Chapter 5 #4
‘But none of them were permitted to be on Halsford’s Council any longer,’ Morgan continues as if Locke hasn’t interrupted.
‘Now, a member of the Council Five sits on the village’s council along with one of his supporters.
Those loyal to the Underhill first now have a voting stake on what happens here.
The humans left in Halsford were almost all Light Realm, and many of them had lost loved ones because of the Dark Realmers.
A fair few were and still are glad that Calder and Tavish took Gwen and Drakar’s places. ’
I walk the rest of the way in silence, even more afraid now than I was before. How can I make them see that I belong after what happened here because of Dark Realmers?
The Council Hall looms in front of us now. I feel as if I’m walking to my death as we approach the stone building, clearly rebuilt with fire in mind…like the tavern.
Despite my anger at him, I search for Morgan’s hand and squeeze it for any comfort he can give me. The relief I feel when he squeezes back is enough for my legs to keep me moving forward, but I remind myself that, despite his words and his actions, he may not really be with me.
I have to remember that.
‘There it is,’ Morgan says softly to no one in particular. ‘Our fae edifice to bureaucracy.’
Locke gives him a warning look.
‘None of that in there,’ he mutters.
We climb the steps and I swallow hard. It seems like half the village is here.
‘I thought it would be a closed session,’ Morgan whispers to Locke.
‘So did I.’
I don’t know what I envisioned, but the many residents of this place lining the walls three-person deep and staring at me with ill-concealed avarice wasn’t it. Word of my arrival has spread quickly.
I shuffle closer to Morgan, not liking the looks he’s getting either, but he squeezes my hand again meaningfully and then looks apologetic as he moves away, leaving me in the middle of the room with Locke.
I watch him as he goes to stand at the back, the residents moving out of his way and giving him a wide berth.
A black granite gavel is rapped hard upon a piece of gilded metal.
I belatedly notice five figures sitting behind the long table.
As the room noticeably quiets, I recognize Dane in the middle.
On his left are two humans, a man and a woman, dressed in clothes that mark them as from the same ranks as the people who surround me.
That must be Wren and Shore. On Dane’s other side is a third human.
This one is more richly dressed. His eyes on me are hard.
Tavish, the merchant who deals with the Underhill.
I stand up a little straighter and my eyes find the final figure.
A fae dressed in green silk with crystal toggles on his tunic.
His hair is long and straight and streaked with gray.
He’s looking down at the table in front of him, seemingly bored, idly twiddling his thumbs. As I watch him, he stifles a yawn.
Calder, the fae who’s on both councils.
My skin prickles and I shiver, searching for another that I can feel watching me.
Somehow their regard feels different than all the rest. I spy a fae male staring at me from the side, and I know instinctively that he’s a mage, or at least a conjurer.
He’s clothed in brown swarthy cotton, and his light hair is in a long plait down his back.
He’s blending into the background, pretending to be an unimportant guard, but he’s not.
The enforcer, perhaps?
‘Who is that?’ I ask Locke.
‘Enforcer Voss,’ he says, his tone at first betraying nothing.
But I hear his low, ‘Fuck, he said it would be Avendel.’
I’m tense as I stand before the Council, and I try not to fidget. Maybe I’m just imagining that all of them, bar Locke’s friend, are looking at me like I’m a piece of filth upon their boot…
‘What is your name?’ Dane asks, casting a look of annoyance at the room when they don’t quiet.
‘Bryn,’ I say.
‘What was that?’ Calder asks, sitting back to look at me and raising a contemptuous brow. ‘Speak up, girl! The humans here are free and say what’s on their minds!’
A wave of laughter sweeps through the spectators behind me.
‘My name is Bryn,’ I say more loudly and with conviction, battling the desire to lower my eyes to the floor.
‘Why have you come here?’ the man, Shore, asks.
‘I seek sanctuary here,’ I answer, taking strength from Locke’s presence next to me even though I don’t want to.
‘A Dark Realmer,’ someone in the crowd behind me whispers as if they didn’t already know.
‘And where were you taken from in the Light?’ the woman next to him asks, ignoring the murmurs around the room.
I hold the gazes of the Council members. ‘I…I was taken to The Barrack in the Eleventh Circle.’
They all glance at the side of the room where Voss stands and I see the fae enforcer give a tiny nod.
‘That isn’t what was asked,’ Calder says, eyes narrow. ‘Were you taken from the Light Realm, or not?’
I grit my teeth. Fucking fae. Of course they’re fine with giving me vague answers, but only accept absolute clarity the other way around.
‘I…was too young to remember,’ I admit.
Calder snorts as he glances at his enforcer who gives another nod.
‘She could be from anywhere,’ the fae councilor mutters with a roll of his eyes. ‘She herself doesn’t even know. Even if she was Light Realm, she’s clearly been in the Dark most of her life.’
He waves a hand. ‘By all means have her questioned, but the laws are to protect Halsford from Dark Realmers. Whether or not she began life that way, she is one now.’
‘Agreed,’ the wealthy-looking human next to him says with almost a sneer. ‘But I move that Enforcer Voss question her anyway, find out what he can, and we reconvene when he’s finished.’
‘Second,’ the fae says.
Dane looks annoyed, but he bangs the gavel. ‘Carried. Bryn, please go with Enforcer Voss.’
‘Why must she leave the room?’ Locke asks loudly. ‘In the past it’s been done here.’ He glances around. ‘In a closed session with only the Council present.’
‘This is how it’s done now,’ Calder answers coldly before Dane can, looking down his nose at the fae next to me. ‘Ah, but you’ve hardly been here, Locke. You wouldn’t know the new rules. And why shouldn’t the people of Halsford have a say in who lives beside them?’
A mumble of ascent goes through the crowd, and Calder smiles at the humans like a benevolent ruler.
‘You’re correct, Councilor Calder,’ Locke stays stiffly.
‘I and my unit have been deep in the Dark Realms for many months on a successful mission to protect Halsford and the Underhill. This woman was instrumental in that success. She saved my life. Because of her, we will save many others and bring the thieves who steal our families to justice.’
Another rumble goes through the spectators, and Calder’s smile dims.
‘We must all remember why we have these laws, Locke. The Dark Realmer goes with Enforcer Voss, or she returns from whence she came right here and now,’ Calder says with a shrug. ‘Simple.’
Locke opens his mouth to argue further. I can see the trepidation in his eyes. He doesn’t want me to have to go with this fae. But it’s either that or back to being a slave in the Dark.
He has no real voice here anyway.
‘It’s all right,’ I say, only just stopping myself from adding. ‘I have nothing to hide’, which would catch me in a lie with the enforcer.
Gods, I need to have my wits about me better than that!
I turn and, head held high, I walk briskly to where the enforcer leans on the wall indolently.
I can’t help my eyes from scanning the suspicious crowd in search of Morgan and I find him still at the back. Jak is next to him and they’re both glancing around at the humans here and looking concerned.
Lovely.
‘You’ll submit to the enforcer’s questions, or you will leave,’ Tavish, the wealthy human merchant, states as if I’m not doing as I’m told.
‘I will submit,’ I echo him loudly and nodding so that all can hear and there’s no misunderstanding.
My eyes find Tavish and I don’t like the righteous fervor I see. He hates Dark Realmers. That’s plain to see. How far will he go to ensure the vote goes the way he wants?
‘Yes, you will, human,’ the enforcer sneers low, so no one else hears.
I swallow hard, glancing up at the tall fae in front of me with long silvery hair, slicked back from his forgettable face and wondering what I’ve gotten myself into when I notice that his eyes are completely devoid of kindness.
‘Come,’ he says more loudly and invitingly, as if I have a real choice.
He leads me out of the loud, main hall and down a short corridor to a small room that’s little more than a cupboard. As soon as he closes the door, we might as well be the only ones in the building. No noise comes from the outside.
‘This room is warded. You cannot leave until we’re finished here. Do you understand, human?’
I nod.
‘Speak in words.’
‘Yes,’ I say clearly.
‘Sit down,’ he orders.
I sink into the lone chair in the middle of the space, folding my hands into my lap and trying not to notice how he stands over me. It’s by design, I know. Ogdan used to do the same, so I try not to let it intimidate me. It’s just a trick to scare me.
‘Your name.’
‘Bryn,’ I say with a frown.
Does he think I’m lying about that?
I look up and find him watching me closely, his dead eyes dancing around my face.
‘Are you human?’
‘Yes.’
It’s not a lie, at least I don’t think it is.
He nods after a moment.
‘Why do you want sanctuary here?’
I regard him with some measure of surprise. ‘Have you never been to the Dark Realms?’ I ask incredulously.
‘I have,’ he says simply, his bland face betraying nothing.
I’ll bet he’s a good spy, I decide. His face is so unexceptional that not one of his features stands out. Even when he’s noticed, whomever sees him probably forgets what he looks like as soon as he’s gone from their sights.
‘Then you already know why,’ I reply.
‘Answer,’ he grinds out, eyes moving over me as if I’m worth nothing, the way I’ve been looked at for so many years of my life.