Chapter 5 #8
‘There’s also no evidence that either of them was ever to be sold on to Fiana or her allies.
Your plan didn’t work, Locke, and now two of our spies have suffered and we’re back to square one with no idea where Fiana is, what her plans are, if she has found a way into the Underhill as Varrik did, or even how many are members of her court.
She is building an empire and we have nothing! ’
Dane scoffs. ‘The idea was to find out how she’s getting to the Light Realm and stealing free humans, Calder, if you recall, not simply to protect the Underhill from invasion.
’ He gestures toward us. ‘In that vein, the mission was a success, as you know. You’d have received the brief this morning along with the time of this meeting. ’
Lia sits down heavily, covering her mouth.
The fae councilor’s eyes gleam, giving me a very bad feeling.
‘If we do indeed know when and where Fiana will be reaping from the Light, this is our chance to lure her out.’
‘How?’ Dane snorts. ‘You said yourself that Soreno and Tori never got close to her court. She wasn’t interested in them.’
Calder’s gaze alights on our human and I move closer to her, staring the cunt down.
‘The answer is right in front of us. Fate truly does smile on the Kismet! Fiana only takes the rare, the intriguing, or unusual.’
He points at Bryn. ‘We have a Fate Touched human. What’s rarer than that? This one will be taken straight to Fiana, especially if she’s rounded up in the Light. There will be no suspicion around her.’
He snorts.
‘And she’s clearly already been treated as a slave all her life.
It won’t be much out of the common way for her.
All we need do is use the information you gathered, Locke, to ensure the human is there when they strike.
We can release trickles of information throughout our network in the Dark Realms that a rare human Kismet has been found in the Light.
If their target is a festival in a large city in the Light, many will travel from afar.
It won’t be a stretch for the Kismet to be in attendance.
Many humans will be. Fiana’s agents will capture her and take her straight to their mistress’ stronghold, wherever that may be. ’
Calder’s self-satisfied smirk has me clenching my fists, wishing I could leap over the table and throttle the fuck.
‘No!’ I snarl immediately, making Bryn jump. ‘She isn’t a spy. She’s a human woman who has been given leave to remain in the Light.’
‘In service to the Underhill to find Fiana, and I can think of no better way for her to fulfill the bargain she just made,’ Calder snorts.
‘I won’t allow this,’ Locke grinds out, looking at Dane. ‘Bryn has suffered enough. She’s?—'
‘If you’re not willing to do everything possible to keep Halsford and the Underhill safe, as was your vow when you joined our ranks, Locke, then perhaps it is you, Jak and Mountain who don’t belong here,’ Calder says with a yawn.
‘Enough,’ Dane says, eyes narrowed to slits, his patience clearly at an end. ‘Jak, Morgan, and Locke’s loyalties aren’t in question.’
Calder shrugs. ‘Fine. It’s done, anyway. The girl will stay here as you wish. You won. You ought to be thanking me.’
He rises from his seat. ‘Voss will be in touch regarding the girl’s training. It will be required as she will be spying for the Underhill. I’ll also expect a full brief tomorrow after you’ve spoken with Locke at length regarding the supposed success of his mission, Dane.’
Calder leaves the table before any of us can say anything else, disappearing with Tavish and Voss behind the door the enforcer took Bryn through earlier.
We all stay silent for several moments, taking in all that’s happened in such a short time.
Shore stands, taking a conspicuous drink from a wine skin beneath his cloak and tottering a bit unsteadily off toward the exit as well.
Wren takes Lia’s hand, whispering something to her.
Lia gives her a wan smile and the other human leaves as well.
‘That cunt,’ Morgan snarls low as soon as the other humans are gone.
‘Which one?’ Jak whispers, falling silent when Locke glowers.
‘Not here!’
‘All of them!’ Dane snarls, bringing his fist down hard onto the table, surprising us. ‘Fuck!’
My brows rise of their own volition. Dane doesn’t usually show his hand, or his personal opinions in the Council Hall, so he must be upset.
‘That wasn’t how I saw the meeting going,’ Dane mutters, sitting down heavily.
Lia stands at the same moment. ‘I need to see Tori. She’s a friend.’
Dane nods. ‘Open the Breach for me in an hour? I’ll be with you and the others in the Underhill tonight.’
She nods and takes his hand before coming over to us and standing in front of Bryn.
‘Welcome to the Light, Bryn,’ she says quietly, taking Bryn’s hands in hers. ‘I hope that we will be friends.’
Next to me Bryn nods, her brow furrowing for just a moment. ‘Thank you.’
We’re left in the council chamber with just Dane.
‘Fuck,’ he says again, more quietly this time.
He frowns at Bryn. ‘I’m sorry.’
To my surprise, she smiles wide. ‘What for?’