The councilor in question sits behind the long table on the dais next to Tavish, the trading merchant who’s made his wealth carting supplies back and forth for Halsford. He and Calder are in business heavily together and have been since they took Gwen and Drakar’s Council places.
I nod. ‘Bryn. She looks…’
‘Different than she did earlier,’ he says with a frown.
‘I was going to say oddlyindifferent. But what do you see?’
I survey her thoroughly. She looks the same as before Voss disappeared with her to me, but I’ve never known an enforcer to take someone to another room to ask their questions unless they’re a known threat to Halsford or the Underhill. I didn’t like that at all.
‘I don’t like this,’ Morgan mutters, echoing my thoughts. ‘And I don’t trust Voss either. It was meant to be Avendel. He’s at least notwhollyCalder’s lap dog.’
The gavel is banged by Dane, who is trying to look impartial, but is clearly more than a little incensed by the way that his position as Head of the Council is being constantly undermined this morning.
‘The Underhill is telling us our business more and more and no one thinks to thwart them,’ Morgan seethes.
I hush him in case someone near us overhears. The last thing we need is for Morgan to be charged with sedition. As a former Dark Realmer, his position here is always a little tenuous, but it’sobvious that things are much worse here than we thought even last night.
And I have no doubt that Calder and Tavish are involved. It’s no secret that ever since so many fae females were killed and their faelings hidden, the Underhill has been fearful of it happening again. And then when Varrik was able to infiltrate their home…and with his protege, Fiana, still at large, the fae have been trying to claw back every advantage they can.
They’re becoming desperate. They’ll stop at nothing to deal out justice to their enemies and, lately, they seem to be ensuring that Halsford is filled only with their staunchest supporters.
I look around and scoff, and these idiots really think the Underhill has their best interests at heart, that they would come to save them if this place was under attack.
No, they consider Halsford as their first defense. The humans here are merely fodder for any attack that comes. Nothing more.
Ignorant fools.
‘We shouldn’t have brought Bryn here,’ I say.
‘Where else could we have taken her?’ he mutters. ‘We promised her the Light.’
‘We didn’t promise herthis.’
‘Enforcer Voss, what is your verdict?’ Dane booms out.
‘I’m afraid it is clear,’ Voss says from his place at the edge of the room. ‘The human is, regrettably, too Dark Realm for me to guarantee the safety of the village.’
His expression oozes regret.
Too much.
I lurch forward, but Morgan holds me back.
‘Wait. There will be discussion. The tide could still turn in Bryn’s favor.’
I scoff, but I do as he asks.
A few of the humans around the room look skeptical. Some even roll their eyes, but most say and do nothing. The loud ones clap and whoop and pat their nearby cohorts on the backs, all while looking elated.
Relieved.
As if the evil Dark Realmer could single-handedly take Halsford and it has now been saved from her.
‘She is but one human,’ Wren, the only other woman, human or otherwise, on the Council says, speaking for the first time.
She sneers a bit at Voss and I decide I like her.
‘She has not given us any indication of ulterior motives. She merely wishes to be safe. Is that not what we all wanted when we were liberated and brought here?’
