Forsaken (Book #1)

That was what Elysia had said to me two hours ago. She wanted to know what had happened to me after I had been taken by Lucian, and for two hours I refused to say anything. So here we still were, in an office filled to the brim with books, maps and documents. Elysia was pacing near her desk her azure eyes closed in exasperation and annoyance.

Anais was sitting on one of the chairs in the corner, swinging her legs and looking utterly bored with the whole ordeal. Throughout it all Grayson had never left my side, taking up a protective stance at my back, resting a hand on the small of my back.

“Calla we need to know what happened.” Elysia said to me, never ceasing in her pacing. “Tell us what happened.”

“Lucian…He got in my mind and made me see things that weren’t real. That’s all.” I said stiffly.

Elysia sighed. “So Lucian can manipulate the mind then.”

“I thought Demons couldn’t do that anymore.” Anais piped up, looking at Elysia.

“They can’t. The last known Demon to be able to do that was Kasper.” Elysia answered. “It’s odd that Lucian can do it.”

Hesitantly I spoke up, “Kasper and Lucian are related.”

Elysia and Anais stared at me in shock. Behind me Grayson stiffened. Clearly they hadn’t known that little tidbit of information.

“What?” Elysia asked shocked.

“You didn’t know?” I questioned. “Lucian, he told me that Kasper was his great-great-great-grandfather.”

“We need to call a Council meeting now.” Elysia said, striding out of the door.

I watched her go in confusion. Why was Lucian being related to Kasper, such a big deal? Anais sighed, flicking her hair of her shoulder before walking out of the room. That left Grayson and I standing there.

“We need to be there for the meeting.” Grayson murmured, “You need to be there to meet the Exalts who are leading the fight against the Afterdark, but to also find out what they plan to do with Lucian.”

With a nod we headed outside. Grayson had told me earlier that the Exalt buildings surrounded the Council building. I looked around, my eyes darting around the city. This clearly wasn’t New York. I didn’t know what this was but it was a beautiful city with old Victorian architecture with high archways and castle-like structures. The buildings that didn’t have that style of architecture looked more medieval.

It was a city still deeply rooted into the past. We passed by a large water fountain in the middle of the square and ascended the stairs to a large picturesque building with large wooden doors and archways. The steps were made of marble and the floors in the interior were hardwood floors.

Hesitantly I walked past the large entrance and further into the building coming to a stop at two large oak doors.

“Take the right.” Grayson advised me.

I opened the door and walked through a short stretch of hallway with pictures lining the walls. A set of double doors at the end of the hallway led into a large circular room with a large circular table in the center of the room. Sitting around the table was Elysia and Anais, along with many people I hadn’t met before.

The girls all had outfits similar to Elysia’s but in varying shades of color, while the men were wearing beautifully tailored suits. At our entrance they looked up at us. Some of them gaped; others of them just stared with no emotion in their eyes or on their faces.

“Calla.” Elysia breathed a little shocked to see me. She glanced at the other Exalts. “Let me introduce you to the other Exalts and their apprentices. Then you will tell me exactly what you are doing here.”

“She should be telling that to her Exalt, not the Witch Exalt.” Another voice said and my eyes flew towards a golden haired girl in all red.

Elysia sighed. “Very well then, Liyana.” Elysia turned to face me. “Calla this is Liyana, the Valkyrie Exalt. She was the Exalt when Ilya was alive, and this is her apprentice Gianna. Next to them we have the Werewolf Exalt Nathan and his apprentice Nicolai. You already know me as the Witch Exalt, and my apprentice is Anais. Then-”

“I am the Vampire Exalt.” A voice interrupted. My eyes landed on a familiar looking Vampire getting to his feet. “Henry Emmanuel the second, and my apprentice is behind you.”

“Not your grandfather?” I said turning to Grayson who had a small smile on his face.

“No, not my grandfather. My father.” Grayson confirmed with a nod of his hand. “In the battles following Ilya’s death Henry was killed and my father took over as the Vampire Exalt.”

“So…This is everyone of New Haven then.” I murmured.

“Yes. But this isn’t the capital,” Elysia answered. “This is just a temporary hideout to conduct business, as it is closer to New York so we will be nearer to the Afterdark when they summon Darya.”

“And who is Darya?” I asked. “I know that you want me to stop them from summoning her but you haven’t told me who she is.”

The Exalts were silent at that, looking at each other awkwardly. The doors behind us opened and I turned around my eyes widening as I saw who had entered. They weren’t familiar to me but they were incredibly beautiful, with tall slender forms and ethereal features. Big, bright eyes, small noses, and slightly pointed ears. Their skin was milky white and they walked with a grace that I didn’t know someone could possess.

“Celeste and Ember, how kind of you to finally show up.” Liyana said her tone biting.

One of the women – the one with silver hair – smiled, “Well Ember and I always do like to be on time Liyana. Surely your temperament should have improved with Ilya’s descendant joining us.”

The other woman tucked a strand of vibrant red hair behind her ears. “We apologize for our lateness, Elysia. We just received your message for a meeting two hours ago, and you know it takes a long time to navigate the pathways.”

“You’re here now,” Elysia murmured with a smile, “so now we can start the meeting. Calla was taken by Lucian and Alani, and held in a warehouse. Lucian is able to manipulate the mind.”

“I thought that Demons could no longer do that.” Nathan said.

“The last known Demon to do that was Kasper,” Ember said.

“That’s where the issue lies,” Elysia explained. “Apparently Lucian is a descendant of Kasper.”

That caused the Exalts to fall silent. Henry Emmanuel glanced at me and jerked his head. Grayson’s hand came to rest on the small of my back once more and he began leading me out of the room.

As soon as the doors had closed I could hear the Exalts starting to speak again, their voices rising.

“Why did we have to leave?” I questioned turning to glance at Grayson.

“It is a private matter.” He answered stiffly guiding me out of the building.

“If it involves me I deserve to know.” I argued.

Grayson stared at me for a few moments considering what I had to say. Then he nodded.

“They are talking about a prophecy.” He revealed. “Regarding you. And me. And Lucian.”

“What kind of a prophecy?” I asked suspiciously. “And why wasn’t I told about it until now?”

“You’d really want to know if someone was going to die?”