Dark as the Grave
Page 38
The room fell silent once more and yet, I could feel the eyes of the Council upon Monica as though they gazed at me instead. Monica lifted her lids once more, in time for us to watch Richard lean forward in his chair. He shook his head. “Monica, I shouldn’t need to remind you of this… thing’s… sins again. He killed a member of our Council and his first watcher before even being turned.”
“In his defense, he was coerced. Sabrina used dark magic. You all know that. I’ve told you that.”
Richard eyed her in a stern fashion. “That doesn’t dismiss the fact that he killed them in cold blood. And his deeds as a vampire are legendary. In five short years, he’s killed dozens of humans and countless vampires still acting in accordance with the natural order. The only vampires he didn’t terrorize are the ones we would’ve targeted ourselves. The Seattle office has wanted him dead for five years. The only reason why we haven’t sent punished him for his atrocities –”
“– Which were also influenced –”
“– Is because somehow, you convinced your parents –”
“– By Sabrina. Dark magic, Richard. I swear to you he’s changed –”
“He is without excuse.”
The outburst shocked Monica into silence.
“Your parents have been informed of the situation. They lifted their hand of restraint.” Richard frowned in a paternal manner. “Child, will it take nearly being murdered for you to see what this creature is? You want to think the best of him and I know you promised your sister you would look after him, but this Council has never bound you to his soul.”
“I’ve done this of my own free will,” Monica murmured defiantly. “And I’ll continue doing it, even if it means being removed from the Order.”
“It might come to that.”
Monica stared down Richard. “Please don’t do this. Not when we’ve come so far.” She lifted her hands, as though presenting an offering to the six people who would decide our fate. “I know you think it’s the right thing to do, but you haven’t worked with Flynn like I have for the past few weeks. In that time, an assassin’s become a determined seer. That alone is a miracle. Yes, I defied the Order in bringing out his powers. And, yes, the catastrophe that caused was terrible, but Peter’s spirit was restored and all that mess has already been cleaned up… by him. What more does he need to do?”
Richard sighed. “Our orders come from the High Council. They don’t see him being worth the risk. He has enough power to become one of our worst enemies if we don’t do something about it right now.” He paused. “And I agree with them. Our minds are made up and the vote in both Seattle and London was unanimous.”
He drew a deep breath inward, before nodding. “It’s the decision of this council that you be arrested and stripped of your abilities. We further rule that the vampire Flynn is to be turned over to the Order for execution. We make this decision in accordance with our solemn oaths, and for the protection of humanity.
“May the Fates have mercy on his soul.”
The Vampire Flynn Book Two
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Also by Peter Dawes
The first book in a new series
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A boy orphaned by violence grows up in the shadow of his father's murder. His older brother offers him a home, but the life of a farmer is a poor fit for Christian Richardson.
Set in England in the 1400s, the Wars of the Roses litters the country with plenty of jobs for a young mercenary trained in how to wield a sword. Christian grows out of his youth and becomes a capable fighter, one who inherited his father's blade. As a member of the Brotherhood of the Black Rose, he puts coins in his pockets and food in his stomach, but every day he searches for the sigil of the men who took his father's life.
Finally, after years skirting the edges of a group called the Luminaries, he'll make a discovery that will put him in reach of his goal. Vengeance.
The sword was not the only possession his father had given to him, though, and unbeknownst to Christian, the Luminaries have been hunting for Richard's son - the boy who escaped from them nearly a decade ago - just as he has been scouring for signs of them.
An almost successful attempt on his life reveals hidden gifts, and even more secrets that his father had taken to the grave. As Christian reaches the threshold of claiming revenge, he faces the realization that retribution might come at a high price. Will he listen to the pleas of his loved ones, cautioning him away from danger? Or will his pursuit for justice take him down a path from where he can never return?
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In Acknowledgement
It’s hard to believe this book has been a part of my life for ten years now. It seems like only yesterday, I was talking to friends in a chat room about this book trilogy I’d written, trying to come up with names for them. While they’re not Eyes of the Seer, Rebirth of the Seer, or Fate of the Seer any longer, I will never forget the thrill of bringing these books to life for the first time. To say they’ve become a core part of my being is a gross understatement.
Peter was born one fateful day when my then-current book project – a superhero novel – was grinding its gears and causing me nothing but frustration. I tell the story often of how I opened a blank document in Microsoft Word and declared to my headspace, “Alright, whoever else is up there, start talking.” My blood-soaked antihero took hold of the reins and hasn’t let go since. As of today, we have gone on five adventures together - through one trilogy and most of a second - with the sixth book in production.
These books have given me some of my greatest moments of triumph and deepest moments of pain. Each time I undertake the next project, there’s a piece of my soul that seems to find itself imprinted upon the pages. The characters are vibrant, living beings with remarkable autonomy who have brought me along with them, into adventures of my own. Some of them include meeting the people I have come to love the most in this world.
To my better half, my partner in this journey, I can’t express enough just how much I relish creating the magic of literature with you. You’ve shared this passion of mine for eight years now, and seeing you expand into worlds of your own is truly a wonderful thing to behold. You’ve given both Peter and me the spark that’s made our lives a better place. I will never stop appreciating all you are and all you’ve done for me.
To my dearest friend, who knows exactly who she is, thank you for both humoring the strange array of voices in my head and the chaos which is my daily life. I’m honored both to play host to your voices and to share a home with you and your family. Together, you, me, and my partner-in-crime have created an amazing and creative force, and I only look forward to seeing where our strange and imaginative minds lead us next.
To my children, who have both endured our shared sacrifices and done nothing but encourage and inspire me, I love you with all my being. Someday I will find the proper way to thank you for allowing me to live out my dreams.
And to my closest friends and family, I cherish what each of you have brought to me and to Peter as well. Obviously, Peter is a character and I’m simply the man behind the curtain, but anything you’ve done for one of us, you’ve done for both. I appreciate you all.
Onward to the next ten years of adventures.
J.A. Staples
May 18, 2017
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