Chapter 13

Deep within the heart of Eilean Donan, in a stone room with no windows and no obvious door, five people, and one demon, sat around a large rectangular table. The room was lit by three candelabras, each containing six black tapers, and by the fire that blazed on the ancient hearth. Carved deeply into the great mantel that surrounded the fireplace was a large capital 'H' split diagonally by a scrolled lowercase 'f' which stood for Hellfire. The letters were surrounded by nine concentric circles representing the nine circles of Hell. A devil's mask that dipped into the top three circles completed the demonic emblem.

Gerard McKenzie, Abbot of the Hellfire club, sat at the top of the table and called his council to order. At his right sat the Sacrist, fellow shadowhunter Isaiah Blackwell who was responsible for the club's treasury and finances. On Gerard's left sat the Circuitor, a vampire named Madeline Pyre who was responsible for discipline within the ranks of the club. She was the only woman on the council and took great pride in her beauty, strength and position. The other council members included Marcus Gorgon a warlock and potion maker, Hunter Gray a large, heavy set grizzled werewolf, and Balial, lieutenant to Asmodeus the demon prince of lust.

It was an impressive council, perhaps the most impressive to ever steer the Hellfire club and Gerard McKenzie felt no little pride that he led such a group. "Welcome to Eilean Donan;" The Abbot said. "As you know, we will be including an initiation ceremony with this evening's grand ball..."

A sudden interruption in the form of a fire message brought an abrupt halt to the proceedings. The council watched with growing concern as McKenzie scanned the document, his face suffused in anger. The Abbot abruptly turned toward his Circuitor; "I thought you said you'd taken care of Janus Dark!" He snarled stepping threateningly into Madeline's personal space.

"He was as good as dead when we left!" She defended.

"Apparently not." Gerard hissed; "And that means we need to prepare for the possibility that Dark has told Magnus Bane of our interest in his son;"

Madeline took a deep, steadying breath, she was no coward, but she knew they'd messed up not ensuring Dark was dead before they left the potion maker's shop. It had been sloppy and now she was going to have to bear the brunt of the Abbot's anger.

Too quickly for anyone to expect it, or react, McKenzie raised his hand and gave the vampire a vicious slap across the face. A satisfied smirk played on McKenzie's lips as he saw her head snap to the left and a small trickle of blood run down from the corner of her mouth. "I should let Balial play with you;" He said, his voice deadly calm now;

Balial's face, strangely feminine with full sensual lips, high cheek bones, and eyes that were pure demonic fire, lit up at the possibility of having his way with Madeline, until the Abbot continued.

"Unfortunately we don't have time for that right now, we must prepare for the ball and the initiation. Even more pressingly, we need to know what Bane is planning and how to counteract the threat he presents. We will meet again in two hours time, I expect you to have information and plans in place."

With those words still ringing through the room, Gerard McKenzie stalked out. To say that he was angry was an understatement, and it wasn't just this latest development that had tried his temper. Just as the Devil's Tarot had indicated, Shivaun McRae was proving to be recalcitrant regarding her potential future as the wife of the Edinburgh Institute's head shadowhunter. The girl seemed to have no concept of the honour being done her. It was annoying in the extreme. McKenzie knew Corrine McRae favoured the union, but then why wouldn't she, her son was irrevocably connected to the disgraced Cameron clan. This was a chance to redeem the McRae family's reputation. People would forget, especially if the boys stayed in New York.

It wasn't that Gerard was in love with Shivaun, that emotion he reserved for himself alone, nor did it matter to him that she did not love him. His first wife, Lucy, had adored him and although initially her affection charmed him, he eventually grew irritated by it. No love was not at all what Gerard was looking for. Shivaun was attractive, he lusted after her, and he wanted more children to carry on the McKenzie name, love didn't enter into it at all. The Abbot took a deep, calming breath, it would not do to let this situation unsettle him, after all he had used the Devil's Tarot to show him the girl's secrets, now all that remained was to exercise a little patience before closing his trap.

McKenzie's musing were cut short by the entrance of Isaiah Blackwell. "I hope you have better news for me!" The Abbot said curtly, and was reassured by the sly smile that spread across Blackwell's thin lips.

~~~~~ ! ~~~~~

A sharp rap on the door brought Shivvy to her feet. Who could want her this early in the morning? A maid entered before the girl had time to answer.

"Lord McKenzie wishes to speak with you miss." The maid looked Shivvy over with a critical eye and the young shadowhunter was very aware she found her wanting. "I'll escort you to the master's study."

Irritated by the young woman's critical assessment, Shivvy squared her shoulders and snapped; "Well, get on with it, lead the way." Anyone watching would know that this shadowhunter was not intimidated by anyone, no matter what their title or position. The maid took Shivvy through the castle's narrow stone passageways until they came to a heavy oak door. She knocked twice and waited until she heard her lordship bid her to enter. The door moved silently on its hinges as the girl stepped forward; "Miss McRae Milord;" She said stepping aside to let Shivvy enter. As soon as the shadowhunter cleared the entrance, the maid stepped out of the study and closed the door behind her. Back in the hallway the girl hesitated, she would dearly love to know what was going on in the room she'd just left, but her master was not an easy man, and incurring his anger was to be avoided at all costs. Heaving a sigh, the maid hasten back the way she'd come intent on finishing her morning chores and then enjoying a cup of tea in the kitchen with the rest of the servants.

Gerard McKenzie regarded his guest with an amount of solemn concern that had Shivvy off balance from the outset. "Please have a seat my dear;" he said. "I'm sorry to have summoned you like this, but I have received news of the most alarming kind that involves your family, and I wish to keep this private for as long as humanly possible;"

Shivvy gasped, what could this man know about her family, or anything else that was of importance to her? With great effort she reined in her emotions and addressed the Heard of the Edinburgh Institute; "I don't understand your concern, please be plain."

Gerard McKenzie was impressed, the girl had courage and spirit, but he was a master of manipulation and though he, as yet, had no definitive proof for what he was about to say he expected her to believe him. "Shivaun, Isaiah Blackwell has been to see me. As you know, he is the instructor of the class that your brother and his parabatai Josh Cameron are attending." McKenzie paused momentarily to give the girl time to absorb his words.

"Has something happened to Ian?" Shivvy asked, her voice laced with concern.

"No, no, I assure you there has been no accident, and yet what I must tell you is, in some ways, just as devastating. Blackwell believes that an inappropriate, romantic relationship exists between your brother and Josh Cameron. He says he has proof, or he would not bring me such serious allegations." McKenzie said, watching the girl's face carefully. He had no such proof, but she did not know that. It was a gamble, and the Abbot loved games of chance, he had honed his 'poker face' well over the years.

"I will have no choice but to turn this matter over to the Clave Shivvy, unless you give me the ability to protect your family, by becoming my wife..."

~~~~~!~~~~~

Madeline Pyre slipped unseen from Eilean Donan into the dark night. A faint blue bruise graced her cheek where the Abbot had slapped her earlier, it would fade away to nothing in a few days, but the memory of it would remain, smoldering until another slight fanned it into the bright flame of hatred. She had not deserved to be singled out for the Abbot's displeasure, but McKenzie would never dare raise his hand to Balial. Well, soon he would realize it wasn't safe to raise his hand to her either! That fool thought he was the power behind the Hellfire Club, as if!

At last she arrived at her destination, a small, ramshackle country inn that served as the local pub for area farmers. The Witch's Brew sat at the edge of an old country road, and was really little more than a two story cottage. Its ancient gray stone walls were covered in green moss at the base, and the rough, weathered oak door gave the place a brooding, neglected air. Madeline pushed the door open and stepped into a more cheerful scene than the exterior of the Inn would lead one to expect. There were several farmers chatting at the bar and others sitting at small tables strew about the room. A young bar maid caring a heavy tray laden with tankards of beer and stout wove between the tables depositing her load and collecting the empties. A good fire on the hearth took the evening chill out of the air, and lively music came from a small sound system located behind the bar. Madeline did not stop to take in any of the ambience however, she made straight for a small table in the back corner where a tall, handsome man waited. He rose to greet her and she went into his arms whispering..."master."