The Reborn (The Reborn trilogy book 1)

Chapter 21

I'm a what now?

A man with dishevelled ash-blonde hair walks in the court room. The confidence radiating off him is staggering. "Wow, all this for one reborn. Half you nosy lot haven't gotten off your butts in years. Yet here you all are today. Expecting to see a show, is it? Is that why you've left your cosy little fortresses?"

"Mr Howell. This is a formal hunter council trial. No need for your talents today." Mr Crayton says with a huff of irritation. For such a bulky bloke he sure had a whiny voice.

"Please, call me Dexter." Dexter says with an easy smile, completely at ease in his surroundings. "And yes, I know it's a trial, that's why I'm here, to give evidence, so to speak."

"We don't have time for games, we're about to vote."

"Ah, but you're going to want to hear what I have to say. Blow your little mind it will." Dexter says while studying his nails. After scraping an imaginary piece of dirt off his nail he looks straight at the council. "What will it be ladies and gentlemen? Imprison an innocent or find out the truth about how you hunters came into existence."

The council all start looking at each other, shifting uncomfortably in their seats. Whoever this Dexter guy is he holds some kind of power over them. Mr Crayton has tried to show a good front but even his attempts to keep Dexter in-line and out of proceedings have lacked the pompous air he had before the interruption. Whispering increases around the room from the viewing hunters. They came to see the anomaly that is me but now they may get the chance to learn something about their heritage. This must be pretty huge information if it's going to get me my freedom. I suddenly find myself praying this guy I've never met before can come through for me.

"I'll take your silence to mean I can continue. Why thank you, you're all so kind." Dexter moves so he's standing directly in front of me, back to the council. With a twirl of a finger a chair appears in front of him. A witch then, probably the personal witch to this faction of hunters. He straddles the chair, resting his arms on the back. Never taking his eyes off me. "Hello Miss Walker, it's a pleasure to meet you. My name is Dexter Howell and as you might have guessed I'm a witch."

"Nice to meet you too Mr Howell."

"I would just like to ask a few questions just to confirm some things. You're not in trouble, so just be as truthful as you can be. Is that okay?"

"Yes sir."

"Now you've already confirmed your age and the age you were when vamparized. And you came from the Gerard sire line."

"You're just repeating everything we've already gone over. If you're not going to give us any new information then let's end this trial." Mr Crayton blusters. Finding his voice again.

"I'm getting there, always so impatient Bertie. You know patience is key in a successful hunt. Now, before I was rudely interrupted." Dexter says with a sparkle in his eye, he knows the irony. A slight twist of his fingers the only thing to give the game away that he sent a spell towards the council. Which by the looks of Mr Crayton's face must have been a silencing spell. "You were a vampire for over fifty years but how many of them did you spend with your master?"

"Twenty years, then I escaped and lived on the run for the next thirty, sir."

"While I appreciate someone who has proper manners, unlike this younger council. Please, call me Dexter, no more sir. We're about the same age after all." He says with a smile. I knew witches lived longer but he looks to be in his mid-twenties at most. "I know I look very youthful for seventy-seven years on this planet." He says with a chuckle, reading my shocked reaction perfectly. "How did you feed when you were on the run?"