Chapter 12

The black brotherhood soon became a familiar presence in the Carrington home. Colbie knew her father had been in talks with them for over twelve hours a day and yet she did not know what exactly was going on behind those doors. She knew it was about her, they had all stared at her for much longer than necessary over the dinner table but then they never said a word to her. It was like they were all watching and waiting for something. For a person who had always been mollycoddled but never really raised up to be something extraordinary, it was unnerving to see that people were paying real attention to her – that they were expecting her to do something incredible from her.

Taking the steps two at a time, Colbie rushed down the main stair case and proceeded towards the main hall. She had received a summons only a few minutes earlier from her father. A frown formed between her brows, her steps slowing as dread finally overtook the need to answer her father’s summons.

Inhaling deeply, she pressed onwards. Since the funeral only a few days ago, the sadness that had been so cloying before had finally lifted. Although the family still grieved, the staff had already begun preparations for her ceremony that would occur in the following week. It never happened at the estate, the energy and magic involved in the actual transition from half to pure vampire was so great that any structure in the immediate vicinity could be ripped to shreds.

Finally the doors to the hall came into view. They were an original feature of the house, one of the few that had not been altered since its original construction. Beautiful carvings told the story of the creation of vampires in delicate detail. The doors had been made and carved by the last king – Colbie’s grandfather – as a present to his wife back when she wasn’t a cold emotionless being that the Carrington heiress remembered from her childhood.

Pressing her hand against the wood, Colbie felt the surprising warmth in the wood before pushing with all of her strength. Usually there would be someone to hold the door open for her as her strength was nothing compared to that of a vampire and as a result certain doors posed issues. With another hard shove, the doors gave way and opened into the main dining hall.

If the groaning sound of the doors swinging open wasn’t enough to bring a blush to Colbie’s cheeks, then the fact that she had knocked over some unsuspecting person with the solid wood door certainly was. Biting her lip, Colbie rushed forwards and attempted to help the person to their feet but she was shaken off and given the back of her victim as he stepped away from her.

Feeling nausea swirling in her gut, Colbie darted a glance at the other cowl covered men but each was looked away from her. Despite this, she could feel their disapproval radiating from them as they purposely looked elsewhere in the room as she passed them by.

Keeping her head held high, Colbie tried not to feel like a she was in the middle of a school playground where the bullies were shunning her because of who she was. It was difficult not to, the only person who had given her such a cold shoulder had been her grandmother – the woman hadn’t been thrilled at the prospect of a granddaughter.

Finally her footsteps clicked to a stop as she stood before her father. The room had been rearranged in light of their guests and her father’s throne had even been brought in. He sat in the gold framed red velvet seat at the head of the room. He was an impressive sight in his robe and crown. It was very rare that he would bother with such items. Colbie stiffened at the sight of them. She knew that it was a very bad sign for her if he was wearing that and had summoned her.

“Here she is my daughter Colbie Carrington.” Her father introduced cheerily as if everyone couldn’t already figure out who she was from her less than graceful entrance.

“Greetings Colbie Carrington,” A stooped figure spoke stiffly, stepping forwards from his place by her father’s side and dipping his head respectfully.

Colbie jumped when a second later, the rest of the brotherhood intoned the same greeting. It was creepy the way that they had adopted the same bland and emotionless tone as the first speaker.

Clearing her throat, Colbie floundered for what to say thus settled for a simple greeting in response.

Once the formalities had been completed, Colbie looked past the hooded figure and met her father’s gaze, trying to convey with the eyes that question that was burning deep within her. Why was she there?

“We are gathered here today as recognition of the work that lies ahead of us. My daughter as you know will be next to take the throne should she choose it. Master Egham, please debrief.”

With a wave of his hand, there was some shuffling behind Colbie. She didn’t turn to look, she just frowned up at her father - the one she held in the highest esteem.

“-Attack last night - forty four casualties. One survivor but she had to be terminated as the poison had taken hold. There was another attack in Shrewsbury – six vampires and ninety two human casualties. No survivors.”

The man continued on and on until Colbie’s eyes became glazed. Most, upon looking at her, would have thought her indifferent but each statistic was bringing in another round of determination but also more doubt. The deaths made her want to step up and take after her father but with each death she heard, the brunette wondered whether she would be able to what needed to be done. Whether she could take up her father’s mantle and lead the brotherhood and the rest of the vampire race through the oncoming war.

Colbie knew that war was coming. She had learnt about the signs from her tutors and these signs were like flashing neon lights. Evil no longer feared discovery – and that could only mean that bad things were to come.

The talking had stopped at some point and the hall had become strangely silent. Colbie blinked and shook her head, letting her gaze roam over the people. She could feel their eyes on her even if she could not see their faces.

“Are we boring you princess?”

The old crackled voice came from her left. Her head whipped around to find the source, to identify the culprit but there were hooded figures everywhere. The only differences were their heights but even then there were only a few centimetres between each of them. William Carrington shot a warning glance in their direction but it was difficult to discern if his gesture made any impact.

Colbie jutted her chin out as was becoming habit and levelled her gaze on the cluster where the voice had come from.

“Not at all. I was merely thinking.”

There were a few titters around the room and some whispering. No doubt they thought the idea of a woman thinking was a complete joke.

“Yes, I know. It’s crazy to think that someone like me can actually think.” Colbie laughed but there was no mirth in it. Her eyes took on a hardness that had never before existed there.

The room fell silent once more and the young woman noted that she now had the grudging interest of everyone present. She felt it strange that she could judge the atmosphere even though she could only see one face out of the all the occupants. She darted a quick glance up at her father and gave him a trembling smile.

“Now, as I was saying before – I was thinking.”

Clasping her hands behind her back and feeling thankful that she had ignored her mother’s wish that she wear a frilly girly dress. Her boots clicked on the floor as she walked. The brunette did not look up the entire time that she paced, a crease forming deep between her brows as she went.

“Now, from your report I am assuming that the number of deaths has escalated exponentially.” She lifted her head and smirked at the closed hood. “Don’t worry boys. I will give you a dictionary afterwards so you can look up the word. Now, based on the event that I experienced only a few days ago and what happened to my brother, I can only assume that our worst fears are coming to light. Evil is rising and war is coming.”

There was an uncomfortable shifting in the room. The anger and irritation she had been feeling only moments before just vanished leaving behind a cold stark nothingness – it was the aura of the black guard on the eve of battle.

Colbie breathed in deeply, her eyes looking up at the high arched ceiling as she tried to get a deeper sense of these people around her. She knew of the black brotherhood – her own brother was one of them – and yet, unless you were one you knew nothing of what truly went on inside the sanctity of the brotherhood. Even as a child she had been curious at the secrets behind those vows. But it would always have been a place barred to her because the brotherhood did not accept females – ever.

“Am I right? I was assuming you had already figured out that far which is why you convened. As to why I am here, well that is another question.” Colbie spun and faced her father. She knew his face, knew that her couldn’t lie to her half as well as he thought he could.

“I’m guessing I was summoned for one reason. The brotherhood sought to scare me off. No doubt they are looking for a man to take over – a vampire with years of invaluable experience. They had been looking to a future with Byron but now he’s – gone.” She sharply turned her head to the side and glared at trio of hooded figures, scowling into the shadows where their faces could be. “You’re disappointed that you are left with me. You want me to stand aside so someone else can take over. Well here is your problem, I will not back down. I may be scared but I choose to use that fear and overlook it. I use it to make myself find strength in the direst of situations. The only way that you will remove me from the succession is to have me killed but that will hardly boost the morale that you so desperately need.”

Colbie internally questioned where the hell she had gotten this backbone from. Who in their right mind would question the brotherhood? They trained every day with magic and weapons to defeat the creatures and Colbie knew she would be a fool to think that she had a chance of survival should they decide that she would be the next to die.

And yet she did not make any show of her inner thoughts. She just smiled smugly at them all as if to show that she knew everything – had known it for much longer than they had.

A slow clap started. Colbie let her eyes drift up to her father where he sat on his throne, beaming down at her with a pride she had never seen on his face – at least not directed at her. She felt strangely sad. Never had she felt like she had been neglected or forgotten about and yetit was now, as she thought about her childhood, that she realised she had always come last in her parents books even though they had always come first in hers. She had not been the heir and she was not a notable member of the brotherhood. She was just a girl who would most likely choose the safety of a human life.

Colbie blinked once and chose not to acknowledge the hurt welling up within her. She just inclined her head at her father and then stared indifferently at the wall ahead.

“Well said daughter.” William surveyed the black robed figures and made no attempts not to smile with glee when he noted their dissatisfaction. “I take it now that you have made your decision and that you are ready to make your choice – one life path or another?”

Colbie glanced around the room, noting not on the fine furniture but the oddly out of place brotherhood members, before smiling up at her father – her King.

“Yes.”