Neither man knew what to make of the vampire Cassandra, Cassie, Ezekiel mentally corrected himself. The purpose of why she was there, and why they had been brought in, was a mystery as well, and it took several minutes before Solomon finally cleared his throat and addressed the matter at hand.
"She is in possession of information. We need to know the validity of this knowledge, and that means..."
"Combining our powers to compel the truth," Adam supplied. Solomon nodded gravely.
"Exactly."
Ezekiel had kept his eyes on her, and she on his. Her attention was causing him a distinct discomfort, and it seemed she picked up on it, for as soon as he thought it, her eyes flicked away. However, he was not prepared for the intrusion upon his mind.
You needn't fret on me, sire. You are Merlin's blood. I could never harm a child of my Master. Her voice resonated through his head, and he struggled to keep from showing the confusion on his face. The entire exchange merely raised more questions; why did she call him sire? Had Merlin been her master in some shape or fashion?
"Begin when ready," Solomon said steadily, jolting Ezekiel back into the reality of the situation.
Looking around, he noticed Adam pulling his sword, and so he drew his magic to his hands. His stomach twisted internally. He knew from experience that even the gentlest form of compulsion hurt. The power of compulsion brought on by the combination of their powers would be...agonizing. He bit his lower lip in indecision.
Cassandra's eyes found his once more. I can take it, don't be scared. It seemed as if her eyes softened for that brief moment, and Ezekiel gave the barest nod before turning to Adam. Together, they met magic and sword, channeling their birthrights.
"You are compelled; you must speak only truth. Tell us what we want to know." They intoned simultaneously, and a beam of dark light shot from the sword, seemingly piercing the vampire. A small, strangled sound escaped her, but she quieted, her body tense and jaw clenched.
"Speak!" Solomon commanded.
"The High Council must be destroyed," she hissed angrily, her eyes fixating on Solomon. "The High Council will be the end of all things, thus their existence must be extinguished. They're coming for you. All those little creatures you lie and slander to those human sheep, they want your heads on pikes. I don't blame them. I wish you were all dead. But I cannot let the son of Merlin die, and any one tenuously attached to the Council. would meet a dark demise. Your end is imminent, but theirs doesn't have to be." Then, a bone-chilling laugh echoed from her, reverberating through the marrow of the men as the vile sound of a predator's cackle struck them. The two descendants of the greatest men released their powers, ending the compulsion, and Cassandra slumped to the ground with a gasp. Her nails scrabbled on the dank stone floor, and she coughed violently, thick black blood spattering on the stones.
"Wh-what is she talking about?" Adam asked, fear and doubt in his voice as he looked at Solomon. For his part, Solomon was ashen, his eyes seemingly unseeing as his brain struggled to comprehend the implications of her words.
It couldn't be... After decades of keeping the secrets, would it truly all come crashing down? Had the High Council brought it upon themselves?
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