FOUR
Barclay dropped the gavel and called for order in the council chambers. The mumbling of his fellow council members tapered slowly. When it finally died, he gazed into the faces of the men and women who sat around the table, which was built in a half-circle. All of them were experienced Stealth Guardians, seven men and two women with great knowledge and skill, who’d served their people well for many centuries. They had been hand selected to serve on the Council of Nine, the ruling body of their ancient race. Judge, jury, and executioner in one, the council bore a heavy burden. Yet each member wore their duty with pride.
Surrounded by ancient runes engraved in the stone walls of the chambers, and protected by the collective powers of the Stealth Guardians, this was the inner sanctum, a place where few other guardians were allowed to set foot. Important decisions were made within these walls, decisions that could mean life or death for humans and Stealth Guardians alike.
Whenever he sat at the center of the table, Barclay, as primus inter pares, the first among equals, felt the weight of responsibility on his chest. He sensed the winds of change, and he knew their world was at the edge of something new—something that would change all their lives for the worse if he and his fellow Stealth Guardians couldn’t stop it. If only he knew what it was.
Barclay cleared his voice and rested his eyes on the tall man, whose hazel eyes looked anxious and whose dark brown hair looked more disheveled than usual.
“Geoffrey, you called this meeting. The council is eager to hear your report.”
Geoffrey stood. “Brothers, Sisters, Primus—” He nodded toward Barclay. “—I have received disturbing reports from our emisarii. Information has surfaced that the demons have discovered a serum that may make humans more susceptible to their influences.”
A collective gasp rippled through the assembly. Barclay sucked in his breath, the thought of such a thing being possible, shocking him to the core. Was this the change he’d been sensing lately?
“Demons aren’t capable of witchcraft,” Finlay protested loudly.
“Never heard of such a thing!” Riona, one of the two female council members, interjected throwing her hands up in a dramatic gesture. “Besides, the witches are our allies, not theirs.”
Barclay pounded the gavel on the table. “Order! Order!”
His fellow council members fell silent as he lashed an angry glare at them. Then he cast his eyes toward Geoffrey. “Continue with your account.”
Giving a pointed look to Finlay, Geoffrey parted his lips. “Witchcraft no. That we agree on, my friend.”
Barclay was fully aware that Geoffrey and Finlay rarely saw eye to eye on anything. He’d had to mediate many a fight between the two guardians, who were as stubborn as they came. For once, he hoped that no such fight broke out at this meeting. Circumstances were too dire to have to waste time on a useless display of excess testosterone as if the two were green teenagers and not the hardened men who had fought by his side for centuries.
“However, I’m not talking about witchcraft. I’m talking about science.”
“Science?” Finlay echoed, clearly stunned.
A grim nod marked Geoffrey’s reply. “Pharmaceutical science. Dr. Leila Cruickshank—” He passed a picture around. “—is a talented researcher for Inter Pharma. Over the last few years, she’s dedicated her life to finding a cure for Alzheimer’s.”
“Very admirable. But what has that got to do with us?” Wade interrupted, threading his fingers through his dark blond hair. “Besides, many others have tried before her, and nobody has succeeded.”
“Has this Dr. Cruickshank?” Finley asked, waving his hand at the picture that reached Barclay at this moment.
Barclay’s gaze fell on the young woman’s face. The picture had been taken through a window from a fair distance. Despite that fact, the lens had been able to capture her essence: her pleasant, yet determined features and her straight nose and piercing eyes underscored what Geoffrey had said. Wearing a white lab coat, she sat at a computer, gazing into the screen in fascination. Her long dark hair was pulled together in a haphazard looking ponytail, strands of it having escaped, framing her classic features, softening them.
“Our emissarius reports that she is at the edge of a breakthrough. According to lab reports he was able to get access to, early clinical trials suggest that the serum seems to be . . . unlocking the mind.”
“Unlocking?” Barclay echoed. “Explain.”
“With Alzheimer’s, neurons and synapses in the brain are destroyed, shutting off the mind, locking away memories and experiences, making people not even remember their loved ones. If this serum does what we think it does, then it seems to reverse some of these effects.”
“Well, that’s a good thing then,” Deirdre agreed and pushed her long blond hair behind her back. “So I’m assuming you want her protected?”
Geoffrey shook his head and gazed into the round, his expression solemn. “On the contrary. I want her eliminated.”
Finlay shot from his seat. “What?”
“We’ve sworn to protect humans and help further the good in the world,” Deidre added, placing a hand on Finlay’s arm and urging him to sit back down. “And you want to do the opposite?”
“You’d better have a bloody good explanation for that,” Wade bit out.
As Norton, Ian, and Cinead, the three council members who’d so far remained quiet, cleared their throats, Barclay stood and motioned everybody to be silent. Then he turned to Geoffrey.
“I too would like to hear your reasoning behind this. Alzheimer’s has plagued mankind for many years, and to deny humans a cure for this ailment . . . ” He shook his head. “Speak.”
Geoffrey’s cheeks appeared heated as he continued. Clearly, this subject was dear to his heart. “Just as the serum may halt Alzheimer’s and reverse some of its effects by repairing some of the damaged neurons and allowing memories to flow freely again, it will unlock the mind to allow demons easy access. The natural resistance humans possess to withstand the influence of the Demons of Fear will be melted away. There will be no block, no gate. A human mind will be as open as a school gate on graduation day. And if Inter Pharma decides to not only use this drug to treat current Alzheimer’s patients, but to use it as a vaccine . . . ”
Geoffrey didn’t have to finish his sentence. Everybody in the room knew what this meant. From an early age, all humans would be walking invitations for the demons to take over their minds and control them to do their bidding.
“Nobody would be able to resist,” Cinead said in a gravely voice, rising as he did so. He nodded toward Barclay. “May I speak?”
Barclay showed his agreement with a wave of his hand. Cinead, the Scotsman who’d been on the council longer than any of them, yet had never accepted a nomination as Primus, was the wisest among them, always looking at all sides of an issue before making a decision.
“Geoffrey, you say your emissarius has seen lab reports. Are those available for our review?”
“I can procure them, if you don’t believe my words.” He appeared miffed at Cinead’s request.
“I would like to see them and study the data myself. We cannot callously eliminate a human solely based on the report of one emissarius who might not have the relevant knowledge it takes to assess this issue. We’ve never acted on rumors or assumptions. There’s no need to start now.”
Geoffrey huffed. “I’ll get you the bloody report, but I’m telling you, there’s no time to lose. If the drug is allowed to be brought to market, it has the potential to annihilate the human race and us in the process.”
“I agree,” Riona said. “At the very least, access to it has to be restricted until we know more. If the demons get a hold of it, they may well be able to reproduce it and distribute it among the human population.”
“It would still have to be administered by injection, I assume?” Norton asked, his eyebrows pulling together into a deep frown.
Geoffrey shrugged. “Not every vaccine is delivered with a needle. Should the demons get hold of it, who says they can’t infiltrate the human food or water supply with it? They have to be stopped before they get that far. We have to destroy all traces of Dr. Cruickshank’s research and all samples of the drug.”
“If the drug truly does what you say,” Norton conceded. “However, until then, I am with Cinead: we will not interfere until the facts have been confirmed.”
“The facts seem pretty clear to me,” Ian voiced. “Her research is dangerous. It needs to be taken care of now. Every minute we sit here discussing this, the demons get closer to her, if they haven’t already found her.”
“So this is how much you value a human life,” Riona remarked. “What if it were your life?”
“I’m immortal,” Ian ground out.
“Even you can be killed,” Riona pressed out under her breath, “with the right weapons.”
Barclay ground his teeth, not keen on listening to more bickering between the two. “Either keep your remarks to the subject at hand, or take your disagreements outside. What is it to be?”
At his stern look, both of them pressed their lips together.
Wade lanced a look at the two, then straightened in his seat. “If what Geoffrey says is true, I believe the human race is in grave danger. And there’s really only one way of dealing with a threat like this. We’re not simply guardians, we’re also warriors; collateral damage is expected.”
Barclay clenched his jaw. Wade had always erred on the side of striking first and asking questions second, and this instance didn’t appear any different. He gave his fellow council member a tight look. A shrug was Wade’s answer.
Geoffrey shot Barclay a pleading look. “Primus, I appeal to you. We cannot let this continue. The danger is too immense, the consequences could be disastrous.”
Barclay steepled his fingers, blowing a breath against them. For a moment, he closed his eyes. This was not his decision to make, no matter how much he feared that Geoffrey was right. A drug that turned a human mind into an all-you-can-eat buffet for the Demons of Fear would herald a wave of evil sweeping over this world. With more and more humans acting on the evil influences of the demons, wars would ravage the earth, misery and pain would spread. Fear would escalate, and the demons would feed on all of it, particularly the fear. And they would grow stronger with every human they brought into their fold.
Soon, the world would be overrun with evil: even more people would die of disease and hunger. Every country would be rife with war and conflict; there would be no peace keepers, no law enforcement, no organizations delivering humanitarian aid. Everybody would be out for themselves. Armageddon.
Barclay lifted his lids. “A vote then. Those of you who believe the woman should be assigned a Stealth Guardian for protection for now, say ‘aye’; those who want to eliminate the threat by eliminating the scientist and her research, say ‘nay’.”
One by one ‘ayes’ and ‘nays’ bounced against the wall of the chambers.
Barclay held his breath until everyone had voted.
***
Aiden paced in the long hallway that led to the council chambers, casting a look at the closed door every few seconds. It seemed as if the council members had been in there forever, or maybe it was simply because he felt anxious to get this over with. Already the council wouldn’t be pleased with the outcome of his last mission, but having to accuse a fellow Stealth Guardian of treason in the same breath, would not endear him to anybody.
His friends at the compound had warned him about making the accusation and suggested he let the council draw their own conclusions, simply presenting the facts that he and his brothers had discovered when looking for Hamish. But Aiden knew himself too well. He was as much a hothead as Logan, even if he didn’t flaunt breaking the council’s rules the way Manus did. Most of the time, he followed them. Not doing so would earn severe punishment from the council.
The only reason Manus’s transgressions hadn’t reached the council’s ears yet was because their compound was particularly close-knit. Nobody wanted to be known as a snitch. Their unspoken rule was that they sorted things out between themselves without involving the council.
While Manus had no qualms about seducing the women in his care, Aiden didn’t enjoy the bitter aftertaste such an affair left behind. Yes, he sought sexual adventures outside the compound, with mortal women, but without pretense, never sleeping with the same woman twice, confining himself to one-night-stands in order not to lose focus on his mission or get emotionally involved.
He rarely had any downtime during which to involve himself in a relationship that went beyond the usual wham-bam-thank-you-ma’am method. Not that he was complaining. He wasn’t interested in a relationship. And sex? He could always get sex when he really needed it, but lately even the thrill of a quickie with a virtual stranger couldn’t chase away the emptiness he’d started feeling in his gut. He wondered whether it was the coming change that caused these odd sentiments. He was nearing his two hundredth birthday, and with it what Stealth Guardians called rasen, mating season. His hormones surged to find a mate, yet there were few choices.
The reason so few female Stealth Guardians were available for mating was the dominant male gene, which favored producing males rather than females of their species, tilting the equilibrium in their world. For centuries now, male Stealth Guardians had to look in the human world for their mates. The entire undertaking was fraught with danger: should a Stealth Guardian choose a human as his mate, rather than one of the few female Stealth Guardians, they were both in danger of losing their lives. Only a love pure of heart made a union between a Stealth Guardian and a human possible. Aiden didn’t believe such love existed. Could a Stealth Guardian ever love a creature so inherently weak?
And if the love wasn’t true and pure, the ritual mating, which bound the two lovers together, would rob them of their lives. Their death wouldn’t be instant, but knowledge of it would be. A Stealth Guardian’s immortality would drain away like sand in an hourglass. Just like his mate, he would wither away in a few short months, enough time to regret his actions and see his own death coming. Hamish had almost entered such a union, and only by sheer luck found out in time that his intended mate had been a plant by the demons.
The success rate for finding a mate was thus low, with few single female Stealth Guardians available. He’d practically grown up with Enya, who lived in the same compound with him, and he regarded her as a true sister. There was no physical attraction between them. He knew most of the other female Stealth Guardians in the US, because they were rare, but none stirred him the way a woman should tantalize a man. Maybe he was simply not meant for a relationship.
Aiden knew what was expected of him, and he didn’t want to disappoint. But pleasing his mother and father as well as their community wasn’t in the forefront of his thoughts. He was a guardian first and foremost; finding a mate and helping his race procreate was a distant second. Maybe he could suppress the urges rasen forced on him. He was strong-willed—those damn hormones had nothing on him.
“Guardian,” a voice called him. “The council will see you now.”
The attendant, who seemed to have appeared out of nowhere, stood in front of the door to the council chambers.
“One moment,” he requested, “please place all your electronic devices here.” He pointed to a carved out indentation next to the door.
Aiden did as he was asked and then allowed the attendant to swipe a wand up and down his body. It was a security measure so that no recording devices could be smuggled into the council chambers since all undertakings within were kept secret.
As Aiden finally walked inside, the door closed behind him with a loud clunk.
“The council welcomes you, Guardian,” Primus’s voice greeted him.
Aiden looked straight at him to acknowledge his welcome. He bowed his head. “I thank the council for receiving me, Primus.”
With the formalities behind him, it was time to give them the news. He couldn’t stall this any longer. “I bring bad news. My last assignment ended in a loss. My charge succumbed to the demons. I had to eliminate her.”
Low mumbles went through the assembled.
“As much as we regret this incident,” Geoffrey piped, “it is hardly a matter to bother the council with. You’re not the only one who’s lost a charge in the last few weeks. Reports have—”
“I’ve heard of the reports,” Aiden interrupted impatiently.
When Geoffrey and several of the other council members gasped, he knew that he’d acted against protocol by interrupting him. However, enough time had already been wasted. He couldn’t stand on ceremony.
“And what I have to tell you might be related to it.”
When Geoffrey tried to speak, Primus held up his hand. “Let him talk.”
Taking an extra breath, Aiden recounted what had unraveled at their compound.
“Hamish has disappeared. At first we thought he might have been ambushed, but then we traced his cell phone and found his things.”
“Meaning what?” Primus asked curiously.
“We found his cell phone in a dumpster, together with all this clothes. Neatly folded.”
Several eyebrows rose. Deirdre spoke up. “What are you alleging?”
Aiden swallowed away the bitter taste in his mouth. “When I was on my last mission, outnumbered by the demons, I called for Hamish. He was my second. He didn’t show. I have reason to believe that he deserted us.” The next words hurt to speak, his heart clenching painfully at the loss he experienced. “I believe he’s gone over to the demons’ side.”
He wished he was wrong, but everything pointed to it.
Outraged gasps filled the council chambers.
Cinead rose from this seat. Aiden had always liked the Scotsman and knew he could expect a just ruling from him. “Those are serious allegations, Aiden. Hamish is a valued member of our society, a fierce fighter. I don’t believe him capable of treason. He’s strong of mind, one of the least likely guardians to be influenced by the demons.”
“Then explain to me why he didn’t come to my aid, why we found his clothes and cell phone. He got rid of everything that would have made it possible for us to trace him.” Aiden lashed an accusatory glare at Cinead. Maybe the council member didn’t want to believe that a fellow Scotsman was capable of such thing. “Why did the demons find my charge when I had cloaked her? Only Hamish could have known where we were.”
Ian raised a hand. “Ah, not entirely true, I’m afraid.”
Aiden lifted an eyebrow in question as several heads turned to the council member who’d spoken.
“As you all know, everybody who sits on this council is aware of any assignment that is handed out. Each one of us could have known the whereabouts of your charge. Are you calling us traitors too?”
“No, of course not!” he hastened to answer.
“Then you might grant your fellow guardian Hamish the same courtesy. There could be a myriad of reasons why he disappeared. Maybe he was captured.”
“Since when do assailants fold clothes they strip off their victims?” Aiden grumbled under his breath. Only Hamish himself took such care of his beloved designer clothes.
Cinead nodded at Ian. “We’ll send out guardians to search for him.” He waved toward Geoffrey. “Can you notify the emissarii? They might be able to help.”
Geoffrey gave a nod.
“I want to be on the search team,” Aiden requested.
“I don’t believe that’s wise. You’re too emotionally involved,” Cinead declined.
Aiden shot a pleading look at the head of the council. “Primus, I appeal to you.”
The slow shake of his head quashed any hope that he could get to Hamish before anybody else and wring the truth from him.
“Father, I implore you,” he insisted, hoping by emphasizing that he was not just his Primus, but more importantly his father, he could be reasoned with.
He and his father exchanged a long look. The older man’s dark hair showed a few errant strands of silver, and his angular face was full of laugh lines. Brown eyes studied him from beneath dark lashes. Aiden knew that he’d inherited many of his father’s features, and side-by–side, many would have thought them brothers rather than father and son.
Like all Stealth Guardians, his father aged only fractionally compared to humans. While the offspring of Stealth Guardians aged in the same way human children did, once they reached their twenty-fifth birthday, their aging slowed to the speed of a snail. Even the oldest man of their species, a Stealth Guardian of over 1,500 years of age, looked like a man in his late fifties. Time was good to their kind.
Finally, Primus shook his head. “I’m afraid, son, that’s not possible. You’re needed elsewhere. We have an assignment for you.”