The following week, Andrew had gathered the Bloody-Summers (she knew it was maternal surname hyphen paternal surname, and no, she didn't care) in the library with what he considered some very pertinent information. Beth hoped it was about that weird vampire she had fought because he had strictly forbidden her from going out since then, leaving her feeling antsy and trapped. Both her mother and father had loudly expressed their displeasure with Andrew's ruling (probably because they wanted a night off), but he had stood his ground for once. It was both invigorating to watch and disappointing.
"This better be good," Spike grumbled as he sat with his chair propped up against the bookcase like a proper eighties film bad boy stereotype (he was even wearing all back today—guess that was an argument Buffy lost). "M'show's on."
"It's called DVR, Spike," Buffy sighed from beside the table, across from Beth. "Besides, he actually said it was very important."
"It's Andrew," he reminded her. "What does he consider important?"
She frowned, thinking about that for a second. "Just humor him anyway," she decided, probably not liking the list her mind came up with. She turned to look at her daughter. "Did you get evaluated?"
"I wouldn't know because that's how the evaluation is supposed to work," Beth reminded her. "And besides, how bad would I have to have done for Mr. Wells to call a family meeting? It's not like I've been doing poorly. I didn't almost accidentally-on-purpose start an apocalypse."
"'Sides, they do those at the end of the teachin' year," Spike added. "She's not s'posed to be evaluated yet."
"Well, could he get here any faster so we can stop waiting?" Buffy asked, throwing her hands up in exasperation.
As if cued, Andrew rushed in through the door, spilling a stack of papers he was carrying all over the table. Beth jumped back as they scattered, some making their way to the floor. She reached to pick them up as he dropped some tombs on the table, which made a heavy thunk. One looked to be an actual book, while the others looked suspiciously like Watcher Diaries. And judging from the discoloration of the pages, all of them were very old.
"I made a Powerpoint too," he told them, sounding a bit harried.
"What's this about?" Spike asked, as Andrew tried to push him out of the way to set up the sheet for the screen. He grumbled, but moved, scooting his chair leftward enough to be out of the way.
"Spike," Andrew began, looking at him. "You won't see the presentation from that position."
He growled again, stomping over to the table. Buffy reached out and patted his hand sympathetically.
"Is this going to be about that vampire from before?" Beth asked as her Watcher produced a laptop and projector from thin air (while he was a little rusty with conjuring, she didn't doubt that it was possible).
"What vampire?" Spike inquired, nearly demanding. He was antsy to get this over with and watch his show (his soaps! How could he miss his soaps?).
"The one I ran into last Sunday," Beth explained, "and the reason I'm on an uncalled for probation."
"Not uncalled for," Andrew replied hastily, setting up his computer. "Giles demanded it."
"Giles demanded it?" Buffy repeated, trying to think of the last time Giles demanded something of her (let's just say it didn't go well).
"But why?" Beth cried, frustrated. "I took him out, easily. He was just another one of McGregor's lackeys and the worst thing to ever happen to hand-to-hand combat. Is this about the name he said? James?"
"Who's James?" Spike asked irritably, realizing he was as far out of the loop as one could get.
"Some name the vampire mentioned," she explained. "I bet he was talking about the Master Vampire that has returned to Bellevue. Doesn't matter though because I'll kick his pansy little arse if he causes any problems."
"Language!" Buffy cut in, making Beth groan.
"It's about that, yes," Andrew said, fidgeting. "But it's also because he's a Son of Cain."
Que the confused looks from one Buffy and Beth Summers. Not Spike though, who just laughed.
"Why's that funny?" Beth asked him, nose all scrunched up in confusion. "Who's the Son of Cain?"
"Who were," he corrected, once his laughter subsided. "An' it's a vampire line."
"Like Aurelius?" Buffy asked and he nodded.
"Okay, so this vampire's got friends in high places, that doesn't mean you needed to ground me," Beth stated, glaring at her Watcher. "I can take whoever he is."
"Not unless you plan on fightin' a pile of dust," her dad grunted. "The Sons of Cain are dead."
"Not obviously," Beth snorted. "Maybe somebody made a childe that no one knew about."
"They are," he repeated firmly, "an' everybody knows it. The last of 'em died out before Angelus was ever sired. An' it's not like it's jus' any vampire in the clan. The Sons were a very specific line of vampires within the Line of Cain. S'all very ritualistic."
"So you could be from the Line of Cain, but not a Son?" Beth asked to clarify and he tapped his nose. "Okay, but if they're dead, why do we care?"
"How can you be so sure they're dead?" Buffy questioned, arms crossed.
"Because," he started, sounded frustrated, "the Sons of Cain were a fearsome vampire trio, before the Scourge ever came along. They cut a bloody path through Asia and Europe. You think they jus' up an' stopped one day? No. When their reign of terror ended, it was because they were killed. Likely by a slayer or some ruddy demon hunter. They were notorious. 'Course they got hunted."
"Er, see, that's not entirely accurate," Andrew said, awkwardly shuffling his feet.
"An' you would know?" he inquired, tone harsh. "Bein' as you are so entrenched in vampire dynasties?"
"Well you are right about the Sons of Cain line," Andrew started, tapping away at his computer. An image flashed up on the makeshift screen, an odd sort of symbol. "There was a ritualistic specification to how the Sons were anointed. They considered themselves to be direct descendants from the first original vampire. The first vampire they chose to sire was also a Son of Cain, and received this marking, so they could be identified and no other vampire could simply claim the title. The actual magic used to do it is still unknown."
"Don't all vampires descend from an original vampire?" Buffy asked.
"Depends on what story you use," Spike told her. "You know the story of biblical Cain, don't you?"
Buffy and Beth exchanged looks.
"My mother didn't take me to church," Buffy said.
"Neither did mine," Beth added, then looked at her dad, "and it would probably not be looked well-upon if I went with you. Something about sacrilege and irony."
"Cain was a son of Adam and Eve," he explained with a sigh. "Got to bloody explain everythin' to you. Both made an' offering to God an' Cain's brother, Abel, got approval. Angered, Cain killed his brother an' for the first murder, God marked Cain, so that all who saw 'im would know his crime. That's the condensed version anyway."
"His mark, that one?" Beth asked, pointing toward the screen.
"No, vampirism," Andrew corrected.
"I've never heard that story before," Buffy replied.
"S'not like it's the official story," Spike explained. "Might take some liberties. Vampires aren't exactly known for their piousness, are they?"
"Most all vampires who have long, sire lines tend to have their own story of creation," Andrew finally contributed. "The Line of Cain chose to go very biblical, if not a little off the book, like Spike mentioned. The story's not widely accepted by all vampires, since it leaves out a lot of information, considering the Bible goes on to state that Cain married and had a son by way of birth."
"But that doesn't explain why you don't think they're dead," Beth said. "Unless this vampire can show us the marking himself, how do we know he's not just lying about being a Son? For all we know, he decided to pick up the title again for some notoriety."
"Yeah, Andrew, how are you so sure they're not dead?" Spike asked.
"I'm sure Angel told you all about the three most notorious of them?" Andrew asked. "After all, it's well recorded that the Line of Cain and the Line of Aurelius hated each other. The Master especially hated them and always wanted to outdo them in notoriety."
"I know about them," Spike stated flatly. "Angelus never shut up about them. They were the most well-known Sons of Cain and they slaughtered for over a century before goin' quiet. They died back in the 1700s, long before I ever came 'round. Got too cocky if you ask me."
"They did," Andrew agreed. "The line itself hasn't produced a lot of infamous vampires, save the Sons Spike knows about. We're not even sure who sired the first of those Sons, though it's believed he hailed from one of the first Chinese dynasties. We're not sure. They didn't really want to talk about it."
"Wait, the council spoke to them?" Spike inquired.
"This is where your knowledge and my knowledge disembark from one another," Andrew claimed, an uneasy smile on his face. "But let's catch Buffy and Beth up before we get into that. First, we need to talk about the infamous three, the ones who really gave the title 'Son of Cain' it's notoriety." He clicked to another slide, one that had a drawing of a vampire, dressed in old European clothing. He was very well-cut and clean looking, save the vampire visage. "This is Vincenzo. He's the oldest vampire of the group. He would have been sired by this supposed Chinese vampire, who we're not sure is still alive or not, but no one claiming to be him has ever been in contact with a slayer or the Council. Vincenzo is still very old though, likely dating back from the Roman Empire."
"Roman Empire?" Beth squeaked. "That could make him well over a millenium!"
"The Sons are very old, since for a long time they kept a low profile since they were so picky about who they sired. It could take centuries before they chose the right heir. They were very particular about siring. A Son was unable to sire any vampires until he had claimed a Son, and they were usually from the likes of nobility or royalty. After the Son has sired his heir, only then could he go out and sire other vampires who would be Descendants of Cain, but not a part of the Sons. Like Spike's a descendant of the Aurelian line, but he's not a member of the Order of Aurelius because not every vampire sired in that bloodline is."
"This sounds overly complicated," Beth complained, resting her chin on the table.
"Oh, it is, but it's the hierarchy of the vampire," Andrew agreed. "Their familial lines are much more complex than we originally gave them credit for. And as for the Sons of Cain, they were a very well-respected and feared group. While a descendant of Cain didn't necessarily have any more power than any other vampire who wasn't abandoned at siring, being a Son of Cain came with respect and power. Vampires feared them. And to work for a Son of Cain was an honor above all others. They didn't often sire anyone beyond paramours and heirs, save a few close confidants they've kept over the years."
"So did Vincenzo have a face like the Masters then?" Buffy inquired. "All scrunched up and wrinkly?"
"Uh no," Andrew answered. "We're not sure how old the Master was either, so he could have been long past Vincenzo. It may also be attributed to the fact that the Master wished to separate himself from the human world, venturing topside only to feed. Vincenzo had no such qualms with living amongst the people and even has appreciation for the arts. He may have staved off looking like the Master as looking like that would have made blending in a lot harder."
Another slide, this one also featuring a vampire in similar clothing, looking just as clean-cut as the last one, but his pose was much more sinister. While Vincenzo had been depicted standing up straight, his head held high and his arms secured behind his back, this one seemed to loom, his posture more crooked. His hair was long and there was a snarl on his vampiric face. "This is Luther. He was sired by Vincenzo, sometime around the Middle Ages. He was more of the black sheep of the family and the most vicious of them."
"Think that was the one Angelus spoke of a lot," Spike supplied. "Hated the bloke."
"Understandable, since Angelus would have likely been looking to upstage Luther by being regarded as crueler," Andrew agreed. "Though, Luther was no artist about it and regularly bashed heads instead of making displays. He was ruthless though and had quite the taste for blood."
"And Vincenzo wasn't?" Beth asked.
"Oh no, he was cruel too, but not as vicious," Andrew told her. "People were scared of him, but he wasn't as, uh, we'll say passionate about it as Luther was."
Another slide and a third vampire, his clothes askew and a smile prominent around his fangs. His hair was also loose, long, and hanging around his shoulders. "The final son is Rubio. He was sired by Luther somewhere between the 1500s and the 1700s. He was a native to South America, that much we've learned, though he won't say what part. We think Aztec, but he's been less than forthcoming about the whole thing. Like the Sons before him, he's mum about his human life. He was the most, er, playful of the group, preferring the fight over the kill. He still killed though, and was vicious, but he differed from Luther in that it wasn't such an integral part to the battle. Death wasn't the point, but the afterthought.
"These were the three most infamous Sons of Cain, and the ones who really gave them a name across the Eurasian continents," Andrew continued, clicking to another slide, this one of a drawing of an old city landscape. "They travelled together and wreaked havoc for the better part of the century. We're not sure of their entire damages, as vampires are rarely ever all forthcoming regarding their murders. For all we know, their reign of terror was longer."
"So how does James play into all of this?" Beth inquired. "You said that the Sons were very picky about their next in line; are you saying Rubio sired someone and we're just now finding this out? At least it'd make him a lot younger than the other ones."
Spike shook his head. "Nah, would've known about that. They'd throw their title around an' the like. S'not somethin' these vampires were ever quiet about."
"No, Rubio never sired anyone. If he did, we'd know about it," Andrew assured.
"So somebody's pretendin' to be a Son," Spike decided. "S'not unusual. S'big thing to be a part of. Like you said, comes with all the fame an' glory."
"But see, that's the thing," Andrew replied, looking nervous again. "They're not actually dead."
There was dead silence in the room before Spike burst out into laughter. "You're bloody jokin'," he said between guffaws. "They're dead. No vampire in his right mind jus' stops killin' like they did. They were on top of the bloody world, had even the Watchers' Council runnin' scared an' you're tellin' me they've jus' been in hidin' all these years?"
"Like you said Spike, they had even the Watchers' Council in fear," Andrew agreed. "And they terrorized too many people for them to be ignored any longer. The Council's plan was to send slayer after slayer after them until the last one was wiped out. It would result in heavy slayer casualties, but considering the damages the Sons of Cain were causing, it was for the greater good."
"Greater good?" Buffy muttered. "I hate that. Good to know the Watcher Council hadn't changed in 300 years."
"But you see, that didn't happen," Andrew explained. "Vincenzo, as the head of the family, prided the continuation of his line more than anything else. It was a huge part of what it meant to be a Son of Cain. The end of the line under his watch? He'd be a disgrace. And he knew that they would escape the first slayer, and likely the next, and the next, and the next, but at some point she'd get lucky and they'd all die, probably before Rubio would ever get around to siring anyone.
"So, in an effort to preserve the vampire line, Vincenzo struck a deal with the Council. As long as the Council never sent a slayer out to harm them, they would not kill another human being, with some stipulations worked in for provoked violence. In accordance with the Son's rules, the Council would let Rubio sire his heir, but beyond that, they were unable to slay another person."
"What do you mean they couldn't kill anyone?" Buffy asked.
"It's just that. They couldn't kill anyone, not for fun or for food. They could still drink human blood, but not kill their victim," Andrew explained.
"And the Council just made this deal?" she asked, sounding angry. "They made a deal with a bunch of murderous vampires like that? They still let them turn people!"
"Only an heir and one new vampire was hardly detrimental when you consider how many lives it saved. It would have to be sanctioned by the Council anyway," Andrew quickly explained. "Besides, for a vampire, turning isn't technically killing. Ask anyone who's been turned and they'll tell you it's a liberating experience."
Both Beth and Buffy turned to look at Spike, who was still standing in the back of the room. "What?" he asked. "Love, I already told you this years ago."
"But you didn't tell me," Beth piped up.
He sighed. "I realized society's rules didn' apply to me anymore so, yes, liberating."
"A vampire doesn't feel like he's inhabiting a corpse," Andrew added. "He's the same person with a new outlook on life. And considering the research we've been doing in the last two decades, we have evidence that supports that."
"Okay, so the Sons of Cain are alive and well," Beth stated. "But what does this have to do with the Master of Bellevue? In accordance with the treaty, he can't harm a slayer."
"And why weren't we made aware of him the moment we moved here?" Buffy demanded to know. "If I'm not supposed to kill him, just in case I send his murderous brothers on rampage again by breaking the treaty, why did no one tell me?"
"Because we had no knowledge of either vampire being here," Andrew told her. "As part of the treaty, we've kept track of them for years. Vincenzo's been in Italy since the treaty was signed back in the 1700s. He lives in Rome, to be exact, with his harem."
"Harem?" Beth repeated.
"Yes, he has a harem of living women he uses as food sources," Andrew told her. "All of them are willing, as most allow him to drink their blood in exchange for liberation from something, possibly a marriage or an abusive family. It's all be checked out by the Council and the last thing Vincenzo wants to do it bend the rules too much and get a slayer sicced on him. Especially now since they could send a whole team."
"Do the bis brothers live with him?" she asked.
"Rubio's returned to South America in the early 1900s, and is currently settled in a small town in Brazil. He's rather popular there, as he's been known to give nightly serenades to women who have been scorned by their lovers. He is, as Buffy would say, a hottie—"
"I would not say!"
"—Although he personally cares for the company of men," Andrew finished, ignoring Buffy's outburst. "I spoke with Giles just yesterday and he assures me that both vampires are still in location. We have slayers there who have checked to make sure."
"You're missin' the worst one," Spike warned. "Luther was brutal. If Angelus had a bone to pick with the man, you know 'e's not easy."
Andrew let out a breath. "And this is where the Master might come into play. Luther supposedly died a long time ago, back in the early 1800s. At the time, all signs pointed toward his demise. But now, with a vampire claiming the Master is a Son of Cain, Giles and I aren't so sure anymore."
"You lost him then?" Spike asked, flabbergasted. "You lost him, of all vampires?"
"We thought he was dead," Andrew defended. "He left Vincenzo with a few other vampires and went to Russia where he promptly fell off the map and was never heard from again. Neither Vincenzo or Rubio have heard from the vampires that left with Luther, and Vincenzo has assured us Luther has not contacted him since and that he can't even feel the familial presence of Luther. The Sons of Cain pride connection above all other things; their line is the most important thing to them. Luther would not just stop contacting Vincenzo if he were alive. And it's a blood treaty; we'd have been notified if Luther broke it and we haven't."
"But if he went into hiding, it would be for a good reason, like trying to escape the treaty," Beth realized and he nodded.
"It was a blood oath, and I'm sure there's some wriggle room, but he'd never be able to kill someone himself without us knowing," he assured.
"So you believe Vincenzo?" Buffy asked skeptically.
"I know trusting a vampire isn't the best thing to do, but he's been working in line with the Council since he signed the treaty and he hasn't changed any of his habits," he answered. "I don't know how to fully explain it without you understanding their history as I do. Family line is more important than anything. It is the whole basis of the Sons; Vincenzo would never just let Luther cut himself out like that. He was angry when he realized he could not sense Luther anymore; even the Council sent out contacts to try and find him. The logical conclusion then was that he and his entourage had been killed."
"An' what's the 'logical conclusion' now?" Spike asked, tone belligerent.
Andrew sighed. "We always knew it was a possibility that Luther never died. He was the unhappiest about the treaty and no one ever came forward to claim the kill. But if Luther is alive, it means he somehow figured out how to circumvent the bond that ties vampire lines together. It also means he's found a workaround for the treaty, which makes make him a very dangerous vampire again."
"So then McGregor's vampire believes that the Master of Bellevue is a Son of Cain," Beth reiterated. "And since Rubio hasn't sired anyone, that means the only choice left is Luther."
Andrew nodded vigorously.
"But his name is James," she concluded.
"An' vampires change their names all the time, love," Spike reminded her. "Mum didn' name me 'Spike.'"
"It's possible that James is Luther, and has been in hiding here for years," Andrew explained. "If he really is still alive, it's safe to assume he'd change his name to avoid any suspicion. Vincenzo would have sought him out if he thought his childe was still alive. So he'd have to stop touting his title too, although it seems the tight circle is leaking."
"Okay, so we may possibly have a centuries old vampire living in town," Buffy stated. "But how come this is the first I'm ever hearing of the Sons of Cain at all? I'm not just a slayer, I'm the slayer."
"It's unfortunately on a need-to-know basis," Andrew sheepishly admitted. "Not even many Watchers know about it."
"But you do," Spike pointed out.
"Yes, but remember that I said Vincenzo was in Rome?" Andrew prompted. "The only slayers and Watchers who know about then are the ones stationed in cities where the Sons live, and also Giles since he runs the whole place. Back when you and Angel came to Rome all those years ago, I had to know about him then to keep the other slayers from bothering him. They slayer stationed near Rubio knows about him, and apparently, she finds him to be a nuisance."
"Hardly a nuisance if he's not killin' anyone," Spike muttered.
"How would you feel if someone just kept leaving a bed of roses on your front door, hm?" Andrew retorted. "Hm?"
"Anyway," Beth exclaimed loudly, "what about the other vampires that disappeared with Luther? Are they bound to the treaty?"
"Any vampire that was present at the treaty signing is bound to it," he explained. "We made it for the Sons, but the other vampires from the Line of Cain who expressed fidelity to the Sons also signed it. All of them are bound to the same blood pact: They can't kill anyone without forfeiting their own life."
"But then they could get other vampires, non-Cain ones, to do all the killing," Beth hypothesized. "Like McGregor, Xavier, and Balt. Like the Master of Bellevue has done, and is probably doing right now."
"Exactly, which is why we can't be sure James isn't Luther," Andrew agreed. "He could have revealed his lineage to a select few vampires to garner their respect and use them to kill people. That's why we keep a strict eye on the other two. Vincenzo is smart enough to not try something so under-handed, as he would know the Council would void the contract. Rubio is more willing to listen to Vincenzo and appears to be the least-bothered by the treaty. Luther, on the other hand, if he got the right amount of smart around him, he could conceivably disappear from our watch and go underground."
"So how do we confirm this new theory?" Buffy inquired. "The only one who we know who's met James was Nadja's grandfather, and that was decades ago. No one's actually claimed to have seen him, besides some lackeys. How do we know it's Luther?"
"Yeah, how come I still had to get grounded?" Beth groused.
"Considering the uncertainty that this is the reemergence of Luther, Giles and I thought it was best to pull you off the streets, since you are still technically a slayer-in-training and shouldn't even be in field work. Until we can confirm that this isn't Luther, we'd think it'd be best that you don't patrol without either Buffy or Spike with you, or with your friends at all. If this is Luther, and he did figure out how to circumvent the treaty, then he's going to out for blood."
"Oh come on, how bad can he be?" Beth whined, not liking the idea of being indoors again.
"He's right, love," Spike agreed. "I've heard a lot about the Sons an' if they're still alive, they're trouble. Luther especially. If Angelus hates anyone, you know it's best not to cross roads with that particular individual."
"Not to mention how old he is," Buffy added. "Beth, you've never gone up against a vampire that old. You've only dealt with younger vampires."
"But you did," Beth protested. "You took on the Master and who knows how old he is?"
"And I died," Buffy reminded her sternly. "Xander resuscitated me. If he hadn't been there, I wouldn't be here."
"But what about Angelus?" Beth questioned. "You always took him on."
"An' he's not nearly as old as Luther is," Spike reminded her.
"Beth, listen, I know you want to be a part of this, but until we know more about this situation, you can't go off on your own," her mother directed. "It's not as if we're keeping you from slaying entirely, or even from going outside at night. As long as you're patrolling, either your dad or I will be present and you'll just have to tell Nadja and Daniel that they can't come for their own safety."
"This is so dumb," she grumbled, crossing her arms. "You don't even know if it's actually him."
"If it's not, then at least we took precautions. And if it is, then it's a good thing we did," Buffy told her firmly, her expression leaving no room for argument.
She huffed, but didn't respond, knowing that both her parents could be amazingly stubborn when they wanted to be. Didn't they see how unfair this was? Buffy got to do cool thing when she was sixteen and a slayer. And how did they expect her to get better if they kept her out of the big boss fights all the time?
"Alright, fine," she relented grumpily. "I'll be under adult supervision at all times until we've sorted this all out."
-.-
Beth wasn't too sure at what point she made her parents think that when they said something, she would absolutely do it no question, because here she was, sneaking out of the house by way of window and nary a parent in sight. She wasn't arguing, just genuinely curious about how they came to that conclusion.
After her parents had come back from patrolling (they'd told her to sit this one out, boo), she'd waited until she heard their bedroom door close before planning her Great Escape. It was relatively easy: open window and crawl out. After the debacle involving Zack and the late-night meetups, she had expected maybe some sort of extra supervisory steps to be taken to ensure there wasn't a repeat of such activity, but there was no such thing. She darted across the lawn and hopped over the fence without so much as a light turning on. Maybe they had just expected her to take her life as seriously as they did.
She made it to her school in record time (considering her bike was in the garage and she didn't want to possibly wake someone by trying to retrieve it), making her way down into the basement with the skill of an old-time pro. Charlie was in there, as expected. She hadn't given him much of a heads-up and she was beginning to wonder when he went out for food.
"Hey," she greeted, taking a seat on the floor.
"You seem tired, heart beats a'racin'," he commented.
"What? That bother you?" she asked.
He shook his head. "Naw. Ain't got no problem with it. Ain't hungry anyways. Now, girlie, what you want?"
"I want you to tell me about the Master that's back in town," she asked him. "I don't have any blood today, but I can bring some tomorrow. My parents sort of have me on house arrest, so I had to sneak out."
He regarded her coolly as she half-expected him to not tell her anything. "Awright, I believe you. You slayers don't know how to lie," he said.
"Don't forget about my dad," she reminded him with a smile. "He used to lie through his teeth."
"Hm, you ain't much like your paw, 'least not like a vamp," he commented. "Now, what you wanna know? I already told you he's a problem."
"Do you know about the Sons of Cain?" she asked.
"Course I do," he answered. "How do you? Last I figgered, they weren't somethin' the slayers bothered themselves with."
"I ran into one of McGregor's boys a few nights ago—"
"Which one?" he demanded suddenly, looking very interested all of a sudden.
"I don't know," she replied. "One of his top guys. I've seen him around before but he always running off before I can get him."
"Sounds like Matthew," he decided. "He ain't no problem. Good riddance."
"Anyway, he's not the point. He name-dropped. Said something about a 'Son of Cain.' My Watcher told me that they're still alive, at least two of them and that the third one is AWOL," she explained.
"An' what you hopin' to get from me?" he inquired. "Sounds like you already got all it down. Watcher's gonna know more than me. I ain't know 'em."
"Is the Master the missing Son?" she asked. "Because I'm on under constant supervision until we get this all sorted out."
"You ain't under good supervision if you got out," he mumbled.
"Look, I just want to know if you know if James—this Master of Bellevue—is Luther, the second Son of Cain," Beth expanded. "They say they lost him in Russia and since he hasn't made any attempts to contact his brothers, they assumed he was dead, but they don't actually know. So is James Luther or not?"
"Don't rightly know," Charlie told her. "Ain't like he'd go 'round sayin' it. He's s'posed to be dead, right? Well, you ever think he wanted people to know he's alive, if he's tryin' to be dead? He ain't gon' go round tellin' errybody. He's gonna keep his head low. Might've changed his name, right, from Luther to James? He don't wanna be found."
"Well, could you at least ask around or something?" Beth asked. "If McGregor's second-in-command knew, somebody else has got to know. The name comes with prestige and it can get a lot of vamps working for you. So either he's lying and is a copycat, or he's the real deal."
"How am I gon' to know the difference?" he asked. "If he's lyin' to McGregor's men, he'll lie to everyone."
"You always seem so good at finding this stuff out," she told him. "Luther is supposedly very old and very powerful. You'd feel that wouldn't you? They also have a marking. Here." She pulled a piece of paper out of her pocket, the marking from Andrew's PowerPoint presentation crudely drawn on it (what could she say? She's no artist). "It's how you can legitimately tell if someone's a Son or not. It's usually present on the wrist, for easy proof and to show it off. If he's got that, he's Luther. If he doesn't, he's a copycat and I can go patrolling without my parents looming over my shoulder."
"Thought you liked yer parents," he commented.
She rolled her eyes. "I'm sixteen. I don't need my parents around all the time. And my mum was already doing this all on her own when she was my age, so why can't I?"
"Worried 'bout you kid," he told her. "Don't take that for granted."
"I'd like it if they could worry less," she grumbled. "I can take care of myself. I'm supposed to be the most powerful slayer to ever exist and this is what I get? Grounded because some stupid vampire is lording around, pretending he's all-powerful when he's not? I bet he's just some descendant of the line. Like, Luther's great-great-great-great-great-childe. When I find him, I'm going to kill him."
"That's what I've been sayin'," he agreed, looking down at the paper again and frowning. "I'll leave you a note in yer locker if I find anythin'."
"And I'll bring the blood tomorrow," she told him, standing up.
"Naw, don't worry 'bout it," he told her, making her frown. "You take care of this Master of Bellevue an' that's all the compensation I need."
"You don't like him," she realized. "Like, personally don't, no matter who he is."
"Yeah me an' him ain't got much to agree on, but that's because he's an ass an' I'm not," he replied.
She smiled crookedly. "Don't go thinking so highly of yourself just yet. Anyway, I should go back home now. I do actually need to sleep tonight."
"Git to it then," he told her, waving his arm toward the door. "Don't worry. Ole' Charlie's on the case. Make sure you watch yer back when you out there, though. If he's as dangerous as yer parents think—"
"Oh, don't you start too," she interrupted. "Only so many people are allowed to be concerned about my safety at once and I'm all out of free spaces. Goodnight."
He sighed, watching as she left the basement. He could hear her walking down the hall above, toward the classroom. The muffled sound of a window sliding down signaled her departure. He looked down at the paper in his hand and sighed again.
"What are you going to tell her?" Elwood asked, stepping out from behind the boiler.
"What do you think?" he asked. "An' how come yer so good at that? The hidin' thing? She didn't even glance over her shoulder, not even once."
"When you're as old as me, you learn a few tricks," Elwood replied cryptically.
He rolled his eyes. Out of all the bastards James kept for company, Elwood was by far the worst. If he wasn't obnoxious, he was infuriating and Charlie sincerely hoped he'd go back to Rome before Vincenzo got too curious about his whereabouts. After all, Elwood wasn't using a dampener to hide himself from his sire like James and his two oldest cohorts were; if Vincenzo ever went after Elwood, he'd lead his sire straight to James and then this whole masquerade would be over like that.
"You know you can't tell her about James' bloodline," Elwood reminded him, like Charlie didn't already know that. Cue the eye roll again. "If the Council finds out, they'll tell Vincenzo and getting away won't be so easy the second time."
"Should of thought 'bout that before you let McGregor's men go spoutin' off 'bout him," he retorted. "Matthew done nearly brought the whole charade down. I can tell the littlest slayer whatever I damn well please, but it don' mean shit if everyone else tells her differently."
"McGregor is going to face consequences for telling Matthew," Elwood promised. "He should not have been so loose with his mouth. The less vampires that know, the easier this works."
"Better make sure all the clan leaders are keepin' their mouths shut," he grunted.
"James will hold a meeting," Elwood responded, taking the paper from Charlie's hand. He studied it for a second before crumpling it up and tossing it on the floor. "Will you be attending?"
"Will you be there?"
Elwood chuckled, a reserved smile on his face. "Of course. What, are you upset James doesn't favor you like he once did? You did betray him after all; he shouldn't be expected to hold you in such high regard anymore. He may even request that you arrive so he can keep an eye on you. Make you move back into the house."
"Can't," he stated. "Slayer can't come to the house an' get information from me. She don' always come on a schedule. More like when it doth pleases the lady."
"He may still require your attendance to the meeting," Elwood repeated. "He doesn't take infidelity very well. He tells me about Chelsea quite often."
Charlie snorted. "She was a slut an' he knew it. Ain't like it was unexpected. Some…qualities stick 'round after a turnin' an' some get worse."
"Hm, you would know that best, wouldn't you?" Elwood commented off-handedly, though the small smile on his face revealed the slight behind the comment.
He growled, standing up to tower over the smaller man. "Don't you dare talk about her—"
"Her?" Elwood said. "She who? I wasn't talking about a woman, Charles. I was referring to you. Despite being around such high society, you still speak like a backwater bum. I find that quite odd."
Elwood only smiled innocently at him, a weird look on a vampire, especially one that's killed as many people as him. Charlie growled again, but it was quieter this time. He slowly settled back into his seat, still glaring heatedly at the other vampire.
"You are a testy one, aren't you? How hasn't James killed you already? He's usually not very fond of his newer editions to the family," Elwood told him. "Not to mention you're the last vampire I'd ever welcome into the Line of Cain. I've killed street urchins with more class than you."
"S'pose he finds me useful," he replied.
Elwood laughed. "Maybe so, though one more mark on your record, and I promise this time you will be—oh, how does that song go? 'All we are is dust in the wind?'"
"I got it," he bit out. "I'm s'posed to watch her an' I will. Though, if you could answer me this one thing."
"I suppose so," Elwood sighed, looking heavenward. "Though if it has anything to do with me getting you more food, this time you're going to have to be self-sufficient. You're healed up enough to go out on your own."
"Not that," he promised. "I wanna know what James' got planned for the littlest slayer. He ain't got momma slayer under constant surveillance."
"And how would you know that?" Elwood asked, eyebrow raised. "You're not tasked with watching her. Besides, you should know that James doesn't like to talk more than he has to. You'll know when you need to know."
"Bullshit," he spat.
"Such a dirty mouth," Elwood reprimanded. "Listen, as I will admit this much. Even I don't know James' entire plan. He's been entirely closed mouth about the whole thing and I'm his oldest friend. If I can't know, you surely won't."
He snorted, leaning back in his chair and crossing his arms over his chest. "Awright, I believe you. Now, gittout."
"No need to tell me," Elwood murmured as he turned to leave. "It was not as if I like spending time around someone as uncouth as you."