Rebirth of the Seer (37 page)

Still, I knew a psychic lock had been secured around me
because when I failed to turn around, m
y feet motioned forward of their own accord. I had been made
into little more than a puppet. The jarring action after so many days of exhausting isolation did wonders for my thought process, though. Cogency returned, no doubt only briefly, but enough to ask, “Am I to face them blind?”

I barely recognized my own voice.

A forceful shove gave me all the answer he w
as apt to give. His pulse beat so close to me, it taunted my fangs to full extension again. S
everal bouts of dizziness threatened to bring me to my knees, but whatever hold Julian maintained kept me from stumbling to the ground. Reliant upon my other senses, I used them to paint the picture of what would be my death march.

The wind beat against my face when we exited their prison. I smelt the confluence of coastal air and industry as a light rain tickled at my skin. The water offered my wrists a small
reprieve from the metal burning
with every shift of my restraints. My shoes slid against gravel and for a few minutes, our walk was devoid of any other noise but stones and any other smells than Julian’s taunting scent.

An army of heartbeats encroach
ed
upon us, though, the further we walked. The murmur of voices soon joined the orchestra of pulses, the former ceasing abruptly as we wound around the path to where they stood. I visualized an entire crowd in my mind, filling in their faces by jumping from mind to mind for what they saw as they regarded me. Each set of eyes was also joined by an accompanying thought.

“
That vile creature…
”

“
They look so… ghastly when they’re that pale
.”

“
The list of his atrocities…
”

“…
He murdered the Davies girl. Both of them, I’ll bet…
”

“
So, Malcolm gets his justice at last.
”

With each mind I touched, it seemed to be easier to
reach
the next. What should have been an exhausting
drill
became revitalizing, lucidity returning all the more as I expanded my mental
range
. I continued to do so, despite the loathsome judgment cast by each onlooker.

“
Contemptible is hardly the word for him. More like a tyrant.
”

“…
The Devil himself.
”

“…
Finally getting what he deserves.
”

“
I hope they execute him immediately.
”

I kept my head bowed as I walked past, tempted to sneer while far too weakened to summon the energy. The march indoors seemed to last interminable minutes until an inner set of doors were opened, and the crowd who watched me enter formed a procession behind me. The expanse of room felt monumentally larger past the entryway. I borrowed another set of eyes to study my place of reckoning, frowning when I beheld what had gathered to watch my demise.

Men and women from all walks of life were seated in plush chairs arranged in stadium seating. The tiers stretched upward at least a dozen rows and what few seats were unoccupied were swiftly filled in by the entourage who followed me in. The room itself was fashioned in a semi-circle and at the front, there was a platform with seven chairs and a table situated in front of them. The chair in the center bore added adornment on its hand-carved, wooden back.

What bore more direct significance to me was the floor in front of the platform. Through my borrowed sight, I saw Julian leading a ghastly shadow of myself into a circle etched in the hardwood flooring with runes carved around the circumference. A metal plate bolted into the middle bore a conspicuous-looking ring in the middle. Its use became apparent to me as we stopped in front of it. The end of the chain held by Julian latched into the center and with
that, I was secured into place. He released his psychic hold on my body, leaving me
kept upright by only the force of my will.

The elders emerged from a back door
after
the rest of my jury took their seats. Four men and three women arranged themselves in proper order with the man I had met in Chica
go taking the middle seat,
as I suspected he might. Malcolm Davies made himself comfortable and glanced at the others, waiting until they had done the same. He and a blonde-haired woman seated beside him made eye contact. With a nod, he passed the invisible baton to her and as she turned her head, her gaze panned the entirety of the gathered throng.

“Ladies and Gentlemen of the Supernatural Order,” she said. “We’ve gathered you all together because tonight, we face a trial and sentencing with dire repercussions for the Order itself. This vampire before you has been accused of high crimes against humanity, not the least of which includes the murder of one watcher and direct responsibility in the possible death of another. The blood of an elder and three former sorcerers of our Seattle and London offices are on his hands as well. But even these atrocities are not the gravest of his crimes.

“The extent of his charges will be laid out for you tonight. Suffice to say, each of
them
are severe as this vampire has also been given the gifts of a seer. All of you have been called to witness his execution as a warning. Anyone who associates with the dark arts will face the same condemnation, regardless of their position.” She paused to glance at the other six elders. “If the High Council is ready to proceed, we will begin.”

They all gestured in some form to indicate their readiness – some with a nod and others with a wave or word. When she directed her attention to me, her gaze turned severe.

“Vampire, this trial will list your deeds before the Order and explain the High Council’s decision to put you to death. You will not be granted pardon. You will not be freed from the confines of that circle until your sentence has been carried out.” Her voice turned louder, her eyes not straying from me. “Peter Dawes, you – the accused – stand to give an account your actions.
T
his meeting will
now
begin.”

A wave of dizziness threatened to knock me from the borrowed eyes I used to witness my own condemnation. I saw myself waver slightly before
regaining my composure. H
ead bowed, I could not tell if the woman addressing me knew
I saw anything of her response.
The corner of my mouth curled reflexively when I saw her sneer. “Mr. Dawes,” she began.

“If I may–”
This time, my voice was stronger. “– A
ddress me as Flynn if there is to be judgment rendered. Peter’s name should not be marred with my misdeeds.”

The Council glanced at each other
, visibly befuddled
. One man, seemingly of African American descent, shrugged at the woman. She glanced at Malcolm, who nodded, before looking back at me. “Very well, vampire. I should like to remark that whether we call you Peter or Flynn, your charges remain the same. Just so that the rest of the Order
is made aware, though, Flynn is–
”

“My
immortal name
.” I summoned the gumption to straighten my shoulders. “The name was a gift bestowed by my brother, the vampire Robin, before he was slain by my own hand. The colors black and red that you see on my person are a reflection of this name, for I have been called a child of red.” Pausing, I lifted my head. “I am certain the Council would find the imagery appropriate.”

“Quite, though we seem to take your deeds with far more gravity than you do.”

“Make no mistake,
I view my deeds with much more severity than even you can. I am the one who lives in their shadow.”

She pau
sed. “If that’s the case,
you can do us t
he favor of listing them
.”

“So be it.” I drew a deep breath inward, speaking through a dry throat and fangs which
refused to retract
. “Most of what has been said about me is true. Some things have even yet to be mentioned. I am the monster responsible for the death of Lydia Davies, my girlfriend and would-be watcher. She and the elder she reported to were my first kills, committed on the night I was turned. My m
aker, Sabrina, had seduced
me into turning and their deaths were prompted by her skills in dark magic. I take full responsibility for them.

“As a vampire, I have murdered more souls than could fit inside the confines of this room. I killed without conscience – both human and vampire alike – and relished each death as only a sociopath can. That is, until I met Monica Alexander and retrieved a talisman left to me by Miss Davies.” My voice softened, emotion laden in the next words I spoke. “They have strived, from earth and the grave, to redeem this devil standing here before you. That I have any conscience now is due solely to their effort.”

The woman twitched. What caused the recoil, I did not know. “Yes, we know all about Miss Alexander’s interference with the natural order. Is it true she was the one who brought out your gifts?”

“Yes, it is true.”

“And what did you do with these gifts?”

I sighed. “I used them to lure and seduce humans before murdering them.”

Her voice turned louder, a broadcast to the others gathered. “You used the powers and abilities of a seer to seduce and murder human beings,” she said. I used my borrowed sight to watch her shake her head. “Do you understand the gravity of such an action, vampire?”

“I realize it is an offense to the natural order.”

“It’s downright blasphemy toward the Fates, sir.” She paused, but only for a beat. “Considering how you have abused your powers, why did you run away from your judgment in Philadelphia?”

“Because the Fates had further work for me, Miss…”
I let my voice trail off in an unstated question.

“Ka
ylee Alexander. Monica’s mother
.”

The admission set me aback. I floundered for my response, but then determined any recognition I gave toward her relationship with her daughter wo
uld be ill-appreciated. “I had…
other duties to perform – ones of higher significance. Through Monica, I have rediscovered my calling. I have slain my maker and the vampires of my coven and other covens which sought to initiate a power struggle in the city of Philadelphia. I have received dreams and visions, from Lydia Davies and the Fates themselves, showing me what has been, what will be, and what orders I have from the Fates along the way. Miss Davies informed me of my tasks and I was set upon that mission when I was captured.”

“What about Wesley Parker, Jesse Owens, and Mark Shinto?”

I turned my head and shifted focus to Malcolm Davies. He scowled at me as I frowned. “Mr. Davies, I am not responsible for their deaths. I warned them aga
inst visiting that building and, after discovering they had not listened, entered it myself
so I could save them.”

“And you expect us to believe that?”

“
What I expect is of no consequence
. It does not make my words any less true.”

His Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed hard. “And my daughter?”

“Monica, you mean?” I wrestled against tipping my hand, knowing where she was while still desperate to prove a point. “Sir, with all due respect, I
begged
you to look for your daughter while you were busy kicking me around and hurtling insults at me. Not only did you ignore me, your friend here –” I nodded toward Julian
, something that caused a slight stir over the fact that I knew where he stood
. “– Confessed to a half-hearted attempt to search for her while I was unconscious.”

Emboldened with a spark of energy, I twisted to face as much of the crowd as I could. “Bloody humans. The lot of you. This seems to be an epidemic within this establishment and this Council especially.” I shifted back to the panel of elders. “If I am to be condemned, you are equally guilty. Your prejudice and lack of discernment led us to this mess in the first place.
You
are the ones with the blood of those three men on your hands.”

“You will silence yourself!”

“
I shall do no such thing, sir!
” My voice echoed throughout the room. I forced myself to take several deep, steadying breaths before my hunger whipped me into a frenzy. “If I am to face my death, then let the Council heed my final words. I stand before you as
your failure
. Miss Davies plead on my behalf to bring out my gifts before I was turned vampire. Miss Alexander lobbied for an intercession when I became a ruthless assassin. And both times, the Council ignored them –
both times
you idiotic creatures washed your hands of me.”

My wrist shackles shifted when I balled my hands into fists. I gritted my teeth. “You have chosen now, when I come to you as a different creature, as my moment of reckoning. Starved me into a weakened condition so I would be unable to fight. I have asked the Council to heed my warnings that greater danger is headed its way and all you have done is revisit paths long trodden and left behind. Well, I recall far, far too well the heart of darkness which has lain in this monster’s chest and I have strived to be someone other than the creature I was fashioned into. And at this moment, when you have me cursed to death, I am tempted to spit at you and watch you burn. Your pigheadedness might have cost me that which means most to me.”

Kaylee Alexander scoffed. “
If you expect us to sympathize with your concern over your life–”

“
Not my life
,” I sneered.
“Your daughter.”

Malcolm bristled. “I’ve had enough of this circus,” he said. “Your false professions of love won’t save you.”

“Bastard.” The word was spoken harshly, almost as a hiss. It stilled everyone into silence. “Do not presume to know my heart. I love that girl deeply
, and miss her–
”

“Julian, silence the vampire!
”

I furrowed my brow, but saw Julian motion the moment he was summoned, crossing the short distance between us with a fist rising into the air. I was unable to jump from the borrowed vision in time to dodge the blow and took it to my jaw before being kicked down onto my knees. As I landed, I gasped in pain. Blood dripped from a deep cut on my lip inflicted by my protruding fangs. A violent shaking assailed me, brought both from anger and the taste of copper on my tongue, reminding me of the mountain of pulses which surrounded me. My mind spiral
ed
as I heard Kaylee Alexander speaking through the haze.

“…
The Council holds to the belief that you are unredeemable and a threat against humanity. Your powers are great, vampire Flynn, but they cannot be allowed to reside in the form of a creature with as many sins as you’ve committed. Therefore, it is our ruling that you be decapitated and your ashes kept as a constant reminder of the threat of any man ever becoming a vampire-seer again. Your punishment will be exacted im
mediately after this session is–
”

“Beg your pardon, Councilwoman? Might I interrupt, please?”

A new voice entered the fray, one I recognized and experienced mixed emotions over hearing. What was far more daunting, however, was the sight I beheld when I slipped into my stolen line of sight again to survey what had entered. Ian strolled from the back door, nonchalant as ever. In his hand he clasped his characteristic cane. Dressed once again as a ringleader, he brought a train of vampires in his wake, all entering the room in droves upon impossible droves. The Council straightened in their seats, their faces turning an ashen white. They recognized the
simple
truth b
efore them – t
his was about to become a massacre.

Ian smiled with cunning. “My, how I love the look of a hundred scared humans. Nobody fret now, I’ve made sure to bring one for each of you.” He parted from the company of his army. I recognized
Talon
standing beside the first cluster of familiars. “One hundred pairs of eyes, with one hundred minds all seeing their error in all its nakedness.” He chuckled. “I fi
nd that funny about you mortals,
how you can have a herald come to you with news of warning and ignore his message simply because you don’t like the form that he takes.”

I saw his eyes settle on me. “Do you see their hypocrisy now, Flynn?”

Head bowed, I did not respond. I remained on my knees, blood running down my chin and landing in droplets on the wooden floor below.

Ian’s expression turned more serious. “Fine then, I will do the talking.” He lifted his hands, gesturing to the entirety of the gifted humans seated around us. “Look at them, dark one. Your detractors. All gathered in the same building to condemn you for your sins. This is what has become of the mortal reign over this world for all of these millennia. They have become pompous to the point of self-righteousness and sneer at your form simply because you aren’t one of them. This is the hope for all humanity?” He scoffed. “I pity this planet.”

“They are ignorant of my powers and calling,” I said, my voice a low murmur.

“As are you, dear boy. As are you. You’ve only b
egun to experience this calling. O
nly dipped your toes into the pool to examine the water. You’ve merely listened to them rail against you and fill your head with limitation when they know well the superlative seer you would become. This is why they want you dead. They fear how quickly you could send them all to their graves.”

He turned his back to me, eyes set on the High Council. “They needn’t worry, though. I will send them there for you.” Ian walked toward me again. “Listen to the whispers of your vampire side and its superiority. Hear the powers that make your human half weak and meaningless. You could be a god among men, with your girl by your side as your queen. This would be the end of your suffering. Of her suffering. Of the suffering you endure for the sake of ignorant mortals who only want you dead.

“Join me, Flynn. Watch with me as we render judgment upon your jury.”

His words echoed through the meeting room, every eye shifting from me to him and back again, waiting for my response. My thoughts centered
on
Monica and what he had told me; that she lay in his clutches and faced death should I
do anything other than submit to Ian’s plan
. My stomach sank, heart aching with the desire to see her again.

Her words refused to let me go, however. They resonated past even the strongest temptation
to permit Armageddon to rain down on this assembly
.

“
I want you to remember something… That this man I’m holding onto might be a vampire, but he has all the heart and soul of a human. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise and don’t ever fall back into the lie that you’re only capable of evil. You might still be a vampire, but the seer you are is more powerful than the devil he’s trapped inside.
”

The seer. Peter. He had been trapped inside this body of evil for too long.

The time had come to call him forth.