Cooper just barely avoided a warlock who was doing business with Niemi, and the aura of that man was awful. Cooper was leaving the office as the man was entering, and Cooper kept moving just as fast as manners would dictate. It's true no one would want a warlock in their town but get real; there is nothing traumatizing about nature magic. He did not deserve to be trapped in this cell.
Cooper sat and mentally ran through everything he encountered since entering the custody of Coven DuCane. He was looking for a weakness, a chink in the armor, something of which he could take advantage. Then the scent began to touch him, and a smile grew, which he quickly suppressed for fear of being monitored.
There to his right, near the point where the wall touches the floor, was a minuscule leak. It was just a drop slowly forming and running to the crease and gradually collecting there. It was almost nothing, but a door had opened, and it was enough to give Cooper hope.
Thayer arrived in Louis' office within ten minutes of the completion of his call to Nik asking for an assist from a Cyprian Knight. "Nik has never let me down," Louis noted to Ismael, who was standing next to him. Silas stood off to the side, observing the exchange. Ira had taken Easton and Ezra to Louis' quarters for protection.
The Cyprian stood there awaiting a further explanation of the situation, and it was obvious he was studying everyone in the room. The trip between Pittsburgh and Coven DuCane took only thought and focus.
He and Marek had previously lost their ability to transport in such a way when they left the Order of the Enchanters. Fortunately, over time some of their extended metaphysical abilities had returned to them, although they were still prevented from moving between realms.
Louis had never met the Cyprians, and he was suitably impressed by what he saw and what he could feel coming from the tall, imposing figure. He was dressed sharply in a fine Italian suit, and his manners were impeccable. The energy coming off the man was thick and intense.
After another few seconds of everyone sizing each other up, the Cyprian spoke. "My name is Thayer. I am a Cyprian Knight under the command of Master Nikolas Hadden. I am here at his behest." Those in the room introduced themselves, and then Louis got down to business.
"Are you familiar with Edward the Black Prince?" Louis began, and Thayer nodded.
"As a former Knight of the Enchantment, we kept track of certain paranormal entities that, in our estimation, had the propensity to become major problems." Everyone gave Thayer their undivided attention as he continued and was surprised by his statement.
"In this Western sphere, we kept a close watch on the activities of Nikolas Hadden, Louis DuCane, and Edward the Black Prince, and I am very well acquainted with the lives and practices of all three. There were many others as well, but those with their power, intellect, and sheer fearlessness presented a more serious threat should they go dark." Thayer kept his countenance fixed and unreadable.
"I'm honored to be on the list with Master Hadden, but the Black Prince appears a bit of an outlier. He went dark centuries ago, and his life and deeds are unparalleled in my estimation." Louis responded with the same flat expression.
"That would be correct, but in the last centuries, Edward has entered a life of solitude and contemplation. He has a long road ahead, and he may never truly succeed, but he has taken steps to better his soul." Thayer was sharing, but it seemed restricted, and Louis wasn't clear as to why. Thayer looked around the room, but he wasn't looking at the room as he took a deep breath and released it slowly.
"You hold yourself back," Louis stated, as he is not one to play games. "Your distrust is clear. Do you doubt me and my motives?”
“Yes.” Thayer did not mince words which Louis appreciated. “Master Hadden described you as a good friend and valued ally and said that you are a hard man but fair and honorable to the bone.”
"I appreciate his kind regard, and my personal respect for him runs deep. He is among very few people that I would trust with my life." Louis met Thayer's gaze and held it as he continued. "With that said, by your own claim, you have been watching me. What is it that bothers you?"
"Why do you hold a harmless and frightened water mage locked in your dungeon? Such silence and isolation can kill someone like him. I can feel his anxious heart and the fear that is coursing through him.” Louis was visibly taken aback for a moment but quickly recovered.
"You're right, he is not a threat, and I apologize for reacting rather than dealing with the man in a manner more befitting. I will see that the young man is processed and released as soon as we finish here." His response seemed to satisfy, and the meeting began in earnest.
Thayer shared what he knew of the Black Prince in the present tense, not from yesteryear. "He resides in an ancient castle south of Los Angeles reminiscent of his home in England positioned not far from the shore. He is surrounded by hundreds of acres of forest and hills, and with the help of a cloaking spell, no one has in the centuries that he's lived there ever stumbled upon his location." Thayer gave a nod to Ismael with a half smile. "Your intelligence officer Sans was very close to discovering the location, which is why the Prince intervened to stop him."
"Easton is very good at his job, but I worry that the Black Prince may be a continued threat to him," Ismael interjected, needing reassurance that his beloved was not a target.
"He destroyed the enterprises of Master Leopold and his followers because he saw them as a threat. The Coven was expanding, buying up property nearer and nearer to the Prince's borders, and he was also aware of the growing cruelty and debauchery within those ranks." Thayer explained in detail how the Prince started at the original coven house in Hollywood and followed the incorporeal tentacles that tied all the facets of his empire together. “He laid waste to all of it in mere minutes while wiping clear the minds of those he considered innocents.”
"How does he effortlessly pass through defenses? What is he using, and how do we defend ourselves?" Louis cut to the issue that concerned them most.
"He is a unique individual. As you know, he is the only person to become a vampire, not having been born into the species. That difference in his vampire identity is what gives him extended supernatural abilities." Thayer began at the beginning.
"It is my understanding that he was cursed after destroying a village, hundreds of people lost, including their livestock and crops, in a brutal and bloody fashion. He believed they were a party to a betrayal, but in truth, they were not." Louis interjected.
“Yes, and that was the breaking point for his soul. Although it wasn’t just one act that led to his spiritual fall but a buildup of many hateful acts.” Thayer clarified. “He was cursed with the blood lust of vampirism for his deeds and condemned to live forever. With those burdens also came new powers from being touched by the darkness. In order to stand against these powers, you need to incorporate the flip side of the coin, so to speak."
“We use the light in our defense.” Louis proposed.
"To a degree, yes," Thayer responded.
"That would take months, if not years, of trial and error searching out the light defense that would check the Prince’s power and slow his offensive. We don’t have time.” Louis pressed.
Thayer reached into his jacket and withdrew a sword, beautiful, majestic even in its construct and design. "I can provide you with weapons necessary to protect yourselves and this Coven. Marek and I did the same for the Hadden Coven, but it is not to be taken lightly. What I offer demands dedication and commitment."