"Yeah, but we all know about the Keegans," another said, and it sounded like someone Thane knew. A guy named Miles. Asshole.
"Thane has more than proven himself," Brandon countered. "According to Dale, the priests dropped the ball on this one. His team went in thinking they were hunting a new vampire and got two powerful demons instead."
"Report still says a fledgling and thrall," someone else countered.
Brandon grunted. "The initial kill was a massacre. Neither woman had blood on her in the club. That means they weren't fledglings. No new vamp can make that kind of mess without getting it all over themselves. I think the priests on the scene are trying to cover up for their mistakes, and they're more than willing to let us take the fall. That's how it always goes, and it's why we need to make sure to keep our shit straight, men."
"And Thane's a good person to hang it on," one of the others added. "His family's reputation is well known, so if they need a scapegoat, they inadvertently got one. I've worked with him. He's the kind of hunter you want at your side."
As Thane flopped onto the closest bunk, he smiled. Clearly, he wasn't the only one to see the inconsistencies. He also couldn't defend himself. That would only make him look more guilty in the end. All he could do was take the questions and the judging looks in silence. It sucked, but this was how things worked inside the Church.
He barely got his shoes off, didn't worry about his clothes, and then sighed. The bed wasn't the most comfortable, and yet right now, it felt like pure bliss. His eyes closed and he was just starting to drift off - then the door opened. A pair of feet walked in, not even trying to be quiet. Thane opened his eyes, ready to snap at the guy, and saw Miles.
"What?" he asked.
Miles just walked closer to stand over him. "You worried yet, Thane? Heard the Bishop had a fit last night. Five priests dead, and your team let both of the things get away."
Thane sighed. "Right now, there are two vampires running around Dallas, and one of them's hungry. Yeah, I'm kinda worried. It's also your job now. So, are you worried, Miles?"
"I meant about your mom," Miles taunted.
Because Thane's mom had been tried and convicted of demonic possession. The Church believed that was the only reason a woman would go through such lengths to leave her husband. None of the elders had cared that his dad had a wicked backhand, his mother was almost always covered in bruises, or that she'd been denied a divorce. Their children "deserved" two parents, the Deacon had said. If she'd been a good, church-going woman, she would've known that.
Thane had a theory that the Church was more interested in her popping out a few more brats. At least, they had been at first. His parents had three strong, healthy boys. Three young men to fill the roles the Church needed most. The oldest for the priesthood, and the younger to produce the next generation.
Granted, back then, they hadn't known that Thane's power had stripped his fertility. No, that was discovered long after his mom had been staked in a special ceremony. Then, when it was his little brother's turn to pass the indoctrination trial, Stuart had refused. Vehemently.
The Church claimed it was a curse from his mother. Three boys, and not a single one able to pass on the family line. It didn't matter to them that Laird was probably perfectly capable of having kids. He was the oldest, so he was required to be a priest. Thane was sterile, so shooting blanks. Two different tests confirmed it - but he wasn't heartbroken. The last thing he wanted to do was bring a family into this fucking cult.
But Miles didn't deserve to know any of that. "My mother was possessed by a demon," he said, making it sound like nothing more than fact. "She gave her life to send the beast to Hell. It was a righteous thing to do."
Miles scoffed. "Pretty sure we both know better."
"Do we?" Thane asked. "Tell me, Miles, what exactly do you know about my mother?"
"I know she ran from the Church once. I know she used Words. A woman!" He huffed out his disgust. "Your brother carries so much power that he could rise through the ranks, but he never will because of what she did."
"Laird's a devout priest," Thane reminded the dick. "It's been almost two decades since my mother was possessed. I think the two of us have more than proven our loyalty to the faith."
"What about your other brother?" Miles taunted.
Yeah, and that was the problem. What had happened with their mother would've faded over time. It wasn't unheard of for women to be possessed. They were the "weaker sex," after all. Granted, Thane knew that the "hysteria" the Church liked to talk about was mostly called misogyny, and the "possession" was closer to desperation.
But Stuart? He'd refused to stake a demon. As a child with the power of God in his blood, he had to be bound to the faith. That was why the younger brothers were all indoctrinated at eighteen. The ritual was simple, shocking, and created to make sure that no one who went through it could risk leaving.
Stuart had refused. When they'd told him that he could stake the demon or be staked himself, he'd still refused. The next morning, Thane's father had carried out their brother's corpse. The official cause of death was a drug overdose. One little Word to any police officer, and it would've been seen as nothing more ominous than an accidental death, but Thane's little brother had never touched a drug in his life. The kid had played video games and watched anime! He'd been a nerd.
He'd also stood behind his convictions, and Thane would never think poorly of him for his last act of bravery.
"You know," Thane drawled, "they always said Stuart was a lot like Mom. Laird and I take after Dad. Just ask my old man."
Miles laughed at that. "And what do you think your father will say about you letting not just one, but two demons get away?"
"I think my old man's job was to fuck his wife, not hunt demons. Pretty sure he doesn't have a clue what we do, or remember how hard it is to get a clavum into one of their bodies. How about you? Staked a lot have you, Miles?"
"Enough," Miles snapped.
"Ten?" Thane asked. "I personally stopped counting at twenty. Kept losing my place. Pretty sure your first ten are memorable, though."