Chapter 30
Chapter Thirty
Adeline
“You dare drag me from my city?”
Latham raises his hand, and Pete makes a strangled noise, his feet lifting off the ground while he clutches his neck. I can smell his burning flesh.
“And you dare talk to me like that? Now, sit,” Latham says, flicking his wrist and dumping Pete in the chair that sits in the middle of the room and in front of the judges’ stand.
Pete coughs, and I can see burn marks around his neck. He clears his throat before looking at the three men he is placed before.
“You are to be trialed for the illegal growing of drugs and blackmailing the sacred forest pack.”
Pete snorts, shaking his head, but the next words to leave Latham’s lips shock me.
“You are also being sentenced today and trialed for Michael Paisley’s murder.”
“Now, just wait a minute. You have no right to send me for trial with no proof,” Pete argues, getting out of his seat. Latham nods to the two men standing in the aisle next to me, and they walk forward, shoving him back down.
“We have enough proof for trial, and your blood will be proof enough for the sentence.”
“What proof? Who is your witness?” Pete demands to know.
“I am,” Maverick says, walking into the courtroom.
I see Pete turn his head, and so do I. Pete pales, and I see him swallow before facing the front again.
Maverick steps forward, walking past Pete and approaching the bench. “I will offer up my blood and take punishment for my own misdoings,” he says, looking at his son.
Eli looks at Latham and nods. Yet I can tell Eli is nervous for his father, making me wonder what he will find.
Latham stands before walking down. He comes over and hands me my son before whispering to Eli beside me.
“You sure about this? I know about your mother. If it wasn’t self-defense, it is punishable by death,” Latham asks him, and I see Eli gulp, his eyes darting to his father.
Maverick nods to him, and I see Eli’s eyes turn glassy. Latham goes to step away, and I grab his arm.
“Is there another way? What proof do you need?”
“Proof that says the hunters are in possession of illegal herbs. The only way for a hunter to get herbs is from us on a permit by the head councilman, and that is Pete,” Latham answers. All joking aside, he is now the judge, jury, and executioner.
I swallow, and he stands before turning to Maverick, who smiles sadly at me.
“Wait,” I tell him just as he goes to slice Maverick’s hand.
Latham turns to face me.
“What about Sam? He was a hunter. He was in possession of herbs. Wouldn’t that be proof enough that the hunters had them?” I ask him.
“We never got to the blood trials for Sam. He escaped before his official sentencing and before I could take his blood to find a suitable punishment,” Latham says.
I swallow, feeling sick. “How much do you see with a blood trial?”
“Everything from the moment you took your first breath,” Latham says.
“Addie?” Eli says, gripping my hand.
“I can give you proof Sam had the herbs and other drugs.”
“Addie, they will see everything. Even what Sam did. Everything you have done,” Maverick says.
“I know, but it won’t leave this room, right?” I ask Latham.
“Only myself and the two other judges will see,” Latham answers.
I nod before getting up.
Eli grips my hand. “You don’t have to do this.”
“He is your father and Eason’s grandfather. Yes, I do,” I tell him before walking out the front.
“Your father would be turning in his grave,” Pete spits at me.
“My father tried to take you down. I know what you did, and I hope you burn for it,” I tell him, holding out my hand to Latham.
“Got any secrets, Addie? Could be signing your own death sentence,” Pete says, and Latham glares at him before taking my hand.
Latham grabs a knife from his pocket before slashing my wrist and covering it with his mouth.
I can feel his tongue lapping at the cut, his eyes turning black and then tingeing red before a menacing noise escapes him, making goosebumps rise on my arms. His scent of burning embers grows stronger, and I am worried he will catch fire with how strong it gets.
He pulls away before looking at the council members on the stand. They look at him, and I can see Latham’s face twisted in anger, his teeth turning to sharp points like a shark. A man in a robe with graying hair waves his hand at Latham; he is older, and his scent is similar to Latham’s.
“No need. I can read enough on your face Latham. Your word is good if you say there is enough evidence in her blood for him to stand a blood trial.” Latham nods.
“The trial begins then,” Latham says before tugging me to him, his lips next to my ear. “I couldn’t make Sam pay, but I will make sure Pete does,” he whispers before kissing my cheek.
He lets me go, and I walk back over to where Cyrus and Eli are. I step past Maverick, and he grabs my hand.
“Thank you,” he says, squeezing my fingers.
I sit back next to Eli, and he grabs my knee, and Cyrus hands me my son. I sniff his little head, soaking up his baby scent, before turning my eyes back to the front.
“What happens now?” I ask Cyrus.
“They have no proof of your father’s murder, but they have enough for the herbs and him juicing the hunters with vampire blood.
Though, that isn’t a death sentence. But if he did kill your father, when they take his blood, that warrants a death sentence.
But not only that. He or Jamison would have organized the hit on Maverick’s pack, so even that should be enough to sentence him,” Cyrus says, and I nod.
So, even if he didn’t kill my father or the children from the pack, he still might have the answers we are looking for.
I watch all three judges surround him, and Pete suddenly starts to struggle, but the two men standing on either side of him hold him down before Latham slices his hand, holding it over a cup and making him bleed into it.
One by one, they each drink some of his blood. Latham is last, and the other two men silently walk back to the bench, not giving anything away while Latham remains.
“My, oh my, you have been busy,” Latham says.
“Pete Mastrone, we hereby find you guilty of illegal growth of herbs. We also find you guilty of the murder of the three children from the sacred forest pack and the kidnap of the others. We also find you guilty of the murder of Michael Paisley. We also find you guilty of supplying the herbs to hunters and juicing them with vampire blood,” Latham says, and I see Pete smirk and shake his head like he thinks it is ridiculous.
“I hereby sentence you to death,” Latham declares before looking over at us.
I find the entire thing very quick and easy compared to the human court systems.
“You may want to leave, Addie. Wouldn’t want to see this, and neither would your son,” Latham says.
Cyrus tugs me with him as he and Eli follow. Maverick, however, stays, glaring at Pete. Eli drops his hand on his father’s shoulder as we step past and into the aisle.
“I want to watch him burn alive,” Maverick says, folding his arms across his chest.
Eli nods to him. “Enjoy the show,” Eli tells him, patting his father’s chest.
“Cyrus, can you organize dinner? I will be up in a while. I will bring some wine,” Latham says, making me look at him. He then looks down at Pete. “I like to burn them slowly, really make them scream,” Latham says before he smiles.
Pete tries to run but is caught instantly.
Eli’s hand on my lower back pushes me toward the doors.
I can hear Pete’s screams the entire way down the corridor.
Eli and Cyrus push me into the elevator before hitting the button.
Eli puts the key in the panel above the buttons and turns it before closing it again.
Cyrus gets out on the first stop, and I go to follow, but Eli puts his hand out.
“You shouldn’t be around others right now. Most are human on that floor, Addie,” Eli says, and I nod.
“When can I see my family?” I ask him. I look down at my son in my arms. I am eager for my mother to meet him.
“Tomorrow if you like,” Eli says, and I wait for the elevator to stop again.
When we get back to the apartment, Eli wanders off to the kitchen while I sit on the couch before he comes over with a fresh bottle. The bottle tinges red with his blood.
“Want me to feed him?” Eli asks, and I swallow but shake my head.
“Addie?” he asks.
“I’m fine,” I tell him, taking the bottle from him.
Eason hungrily drinks it down, gulping his bottle.
When he is done, I burp him over my shoulder and rub his back.
My gums tingle with his scent so close to my face when I stop.
I swallow painfully, my mouth unable to close before Eli walks in front of me, his hands grabbing him.
My hands are shaking as I let him take him.
Guilt smashes into me. The struggle to control my urges is driving me insane; I don’t know how Cyrus puts up with it.
Worry eats at me, making me wonder if I will ever be able to be close to him without someone near to babysit me.
“Hey, it’s normal. Not many newborn vampires also have a baby, okay? We won’t let you hurt him.”
“Yeah, I know, but you also can’t trust me around him, and that sucks.”
“It will get easier, Addie, I promise,” Eli says, and I nod.
Cyrus returns half an hour later while Eli is bathing our son. He seems so natural at everything, while I feel useless because I can’t stay close for too long. One minute I am fine; the next, I am scaring myself.
“I brought Chinese,” Cyrus says.
I look over my shoulder at him and nod. Feeling someone behind me, I look up over the lounge. Cyrus leans down, and I am about to kiss him when the smell of burned almonds wafts to me. I jerk away, turning to see Cyrus still in the kitchen. I smack Latham, and he grunts.
“I nearly confused you. You almost kissed me. Usually works the first time,” he teases.
“What did he do this time?” Eli says, walking out and seeing me glaring at Latham.
“Pretended to be Cyrus, so I would kiss him,” I tell Eli, and he growls.
“How did you do it?” I ask.
“Magic,” he says, wiggling his fingers in front of my face.
“He is a demon, Addie. You will get used to him being a creep,” Cyrus says, walking over and putting a plate of Chinese on my lap.
He hands Latham his. “Behave,” Cyrus tells him, and Latham smiles at him.
“Always,” Latham retorts before vanishing and then reappearing beside me on the couch.
“You ever heard of personal space?” I ask him.
“Yep. Why? Do you wanna get personal, Addie?” he says, and I roll my eyes at him.
“Well, we have some news, actually. We are moving back to Parse. Going to move the base down there so Addie can be closer to her family,” Eli says, sitting down with dinner.
“Of course, you are,” Latham says, and he doesn’t look too happy.
“I was hoping you would stay a bit, but I guess I will help you move,” Latham says.
“I thought you were taking a year off,” Cyrus tells him.
“He says that every year,” Eli adds.
“Maybe I will be good to hang with Addie some more,” Latham says, and I growl at him.
“Does she purr like that in bed?”
“Latham!” Cyrus says.
“Fine, fine. But maybe I will still take time off. Can’t torture people forever, be good to get away. I have enough souls to last me a few years now.”
“Souls?” I ask.
“I am a demon, Addie. I feed off souls, blood, and emotion. Incubus is another word. You should meet some of my friends. They will creep you out.”
“Nope, you creep me out enough,” I tell him, and he laughs.
“Glad you kept her. She will keep you both on your toes,” Latham says, and I shake my head at his words when I hear my son cry out from the bedroom.
I get up, only for Latham to vanish before reappearing again on the couch with my son in his arms.
“Should you do that with a baby?” I ask him.
“It’s called misting, and yes, it won’t hurt him. I wouldn’t put your son at risk, Addie,” he says, passing him to me.
“You should feed tonight. I can organize blood bags if you want,” Latham says, and Eli clears his throat.
“Oh right, I suppose another time,” Latham says, making me look at Eli.
“He wants you to mark him now that you can. You will feed on Eli tonight,” Cyrus says.
“Why not just ask? I would have said yes,” I tell Eli.
“Because you are easier to control while distracted,” Eli says, and my face heats when I get what he is saying.
“Can I watch?” Latham asks, and Cyrus hums, shaking his head.