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Altair led the way to two chairs in the front of the room that had been pushed to the side as if to exclude them from the rest.
Mak sat with a group of men, watching them as they passed. He smiled a charming, apologetic smile at Nova. She answered with a polite half-smile, mostly because she didn’t know what her standing was with the rebel group now that Brent was in prison, and she didn’t want to harm any relationships there. Altair looked back at Mak with the same cold detachment he looked at everyone else. Someone else in his situation might have used that opportunity to grab her around the waist, to show that she was with him, but not Altair. He just continued marching forward, trusting that she would be right behind him.
They sat down just as the council members entered the room and sat in a row, facing the crowd. Everyone quieted down and the man in the center stood up to make a speech.
It turned out council meetings were a boring rehash of what had happened in the last month. They mentioned people Nova didn’t know and events she hadn’t attended. It wasn’t like the Baeddan clan had made any effort to include her in their lives. She listened patiently, trying not to yawn, until the end when Gary walked up on the stage.
He wore the Mudden military uniform, complete with holstered laser weapon on his right hip, as he addressed the crowd.
“I want to explain to everyone in the Baeddan clan the reason for our presence within your borders so no rumors will be spread. A few days ago we arrested a rebel in Baeddan who was in the process of stealing Mudden property. The man was weak and died during interrogation.” He made it sound as if Neil had let him down and not the other way around. “He did however reveal the name of his accomplice, Brent Harold.”
The room gasped. She looked at Altair. His face remained neutral, but she saw the way his jaw twitched ever so slightly. He was pissed. Either Gary had lied to Altair, or he’d just lied to the whole room.
“Brent will be executed in three days. The execution will take place at the jail, and everyone is encouraged to show up and support your government. In the meantime, we will continue to interrogate Brent and search for rebels. No one will be allowed to leave the city for the duration of our investigation.”
Gary left the stage, and the meeting was declared over. People, looking even more somber than when they’d come in, stood and waited in line to exit the building. Altair went a different direction, taking the side door Gary had used to leave the room. Nova followed, not really sure what else to do.
“Gary!” Altair shouted when they found him talking to a couple of his men down a hallway.
Gary turned to face Altair, crossing his arms like he expected a fight.
“Neil never revealed an accomplice.Yousaid that was the reason the interrogation went too far.”
Gary shrugged. “He must have said it with his dying breath.”
“You can’t do this. You cannot kill an innocent man.”
“I doubt Brent’s innocent,” Gary said. “I asked around the council. Everyone here has suspected him of being a rebel for years, that was why we arrested him in the first place.”
“That’s speculation, not proof.”
“Wake up, Altair. No one cares. We can’t let the rebels continue to attack Mudden property, or one of these days they might succeed at stealing a shipment of marble. Then it’ll be my head Devon is screaming for. A rebel must be executed to discourage all other rebels. This guy’s guilty, I feel it.”
“And the fact that this story conveniently saves your ass for killing Neil is just a happy coincidence.”
“Yeah,” he answered, raising his eyebrows like he was daring Altair to say differently. “And I’m not going to apologize for doing my job. A couple more rebels hanged and I may finally get that promotion I’ve been shooting for. Then I’d be back in Mudden and out of your hair. Everyone goes home happy.”
Altair shook his head but didn’t argue.
Gary turned to leave, then turned back around. “Do you know where Glaerus is?” he asked.
“Yeah, it’s a small clan about an hour’s walk from here. They like their privacy, but their men work in the Baeddan mines. Why?”
“Someone over there asked for our help getting rid of a ‘rebel infestation.’ Their words. Maybe I’ll send a team there. That promotion is looking better and better.”
* * *
Nova was nervous delivering her usual supplies to Mak’s mother’s house. She didn’t know how to deal with him. On the one hand, she wanted to tell him off and that she knew he’d been lying and using her, but on the other, she didn’t know what else Elizabeth expected from her and the rebels.
Mak didn’t say anything when he opened the door. He looked in a bad mood, reminding her that his brother was scheduled to be executed in two days. Maybe she didn’t need to say anything to him after all.
He walked her straight to the back room where she could hear voices whispering.
“Wait,” she said, grabbing his arm to stop him from opening the door. “Maybe I shouldn’t stay long. Altair has already noticed that I spend too much time in this house. If he happened to come looking for me and found everyone hiding here…”
“What does hethinkyou’re doing when you come here?” Mak asked, a small smile spreading on his lips. It wasn’t a happy smile but one full of hate and self-satisfaction. It almost made her regret telling him. But even if she didn’t care what happened to him, she had to protect the others.
“He didn’t say. I just think it might be a good idea to move the meetings in the future.”
