~~

Trinity

~~

It was not even ten minutes after Gabriel left when there was an unexpected knock on the door. We didn't smell anyone coming so this was a little nerve wracking for us. My thoughts jumped to the supposed Sentinelle. Were they really out to get us after all?

"Vincent, Noah you two come with me, Trinity you stay here with the others." Reece commanded. I knew better than to argue with him right now.

I listened as the three of them made their way out of the sitting room and into the foyer. The door slowly clicked open as if Reece was trying to get a feel for who was on the other side.

"Dammit Eldrige." Reece's voice echoed through the hall and into the sitting room.

"Is there a problem to which we were not made aware?" I heard the old fashioned old man's voice from the door. Sensing that the situation had been cleared of all danger I rose to my feet and walked toward the new arrivals.

"You were there yesterday when those Sentinelle weirdos showed up." Reece snapped.

"That was yesterday, not today." Henrich commented with a tilted head just as I entered the foyer myself.

"Yes, but we have been dealing with them today as well." I smiled at the men. "What can we do for the magic council today?" I asked.

"Trinity, you were supposed to wait in the other room for crying out loud." Reece yelled once again.

"Stop yelling Reece, you'll scare off our guests." I smiled at him as I took his hand.

"Why didn't you wait?" He demanded of me.

"I successfully ascertained that there was no threat and so I came into the hall. If there is a danger I will listen but if there is no danger I will not be held in a bubble." I ground out through teeth that were clenched in a fake smile.

"So difficult." He whispered before turning back to our unexpected new arrivals. "Why are you here?" He barked.

"You informed us that we would hold a meeting soon."

"Yeah, I did, didn't I?" Reece sighed. "Please come in." He held the door open for them and proceeded to guide the three men that had arrived into the sitting room we had just left.

"Noah, Vincent please stay. Everyone else may leave. This has nothing to do with the Luna's guard detail. Actually, Rawlynne and Jackson should stay as well. And probably Dietrich." Reece seemed to be thinking as he spoke.

"If Rawlynne is staying then I want to stay." David spoke up.

"I too would like to stay." Shawn chimed in as he stood next to Dietrich. I watched as Dietrich put his arm around Shawn, who didn't pull away. It made me smile to see that they were finally getting closer, and the bright happy look in DIetrich's eyes didn't escape my notice either.

"I might as well stay too, I don't want to be the only guard left out." Shane added.

"I will, however, take my leave." Grandfather smiled.

"Great, only one person listened to me today." Reece grimaced. "Have I lost all authority as an alpha?" He laughed as he joked.

"Not all, sweetheart." I smiled sweetly at him but he understood the joke.

"Heh, it might as well be all, I can't control you and you control them all." He ran his hand through his adorably messy hair and sighed. "Fine let's all sit down and get to business talks."

Once we all resettled in for another talk, Reece started us off.

"So, Eldrige, you know what I wanted to talk to you about, but you said there was something you wanted to talk to us about as well."

"Indeed I did." Eldrige nodded his head. "I would like to find out more about your young bride if I may. I would like to ascertain what type of magic she wields. And lastly, we of the council wish to offer our sincerest apologies to you all. The Sacramentum de Mortis has been a bane on our existence for quite some time. I am saddened to say that we were not able to control Gannon. Due to our inability he has been allowed to run rampant, there is no excuse for our shortcomings."

"That's an understatement." Noah's snide comment may have been spot on and quite funny, but I had to fight hard not to laugh right now.

What exactly have you been doing about him?" Dietrich asked them with a rather unkind tone.

"In truth, as he was banished from attending council meetings we had not kept a very close eye on him." Lionel hung his head as if in shame.

"So basically, he had free reign to do whatever he wanted?" Shane seemed angry.

"I would not go that far. We still have laws he had to follow, if we received word that he would have broken them he would have been captured and punished." Eldrige seemed indignant, like he was not liking how this conversation was going.

"An how do you view mass kidnappings and torture?" I snapped at him.

"Pardon me?" Henrich looked pale at my words.

"That's what Edmond is up to. He kidnapped and tortured me and now he has kidnapped numerous children from our very city."

"We had not been notified of such things." Eldrige denied.

"Seems like you need to have a better system for watching people." Shawn growled. "If not for your unwatched rogue we would not have the current problem plaguing our city."

"He's right. It's thanks to all of you ignoring the problem that we now have to track down a man who is capable of turning into a damn purple cloud." Reece growled.

"If you just tried a little harder, none of those children would have been taken." Rawlynne glared at the men.

"We simply have no excuse for our actions."

"Don't you mean inactions?" Jackson chimed in, glaring at the men.

It was honestly getting a little painful to watch this browbeating that the Warlocks were getting. They clearly knew they had a situation that was well past FUBAR. This issue with Edmond was way past Fucked Up Beyond All Recognition. It was a hot mess that had been shattered, burned, the ashes put into water to try and form a pasty clay and reform into something ugly and unrecognizable and so thoroughly different than what you wanted.

"Ok, that's enough. We have a lot of work to do from here on out." I interrupted the verbal beatings. "Eldrige, Henrich, Lionel, do any of you know how to track down Edmond?"

"There are ways we can locate him, yes."

"Then do it." Reece demanded.

"We have been looking everywhere and have found nothing. There is no trace of him." Noah sounded dejected and angry at himself now.

"Indeed we will. Is there anything else?" Eldrige looked like he was trying hard to make up for their mistakes.

"What about the children?" Dietrich asked. "Can you find them?"

"I believe we should be able to, if we have something of the children's to help locate them with." Henrich smiled to show his willingness to help.

"This is something we should be able to teach your Luna." Lionel added.

"Questions and lessons about her magic will have to wait." Reece declared. "What matters now is finding the children. How long will it take to find them?"

"It will take us maybe two days to gather the items and people we need for this type of thing. As long as you have the items from the children in two days time, please come to the Aerie Convento."

"Fine, that seems like it will be doable." Reece still seemed angry but was relieved to be getting the help. "If you are only playing games, or pretending to help you will feel my wrath." Reece warned them, his eyes turning ruby red in his frustrated anger. I saw the fear flash on the three Warlock's faces as they saw this display."

"We would never do such a thing. Especially not with the Goddess and her Consort." Lionel squeaked as the other two nodded.

"You've been warned. We will see you in two days. If that meeting is fruitful then we may discuss what you're wanting to talk about."

"We thank you." Eldrige bowed his head and the three men left, this time Noah walked them out.

"Well, that could have gone better, but this is still very good news." Shawn smiled.

"Agreed, if they help as they say they will, then we will find the children soon." Rawlynne was looking slightly relieved.

After the busy day I was feeling tired and definitely done with meetings. Reece, however, had one more to attend. He needed to talk with both Acacia and Falena who were both still in town. He wanted to extend them a welcoming hand into the pack and congratulate them again. Me on the other hand, I suddenly felt fully drained of energy and needed a nap.