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*Aiden's POV*

The tension was almost unbearable. As we stood there in silence outside the mansion doors, all of us waited with baited breath, dreading to reach up and knock on the door. Taking in the massive structure around me, the amount of windows made me question how the counsel could even live here without the sun baking through them.

My questions were soon answered, however, as the door in front of us opened and a tall and sickly pale man ushered us inside and to a set of stairs leading into darkness. None of us said a single word as we descended downward, moving further and further underground. We had been walking for for at least twenty minutes before another large set of doors came into my view.

The closer we got to them, the more my eye started to hurt. By the time we had reached the bottom of the stairs and stood before the massive wood frame before us, my eye felt like it was on fire. Waves of agony coursed through my body once again, similar to the pain of drinking Tucker's blood the night he changed me.

My head was starting to get dizzy as my legs threatened to give out. Leaning against the wall for support, I gasped out loud in pain. My vision was starting to blur again, like it had when my aunt started telling me the truth about my family, how my mother could see future events before they happened.

I could almost see the figure before me, the same one who had held me in his arms during my dream last night, the one who managed to stop the pain and pull me away from the person who looked like Tucker. Only his eyes were completely visible, constantly looking from me, to the doors, then back to me all at once. They didn't match, however. It looked as though his right eye had been replaced with a different one completely.

It was a warning. I could tell by the worry in his now forming face, silently pleading for me to not go in, but what choice did I have?

Reaching out a still forming arm, he touched my forehead with a single finger and a wave of panic overtook me. I could see myself running from the building, holding my left arm and stumbling away, trying to stop the blood that was flowing heavily from it. I was looking through someone else's eyes.

Paul was further behind, his face covered in blood and I couldn't tell if it was anger that his emotions displayed, or outright devastation. The visions were starting to fade as the figure was pulling his finger from my head, turning my head frantically to the side, hope to catch a glimpse of the others, my surroundings quickly changed to the door we were in front of as Tucker placed his hand on my shoulder.

The figure was no longer before me, no doubt he had disappeared the moment Tucker touched me. I wanted to tell him everything I had seen, to give some kind of warning, but I didn't get the chance as my body was pulled into the room with everyone else.

Twelve people sat at a massive curved desk, completely towering over us, though two at both ends were empty, each of them a couple of feet apart from one another. Not one of them said a word as we walked inside, simply looking down towards us as we stopped in the center of the room.

The air around is felt so thick it could be sliced with a knife. No one moved, no one even batted an eyelash, we all just stayed where we were, each of us waiting for another to make a sound.

"Where's Victor?" Tucker asked, finally breaking the silence.

There was a slight nervousness to his voice, something he was clearly trying to hide as he cleared his throat and asked the question once again.

"Victor will not be joining us toda-" someone started but was cut short as another voice took the air.

"I am here, my child."

Turning my head to the new found sounds entering my ears, I watched a rather old looking man adorned in long purple robes took a seat at the far left of the podium.

"Come how, Abadon, did you really think you could change the meeting without the keeper of time knowing?" He asked, narrowing his eyes towards the one in the center chair.

I could see the anger rising in Abadon's face as he scowled down at us. Glancing from Tucker, Clair, Paul, and then finally to me, he rolled his eyes and leaned back into his chair.

"Let's get this trial over with already." He snapped before leaning forward once more.

"Tucker Vale, you are accused of taking a human life without the risk of their death, exposed our ways to another human who is curiously not here, and killed hunters in an unsanctioned attack. How do you plead to these crimes?"

Stepping forward in front of all of us, Tucker made sure to keep his head and chest high making sure there was no fear in his posture.

"I did change Aiden without him being close to death, I will accept responsibility on that front, as for the attack on the hunters, they had kidnapped Aiden and were planning to kill him, we did what we needed to in order to defend him."

I could hear the sternness of his voice, he was projecting confidence, something I wasn't sure if he believed himself.

"For what reason would the hunters have need to kill this human? He seems ordinary even as a vampire, you can't expect us to believe that the child of the hunter who killed your parents gave sudden reason for you to launch an unsanctioned attack."

He sounded so smug, as though he had all the answers and already knew that he was right. I felt a sting to my pride for a moment as his words entered my ears. The description he was giving me, and definitely isn't a label I'd give myself.

"He's not ord-" Tucker started, but was cut short as Victor's voice once again entered the air

"The attack on Aiden is honest, he was kidnapped from his home by the hunters, that much is true."

I could see a twitch in Abadon's face, even if it was only there for a moment. He was getting more and more annoyed as the trial pressed on.

"Furthermore, we had already dispatched Shera to deal with the consequences. Seeing as they survived, and this is his first indiscretion, I hereby move to court to sentencing."

"He's. Not. What?" Abadon asked, pausing between each word to give emphasis on what he spoke.

A heavy silence overtook the room, the other Vampires whom had seemed bored during the whole trial and suddenly leaned forward, curious as to what the reply would be. I saw a slight panic overtake Victor's and Tucker's faces. Why wouldn't they tell them about my eyes?

"Aiden, step forward and approach the council."

Nervously moving forward and looking up to them, I tried to position my hair to cover my eyes as best as I could. It was clear they didn't know, and even more obvious that Tucker and Victor didn't want them too.

"Aiden, tell us why the hunters would attack much a simple human such as yourself."

"Aiden is not on trial here, as he was the victim in this whole scenario." Paul chimed in, lowering his voice an octave. He was defensive and quick to step in front of me, pushing me backwards with his right arm.

"You will not undermine the authority of this council!" Abadon yelled, rushing from his chair towards Paul, but was stopped short as Victor suddenly appeared beside him, one finger extended outwards and placed just behind the new found fangs that threaten all of us.

Moving his finder slightly, we watched in horror as Abadon screamed in agony, but couldn't find the strength to move. I could see his fangs partly coming loose, while his gums poured blood and attempted to reach out and heal the damage that was forming.

"Oh young Abadon, this is a trial, a hearing in which witnesses can be brought forth. As Paul is clearly one of them, attacking one that came to support those under trial, is going against the very laws this council set themselves and is tantamount to treason. Shall we have your trial next?"

The entire room had gone silent. I didn't even see Victor move, and yet he had made his way back to see in less time than I could blink. His whole stature seemed to command respect, emanating power with everything he did.

Abadon stood there flustered for a moment before locking eyes with me and giving a wry smile and slowing walking back to his seat. Looking down at us, his entire attitude had changed. His posture was held tight, like he was excited about something, and I started to feel like he knew.

"Tucker, step forward." He stated gleefully. The smile never left his face, if anything it seemed to get wider and the remaining bits of blood from earlier only served to make him look almost insane.

"Ladies and gentlemen of the council I'm afraid I have made an grave error. We will drop the charges of the unsanctioned attack, and even bypass the issue of exposure to another human."

The delight rang heavy in his voice as what sounded like a soft giggle entered the air. Leaning forward once more he pointed towards Tucker and continued to speak.

"Tucker, the charges against you of changing a human are also no longer valid."

A small sigh of relief left Clair and Paul for a moment, but Tucker's stance never changed. He just stood there, narrowing his eyes at Abadon, and slowly shifting them to the other vampires around the podium.

"Well then," Victor stated getting up from his chair. "Now that we've settled matters I think it's best we let them lea-"

"The new charges against you are knowingly changing a gifted one without direct consent of the council."

The joy in his voice was almost unbearable, like a child squealing in joy at a Christmas present they wanted all year. There was an audible gasp from the other vampires, and I felt my eyes widen as all of them shifted their gaze to me.

It felt as though a new found pressure was on my shoulders, pushing me further and further into the ground. Tucker turned his eyes to mine, panic dancing across his face. He knew, when Abadon and I locked eyes, that's when he knew, when he could tell I wasn't just human, that I have visions. Probably this damn scar that gave me away.

"The penalty for this action is death."

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