PART 1
READERS: THIS IS A COMPANION PIECE TO 'LAST SCION'. IF YOU HAVE NOT READ THAT, MUCH OF THIS STORY MAY BE CONFUSING.
THE WAS A LOT THAT I EITHER LEFT OUT OF 'LAST SCION' OR EDITED OUT. I HAVE BEEN WORKING ON THESE PIECES FOR THE LAST MONTHS, AND DECIDED IT IS BETTER TO WRITE THEM UP IN A NEW STORY. I HOPE IT IS AS ENJOYED AS LS. AS ALWAYS, HAPPY READING.
I knew what I needed to do. I knew there was no other choice. So why was it so difficult to actually do it? I no longer wanted this life. Did I? No, I decided. I'd made my decision, and needed to stick to it. I had watched too many people get hurt lately. This was not the path I wanted to continue down.
For the past week, I had been staying and "working" in Switzerland. I was mourning my Mason who had just been killed by Strigoi when I received a surprising phone call from Bridgette. She was scheduled to escort a few royals to Court after the latest string of attacks, and she was asking for help. She was asking for my help.
"I need someone I can trust." She pulled at the right strings, knowing that if she truly needed me, I would help.
Bridgette informed me upon my arrival to Switzerland that the Drozdov family had gone directly into hiding after the attack on them and their Guardians. After the Badica massacre, this was the only option. It was in fact Bridgette who secretly whisked the survivors into safety, in Switzerland. She was then tasked with accompanying Lord and lady Drozdov back to one Court or the other, to meet with Rhys Bowen and Tatiana Ivashkov. I was asked somewhat politely to stay and guard Aaron Drozdov. Aaron was having brutal nightmares, and Bridgette was under the impression that I could somehow help the young royal. The attack had done a fair amount of damage to Aaron, and when he was not waking in a screaming cold sweat, he refused to sleep at all.
After a week, I was sad to go, sad to leave Aaron, and far more conflicted about the firm decision I had made. Hours after Bridgette returned with Aaron's parents, I requested a short meeting with Larisa Drozdov, to which she immediately agreed. I made myself walk through the door, wondering if I was making the right decision.
"Guardian Pearce." The woman greeted me with more pleasantness to her tone this time. It was a change that I was not expecting from her, shaking my resolve momentarily. "You asked to see me. I would like to thank you for your service to my family." Larisa Drozdov spoke as I entered the room.
"Thank you for seeing me lady Drozdov. I would like to thank you for allowing me to prove my skills to you and your family."
I stood at attention as close to the door as I could manage without suspicion, while studying any new reaction Aaron's mother might have.
"Your aunt speaks very highly of you and your abilities as a Guardian." Larisa sat down at the desk separating the two of us. "I dare say, even she may not be aware of the full scope of greatness within you." She complimented.
"I think Aaron just needed someone that he could talk to; someone in the same boat. However, any work done this week is credited to him." I replied, setting the ring box down on the table between me and Larisa. I watched as she glanced at the box, lifting her eyes to me, and picked it up. Her eyes seemed to smile lightly as she opened the jewelry box, allowing herself to understand the significance of its return to her.
As I watched her reaction, each shifting expression she showed, I felt weaker. My emotions, good and bad for Aaron were getting the better of me. I thought about all of the repercussions of my decision, and for the first time, I hated the fact that Bridgette had asked me for my help. Tears sprang to my eyes and I quickly blinked them away, wiping them from my cheeks as they quietly fell.
"You are much too humble, Guardian Pearce, but we must respect your decision. Thank you for breathing life back into my son." Larisa said, as I backed away, exiting the room.
Once I had returned the exquisite sapphire ring offered to me the day before, effectively answering Aaron's question, I felt no better. I felt worse. I was hurting even more and I was probably going to hurt him more. I was packing when I heard the knock on the cabin door. Bridgette's return with lord and lady Drozdov meant of course that I was going to be on my way back to Court. My orders to return to Guardian Court arrived shortly after Bridgette did. I was no longer needed. I had done my job, and would return to a state of limbo soon enough.
Making my way to the door, part of me hoped that after returning the ring, Aaron might let things between us go. The other part of me knew that too much had happened and been said to walk away. I unlocked the door, allowing him to enter and say what he would. Instead, Aaron walked in, closing the door behind him, surprising me as he followed. He waited until I stopped outside of the bedroom before his arms reached out, circling around my shoulders.
"You're leaving." He sounded so sad again. "You won't consider…"
"You know I have to go." I stood strong. "You know why I can't stay."
After offering me the sapphire ring, and all of the duties that came with accepting it, Aaron and I had a lengthy and late talk about why I might return it, It was not mine to keep. Things could always change, but right now I needed him to understand why I could not accept his offer.
"I know why you cannot stay. I accept why you will not stay." His words stung my heart. "But, can I ask one thing?" I shrugged while still being held in his arms. "Wherever you go, wherever your next path takes you, take this with you." From his pocket, the man I had spent days and nights listening to, and talking to, pulled out the same ring.
"I gave that back. I handed it back to your mother." I informed him of my actions, and he was no less accepting.
"I know." He said again, placing the ring on my right hand. "My mother also informed me that you were holding back emotion when you gave it to her. I don't know what that says about your decision, but I want you to have it. Consider it a gesture of friendship. You saved me in a way that I was not expecting, and the truth is, I don't want anyone else to have the ring."
"You should give this ring to someone you care for." I tried to refuse.
"I am. Even if you choose not to be my Guardian, I want you to wear it." He continued to make things difficult.
"I will take it on one condition." I relented as the ring was placed on my finger. "When you find someone you deeply care for, and want to be with, you will ask for the ring back. Please."
"I promise." Aaron lowered his head, burying his face into my neck. "I don't know what I will do without you."
"You will do as expected." I chuckled slightly, recalling conversations he and I had in the last week. "You will live. You will live your life as any royal would. You will finish school and chose a Guardian that better suits you." He kissed my neck and my knees weakened again.
Aaron stayed as I finished packing, helping with the few bags I'd brought with me to the main lounge. Even then, he stayed as I sat, facing the large windows that overlooked outdoors.
"What will you do?" He questioned the direction I planned on taking my life in now. "Where will you go from here?"
"I honestly don't know."
"For what it's worth," His hand linked with mine again, "I think you would make a phenomenal Guardian."
I smiled, not knowing what to say in response. For the next hour, we sat in perfect silence, watching others walk past the large windows, on their way to ski or have fun in the weather, watching also as the snow fell peacefully to the ground. Aaron and I sat, contented until the time came for me to leave.
"Bells," Bridgette spoke from behind us, "the Court jet is waiting. It's time to go."
I stood, my fingers still intertwined with his, looking back at him as he stood. "I never guessed when I arrived here a week ago, that leaving would be so hard."
His hand touched to my cheek, his fingers trailing down the side of my neck. All over again my control, my willpower was drained.
"If you ever change your mind about being a Guardian; If you ever change your mind about us," That swell of uncertainty crept in, and I could, "I will be waiting." Aaron said, leaning down, pressing his mouth to mine, the warmth of the kiss wrapping itself around us. His kiss said much more than he ever could, and more than I would ever allow him to say.
My eyes opened slowly. It wasn't just a dream.. It was a memory. It was a memory that I did not have time to be considering right now. This was not the time for me to reminisce about Switzerland. There was trouble on the horizon, and Strigoi at the center.
"Bells, we're here." I heard Jesse's voice break through the swirling mass of confusion that I had cocooned myself in. I had no idea what I was going to say as the door opened and I descended the steps of the Court jet, setting foot back into the Moroi Court.
There is nothing worse than the unknown. When the enemy is hunting you, and you are hunting the enemy, and when your life is constantly at risk, there is no good in wondering what the outcome may be. Good? Bad? This is a job that can never truly determine the difference.
At night, just outside of our Court walls, and the walls of our homes, the dark corners that kept us hidden from enemies during the day become more dangerous. At night they become the corners that hide our worst nightmares. Even in the pitch dark of night, Strigoi would use the alleys, shadows, the wooded spaces, and other spaces to lure, to attack, and to kill. But every so often, more often lately, Strigoi would slip up, and attack in wider areas. They would step out of their safe shadows and they would be caught by our cameras and security systems. The Strigoi that dared to come out of their hiding places were immediately caught and dealt with in one way or another. These days there were new ways of "dealing" with the enemy. We now had methods of saving those who had been unwillingly turned, and those who intentionally turned. I wondered though, why I was the one being tasked to make this choice.
As I sat now, frozen in place, watching this footage over and over again, footage that had been shown to me three days ago, I wondered what the best possible choice was.
Dimitri was standing at the base of the steps, ready to greet me and Jesse as we arrived with such little notice. I hugged him, but he immediately sensed all of the stress I carried.
"What is going on, Bells? You and Jesse never show up to Court with less than twenty-four hours-notice."
He was all too aware of my scheduling crisis. "Is everyone here?" I needed to avoid his questions for as long as I could. What the hell was I supposed to say to him? I did not want to be the one to bring this information to him and the others I had personally called to appear with insufficient warning. I was still trying to process and find answers myself.
"Yuri and Sophia arrived yesterday. Stefan is here too." He stared down at me, trying to gain answers. "You called Stefan here from the Academy?"
I nodded, starting to make my way off of the tarmac with Jesse.
"Shane Reyes called too. He and Aaron are running late."
I did not need to mention that Shane had called me as well. He and Aaron were indeed running late, but would arrive soon enough. Yuri and Sophie were waiting in the greeting area, rushing towards me and Jesse as soon as the door opened.
"Bells." Yuri's voice was full of relief, seeing the distress that I tried to hide from Dimitri. I had already called Yuri, telling him as much as I could about this very confusing situation, without breaking down or getting angrier.
By the time that Yuri and I finished getting Jesse and Sophie settled in at their residence, it was time now to go and meet with the other Guardians I had sent emergency calls out to, disrupting lives, and worrying more people than I ever had before. It was decided that the larger of the conference rooms in the Guardian district of Court would be of better use, as I needed clear video and computer access. Adrenaline and anxiety both rose quickly, my stomach turned and my heart beat so fast that I was sure it might fly from my chest and across the expansive room as Yuri and I entered. I immediately ran to Eddie's open arms as he stood from the large circular table that took up most of the room's center, burying my face into his chest, trying desperately not to break down again. I tilted my head to the side, to see Rose and Dimitri sitting quietly confused with one another. I smiled and Rose did the same. Dimitri still worried, as I knew he would.
Once everyone quieted and sat down at the table, I stood in position to see the eyes of each person I knew I could call on for help. I was trying to find the right words to explain to them what I had seen. There were no words. I did not know what to say. Instead, I took a seat, placing my head into my hands.
"Bellamy, it is clear that everything is not okay? I heard Dimitri voice softly. "Did something…"
"Bells, what is this about?" Eddie was next to question.
I lifted my head, my eyes moving over to Yuri.
"It's time, Bells. You need to tell them what you told me."
I nodded as Yuri sent a smile of encouragement, strengthening my resolve to reveal everything.
"Rose," I approached this subject as carefully as I could. There was no gentle way of doing this, "what happened the day that Mason died in Seattle? You were in the house when he…" Even after these last few years, I couldn't bring myself to easily say the words.
"That's an odd question to ask."
"What kind of question is that, Bellamy?" Eddie was still defensive about Mason, and what he too thought happened that day.
"Let me rephrase my question." I had to gather all of my courage and logic. "Are you sure of every detail that occurred?"
"Am I sure?" Rose sounded more indignant than questioning, but I hated it when people avoided answering my questions by repeating them.
"How certain are you that he died?"
"Bellamy!" Both Eddie and Dimitri stood in defensiveness now. Not only was I questioning Mason's death, a dark moment for us all, but in their eyes I was also attacking Rose.
I looked back at all of my friends in the room, pleading with them to listen. "I'm sorry. I am not trying to be insensitive or cruel. I know all too well what Mason's death put you through, but this is a question that I must ask. I am asking with purpose. Rose," I met her eyes directly, "you know that I would never consider asking a question like this if it did not have good purpose. How sure are you?"
Rose gave a nod before her eyes were far more dismayed. "Up until a minute ago, I was one-hundred percent sure. But," she looked to Dimitri, "the look on your face and hearing you question this subject specifically, I…"
I knew that I had just made Rose feel uncertain, along with everyone else in the room. I needed that doubt in order for them to believe what they were about to see.
"I have been at the Guardian Court for the past several days and nights." I explained why Jesse and I were not in the UK. "More specifically, I was called and "asked" to appear in the office of Guardian Council member Katja Reznik."
A few of the Guardians looked unaware of the name, or Katja's position.
"Katja is not only a sitting Council member, but also the head of International Security Relations at the Guardian Court."
"That's a fancy way of saying she is in charge of the department that reviews any CCTV video that shows Strigoi attacks and sightings." Yuri said quietly to Eddie and Stefan.
"It is Katja's job to determine any threat levels and methods in which to control those threats." I corrected my husband. "Katja called me to Court on Wednesday."
"Bells, it's Saturday."
I gave Stefan a slight smile before continuing. "After my meeting with Katja, I spent the next two days screaming at every Council member I could corner at Court. They were all very glad to see me leave earlier today. When I was not screaming at them, I was watching and dissecting every part of this." I held up a cd, placing it then into the computer I had requested, pulling up the video that I had already seen. "Believe me when I say that each reaction to this video is completely justified and expected. This footage is recent." I said. "It was taken a week ago." I then had to walk to the opposite side of the room while the gasps and breaths of disbelief all made me cringe, bringing the tears back to my eyes all over again.
"This is impossible." I heard the disbelief in their voices, I heard the panic roll over the room from one person to the next, and through it all I could not ignore the fear, and most of all the despair.
"This is not happening. Bells, tell me this isn't happening." It was Eddie's voice I heard now. I went to him, pulling my arms up around his mid-section.
Mason Ashford was a Strigoi. I had no idea how it had happened. I had no idea when it had happened. But, the Strigoi that stepped out from the shadows this time was unexpected and heart-wrenching to say the least. And, despite being able to understand the emotional turmoil in others, my own emotions were still conflicted and numb. I especially needed Rose and Dimitri to see this video, after they had been at the house in Seattle when Mason had died. The couple was now as baffled as I was.
"How?" Dimitri then asked the real question, holding onto Rose the way I held Eddie.
"I don't know." Unfortunately, I had no answer for him or anyone else yet. "But, that is why I am here, and why I called you all in here to see this." The room went eerily silent. "The Council "offered" this latest mission to me first, considering my history with Mason. Even if I wanted to, I could not turn this mission down." When I used the word "offer", I was being generous. The truth was, I was not given a choice in this matter.
"You're going after him, aren't you?" Stefan guessed.
The idea of tracking and hunting Mason down was already exhausting me. "Yes I am. And I will not be going alone."
After the video was watched, watched again, paused, and once the initial shock had reached its peak, our small meeting began to let out. I was still talking with Yuri, as others started to separate.
"Rose," I caught her before she and Dimitri left the room too, "I know it is short notice, but is it possible for me to get a meeting with Lissa this evening?"
"After this bombshell? I think she will be willing to fit in a meeting with you."
"Great. I will be with Jesse and Sophia until the meeting is confirmed." I gathered my things up, and made the decision to disappear before a barrage of more questions could be considered, with no such luck.
Dimitri caught my hand as I passed by a separate secure room. Seeing the look in his eyes only made the confliction of my emotions worsen. I could see his guilt resurfacing, his own confusion, and worst was his concern. We needed to talk.
"Rose went straight to inform Lissa about all of this." He told me. "Are you alright?" His voice lowered to a whisper. He had known the instant I disembarked from the Court jet. He knew as soon as I had started to question things we already knew. He knew even more as he looked back into my eyes, questioning my once solid emotions and rationality.
Everything in me started to shake again, starting from my toes, working its way up to my shoulders. Shock was catching up with me. Dimitri caught me, his arms wrapped around my waist before I fell to the floor. He moved me to the closest chair he could find, calling Yuri in from the hallway too.
"He's Strigoi." I said out loud for the first time. "He was turned Strigoi."
"I am so sorry, Bellamy. If I had known… If any of us had even the slightest clue that he…"
"No." I felt my breathing speed up and slow. "Don't apologize, Dimitri. This is not your fault."
"But, we had his body." Dimitri was still questioning me with actual questions and half sentences. How, when, and where were the more common half questions, and I could not answer even one.
"I am as in the dark about this as you are." I replied. "All I was told by the Council is that he is Strigoi, and I am to retrieve him if possible."
"So, the Guardian Council wants you to go after him and bring him back?"
"They want me to put together a team of six or seven Guardians to go after him." My head lifted slightly. "I know that Rose and Lissa are going to be away from Court, on royal business, but I was hoping I could persuade you to help me out."
"You never needed to ask." Dimitri confirmed. "But, what about Christian? He is relatively safe at Court, but I might be able to ask Eddie to…"
"You think I'm not here to ask Eddie to go too? Mason was his best friend, and I know he will want answers like the rest of us." I had to pull back his plans for someone to temporarily guard Chris. "Actually Thor, I kind of need to talk to you about Christian."
Dimitri and Yuri were both worried, curious as to my approach about this subject. One shock should've been enough for the night.
"First, please do not tell Christian that I am here at Court yet."
Confusion crossed Dimitri's face again. Usually Christian was the first person I wanted to see, and the last. Usually, he knew weeks in advance before I would touch down at royal Court.
"Bells, he will see Jesse and know you're here. He will want to know what is going on. He will want to know why you won't see him. I cannot hold him at bay for long."
"I plan on seeing him, but there are some things that I need to see to before that."
Both men understood. Well, they agreed not to say anything.
"Now, the second part of this conversation might be more difficult. " I took a deep breath, preparing to ask Christian's Guardian for an unbelievably high risk favor of sorts. "While Jesse and I were in flight here to the Moroi Court, I was asked to devise a plan of attack to lure Mason out of hiding. I have come up with something unofficial, but I would never even consider attempting something like this without your permission first."
I told Dimitri and Yuri my potential and unofficial idea, and the look I received from my Guardian half-brother said everything that he didn't. Dimitri was not okay with this plan, and I could completely understand his disinclination to agree to such a wild and uncertain plan. Honestly, if he had come to me with something like this, I might react the same way. After everything that Dimitri had gone through after the death of Ivan Zeklos, I knew I was asking a lot. I was not going to convince him to say yes easily.
"What I am asking is a lot, I know, and it is easy to misinterpret what I am asking of you."
"Misinterpret?" Dimitri kept his voice as low as possible, but the harshness stayed. Others were still roaming the outside halls. "Let me see if I've got this straight." He and I went back and forth, each bringing our own arguments and logic to the table until eventually we came to a half-agreement, settling things there before splitting up again.
I should not have been so surprised to see Eddie in the courtyard outside of the apartment Yuri and I shared at Court.
"Ed?"
"Is it a joke?" He was hopeful in his question. "A cruel fabricated joke?"
Yuri smiled sweetly at me before moving into the apartment, giving me and Eddie more time alone to talk.
"Ed, you have been to Guardian Court with me. You have seen the resources that they have at their hands. We both know that the Council has many forms of recognition software to determine these things with ninety-nine point nine percent accuracy." I took his hand with mine, feeling him shake. "Honey, I went over this footage over and over for three days. I have lost sleep watching every part in great detail. It's him. It's really Mason."
"I don't understand any of this, Bells." I listened to my friend talk, trying to make sense of this news like the rest of us. "I was there. Rose, me, Christian, and Mia, we were all there. Granted, I was out of it much of the time, but…" It hurt my heart so much to hear his voice cracking with so much sadness. It was the sort of sadness that cannot find its way out of the darkness, the sort of sadness you do not easily return from.
"I wish I had more answers, sweetie." I consoled my friend, each question in my head doubling as I thought about everything Eddie said. My anger had doubled too, but still, I was numb, unable to banish any of the anger I was feeling.
"One minute, I want to be angry, with him, with the world, and with myself." Eddie went on. "We just got our lives back on track after the chaos we experienced in school, and then here. Everything is finally calm, and now this bombshell is thrown from left field." I wanted to cry. Eddie was right. We had all been through so much in the past few years, and we deserved a break. "The next minute, I want to be happy. He was my best-friend. If there is a chance," Eddie sat up, looking back at me now, "if there is even a fraction of a chance that we could get him back, does it matter how? Shouldn't we be happy about this?"
I wanted so badly then to say 'yes, we should be happy. We should run from Court, go find him, and bring him back home.' But I couldn't say that. It was a lie. I couldn't be happy about Mason being seen alive. I could not be happy about the possibility that he could return to our lives, like nothing had ever happened. There was something big missing, some extra hidden fact that I couldn't see. How had he escaped death and made us all believe he had died? How did he fake his own death? Why would he choose to fake his own death?
"What do you think, Bells?" Eddie finally asked me the question I dreaded most from him, and I had to answer. I had to say something to keep him from falling further into his dark abyss.
"I think…" I hesitated, trying to find the most diplomatic words. "I think there is no denying this revelation. I think that I have lost three days and nights of sleep over this. And mostly, I think that we have no choice but to face the truth now."
"That does not answer my question." Eddie was not in a state of mind to accept my response. "That doesn't tell me how you feel about all of this."
"You didn't ask me how I feel. You asked me what I think."
"Same difference." He unraveled my logical argument. "You still didn't answer."
Eddie let my hand drop from his, likely sensing my discomfort in answering a question that I was not ready to answer yet.
"I don't know." I was honest with him. "I don't know how I feel or what I think. I don't know how I'm supposed to process any of this. I don't know how the Council didn't know about Mason until now. And, I do not know why they would expect me to process any of this without questioning everything. His death shattered me, and I am expected to relive all of that pain. I swear I'm losing more and more faith in people by the day."
As I sat silent, Eddie did the same, pulling his arm around my shoulders, leaning his head against me as I leaned on him.
"Bells," Eddie and I stayed close as Jesse was on his way out of his front door, neighboring mine and Yuri's, "Aaron and Shane are here. The plane is touching down now."
Normally, I might take my time to join Jesse, and get to the hangar, but I was expecting Shane Reyes, another Guardian friend. He needed to know this news about Mason too. Eddie was at my side the entire time. I was sure that like me, he wanted to see if he could make sense of this from a different perspective, through another set of eyes. Evening was finally falling as Court became more crowded with not just Guardians, but also Moroi. There were visiting classes from St. Vladimir's and St. Basil's this week, so it was possible that we would all have to be more careful about what was said, and who it was said around for a while. The numbered hangar for the arriving flight was empty, all except for the taxiing jet that held mine, Eddie's, and Jesse's friends.
"My girl!" Shane greeted me as soon as he and Aaron were fully descended from the jet.
His smile made me feel better and forget the bad for all of five seconds, throwing my arms around his neck, and holding him close for as long as he allowed.
"Hey," Shane too picked up on my anxious and disconcerting behavior, "what is it, love? What is going on with you?
"Yes," I heard the displeasure in Aaron's voice as he spoke, "do please tell us why you've called us here, back to Court, last minute, from a much needed vacation."
"Aaron." Shane spoke in a way that told Aaron he was being rude.
"No." I stopped him. "He is right. I should have a good reason for calling you last minute, asking you to come to my rescue immediately and without question, disrupting your lives and plans."
"And she does have good reason." Eddie added to the conversation, greeting Shane and Aaron as well. "She has an unbelievable reason."
I pulled Aaron off to the side to speak with him privately. I needed to be careful of what I said and how it was construed, keeping many details out of the conversation.
"I had a dream on the way to Court." I mentioned. "I had his full attention as he smirked. "My dream was about the last night we were in St. Moritz together."
"That night was a difficult time for both of us." He reminded me. I agreed, hoping remembering that time would help my explanation.
"Aaron, as difficult as that night was, what I'm about to do is going to be one hundred times more terrifying for you, me, and others. I need you to agree to let me borrow Shane. I need your permission, and you cannot question why I am asking yet.."
"You need me to trust you." He considered.
"Yes."
"You know that I do." He wasn't hesitating, his hand touching to my arm sweetly, and I knew that despite our history, he still undoubtedly trusted me.
While we are away," I spoke to both Jesse and Aaron now, "I do hope that you are both mature enough now to keep out of trouble. Jess." My attention was directly on the Moroi I was in charge of keeping safe and out of trouble or danger.
"Still don't trust me?" My blond Moroi smiled, still trying to charm me after all this time."
"With Aaron? Hell no." I replied. "The two of you get together, and it's like you revert to being twelve years old again."
Jesse still smiled, leaning over to kiss my cheek. "Don't worry so much, Bells."
"Promise you will be safe. I've seen you get into more trouble that your children."
Jesse promised as Shane provided much of the same warning to Aaron.
Eddie took my hand again as the two of us led Shane back to my apartment, where no other eyes and ears would interfere with the plan still to come. I squeezed his hand, happy to have his hand to hold while Shane found the video equally as inexplicable.
"Where did this come from?" Shane inquired, sitting down, pausing the video on the face he was seeing.
"Guardian Council." I sat with him. "Katja Reznik called a meeting with me, and showed me this in strict confidence. Now, I am showing you in that same confidence."
"And we are sure it's…"
"It's him." Eddie agreed with me. "There are still distinct mannerisms that are one-hundred percent Mason." He had noticed.
"His index finger tapping to his neck before he attacks?" Shane said. "I caught that one too."
We were all three silent, the video still on pause for the next ten minutes, none of us knowing still what to say. Shane however, like me and Eddie, was never one to let a problem continue to get worse.
"So, what are we going to do about this?"
"We are going after him." Eddie had decided to stay at my side no matter the outcome, the moment he had seen the video footage the first time. I knew that I never needed to ask him either.
"The Guardian Council's orders are to kill him only if I must, but it is preferred that I bring him back to be questioned by the Guardian and Moroi Councils." I corrected Eddie about what I was asked to do.
"Okay." Shane was not one to hesitate either. "I'm in. When do we leave?"
"Whoa." I put the brakes on both men. "No one is going anywhere yet. I need to talk to the Queen tonight. I need any plan that is drawn out to be sanctioned by her and the Guardian Council. I need to find a way to tell Jesse that we aren't going back home to the UK for a while. And I need to come to terms with what I'm about to do. Otherwise, we're all going to be floating in a boat at sea without oars."
"Jesse's going to love hearing that you're not leaving for a while." Eddie said using his more facetious tone.
"The point is, there is more to do than simply deciding to run off looking for Mason. We need proper plans in place." I stood back up. "And it goes without saying, not a word of this to anyone. The Court has eyes and ears. We do not need this flying through Court as a wild rumor."
The three of us made a plan to get together after my meeting with the Queen, but I still had so much to do.