Chapter 234 - Punished for the past (1/2)
Jos fidgeted nervously with her hands not taking her eyes off them as she waited for the audio to be connected and the meeting to begin. This was the part that she dreaded most of all. It was one thing to be guilty, to be told you'd be punished for nearly four hundred years... but there was a huge difference between being locked up and confined in a cage, being shunned and kept away from other people, and being able to spend her time with people she cared about. As long as she could stay with Shelly and Arei there rest of the punishments meant little to her.
”This is ridiculous! The only sure way to keep a monster like that from doing harm is to put it down!” Marcus was yelling out to the other council members as the audio came through causing Arei's eyes to bug as he quickly shot his gaze to Jos.
Prometheus cleared his throat when the vampire only continued his rant. ”That is quite enough councilman. Punishments have been handed down already, we're simply here to determine the parameter that those punishments shall be administered under.”
Marcus's hate-filled gaze burned into the camera. ”Why do you all insist on protecting this beast so much?! She has devastated thousands of families over the years. What justice is there for those of us who have suffered because of her? Are we to just sit idly by as the gods and council continue to make accommodations for her?” He threw his hand out toward Jos as Arei pulled her trembling body against his. ”If being sent to a tropical island with your lover is a punishment then please sign me up! Who ALL must I kill to end up with such a lavish vacation- oh I mean punishment.”
Poseidon slammed his hand down on the desk. ”You were told enough! This is exactly the reason I insisted that the sentencing be separate and also urged for the location of her confinement to be kept private. I see only one of those demands were met.” He glared at each of the council members including the two vailed individuals in the back of the room before moving his attention to Prometheus. ”Since my last demand wasn't met adequately, I now request that Vampire Marcus be removed from the room. His presence is no longer necessary, anyway.”
Prometheus nodded turning his attention back to the monitor. ”Councilman Marcus, upon your next outburst you will be escorted from the room.”
”And what, threw in the cells so that I can be disposed of as they did Bionca?!” He shouted pointing toward Jos and Arei.
Prometheus arched a brow. ”We have it on good authority that Ms. Bionca was killed by another vampire, of her own clan. Instead of making outlandish claims here today, maybe you should concentrate on taking care of matters within your own respective division.” When Marcus said no more, only continuing to glare into the cameras, Prometheus asked. ”Before we start this next step, may I remind the presiding members present, Joslyn Decker was found guilty of all the human murders and the vampire murders she was accused of. However, they were all within the parameters of justified deaths that our own kill squad could have likely been called out on, had the crimes been properly addressed. Joslyn's crimes were not in killing innocent men, but in not going through the proper channels in these situations.”
”This is true, but she has been offered positions here within our organization on numerous occasions including contracts with individual gods that she has turned down.” Selena chimed in.
Poseidon narrowed his eyes. ”What other gods has she been offered contracts with outside myself? Please inform us, dear?” He sent Jos and Arei a knowing glance before turning his attention back to the monitors. ”For the record, Joslyn Decker has accepted my offers both times I've made them. She is now contracted with me under the claim of the sea and my kingdom... as she would have been had her mind not been tampered with in the past.” He held Selena's nervous stare. ”Please, dear, tell us all who else's claim she has turned down? Was it yours? It had to be someone powerful indeed to erase only select memories as they had.”
Selena quickly came to her own defense. ”I would never! I have no reason! I have only ever helped her in the past and present! I was the one who came up with the sedation method for controlling her curse from the beginning!”
Poseidon narrowed his eyes, knowing well it was his own brother Zeus that she was referring to but wanted her to admit it to everyone, to out herself as his brother's lover in front of everyone. But before he could bully the confession out of the goddess, one of the hooded figures stood up from the back row. Poseidon struggled to mask his own surprise when one of the Moirai uncovered her head and stepped forward. ”Clotho, forgive me for saying, but it's rather surprising seeing you here. What brings the fate of the present to such an event?”
Clotho's clouded unseeing eyes moved toward Jos as if looking straight into her very soul. Lifting her weathered and worked fingers toward Jos she said. ”All can be forgiven and forgotten if you retract your claim to the sea god and choose another. Zeus offers more for his great granddaughter than what the sea god can provide. Your name will become that of legend striking fear in to hearts and respect of the peoples both human and otherworldly as well wherever you venture.”
Jos's eyes widened as she tightened her grip on Arei, finding comfort in the fact that his grip was tightening on her as well. Her troubled eyes moved across the screen searching the expressions of the other councilmembers before moving over to Poseidon and Prometheus. She shook her head. ”I do not wish to change my claim regardless of my choices effects on this sentencing. I would like to go forward with what we've discussed.”
Prometheus nodded as Poseidon sent her a triumphant smile and a wink. ”Very well.” Prometheus moved his attention back to the monitors. ”If there are no other matters? You there in the back, have you anything to add?”
A smile spread across the heavily shadowed lips of the other person at the back of the room. Lifting her head and removing the vail, she looked around to the council members seated in front of her. ”I am simply here to see that this portion of Joslyn Decker's punishments go as justly as her trials... as my mother wished.” Eunomia replied sending the other woman a weighted glare. ”I am here only to monitor whether things are carried out fairly and not led astray too far by other involvements.” She gave Clotho a slight bow before stepping back and taking her seat once again.