got his point across.

  “Understood,” Alec said doing a half salute in the security man’s direction.

  “I know the time and location of both arrivals. One will be about an hour before the other so we will wait in a hanger right off the runway. We will have several vans waiting on us when we get there. We will inspect the vehicles and the men. I haven’t chosen anyone to join us on this mission yet so that no one can get to them and give them orders, nor will they know where or why we are going out.” Alec nodded slowly. “As far as they know this is a training mission and we are picking up junk cargo. I’ll choose the men to accompany us as we exit the mansion.”

  “So, we will arrive, inspect the vehicles and men, wait for the drop offs, load everything up and bring it all back here?” Alec asked making sure he had everything correct.

  “Yes, sir.” Dorn grinned at Alec. “I’d like to think it’s fool-proof but I’ve been around this group long enough to know anything can happen so keep your eyes and ears open.” Both Alec and Steven nodded.

  Dorn handed Steven his laptop. “Here tech-guy, program all this into the system and upload to the mainframe please.”

  Steven rolled his eyes but did as requested. In a few minutes all their plans, routes and coordinates were safely nestled securely in Silas’s main computer, if they needed it. Hopefully, they wouldn’t.

  “Come with me gentlemen, we will go and wake up the lucky bastards that are accompanying us. I’ll feel better once we’ve gotten everything battened down at the site and set up to my liking.”

  Alec and Steven followed Dorn out a door in the back of the sitting room to another door with a keypad. Dorn typed in a sequence of numbers and the door slid open. Several more doors and hallways and they came into the crew quarters. Two guards on duty saluted Dorn as he entered. Alec hadn’t been aware that there were barracks here but again, nothing surprised him about this place.

  Dorn walked down a lit hallway to one of the many doors set along the walls. When he reached the one he wanted he threw it open and flipped on a light. Inside Alec saw ten beds, five on each side of the wide, long room with lockers between them and chests at the foot of each bed. In each bed was a sleeping man. As soon as the light was flipped on Dorn started barking out orders.

  Ten men in various forms of undress jumped out of their bunks and to attention at the foot of their beds. Every single one of them looked alert and ready to go regardless of the fact that their commander yelling orders had just awakened them. Alec assumed this was nothing unusual for these guys. Every single one of them was fit and had military haircuts. These young men looked like they did nothing else but work out.

  With minimal orders and confusion all ten men were dressed and ready to go. Packed and ready, they headed out. With any luck they’d all return in once piece with
nothing to report.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

  The Council Meets

  Alec rolled over in bed. He’d tried to get some sleep but had only managed a couple of hours. The plan that he, Dorn and Steven had enacted went off perfectly. Everything had gone as scheduled and Reginald and Victoria were safely delivered along with their retinues. Alec had finally gotten tired but the impending meeting was stuck in his brain and he couldn’t sleep. Today a council of immortal beings that Alec wasn’t entirely certain he completely trusted would decide his fate. He trusted Silas but that was about the only council member he put any stock in whatsoever. Alec put one hand behind his head.

  He’d come a long way in just a couple of months. He’d gone from geeky, nerdy fat Alec Carson to geeky, nerdy half-vampire, half-human Alec Carson. He’d been attacked, threatened, plotted against and had an unknown vampire assailant that wanted him dead. Since being turned and finding out what he had become he’d been putting one foot in front of the other just trying to hold it together long enough to make it to this day and now here it was. After all he’d been through, after all he had experienced the council could vote to have him eliminated all because Clarissa was insane and they hadn’t kept an eye on her and had let her escape.

  If Alec hadn’t been something completely unusual, he had no doubt they would have already killed him and made an example of him to all other vampires out there. His life would have become a cautionary tale for vampires everywhere. It was only due to his unexpected abilities that they were even considering keeping him alive. It was ridiculous. For a moment, Alec truly considered getting his few meager possessions together and just disappearing. He didn’t know where he would go or what he’d do, especially considering he had absolutely no job or money, but for a moment he let himself bask in the idea and fantasize about what his life might be like. He sighed heavily and sat up in bed propping his pillows up behind him.

  In a couple of hours, tonight at some point, his fate would be decided. The council could put him to death, or they could lock him in a cage and poke and prod him to discover all of his hidden secrets and abilities. At least if Doctor Schubert studied him, he’d let him out of his cage occasionally to get some air. Alec balled his fists up and slammed them down on his covers. This was so unfair. From the day Clarissa had turned him, his life had been turned upside down. He almost started crying. He certainly felt like it. He wanted to scream and rail against the world he found himself in, but it wouldn’t do any good.

  If there was one thing the orphanage had taught Alec, it was how to roll with the punches, sometimes literally. He’d learned at an early age not to ask questions and not to stand up against the system. If you did, you were punished either by someone kicking your ass, or locking you in a dark room and feeding you only bread and water. Fighting against the way things were had never been Alec Carson’s way of doing things. He’d always been treated like an outcast and a loser. Why should this be any different?

  Alec eventually made himself get up and take a shower. If today was going to be his last day, either alive or as a free man, then he was going to take full advantage of it. He stood in front of his bathroom mirror in only a towel and wiped off the condensation from his shower. He finally had a spare moment to himself to trim his facial hair down to sexy scruff instead of a full beard.

  He dressed, in a pair of dark cargo pants and grabbed his phone to text Steven to see if he was up yet. There was no response so Alec called down to the kitchen for food and coffee. He had to admit he hadn’t liked the idea of living with Silas at first but he certainly liked having a kitchen and wait staff to bring him his breakfast. He sat back on the couch in his room as he waited. The texture of the fabric on Alec’s shirtless back felt weird. He enjoyed the feeling. It was odd to think about but he’d taken everything in his life for granted.

  He certainly hadn’t had it easy, but it could have been so much worse than what he’d experienced. The orphanage had been hell and he wouldn’t have wished it on his worst enemy. He corrected himself. He would wish it on Cassandra and Laramie. This made him laugh out right. Alec was sure those two deserved far worse than what the orphanage had to offer. But he hadn’t had an easy life so why should he have an easy adulthood. It made him sigh.

  Stop feeling sorry for yourself Carson, it could be so much worse than what it is, he thought to himself. A knock at the door broke him out of his reverie.

  Alec jumped up and unlocked the door and opened it. A young maid, probably in her mid-twenties pushed a cart into the room laden with food. She kept staring at him and blushing and suddenly Alec remembered that he hadn’t put a shirt on. He stammered an apology but she only nodded once and left.

  Alec’s phone buzzed in his pocket and he saw that Steven was finally up. He texted him that there was food and coffee ready and to come to his room. After a few minutes there was a knock at his door.

  The two young men had been chatting for a while when Marcus showed up dressed in his suit. Alec wasn’t even aware the sun had gone down. He’d completely lost track of time.

  “You ready to face this madness?” Marcus asked with his usual half smile in place.

  “Not really,” Alec said and sighed.

  “Don’t give up hope yet. Silas has been doing a lot of work behind the scenes and laying down some groundwork for possible solutions. Let’s see how this plays out.”

  Alec nodded once.

  “Get dressed. It’s almost show time. I’ll be with Silas in his study. Come find me when you are properly attired.” Marcus reached out and gave Alec’s shoulder a reassuring squeeze. Steven grabbed some food and coffee from the tray and exited the door that Marcus held open for him.

  Alec dressed quickly and checked himself in the mirror. When he was comfortable with what he saw, he grabbed some cologne and used a very small amount to splash on. Vampires had some amazing senses. He knew firsthand how cloying a strong scent could be.

  Alec exited his chambers and used the key he'd finally been given to lock the door. He turned and knocked on Steven’s door to see if his friend was ready for this insanity. Steven came to the door fully dressed and the two of them wound their way to Silas's sitting room. The guards both nodded to Alec as they opened the doors. Alec had found that during the nights the guards were vampires. During the days their human counterparts took over the guarding of Silas’s sitting room and mansion. According to Marcus all the human employees, guards and staff alike had been compelled so that they couldn't give away anything about vampires or their goings on.

  Alec and Steven entered and found that Silas was already conversing with Marcus and Dorn. For about the hundredth time, Alec hoped that Dorn was the man's last name and not his first. All three of the men looked sharp in their suits. Of the four of them, Silas looked completely at home and comfortable in an expensive suit.

  Silas acknowledged the two young men as they approached and Alec sat at his usual spot on the smaller leather couch to Silas's right, Steven sitting beside him. Both Marcus and Dorn were standing, which wasn't unusual for either of them.

  "Alec,” Silas said without preamble, "I was going over some security details. We have made a decision that you need to be aware of so it doesn't surprise you."

  "Okay," Alec said carefully.

  Dorn took over at that point. "Alec, the five men that attacked you will be chained in silver to the wall with guards stationed around them." His voice was deep and very commanding. Alec almost felt as if he should yell, "Sir, yes sir!"

  He frowned and nodded.

  Dorn continued. "We are hoping that it will trip up whoever sent them."

  The men had been questioned but none of them would divulge anything. Not a single one of them had given anything away and none of them had ties to any one vampire in particular. It had been very frustrating.

  "We will have security in plain clothes watching everyone present. Maybe it will throw someone off enough for them to give something way, even if it's s
omething small." Alec nodded. "We will also have security watching and stationed around you and Steven at all times. If anyone approaches either of you or tries anything, alert us and let us handle it. Okay?" Alec and Steven nodded their understanding. "Good."

  Silas took over again. "Alec, you will be asked to say a few words in your defense. It doesn't have to be anything eloquent or long, just to the point and relevant. Keep it simple."

  Marcus chimed in, "I suggest something like, 'Suck it'." He started laughing.

  Silas just shook his head disapprovingly and Dorn looked like he was fighting a smile.

  "I'll take that under advisement, Marcus."

  "You'd better not, Alec Carson," Silas said in mock outrage.

  Alex just chuckled. "Okay, I'll keep it simple."

  "Good." Silas nodded once, as if everything were in order.

  “Steven, you may be questioned by the council as to what happened during the hostage event. Just answer all questions honestly and completely. It’s unlikely you’ll have to but I wanted you to be prepared just in case.”

  You could tell that Steven was nervous but he nodded his head yes.

  Silas continued, "Before the council begins, the two of you will be introduced to the members so that you know whom you are addressing."

  Marcus sat forward at that point. "Guys, we will be serving wine and other beverages, but just so you are aware, we will be serving and drinking blood as well. Just wanted you to be prepared."

  The two young men nodded their understanding. "Just as long as Cassandra doesn’t decide to throw blood in my face again,” Steven said annoyed.

  “That won’t happen,” Silas promised. He sighed and looked at his watch. The door opened and Xavier walked in.

  "Sir, the people are beginning to arrive. The council will be ready soon.”

  "Thanks Xavier, please let the council know I will be there shortly. Are there rooms prepared for our guests?"