Chapter Forty One

The Gold District - Outside the High Council Meeting Room

Dion followed a short distance behind Malcolm, his eyes burrowed into the back of Malcolm's head as they wound their way through more twist and turns.  "This seems repetitious and long for no reason," mumbled Dion as they turned down another, ivory and muted gold, endlessly long corridor.

"You think so," asked Malcolm sarcastically.   Malcolm hid a mischievous smile as he paused and turned to stare at Dion.

"I do," snapped Dion annoyed.  He waved toward a group of white furry looking flowers with bubbled red centers*, “We've walked past that same group of flowers five times and that hideous painting."

Malcolm turned and gazed at the picture of the first ever first chair, Sevan Savanovic, and chuckled.  "You find that picture creepy?"

"Duh," responded Dion flippantly.  "His blood red eyes are following us and what's with his complexion?"  Dion shuddered,  "He looks almost dead in that picture."

Malcolm stared intrigued at Dion.  He walked up to him and searched his eyes quizzically before he stepped back with a slight frown.  "I'm surprised you noticed that.  I know that the spell I weaved should have left you clueless to the fact we've been going in circles."

Dion gave a nonchalant wave of his hand,  "That type of illustration doesn't work right on me.  I can see past most of its deception.  Those flowers for instance, “Dion pointed to the white furry flowers “wouldn't register to me as being different."  He walked over to the blooms and touched one.

"Ah," nodded Malcolm as he pointed to a door they'd walked past eight times.  "That's the door to the council room but we are about fifteen minutes early."

Dion shrugged as he looked around, "Why don’t we just sit down and wait for the door to be unlocked?"

Malcolm chuckled, "The doors aren't locked we're just early."

"Then why don't we just go in," asked Dion impatiently.

Malcolm lips curled into a smile, "I don't want to seem too anxious."

Dion tilted his head at Malcolm and stared at him with an 'are you serious' expression before he scratched his wavy brownish red head.  "You do know," drawled Dion as he looked up and down the corridor, "that you already appear too anxious because you're the first one here stalking the door."

"Oh," pouted Malcolm as he looked around.  "I never thought of that."

"Really," smirked Dion.  "I guess my biological mother received all the brains in the family."

Malcolm shook his head as he chuckled, "Sasha was very intelligent and I remember how she was always able to learn quickly. But when it came to people she was dumber than a box of pebbles on a stony brook."

Dion eyebrows knitted together, "That makes no sense!"

"Exactly," smiled Malcolm.  "Sasha's lack of awareness made no sense at all.  She was a horrible judge of character."

Dion shrugged unconcerned with Malcolm's words.  "I believe I'm a pretty good judge of character." Dion looked up the hall to see a tall, caramel complexioned, fair haired man stroll toward them.  "I know that he is not the first or second chair, or either of their heirs.  I talk to Declan a lot and know that his father recently had a mishap at the salon and his hair is rainbow colored.  So that leaves him to be the third chair that I've never heard much about."

Malcolm mouth fell open as he stared in shock at Dion.  "Young man-."

"I prefer Dion," interrupted Dion.  He wore a proud smile as he looked at the shocked, disbelieving Malcolm.  "And as I said I'm a good judge of character."

"I think you fail to understand," sighed Malcolm.  He pinched his nose between his index finger and thumb and shook his head.  "What you just did is a deduction.  You used process of elimination to determine who a person could be."  He looked Kaelen up and down as he strolled past them with a smirk and a nod, "But you failed to note his semi-contained powers or the fact that he didn't acknowledged you as he walked pass."

Dion frowned as he visibly considered Malcolm's words.  "So you are saying that I'm as dumb as a box of pebbles on the shores of a stony creek."

Malcolm's face fell in disbelief as he rolled his eyes, "Damn if you don't sound like Sasha."  When Dion started to smile he shook his head, "But all you analytical people sound like her."  Malcolm watched as Kaelen walked into the conference room and smiled, "Well we are no longer first so let’s go in so you can meet the high council and plead you case for your life."

"Excellent," sulked Dion as he followed slowly behind Malcolm through the entrance to the overly large room.

"Shouldn't he wait in the hall," asked Kaelen without looking up from his device.

Malcolm chuckled and took his seat, "He might try to run away."

Kaelen glanced up at Dion with a contemptuous stare, "Only cowards run away."

Dion scowled and puffed up his chest, "I wouldn't run...I'd walk very fast."

Kaelen brows knitted together as he stared at Dion.  "I've heard someone say that before."

"It's a common enough saying," responded Dion arrogantly.  "Maybe if you read more than your compiled and condensed reports you'd know that."

Kaelen tapped his device against the round conference table with a smirk. "That is a very interesting block you have right there?"

Dion grabbed his head, his face contorted as pain ripped through his head.  He fell to floor convulsing before he rolled into a ball of agony.

Malcolm jumped to his feet and grabbed Kaelen's shoulder and squeezed.  "You know you shouldn't be doing that."

Kaelen brushed Malcolm's hand away.  "How do you know Xara," growled Kaelen his eyes flashing gold as he stared at Dion.   When Dion didn't respond he shoved Malcolm away and started around the table toward Dion.  "How do you know Xara?"

"What exactly do we have here," drawled Kevin his voice laced in warning.  He arched an eyebrow as he took in the angry Kaelen, the frustrated Malcom and poor who laid Dion on the floor writhing in pain.

"He -," growled Kaelen as he pointed toward Dion.  "He and Xara -"

"Oh," smirked Kevin.   He sat down in the fourth chair and leaned back.  "So you're upset that he and Xara had a relationship -."

"Stop it now," interrupted Acadia loudly.   She stomped into the room with a golden glare.  A wave of energy swept around her, ruffling her ciao black hair, before it threw Kaelen back into his seat.  "You know better," she stated calmly as she moved to her seat.   She smoothed down her gray and black V-neck shirt, "I cannot believe you'd be so childish."

Kaelen glowered at Acadia, he fixed his rumpled shirt and straightened himself in his seat.  "Have you checked who your husband and son are," snapped Kaelen.  "They are-"

"I'll have none of that Kae," interrupted Kevin with an amused smile.   "Apologize to Mark and -."

"Dion," he winced. Dion cupped his head as he struggle from the marbled floor.  "I go by Dion," he stated weakly once he'd stood back up.  His weary gaze settled on Kaelen as he wiped drops of blood from his nose.   After Malcolm checked his nose he went to the spot Acadia directed him to stand in.

Kevin frowned as he stared at the young man but finally shrugged.  "I can understand why you'd rather not be called that."

Dion shook his head and sighed but decided to remain silent.  Minutes, that felt like hours, past since the brief altercation. Dion watched feigning disinterest as the rest of the council arrived.  

Dion was fully aware of the appraising looks that were directed toward him but the one from the black haired man with hazel green eyes was the one that unnerved him the most.    To Dion it felt like those eyes were prying into his very soul.

"When will you start your exams," asked Wanda.

"I've asked Anthony to bring Sebastian," replied Kevin without infliction.

"I'm not going to be questioned," asked Dion wearily.  "I was told that-."

"You'll be questioned," stated Acadia. "You will also be thoroughly examined by a renowned scientist and medic."

Dion faced showed disbelief at Acadia's statement. "Ah'Taria isn't known for its scientist and if you had a renowned one here it would be in every newsfeed and rag published."

"Uh huh," nodded Acadia. A smile hovered over her lips, "What is Ah'Taria renowned for?"

"Military and warfare," replied Dion confidently.

"It would appear the Ah'Tarian roles in numerous medical, historical and engineering feats means nothing," responded Celeste airily.

Dion cringed inwardly and shook his.  "All those things you mentioned only aided the Ah'Tarians.  Another race being able to benefit from it was coincidence."

"Wow!"

Dion turned to stare at Lucas and frowned confused, "Am I wrong?"

Lucas visibly considered Dion's words before he spoke. "That was the way it was centuries ago during and immediately after the Bloody Wars."

Dion lips curled up as he shook his head, "Not much has changed.  You, Ah'Tarians, just gloss over -."

"You're Ah'Tarian," pointed out Pharris acidly.  "And the only group that had people fearing for their lives was the resistance."  Pharris pointed at Dion, "Maybe you should have done a pole."

Dion brow knitted together as he sputtered, ”The resistance didn't go around killing anyone that had different beliefs."

"It would seem you are fine being marked a traitor to the Alliance," drawled Jacob.

"I never said that," yelled Dion his eyes wild as he looked around.   "I only pointed out that-."

"Do you know how many people died by the order of the resistance," asked Lucas coldly.

"Less than the number you and the other heir have killed," responded Dion as he tried to rein in his fear.

"Uh huh," nodded Lucas.  Lucas straightened in his chair as he appraised Dion, "So in your mind the people that Oscar, Sebastian, Julius and Author killed has nothing to do with the resistance?"

Dion shifted uncomfortably as he nodded, ”I technically haven't killed anyone."

"No," drawled Jacob coldly.  He slowly looked around the table before he continued, "You created the hypothesis and chemicals that killed people."

"And let's not forget that you monitored the experiments," chimed in Pharris.

"So you've decided to kill me," asked Dion.

"We didn't say that," snapped Isaiah.  "At least not yet."

Dion lips pressed together and his features to on one of contempt. "If you’re going to kill me can you get it over with?"

"Actually, we are waiting for Kevin to begin his probe so we can decide if you and that block are dangerous or not," smirked Isaiah.  "After we've concluded that, we will gather the rest of the information you didn't tell Malcolm, Joshua and myself yesterday."

"In short," announced Celeste a small smile hovered over her bright red lips,  "they have already decided you are useful and they will not be killing you -."

"Today," grumbled Kaelen darkly.

Dion face lost all expression as he went to look at Kaelen.  "I'm a little confused as to why you care that Xara and I used to be fucking buddies."  Dion shook his head as he tapped his chin thoughtfully, "She used to just lay there with no expression."

Lucas had to cover his mouth before he laughed at the man's perplexed expression.

"Maybe you were doing it wrong," thought Jacob out loud.

Dion shrugged, "I've only had sex with her so I wouldn't know."

Kaelen jumped to his feet with a roar and pointed at Dion, "I'm going to kill you."

"Why," asked Dion blankly. "I have no interest in renewing that relationship with her."  Dion face scrunched up as he looked Kaelen up and down, "And you obviously are her current lover so why would I."

"Damn analytical fucker," grumbled Malcolm as he rose.  "Kaelen sit down!  Kevin start the damn diagnosis before Kaelen rips his head off."

"Fine sighed Kevin as he stood up and walked around the table.  

The lights of the room faded until the room was completed black.  After a few seconds a harsh light glared into Dion's eyes and Kevin walked around him looking him up and down.

"I had wanted to wait for Sebastian to get here," mumbled Kevin as he paused and stared right below Dion's left shoulder.  Dion gaze turned to horror as Kevin's eyes flashed from hazel, to gold, to ice blue and finally, with his back to the council, shone a bluish red color.

"I'm going to die," screamed Dion as he tried to rush away from Kevin's gaze.

"That never fails to happen," sighed a Kevin as he watched Dion drop and cower on his knees.

Kaelen snickered from his chair,  "Now I know he's a coward.  What he thinks going to happen?"

"Probably thinks he's gone to trip and fall in him," responded Jacob with a smirk.

Kevin sighed, his eyes slowly changed from red to hazel, and turned to stare from Kaelen to Jacob with a laugh.   "I would like to point out I did not trip."

"Not yet," scoffed Lucas.

They're clueless morons,  thought Dion from his position on the floor.  Not one of them noticed his eyes.

Kevin bemused gaze turned to a terrified Dion and he held out his hand. "Forget or die," whispered Kevin as he roughly pulled him to his feet.

Dion felt the words wrap around him and slam into the block that normally stopped enchantments and pushes.  He grew dizzy as the words pried into it before they sunk into his consciousness and wiped the memory of Kevin and his blood red eyes away.

"So," asked Malcolm curiously.

"There's one more thing I want to check out," mumbled Kevin.   He turned as the lights came back on and smirked at Anthony and Sebastian.  "You're right on time."

"Am I," drawled Anthony lazily.  He pushed Sebastian toward Kevin and went to have a seat.

"Yes," replied Kevin his eyes trained on Sebastian's chest.   "I had wanted to see something."

Kevin's balled his fist up and sent it through Sebastian's chest.  His bloody clenched fist flexed before he slowly pulled his arm back through the gaping hole he’d just created.

Dion’s high pitch scream echoed through the council room before his eyes rolled into the back of his head and he fell with a thud to the floor. 

“You could have warned us,” drawled Jacob as he stared amused at the unconscious man on the floor.

Lucas sighed and leaned back in his chair with a shake of his head.  “I’m just happy Kayla and Ebony aren’t here."

*Picture of the flowers Dion was talking about to the side.