"When I'm done in Avalore, we'll be returning to the Neutral Continent."
"But we just left there, and you want us to return?"
"Did I stutter the first time?"
"…"
Jamie's question had Wanete going silent as the young woman clearly did not know how she was going to convince him to change his decision.
Shortly after they entered the car, Jamie, at her request, proceeded to elaborate on the reason why he wanted Wanete to inform the higher-ups that his scheduled meeting with them would be delayed.
He stated that he had business with the Avalore mountain, and after he was done there, the next destination was not to be the Sanguine Citadel but the Neutral Continent they left less than a dozen hours ago.
Naturally, Wanete had problems with this as she had been given orders to escort Jamie to the Crimson Court's Headquarters.
On one hand, she had the orders she was given by the Ruling Council of her entire race, and on the other hand she had the Legendary Hybrid whom the orders she had been given concerned.
"Mind if I ask why?"
Davina chipped in with a question as she saw Wanete's troubled state while silently patting the other lady's back.
"Did I not inform you that I had intentions of going to Estudiam to find out why I was not there like I was supposed to but in the depths of the Arnmouth ocean?"
"Yes, you did."
His question brought them back to the reason why Jamie had decided to follow the Vampires in the first place—because the Fransokyo Region of the Neutral Continent, where the Ancient City of Estudiam was, happened to be a Region the Vampire Race controlled.
So, from the start, Jamie had already told them that Estudiam was somewhere he wanted to go.
"But we were on the Neutral Continent for over a week. Don't you think it would have been a wiser decision to go over to Estudiam first before coming here?"
When he put it like that, they all thought about it and concluded that it would have been better for them to do that in the first place.
"Despite how much of a better plan that was, I did not bring it up. Reason was, that I had something to do here on Nightingale before I could go to Estudiam.
If I do not accomplish my aim here on Nightingale, then going to Estudiam would be pointless.
That's the reason why I had agreed to come over here first."
Jamie then pointed at the image of the Avalore mountain that was on Wanete's tab before continuing.
"My aim on Nightingale is over there. So that's where we're going first. After that, we'd go over to Estudiam."
The Hybrid concluded calmly before turning his attention to his phone where he began scrolling through a new novel in silence.
"…b-but, the Court's orders…"
Hearing Wanete's mutter, Jamie sighed in light exasperation, but he also knew that the young woman had it hard as well.
To her, the Crimson Court's orders came first and she wanted to fulfil said orders without any issues whatsoever, especially given her father was part of said Court.
But Jamie's decision was basically telling her to go against said orders. She also did not want to be scolded or reprimanded for failing to convince Jamie to go to the Sanguine Citadel first when she contacted them to inform them about Jamie's decision.
"The Crimson Court members that are currently on the planet are Transcendents. In other words, the orders you have come from 'Lower Seat' members of the Court."
Jamie held up his palm in front of Wanete and an insignia manifested in it, adorned with the symbol of the Court on it—a stylized crimson rose with thorns, surrounded by a circular design.
"I possess the Highest possible rank that the Crimson Court can ever have."
The insignia began glowing with a crimson red light as the Hybrid continued his statement.
[My Words as a 'Founding Seat' of the Court, override whatever orders that the 'Lower Seats' have given you.]
They all could hear his voice both in their heads, and in their ears, and it was quite a strange sensation.
However, they did not focus on that as the others were all shocked when they heard Jamie call himself a 'Founding Seat' of the court.
P.S. Only Wanete saw where it was stated on his status when she appraised him so she was not clueless about that like the other four.
It was surprising that Jamie was one of the mythical 'Founding Seats' of the Crimson Court, members whom even those who held 'Higher Seats' had not even been able to so much as glance at their shadows.
Anyway, the amethyst-eyed young vampire clearly still had a bit of hesitation towards reporting Jamie's statement to the Court and the man noticed this.
"I didn't want to do this to you, but…"
Jamie sighed softly as he spoke, before looking Wanete right in the eyes and speaking.
"Inform them that I plan to go to Avalore first, after which I intend to return to the Neutral Continent.
Now they can choose to make the arrangements for me, or I can do it myself. Their call."
Wanete's pupils dilated ever so slightly and the young woman nodded in affirmation to Jamie's words, before holding up her tab and beginning to open the secure channel she used for communication, her previous hesitation nowhere to be seen.
As for the others in the car, they all understood what Jamie had just done, given they and pretty much everyone else in their race could do the same thing.
Just that they in particular hardly ever had to use said ability; Mind Compulsion.
Given that Jamie was a Hybrid who possessed their race's bloodline, it only made sense for him to have it too.
Davina recalled Jamie having done something similar when they were in Swuyle when he snapped his fingers and messed with the minds of all the people inside a restaurant.
'He snaps with the index to use that 'Void' ability, and with the middle finger to use that Compulsion; no—that was more of Hypnosis than Compulsion.'
Her gaze turned to Jamie's fingers that were spinning the stylus of the tablet he was using and once again, she began wondering just how many other abilities he could activate with snapping his fingers.
While she was doing that, Wanete had sent in Jamie's statement as a report to the Court members, and naturally, they didn't take kindly to it.
◇ ◇ ◇
Sanguine Citadel
Bloodrealm.
Central Region Nocturna
January 10th
Year 2018
Seven figures, adorned in dark-themed suits and gowns, each accented by the distinct hues of another colour, predominantly red, with one of them being amethyst, stood next to each other in a semi-circle.
They appeared to be in a circular chamber—a lounge of some sort, tastefully furnished with plush couches nestled all around.
Beside each couch stood a petite side table, accompanied by a well-stocked drink bar featuring a selection of wines from across the globe... and blood.
Each couch and stool featured a small electronic pad embellished with buttons and display screens on their armrests and surfaces.
In the heart of the room was a raised platform consisting of five steps, the first of which the seven individuals stood atop, their collective focus centred on the eighth figure in the centre.
The man in their midst was dressed in a familiar dark-themed uniform, giving off an air of authority as he sat upon a regal throne, one hand casually propped on the chair's armrest.
But though it was not evident at first glance, this man's presence was not physical, but a holographic projection generated through a magi-tech projector installed on the floor in the centre of the platform.
The projector was one used for long-distance communications, making this gathering, in essence, a 3D video call.
[He says he wants to go to Avalore? Was there anything special about that place?]
A clear voice echoed from the speakers in the room, and in response to the question, one of the seven standing individuals spoke up.
"The Avalore Mountain is known for its abundant concentration of knowledge law energy, more so than any other place on the planet."
[Law of Knowledge?]
The man in the projection spoke with a raised brow, his magenta-coloured eyes displaying hints of confusion.
[But he should not need that. Unless…something happened.]
"Your Excellency, may I?."
[Speak.]
Upon being given permission, the man who had spoken about the Avalore Mountain took a step forward before raising a complaint.
"Given that the Lord Hybrid is already in Nocturna at the moment, would it not be better for him to come over to the Bloodrealm first so he can have the scheduled meeting before he goes over to the Neutral Continent to finish whatever business he has there."
"Indeed."
"That would be better, would it not?"
Some of his companions voiced out their agreement while others simply remained silent and waited for the words of the uniformed man who was addressed as 'Your Excellency'.
[Hmm?]
The moment he let out that hum with a raised brow, both the man who spoke and the other three who agreed with him instantly felt cold sweat run down their backs.
[Since when did Lower Seats start being the ones dictating the movements of a Founding Seat member?]