The cave where the Council met was a part of the Chislehurst caves, but this particular cave was separate from the portions the public visited, with its own carefully guarded entrance. Most of the caves were man-made; flint and chalk had been mined there in the past. This cave was natural and had stalactites hanging in the back, with the occasional plink of moisture dripping off them. Gavin walked down the long tunnel that led to the cave, carrying the unconscious Lissa. No vampire other than Council members, Enforcers, Assassins, and the occasional invited guest was allowed to see the entrance. Prisoners were either blindfolded and led in or carried in unconscious. Lissa was one of the latter.
Wlodek watched as Gavin brought the girl in. She was small. At times, it was difficult to determine from a photograph or an image on television just how large or small someone was. He was only now seeing the reality. Gavin lowered the girl until her feet were nearly touching the floor of the cave. "Wake," he said. The girl woke and shrank back immediately.
* * *
There was dim lighting inside the cave where I woke. A horseshoe-shaped stone table stood before me, with a group of vampires sitting behind it. The smell almost overwhelmed me at first and my skin automatically began to quiver. I knew that smell; had finally worked it out. The older the vampire, the spicier and more exotic the scent, and here were some very old vampires. The one sitting in the center of the table frowned and I couldn't help it, I shrank back a little. Gavin pushed me forward again, not gently, and then backed away. I still wore my manacles as I stared straight ahead—I hadn't been instructed to do otherwise.
"She is under your compulsion?" The oldest vampire, the one sitting in the center of the stone table, asked. He appeared young, as did all the others in the room. His hair was dark, his eyes almost black and he had old-world, ruggedly handsome features.
"Yes, Honored One." Gavin's voice, from behind me.
"I will place my own so that you may remove yours," he said.
"Of course, Honored One."
"Lissa Beth Workman," the vampire looked me in the eye and if I'd thought Gavin's voice was midnight, this was the blackest of velvet that held steel underneath. "You will do as I say from this point forward," he went on. "When Gavin removes his compulsion, you will be under my control only."
Gavin came around to face me. "You are no longer under my control," he said. Part of the blanket over my brain fell away. The other remained, however. I was still held immobile, unable to do anything unless the old one said.
"You may blink," the old one told me. I blinked.
"First, we will deal with Sergio Velenci and Edward Desmarais," the old one said. "All of you have the records before you, and have taken the opportunity to question these prisoners, prior to this meeting?"
Paper shuffled around the table, but I was staring straight ahead and could only see a bit off to each side with my peripheral vision. It was hard to make out features of the Council members; the dim light came from behind them, casting their faces in shadow. The vampire sitting next to the old one though—he was not old. He had light brown hair, hazel eyes and seemed completely out of place among the others inside the cave. His scent was much lighter than theirs and he was tapping quietly away on a laptop. Vampires had joined the electronic age.
"Are there any questions or comments concerning these two before we pass judgment?" the old one was asking. I couldn't see either of the vampires who'd changed my life forever, sitting in a bar making a wager. They were likely under compulsion as well and had to stand there, staring straight ahead.
"The reason or purpose of the turning?" One voice, male, from the right.
"Shall we ask?" the old one spoke as the younger one tapped away on the computer. "Sergio Velenci," the old one commanded. "Give us the reason you made the turn."
"A wager, Honored One."
That caused a lot of paper shuffling around the table and furious tapping at the computer.
"What was this wager?" the old one asked.
"Edward bet me that the woman would take at least nine days to turn."
"And the amount and type of the wager?"
"One million pounds," Sergio replied. His voice was empty, emotionless.
"So, you made a wager with Edward that the woman would take less than nine days—that was your part in this, other than the turning?"
"Yes, Honored One."
"Very well. Does that satisfy your curiosity, Cecil?"
"Yes, Honored One."
"Any further comments or questions, before sentence is passed?"
"It is in my opinion, although it no longer has bearing on the case, that Edward lost the bet." Another voice—female this time.
There was a snicker or two. "Ilaisaane, while I appreciate the humor, it has no place in these proceedings."
"As you say, Honored One."
"Any further comments or questions before sentence is passed?" Several minutes went by while nobody said anything. "Very well," the old one sighed. "We will pass judgment. In the matter of Sergio Velenci, what say you?"
"Guilty." A voice at the far left.
"Guilty." A voice right next to that one. Calls of Guilty continued until eight voices had expressed that opinion.
"I also vote guilty," the old one said. "It is unanimous; let the record reflect the vote." The younger one tapped away. "Russell, move the female over to the side, please."
A vampire to my left (I hadn't been able to see him before) came and took my arm, moving me over to the side. I was now facing the center of the room and could see quite a bit more than I could earlier. I stood there, immobile, blinking like an owl.
"Bring Sergio forward." Another vampire brought Sergio forward. I recognized him, all right—the dark good looks and cruel mouth I'd seen outside my car door in the parking lot of a bar. If I could have moved or spoken, I imagine I would have rushed forward to slap him and curse him while I did it. As it was I watched, frightened out of my wits. I was seeing what would happen to me in only a few moments.
"Gavin, would you like to perform this service?" the old one asked.
"With pleasure," Gavin snarled, pacing forward. I saw something then that I hadn't known was possible. Gavin's eyes went red—as red as blood—and his fangs descended. Then, very lengthy claws formed on his fingers and with one slicing blow, he decapitated Sergio Velenci.
Sergio's head rolled away and his body dropped to the floor. That was when I saw what happens to a vampire when they die. The clothing was intact but the body began to flake away until something like gray ash formed. It was only a matter of minutes until the entire body was completely decomposed, bones and all. Another vampire came forward and lifted the clothing away, carrying it toward the cave entrance. I didn't see what he did with it.