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The third seat was filled by an elderly man, with a curved back and long gray hair, who hadn’t seemed surprised like the others by my appearance.

I’d pieced together the bald man with glasses in chair number four was Alvin. And at seat number five sat a young blond woman, who had kind blue eyes that had bulged when I’d walked in, followed by a stunning white smile she had given me that made her appear angelic.

She also hadn’t said one word during the outburst of Six’s leader, whom I’d quickly figured out was Hector, the owner of the harsh male voice. He’d been the main source of commotion when I’d walked in, and had lit a fire under the asses of the leaders from Seven, Eight, and Nine: the latter group who was currently glaring at me as if I was nothing more than filth to them.

Each member of the council had two guards stationed behind them, creating a line of guards against the back wall, and Hector had ordered his guards to kill me as soon as I’d walked in, which had immediately gone south when Leo had broken their hands.

Unfortunately for them, they lay unconscious on the floor next to Leo.

Fortunately for me, I was still alive.

“How is this possible?” Callum asked. His voice quieter than it was before.

The gray-haired elder spoke, “You know how it is possible. She has been reborn.”

“She’s an abomination!” Hector shouted.

A dagger whizzed past Hector’s head, sinking into the back of his chair. Only two inches shy of impaling his mouth.

“Your tongue, Hector,” Adrian said coolly, his voice carrying. “I’ll have it on your next outburst.” He casually rested his hand on the hilt of his remaining dagger. His face wore the mask of cruelty I hadn’t seen since I’d first met him.

Hector gulped and blessedly slammed his mouth shut.

Leo spoke to the room, “I cannot change what has been done. Bryn is here, and she has chosen to stay and help us fight.”

“That is not her decision to make,” the elder said quietly.

“Raphael . . .” Leo tried to reason with him, but Raphael lifted his hand, and Leo stopped speaking.

Leo respected this man.

“Do you have any powers, child?” Raphael asked me.

“No,” I said, as confidently as I could.

“Do you have any memories . . . any knowledge of your previous life here?” He gestured to the space around us.

“No,” I said again.

“So, she is not the Bryn we once knew,” said the blond woman from Five. The only other woman in the room aside from myself and Sigrid, who stood against the back wall with Cal.

“I don’t agree,” Leo said. “I created her on Six, with Six’s dust.”

The woman’s eyes sparked with hope. “Magic-less dust . . .”

“Exactly,” Leo spoke louder than before. “I have come here and exposed my truth to all of you to ask that we allow Brynlynn Stewart, Princess of Two, a chance at Delirium. Let the Earth decide her fate.” Leo looked at me, his face sure. “If the Earth does not find her worthy, I will take her back to Six where she can live out her remaining days.”

No.

I didn’t want to go back to a life without Leo. To a life without Hunter.

“You know that isn’t an option, Leo,” Raphael said, his tone grave.

“Which part?” I asked.

“You know the truth of the universe now, child . . . If the Earth does not deem you worthy of this second chance at life, and you do not expire in Delirium, we have no choice . . .”

“Execution,” Hector hissed.