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“I’ll go first,” Tegan offered eagerly.
Cord’s sardonic look made her want to growl at him. “No, little tiger, you are not being left to interrogate anyone without supervision.”
Cord took Michael, Salem, and Sloane. Tegan looked at the two Lycan and noticed how closely they stood together. “Do you think he is alright?” Tegan asked quietly.
“Your father will be fine. He is more than capable of handling himself,” Tove assured her.
“Leonid is not one to be fooled, Tegan,” Marcus said. He looked at Tove before he continued. “He would be upset at your…troubles.”
“She held a knife to my throat,” Tegan reminded him.
“You sided with the Castor over me,” Tove countered. “I still do not believe he is telling us everything.” She tossed her hair over her shoulders. “Plus,Idid not hold a knife to your throat. I held it tohisthroat.”
“Semantics,” Cord said behind them, no one noticing that he had returned. His hand rested on Tegan’s arm, and he pulled her slightly into him. “Are you okay?”
“Yes.” Tegan nodded. “Is the party full?”
“If you mean has everyone arrived, they have.” Cord looked at the two Lycans. “There are no Lycans there except Balrack and the two Council Elders.” Cord glanced between them. “You are armed?”
“We are Akrhyn,” Marcus snorted as he lifted his tunic to reveal daggers in his belt.
Cord grinned and took hold of Tegan’s arm gently. “Then let us not keep them waiting any longer.”
* * *
The party was tedious, as Tegan had suspected it would be. Michael never strayed far from her side, and too many Akrhyn had asked her the same annoying, pointless questions. Cord had made sure she had “mingled,” which she had not cared for, but many times she had searched for Sloane, and his returning looks had made her smile. They werealljust going through the motions, she realised. Michael had explained the terminology to her, and she had liked the explanation. Prime Dark Castor Lucas had arrived with Prime Crimson Castor Garrick, and the two had disappeared with Cord not long thereafter, leaving Prime Pure Castor Rorik frowning repeatedly at the door they had gone through. Tegan was also curious, another secret the Castor would keep from her, she had no doubt. Her aunt, Delilah, had frowned when she saw Tegan’s dress but said nothing, just gave her a disapproving glare. Tegan had noticed that no other female Akrhyn had the hoop thing on, and her thoughts were uncomplimentary to the female she had to call aunt.
Salem was talking to Council Elder Marguerite, and he looked like he was becoming more and more agitated. Tugging on her brother’s arm as he spoke to…Tegan glanced at the two male Akrhyn. She had forgotten who they were. “Michael?” Tegan spoke softly. She found that if she spoke normally, too many of the guests stared at her.
“What is it?” Michael bent his head as the two males carried on talking.
“Salem.”
Her brother looked up and took in the situation easily. “Of course you can have some refreshment, excuse us,” Michael told her as he neatly led her away from the male Akrhyn. Searching the room, he caught Sloane’s eye, and soon they were all headed towards Salem.
“Council Elder, I implore you to consider my request,” Salem said to the female Akrhyn, who was watching Michael and Tegan approach with a narrowed gaze.
“What request?” Tegan demanded. “Is it my father? Will you not help?”
“Your father stands before you,” Cornelius corrected Tegan as he too entered the small circle of Akrhyn gathering around the Council Elder.
“This conversation does not concern you,” Tegan snapped at him. “You are probably delighted that the Made have left this territory.”
“How dare you!” Cornelius appeared affronted, and Tegan rolled her eyes at his dramatics, causing Sloane to laugh unexpectedly as his cousin had thoughtlessly said what all were thinking.
“Tegan, let me handle this,” Salem requested quietly as Michael took a hold of her arm, both of them making her step back away from the small group.
“The ravens,” the Three announced solemnly. The room was suddenly quiet. The Sisters had been said to be away from the Great Council, so their appearance here this evening was unexpected. The Three stood in the doorway, all dressed in gowns of black, making their alabaster skin look paler than normal. The presence of the Sisters was unnerving; most Akrhyn avoided them due to their long lives and all-knowing smiles that unnerved even the staunchest warrior.
“Sisters, we thought you would not be joining us,” Delilah welcomed them as she glared at her husband, who stood open-mouthed in front of them.
“We were delayed,” one of the Three answered as her eyes flicked to the Pure Prime. “Pure Prime Castor Rorik, it is kind of you to welcome us.” The Three turned and looked to the Great Council members. “It is time.”
“Time? For what?” Cornelius looked around the room wildly, sensing he was losing control of the evening.
“We will need a room,” Agatha said to Rorik. He scurried away to do as he was bid, and the room remained silent watching the Sisters closely. They appeared indifferent, but their eyes searched the room as they walked closer to Tegan, Salem and Michael. “Where are the Castors?”
“I will get them,” Marcus told them and hurried from the room.
