Page 5 of Blood Caged
The silence stretches out between us; not unusual after all these years, but this time, it’s uncomfortable.
I sip my drink slowly, watching Maxwell over the rim of my glass. He’s always been hard to read, but tonight, there’s an undercurrent of tension I can’t quite place.
“So, Soren,” Maxwell begins, swirling the crimson liquid in his glass. “I hear the Council’s been quite…active lately. What are your thoughts on the latest developments?”
I take a slow sip, buying time. “You know I prefer to stay out of these political games, Maxwell.”
“Lucien’s been making waves in the Assembly,” Maxwell says, his tone deceptively casual.
I shoot a quick glance at him. Maxwell never cared about my political views before. Why now? I choose my words carefully, “Lucien’s always making waves. It’s what he does best.”
Maxwell nods, a faint smile playing on his lips. “True. But his latest proposal has gained some traction. He’s pushing for more…aggressive measures to secure an alternative food supply for those with the curse.”
“You mean abducting witches,” I say flatly. The very thought turns my stomach.
“Among other things,” Maxwell agrees.
I keep my expression neutral. “Lucien Marlowe will always try to push his own agenda. And invariably, it will be a bad one. I’d rather keep out of it, along with the rest of that snake pit.”
Maxwell’s fingers tap against his glass, a nervous tic I’ve never seen before. “Come now, Soren. You must have more interest than that. What of the other clan leaders? Their alliances?”
I set my glass down, unable to hide my growing discomfort. “Maxwell, what’s this really about? You didn’t come here for a political debate.”
My maker takes a deep breath as if weighing his words before plunging in. “I have an assignment for you. An important one.”
“Yes?” I cock my head. It’s been a while since Maxwell asked anything of me, but I’m always ready to do his bidding.
“I need you to oversee the capture and imprisonment of a witch,” he says quickly. “A powerful one. She’ll be held at a facility designed for this purpose, but they’ve had some incidents, and they need to be sure she’ll be secure. I’ve put your name forward.”
I stare at Maxwell, disbelief etched across my face. “You can’t be serious.”
His expression remains impassive. “I assure you, Soren, I am entirely serious.”
“And this ‘facility’ – who owns it?” I’m getting a sinking sense of foreboding.
“That is not important for you to know right now.”
“Not important? How could it not be important?”
“Because it doesn’t change anything. Your priority will be the witch.” Maxwell isn’t budging.
“A witch.” I stand abruptly, pacing the length of the window. “Maxwell, you know my stance on this. We can’t keep perpetuating this cycle of violence with the witches. It has to stop somewhere.”
Maxwell’s eyes follow me. “This isn’t just about our feud, Soren. The situation is more complex than you realize.”
I whirl to face him. “Complex? There’s nothing complex about kidnapping an innocent person! Aside from being against Assembly protocols, it’s just plain wrong. Simple as that.”
“She’s hardly innocent,” Maxwell counters. “This witch poses a significant threat to our kind.”
“And imprisoning her will solve that?” I scoff. “It’ll only deepen their hatred, give them more reason to strike back. When does it end, Maxwell?”
He rises, closing the distance between us. “It ends when we secure our survival. You know the Bloodbane is spreading. We need–”
“No,” I cut him off sharply. “I won’t be part of this. Find someone else for your dirty work.”
A flicker passes across Maxwell’s face, his gray eyes glowing silver. Then his expression hardens.
“I had hoped you would see reason, Soren.” He straightens, his voice taking on a resonant quality that makes my skin crawl. “But you leave me no choice.”