The Dark Gifts Birthright (35 page)

The full Council was in attendance and in a
heated discussion. None of them knew where the missing members were
or what they were doing, and everyone seemed at the least,
distressed. Some were downright angry over the secret goings on and
not being informed. When Liz walked in the door, the talking
stopped and all eyes turned to her. Minerva looked harried and
seemed relieved that her great granddaughter had finally arrived.
Tiberius, the oldest attending council member, cleared his throat
and spoke. “Well, well, well… maybe now we can get some answers. Do
sit down Elizabeth and explain to the rest of the lowly council
members what is going on, and why it is necessary to keep us all in
the dark.”

Liz had no idea what to say to these
obviously angry vampires. She took her seat and rapidly tried to
think up a good excuse for everyone not being there.
“Queen my
ass!”
She thought.

Taking a deep breath, she settled her
troubled mind and began sweetly, “I take it that you have not been
informed of the intricate workings of the new plan?” she
smiled.

“That would be a precise assumption.”
Tiberius answered.

“Well that in itself ought to tell you
something.” Liz folded her hands on the table before her.

The Council did not find her response
remotely humorous, but she hadn’t figured they would. She continued
with as much queenly authority as she could muster. “I hate to pull
rank, especially considering that I am the youngest. Be that as is
may, I am next in line for leadership of the Council with the
others gone, so I don’t appreciate being talked down to Tiberius.
In fact, I take great exception to it. We have all worked
ceaselessly trying to better our lot in life. And those that are
not here to explain their actions still work towards that end. I am
not saying that any of us think you cannot be trusted. What I am
saying is that, instead of getting angry about being left out of
the loop, you should be working on what still needs to be done.
Have any of you discovered who the traitor is yet? Or do you know
the location of Monroe and his miscreants? How about this one…how
well armed are they and what do they know of us?” Liz leaned back
in her chair, licked her lips, and waited for the fireworks to
erupt.

Minerva beamed, while Tiberius and Rene
glowered at her for her perceived impertinence.

Genevieve spoke softly, “Liz is right, we do
not have the right to question those that have worked so
attentively. Whatever they are doing, they are doing with good
cause and reason.” Then looking pointedly at Tiberius and Rene, she
continued, “Liz, you are next in chain of command, what would you
have us do?”

Liz was unprepared for that kind of reaction.
Oh crap
, she thought,
I’ve really stuck my foot in it
now
. She placed her elbow on the table, and rested her chin in
her hand. “I believe that if the traitor could be found, we would
have found him, or her, already. It’s a waste of time to continue
exhausting resources that could be used elsewhere. As far as the
location of Monroe and the others is concerned, in my opinion
that’s where we need to focus our attention. At minimum, we know
that they are still out there killing and turning mortals. At
maximum, we know that they will be coming for us, if and when they
find our location. But first things first, I would like an
accounting of what each department is doing right now and how
things are going. Who would like to start?” Liz looked around the
room at the others and waited for someone to speak. Still trying
her best to appear queenly and in control.

Minerva was the first to answer, “All of my
witches have been thoroughly trained in the new arts. We are ready,
when the need arises, to fight against the opposing side. There is
still the matter of whether or not we should be recruiting some of
the more focused vampires to learn Cass' magic. I for one, think it
is a good idea for anyone that can learn, to know portal magic at
the least.”

Liz nodded and turned her eyes on Tiberius.
Tiberius glowered, adamant that he would not answer to her,
regardless of her position on the Council.

Rene spoke up, “The army is at the ready as
well. I believe that we have a capable juggernaut that will be
easily aimed at the opposition when the time comes for battle. My
primary concern is that we may not have the adequate numbers to
function. We have no idea how many Monroe has allowed to be turned.
I have been watching news from the outside world and missing
persons in the U.S. alone, number in the thousands. Should they be
taking humans that will not be missed, it could be more like tens
of thousands.” Rene looked nervously at Tiberius, wondering how far
over the line he had stepped with the other leading general of the
vampire army.

Genevieve gave an accounting of the daily
tasks and boring details of the goings on in the Citadel. Everyone
was performing their required duties and the food supply was still
in great form.

Liz listened, appearing to take everything
seriously, all the while thinking about what she should tell these
people that had also become friends, to do next. She was certain
that this whole “Queen” thing was way out of proportion, she didn’t
have the ability or the nerve to boss anyone around, especially
thousand year old vampires! After addressing the minor details,
everyone sat in expectation of new orders. Everyone except
Tiberius, who was so angry that his naturally pale face had turned
red with fury.

The room was quiet and filled with tension.
Liz looked at Tiberius and waited. As the seconds drew out to
minutes, she began to tap her fingers impatiently on the table,
still staring at the furious general. Finally tired of the whole
ordeal she spoke quietly, “You agreed with the hierarchy of the
Council when it was established. You put forth no argument when the
first votes were cast. I have no idea when the others will return.
I do not know how long what they are doing will take them. If you
have a problem with the way things are then you have two choices
that I can see: You can recluse yourself from Council meetings
until the others have returned, and then we can all vote on your
insubordinate behavior or…you can acquiesce that I am the de facto
leader until the others arrive and act accordingly. It is your
choice, but I will not allow dissension in a time of war, and war
is what we are about right now. Now choose.”

The entire Council seemed to hold their
breath. Not even the rustle of clothing could be heard. Tiberius’
face had turned ashen with his rage and his eyes glowed with the
passion of it. As he continued glaring at Liz, he murderously
hissed, “I will not be set aside by a mere child.
I
will
not
be ordered around like an imbecile, and
I
will
not, under any circumstances, be talked down to as if I have
no
merit or worth on this Council. Your assumption of power
and control over this Council and its meetings is at an end. Who
will stand with me against this
girl
and her delusions of
grandeur?”

Liz stood as he ended; knowing that she would
either have to cave to his attempted assertion of control, or once
and for all put them all in their respective places and take the
lead. She had no idea when the others would return, and if she
didn’t take charge and stop the questioning, then she would be
forced to answer.

She glanced at each Council member, trying to
read their faces, and gauge where their hearts and loyalty would
fall. Her voice, as full of authority as she could muster, echoed
in the room, “A line has been drawn. The rules we have
all
agreed upon, and now live by, are being questioned. The only
distinction between us and the renegades are the laws we have
chosen to live by. Choose your side carefully. If we disband this
Council now, and allow dissension in our own ranks, then how do we
differ from the renegades that we seek to destroy?” Liz once again
took her seat, her face serene and set, and although she did not
realize it, she had an air of royalty about her.

One by one, the council members began to
stand, with the exception of Tiberius. Tiberius began to smile.
Beginning with Minerva, the entire Council spoke out their vote,
each of them pledging their allegiance to Liz and Council law.

Rene was the only member that hesitated and
was the last to speak. “You ask that I place my vote with the
others, and so I shall, but first I must have my say. I am greatly
troubled by what is happening here, as we all are I am certain. The
quest for power and control has always been a blight on a vampire’s
existence. Many battles have been fought and lost due to its
attempted acquisition.”

He lowered his head, placing his hand on
Tiberius’ shoulder. “Should you pursue this road my friend, then
you are leading us over the same path of devastation we have
already traveled. For myself, I have no problem with Elizabeth
leading the Council; we were united in agreement on the hierarchy
of the Council. I have no reason to second-guess that decision now.
Counsel yourself brother, take stock in what you are proposing. We
have no cause to question her loyalty to the vampire nation or her
ability to make wise decisions. Think clearly and cast your vote,
either with us or for yourself, but know that my vote resides with
the law, and the law states that she is my leader when the others
are away.”

Tiberius glared at the council members. He
had not been bluffing when calling for a vote. Nor was he flippant
about leaving if the vote was against him. His muscles stiffened as
he attempted to control his shock and anger. Even Rene stood
against him?

Seeing his uncertainty, Liz moved to him.
Kneeling, her eyes met his as she reached out and took his hand. “I
am not asking you to make me Queen of the Vampires,” she squeezed
his hand. “I am asking that we follow protocol until the others
return. I know everything they are doing, but believe me when I
tell you that my orders came from Gregorio himself, and I do not
have the right to inform you. I don’t want to be your enemy. We
need you here. We need your expertise and valuable insight, but the
law is the law.
All
of you taught me that, and that is all I
am trying to uphold.”

Tiberius met her kind gaze with a look of
utter shame, and then standing, pulled Liz to her feet, and gruffly
said, “My vote is with the Council as well. I am humbled by all of
you. I will not be the one to destroy what we have worked so hard
to accomplish.”

Sighs of relief echoed off the old stone
walls. It was finished, the Council would remain intact and loyalty
to the law had been established. Liz quickly walked back to her
seat and said, “Let’s tackle these other subjects people. It would
be wonderful if we could give some help to the others when they
arrive. First things first, Tiberius and Rene, how would you two go
about infiltrating the opposing factions?”

Rene’s face lit up with exultation. “I just
had a thought. We need our own spy, and now we have the perfect
opportunity to put that in motion. Let me tell you what I have in
mind…”

Chapter Twenty-Four

All Work With No Play Makes For A Long Day

Liz knew she was dreaming. Realistic as it
was, there was a part of her that understood what she was seeing
was not real. She was in a small seedy bar, standing by the jukebox
that blared 80’s Rock. Several women danced and undulated to the
music on the scant linoleum dance floor stained yellow from
nicotine and dried beer. Turning for just a moment, she caught a
glimpse of herself in the filth-spattered mirror that covered the
wall behind the old jukebox; she was dressed all in black leather,
her lips blood red, her pale face hardened and angry.

Michael sat at the end of the bar across the
room. His eyes gleamed with anticipation, his face took on a hungry
ravaged look as he watched her. He too wore black leather. Several
women in the bar had already noticed him, and were doing their best
to draw his attention.

Seemingly oblivious to the mortal patrons of
the place, several vampires were playing pool and hanging out in
the corner. Liz felt the thirst emanating from them, she knew they
were there to hunt and every mortal in the bar was in danger. No
human would leave this place alive. She glanced at Michael who had
turned his attention to the other vamps in the corner, and waited
for the signal.

The largest of the others noticed her and
sauntered toward her. “What are you doing here?” he demanded. “This
is our hunting ground, we have already spoken for it.”

Liz eyed the man with disdain and then
replied condescendingly, “Since when do you have dibs on food? I
was not told this hunting ground was off limits.”

The filthy man leered at her. He reached out
to stroke her arm. “You can stay if you like, but I’ll require some
sort of payment for indulgence in our feast.”

Liz bristled at his touch, calmly reaching
out she grabbed the offensive hand, twisted it behind him, and
pulled him close. Her cheek pressed against the side of his face as
she whispered in, “You have no idea who you’re messing with do you?
I would suggest that before you ever lay your filthy paws on me
again you find that out.”

The man pushed at Liz, but before he could
escape her grip, Michael was on him. He was strong, but not nearly
as strong as Liz or Michael, he must have been a newly-made. Those
with him, seeing the commotion, immediately came to his aid. The
sound of gunfire rang out above the music. Screams echoed off the
walls. Many mortals took cover under tables while others shoved and
pushed their way through the doors. Liz and Michael quickly
dispatched the new ones, and then the scene faded to something
entirely different.

She was seated on a throne. Gregorio stood on
her left and Michael on her right. On her head, she wore an
elaborately designed gold crown encrusted with diamonds. Kneeling
on the floor with armed guards, one at each side, was Monroe. She
spoke with authority, “Your punishment is death by sunlight. Take
him away.”