Chapter 69 Tyrant
“That's inconsequential at this point, Ms Thorne.”
“Is it?” Isabella fired, turning to the other elders. “I'm assuming you can all hear Lord Hale?”
Damien’s eyes hardened. “Say your blood is being replicated, what has that got to do with me?”
“Oh please,” Isabella scoffed. “I hope you're not about to play for a fool?”
“We all know that Browning Reed is a subsidiary of your family's.”
Damien shrugged. “I still don't see where you're headed, Ms Thorne.”
His lips thinned. “I do not answer for my family, do I?”
“No you don't.” Isabella made a face. “But you also won't tell us that you absolutely were not aware.”
“I wasn't.”
Lord Sloane cleared his throat noisily, at the interaction between the two of them. “This is becoming uncivil.”
“Is it?” Isabella turned her attention at him, her gaze hardening. “Because I can hardly remember you saying a word about this, before the evidence.”
“Be careful, Ms Thorne.”
She hissed, turning her attention back to the other members of the hall, her stare falling on Lord Gabriel for a few seconds before moving to others.
“I understand that some of you have your pockets and palms greased, and so would do nothing about this.” She began, her voice calm.
She glanced at Damien. “And I also understand that there's nothing I say or do here today that will absolve me of all the accusations. Absolutely nothing.”
“We've not given our judgment, Ms Thorne.” Sloane corrected slightly.
“No you've not.” She agreed. “But I can see it in your eyes. I can see the decisions you're about to take. This will not end well.”
Sloane looked away in shame, his eyes roaming everywhere except where Isabella stood.
“Your point, Ms Thorne?” Damien asked unashamedly.
“My point is, if you think you can take the throne away from us, then you've thought wrong.”
“Ms Thorne?” Lord Sloane was forced to speak up. “Lucien remains king.”
Isabella chuckled. “Then you obviously must have been kept in the dark, weren't you?”
An expression of pity appeared on her face for a split second for the older man. She gestured to Damien. “Perhaps, now that the truth has come to light, Lord Hale here will be kind enough to include us in his plans. Lord Hale?” She urged, turning to him with a wry smile.
Damien shifted in his seat, a frown settling on his face. It was not the time to make the big reveal. He could tell that Isabella was bent on forcing his hands.
Only two people had not been bought over.
“Your claims are a little…” he wandered. “...a little audacious, Ms Thorne. I hostely wonder how you came to such a conclusion.”
Lord Sloane turned to Isabella with a look of ‘I told you so,’ but Damien wasn't done.
“They're audacious, but true.” He finished.
The hall was stiff, silence permeating the hall as though someone had just been killed.
“Lord Hale?” Lord Sloane mumbled, holding the chair closest to him for support.
The older man seemed to have aged fifty years more.
Damien shrugged in response. “Surprised that much, Lord Sloane?”
Lord Sloane blushed, his face turning red. He opened his mouth to speak, a sudden realisation dawning on him as he turned to the crowd at his back.
“Everyone is in on this?” Even though he was asking, a part of him knew the answer.
The men looked away, suddenly finding something interesting to do with their eyes.
“H…how could you?” Lord Sloane spluttered, fingers pointed in the air, to no one in particular.
“I think the right question should be how couldn't they?” Damien said, standing up suddenly, wearing his arrogance like a coat.
Lord Sloane stared hard at him, ignoring his rude interruption before turning back to the elders.
“Lord Harlan? Lord Smith? Lord Wallace? Lord Trueman?”
As he called, an expression of defeat appeared on his face. “Where is the allegiance to Lord Lucien?” He roared in anger, his veins pulsating.
“What allegiance, Lord Sloane?” Damien mocked. “We need new hands, capable hands.” There were murmurs of approval from the hall.
Lord Sloane sighed. “This can't work, Lord Hale.” His voice was low, tired lines forming on his head.
“Being King does not come out of desire, or passion or…greed.” He said the last part carefully.
“Lucien Blackthorn was chosen to rule.”
“And that won't work.” Damien roared angrily. “Look around you,” he pointed. “People are being killed because of the Moonlit blood that he chose to bring to the sacred palace.”
“That doesn't change anything, Lord Hale.” Lord Sloane said smoothly. Smoothly but carefully. “It's not his fault that he was fated to be so.”
“No, it's not.” Damien agreed. “But the people don't want it.”
“The same people that you have bought, Lord Hale?” Lord Gabriel spoke for the first time, clearly observing the proceedings from the sidelines.
Damien scoffed. “Sit this one out, Gabriel. It's not your turn to speak.”
Lord Gabriel recoiled in his seat, his face burning with embarrassment.
“That's very rich, coming from you, Lord Hale,” Isabella commented snidely. She needed to remind the men that she was still in the hall.
“Would you mind excusing us, Ms Thorne?” Lord Sloane spoke instead.
“For?”Isabella stared hard at him. “You don't think I'm going to leave you here to discuss important issues, do you?” Isabella scoffed.
Lord Sloane turned a face red. “You don't think I'm colluding with Lord Hale, do you, Ms Thorne?”
Isabella looked away. “I don't exactly know what to believe any longer.” She murmured.
“Think you guys have forgotten that I am standing right here with you?” Damien said snidely.
Isabella rolled her eyes. “No one has forgotten anything, Lord Hale. You're just not significant enough.”
There were scattered laughs at Isabella's retort.
Damien stiffened, walking slowly to Isabella, till there was no distance left between them.
“I would love to hear you say that again.” He urged, speaking through clenched teeth.
“Or?” Isabella goaded. “You'll do what, Lord Hale?”
She turned around, glancing at the people before them. “Take a look at the men in the hall who are staring at you right now, for wanting to raise your hands on a woman.”
Her voice was low, but loud enough for everyone in the room to hear.
“Oh, come off it, Isabella. We both know you're not an ordinary woman.” He grunted.
Isabella shrugged. “We don't know that. Not everyone in the kingdom knows what I'm capable of doing.” she gave a soft smile.
Damien nodded, before turning back to the members of the council.
“Lord Sloane? Lord Gabriel?” He drew their attention. “I have over half of the Council members on my side.”
“You son of a bitch,” Lord Sloane interrupted, his hands shaking.
Damien shrugged. “I suggest you speak to your new king with respect, Lord Sloane. You're not indispensable.”
Lord Sloane scoffed, turning around to look at the members. “How could you have sold your soul so cheaply?”
His question was met with deafening silence.
He turned back to Damien. “This won't work. You'd better surrender, now that you have the time. Just before the guards get in.” He advised, returning to the elderly gentle Vampire.
Damien groaned. “C’mon, Lord Sloane. You don't think I've made adequate plans?” He sounded insulted.
Lord Sloane looked away. “You may have made plans, adequate plans even, but you have forgotten something. You need a yes from Lord Gabriel and me.”
He motioned at Lord Gabriel. “And I know we haven't been compromised.”
Damien nodded, his confident smile faltering for a split second. “You're right, I need your vote.”
Isabella could feel a deep pit forming inside her stomach. Something terrible was about to happen. She could feel it, but she could not point her finger at it.
Damien brought out a spear from within his dress, pointing it at Isabella.
Isabella gasped, pulling backwards, until she was lodged against a wall. “W…what are you doing?” Horror filled her face.
“Doing what I know how to do best.” Damien boasted. “Turning things around to my favour.”
Isabella swallowed. “Don't do anything rash, Damien.”
Damien nodded, as if suddenly agreeing with her. “I could use you for something better.”
Without warning, he turned the spear to Lord Sloane. “What do you think, Lord Sloane? Still think I need your vote?” He mocked.
Lord Sloane glanced at him fearlessly, his eyes calculating. “I know you would not be that stupid to kill the leader of the elders of the tower. You would not know what to incur the people's wrath, king or not.”
Damien smiled. “You're quick on your feet, I'll give you that.” He threw the spear without warning and Sloane ducked instinctively.
A thud was heard almost immediately. Lord Gabriel had fallen, the spear in his head.
Isabella's eyes widened, screams filling the place. It took a few moments for her to realise she was the one screaming. She hurriedly placed a hand over her mouth.
“What have you done?” Lord Sloane shook.
“Killed my obstacle.” Damien shrugged. “Now you have no excuse not to agree to my proposition.”