Hunting Aurora

Chapter 16

Chapter 16

We walk into a large building which to me looks like an old cathedral but Sabastian advised me that it is in fact where the Vampire Council have their meetings and on occasion, trials and even executions.

Still, it's a place of beauty with amazing architecture, marble floors, pillars and arches. High ceilings with decorative detailed carvings and paintings. There is a lot of gold trimmings and statues...mostly angels and cherubs.

I cannot for the life of me imagine a place like this being utilised by vampires.

There's dead silence among everyone as we walk through the hall, led by one of the guardsman. The only sound is that of our shoes on the marble floor and I become so conscious of it that I deliberately try to soften my steps.

Once we walk through the double volume mahogany doors I'm left astonished and the sight before me. Not only is the room almost the size of a football field. It's laid out like a lecture hall with rows of chairs fitted in a horse shape layout. Each row a step higher than the one in front. With four stairways placed between the seats, to ensure 5 sections of seats.

There could easily be thirty rows of seats if not more. Down where the last row of seats are the floor levels out onto a large empty space. At the far side of the floor there are two, what I can only describe as a wooden podium with a chair similar to a witness stands found in court.

In front of the room is a stage-like platform which holds a long table and seven chairs. The chairs look like that of Kings, like ones you would see in movies. High backs with velvet red cushions. Mahogany wood with detailed carvings. Ball and claw legs. The table draped with a matching red table cloth.

Old tapestries lines the walls all depicting war like images. The main colours being the same deep red colour making everything in the room seem to flow. What astonished me more the elaborateness of the room was that it was almost completely filled, almost no empty seats available. I've never seen so many vampires gathered in one place... It was daunting. But not all present were vampires, one section was filled with werewolves, another with witches.

In one of the witness stands Aurora was already seated. On each side of her stood a guard.
As we started making our way down a row of stairs towards a few open seats closer to the front a sudden silence filled the room followed by hushed whispering. It was only then that I noticed it was as a result of the vampires noticing me... A hunter, and I couldn't help but feel a little nervous of my situation.

Aurora also noticed the change of tone and demeanour and looked up for the first time. Surprise evident on her face as her eyes found me. She was obviously not expecting to see me here.

Me, on the other hand had a look of anger when she looked up at me... Not because of her selfish decision to hand herself over to the council, even though I was angry about it. No, this anger only arose in me now as she lifted her head to reveal a swollen and beaten face. Her lip was cut open and her eye was blue. It could only be by Robert's hands and that infuriated me.

She is not allowed to stand up and we are not allowed to approach her. The closest chairs we can get was in the fourth row. Not long after we took our seats a door on the side of the stage opened and a row of vampires entered. Each taking a seat behind the table. The second last Vampire I recognise as Robert.

Sabastian leans towards me and whispers "The first one is Marcus" I nod in understanding as this is the Vampire who contacted Alex, he is also the one who has been feeding Sabastian information on what's happening on the inside. He is one of the council members Victor told Aurora all those years ago as being against Robert. Victor told Aurora they were 3 appose to Robert becoming a council member but with Victor dead that only leaves Marcus and one other... The problem is we don't know who the other is.