Chapter 74

Danny’s POV
“Oliver is never going to live this down. Being detained over some flour he was getting for you” I laugh to Claudia the following morning.
“Tell me about it? He made me promise to make him a double batch of sticky caramel and chocolate chip cookies because of it” she giggles as we get to his office and knock on the door. “Enter” Oliver calls out and we walk into the room.
“Have you made my cookies yet?” Oliver laughs at me. “No; I was getting to them this afternoon” she giggles back, sitting in the chair in front of his desk. “What did Raquel and Phyliss say?” I ask, stirring the conversation back to what we need to discuss.
“They too have noticed the lack of rogue attacks in their areas. What Todd has been thinking; strikes some truth of what is going on. We are uncertain how many they may have and who they are placed with. There may even be cat shifters at the Silver Pride. Phyliss has given me a copy of the files she has, of those who have been cast out of her pride over the last 10 years. We will need to investigate to see if they are now living with Penelope and the Silver Pride” Oliver explains to us.
“We also need to be more alert when leaving the castle grounds. What happened to Oliver; although it was a simple error by a concerned citizen; shows how easy Michael or Callum can take one of us” Jeffrey says, coming into the office.
“Yes; I was thinking along those lines as well” I inject, looking at Oliver. “We have decided; if we are to leave the castle grounds, even to visit the Sapphire Moon Pack; you are to go with two others” Oliver tells us. Dad and I spoke with Oliver and Jeffrey after we got home; we all agreed this was what needed to happen; it could have been Michael or Callum that took him and we didn’t want this to eventuate.
“Good precaution” Simon announces, coming into the office with Dad and Jason. “Simon; I hear you have been training the pack on how to detain and kill vampires. I’ve looked over the training schedule, Jeffrey has given me. You have covered everything” Oliver says, smiling at Simon.
“Thank you; I had help from Jeffrey. I don’t want Callum to have the upper hand. We also have Jason; his speed will help us in the long run. He explained to me why he asked to be faster than vampires. When Teancum and Elsie were under threat from a witch called Nesbeth; she had cast a spell on a vampire named Kristoff to do her bidding. That is how she got Elsie; the vampire was too fast for you” Simon responds, sitting down and Claudia gasps, looking at me.
“What is it?” I ask Claudia. “What you said; Kristoff; he looks like Callum. I don’t know; is he Kristoff? I thought you killed him?” she asks Jason, letting out a sigh. “I did, I ripped Kristoff’s head off and threw it into the firepit. Kristoff and Callum can’t be the same vampire” Jason responds.
How can they look alike? Could he have been around all those years ago? We need to find out everything we can about him. “How old is Callum?” I ask Oliver.
“1483 years old. He was one of our oldest advisors on the council and one of the reasons why he was chosen as head of council. He was a councilman when my grandfather was king; 1300 years ago. We have archives in the basement; we can look through them. Grandfather kept meticulous records” Oliver responds, standing up from his chair.
“Lead the way” Claudia says to Oliver as we all get up out of the chairs. “No; you go bake me some cookies. The rest of you; follow me” Oliver says, chuckling a little.
“I’m happy with that arrangement. I would rather be baking cookies than looking through dusty paperwork” Claudia says, giving me a kiss and heading to the packhouse as the rest of us walk behind Oliver down some stairs to a darkened basement.
“They should be in chronological order. I’m going to start 1500 years ago and work forward” Oliver says grabbing a manuscript from the mid- 6th Century. “I’ll go 200 years after that and work back” I tell everyone, grabbing a file dated 722 AD and start scanning through the manuscripts at a table with small lamps at every seat.
**“What are you looking for exactly?”** Jesse asks me. **“Anything to do with Callum. Who his father was; if he had brothers? If he had a dog named Spot?”** I answer him, scanning the first page. **“There; forth row over. Councilmen appointed. Callum Daintree”** Jesse says as I scan down the names, where he mentioned.
“I found when he was appointed as a councilman; 722AD” I inform Oliver, Jeffrey, Dad, Jason and Simon. “I have something too; 539AD. Callum and Kristoff Daintree; turned by Judiah Sovereign aged 24 and 26.” Jason says, looking at me. “What do they mean by turned?” I ask Oliver.
“Vampires were notorious for creating more vampires by biting humans; like they do in the movies. Although we were able to still have our own children; it was quick and easy for Vampires to make an army. They were different times and very savage; between witches and vampires. After Teancum, Elsie, Joseph and Lucas came along to help bring peace and defeat Nesbeth; Grandfather met with Apollo and was appointed his chosen. A law was passed; forbidding the turning of humans. We were no longer able to do this. There should be something regarding the law in here, it happened in…” Oliver explains. “696AD; that’s when Teancum and Elsie defeated Nesbeth” I finish for him.
“I have it here; you’re mentioned, Danny. Actually, all of you are” Simon informs us, still scanning the pages of the manuscript he was holding as Jason and myself go over to him; leaving our manuscripts on the table.
“Hey; they mention how you killed Kristoff” I say to Jason. “And how Nesbeth was killed after killing Goddess Selene’s chosen wolf, Elsie. The wolf Amandee was known to all for her white fur and ability to heal those around her” Simon says, looking at me. **“I don’t want to go back there”** Jesse says, walking away from the front of my mind. A pained look, crossing his face. “Sorry; I should have scanned the page before you came over” Simon says, closing the manuscript.
“No; wait” Jason says, opening it back up again. “Callum and Judiah were trialled for atrocities against humans and vampires. It says; under the new laws, they are to be trialled and sentenced to death for turning humans to defeat vampires. God Apollo has stopped vampires having this ability. He didn’t have a spell put on him, like we all thought” Jason adds; looking up from the manuscript. “What changed between 696AD and 722AD?” Dad asks, putting the one he had back and grabbing a different manuscript; reading 704AD.
I grab a script dating the following year to Dad and start scanning the pages as the rest of them starts grabbing scrips around the date Dad had. “I can’t see anything in 705AD” I tell the group. Going over the pages again.
“I have the trial manuscript for early 697AD. It says, Judiah was trialled and found guilty and the sentence carried out 2 days later. Because Callum was turned by Judiah, he was only sentenced to time in prison. It says his sentence was for 150 years, hard labour” Jeffrey informs us. “He didn’t do all of his sentence, there’s only 21 years between 697 and 722” Jason adds and I give him a no shit look with my eyes.
“I can’t see anything in 704, I’m going to look at 719; Danny here’s 720. He could have done something to be released a year or two before coming into council” Dad tells everyone. “I grab the manuscript from dad and start scanning through the pages.
“This can’t be right?” Jason voices, rereading his manuscript. “It says it; I don’t believe it” he tells everyone. “Care to inform us what it says?” I say with a chuckle. “Danny, come read this and tell me I am not imagining what it says?”
I walk over to Jason’s spot and look down onto the page. “What am I reading?” I ask him. “This” he says pointing to the centre of the page.
‘Joseph Sterling and Lucas Hogan are tried for treason against humankind. The chosen cat shifter and chosen bear shifter from Goddess Bastet and Goddess Artio were tried and sentenced to death for aiding Nesbeth. Key witness to the events, Callum Daintree; already sentenced to 150 years in prison and has served 21 years of this sentence witnessed on many occasions the chosen shifters helping Nesbeth to torture and kill vampires and humans alike. They were found guilty under the new laws and sentenced to death. Callum Daintree was released for services to the king.’
“Ah; that did not happen. Joseph and Lucas weren’t even killed in the castle. They were killed 6 years prior to this time. It was against vampires who still followed Nesbeth. We were rounding up who was left and a female vampire by the name of Shelly, Sherry; something like that, killed them” I tell Jason.
“That’s what I thought and her name was Shelby. I know; I tracked her down with Micha; I mean Rick for those of you who do not know who Micha is; about 4 years later. He killed her; I was there when it happened” he tells me. “Did you say; Shelby?” Dad says, looking at Jason and I. Dad goes back to his original manuscript and scans through it. “Shelby; mother of Dorothy and Campbell.”
“How old are Dorothy and Campbell?” I ask Oliver. “Campbell is around the same age as Jeffrey here; 1367 and Dorothy is about 50 years older than that.” “Personally, it sounds like Callum and Dorothy have a personal vendetta against you all. Long time to hold a grudge” Simon says, laughing. “I believe we need to follow up with Campbell. See what he remembers about his mother’s death” Jeffrey notes, closing his manuscript and putting it away.
We all do the same with our manuscripts and place them back in chronological order and head out of the basement area.