Hellhound (14 page)

“Mother, I cannot do my job without knowing the facts.
I know that you despised Demetrius from the beginning, and that you might even
cheer on his death to relinquish his hold over me, but my instincts tell me
that something else was going on. You’re a part of the Council, which means
that you are aware of who triggered the stop or kill orders.”

“Elder Serph.”

“Why? How did he know?”

“While you were frantic and distraught, trying to deal
with the bombardment of questions, he examined the dagger. He ordered his
minion to send word to the sentries to prevent the trackers from leaving the
building. Anyone who attempted to flee had to be stopped. The archers aimed to
wound, but if the trackers persisted in running, they were to be killed. This
had nothing to do with the tracker specifically. This was a general stop or
kill order.

“Now, don’t be silly. There is nothing to read into
this. Serph made a decision to jump start an investigation through the chaos.
He acted wisely. Aside from the renounced tracker getting away, every tracker
was interviewed in a timely and orderly fashion.”

I mulled over her words. “All right. This makes sense
and is fathomable, I accept your explanation.”

“Any more questions?”

“Yes.”

“What is it, daughter?”

“Something strange occurred to me shortly after
Father’s death when I returned home.”

“Well? What happened?” she asked with great interest
when I paused.

“My veins came to the surface. They squirmed and
followed my fingers. Even when I dragged my hand back, I could feel the blood
in my vessels move back, too. How can that be? How could I move blood?”

“Ah,” Mother breathed over the phone. “It has begun.”

“What’s begun?”

“We weren’t expecting a death, obviously, so we
believed that we had some time before explaining how the ascension to the
throne works. It’s not merely a formal process such as accepting a silver
wreath and sitting on a throne in front of the entire clan to witness.

“Those are formalities, preceded and followed by
ceremonial traditions. That occurs to inform the clan of the acceptance to
ascend. But, things happen before that moment. There’s a reason, other than
social pressure, that our Elders are always of pure, concentrated, and powerful
blood.

“The eldest child of Elders, who demonstrates the
greatest abilities among his or her siblings, takes the throne of their
deceased parent, assuming that time actually arrives. When one parent dies,
opening the seat, they relinquish a part of their essence to their offspring.
This sets into motion the beginning of ascending to a throne. They can take the
throne and not fully transform.

“When your father died, your blood was triggered. You
are now capable of controlling an element, the same element that your father
controlled. Since you demonstrated power over blood, your element will be
water,” she ended with bridled excitement.

I stuttered over my words before pushing out, “I’m in
the process of ascending?”

“Yes!”

I stared at the wall. I didn’t want to take a throne,
but apparently I truly did not have a choice in the matter. No matter what my
actions were, had I married Demetrius or Nathanial, I would have no choice but
to ascend as an Elder.

“According to your theory, you must die in order for
me to complete the transformation. Mother, is that true?” I couldn’t stand the
thought of never seeing my father again, and now the prospect of losing my
mother in addition horrified me.

“My death will make you strong. It is the only reason
why we die. We are immortals. But, I can choose to relinquish my powers for
your completion, making you very strong.

“Elders are supposed to marry Elders, and breed
together to ensure that the firstborn is pure and strong. These things have
faltered over time, and many Elders have bred with lowly Mythians. You are not
lowly. You will be great, powerful. This is ensured with my death.”

“I don’t desire the throne, Mother, or your death. I
don’t look forward to becoming an Elder, to uniting to the Council and being a
part of them. The very idea disgusts me.”

“Correct your thinking,” she chided. “This is an honor,
and this is a part of nature. Contrary to popular belief, and your own previous
notions, you don’t have a choice.”

“I always have a choice. Even if I’m blood-bound to
join the Council, I will not be controlled, manipulated, or forced to do
anything.”

I imagined her scoffing on the other end. I went on,
“Marrying Nathanial wasn’t a requirement, then.”

“Of course it was!” she hissed.

“His mother’s dead. Had he begun the ascension process
by taking her element?”

“Yes. This process is held in secrecy. Only Elders and
their ascending firstborns know about this. He had to keep it from you.”

I thought briefly. Nathanial’s mother could control
air, which would explain why Demetrius was able to push me back with a gust of
wind during our brawl. He took Nathanial’s essence, and his power of an
element. Crap. Demetrius was stronger than I believed.

“So the throne and these abilities are reserved for
the firstborn only?”

“Yes.”

“What if the firstborn dies?”

“Then that line is dead.”

“What if a widower and a widow mate and have a
different firstborn between the two?”

She replied as though through tight lips, “They would
be considered the firstborn and gain the rights.”

I mulled over that. If Claudius created a child with
my mother, that child would have a right to the throne and a right to rise up
against me. It seemed as if everything Claudius did was straight out of a plan
book.

Out of curiosity, I asked, “What happens if I join the
Council and turn against them?”

“You’ll infiltrate the system. But know this, once you
join and decide to turn, you will die with them. This is just one of the many
reasons why we try to control rebellions. This is why we warned you against
taking the tracker as a mate, and why we demanded that you not join the
rebels.”

I exhaled. Ultimately, I was destined to rise and fall
like the rest of my people. Mother and I left it at that and said our
good-byes.

Chapter Twelve

Claudius graced my thoughts by calling, demanding,
“Why haven’t you brought in the tracker?”

I’d explained once, but I repeated myself, “Demetrius
is a tracker, a phenomenal one at that. Not only were we intimate once, so he
knows me inside and out, but he taught me how to hunt, so he knows my tactics,
weaknesses, and strengths.”

“We thought you were the great hunter, Selene. What is
it that you call yourself, the Hellhound? Do you know who the original Hellhound
was?”

“Of course I do,” I snapped.

“Cerberus was the greatest Hellhound amongst our kind,
given
that title, not self-proclaimed like you, Selene. Hades was once
the Elder of one of the original clans, which Cerberus guarded fiercely. He
never let a stranger or enemy near. If anyone in that domicile fled like a
criminal, they hardly ever made it past Cerberus. And if they did, Cerberus
hunted them down and dragged them back, dead or alive. He didn’t return home
until this was accomplished, and you could bet he didn’t take this long.”

“Do you want to take me off assignment then?” I
growled through pressed lips.

There was a pause on the line. “Do what you need to
do, Selene. Bring the tracker in.”

Even if Demetrius led me by a hook in my mouth and
eluded me, no one else had the slightest chance of capturing him. Claudius knew
this. He could moan and groan all he wanted, and he could rebuke and demean me
for not being more like Cerberus, but he knew everything about this case was
squarely on my shoulders, which reminded me of my so-called help.

“What happened to all these supposedly helpful
trackers and Ashton, anyway? He showed up the night I left the domicile,
claiming to offer needed assistance. I haven’t seen that mug of his since. Did
you put him on this case with me?”

“Yes. He’s been reporting to me. He’s had sightings of
the tracker, but no luck in getting close enough to face him, much less capture
him.”

“Ah, so you have at least two people on his trail
without a real trace? Looks as though you might have to wait patiently for this
one.”

“Patience is a virtue that I lack with this
situation.”

“You’re not the only one. I want him to face his
punishment just as badly. You’ll get him.”

That was the end of our little conversation. I tossed
my cell phone across the couch where it landed at my bare feet. It rang. I
leaned over and picked it up, recognizing the name that sprouted up on the
caller ID.

When I answered, I almost said his name. “Yes?” I
spoke into the phone coldly.

“You have to find out who did this. I can’t keep
running,” Demetrius said.

“Should’ve thought of that before you killed them.”

“I didn’t kill them.” Demetrius said the words as if
he had to force them out. Sounded like a lie to me.

“Where are you?”

“Somewhere far from you.”

“On my rooftop then?” I swung my feet off the couch, fully
prepared to run up there.

“Of course not. I’m not even in the city. Listen, you
need to go back to the domicile and figure this out. I can’t go there. If I
step one foot on the premises, every keeper and sentry will be on my tail. Once
I’m in the domicile, no one will let me talk, and you’re the only one who can
clear my name.”

“I don’t know why you want me to go back there. Are
you trying to get me out of the apartment because you left something here? Don’t
bother trying to come here. I’m not the only one looking for you. Or, are you
trying to get me to waste my time by looking for clues that don’t exist?”

He sighed. His voice was raspy and deep. He sounded tired
as heck, laden with his current predicament. Good.

“Do you honestly believe that I would kill your
father, an Elder? How could I betray you like that?”

“I don’t know. You tell me. Did you think that he
stood in the way of our relationship? That he would make me marry Nathanial, or
that he would force me to take a throne? I could see why you killed Nathanial.”

“The Council has turned you against me, don’t you see?
I was set up.”

“I saw you kill Nathanial with my own eyes from the
memories of a witness!” I jumped to my haunches.

“Okay, listen. I can explain that. I didn’t kill them,
I only took his essence. I knew that he wanted to marry you, and that he
expected to, so I don’t feel bad about it. I saw him lying in a pool of his
blood, and he wasn’t going to make it. So I took his essence.”

“So you admit to something that I already knew!”

“Listen, love—”

“Don’t call me that,” I growled.

“But he was dying when I got there. I didn’t cause the
damage. I didn’t kill your father, and I didn’t kill Nathanial.”

“The cerebral chamber doesn’t make up memories. No one
has that ability.”

“Then I don’t know what to say.”

“Damn right, you don’t know what to say because you’re
a cold blooded killer and you deserve to die.”

“No, Selene. You’re wrong. I don’t know how someone
can make a fantasized memory filter through the cerebral chamber.”

Fantasized memory? Could someone’s sick fantasy pass
through the cerebral chamber? Was the cerebral chamber not smart enough to
discern what was real and what wasn’t? But why would Lydia, who hardly knew Demetrius,
commit herself to such a twisted fantasy?

He went on, despite my racing thoughts, “Or, maybe
that person thought the killer looked like me maybe from a side profile, or
from a distance. Maybe they saw the killer through tears, or through a screen,
or in a hazy room. I don’t know!”

“I saw the memory clearly. We all did. And this person
isn’t crazy enough to come up with this type of a twisted fantasy.”

“Who was it?”

“Wouldn’t you like to know?”

“Yes,” he said bluntly. “I would like to know. That’s
why I’m asking.”

“Tell me where you are—” I almost said his name, but
corrected myself before the word left my lips, “Renounced one.”

“I thought you loved me. You’re supposed to help me,
not get on their band wagon to lead a mob after me.”

“The evidence—” I began before he cut me off again.

“The evidence is skewed! I’ll try to find the answers
myself, or die trying. At least if you find me dead, you can take my memories
and live with the guilt for the rest of your life.”

And he hung up, angry and bitter.

I snarled and threw the phone against a pillow on the
chair to my right. I left a short while later, checking the rooftop just in
case. He wasn’t here, and I didn’t detect any strange, smoky clouds lazily, or
otherwise, drifting by. But, I did detect someone approach from behind. They
moved at a break-neck speed, and by the time I turned, he appeared from black
smoke.