The Blood Legacy (The Lost Heir Book III)

The Blood Legacy Law

As Isabella and her friends shoveled down their chili in the Landry brothers' spacious Victorian-style kitchen, a large screen that hung just above their heads but not quite on the ceiling displayed an old film Isabella did not recognize but Xander knew like the back of his hand. "I can't believe you run such rare gems like this," Xander rattled on. They sat around a high rectangular table on stools facing the screen. "This is one my mother brought me a copy of, which I always found so weird because it was said to have been disintegrated. You know old films. But she had it. She'd known I'd love the director and had always wanted to see the movie. So, does that mean you have access to movies we don't down here? Why is that? And...oh, of course, your parents were the Landry's of the Landry house, so these are maybe from a private collection?"

"Xander, enough. I thought you were so worried about Lana," Cleo complained.

"I am...Just like everybody else," he finished, earning him a roll of the eye from Cleo.

"Fine then, but can't you just—" Before Cleo could go on, the old film was interrupted. Breaking news from The Empath Network splashed across the screen. A female newscaster materialized, her expression grim. She stated that the trial for Colin who was the chief suspect in the murder of an empath Serena, had been moved up to three hours from then—a night trial. Evidence against the young man had mounted, and it was decided that a speedy trial was in the best interest of justice. Whether innocent or guilty the crime of murder especially one so horrible couldn't be allowed to languish. Then the news bulletin was over and the screen switched back to regular programming. Elias got up and went over to a large black box that spit out a long strip of paper. "The Midnight Brotherhood has been disbanded and is under Shadow Watch surveillance."

"Why didn't they say that on the screen?" Xander asked.

"Not every home gets the same alerts," Elias explained. "Since we have a tie to the Brotherhood, we've received this additional alert from the Empath Network. Colin is the one we have to worry about. This doesn't look good."

"A night trial!" Cleo blanched. "They just want to send him away. They're monsters."

Isabella was stunned silent. She couldn't believe that her own people were willing to loop a noose around her brother's neck just to get tongues to stop wagging and show a hand of force. There was no other reason to rush the trial even more than it had been. Colin was innocent, so she didn't buy that they had a huge pile of evidence. Just the desire to see someone go down for the murder even if they had to create a suspect out of thin air. If they didn't get back soon then Colin could end up being convicted. What Isabella wanted to know was how the Light Council could have allowed all of this to go on.

"Cleo, do you have any idea what's going on with the Council? What's their part in this? You said they had to give him over to the Shadow Watch, but did they say anything else?"

"They haven't said much. Your grandmother was there when they took Colin, our parents, even Betty, but they just went into seclusion after that, telling us to stay put in the hotel. So, of course, we came here. It was obvious Lana and Evie were lost, and so... Anyway, they're gone again. I guess that's what they do."

"Then we have to take care of this ourselves," Isabella said on a sigh.

"Exactly like we've been doing," said Seth.

Isabella had evidence that could exonerate Colin.

"It also means my brother needs us more than ever." Isabella put on a brave face. "I just need to get on the witness list and present my evidence. No one fair will convict him then."

"Everyone knows Colin's being framed," Nate said gruffly, pushing back from the table and getting up to clear away the dishes with Julian. "But you know... you can't testify."