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“What about Sabine’s motivation?” asked Avelyn. “And what about the fact that she bit me? If we tell them I was bitten, then it doesn’t make sense that I’m pregnant now.”
“That’s why we won’t tell them that.”
“He’s right,” said Max. He ran his hand through his dark hair. For the thousandth time he thought of how lucky they were Viggo was on their side. He wondered if he had had time to interview Delyse. “I’m going to insist that Sabine was insane and never bit Avelyn. She might have wanted it so badly that she came to believe she had done it. Her desire to take revenge is easy to justify: jealousy, envy, madness. This might work.”
“Exactly!” Viggo clapped his hands and stood up, ready to leave the conference room. He didn’t want the secretary to find him there. “Make sure you stick to this story, because I’m going to tell them roughly the same things. Don’t insist too much, don’t sound too eager to convince them. Just make your statement and tell them you have evidence and witnesses to support it. Don’t try to avoid the trial, because you can’t. Instead, show them you’re ready to do everything in your power to prove your innocence.”
Viggo was out of the room before they even had a chance to agree with him. It did sound like a decent plan, and it was the only one they had, anyway.
Max offered Avelyn his hand, and Avelyn took it gratefully. She passed almost all her weight on him and let him walk her out into the hall and in the main conference room, where the six councilors were waiting for them. She felt weak and dizzy, and all she wanted was for the meeting to be over so they could drive to the airport, hop into their private jet, and fly home. But, more importantly, she wanted it to be over so they would all know where they stood.
***
Even with the air conditioning on, Avelyn felt like she couldn’t breathe right. Max had been talking for half an hour, and all eyes and ears were on him. She pressed her palm to her chest, trying to calm herself down. There was nothing wrong, she kept telling herself. She just felt a bit weak, and the hot weather didn’t help. It was getting late and the sky was growing dark, heavy clouds hanging above the city, threatening it with rain that refused to fall. Avelyn threw a glance out the window, but the only thing she could see was the reflection of the conference room. If only it had rained. She was sure rain would ease the pressure in the air. She swallowed heavily, wincing when she realized how dry her throat was. Unfortunately, she had drunk her glass of water already. She looked over to Jocelyn’s glass, which was still half full. She could have asked for another one, but she didn’t want to interrupt her husband. Her traitorous body would have to wait.
Max was nearing the end of his statement. He had tried to be as clear as possible, and he was certain he hadn’t missed anything he had discussed earlier with Viggo and his family.
“I admit I made a mistake when I didn’t bring Sabine Miller in front of the Council for a fair trial. I have regretted it all these years and lived with the guilt. Having her locked up took a serious toll on everyone involved, and I’ll always regret putting my family in such an unpleasant situation. If I could, I’d go back in time and do things right. What I did wasn’t fair.”
Max’s words didn’t impress anyone. Arthur Harington kept playing with his pen, Dimitri Voinom was so tense that one would think if he didn’t relax soon, the muscles in his neck would snap, and Jonathan Redfur raised his fiery red eyebrows at regular intervals, showing Max how skeptical he was. Christian Kwahu was staring at an indefinite spot on the opposite wall, while Calder Grimmr was looking Max straight in the eyes, silver brows furrowed, nodding his head from time to time to show that he was following him. Zachary Willamar, on the other hand, was more than displeased. He was furious. Now they had two completely different stories, and at this rate it would take them forever to bring the truth to light. He knew he couldn’t trust the young she-wolf who had come running to Councilor Voinom, but he wasn’t inclined to trust the Blackmanes either. There was something fishy here, and he wouldn’t rest until he unraveled it.
Max’s eyes traveled from one listener to another, and he understood there was no use in insisting on how sorry he was. It was better to wrap up the statement.
“I know things seem even more complicated now. I will do everything in my power to help you solve this peacefully and diplomatically. My clan hasn’t broken the law and hasn’t violated any of the clauses in the peace treaty. What happened at Alma Venus Boarding School was self-defense. We were lucky that Viggo of Clan Drekinn was there to protect my wife while my wolves and I were guarding Schloss Blackmane and waiting for Sabine Miller and her rogue pack to attack us there. Many people died and even more have suffered. They all deserve justice.”
“Indeed, you were lucky,” said Jonathan Redfur. He was doodling away in his daily planner while stealing glances at each of the Blackmanes from time to time. “We talked to him just before you came here. He was close, you see. In Myrtle Valley. He claims he was there with business, interviewing brides for Eric Drekinn, and he had to spend the night at a hotel. I can only imagine how difficult it must be to find the right bride for such a noble dragon-shifter…” The last words were spoken in such a way that everyone knew to understand the exact opposite. “He still hasn’t found one, apparently.”
When Redfur started talking, Avelyn’s heart jumped in her chest, and she was sure Max, Jocelyn, and Karl were going through something similar. How could they have been so stupid and forgot to ask Viggo about his explanation for being at Alma Venus when Sabine attacked the first night? They had only had ten minutes at their disposal, but they shouldn’t have forgotten about such a crucial detail. Without realizing, Redfur had just helped them by tying a loose end. The bear-shifter saw that too, because he shot Redfur an annoyed look. He would have probably liked to ask the Blackmanes what was Viggo doing there and get their version, and now the fox-shifter had ruined it. “Interesting,” thought Avelyn. “They should have established these details while we weren’t here… If they’re incapable of synchronizing themselves, it means they’re not such good colleagues. You’re all working together to maintain the peace, eh? But you still come from different factions…”
“Where are you trying to get at?” Karl addressed the question in a low, threatening tone, and Jocelyn immediately placed a hand on his thigh, under the table.
The fox-shifter gave him a quick, fake smile. “I don’t understand, you see? Why would Viggo intervene? Why would he jump, or fly, if we are to be accurate, to rescue someone he didn’t know?”
Avelyn cleared her throat and hoped her voice wouldn’t waver. “He was close, he heard the commotion, and he couldn’t just stand there and watch. Miss Monique Delacroix couldn’t thank him enough afterwards.”
“Why didn’t she call the police?” asked Redfur. “During the battle, or after…”
Avelyn realized it would have been a bad idea to answer him again. What Redfur intended was to ask question after question until she started contradicting herself.
“May I have another glass of water, please? I’m not… feeling very well.”
While Arthur Harington rang the secretary, Max turned to his wife and pressed a cold hand to her hot forehead.
“You’re burning up…”
“It will pass.”
The secretary brought her an entire carafe of water, and Avelyn thanked her with all her heart. Redfur waited for her to drink and recollect
herself, but he wasn’t pleased with the situation.
“I promise you this won’t take much longer, Mrs. Blackmane. I only have a few more questions, like…” He turned towards Max. “… why didn’t you notify the Council or asked for help when you found out Sabine Miller was coming for your wife? This is why we have laws and the people to enforce them: to protect the innocent.”
“If I may, Mr. Redfur, I too have some questions,” intervened Max. “Have you found the Inari who helped Sabine Miller attack Alma Venus? Have you even started looking for him? I feel this is important. Initially, the problem was between me and my ex-bride, but when two earths of fox-shifters under the command of one Inari lined up behind her and her pack, it suddenly turned into something less personal and more… How should I put it.?”
“Political?” suggested Jocelyn. She refilled Avelyn’s glass and watched her drown half of it. She was seriously concerned about her, and she didn’t like the direction the meeting was going. Jonathan Redfur had some fair points, but his attitude suggested justice wasn’t necessarily what he was looking for. He wanted to corner them. The moment Max mentioned the Alpha fox-shifter, however, he remained silent and went back to his doodling. Whether he liked it or not, his faction was involved and had some explaining to do.
“We have started an investigation,” answered Councilor Willamar. “We do believe his reasons were personal, because our witness said he and Sabine Miller were involved in a romantic relationship. I agree that we shouldn’t settle for this explanation and dig deeper, though, so you can rest assured we have taken everything into consideration. By the time this is over, there will be no loose ends.”
