Page 53 of Captive
A hint of bitterness entered his voice at those last words. Thornmaker leaned forward. "You designed their defenses?"
"Cornelius values my tactical mind," Sebastian said. "The scouts have a three-minute gap in the eastern approach, occurring exactly twenty-three minutes after each shift change. They require recalibration time; a flaw I never corrected."
"And the second ring?" Boarstaff pressed.
"Blood trackers. Enhanced mechanical scouts." Sebastian's voice gained confidence as he continued. "The inner defenses are guard towers at each cardinal point. Four guards per tower."
The council members exchanged glances. Despite their hostility, the details carried the ring of insider knowledge.
"The improvement chambers lie two levels below the main hall - four guards with weapons specifically designed to counter vampire healing, because my father trusts no one completely. Not even family."
"He arms guards against his own people?" Thornmaker couldn'thide his surprise.
"Cornelius trusts no one completely," Sebastian repeated. "Not even family. The child is held in preparation chambers adjacent to the improvement facilities. Standard protocol requires three days of preliminary procedures. If the ceremonies begin when I estimate, we have two days. Perhaps less."
"How do we verify any of this?" Rockbreaker demanded.
"The eastern ridge offers clear sight lines to both the patrol routes and guard towers," Sebastian said. "Mechanical scouts reflect sunlight when they move. Tower shifts are announced by resonance beacon patterns. You can observe the patterns from a safe distance."
"Why?" Thornmaker asked bluntly. "Why betray everything you were raised to believe?"
Sebastian's gaze found Boarstaff's briefly before returning to the spearmaster. "Because I remember clutching a wooden horse while my father's artificers decided my fate. Because no one came for me." His voice carried quiet conviction. "Because I won't watch it happen to someone else when I have the power to prevent it."
The chamber fell silent. Several council members looked disturbed by this admission, seeing perhaps for the first time that their enemy had once been a frightened child as well.
Heavy footsteps echoed from the passage outside, announcing another arrival. Oakspear appeared at the chamber's threshold, his powerful frame filling the entrance. His gaze immediately found the scene before him; Boarstaff standing protectively near Sebastian, the vampire's calm demeanor, the obvious trust between them.
Boarstaff caught the shift in Oakspear's expression as he took in their positioning, the way tension entered his stance. His jaw worked almost imperceptibly.
"May I speak?" Oakspear asked, his voice carefully controlled as he stepped into the chamber. His gaze moved between Boarstaff and Sebastian with unmistakable tension.
"The northern borders remain secure," Oakspear continued, though his attention seemed divided. "Secure enough that I felt compelled to return. Because I've heard troubling reports about our plans."
"Speak plainly," Thornmaker said.
"Our warchief proposes to risk warriors on intelligence from someone who was our sworn enemy mere days ago," Oakspear said, his gaze fixed on Boarstaff's face. "Based on what I'm hearing, it sounds suspiciously convenient."
"You question my judgment," Boarstaff stated, tension creeping into his voice.
"I question whether you can see clearly when it comes to him," Oakspear replied, his eyes flicking briefly to Sebastian before returning to Boarstaff. "I've fought beside you for years. Trusted your instincts with my life. But this feels different."
"Enough." Sebastian's voice cut through the chamber with cold authority, every syllable carrying the weight of noble breeding. His bound position did nothing to diminish the imperious tone that made several council members step back instinctively. "You dare question the judgment of the one leader among you with the vision to see beyond ancient prejudices?"
His gaze swept the council with obvious contempt before settling on Oakspear. "I am Sebastian de la Sang, heir to the oldest vampire house, trained in strategy before you learned to hold a spear. My intelligence is flawless because I designed half those defenses myself." His voice dropped to a whisper that somehow carried more menace than shouting. "Your warchief has the wisdom to recognize opportunity when it presents itself. Perhaps you should trust in that rather than your own... limited perspective."
"That's enough," Boarstaff said firmly, though he had to fight back a smile at Sebastian's fierce defense. "It's not your place to interrupt our council. We welcome open and frank discussion here."
Sebastian's eyes flashed with irritation. "It is my place to speak when people are being fools around me, wasting intelligence that could save lives. But fine—if you want to continue seeing your children laid out to rot at the borders, so be it. I've done what I could."
The chamber erupted in chaos. Warriors roared in outrage, weapons snapping up as several council members surged forward. Thornmaker's spear aimed directly at Sebastian's heart, his scarred face contorted with murderous rage. Rockbreaker's war hammer rose, and even aged Moonsinger's staff crackled with dangerous magic.
"How dare you speak of our dead!" Thornmaker snarled, lungingtoward the binding circle. "I'll gut you where you lie!"
"Stop!" Boarstaff threw himself between them, his hand catching Thornmaker's spear shaft before it could cross the ancient markings. Around them, shouts of "Kill him!" and "Vampire scum!" filled the air. "The bindings hold him for a reason. Don't give him an excuse to test them."
Thornmaker's muscles strained against Boarstaff's grip, fury radiating from every line of his body as other warriors pressed close behind him. "Did you hear what he said? About our children? About bodies rotting at the borders?"
"I heard," Boarstaff replied steadily, not releasing the spear even as he felt the collective rage of his people pressing against his back. "But losing your temper won't help them."
