13 #3
“You’ve done your part, Ms. Millen,” he argued. “Now we do ours and you stay safe.” He looked at Winter. “Do it.”
“Bev, come on. We don’t know their procedures,” Winter said. “Tracey will come with Taylor and it could get bad.”
That won her over, but she looked at me. “You’ll loop me in.” She didn’t like whatever she got from me and grabbed my arm. “No, we promised not to shut each other out, remember? We trust each other and your aunt and uncle. That was the deal. You loop me in or I won’t next time either.”
Fuck. She had me there. I adjusted my neck and gave a swift nod. “Anything else his familiar said?”
Fear filled her eyes. “Yeah, get Eunice’s family out.
Jason Berns made it clear Eunice’s sisters wouldn’t be the first he’d taken and used that way.
He’s got others. Eunice saw pictures as part of the threat.
His familiar said Eunice was puking for days and barely sleeping from guilt he couldn’t help those women. ”
All the men there swore we’d handle it and I promised to keep Bevin looped in. She must have seen enough to believe me because Winter got her out of there and I went over to the councilmen to do what we needed to… Only to find them fighting.
“Shut it!” I bellowed, not caring who I was talking to.
They did out of shock, all staring at me like I’d grown another head—even my supervisors—not hiding their reactions.
“We need to get Eunice’s family into protective cus—” I started to say.
“Already done,” Councilman Perry cut in. “We’re not monsters, Link. I know you lost a friend, but remember yourself.”
I snapped. I full-on snapped. “Fuck you. I mean that from my soul because I agree with Eunice and it’s completely on the lot of you.” I went on even when some mouths dropped open.
Even when the head of the guards grabbed my arm to stop me. I shook him off and pointed at Perry.
“I’ve been seconds from walking after how gross you all have been acting with her,” I told them, nodding when they froze.
“I’m family. Some of you are just as bad as heads of top-tier families.
” I narrowed my eyes at Hanson. “Seduce Bevin because at least it’s still a council family with her, right? Get the secrets and control her.”
I looked at others and busted the other side chats they’d been having with me, pushing me to influence her.
“I believed the lies you were all so fucking busy keeping order and doing your jobs that you couldn’t do more, but apparently you have the time to scheme and attend another fucking black-tie party,” I yelled.
“Most of you are out of here seconds after the last case for the day and I’ve never seen you here after hours.
“So yeah, the curtain has been pulled back for a lot of us, and you have failed your duty and now want a teenager to do everything for you. Aren’t you embarrassed yet?
I am for you, and I’m embarrassed to be associated with the council.
That’s how bad it is. I’m not hiding I’m related to a councilman anymore for our safety, but it’s embarrassing. ”
“Link,” Uncle whispered, pain in his voice.
“I’m sorry, Uncle,” I said, my voice hard as I met his gaze.
“I know you really try and never stop, but you ignored too much too. Fine to keep your family safe and survive, but your pride too. Henry made that clear. Things should not have gotten this bad. Your power was connected to the other members and you couldn’t rock that boat. ”
“It’s not that simple,” he defended.
“Yeah, well, that’s the fucking cost,” I seethed as I pointed to where Eunice was dead, covered by a sheet or cloth someone had gotten from somewhere.
“There are real costs, and I don’t see the problems here taking responsibility for that, only passing on the blame like always.
Nor are they willing to do what needs to be done, only wanting what they can get out of the situation. ”
“He’s not wrong,” Dean added even as he moved his hand to my shoulder like telling me it was enough.
“If he walks, it will be a mass exodus and you’ll have no one new join,” my direct supervisor warned.
“The one family member who was willing to lower themselves to be a guard walked because the council was so corrupt it wasn’t worth risking their life for?
Link is the most dedicated. Who will stay after he’s gone? ”
I swallowed loudly. “No, Eunice was, and you didn’t fucking protect him by keeping the monsters at bay while they grew powerful and circled us like prey, too busy getting everything you could from your positions instead.
I think you’re going to have a mass exodus no matter what, and I won’t keep being the one who talks people into staying. I don’t know I am.”
I turned to leave, ignoring people calling after me. Fuck them. I had more important things to do.
Like handling the monster they wouldn’t.
The one who threatened my friend and would go after his family.
I owed him at least that.
I didn’t help him or figure it out while he was alive.
But I was damn sure going to get him justice so he could be at peace with the gods.