The Devil's Love

Playing with Fire: Chapter 27: Anton

I watched for as long as I could before the screams of her agony broke me. There was nothing that I could do for her, I wasn't allowed in there. It wasn't safe for her, she would be hallucinating and she wouldn't see me as her love, she would see me as a nightmare.

"My lord, I will stay here," Rowan said softly. "Go and finish what you set out to do."

I looked at Rowan, her eyes filled with as much pain as mine did. She offered a soft smile of hope.

"Bring them down." She whispered dangerously.

Clutching at the photos in my pocket, I thought of how these people caused damage in her world. Their actions led to her son being in so much danger, their actions almost killed him. She had every right to be angry at them, her calm disposition was unnerving. Rowan should be pushing me out of the way to kill them. But she knew her place, she knew that this was my show and I would bring them down in a manner that will be just and lawful.

"You know where I am if you need me."

"Yes my lord."

I turned out of the room and returned to the council chambers, ignoring the shock on their faces as I walked in.

"Master Dremain, is there something wrong?"

"Oh, there is indeed grand councilor."

Taking a deep breath as I walked along the backs of the two chairs where Sarah and I had sat, I composed myself. Pushing aside the morose thoughts of Sarah and her pain, I controlled and leveled my hatred for these people.

"I have come before you at this moment to discuss issues that are rising in this world. It would seem that there is a master plan for someone, namely a vampire to destroy another vampire and his family."

I gestured to William who sat rigidly, his stoic face firmly fixed upon the grand councilor. To say that he was not impressed was an understatement. Quietly livid might be more accurate.

"The gem aviano dela calanya was also found in the Lancaster dynasty house. For any of you who might not be aware of it, aviano dela calanya is from the Solan dimension. I find it rather perplexing that the councilor for Solan has suddenly appeared after decades of his dimension being locked."

Not a word was offered for an explanation as to his sudden appearance so I continued on, walking out from the chairs and towards their long table.

"The culprit for placing the stone within the house stated that she was given it from someone that wanted Master Lancaster dead."

"And do you have this in writing Master Dremain?"

"No, but I can take you to the pit where she is burning for her crimes."

The grand councilor looked at me with her usual distaste and then flicked her hand at me to continue.

"A box of shards and soot from a recent fire at the Lancaster dynasty house, together with a statement of facts surrounding the incident from Master Lancaster. There is also a sworn statement from Astril Mayweather stating that the shards are in fact miju stone from the Duroma dimension."

The councilor for Duroma held perfectly still, not flinching. But the eyes told a different story, this was a story of lies and guilt.

I put the box of shards onto the table and pulled out the cylinder, showing them the object before putting it on the table.

"The witch also identified this small, pen-like tube which was found under the cushions of a lounge within the Lancaster dynasty house. It was filled with the scents of lilac and roasted peanuts, things that were put in it to lure my right hand to the object. You will note that there are markings on the side which it says Nicolai Bastian Delacroix, my right hand. This was a trap for him to lure him to touch the markings. Once he did that it cut the skin and drew blood. While everyone was occupied with watching him repair himself, the person behind this crept into the house through the fireplace and removed the cylinder and set fire to the house. The person locked all of the gates into the underworld to escape. I found nothing and no one saw a thing, Cerberus could not track a single scent. It was as if the person had never entered the underworld."

Their eyes widened as they sat more upright, rather shocked.

"I found the cylinder in the darkness between the worlds, my assumption is that the person never entered the underworld and remained in the darkness. Waiting for me to unlock the gates and then they stroll into their own area without a single issue. It was a smart move but I do not believe that they wished to leave the cylinder behind. In the darkness they would have never seen that they had dropped it, never heard it hit the ground, never missed it until it was too late. Cerberus found it and Astril identified it as being made by a witch. But it is so much more than that, what does it look like it is made from?"

"Stainless steel?" The councilor from Faelen offered.

"It would appear that way yes, but that it is incorrect. It is actually made from a pliable metal that is similar to silver. The locals use it for so many things, even grinding down and making a fine powder to coat themselves in."

I looked at the councilor for Gaulth, his eyes averting rather quickly.

"They have breathed it in for centuries and now it alters their skin, their hair, and eyes."

All eyes swung to the man that I was staring at.

"So tell me councilor, how much were you paid to forge the metal in secret in your own world?"

His eyes shimmered, the fine powdery substance floating at the surface of the iris. I could never understand how these people could survive with the dust but they had. The nervous disposition was an easy giveaway, a bead of sweat trickled down past his temple.

"Three of your dimensional councilors have been found aiding a vampire, to bring down an elder vampire and his family. I think you've lost control, councilor."

Her eyes narrowed at me as her lips twisted into a scowl.

"I know what you are playing at Master Dremain and it won't work, there are seven members on this council and only three of them are under investigation."

"Ah, that maybe so but I don't believe you are innocent in this debacle."

I tossed the photos onto the long table, they fell and slid across the wood. The councilor for Meuna picked them up with a frown.

"I call for a vote of no confidence in the grand councilor." she whispered.

The three members raised their hands to vote, the three disgraced councilors said nothing. Not that they were allowed to, being under investigation meant they didn't have a say in anything. It was down to the four and three of them had voted against one.

"Great!" I declared with a dark grin. "With the dimensional council now in ruins, I can continue on with things as they should be."