Neutral Ground

Everyone piled into the room. Adrian and Dom where here representing the packs. All the Dragon Clan leaders were still here from around the world. They had remained because of The Dragon’s death and to see how I handled the Last Phoenix. Which I’d done nothing with – which is why they remained. The masters from all the bloodlines sat in seats including Tony who was representing the Primeval Vampires in lieu of his father. Armande and Bernstein were here as well representing the rest of the vampires. We were only missing the CCB and the human factions. That would change eventually, but for now this is what I had to work with.

I sat on the floor and everyone else chatted amongst themselves. My stomach rumbled again and I got up and grabbed a few more sandwiches before walking back to the front of the room. My rising had done one thing – quieted the room. It was as if I’d been hiding in the shadows – no one noticed until I had stood up that I was walking and talking (well not yet), and moving around like a person who was alive and well.

Their eyes followed me around the room and I smiled when I got there. “I’m sure the rumors of my death are grand. That there is chaos.” I rolled my eyes. “The Venatori think I’m dead, as do the traitors that attacked.”

“You thought I was dead.” I smiled, “All but one of you thought it. Maybe two, I don’t honestly know what Il Cane thought. But Ryan believed and you’ll have to excuse him while he comes and goes from the room feeding me. Healing death takes a lot of you.”

“The main reason you are here is to see for yourselves that I am not dead.” I took a bite and then finished the sandwich before I spoke again.

“But death has a way of making you change the way you think. And as my lovely fiance has brought to my attention I need to use all the tools available to me. And that means you, and prophecy and the book that no one can read – except me.”

“And a select few others.” Ant added from the back corner. He was there with Alex and I smiled at both of them.

“At our last meeting you spoke of neutral ground. I agree, we need a new central location for which the Cities supernatural communities can grow from. But it doesn’t exist. That’s where you come in. I don’t have the funds myself to build it, so the community will. It will be our building, not my building. I have a few tricks to make it work. It will need to be built by the supernatural. Humans can assist as necessary, but there will be too many questions.”

I stopped talking to eat the second sandwich I had grabbed and the murmur in the room rose to a crescendo. They leaders all spoke, trying to figure out what that meant for them. I let them talk amongst themselves. I wasn’t here to lead, just lay down what needed to happen.

I walked to the back of the room and grabbed a few more sandwiches and stopped in front of Alex with a bright grin. “Sleep better?”

He shrugged. I leaned in and pressed a kiss to his lips. “I’ll join you if you want after this.”

“You are eating again?” Alex asked.

“Actually I haven’t stopped.” The look on Alex’s face was the same as Alec’s when he had found out. “Alec has tried to stop me, but my stomach keeps rumbling. I’m eating slower, but I’m still eating. Ryan isn’t concerned.”

Ant shook his head, “He’s fine. After a death even a vampire has to feed more than usual. I suppose consuming human food is probably the same, and it can only make so much at a given time. Ryan would know best he understand the Chevalier link best.”

The room had turned again and was following me around. “Did you come to a consensus?” I asked.

“Actually, we did. We will donate funds and workers to the building. All of us.”

I looked at Alex, “Can I donate Alex?”

“It’s your money.”

I smiled, “I meant, is it plausible to do from a financial standpoint.”

He nodded, “Yeah. But I’m not the guy you should be putting in charge of your money.”

“So we’ll hire a guy to do that. Like we need to hire an architect, and a billion other things to get this done. All of which I have no clue about. So that brings me to the next matter.”

I heard Alex whisper to Ant, “He’s awful bossy now.” And the whole room laughed.

I smiled, “A room full of super hearing.”

“I know.” Alex said with a smirk. I forgot really, but hey…

“I know a little about a lot of things. I need to know more. Each of you needs to give me direct access to someone you trust to bring me the right information. It can’t be you. I want you to find someone who is willing to say Nox, that’s stupid. I don’t want yes men. I want someone who knows your community to advise me. The people, not you as a leader. I don’t care how you choose them, or how often you change them. It’s your responsibility to give me the best fucking advice you can give me. Because I’m not egotistical enough to think I know it all. Cause I know shit.”

“Talk with your people. I want a monthly meeting. We’ll start weekly, so Jin will set up times and get that to you.”

“I have one last order of business.” I stood up straighter. “We have a traitor among us. Someone told the Venatori where we were going to be. Nathaniel defected, and there is no telling who else among you has been swayed by the New World Order. So I say it now. Trying to kill me or my family is a death sentence. I will not ask questions. Police yourselves. Cause if I find the person who put a death order on my head, they will not survive it. We will find Valence and Brandon and we will deal with them accordingly. We will not reveal ourselves to the human world.”

I laughed, “I lied. Two more. I need information on their whereabouts, ears to the underground. I’ll talk with you all in the normal manner, those that don’t have a scheduled meeting already we’ll set one up. One on one, if it’s more I’ll let you know.”
“The last bit. I want human paths and the wiccan’s in on the council, here at these type meetings. They aren’t organized, maybe we need to do that – help them with that. I want to keep them safe. The world is changing, we need to be a united community with threats like the New World Order.”

“I need to eat and maybe sleep some more. Speak with Jin before you leave, set up a meeting. Thanks.”

The room erupted into noise and I took a plater of sandwiches with me as I left. Alex only laughed as he and Ant followed me out of the room.