The Reborn (The Reborn trilogy book 1)

Chapter 19

The trial

Once again, I find myself sitting in a torture chair. For a change though I'm not strapped in but I have a feeling that could change at a moment's notice. The hunter's council formed within a week of Naomi exposing my secret to Lola. Now here I am, the day before my seventieth birthday, sitting in front of these people who have decided they get to decide my fate.

Lola has barely left my side since everything came to light. Every night she sneaks into my room and spends the night by my side. I'm not sure who she thinks she's protecting me from. The hunters or the twin vampire sisters, but if I get to cuddle up with her, I'm not complaining.

Her parents took the news well, all things considered. They were shocked and didn't believe us at first but they understood I wasn't a threat. Unfortunately, Naomi had already sent a message to the council before her parents could react. Lola was furious and if it wasn't for her parents jumping in, she would have attacked Naomi. I think this is why Mr and Mrs Lovec don't mind Lola staying over with me. A few times Naomi has tried to call her but it's always ignored.

From what I could gather Naomi had had a change of heart after her parents also stuck up for me. They read her the riot act for working independently. While they didn't think I was dangerous they'd taught the girls to work as a team. She was also told off for not reporting the two vampires that attacked me. By leaving them, Lola was forced to act alone. While she is fully qualified, she hasn't fought vampires on her own before.

Lola was refusing to hear anything Naomi had to say though.

Now, after making an excuse to Sandra, I was sitting in front of the hunter's council. The room had an old men's smoking club feel to it. Set-up like a courtroom, the rich, heavy wood theme ran throughout. Five people sat on a dais, raised slightly above standing height. Three men and two women. All are dressed in black cargo pants and a black fitted long-sleeved t-shirt. The logo of the hunter stitched into both garments. A little blue star underneath denoting them council members.

Of course, I only learnt that little bit of information in the past two days as the Lovec's tried to prepare me for today.

Apparently, hunters are trained from a young age and upon reaching their late teens partake in the hunter test's. When they pass, they are given their tattoo by the local hunter's group witch. As I saw first-hand on the night Lola fought the two vampires, the tattoo is not an ordinary tattoo. The tattoo is magically branded on the hunter and contains all the powers they need to take on vampires. Increased speed, strength and as I've come to find out increased hearing. Which explains why I've never gotten away with anything in front of Lola.

Lola's charm bracelet is one of many ways the hunters carry their personal arsenal around with them. Naomi and Mrs Lovec both have necklace's, some hunters have rings and apparently some wear them as a badge. No matter how they keep their weapons close though they all work in the same manner. Simply tap the tiny weapon against the tattoo, flash of blue light, bam, full size weapon, ready and waiting to go. Want to shrink them back down, simply tap them against the tattoo again.

Mr Lovec seems to think that I can easily win over two of the council members; apparently, they are younger and eager to update the hunter system. Two of the members would be a straight no, with the head council member Albert Crayton being one of them. Mr Lovec wasn't very fond of the head, by the sounds of things, Lola told me they nearly came to blows a few times over the years. The final member was a good friend of the Lovec's but would be the most unpredictable during the vote. Mrs Lovec told me this council member would listen to all the evidence and make an informed decision from there. They would be the only member of the council that didn't buy into all the politics.