Chapter 10 The Elders’ Gambit
The Elders' Gambit
Krispin
We were getting ready to move into our new home.
Instead of one week, it had taken nearly three.
The seller was out of contact and could not sign any documents, so we had to wait.
Ben was nearing the end of his second month, and he was glowing.
I loved seeing his stomach grow larger and larger; knowing my son was in there was beyond belief.
The only dark cloud in my world was that there had been no word on the rogue gargoyle, and it was like he had dropped off the face of the earth. Likewise, Elder Atticus had not contacted us to give us any updates. It put me and my dragon on edge.
But life went on. We took a trip to Belle Fort to visit Cam and Jackson and also give me an opportunity to collect some things from my previous home. I had not been back since meeting Ben.
"Ugh, ick," I gagged as I was cleaning out my fridge.
"I don't even know what this was. It's a science experiment.
" My face cringed in disgust. I heard Ben sniggering in the background with Cam.
I looked over to see Ben sitting on the couch with his feet up, Cam opposite him. They were enjoying my torment.
"Oh, come on. You're a big, bad five-thousand-year-old dragon. Surely, it's not the worst thing you have seen, old man," Jackson snarked as he walked into the room.
"I’ve seen many things that would make your blood curl in my long life, but this is disgusting. And you better respect your elders, whelp," I mock glared at him and laughed.
Roarke walked in from the outside and, like it had been for the past months, Devin followed.
Things were not easy in their mating. I had talked to Roarke and he confirmed that they were mates, but there were issues and he didn't want to talk about it.
I respected that, but I hoped that they worked out their issues soon.
I could feel the strain it was putting on both of them, and I wanted them to be happy.
The ringing of Ben's phone caught my attention. He looked at the screen and frowned.
"Hello?" he said answered, questioning.
With my dragon hearing, I heard the voice reply, "Yes, this Elder Atticus of the Circle of Elders."
In a flash I was by Ben's side. What did the elder want? Did he have an update?
"Oh, yes, hello, Elder. Do you have word about my attack?" Ben asked.
"As a matter of fact, I do. Chieftain Bazer is here at the Circle. He is denying his involvement and attacking you. We would like you to come here and see if you can identify him and testify against him if he truly is the one that attacked you," Elder Atticus said.
Ben looked me in the eyes and I could feel his unease. I was also uneasy about this situation, especially with Ben being pregnant.
"Elder, I don't know if I can make it down to Texas to the Circle. I’m currently in Montana with my Beloved. Perhaps you could send me a picture of Bazer? I could identify him that way. Also, I could video conference my testimony," Ben suggested.
"No, no. That won't work. While I can send you a picture so you can determine if he is the one that attacked you; all testimony before the Circle must be made in person. If you can’t come down here, we will have no choice but to let him go," he informed Ben with a hint of glee.
Why would he be happy to let this attacker go? I thought to myself.
"Send me the picture. If it’s him, I will be there to ensure that justice is served. Once I get it, I’ll call you back. Good day, Elder," Ben said curtly and hung up the phone.
No one said anything as we all sat there processing the latest information. A chime sounded, indicating a text was received. Ben lifted his phone and looked. He closed his eyes.
"It's him. It's the gargoyle that attacked me," he said and opened his eyes to look at me. I could sense his emotions were as high as mine. "Kris, I have to go testify against him. I can't let him loose to attack someone else," he said.
"I don't like it. I don't trust this Elder Atticus, and we don't know if this is a trap," I said.
"I know, but this rogue came into my coven's territory and attacked me. He nearly killed me, Kris! I can't just let him walk!"
I sighed. As much as I hated the idea, he was right. Maybe I could still take him to my lair and forget everyone else. My dragon was all up for that. Ben must have caught that thought because he smirked and shook his head.
"Roarke, you are to be by Ben’s side at all times. Where he goes you go," I ordered. Roarke bowed his head to me.
"We'll come too. The more friends you've got there watching your backs, the better," Cam said. I nodded my thanks to him.
"I'm coming too. If those gargoyles think they can hurt my best friend, they have another thing coming," Devin snarled.
Ben looked at me again. I conveyed all the love I had for him in that look. He nodded and smiled. "I guess I should call and tell the elder we are coming to Texas," he said.
Ben
Being a man and being pregnant did not go together.
So, having to hide the fact that I was pregnant was going to be difficult.
We had to make it look like I had just gained weight since Elder Atticus had seen me before.
Luckily it was moving into winter, and cooler weather had been forecasted for northern Texas where we were currently headed.
Hopefully a sweater and jacket could hide my baby bump efficiently.
We would be reaching the Circle of Elders' location in about an hour.
I'd been told the location was a replica of the real-life Stonehenge, and the six elders stood round about in judgement.
I was concerned though. I didn't want to see my attacker, but I knew I had to.
It wasn't so much I was scared of him; it was the unknown.
I felt like something bad was going to happen, and I worried about my son.
I knew Kris and our friends would keep me safe, but I could not shake the feeling.
"We should be pulling onto the Circle's grounds and entering their territory in just a moment," Basil said from the front seat.
When I had told Master Stephen that we were going to the Circle of Elders, he’d insisted that Basil go along.
He would have come too, but someone needed to run the coven.
I felt Kris stiffen beside me, and I tried to ease his tension.
Don’t worry. Everything will be all right.
Roarke and Devin said they would be right at my side always. Not to mention the others.
It's difficult to relax when I don't trust anyone here. I don't want to fail again. I can't fail again, he whispered softly in my head.
You won't fail, and you didn't fail before. You trusted your brother, and you were investigating the deaths of the other dragons. You didn't fail. I replied adamantly.
All the same, I will kill every last one and burn the sky if they dare touch you.
"We're here," Basil said as we pulled up in front of a large mansion. Hmm, not what I’d pictured. We got out and were greeted by two large gargoyles.
"Good evening. Which of you is Benjamin Morgan?" one asked.
I stepped forward. "I am."
He nodded his head. "If you would please come with us, we’ll take you to the Circle. Your friends can wait here."
"Not happening," Kris and the others replied as one.
"We all go together, or we don't go at all," Kris said with finality.
"We were instructed to bring only Benjamin to the Circle," the other gargoyle said.
"Well, I’m not going without my Beloved and those here," I told them.
"I will take them back to the Circle. You both may leave." Another gargoyle appeared in the doorway.
"Elder Sonod. Elder Atticus instructed us only to bring the one," the one closest to me said.
"You both may leave," he said again in a harsher tone. They both bowed and left.
"Welcome," he said to all of us. Then he stepped up and hugged Roarke tightly. Devin stiffened beside me.
Roarke smiled and backed up. "It’s good to see you, my friend.
Elder Sonod, may I introduce Benjamin Morgan and his mate, Krispin Adair?
The second of the Walden Coven, Devin Davis, and the lead enforcer, Basil Paladorus.
And this is Cameron James and Jackson Turner of the Belle Fort Wolf Pack," he said as he pointed to each of them.
"It’s good to see you too, old friend. Although, I don't know the reception you all will receive here," he said. He made motions for us to follow him, and we started to walk.
"Atticus is up to something, and I don't know what it is, and he has the ear of three of the other elders," he whispered as he leaned in.
"Have you heard anything of what he might be planning?" Kris asked.
"No, they’re all tight-lipped. There have been a lot of halted conversations or talks behind closed doors. It’s very disconcerting."
"Roarke, remember what I told you. You leave Ben's side for nothing," Kris ordered.
We made our way outside, and I saw the big stone pillars standing in a circle. It truly looked like the images of Stonehenge. It was beautiful. There were several gargoyles surrounding the circle and five in the inner circle. Then I saw him—the gargoyle who attacked me. He had a smirk on his face.
"Elder Sonod!" Elder Atticus bellowed. "You dare bring all these foreigners to the Circle. Only the accused was to be brought before us," he snarled.
Accused? Did he just call me the accused? What the hell is going on? I thought to Kris who stiffened beside me.
"These men are guests of the Circle. The accused is the gargoyle Bazer, who attacked the vampire in his territory," Sonod replied.
"There is no evidence of that, except the word of this bloodsucker. Who has chosen to besmirch a highly regarded chieftain!" Atticus replied.
"Highly regarded," Sonod scoffed. "This is the same former chieftain who was bested and overthrown because of his treatment of non-gargoyle mates."
"Gargoyles should never mate outside their race," Atticus shot back. "It was right of Chieftain Bazer to punish those who would sully our kind."
The gargoyles surrounding the circle moved closer; they seemed to have tripled in number. Many of the elders nodded in agreement with Elder Atticus.
"Dogs, Bloodsuckers, human cattle, all should be our slaves!" Atticus continued.
The gargoyles moved closer and closer, ready to seize us the first chance they got. Through this back and forth, I felt Kris becoming more and more enraged. These elders were about to come face to face with the King of the Dragons if they continued this line.
I heard a scuffle; a gargoyle had attacked Cam.
Jackson shifted into his huge wolf, intent on defending his mate.
He was double the size of a normal wolf with all black fur, he had long sharp teeth, and his lips drew back in a snarl as he continued to defend Cameron.
During the attack, Cameron shifted as well.
He was a little smaller than Jackson but still larger than a normal wolf.
The other gargoyles converged on us. I heard a mighty roar and felt Kris's power. All movement stopped as a bright light shot forth and Kris transformed into his magnificent dragon.
"You dare try to attack my Cardia!" he roared. "I am High King Krispin Adair, King and Sovereign of High Garden, Guardian of the Sacred Fire, and you dare try to accuse and try to harm my mate."
Everyone stared at him in stunned silence. Then everything went black.