“Then how did he get out of the cell if he didn’t use magic?” Conan glances around the room for an answer. “If he’s human, he certainly doesn’t have the strength to bend iron bars. So, if not magic, how?”
“He probably picked the lock.” Thea shrugs. “You can pick locks in the human world, so why couldn’t he do it here? He’s insanely smart.”
“What do you mean by ‘insanely smart’?” Xander tilts his head.
“At the diner, he’d pretend to write orders but just doodle instead. He remembered everything customers said without writing it down.”
“So he’s got a good memory?” Akila asks.
“Photographic. Once Ethan sees or hears something, it’s locked in his mind forever.”
“Interesting.” Xander’s gaze moves around the table.
“Plus, he’s incredibly perceptive. Reads body language better than anyone I’ve known, like the stuff you see in movies. I used to call him a human lie detector. You simply can’t hide things from him.”
That tracks.He picked out my name and Akila’s just from our conversation in the apartment, under duress no less. He also managed to completely flip my interrogation and extract information out ofme.
“A human lie detector,” Xander repeats thoughtfully. “You know, someone with that kind of perception would be valuable in the upcoming summit. It would be nice to know if I’m being lied to or not. He could tell us if the Shaman are making promises in good faith and if they’re genuine in their desire forpeace. That may be enough to convince the Alpha King to allow Ethan to stay, at least for the summit.”
Lady Gemma, who has been sitting silently throughout the discussion, clears her throat. The sound echoes slightly against the vaulted ceiling. As an elder and Xander’s mother, she is the most respected person in Kortan after the Alpha and Luna.
She leans forward, gracefully brushing back her neatly combed waist-length blonde hair that shimmers with threads of silver. Her light blue eyes fall on her son. “I will send a letter to the Alpha King on the matter. I am his aunt, after all. If anyone can convince him of the importance of this human’s life, it’s me.”
Xander nods slowly. He’ll side with any plan that pleases his Luna. I know that already. Right or wrong, he’d move mountains for Thea.
I’m not sure about this Ethan roaming around freely, though. He makes me uneasy in a lot of ways.
“It’s settled then,” Xander says. “You will send the letter out tonight, Mother?”
“Of course,” Lady Gemma says.
Xander turns to Thea. “In the meantime, gather some of our history texts for him, both Lycan and Shaman. If a human is going to sit in on the summit, he needs to understand the cultures at play. Will you do that, my love?”
“Yes, of course.” Thea’s face lights up. “I’m already thinking of titles.”
Xander looks at me. “We should still train the human for combat. If he’s going to be by my Luna’s side in any capacity, he must know how to defend her.”
I fight to hide my disapproval. “If I can object, My Lord, Ethan is still ahuman. He doesn’t have the strength or the endurance of a Lycan. He’s not built to train the way we do.”
“She’s not wrong,” Conan says. “I’m pretty sure we’d break him.”
“Then exert some restraint,” Xander says with a touch of annoyance in his voice. “Train him as you would a one-legged whelp and I’m sure he’ll be fine.”
And with that, the matter is settled, for now. Xander dismisses us with a wave of a hand. My head is spinning.How in the world am I going to come up with a training regimen for a human?
“Rhiannon, hold on a second.”
I stop at the door and turn to Xander just in time to see him kiss Thea on the forehead, bidding her goodbye. She leaves, and we’re alone in the Council Chambers.
“About our talk earlier.” He takes a beat, gathering his thoughts. “I realize that everything that’s happened between us hasn’t exactly been fair to you. You didn’t ask for our relationship to end. Neither one of us expected it. I hope you know that if things were different—”
“But they aren’t,” I say. “And there’s no point ruminating on it. We can’t change what must be. We have to accept it, and I do.”
I’m done with this.I can’t go over this anymore with him, but I don’t think he heard the irritation in my tone because all he does is nod. Then, to my surprise, he smiles a little, his charm spilling out. “You said something like that to me once, a year ago. I believed you then. Can I believe you now?”
Oh, Xander.This moment almost feels like old times. “I am happy for you, Xander. Truly.”
Without another word, I leave. The salty burn behind my eyes threatens to give me away, but I force it back and head down the cold stone hallway. My boots echo against the flagstones as I push through the thick wooden doors. The sudden rush of crisp mountain air hits my face, carrying the scent of wildflowers and distant pine forests as I step outside.
