Re-Education - 6. Chapter 6

We had been so focused on each other that we hadn’t noticed Tommy until he coughed. Josh looked at him, then turned to his left and saw Riva standing silent on our other side. Tommy said, “I didn’t want to interfere, My Lord, as I assumed that one of the baron’s closest friends would never kill him.”

Josh released me, and, like he had, I fell a few inches to the ground. I stared into Josh’s eyes as I said, “If any of my brothers ever kill me, Tommy, I expect you to assume their actions are just, and you will protect the new baron with your life, am I clear?”

“Crystal, My Lord,” Tommy said with a nod. “Then Sargeant Riva and I will return to our vehicles and leave you to your conversation.”

When they left, Josh and I continued to stare into each other’s eyes. At some point, I realized there were tears rolling down our cheeks. “I meant what I said, Josh. If you or anyone else finds it just to kill me, do it with my blessing.”

“And I meant what I said, Greg. If I find myself attracted to that boy, you will cut my balls off. If you don’t, I will.”

I nodded. “I will agree to that with one condition.” Josh glared at me and waited. “If that day comes, and that child is no longer a child but a young vampire of seven or more, our agreement has come to an end.”

“No, Greg. That will put me in the position of simply waiting for him to grow up.”

“That’s the point, Josh. Once he’s grown up, if these feelings are still there, he’s an adult and can choose.”

Joshua thought for a moment, then said, “Eight, and he must be the aggressor.”

I nodded, then added, “I learned some things earlier this afternoon that might make your position even more uncomfortable. I’ll explain later, and if you can’t do what James did, I will fulfill your responsibilities.”

Josh grinned. “Now I’m worried, Greg. Should I be?”

I gave him a quick kiss on the lips, smirked, and said, “With me? Always, Jackson, always!”

He shoved me away and walked to his truck. I got in the Denali, and Riva led the way back onto 279 West, across the Alleghany River, then north, toward the farm. I didn’t even glance back to see if Josh was following. Despite his warning not to trust my friends, I trusted Josh completely on this. I saw the truth in his eyes when he made me promise to mutilate him.

Everyone in the vehicle had seen, and probably heard, my confrontation with Josh, but no one said a word. The tension was so thick you could see it, like a fog hanging in the air. Fortunately, we had a seventeen-month-old with us.

“Where we goin’, Lord Greg?”

“We’re going to my father’s house, Chipper.”

“Not your house?”

“I don’t have a house near here. My house is a few hours away, in West Virginia.”

“Will we go there someday?”

I laughed. “We’ll go there someday soon, pup.”

“Will Trevor and Tanya and Craig and Johnny and Lord Scott and Lord Billy and Chief Tommy and—”

“Yes, pup. Anyone who wants to will come to my house sometime. It’s not big enough for everyone at the same time, though. We have to move people in and out so everyone can visit.”

“Kinda like our tent, huh?”

“Kinda like your tent, yeah.”

“We had to go outside when Trevor and Tanya wanted to—”

“Lord Greg doesn’t want to hear about all that, Chipper,” Trevor said, looking horrified.

I winked at Chipper. “I bet I know what they did, pup. Sometimes, Scott, Billy, and I do stuff like that, too. It’s fine to do with someone you like, but it’s not always nice to talk about it.”

“Trevor told me that if anyone touched me down there, I should kick them and bite them and run away screaming.”

I nodded at Trevor. “At your age, he’s right, Chipper. But when you get older, the rules change.”

“Like when Craig rubs his—”

“Remember what I said about not always talking about it, pup?”

He thought for a moment, then said, “So it’s ok that he rubs it, but I shouldn’t talk about it?”

My earlier conversation with James and Donna popped into my head, and I realized that this was a teaching moment. “Well, if you tell me that Trevor and Tanya did some of that stuff, it isn’t right for you to talk about what they do. It’s a private thing, understand?”

“Well, when is it ok to talk about it?” he asked with such innocence.

“If you see them do something and you don’t understand, you can come to me, or Scott, or Billy, and ask us about what they were doing. We can explain it to you so you understand when you’re older and know what to do. Does that make sense?”

His next statement stunned me, showing me just how bright this little boy was. “So, if I see Trevor and Tanya doing… something… I can come to you. And instead of saying I saw Trevor and Tanya, I should say I saw a big boy and a big girl, and they were doing something, and I want you to explain it to me. That way, I’m not talking about them.”

Everyone in the Denali stared at the boy, amazed at his maturity. “That is exactly how you should handle it, pup.”

He turned to Trevor and said, “I’m sorry if I ‘barrassed you, Trevor.”

Trevor kissed the top of his head. “It’s ok, Chipper. You didn’t know.”

Chipper yawned and leaned back into Trevor. A moment later, he was asleep. “Would you like to tell me how he came to live with you now, Trevor?”

“If it’s all the same to you, My Lord, I’d like you to assemble anyone who has a right to know, so I only have to tell it once.”

I felt an incredible wave of sadness flow off him as he said this. “It’s that bad?” I asked.

Trevor’s eyes were damp as he replied, “It’s worse than that, My Lord. Possibly the worst day of my life.”

I nodded. “Then I will only ask you to relive it once. If you trust me, I could feed from you, and you wouldn’t have to go through it.”

“It’s not a matter of trust, My Lord, it’s…” he thought for a moment, and I felt his shame. “There are things I’ve done to survive that I’m not proud of. I’d like to keep those things to myself if you don’t object.”

I stared at him, then asked, “Have you killed someone, Trevor?”

“No, My Lord. I almost killed a man once, but he survived.” Trevor glanced down at Chipper, and I understood. The man that had tried to rape Craig had nearly paid for it with his life. I didn’t condemn him for that. If it were me, I might not have let him live. The rest of the ride was silent, each of us lost in our thoughts about the last few hours. A chance encounter had brought us together. Our protective instincts had made Trevor and me temporary enemies, and now, what would we be? Friends? Would he stick around? Would the others? Would I allow the pups to leave my home if Trevor asked that of me? Or would we walk into the woods with only the victor to emerge and take care of the pups? I needed advice; I needed my father, but he was dead. No, my human father was dead; James was at the farm, unaware of the drama that could have taken my life.

I was surprised when the Denali stopped, and Riva stepped out to open my door. I had continued to brood over things and hadn’t realized we were home. I reached out, and Trevor gave no sign of argument when I lifted a sleeping Chipper from his lap. Billy said he would handle things and have everyone in the family room in an hour. I simply nodded, knowing he would manage everything perfectly. As I walked up the stairs, I felt Scott following me to our room, where we found Jenny feeding Charlie a mixture of formula, blood, and cereal. I felt bad because it was obvious he was almost asleep, but when he saw us, he immediately reached out and started fussing.

Scott took him from Jenny as I said, “This is Chipper. I don’t know how long he’ll be here, but while he is, I would ask that you treat him as if he were our son. He has no clothes, but he’s not shy. I’ll leave it up to you if you want to wake him to bathe or let him sleep as he is and deal with it later. I don’t know what his reaction will be to waking in a strange room with a strange woman, but—”

“I’m not that strange, Greg,” Jenny said with a smirk. “And you don’t need to give me his life history. Let the boy sleep. We can deal with everything else when he wakes. Now, off with you. You woke that one up; you can deal with him.”

“I’m sorry, Jenny, you were supposed to be spending time with Brian. We’ve ruined that.”

“Brian and I will have hundreds of years, Greg. One weekend isn’t going to kill us; now shoo, or I’ll get my whip.”

I laughed. “Don’t say that to Billy; he’d stay.”

Scott handed Charlie to me, and while he undressed, I took Charlie’s diaper off. The three of us enjoyed a nice warm shower, and before we were finished, Billy joined us. After our adventures, I was covered in mud and blood. As I stood there, I realized that Jenny hadn’t reacted to it at all. Was this the normal life of a vampire baron? Would my next several centuries be like this? Would it ever end?

I felt four soapy hands washing and massaging my body. There was nothing sexual or even borderline erotic. My mates were washing me and relaxing me after a very stressful evening. When they finished, and I tried to return the favor, they both pushed Charlie and me back under the spray and helped each other wash off while I relaxed under the spray. Again, I was reminded of my conversation with James and Donna. Several months ago, I had noticed Charlie watching us make love. I hadn’t thought anything of it; he was too young to understand. Now that we had talked about it and we understood more about how he learned, maybe he wasn’t too young. Maybe we were teaching not just about sex but about what it means to love. Here he was, watching two of his daddies lovingly wash the third, showing their love in a very intimate yet non-sexual way. Would times like this shape the man he was to become? Would he find a fated mate to share his lives? Or would he move from partner to partner throughout the centuries, lonely but not alone?

My son must have sensed my mood and known that I was falling into a pit of useless introspection because he slapped my face hard. I looked into his eyes, and he seemed to be saying, ‘Today, Dad. Today is all we have. Enjoy it.’ Yeah, deep thoughts for a four-month-old, but I swear that’s what he was thinking. I felt the water stop, and I was being led out of the shower and wrapped in one of our huge bath sheets. My mates dried me, then Scott took Charlie and put a new diaper on him while Billy handed me a pair of shorts and a tee shirt. It was time to sort out the mess.

There were several separate conversations happening around the room, but they all stopped as we walked in. I looked around and noticed one person missing. “Where’s Craig?” I asked no one in particular.

“He fell asleep on the drive up, My Lord,” Josh explained. “I saw Jenny carrying Chipper and asked for her advice. She put them both in the front room of your wing and said they could bathe in the morning, and we would sort out clothing tomorrow.”

I smiled and nodded. I could feel Josh’s stress, concerned that every action he took would be viewed under a microscope. I hoped that wouldn’t be the case, and I was determined to trust my friends and my brothers until they gave me good cause to doubt that trust. If I didn’t do that, I would always doubt everything they did.

“Before we start, I ask you all to look around the room. If anyone is missing, aside from Chipper and Craig, I ask that you find that person and get them here. I don’t want to have to repeat anything that is said. Understand?”

Everyone said, “Yes, My Lord,” and looked around. Mary stood and headed for the stairs, but Jenny came down at that moment, saving her the trip. When everyone agreed that every member of the household was present, I began.

“In a few moments, I am going to call Prince George,” I saw the looks of terror on the faces of Trevor and his friends. “I am calling him about several hypothetical situations and asking him for guidance. None of us are so naive as to think that he won’t see through the ruse, but it gives us all a level of deniability if anyone questions our actions. This call will be on speaker, and I ask that you all respect whoever is speaking by remaining quiet. By that, I do not mean you are to remain silent. If you have something to add, you are to do so.

“Chris, I am asking you, specifically, and anyone else who feels qualified, to play ‘devil’s advocate,’ as it were. Are we all familiar with the term?” I looked around and got nods. “I want you to argue against anything I suggest. I want you to argue against anything the prince says. I’m not asking for an actual argument; I am asking us to debate all sides of these issues so I, or we, if the prince feels it appropriate, can come to a proper, legal, and just conclusion to several issues that have come to light this evening. Are there any questions before I make my call?”

I waited a full five minutes and watched as my friends, family, servants, and Trevor’s group exchanged looks, waiting for someone to ask something. No one did, so I made the call.

“Good evening, Greg. I have to assume there is something pressing for you to call this late?”

“There are several pressing issues, Your Highness, and you’ll forgive me, but I have my entire household assembled. This call is on speaker, and I’ve told them to feel free to speak up at any point. Is this acceptable to you? Or would you prefer to speak with only me?”

“I will withhold my decision on that for now, Baron Fowler. Please, lay out your issues.”

“Thank you, Your Highness. First, and most bothersome to me, is the fact that I have a recent changeling, aged seventeen at his changing, who has found the one he strongly feels is his fated mate.”

“There must be more, Baron. Surely you didn’t call me at eleven thirty in the evening for love advice?”

I smiled. “The object of his affection is a homeless vampire we discovered in a tent in downtown Pittsburgh earlier this evening, er, properly last evening, Your Highness. This homeless vampire will turn four in December.”

“I see. Is this changeling in the room with you?”

I was proud of Josh when he said, “I am, Your Highness. Joshua Jackson, you met my twin over the summer.”

“I do not mean to offend or embarrass you, Mr. Jackson, but have you been attracted to children in the past?”

“I am not offended or embarrassed, Your Highness. It is a reasonable and necessary question. The answer is a firm no. I have never been, nor am I now, sexually attracted to any child, including the child in question. In the interest of saving Your Highness some time, if I may.” George remained silent, so Josh went on. “I have no desire to touch this boy in any way that could be considered sexual unless that definition extends to the hugs, kisses, cuddles, and tickles one would expect from a father figure to a son. The idea of touching him sexually makes me physically sick.”

“Is this revulsion strictly due to his age? Or due to his gender?”

“I am bisexual, Your Highness. His gender is not an issue.”

“Please elaborate on your feelings toward the boy. Am I to understand you saw him for the first time in your life sometime in the last few hours?”

“That is correct, Your Highness. I responded to an emergency call for assistance from my baron, and when I arrived, the moment our eyes met, it was like I was in a trance. I could focus on nothing else until I was certain he was safe. Even then, he was in my mind as I assisted others. I must also say that these feelings led to my physically assaulting Baron Fowler, Your Highness. I ask for no mercy, I have no excuse, I await your justice on this, Sir.”

“As to this alleged assault, that is between Baron Fowler and you. He has a free hand, up to and including execution, for such an offense. I need to hear no more of it. As to this fated mate, I will say that under our laws, a child is the property of their father until they reach the age of eight. If his father gives you consent, there is nothing in our laws to prevent you from doing anything you desire. I understand you do not desire this; I am simply explaining our laws so everyone present understands the situation. If this child is an orphan, the baronet of said location becomes their guardian. If this were in Baronet Warnick’s lands, you would seek his approval if your desires change.”

“With all respect, Your Highness, I will not, nor will I ever, seek permission to touch this boy prior to his eighth birthday. I have made a vow to Baron Fowler, and he to me. If I find myself having these desires, he is to castrate me. I say this in front of all these witnesses and ask them to act as seconds if Baron Fowler fails to live up to his oath: an act I could never imagine happening.”

“I will hold him to his oath, Mr. Jackson, but let us move out of the legal and into the mystical. I offer you some hope. A true fated mating prior to puberty is quite rare. In four thousand years, I have heard of three. If the boy were a year older, it would be different, but I assume he is just now starting puberty. There is another bond that initially presents itself as a mate bond, but it is actually what we call a paterna bond. If you need a translation, I suggest that you open a few books before you venture to MIT, young man.” Everyone laughed. “I appreciate your concerns, Joshua, and I can feel your anguish even at this distance, but I would be stunned; no, I would be absolutely gobsmacked if this were a mate bond. I would advise you to take your new son into your home, as the fates have already embedded him into your heart. One last thing, there have been cases of a paterna bond becoming a mate bond, but they are uncommon. As the boy ages, be brutally honest with yourself, and if you find your feelings are leaning toward a more romantic nature, take the boy to a trusted counselor and have a frank, open discussion and find out how the boy feels about it. Trust your heart, Joshua. That’s the best I can say.”

“Your Highness, I asked my people to speak up, so I would like to do that myself, then allow any of them to do the same. First, I will address Joshua Jackson’s confession in front of witnesses of an assault on my person. I have no memory of such an assault. I do have a memory of a dear friend, no, of a brother ensuring I live up to my oath as a Baron of Dracul and asserting his right to insist that I live up to my oaths upon pain of death. At that time, I swore Mr. Jackson an oath to continue advising me and keeping me to my oaths. This matter is closed and not to be spoken of again.

“The other issue I question, Your Highness, is, as a baron, seated or not, am I required to follow all laws of Dracul, as written? Or may I make my own, as long as they do not directly conflict with the laws of Dracul? I will use this issue as an example and create a hypothetical, Sir. As I understand the law as stated by you, I could give consent for Jacob Jackson to sodomize my four-month-old son and, as long as he has that, no officer of Dracul could charge him with a crime.”

“Unfortunately, Baron, your hypothetical example is entirely within the laws of Dracul. Your son, Charlie, is your property until the eighth anniversary of his birth. His being a changeling slightly complicates things, but we can ignore that as I am certain no such permission would be forthcoming.”

“You are correct on that, Your Highness, as much as I love Jacob.” We all heard George’s laugh, as well as several in the room. “Be that as it may, could Baron Pittsburgh add a law that covers the Barony of Pittsburgh that states that no such permission can be granted for a child under the age of, let’s say, four, as Joshua’s case is fresh in our minds. Could Baron Pittsburgh enforce such a law, or would the laws of Dracul take precedence?”

“Have you been talking to my friend, Gordius, Baron Fowler? In answer to your question, I must first advise you to forget what you know of human court systems. I am speaking to you, Mr. Barnes. If Baron Pittsburgh were to declare such a law, and I can assure you he would not, the penalty for violating it would be death. As there is no appeal from beyond the grave, even for a vampire, he could enforce his law with little risk to himself. You must remember that all barons, even unseated ones, Baron Fowler, have the right to declare a vampire’s life forfeit and demand immediate execution.”

“You’ll forgive me, Your Highness,” Chris said, as I knew he would. “But where is the justice in such a system? If Baron Fowler were to decide that I should die for the offense of having a higher grade point average than his, and I am executed, how is that just?”

“If I may, Your Highness? First, Chris would never violate such a law, so he has nothing to fear.” I smirked at Chris. “But justice is a double-edged sword that, when wielded for personal gain or unjust cause, can swing back and bite the wielder. That is a fancy way of saying that it falls to all of us, as I was recently reminded by a brother, to hold our leaders to account. If they are creating and enforcing unjust laws, someone must rise up and strike them with the sword of justice and take the helm of leadership themselves.”

“That is very well stated, Baron Fowler, and it falls to a noble’s advisors to keep that noble on the just path. It falls to fellow nobles to keep each other on that path, and it falls ultimately to those ruled. A lesson learned in France and Russia, as my memory serves. Before we go on, the rules of Court etiquette are becoming quite tedious, considering the hour. Does anyone object to our moving to a more relaxed discussion? If so, there will be no retribution, so please, speak up.”

“I have no such objection, Your Highness, and I agree and apologize for initially insisting on such.”

“It served us well for the issue of the child, Greg, but dear gods, it gets tedious. Now, I sense that you have a larger issue brewing that you need advice on.”

“Insightful as always, Sir. I do, and I will present it as a hypothetical. You’ll understand as we progress. If an unseated baron were to—”

“I’ll stop you right there, Greg. Contrary to what their inflated egos might say, you are a Baron of Dracul, equal in the eyes of your nation to any other Baron in the world. Stop referring to yourself as an unseated baron or by gods I’ll set aside my oath and find you a seat.” The laugh that followed showed that his threat had no teeth.

“Forgive me, George. If a baron were to stumble upon what, under the old law, would be considered an informal pack, who would have jurisdiction in the handling and disposition of said pack? The Baron of the Barony, or this Baron who stumbled upon the pack? I’m trying to be clear that there was no intent to interfere with the workings of the established Baron. This hypothetical Baron was just out for a stroll and stumbled upon a situation and had to act quickly to protect the lives of two minor vampires. In his mind, there existed an emergency. After further investigation, there was no emergency.”

“A Baron is sworn to uphold the laws of Dracul, regardless of his location or jurisdiction. I will make it simpler by moving this hypothetical emergency to the street outside my own home. If you, for example, discovered an informal pack of, let’s say, homeless vampires, I would expect you to take whatever actions you saw as just, and I would uphold any appeal, save your actions being in direct opposition to the laws of Dracul.”

“So any punishment for past crimes, guardianship of minor vampires, or other situations would be left to me, in your hypothetical. What if I found that said homeless vampires, in the throes of starvation, enthralled and fed from humans without consent?”

“I would expect any Baron of Dracul to uphold our laws, Greg, without question. That is not to say that you cannot temper justice with mercy in extreme circumstances. I would say that a homeless vampire who occasionally feeds from humans but has not harmed them or killed any would be deserving of mercy. Of course, this assumes that, if provided with other means, they do not continue their actions. If they’ve become addicted to fresh blood and cannot be weaned, they pose a hazard to our society as a whole and must be dealt with much more harshly. Is there anything else, Greg? I try to sleep from midnight to eight am on Sundays and Wednesdays, and it’s getting near my bedtime. You don’t want to make me cranky, do you?”

Everyone laughed as I shouted, “Hell no, Your Highness! You have given me enough guidance to work my way through this complicated web I’ve found myself in.”

“Good, then I’ll bid you a good night with one last word to those assembled. You are serving one of the most intelligent, intuitive, just, yet compassionate young men I have had the privilege to call a friend in over a thousand years. You would do well to take his values as your own, pattern your justice after his, and show his compassion in all your transactions. It will serve you, him, and the nation of Dracul well for many years to come. Now, I’m going to hang up before he starts his self-deprecating, humble speech to deflect my praise. Good night to you all.”

Everyone said, “Good night, Your Highness,” to a phone that was already disconnected.

With George’s input, I understood my power a bit better, and now it was time to start wielding that double-edged sword of justice. “Mary, would you please get a couple of volunteers to help and get everyone something to drink? I would like a cup of warm elk if we have any. If not, whitetail will do.” I watched, and as I expected, almost everyone stood up to help. “Trevor, would you, Tanya, and Johnny please join me in the office please? Chris, Billy, and Tommy join us.”

I turned and headed for the office, not waiting for a reply nor watching if those I had summoned had followed. I walked directly to the desk and sat, waiting for the others to appear. When they did, Billy came around and stood behind my right shoulder. Chris seemed to know why I had asked him in and stood with Trevor and his friends. Tommy, as was right, stood in the center of the closed door, blocking both ingress and egress.

“Before I say anything else, I want to be clear that we are off the record right now. If you don’t understand what that means, Chris will give you legal advice. Do the three of you understand what it means?”

“Forgive me, My Lord, but does it mean we are speaking between ourselves, and nothing that is said will be used in court or revealed in any way?” Trevor said.

Chris nodded and said, “Essentially, yes. His Lordship is vowing, on his honor, that he will not use what you say against you, and none of us will tell others what is said.”

“Good; now, I must ask each of you. Do you trust me?” I asked.

They stared at me, expecting more. Finally, Trevor asked, “Excuse me, My Lord? Trust you how?”

“It’s a simple question, Trevor. Do you trust me? Do you trust my judgment?”

They looked at each other, beginning to worry, but Trevor again spoke up. “From what I’ve seen of you, My Lord, and having heard the words of Prince George, yes. I trust you.”

As I expected, the other two followed Trevor’s lead and agreed that they did, indeed, trust me.

“Good. Chris, you’re going to hear of a deal that I agreed to, and I want you to hold me to the letter of that agreement. You are now the counselor for the defense. You will defend these three to the utmost of your ability. That is a Baronial command, do you understand?”

Chris snapped to attention and bowed, “Yes, My Lord.”

“Tommy, now that I think of it, please ask Sergeant Riva and Mr. Joshua Jackson to join us. Also, ask Mary to bring my elk in here, please?”

Tommy opened the door to find Mary about to knock, carrying a tray with elk, whitetail, a cup of that nasty sheep, and a glass of wine for Chris. Everyone relaxed just a bit as we drank and waited. When Josh and Riva arrived, they stood near the rear, and Tommy took his position at the door.

I looked at the group in front of me and said, “Now, Sergeant Riva, Mr. Jackson, and Chief Marshall McNeil, you are under oath. Anything you say will be the truth, the entire truth, with no embellishments, upon pain of death. Do you understand and so swear?”

Each individually said, “I so swear.”

“Good, now, Trevor, Tanya, and Johnny, this is not a trial, nor is it a court. I have asked these witnesses here to ensure that I live up to the letter of an oath I made to the three of you in the form of a series of potential outcomes. Don’t worry if I have confused you for now; you will understand before we leave this room. Does counsel agree?”

“Reserving the right to argue, My Lord, I will agree that they will understand before we leave the room. As it stands now, counsel doesn’t understand.”

“Fair enough, Mr. Barnes. I believe you will soon.” I looked at those in the rear. “Mr. Jackson, Sergeant Riva, Chief Marshal McNeil, rather than interview each of you, I will recount the events of late last evening into early this morning to the best of my ability. If I waver from the truth in any significant detail, you gentlemen are honor bound to stop me and set my words on the right path; is that clear?”

“Yes, My Lord,” they said as one.

“Counselor, I will take your silence as agreement, asking that you object to anything you see as improper.”

“Understood, My Lord,” Chris replied.

“At some point, late last evening or early this morning, Trevor and I fought a battle, one in which, I am proud to say, Trevor accounted for himself quite well, considering he is a common vampire, and his opponent is a Baron. After this combat, after some conversation, I was discussing what we should do when one of those in front of me, whose name is irrelevant to us at this time—”

“My Lord? You must name the accused if we are to discuss punishment,” Chris said.

“Permission to speak, My Lord,” Trevor asked.

“You are free to speak here at any time, Trevor. As I said, we are off the record. I am just explaining the details of my oath.”

“Forgive me, Mr. Barnes, but if we’re not on trial at this time, unless His Lordship attempts to try us or blatantly lies, I would ask that we let him get to the point.”

Chris smiled, “I’m sorry, Trevor, I can agree to that.”

“Thank you, Mr. Barnes. As I was saying, one of these three confessed to feeding from a human without consent. Is this true, Mr. Jackson?”

“It is, My Lord.”

“And due to other circumstances, I found cause to incarcerate all three of these individuals on suspicion of the same crime. In the interest of time, I will continue this without asking for confirmation before the end. Keep in mind, any deviation from the truth, you are to speak up.” I looked at them all, one at a time.

“At that time, I said you were to be held at my home, and I would decide the matter in the morning. I also said that, as this home is not a fortress, I fully expected sunrise to find you gone and that I would not pursue you further. I further opined that, due to injuries sustained in the combat, I might have memory issues after sunrise, and a trial might not be possible—”

“My Lord?” Riva interrupted.

“Yes, Sergeant?”

“Your exact words were, ‘When the sun rises, as I have suffered a terrible injury in a fight, I wonder if I will be able to remember any statement that was uttered in my presence.’”

“Thank you, Sergeant. Are you blessed with such an exact memory?”

“I am, My Lord.”

“Remind me later so we can put it to good use. As to the statement, I would agree that those were my exact words. They fit my general statement prior, so I do not feel I have perjured myself, Mr. Barnes?”

“I would agree, My Lord. Your testimony matched the general facts.”

“Thank you both. Now, my next statement was something like, anyone found in my home after sunrise must be an honored guest. Does that fit my statement, in general, Sergeant?”

“It does, My Lord, almost to the word.”

“Thank you, Sergeant. Now, having heard my statements, do you see the picture, Mr. Barnes?”

“I do, My Lord,”

“And everyone present heard the phone call I made to Prince George to get his advice on a similar, though hypothetical, case?”

“We did, My Lord,” everyone said.

“Mr. Barnes. I am going to ask your clients once again if they trust me. I hope I have given you enough paint, canvas, and inspiration so that you may paint the appropriate picture and counsel your clients.”

“I believe you have, My Lord, but may I ask for a clarification on one point of your statements?” I nodded. “Did you say you would deal with things after sunrise? Or in the morning, My Lord?”

“Sergeant, hold me to my word. I said morning in regard to a resolution to this affair, while I said sunrise in regard to escaped prisoners, my memory, and honored guests.”

“That would be correct, My Lord.”

“Mr. Barnes, you may confer with your clients. If you desire privacy, you may step into the foyer or even into the courtyard if you fear spies. I would ask your word that your clients will not attempt to leave the vicinity of the house and will return to this room within thirty minutes.”

“Thank you, My Lord. We will step into the foyer. You have my word,” Chris grinned and added, “And I feel I have my painting.”

“That is excellent, Mr. Barnes. We will meet again in thirty minutes. I would like to check on our young wards. Mr. Jackson, you are welcome to join me. Chief Marshal, would you accompany us to ensure that we do not discuss this matter and collude to cheat justice? Any objections, Mr. Barnes?”

“None, My Lord,” Chris replied, then led Trevor, Tanya, and Johnny into the foyer.

“Of course, My Lord,” Tommy replied.

I made a quick trip through the foyer and up the stairs to check on Chipper. Josh’s face split wide in a grin when he saw Craig’s arms wrapped around the sleeping Chipper, both of them sleeping safely for the first time in months. I looked into our room and found Scott feeding Charlie. When he saw me, Charlie reached for me, so I took him, opened my thumb, and fed him while I waited. Josh just watched with a dazed look in his eyes and a huge smile on his face.

Twenty minutes later, I led Josh and Tommy down the back stairs and into the kitchen, where I grabbed another cup of elk blood and zapped it in the microwave. I pulled it out and led the others through the master suite and into the office via the back door. Twenty-eight minutes after we had stopped, Chris led his clients into the office, followed by Sergeant Riva. Everyone took their previous positions, and we resumed.

“Mr. Barnes, I will address your clients individually.”

“No objection, My Lord.”

“Trevor, back to my question, do you trust me?”

Trevor nodded and said, “I trust you, My Lord.”

“Tanya, same question. Do you trust me?”

She looked nervously at Trevor, then said, “I trust you, My Lord.”

“And finally, Johnny, do you trust me?”

Johnny gave a firm nod and said, “I trust you, My Lord.”

I nodded, then dropped the hammer. “We are now on the record, lady and gentlemen. Honoring the letter of the informal agreement that was reached last night or earlier this morning, I find there is sufficient evidence that each of you individually fed from humans without their consent. I also find that there is sufficient evidence that each of you conspired to do the same and did, as a group, prey on humans in the city of Pittsburgh, in the Baronetcy of Pittsburgh, in the Barony of Pittsburgh of the Nation of Dracul. Counselor, are your clients prepared for trial?”

“We are, My Lord.”

“Counselor, have you explained to your clients that they will be tried in a Baronial Court, with myself as sole Judge?”

“I have, My Lord.”

“And do your clients understand that this Court can impose any sentence it feels is just, up to and including immediate execution?”

“They do, My Lord.”

“Then we shall proceed to trial as quickly as possible. Trial begins in the dining room in five minutes. Without objection,” I paused and looked at Trevor, Johnny, and Tanya, then rested my eyes on Chris. “This hearing stand closed.”