Blood Legacy: The House of Alexander (10 page)

Ryan raised an eyebrow. “A single hunter? And how is this hunter chosen?”

Abigail again took up the thread of conversation. “It depends on the level of the cleansing. There are the short-term, which take place once a decade. And there are the 100-year purges which take place at the century mark. A hunter of suitable ability is chosen each time to fulfill the purpose of each hunt.”

Ryan was growing wary. This sounded barbaric even for their Kind. “And again, that purpose is?”

Aeron settled back into his high-backed chair. “The decade purges are primarily to cull Young Ones, to weed out the weak.” He examined his perfect finger nails. “In a century purge, a hunter would perhaps target some of the older of this group, some just prior to the age of reproduction.” He raised his eyes and Ryan felt the coldness of his gaze penetrate her, hold her captive. He was pleased that her gaze did not waiver, and more pleased when she queried him in even tones.

“And how does the hunter determine who will survive?”

There was suddenly much shifting in the room behind her. Aeron smiled. “You see, that’s the beauty of it,” he said, savoring the words. “There is no judgment involved.”

Ryan found herself holding her breath, an act that had no physiological significance to her anatomy, but was a carryover from an ancient human existence.

“It is the job of the hunter to kill every One of our Kind that he is capable of.”

The words echoed, and then silence filled the great hall. Ryan pondered the meaning, unable to grasp what this had to do with her. They could not possibly be warning her. She would destroy any hunter that came near. She had no offspring to protect, and her father, at least in their minds, needed no protection at all.

Aeron could see that Ryan was still not grasping the intent of the Council and he was enjoying her puzzlement. He spoke quietly, matter-of-factly in his clipped, aristocratic accent.

“This is a millennial purge. There has only been one other in the Memories of our Kind.”

Ryan began to comprehend.

“-And Victor was the hunter chosen at that time.”

Ryan did not speak. It was all beginning to make sense, pieces falling into place. The eyes of all the Council members were upon her, as well as those of the witnesses. The silence in the room was absolute, broken only when Aeron delivered his final pronouncement.

“And we have chosen you as his successor.”

Ryan’s reply was as quick as it was abrupt. “Then you are insane.”

There was an explosion of murmuring behind her, both at Aeron’s unexpected announcement and Ryan’s cutting reply. Aeron did not respond, but simply gazed at Ryan with obvious pleasure.

“Why would you choose me?” Ryan demanded, “You know that I would decimate the population of our Kind.”

“Exactly our reasoning,” Aeron said smoothly, “Quality control, my dear. Remember?”

Ryan did not bend and her words were sharp. “As much as I might enjoy a little killing spree, especially given the opportunity to weed out some of the undesirables amongst our Kind,” her emphasis on the last word and her glance at Aeron gave little doubt as to whose offspring she was referring to, “This is not a good time for me.”

Aeron did not hesitate. “And why is that, my dear?”

Ryan’s jaw clenched and the shutters of her mind slammed downward. She had nearly walked into that trap again. She had the sudden fleeting thought that perhaps that was why she was being sent on this task in the first place. But she could not entertain the thought and withstand the mental onslaught of the five in front of her. She blanked all trace of her father from her mind, and instead responded with her own question.

“And if I refuse?”

Aeron glanced at his perfectly manicured fingernails. “Then you will pay the price for disobeying this Council.”

Ryan rolled her eyes and her voice dripped with sarcasm. “Oh no, not that.”

This angered Aeron and his eyes flashed as he sat forward in his chair. But before he could address her insolence and dismissive attitude, Abigail interjected.

“What did your father tell you to do?” she asked calmly.

Ryan was silent as Abigail gazed at her intently. Ryan held her gaze, then looked downward. The silence was pronounced

“He told me to obey the edict of this Council.”

Abigail sat back, exchanging a significant look with Aeron. Ryan’s eyes were cast downward, and she missed the exchange, but Marilyn did not. Marilyn’s expression did not change but she filed the piece of information away.

Ryan looked back up, addressing Abigail. “Victor knew why you called me here?”

Abigail was both gentle and not. “Of course. I spoke with him myself. I am surprised he did not make you aware of what you faced.” She paused, her voice lowering. “Ah, but I forgot—your father tells you nothing of our Kind, forcing you to learn everything the hard way.”

Ryan let the mild insult slide, her mind too full to take on the insignificant.

“Then I have no choice but to accept this task.”

It was obvious that Ryan was angry, and that Aeron was inordinately pleased. He spoke, businesslike, as if the outcome had never been in question.

“You have one year, in which to fulfill your duty, and you will report to the Grand Council every three months.”

Ryan nodded, her jaw clenched. It appeared that matters were all but settled. The witnesses behind her began to stir in preparation for departure. Ryan’s next words stopped them cold.

“I have but one final question.”

Aeron outwardly showed no concern. But his sudden stillness indicated he was listening carefully, as were all of the Council members.

“Which is?”

There was a long silence accompanied by a sharp drop in the atmospheric pressure of the room. It was Ryan’s turn to examine her fingernails. When she spoke, she enunciated each word clearly and carefully.

“If I am to kill every One of our Kind that I am capable of killing…” She slowly stood, her lithe figure unfolding with a deadly grace. Her words were still spoken softly, but with a dangerous edge.

“Does that include the five before me?”

There was stunned silence in the room, intermixed with a good deal of anger. Aeron’s expression was cold and it was evident he was furious. Ala, who was surprised by little, was astonished at the boldness of this One. Marilyn, who knew how powerful Ryan was, kept her thoughts to herself. Abigail, for the briefest moment, actually considered the possibility of the girl’s threat.

Only Kusunoki smiled.

Knowing that she would not receive a response, Ryan turned her back on the Council, but Abigail’s voice stopped her. “I will speak with you before you leave.”

Ryan turned slightly, then nodded deferentially. “I will wait for you.”

And the indicted One left the room.

Eleven of the twelve witnesses sat in their chairs, frozen. Edward, the only one who was clear-headed enough to remember protocol, got to his feet. The other witnesses were immobile a moment longer, then scrambled to their feet. They stood stiffly until Aeron waved his hand angrily, ignoring procedure.

“Get out.”

The twelve disappeared as if they had never been there.

Ala rose gracefully, and Kusunoki stood, offering his arm to her. Ala took the proffered arm, nodding to the other three Council members. “I am going to retire to my quarters.” Kusunoki nodded also, and the two left by the door through which they had entered.

It was quiet, then Marilyn broke the silence. “Well, I thought that went well.”

Both Abigail and Aeron turned to Marilyn, her irony unappreciated. Marilyn smiled her wicked smile and stood. “I, too, am retiring to my quarters. I shall have to find a way to release all of the pent-up energy this little gathering has aroused.”

Both watched her leave, their thoughts very different on the subject of release, and yet very much the same. It was again silent for a moment, then Abigail turned to Aeron, rising. Her words were both a warning and a parting shot as she, too, took her leave.

“I certainly hope you know what you are doing.”

Ryan met Edward in one of the alcoves in the hallway. The subterranean gathering place was filled with corridors, their twists and turns offering opportunities for trysts of all kinds. But as with all political institutions, privacy was at a premium, not because the walls had ears, but because the inhabitants of this structure could hear right through them.

Ryan took that into consideration when choosing the location in which she would speak. She was as far away from the permanent quarters of the Grand Council as possible.

“Well, I thought that went well,” she said, unknowingly echoing both Marilyn’s words and her sarcasm.

Edward raised an eyebrow. “Ah, yes. I thought your closing statement was particularly effective.”

Ryan’s mouth twitched. “I believe it was a perfectly valid question.”

“I do not think the Grand Council shared your belief.”

The dangerous edge returned to Ryan’s voice. “They might be in for a very unpleasant surprise.”

Edward nodded, returning to the primary matter at hand. “I cannot believe that they would choose you for this task.”

“Yes,” Ryan mused, “On our return trip you are going to have educate me further on these ‘cleansings.’ It seems quite idiotic that I am supposed to run around for a year killing everything I see.”

Edward shrugged. “It is an ancient custom. It is normally fraught with political implications, and generally a great honor to be chosen. Although the ‘cleansing’ is supposed to be without judgment, it rarely is. For the hunter, it is an opportunity to shape the future of our Kind, at least to a degree. Which is why it is so odd that they have chosen you.”

Ryan turned to him with a questioning eye, and Edward explained.

“You have no political aspirations and few if any political ties. I cannot see that it would benefit any members of this Council to appoint you, unless they thought they could turn you against another’s lineage, thereby leaving their own in a greater position of power.”

Ryan pondered his words. “It still doesn’t make sense to me. They know I have the ability to decimate our Kind. I almost wonder if this is an excuse to separate me from my father in his time of need.”

Edward was quiet. The thought had occurred to him as well. He softly spoke the obvious. “That would imply that someone on the Council knows that he is in fact in need.”

Ryan spoke the less obvious. “Or that they had a hand in causing it. We haven’t ruled out non-natural causes.”

Edward nodded gravely. That would imply deep machinations on someone’s part. For someone to strike at Victor without his or Ryan’s knowledge would require great skill and planning. But who would benefit from such a strike? And what was the end result of such an elaborate plan? Ryan would simply be furious and take her revenge on whomever was responsible.

Unless, of course, Ryan was next. All five of the Council members would benefit from the removal of both Victor and Ryan.

Ryan read the concern on Edward’s face. She put her hand on his shoulder. “Don’t worry about me, my friend. We have no evidence whatsoever to support any of this conjecture, and I did not sense anything from anyone in that room. I do not trust any member of the Council, even those who claim alliance with my father. As powerful as they are, I find it difficult to believe that they could strike at Victor without his knowledge. This situation may be exactly what it seems, and that is exactly how I am going to respond right now.”

Edward did not completely understand. “And your response will be?”

“I am going to do exactly what they have commanded me to do. I am going to kill everyone of our Kind that I am capable of killing.”

Edward felt a bit uncomfortable. “Should I distance myself from you now or later?”

Ryan rolled her eyes. “I am not going to kill you, Edward. Don’t misunderstand me. I am going to do as they have commanded, and I will do it in the way that they expect.”

“I am still not certain I understand.”

Ryan smiled a humorless smile. “There will be some partiality in my choice of prey.”

Edward nodded slowly. “But how will you decide?”