Jak puts his hand on Morgan’s shoulder to stay whatever he’s thinking of doing to me.
‘What did Dane say?’ he asks through clenched teeth, changing the subject to something less incendiary than my actions. ‘When will the Council convene?’
I glance at Bryn, wondering if she’s listening. ‘Tomorrow. Dane couldn’t give her leave to stay, though, not without an interview. They’ll talk to her tomorrow. Make sure she’s not too,’ I clear my throat, ‘Dark Realm.’
‘Dane will be the one speaking to her?’ Morgan asks.
I shake my head. ‘Underhill law states it must be an enforcer, now. Dane isn’t allowed, but he says it’ll be Avendel.’
‘We should make sure we’re with her,’ Jak says. ‘Avendel isn’t as…enthusiastic in his duties, but I don’t like the idea of her closed in a room with spies from the Underhill who aren’t us.’
I nod in agreement, though I’m not sure it’ll be allowed. I don’t say that to them, though. They’re both already on tender hooks as it is.
‘Have they heard from Soreno and Tori yet?’ Morgan asks, breathing in and out deeply through his nose in some sort of effort not to beat me to a pulp.
‘Don’t know. Dane didn’t say. If they had, he probably would have mentioned something, though.’
Jak stands, casting an eye over Bryn, who’s still in the corner, and frowning. ‘Do you think we’ll have a problem with the enforcers, the Council? What about the rest of the village?’
‘She’s not the only Dark Realmer here,’ Morgan argues. ‘There’s me and Gwen, Drakar, and Grim live just along the way.’
I nod. ‘They’ve made their lives here and no one has a problem with them,’ I reply, hoping I sound more confident than I feel, but Jak shakes his head.
‘They don’t live in Halsford anymore,’ he states.
‘What? Since when?’ I ask.
I notice Morgan out of the corner of my eye also looking confused.
‘Four months ago, I heard. She’s not been in the apothecary at all, which is why it and the healer's rooms were in such a state when I got back.’
I frown. ‘Where did they go?’
Morgan walks to the hearth and turns the vegetables that are cooking on the wire rack with the chicken.
‘Whydid they go?’ he rumbles low.
‘They’re in the valley over the next ridge apparently. Built another cabin there. About a half-day’s ride. As to the why of it, I don’t know. Haven’t been able to get to the bottom of it yet.’
Jak’s eyes bore into the back of Morgan’s head. ‘You haven’t noticed anydifferencessince we returned?’
Morgan stiffens and turns to face us, looking a bit sheepish. ‘I thought perhaps it was my imagination. I mean, Tom and the others working on the cottages invited me to the tavern the other evening. They were friendly enough, bought me a pint.’
‘But?’ I probe.
‘There were humans who were friendly with me, used to speak to me. They don’t now. They pull their children out of my path as if I’m going to eat them. I’m sure I heard someone call me a dirty Dark Realm beast as I walked by the Trading Post last week, but I don’t know who it was. And I might have had some stones thrown in my direction by children. Quite big ones. They haven’t hit me but…’
‘It’s not your imagination,’ Jak sighs. ‘There’s talk about violence toward Dark Realmers. I heard it in the tavern. It’s quiet but I think it’s been slowly growing louder since the fire and, since we’ve been gone, it seems to have gotten markedly worse. I think that’s why Gwen, Drakar, and Grim left.’
I look over at Bryn who’s still sitting slumped against the wall with her head in her hands, though she seems to have stopped crying.
Morgan snorts.
‘Drakar and Gwen used to be on the Council,’ he mutters. ‘They practically built this place with Lia, Dane, Grey, and Kal.’
‘Well they aren’t on it anymore. Haven’t been since the fire,’ I reply. ‘They were replaced with Calder and Tavish. Remember?’
‘Aye,’ Morgan spits. ‘I remember. One of the Council Five and a trader who’s never even set foot in the Dark Realms, if you believe his talk. Light Realm through and though, he swears.’
