AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Unsurprisingly, Helene sits still, assessing him further, and I can almost see the wheels in her head turning. Victor rumbles out a sound of protest, forgetting about the power that binds him as he rises from his seat. The power cinches tighter around his chest, turning his cheeks scarlet as he struggles to pull in a ragged breath.
“I found a clause that if for any reason the majors believe the council is colluding against them, they may remove them from their positions.” Osias states proudly, grinning triumphantly at Helene.
“That’s not possible,” Helene growls, her body thrumming with anxious tensions. Her leg bobs once before she halts herself, not wanting to endure any more of Nyssa’s power.
Osias motions to the door with a smug grin. Phil walks through, an ancient tome tucked under his arm. He glances curiously at the bronze doors embedded in the marble wall but doesn’t question it. Hurriedly, he strides to the leader of the light majors, his footsteps pattering on the marble floor. He moves to Osias’ side, his eyes catching on Olivia as he hands the tome over.
His eyes widen as he takes in her form, wings still fully extended in a show of power. A growl rumbles through Maximus’ chest, and even Adrian and I both take a step forward as Phillip’s eyes stay glued to our mate for entirely too long. Mateo drops down on Liv’s other side, pinning him with a glare that would send shivers down any sane man’s spine.
Phil blanches, blinking away his shock and he backs away, careful to avoid us as he shuffles out of the way. Osias gleefully flips through the pages, apparently oblivious to the threatening glares we pin his assistant with. Either that or he doesn’t care, not in this instant at least. He must find his passage, since the pages stop flying.
“Terms of non-confidence,” Osias reads aloud, glancing up over the book’s edge to smile smugly at the four council members. Anastasia glances around the room nervously, and I suppress a chuckle. She was always so willing to coast along on the others’ ideas, but now she, along with the rest of them, will face the consequences for their actions, and I couldn’t be happier.
“The light major may remove any or all members of the council from their duties if they have taken part in any acts to collude against the majors and their rule.” Osias reads from the ancient book. He glances up, surveying the four gods before him.
“An attack on my daughter is an attack on me, and it will not stand,” Osias declares, his triumphant grin fading at that, clearly remembering the attack itself and being helpless to defend his daughter. I had been so wrapped up in my own distress I never considered how difficult that must have been for the leader of the light majors, possessing every light power but unable to take any action to save the daughter he spent decades trying to keep safe.
“You have no proof of any collusion,” Helene taunts, a devious grin spreading across her lips as though knowing she’s already won.
“Oh, but I do.” He glances up to Nyssa, already holding out her scepter at the council members, her eyes closing as she focuses her power, determining their judgment.
“There seems to be something blocking me. I can vaguely sense some sort of guilt, but it’s not clear enough for me to say for certain,” Nyssa admits, her lips quirk to the side and brows knit together in confusion.
Helene’s grins at the news, eyes gleaming with a look of condescension as she glares back at Osias.
“Well, the terms clearly state if the majors believe,” Osias declares, shutting the tome with a note of finality. “You will be held under further investigation and stripped of all powers of the council, and therefore will have no further jurisdiction over the school.” He extends the book back out, and Phil rushes forward to grasp its weathered pages, eyeing us warily as he shuffles back, ensuring we won’t attack him before he hurries back out the open auditorium doors.
“You’re seriously going to let them go on some bullshit technicality?” Mateo asks incredulously. “Grow a backbone, Osias.”
I notice Olivia’s lips purse at the two bickering gods on either side of her. Shaking her head slightly at their display. The movement is barely perceptible, as she still holds her imposing stance before the four.
“This is not the time, Mateo,” Osias growls, giving the god of war a warning look. To my surprise, Mateo huffs out a breath of annoyance, crossing his arms over his chest, but doesn’t argue any further.
“They will not be let go.” Osias straightens his suit, pulling himself up to his full height, and redirects his ire towards the council—or former council members? “They may not leave the premises. My guardians should arrive shortly to watch over the school, seeing as the current leadership could not defend it properly.”
“Well, since you can’t prove anything, I demand you release us from these binds.” Helene sneers, and the others echo her statement.
“You’ll be sorry you tried this,” Victor grumbles, pinning Nyssa with a glare. She merely chuckles at his weak threat, pulling the snare tighter around him. He sputters at the increased pressure, wholly cutting off his airways now, before Nyssa lets the power go. Olivia smacks a hand over her mouth to suppress the giggles that burst forth, her eyes wide in wonder as she observes the power. Her gaze moves to Nyssa before looking back out at the council members.
“Oh, I guess I should fill you in,” Helene says, huffing out a breath of amusement. My stomach twists at the words, my muscles tensing to dart in front of Liv if the need arises. I don’t trust anything this scheming god would find amusing at this point. “We’ve already moved up the schedule for the third trial. The events are already in motion, so there’s nothing you can do about it.” She chuckles darkly, her cackle ringing out ominously through the auditorium.
My chest tightens at the sound, knowing no good can come from this. Helene and the others rise from their seats, but before they can make it past the row of majors before them, a crowd of at least twenty guardians stream through the open doors, moving to take custody of the gods. They move in formation, fitted in the leather battle gear, and weapons at the ready. The broad white wings are out and on full display.
With that, Nyssa clamps a bracelet of her power on each of them, marking them for their judgment. The cuff of her electric power will allow her to keep an eye on the four gods as they await their impending trial.
I glance over at Olivia, glimpsing the look of confusion creasing her brows before she quickly schools her face. Clearly not wanting to betray her ignorance of the guardians and their meaning.
“Helene,” Olivia calls, stepping forward. I tense, but she doesn’t move further than the aisle, stepping just in front of the three of us. Helene turns, pausing her steps, and the guardians oblige for a moment, waiting behind her, still on guard.
“This isn’t over,” Olivia warns the god of the sea, ensnaring her with a look of vengeance.
“Not even close,” Helene replies with a wicked smile, taking a moment to inspect Liv before the guardians prod her forward to the exit.
The tension dissipates from the room as the four gods are marched out. I sigh a breath of relief, grateful that Olivia is safe after her attack, and we’re at least one step closer to gaining control over this spiraling situation.
