Free Web NovelChapter 519: ... if we want to keep it that way
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-The Leopold Coven-
"I’m coming with you!" Roxanne announced before Caius was even done with the announcement,
"You’re not going alone!"
"Yeah, that was the general idea," Caius said with a little smile, "But could I just finish first, please?"
Just as it had been with the trio of Arlette, Anne, and Lea, Caius couldn’t actually tell any of them where he was headed, but he didn’t need to. The important detail was that he wasn’t going to be going alone, and he wanted a select few of them to come with.
"I think—" Lorton said slowly while glancing at Roxanne for a second, "That we have some of the best Mages the Empire has ever seen within our ranks. My Lord can have the choicest picks, but to— to have Council members leave the Coven at this tumultuous moment isn’t wise."
"Tumultuous?" Roxanne scoffed, "It’s a pack of militants with a hard-on for slaughter who have so far only killed humans. We are safe."
"Now is not the right time to leave the base with so little protection," Lorton insisted, "I don’t think you should go."
"Oh, you don’t," Roxanne said with a raised brow that almost suggested she was daring Lorton to try and stop her. freewebnøvel.com
There was an awkward air in the Council Hall then. The reason for the tension wasn’t lost on anyone; Roxanne and Lorton had been partners for a few centuries, but there was now someone else. That someone was also the one sitting at the head of the Council whose authority Lorton didn’t dare question, or he would have confronted him already.
"It doesn’t have to be Roxanne," Caius said.
"My Lord, what—?" Roxanne rounded on Caius, a tinge of rejection evident in her tone and her expression.
"But I require members of the Council," Caius continued, as if he hadn’t heard her,
"This task, which I cannot tell you about, to a destination I also can’t reveal, threatens to involve threats I can’t trust just the average member of the Coven to undertake with me."
Caius turned to Lorton, who couldn’t look away even if he wished.
"It is because of the potential threats—that even I don’t know yet—that I am at all holding a conference about this. Otherwise, I would simply order you along, with you incapable of doing nothing except obeying," he said, and Lorton’s jaw was set in acceptance as Caius continued,
"I’m not here to listen to your opinion on what I should or shouldn’t do. The only thing I want to hear from you is if you are willing to accompany me," Caius directed his words at the Council at large now,
"That is all the input I require. You do not have the right, the opportunity, or the grace to advise me on which Vampires are best to come along with me.
Is that clear?"
There was a chorus of acknowledgment and bows as Caius nodded.
"Good," he said,
"Now, I ask, who is willing to come with me?"
Caius was actually a little surprised at how many enthusiastic hands shot into the air. Only Lorton and a very select few kept their hands down, but Caius paid them no mind.
"Very well, I will have to stick with familiar faces, it seems," Caius said,
"Hugo, Kyre, Melina, Nadine, and Roxanne."
The other hands went down with many disappointed that they hadn’t been chosen. Wondering if they had just lost their chance to be part of their Lord’s inner circle.
Kerwin’s hand had gone up as well, though he looked less disappointed and really more accepting and understanding of Caius’s choice. Really, his hand had gone up just to show he was ready to support his Lord, no matter what, even though he was likely to be charged with remaining here and in control of the Coven to deal with matters to come.
"Anyone not chosen will excuse us now," Caius said.
The other Council members stood silently, offered their bows to Caius, and then walked out of the Hall. Lorton cast an eye at Roxanne, and when she didn’t look at him, he huffed slightly and left.
There was a silence as the five Vampires simply waited with bated breath for Caius to speak.
"We’ll need transportation," Caius said then.
"My Lord, I know you’ve said already you can’t tell us where we’re headed, but can you at least hint how long the journey will be?" Kyre Leopold asked.
Caius gave it some thought and realized the order from Athenodora didn’t stop him from doing that and said,
"We’ll be spending days in travel."
He saw the look in the eyes of the five and could practically hear the gears turning in their heads as they tried to think of where they could travel and require days.
Unfortunately, the answer could really be anywhere in the Empire. The Capital, where they were, was at the very center of the Acheron Empire, and there were so many corners they could travel to from here that would require days.
"Protection or secrecy? Which is more important?" Nadine asked. Her voice was very mild, and Caius could have sworn that was the first time he had ever heard her speak, even though that didn’t seem at all accurate.
"I think we can find something that satisfies both needs," Caius said thoughtfully.
Carriages built with the best materials and etched with the strongest enchantments usually have a look of affluence befitting whatever Noble house had it commissioned. But finding one that has been stripped of all dazzles to look as mundane and unassuming as possible can’t be too difficult.
The others agreed.
"We must leave right away," Caius said then.
"I’ll make arrangements," Roxanne said, and already had a Loqui-Link out.
There was a lot of stealth involved right from the start. The Carriage they had procured for the journey was a massive one with panels stuck against it in various places like armor. It had a dust colored motif and had scratches and dents—all deliberate—all over in a way that perfectly camouflaged how strongly built it was and made it appear a tad bit more decrepit.
But they couldn’t bring the Carriage into the Leopold Estate, so it was something Caius and his group would have to meet up with at the very edge of the Leopold territory. They spent a few minutes ensuring there were no watchful eyes on the Estate before a supply carriage—on one of its many scheduled daily trips to the Estate—became their way out of the Estate, completely away from all prying eyes— if there were still any after the security sweep.
The five vampires stocked up on supplies— canisters of blood sourced from the multiple ’Ophiuchus’ bases, not only for sustenance but also to continue inching their way to eventual Evolution.
Caius stocked up on Beast blood. He refused to drink human blood that wasn’t from his partners, and Beast blood had always been enough for his sustenance. He didn’t miss the look the five gave him— mixes of admiration for his long suffering and confusion for why he would even subject himself to such.
The supply carriage left them right at the ’decrepit’ carriage, which Caius promptly made his way to the driver’s seat, only to find Kyre already there.
"I’ll drive us, My Lord," he said, "Not to worry."
"Do you know where we’re headed?" Caius asked lightly, and Kyre opened his mouth and closed it, looking a bit sheepish as though he was only now just realizing his limitations.
"Oh, right," he said and cleared his throat.
"Get in the back, we really don’t have much time," Caius told him, gesturing with his head.
Kyre got out of the way, and Caius climbed into the seat and started the carriage up to a gentle thrum of magical energy bursting through it, powering it to move.
The ’decrepit’ carriage was quite large—a lot like an R.V—and despite how it looked on the outside, it was a picture of luxury on the inside. With enough room for the five to lounge and stretch their legs. Caius would hardly get to enjoy that luxury, though, as he was stuck as the group’s designated driver, all because of Athenodora’s order.
The images Athenodora had flashed in his head—her memories—hadn’t included the Leopold Territory or the Capital at all, but it did let him know the direction to head towards. They were heading toward the Northern region of the Acheron Empire, past the territory of the most powerful family there, the Duchy Ruling Khiones.
Although he had been focused on the gravity of the situation at the time, from the moment Athenodora showed him where to go, Caius had taken note that he would be going through Aylin’s family’s territory.
But she wasn’t going to be there. She was going to be at Lochxen with the rest of Caius’s partners, whom he wouldn’t see for a few more weeks at least.
Before he could feel too sad about that, though, an image of Athenodora as she had looked when she asked him to come to her—struggling and holding back what looked to be great pain—flashed in his mind.
Caius let out a sigh.
"Hope you’re not dead yet," he mumbled.
To his surprise, Athenodora’s voice spoke to him through their shared blood. frёewebnoѵēl.com
"Not yet," she said with some of her usual charming mirth,
"But I’m going to need you to hurry if we want to keep it that way."
