Морган Райс - Betrayed

“That war was begun by the Blacktide Coven. After they wipe out the humans, I assure you they will turn their full attention towards us, and towards all of our brother and sister covens throughout Manhattan—if not the country. It is the beginning of a full scale war.”

“Or they are simply trying to goad us out,” snapped back another judge. “Perhaps our reacting to this crisis is exactly what they want. They want us out of our stronghold. Outside, we will be more vulnerable to attack. Leaving these walls would be the most foolish thing we could do.”

Caleb shook his head in amazement. He could not believe this vampire’s ignorance. They had been sheltered under here for far too long.

“You are wrong,” Caleb said.

Again, the room erupted in an astonished gasp, and the administrator had to bang his staff repeatedly.

“This is no pretend war,” Caleb continued. “It is no trick. It is no ruse to goad you out. It is very real. When it is over, every human on this island will be dead. And the Blacktide Coven, and all of their brother and sister covens, will be gorged with blood, stronger than ever. I assure you, when they are ready, they will concentrate all of their forces on our coven. By waiting here, by letting them grow stronger, you make yourselves—all of us—a target. And if you wait too long, it will be too late.

“What’s more, they have a secret weapon at their disposal,” Caleb added, bracing himself for the reaction. “They now have the Sword.”

The room erupted in a loud, chaotic murmur. No matter how much the administrators screamed for silence and banged their staffs, they simply could not get it to quiet down. It went on for minutes.

“I have seen it!” Caleb screamed over the crowd, and as he did, it slowly quieted. “I have seen it with my own eyes. It does exist. It is not a fable. You are wrong. It is very real. And it is now in the possession of the Blacktide Coven. It is a weapon beyond which we have ever seen, and it will surely wipe us out. It makes immortality a thing of the past.”

“You say that you have seen it,” said another judge. “If so, why do you not have it? Why did you not bring it back to us?”

It was a that question Caleb had been bracing himself for, one which he felt ashamed about.

“Because I failed,” he said simply. “I was ambushed, and outnumbered, and I let it slip from my grasp. This is an action for which I take full responsibility.

“And that is why I’ve come here to warn you. They do have the sword. They have started this war. It will spread to us. And we must act now.

“I propose that we send our legions out now, to attack before they grow strong in numbers. If we concentrate all of our force on them, if we catch them by surprise, we might just be able to contain them downtown, and to get back the Sword. Speed and surprise are the key. I will gladly go first, and put myself on the front line.”

Another murmur spread throughout the room, as the judges looked at each other, this time caught off guard, and exchanged words. This went on for quite some time.

Finally, the center judge cleared his throat, and the administrators banged their staffs, bringing the room to silence.

“You are right about one thing, Caleb,” the judges began. “You have indeed failed. You have defied us at every turn, and if what you say about the Sword is true, you and you alone are to blame for letting it go. Far from coming here to rescue us, you have brought nothing but harm and danger upon your coven and your people. You should be ashamed.

“And how insolent of you to think that you could rescue us. You are just one vampire. We have all lived collectively for thousands of years. We don’t need your help, whatever you may think. This is our stronghold, and it always has been. Here we have all the defenses in the weaponry to protect ourselves from any attack. Here we are strong in numbers. Out there, we will be fragmented, and we will lose our force.

“No, the best course of action is for us to stay here, and to fight the war here, if there will even be one. And we don’t even believe that there will. This will surely all blow over, as it always does.”

“And then what of the humans?” Caleb asked. “Are you just going to let them all be slaughtered? Have we no responsibility to save them?”

“Our responsibility is to ourselves, to our coven. We rescue humans when it is convenient to us.

Now it is not. We can let them die. More of them will always be coming. But we—we are a special breed.”

“How convenient,” Caleb said. “Only protect the humans when it is convenient for you. That does not sound like the creed of a warrior to me.”

The judge scowled back.

“This meeting is adjourned. Last we met, we sentenced you to 50 years confinement. This time, your punishment is banishment. You are no longer a member of this coven. Your face will not be recognized. You are never welcome on these grounds again, and if you come, you will be killed on sight. Gather your belongings, and be gone from here.”

With that, the administrator banged his staff, and the room erupted into chaos.

Caleb stormed away from the grand hall, and back into the corridor. He continued down the hall, and up the staircase, taking them two at a time. He had to get away from all of this, from all the internal politics which he despised. All of these judges’ pronouncements, judgments, delays…it was also so old-school, so resistant to change. So predictable. He couldn’t stand it.

He was glad they had formally banished him. At least now it was official. In his heart, he felt that this was not a place for him anymore. The only real attachment he had to it anymore was his brother. And memories.

Caleb burst out of the spiral staircase and into the lower level of the Cloisters, and as he did, he felt a strong hand on his shoulder. He turned.

Samuel looked back with concern etched across his brow, dozens of soldiers behind him.

“Where will you go?” Samuel asked.

Caleb wasn’t quite sure of the answer himself. All he knew was that it would be away from here.

He knew that he couldn’t stand by and let all those humans die. And he knew that he had to attack the Blacktide Coven, had to try to get the Sword. If he had to attack them alone, then so be it. He knew it was suicide, but he had to try.

“To get the Sword,” Caleb answered.

“By yourself?”

“What choice do I have? It was stolen from my grasp. I feel obliged. Moreover, I can’t let all of these humans die. Not on my watch.”

Samuel nodded. “I see that some things never change. You are bold. And brave.”

Caleb allowed himself a small smile. “It runs in the family, my brother.”

“I, too, am dissatisfied with the Council,” Samuel said. “I agree with you. War must be initiated now. We cannot wait. As you say, their numbers will grow stronger. Sitting here, we only grow weaker.”

Caleb looked his brother over.

“I am with you,” Samuel said. “As are my men.”

Samuel reached out his arm and Caleb took it, clasping each other’s forearms.

As they had for thousands of years, Caleb and Samuel would head into battle together. That was all Caleb needed to hear. Now, he felt as if he could war with the legions of the world, and that if he should die, at least he would die with his brother by his side.

“We must bring the weapons,” Samuel said. “The sacred weapons.”

Caleb looked at him for a second, and then remembered. Of course.

They turned and walked down the corridor, into the small treasure room of the Cloisters. They stopped before a vertical glass case, inside of which sat a four-foot ivory staff, intricately carved, with a round circular head and mysterious etchings all over it.