The Meeting

Havermouth, Present Time

The Point Crest Triquetra led them through a narrow stairway, and down another flight of stairs, where they were stopped by a second set of code-locked doors. As these doors were opened, a wave of noise rolled out over them. After walking through the almost totally black hall and stairs, the glare of artificial light had Cameron’s eyes throwing haloes as they adjusted.

“I’ve seen this carpet before,” Rhett sneered. He was right, the whole arrangement of the room was identical to many of the offices and official buildings that Cameron had been in during his life, from the functional laminated particle board furniture, through to the sensible wheeled chairs, and the heavy duty, zigzag designed carpet on the floor.

“I think it’s called ‘office bland’,” Harry agreed, and Rhett laughed under his breath.

Cameron recognized many of the people manning the desks and computers from the pack. There was not a single human to be seen, he thought, and that was disturbing in a way that he didn’t really understand.

“They must have generators somewhere,” Jules observed, looking around. “Has to be.”

As they wove their way through the desks, their odd party drew attention, many of the werewolves staring in open confusion. At another set of doors, their way was blocked by two alphas in black uniforms.

“Black is the theme color of the day,” Harry observed. They winked at Jules. “I prefer dark blue, like your eyes, honey.”

“Black hides the blood,” Tom replied.

“Red would work better, trust me,” Harry retorted. “I would know.”

“Witnesses,” Greg told the guards. “They need to come in.”

The doors were begrudgingly opened after a knock notifying those within that they were being admitted. Within the chamber was a large table around which sat not the Les Guerriers Sanctifies’ council, with August at the head. Phillip Salem sat to August’s right. Abigail was noticeably absent.

August rose slowly as the doors closed behind them. “Cameron, Rhett, Jules…”

“August,” Jules looked around the room and Cameron glanced at his dad, because there was a quiet, understated authority to his tone that was every bit alpha and had everyone in the chamber’s attention. “Everyone.”

His name was murmured in reply.

“I am surprised that you left the farm,” Charlie Gale drawled.

“I didn’t willingly,” Jules reached out and placed his cuff on the table. “As you know, the Van Helsings have been taking our people out of their homes and holding them prisoner at the high school gym using these cuffs. I’m told that there is a very good reason that no one came to those peoples’ aid?”

There was a ripple of reaction around the table, and several eyes dropped away.

“Jules,” August purred the name. “I am sure that you understand that this council has many priorities at this time.”

“Priorities that rank higher than over a hundred pack members lives?” Jules replied, arching an eyebrow. “I wonder how the wider pack will feel about that when they find out. I’m sure they would be curious, as I am, just what ranked higher than those people’s lives?”

“This council is not answerable to you, Jules Edison,” Charlie Gale snapped. “You forget yourself.”

“No, I’m remembering myself,” Jules shook his head. “And precisely why my family has always preferred the land.”

“Were they hurt?” Lilith Boyston asked quietly. “The people in the gym? In the explosion?”

“We escaped before the explosions,” Jules told her quietly. “The explosions were set by our allies here,” his gesture included Connery, Harry and Meguitte.”

“Are they human?” Phillip Salem frowned at the woman and her children. “Did you bring humans here?”

“She has been bitten by a zombie,” Cameron explained. “We’ll take her with us to the warehouse where Leighton can treat her.”

“The world has gone insane,” Lilith Boyston murmured to herself.

“What is the status of the school?” August asked Greg.

“We did not make it to the school,” Greg replied. “We encountered the Edisons and company on our way fighting off their…” he hesitated and sighed begrudgingly. “Zombie attacker. We assisted, and, upon learning that they were responsible for the explosions and had fled the school, brought them here.”

“What is the status of the school?” August looked at Jules.

“Destroyed,” Harry announced, pleased. “Oh, parts might still be standing, I only set the charges in areas where the Van Helsings were making themselves at home. You know, barracks, and supplies, trucks...”

“The helicopter,” Connery reminded them mildly. “Let’s not forget that.”

“How could I?” Harry grinned. “It exploded so magnificently.”

“Where the fire threatened to spread beyond the school grounds, it was contained by the home owners and the rioters who stepped in to help,” Jules continued his eyes locked on August. “People died today, August, in the riots. The Van Helsings opened fire on the crowd.”

“A lot of people have died,” August replied. “That is the nature of war.”

“What are you doing to minimalize the deaths?” Jules challenged him and that challenge was not overlooked, the council recoiling, eyes widening, moving between the two. Cameron reached out and gripped Jules’ forearm, trying to discourage him silently.

“Jules,” August said softly. “You don’t want to do this. You will not win.”

“Maybe it needs to be done,” Jules’ voice was dark. “Something is very wrong about the lead alpha of the pack and the council sitting around in a bunker snacking on a tray of sandwich triangles and sipping coffee whilst the people that they serve are fighting for their lives above them.”

“Jules,” August walked around the table, his body language clearly alpha-threat, and Cameron, Rhett and Harry all moved to flank Jules, the movement causing August to hesitate, tilting his head to the side as he frowned at Harry. “This discussion doesn’t involve you, vampire.”

“Mmm,” Harry’s grin was pure mischief. “I beg to differ.”

“Concordian?” August evaluated the danger of the vampire. “Have they finally sent a representative?”

“I’m Concordian,” Harry replied. “But not one that they’d want representing them,” they chuckled under their breath.

“Why are you here?”

“They set the charges that exploded the school,” Greg reminded him sotto voiced. “We brought them back to report on the situation seeing as we made the decision to return and not to investigate further.”

“The flames will have burnt out by now,” Connery advised. “There was a quenching spell added that after an hour, the site would go cold. Less collateral damage that way, provides a more targeted attack. I dislike being responsible for the death of countless innocents so I build in safeguards.”

“You created these bombs?” Distracted from Jules, August re-evaluated Connery. “Warlock?”

“Alchemist,” Connery corrected. “I have no magic. What I do possess is a wealth of wisdom and an uncanny ability to mix arcane ingredients to potent effect.”

“Interesting,” August was thoughtful as he nodded. “So, the Van Helsings base has been destroyed and our pack members escaped before the explosion. A happy outcome all around,” he lifted an eyebrow at Jules. “How did you remove your cuff?”

“We know the code word,” Cameron answered for his father, hoping to prevent any continuance of challenge between the two alphas.

“You know the code word?” August picked up the cuff and leaned his hip on the tabletop as he turned it over in his fingers. “A code word,” he murmured. “Could it be so simple? We have been searching for the one man who we knew possessed the ability to remove the cuffs at will, the Van Helsing’s torturer who is, himself, known by a code word: Sparrow. Did you obtain the code word from him?”

Cameron slid a look out of the corner of his eye towards Meguitte, and saw her eyes were wide as she shook her head slightly, not wanting to become involved in the discussion. He wondered how she had known the word. Was it because Talen was her vampiric father? “Sort of.”

“Hmm,” August set the cuff down again onto the table top and rose to his full height. “What is the code word?”

Cameron licked his lips and swallowed hard, reluctant to involve his mate, however the pack needed to know in order to free themselves from the threat. “Thaelen Gulgane,” he said clearly.

“Th…” August stammered and barked out a laugh. “What the actual f-k does Thaelen Gulgane have to do with the Van Helsings?” His amusement evaporated into a frown that deepened ominously. “Why would he work with them?” He murmured.

“He’s not,” Rhett snapped. “He has nothing to do with them. It’s - ”

“It is because the magic was originally used against him,” Connery cut Rhett off smoothly. “Someone’s attempt at irony. This magic originates back over a thousand years and was originally used against the vampire king, Thaelen Gulgane, to hold him prisoner.”

“Is that so?” August looked at the cuff again. “A cuff capable of capturing a vampire?”

“The Concordia would object to that line of thinking, werewolf,” Harry observed dryly.

August looked at them and smiled. “What line of thinking?” He asked.

Harry lifted an eyebrow.

“Hmm,” August stalked back around the table to his seat at the head. “Is it possible to manufacture more of those exploding devices?” He asked Connery as he resumed his seat.

“It’s always possible to mix more with a recipe, the right ingredients, and a talented alchemist,” Connery responded, his expression aloofly superior. “This alchemist, however, is merely passing through this town and war, on his way to someplace else.”

“I think you underestimate the extent of this battle,” August observed with dry disapproval. “It involves us all. It is a fight for survival. It is us, against them.”

“Who, precisely, is us and them?” Jules narrowed his eyes as he watched August’s face. “Us, as in the pack, and them, as if the Van Helsings? Or us, as in the supernatural world, against them, the humans?”

“You have been paying attention to the pack meetings,” August was amused. “And here I thought you were merely biding your time until you could return to your farm, Jules.”

“A bit of both,” Jules replied.

“So, it seems,” August brushed Jules off, his eyes returning to Harry and Connery. “So, why and how did you two get involved?”

“Oh, we’re not involved,” Harry deliberately misunderstood the question. “Connery’s a one girl type of guy, and that girl is my sister, Meguitte, all the way. Meguitte… Well,” they slid a look at Meguitte. “A moment of poor judgement results in her being a prisoner of the Van Helsings. Connery and I were there to rescue her.”

“The cuffs were used to imprison you?” Charlie Gale looked at the cuff with interest.

Cameron saw Meguitte’s shoulders hunch defensively. What, precisely, was her involvement with the cuffs? He wondered. She had been handcuffed, but not with magic, and she had known the words to release the werewolves… Talen’s name.

“Did you see the Van Helsings’ torturer, Sparrow, during your time as a prisoner?” August interrupted, sparing Meguitte the necessity of answering Charlie. “Is there anything that you can tell us about him? He remains our number one target,” he added to the council, his eyes going to Greg. “Greg’s Triquetra will resume their efforts to locate and detain him now that the explosion is no longer of concern.”

“What about restoring power, phones and internet to the town?” Jules demanded. “Or have you forgotten that the people here, your pack included, have been without the basics whilst you’ve been enjoying your coffee and sandwiches.”

“Are you hungry, Jules?” Phillip Salem reached across the table and slid the tray of sandwiches towards them. “You seem very preoccupied with the sandwiches.”

“No thank you, though I do wonder how it is that you have fresh bread and ham with which to make them,” Jules retorted disdainfully. “When local produce has ground to a halt, and there have been no deliveries due to the Van Helsings roadblocks.”

“There’s a kitchen,” Lilith murmured. “The chefs bake it fresh.”

“Of course, they do,” Rhett sneered.

“The power, August?” Jules’ eyes fixed on August.