“You heard wrong.”
“Dante, you may not trust my organisation. You may not believe in the prophecy or in gods. There may be nothing I can say to persuade you. I understand that. But this is for the fate of the entire city. Look at the blade. Have you ever seen anything like it? It cannot be touched by human hands. That gas is liquid nitrogen, intended to bring the temperature of the blade down. It is only an experiment, but that digital readout has not moved. The blade itself does not register with any metallic alloy known to us. We cannot even scrape a sample, only going on laser dating. See all around you. The darkness. This is happening. It’s real. The wonder and the danger. Something beyond comprehension is occurring, and that is my job, to comprehend it. For if the prophecy is to be believed, we are looking at the end of days.”
“This being you speak of is meant to save us aren’t they? Why not help them instead of trying to kill them?”
“It is my superiors that wish to not leave the fate of millions to one person that may or not become an ally. That much power for one person? Absolute power corrupts absolutely. Think about it. Nightingale cannot be stopped. He is an annoyance now. But what if he meant to destroy all around him? Who could stop him? You would leave this city to him, should he decide to do something about the cloud? And Nicholas? He isn’t even twenty, and full of animalistic passion and rage. He killed a teenager out of revenge. The prophecy does not say the person will not have the ability or the strength. But it is their choice that makes the difference. The choice to rise. From what I have seen, neither of them could be trusted with that mantle. Neither will want it. Think...” Gavin said, moving closer to the sword. “This is one of the last weapons of a forgotten age. An entire civilisation unknown to any published historical texts. Known to only a select few. You are looking at history, Dante. Literally ancient Australia, lost through time. We are living right now in one of their harsher realities though. History repeats. We do not have their ways of ridding the sky of the black. If one of those men is the god the prophecy speaks of, we must not only find them but if they pose a threat, be rid of them. We cannot wait for this being that may never come. For the sake of the country, we must act. We must speed up the process to find them and learn whether either truly has the power and willingness to save us. And if one does, is he inclined to own this city and all in it within a day. Help me find them and bring them in.”
“What do you propose?”
“They are both guilty of crimes against the crown and against the city. Nicholas has charges under human law as well. Use that. Place a bounty.”
“A bounty will utilise the vampire network but will also increase the risk of them being killed. Are you sure that’s what you want? If one of them is this supposed saviour that is.”
“I trust our people to come up with a solution. Better off seeing them dead than submitting to their oppression.”
Dante turned again to the sword. Truly a thing of beauty. Dante had fought Nightingale, he knew how strong he was. Maybe this was all bullshit; maybe it was true. For Alexandra’s sake, he hoped Nick was alive. But it was a harsh reality that he would not be able to tell her. No one would. He had specifically made sure when she went into hiding no one would know where she was. Not even him. She had no memory of him, but would she remember Nick? Could he kill the boy if it meant saving the city? Did he care anymore about this? Her? Yes. The city? No. The faceless ones he had tried so hard to protect from his own kind. There was only one thing he concerned himself with now.
“I will help you,” Dante said, still staring at the weapon. “On one condition.”
“And that is?”
“You said you have been tracking Julian for months, is that correct?”
“It is.”
“I want all the information you have on him. Where he has been. Who he has talked to. Specifically, over the last few weeks. The Batty family. I want to know everything.”
“That can be arranged.”
“Then we have a deal.”
Chapter Fifteen
Motherly Advice
Alicia was the first over the small hill that enabled her to take in the view of the Slade Estate. Well, what once was called the Slade Estate. Now, it was known as something else. Yet gazing upon what was her home for the better part of twenty years did little to diminish her relief.
It was home once. Now though, it no longer belonged to her and it had another name, she needed its shelter once more. To regroup. To plan. She looked back and took Nicole’s hand to have her join her at the apex of the hill, allowing her to take a breath.
“Wow...” she whispered. “So that’s it. I heard Nick talk about it, but I never thought I would see it for myself.”
“You’re seeing it in its lowest state,” Alicia replied, gazing over the grounds. The grass for over a hundred metres all around was suffering from lack of care. A browning of the surface, huge areas of chopped up earth and weeds over growing. Alicia knelt down, feeling
