Chapter 16

CHAPTER 16

" W here is the private cave for the hunter leader?" I asked.

Rene glanced back the way we had come. "The personal caves are further into the mountain. I did not remove those implements."

Rene placed the page back inside the metal tube and handed it to Manu. "Come with me."

He grabbed my hand and led us through a series of intersecting tunnels. Explorers had likely found these caves, but Rene had only concerned himself with weapons from the Monster Hunter sect.

I didn't even realize we were in a personal cave when Rene stopped. "This is it."

My gaze roamed around the small room as Manu's flashlight illuminated the walls. Unlike the sandy floor of the training room that hid the forge, they chiseled the floor of this cavern, smoothing the rock. While they had evened out the more jagged pieces on the floor, it was still quite rough. "Did they have beds?" I couldn't see any sign of a structure.

Manu knelt down and pulled a tattered piece of cloth from the ground. "Tanned leathers. They lay on the floor on their version of a bedroll."

Rene stared at the walls. "It was simply fur rugs with a cooking area in the center. The leader had a few items in here. It was his wife and child's responsibility to cook for him and maintain their domicile."

Cass grunted. "I know it was a different time, but being treated like cattle is wrong no matter the century."

Constantine began to kick loose gravel from the chiseled rock. "They buried their forge. It seems reasonable they would bury other valuables."

We all began kicking loose gravel but after a half hour we had covered the entire floor with no result. Manu was moving over the sidewalls of the cavern and stopped when he found a slight indentation. "This impression is packed with the same sand we found in the training cavern."

Cass moved to the small hole. "No man could get their hand in there. We may have to take the wall down."

I moved toward the wall. And placed my hand against the rock. "No need. I can separate the sand and rock and retrieve the scroll, provided it is only an inch or two from the surface."

Cass motioned for me to try, and I placed my hand inside the hole.

My fingers sunk into the top layer of sand, but I felt nothing resembling a pipe before my power snaked out from my fingers, searching with tiny tendrils of magic beneath my hand. The ping was instant, and I wrapped my power around the object before lifting it from its shallow grave. It levitated as it exited the hole and dropped into my other hand.

Constantine shifted slightly, and I passed him the metal tube that matched the one from the forge.

He didn't use the etching compound on this one as it was less rusty than the first one, because of the dark, dry conditions, but it made the same wrenching noise as he squeezed just beneath the cap and broke the seal. He passed the pipe to Rene once he took off the lid.

Rene removed the page and scanned its contents. "This goes on where the other page ends. It says the Blood Witch will have the ability to share her magic with her king once she matures. That the king will be able to do the same. This has..." he trailed off as we stared at him.

I touched his shoulder. "What is it?"

"This warns of the king, but not the one bonded to the Blood Witch. This explains that only the true overseer must survive and only if he has the faith of his bride. Only he can protect the human realm from the usurper."

"The usurper?" I asked.

Rene's eyes continued to roam over the script. "There are a few symbols I don't recognize. Manu will need to do more research, but I believe he is a king."

"A vampire king?" I asked.

Cass froze. "Are you insinuating that a vampire overseer is still alive somewhere?"

Rene frowned. "I don't know. I can't confirm the death of any overseer except Siam."

Manu flashed his light on Rene. "How could a previous overseer take leadership without killing the current overseer?"

Rene shook his head. "Perhaps some kind of spell. If the clans believed the overseer was dead, they would select another. My power comes from age and experience, not because I have a title. I can call on my people as their designated overseer, though. If there were suddenly two of us, I fear for the repercussions."

Cass growled. "Since he would be older than you by thousands of years, he would be stronger."

Rene rubbed his chin. "Theoretically, yes, but he would not be accustomed to modern times, and he would not have a bride to stabilize him. Madness does not diminish his power, but his reasoning would continue to degrade."

Constantine turned to Manu. "You will begin investigating this possibility immediately. Look for any information that suggests a prior overseer was... imprisoned or put in some form of stasis instead of murdered. We must confirm this prophecy is false before the clans find out about it."

Manu nodded. "Of course, but I will need access to all scrolls and prophecies concerning the ancient king."

"You will have it. We should return to the mansion before dawn." We all followed Rene when he led us from the caves.

I leaned toward Rene. "How can we claim this new information is false when it's attached to the Blood Witch prophecy? Obviously, I am very real."

Rene's hand squeezed mine. "I am aware."

The opulent foyer was completely empty when we arrived back at the mansion and Cass glanced at Rene. "That is a first."

Rene nodded. "They are mourning the loss of our members. I sense a couple have returned, but most have chosen to stay with Dimitri. He has brainwashed his followers into believing the time of madness is upon me."

Constantine growled low. It was a terrifying sound. "Then declare them traitors. Why wait if you already have your answers? It is time to declare war on this dark faction and any who follow them."

Rene sighed. "Cass, call everyone to the foyer. We will have a clan meeting."

Cass went to an intercom on the wall by the front door. "Everyone in the mansion to the foyer now. This is a direct order."

The sound of doors opening and closing precluded the rush of well-dressed vampires entering the foyer. After a few minutes, several members arrived in sleep attire and had simply thrown on a robe to attend the meeting.

Rene moved to the front of the door, so he was standing before the throng of Shadow Bone members. "Has every deserter been contacted? And given the chance to return? If you have not heard back from your fellow clan members, please speak up."

Rene nodded sadly when the silence stretched between him and the clan. "I declare those not with us today as traitors. We must declare war on the dark faction as well as the witch who leads it. Any who follow her will be terminated."

Florence stepped forward with uncertainty plain on her face. "What about a clan head? Will you start the reselection process?"

"As Dimitri is dead to us, a new permanent clan leader will be chosen. Constantine will head this clan until you choose your replacement. I will approve all initiates personally and call an election when you have at least three suitable candidates selected."

A young man I had seen with Dimitri stepped forward. "The clan has always chosen its candidates. Have protocols changed?"

Rene's eyes flickered. "Of course they have. We have a rogue faction full of vampires led by a witch. The humans have every right to turn on both the empowered and vampire species. We have broken the accords and unless the candidates prove their top priority is our survival, I will not accept their candidacy."

I glanced at Constantine and despite his new elevation, he looked angrier than ever. I winked at him and noticed several members gasp. The young man who had been speaking looked at me like I had lost my mind.

"He is really very sweet," I said before I considered Constantine may not like me defending him.

Cass grunted and covered her mouth. "Only to you, honey."

Constantine gave Cassara a dirty look but remained quiet.

The young man swallowed nervously. "How do we stop the attacks? Now that the dark faction has been discovered, they will inundate us with that poisonous compound."

I leaned toward Rene. "Buy up all the Star Canyon. If they don't have the plant, they can't make more. It isn't something they can mass produce. The seeds are too rare."

Rene nodded. "We will ensure the supply of the compound is very limited, but until we put the rebel witch down, protective protocols will remain in place."

Florence nodded. "What about the vampires that have turned to Dimitri's cause? They continue to try and recruit those within the clan. They will try the others soon."

Rene's eyes narrowed. "Dimitri has attempted to get you to join his rebellion? Since he left the clan?"

Several vampires nodded while others looked around, just as curious of the answer as Rene was.

Florence sighed. "He asked me to train the fledglings he took with him. The young are impressionable, and it pains me to admit we have failed them."

My eyes roamed the cluster of vampires until they rested on Julian. There was a sense of relief that the man Rene and I had chosen together had stayed with the clan. It made me wonder how deep the betrayal of those who left Rene was on the overseer's soul.

Several other clan members regaled stories of Dimitri contacting them and trying to convince them that Rene was on the brink of madness and that a stable leader must be chosen. That the new leader must be a member of Shadow Bone, or the other clans will consume them.

Rene hissed. "That is pure idiocy. His actions could incite another clan war. Us fighting against ourselves will ensure our destruction. Things are not as they once were. The humans outnumber us a thousand to one, but if we tip that balance, we ensure our starvation."

Rene's jaw ticked. "What of Dimitri's brother? What made Davon turn against the clan?"

Val stepped forward. "Quinn and I have been looking into Davon's activities since his betrayal. I don't believe Dimitri knew that his brother was working behind his back to depose you. Davon was reported to be in the Shadow Demon clan the month before his return to Shadow Bone, but when we checked with the clan head, they reported Davon was never there."

Rene huffed. "He was busy conspiring against us."

Val nodded. "It appears so."

Rene rolled his shoulders. "Then Constantine was correct. Brigid used Davon to bring Dimitri to her cause. He allowed his fear of losing power within this clan to cloud his judgment."

I stared up at Rene. "What do we do now?"