CHAPTER 30
Chapter thirty
Afew days later
Hallie got out of the car and took a long, careful breath in.
It felt strange, so very strange, to be back in the place she’d called home for almost her entire life.
The streets looked narrower and shabbier than she remembered, and she winced internally, wondering if she was getting too used to the polish and finery in high city.
She never wanted to lose touch with where she had come from, or the fact that the people in the world often lived very different lives.
“I’ll be here if you need me,” Girard said from the other side of the car.
He didn’t make a move to come around to hug her, and she was grateful for that.
They had spent almost every moment together for the past few days, and not just talking.
It had been strange and wonderful to wake up that morning and find him there, discovering that his hair was actually even more tousled as he woke up before he’d had a chance to shower.
She’d discovered that, as awkward and clumsy as they could be with words, not talking could be wonderful and bring them closer than mere words.
In one of their conversations with words, she’d told him enough about the meeting ahead of her to let him know how nervous she was, and also that she didn’t want to appear weak.
He’d insisted on being here, though, even if he was waiting outside.
He hadn’t wanted her to go alone and knowing that made her warm all the way through.
“Thank you,” she told him, meaning it.
Still, she paused. Waiting, she told herself.
The restaurant on the other side of the street was closed for the morning, and in neutral territory, not claimed by any of the family vines.
She could see Wilona already there, sitting straight-backed in one of the chairs near the window, pointedly not looking out into the street.
There were other people inside, too. A pair of karlen in plain, sober suits who might be bankers or lawyers or possibly both.
Wilona had brought witnesses, as Cotovatre had requested.
Hallie could have gone inside. She wouldn’t be facing her mother alone, wouldn’t have to risk her words being turned to Wilona’s purposes.
Except she didn’t want to. She let her gaze travel around the area, noticing the plants growing out of the roof gutters on the building next door, the hole in the road not far away badly in need of repair, the flaking paint on the front door of the house not far away.
Ordinary, everyday things. They helped anchor her.
This was low city. And far from being strange, it was all achingly familiar to her now she’d had time to breathe and stand still.
She didn’t think she’d had a moment of stillness in the days since the attack on the Conclave.
Even now, in the quiet morning street in low city, she could remember how it had felt in the meeting chamber when Findo had been subdued.
There had been a long, long wait before the tac team and Peredur and the other investigators had made it back to the main chamber, satisfied that all of Hoel’s armed attackers had been found.
Even after that, it had seemed to take forever before the building was declared safe and people could begin to leave.
Hallie had stayed in the chamber with Findo, making sure that he stayed unconscious, wary that the veondken might try to escape again, while Girard, the director and commander and a quartet of the tac team accompanied Russet Welliver and watched closely while he disabled the remaining explosives.
When it was safe, the director had summoned not only the forensic team and medical examiner to help remove the bombs and to make sure there were proper forensic records of what had happened, but also what seemed a full hospital’s worth of medical personnel to tend to everyone still alive.
The devastation of the Conclave had been almost all she had been able to think about or work on for the past few days.
There had been far too many memorials. Hallie had gone to all of them, along with every other investigator and member of the tactical team.
She’d cried until she didn’t think she had any more tears left, and then cried more.
In between the grief and sadness, there had been reports to file - more than she had imagined possible.
And she’d joined in the questioning of Russet Welliver, who had been more than happy to tell anyone who asked how Findo had forced him to create the explosives for the cargo ships and the Conclave building.
Russet seemed almost relieved that he was going to be in custody for most of the rest of his natural life, even more so when he was told he’d be given a new name and placed somewhere far, far away from Findo Trask.
Findo Trask himself was still in custody, and would never be released, if hochlen law enforcement had anything to do with it.
From what Hallie had seen and heard, no one was taking any chances that he might somehow escape again.
As Hallie had guessed, his previous escape had been assisted by Hoel, who had most likely thought that Findo might be a willing ally in Hoel’s own ambitions.
Like so many people before him, Hoel had underestimated Findo.
That was not going to happen again. The veondken was under round-the-clock supervision, and in manacles that were made of the same material as flexi-cuffs.
Once they’d finished their reports from the day, and completed their questioning of Russet and the attackers who they still had in custody, Peredur wanted to question Findo, to find out what the investigators and Conclave could do to prevent the horrors of the day from ever happening again.
Personally, Hallie thought that the Conclave and elite as a whole were on a better path forward.
The islanders of Paradise had been notified of their Conclave seat, and had expressed their delight.
From what Hallie had been told, Elayne Arthur had likewise seemed both shocked and relieved that she was now head of her own household.
And, after a very lengthy debate that Hallie was glad she had not been witness to, the Conclave had decided that the director and commander should be present for Conclave meetings in the future.
Hallie wasn’t sure that was a blessing for the individuals personally, but she couldn’t help think that having Peredur and Commander Rojas sitting on equal footing around the table might give some of the more conservative members of the Conclave pause before they tried to ignore their advice in the future.
The Conclave had also voted to have Lamorat Lucas as their head for a fixed five-year term, which again had seemed sensible to Hallie. He wasn’t afraid of change or making bold choices.
It shouldn’t have needed all the death and destruction to get to that point, Hallie felt. But it also felt like real progress, real change. And she was looking forward to finding out what that might look like for everyday citizens over time.
Another car pulled up behind Girard’s, breaking Hallie out of her thoughts.
Cotovatre got out of the passenger seat, leaving Emmet in the driver’s seat.
Emmet was back to wearing his hochlen disguise.
He had adopted it again in the Conclave chamber at some point between Findo’s capture and more people arriving on scene.
She had noticed some of the Conclave members, who had now seen his true face, give him more than a few sideways glances, but with his glamour back in place no one had said anything on that day or since.
Hallie hoped that it might stay that way.
While she was distracted by Emmet, a pair of dark-clad hochlen - a man and a woman - got out of the back of the car, each carrying a briefcase and a serious expression.
Cotovatre was dressed in a floor-length purple dress so dark it was almost black, her short hair in wild curls around her head.
She gave Hallie and Girard a warm smile, then turned to Hallie.
“I am sorry to drag you all this way for what I hope will be a short meeting, but it seemed important that we did this face to face and put an end to it all,” Cotovatre said.
“It is no difficulty. I want to be here,” Hallie said.
“Alright. As I explained, we have reached an agreement with Wilona. We are here to sign the papers and effect a transfer. Nothing more,” Cotovatre said, and tilted her head to the hochlen behind her.
“My lawyers have assured me that this is just as watertight as the previous agreement, but adds certain provisions which make it impossible for Wilona to try and come after you again. Such as not allowing Wilona to re-open the matter no matter what skills or talents you may posses now or in the future, or what your personal assets may be, now or in the future.”
“I appreciate that, thank you,” Hallie said, making sure her thanks were for the lawyers as well.
“Let’s go, then,” Cotovatre said, and led the way into the restaurant.
The bell over the door sounded a bright, happy ring as they entered, in sharp contrast to the sour expression on Wilona’s face.
The Magravine rose to her feet, stiffly and with evident reluctance, as Cotovatre moved across the floor to her.
“Lady Cotovatre,” Wilona said. Her eyes flickered over Hallie and the lawyers. If she had any feelings about them being here, Hallie couldn’t tell.
“Magravine Talbot,” Cotovatre said. She nodded to the hochlen with her. One reached into her briefcase, pulling out several documents that were only a few pages long.