Every scenario Garrett had planned for relied on them to willingly step down rather than face the angry mobs.
“I know,” she said.
Darrian laughed at her obvious lie. “You don’t understand the depths of greed and self-preservation the members have. When the entire faction knows of their deception and how they have distorted and violated The Peace Treaty, the backlash against them will be fierce. They will desperately need their atern, and with Garrett threatening to cut them off, they will agree to anything.”
It made sense, but Thora still didn’t think it would be that easy. There was so much they hadn’t planned for. But if they waited, it would be another year before they had such an opportunity. A year in which more breeds would be forced into lives they didn’t want. A year in which The Council’s abuse of their power would only grow. It was a year many breeds wouldn’t survive.
Thora drew in a deep breath then slowly let it out. “Let’s go.”
She led Darrian across the field to the wall and around the curve of it until she reached the spot where the ivy creeping up the marble barrier concealed the door.
Thora pulled at the door, but it was stuck, and for a moment she feared that one little obstacle would be the death of their plan. Then Darrian nudged her out of the way and pulled it open. He smiled at her and flexed his bicep. She rolled her eyes and pushed him out of her way to scan the area for any guards.
Once they stepped through the door, there'd have only minutes before Amadeus was notified of their presence.
“It’s clear,” she said, and moved to the side so Darrian could see for himself.
“I’ll see you on the other side,” he said.
“The other side?”
“In a life where we’re free of fear.”
He brought his fist to his chest and thumped it twice then his fingers spread wide as a burst of light encompassed him. Thora shielded her eyes from the brightness, and when it had faded, he was gone, though she suspected it was more likely that he was simply hidden from her eyes.
She pulled the small stone Garrett had given her from her pocket and focused on producing the loúra charm. When she was certain she was protected, she ran for the service wing.
She slowed when she reached the door. The last time she'd been there, she'd brought the dinner cart, providing a rational explanation for the guards to accept her presence. This time, she had no reason, and their suspicions would lessen the effects of the charm.
Thora opened the door and stepped in to the dark foray. The man sitting at the desk looked her up and down, his eyes narrowing as they focused on her rounded ears.
“Can I help you?”
“I’m here to pick up the dinner trays,” she said, lowering her head and moving toward the dining room.
“Someone already came for them.”
“Oh. Can you check to see who it was?”
He reached for the log book, and while he was distracted, Thora moved closer to the door and out of his line of sight. With the log book in his hand, he paused, staring down at it, and then replaced it on his desk with a shake of his head.
Thora scooted the last few steps and carefully pushed open the door. She winced as she anticipated a telltale creak but nothing came, and she slipped unnoticed in to the room.
She ran out the opposite door and down the hall until she came to Lorelle’s room. The door was closed, and the knot in her stomach tightened. She'd never considered the possibility Lorelle might be servicing a Fae when she arrived, but she didn’t have time to wait.
She flung the door open.
Lorelle and a man lay on the bed, the sheet pulled over them. The man sat up, but Lorelle seemed oblivious to the intrusion. The sight of her rigidly lying on the bed, staring at the ceiling, was heartbreaking, and all of Thora’s concerns about the plan faded away because any risks they were taking were worth it.
“What is the meaning of this?” the man demanded.
Thora swung her arm up and thrust her palm in his direction. He stiffened and fell over, caught in a confinement spell, rolling off the bed to land on the floor.
She rushed forward to grab Lorelle’s arm. The other woman blinked at the contact and turned her head to look at Thora before glancing away. Remembering the loúra charm still hiding her, Thora quickly diffused the magic.
“Lorelle, get up,” she ordered.
Lorelle looked at her, then around the room and spotted the man on the floor.
“What did you do?” she cried, and jumped from the bed to shut the door. She covered her mouth with her hands, her eyes wide with horror as they darted from Thora to the man and then back again.
“I need you to come with me. Right now.” Thora glanced around and found a dress hanging over the chair in front of the window. She tossed it to Lorelle.
“Where would we go?” Lorelle asked as she pulled the dress over her head.
“To The Summit.”
She shook her head and took a step back. “Why would we go there?”
“You need to tell your story. The faction needs to know what they forced you to do.”
“The Council would never let me speak.”
“They won’t have a choice. Garrett is there now. He can expose them, he can share all of his findings, but he needs someone to share their personal experience,” Thora explained. “He needs you to tell the faction how they used deception to unite you with Joran, and how they aided him in selling you, and that when you came to The Sanctuary for help, they forced you to choose between service or being sent back to your mate.”
“I can’t,” Lorelle said, her voice so soft Thora barely heard her.
“You’ll be safe. I promise.”
Lorelle shook her head. “No. I can’t do it. I…”
Understanding dawned. “Lorelle, none of this was your fault. There is no shame in what you did to survive. The shame is with The Council and Amadeus.”
But Lorelle turned from her.
“You need to go.”
Thora tried to think of what she could say to the woman to change her mind, but she didn’t think anything she said would do that. At least not right then. She didn’t know the horrors and sorrow Lorelle had lived through, and what Thora was able to imagine would have been devastating. She couldn’t force Lorelle to relive her nightmare in front of the entire faction.
She opened the door and defeatedly walked down the hall, aware of Lorelle watching her. The resolve stiffened her back. She'd find someone else to speak to the faction. Lorelle was only one of the dozens of breeds The Council held there.
Just as she reached the dining room, someone grabbed her from behind, spinning her around. Thora gasped as she came face to face with Anton.
“Does Garrett know you’re here?” he asked, and dragged her through an open door into someone’s personal quarters. He shut the door and then turned on her. “This is not a safe place for you to be.”
“Perhaps I'd be safer with Odessa,” she snapped, not mollified in the least at his chagrined expression. Knowing he had given her the map in exchange for Odessa releasing Sophie did little to convince her that he held any good intentions.
“I had my reasons,” he said. “But none of that matters. Why are you here?”
“Why are you?” she countered.
“I intercepted an alert for Amadeus about your presence in the service wing.”
“And you came to help out of the goodness of your heart, I suppose.”
“No. I came because any disruption to The Summit means The Council would shut it down.” Anton pulled back the curtains, and in the sunlight, he opened an amulet hanging around his neck. “Marcella is set to deliver the invocation in a few minutes, and we can’t afford for you, of all people, to get caught.”
“Who’s we?”
“The Coven.”
With his fingers to his lips, he spun around. Before Thora could react, he'd puffed the powder in her face, and everything went black.
Chapter 20
&n
bsp; Garrett stared in to the sea of faces. So many Fae and witches had turned out for The Summit, yet none of them seemed to even question the absence of the breeds the treaty they were celebrating was designed to protect.
“I’m pleased to see that you made it back in time,” Marcella said as she took her seat beside him. “Did your hunting expedition go well?”
“It did.”
“Excellent. Then you’re prepared to help begin the treaty discussions?”
He lifted his glass of wine and gave her a salute. “I am.”
She started to say something else, but Amadeus chose that moment to come and greet them.
“Garrett. Marcella,” he said, inclining his head.
Marcella lifted her chin and narrowed her eyes at the subtle insult Amadeus gave by not only addressing her second, but by referring to her by her first name.
As she continued to stare at the man, he shuffled his feet and then finally bowed at the waist. It wasn’t a full concession to her rightful place in the faction, but it was enough that he might have been able to plead ignorance to protocol.
“How are you enjoying the festivities?” he asked.
“Spectacular, as always,” Marcella answered.
“Such a pity the breeds are not here to enjoy it,” Garrett said pointedly.
“Oh. I’m sure they would find our talks quite boring. Have you had an opportunity to greet The Council members?” Amadeus asked him, his desperate bid to change topics more than obvious.
Garrett gave him a tight smile. “I only just arrived, as I’m sure you are aware.”
“Of course. I haven’t seen Thora. Did she not return with you?”
There was a smugness to his voice that set Garrett on edge. Somehow, Amadeus knew Thora was there. Garrett forced himself not to react. If he showed even the slightest hint of panic, Amadeus would grow suspicious and attempt to use her to control him.
“She did. She wanted to speak with a friend before coming to dinner.”
“Wonderful. I look forward to hearing Thora’s explanation as to how she left The Sanctuary without notice. It caused quite a disturbance when we realized she was gone.”
“If she has a moment before we leave for Oozara, I’m sure she’ll be more than willing to tell you.”
Amadeus frowned at Garrett’s words, no doubt just realizing that as a united mate, Thora was bound only to Garrett, and as such, was not obliged to offer an explanation to anyone.
“Ah. I see she’s finally arrived.” Amadeus gestured to the back of the ballroom. Garrett struggled to contain his surprise. Thora was supposed to come in with Lorelle and the other service breeds once he had started speaking. His eyes quickly found her, and his jaw clenched as he recognized Anton next to her.
Despite Anton’s assurance that he was working with The Coven and they were going to back him up if needed, Garrett couldn’t say he trusted the man.
When she looked up at him, the dazed expression she wore did little to comfort him, and he started to rise. But under the table Marcella gripped his arm, stopping him.
“It is so nice that Anton was willing to introduce her to some of the Fae,” Marcella commented. “Now, I suggest returning to your seat. I believe we’ll be starting in a few minutes, and I'd like a few words with my brother before the invocation.”
Garrett smirked at his sister’s blunt suggestion that sounded anything but optional. Amadeus must have had the same impression because his lips thinned before he nodded and walked away.
“If you act any haughtier, he might suspect he has lost your favor,” Garrett said.
“Amadeus would be a fool to assume he ever had my favor, and despite the many despicable things he is, I do not think he’s a fool.” She gave him a stern look. “Which is why I stopped you from going to Thora.”
From across the room, he could see how pale Thora was.
“Something’s wrong. She shouldn’t be here yet, and not with Anton.”
“Yes, but you running over there in a panic will only bring attention to the both of you. Stay focused.” She smiled and waved at two of the members who were watching them.
“There aren’t any service breeds with her.”
“So, you continue without them. That was the original plan, was it not?”
It was, but none of those plans included Thora being there, looking ill and in the hands of Anton Galani. He wouldn’t risk her getting hurt.
Garrett pushed his seat back, but Madhavi approached the podium, and every eye in the room turned to the head tables where he sat.
“The Peace Summit is perhaps the most important event in Neraida,” Madhavi started. “It symbolizes our commitment as Fae and witch to establishing a fair, just, and civilized society. For the past sixty years, I have served as the center Council member, and each year it has been my great honor to host The Summit, along with The Coven to share our progress toward breed integration with the entire faction.”
She motioned to the audience, and they responded by clapping politely. She waited for the applause to fade before continuing.
“As has been the custom since the Peace Treaty was first signed by Queen Tatiana Zannis, The Council, and The Coven, I invite the head of Zannis family to deliver the invocation to open The Summit.”
All eyes turned to Marcella. Her head tilted to the side, and she smiled and looked at Madhavi from the corner of her eye, but made no move. There was an uncomfortable rustling as she sat there motionless.
Garrett looked out at the crowd, scanning the faces, before settling on Thora. She had some color back in her face, but she sat next to Anton amid a table of witches.
Worst case scenarios ran through his mind, but he forced them out. When she gave a weak smile, some of his concerns were alleviated. The best way to help her was to end the farce as soon as possible.
He glanced up at the balcony where the broadcasting Fae were positioned in a semi-circle, their arms raised as they combined their magic into a massive orb of alítheia water. Darrian stood at one end, his hand on the shoulder of one of the Fae. He nodded.
It was time.
Garrett pushed from his seat and made his way to the podium, aware of the confused gazes that followed his progress.
“My sister has asked that, this year, I deliver the invocation in her stead,” he told Madhavi. She appeared taken aback but returned to her seat.
“Over half a century ago, Queen Tatiana brought together The Coven and Council to forge The Peace Treaty,” Garrett said, addressing the audience. “It brought an end to the civil war that raged through Neraida since the human world collapsed and the veil was sealed. For sixty-nine years, we have had peace throughout the faction. A peace that has only been possible because of the Queen’s declaration that all Neraida citizens are equal.”
The attendees roared in approval, and Garrett watched as the Fae broadcasting the event panned over the crowd. He held up his hand, and a hush fell over the room.
“But the treaty was about more than peace between our two races. The breeds had become victims of our greedy and lascivious natures. Queen Tatiana saw the mistreatment of them at the hands of Fae and witch alike and pledged to establish a faction where we all accepted responsibility to protect those who would be abused by those on the fringe of society.”
Garrett gripped the sides of the podium and leaned forward, gathering his magic within him in a compulsion spell that made every person in the room feel as if he were speaking to them personally.
“All citizens, Fae and witch, are hereby bound together in a mission to protect the breeds as if they were their own,” he recited the Treaty clause from memory. “Each citizen will look upon the breeds as their sisters, brothers, and children and afford them the same rights, liberties, and respect.”
There was applause, but the exuberant response was dimmed as many of them realized how askew reality was in relation to the words of the treaty.
“The Council and Coven not only accepted it, but come together each year to cel
ebrate it. Tatiana then forfeited her life to establish the security of The Sanctuary, providing a haven for the breeds who might face continued victimization,” Garrett continued. “My sister and I have taken up that pledge, swearing oaths to carry on our grandmother’s vision and provide safety for the breeds.”
Amadeus stood, and gave a polite clap. “Thank you, Garrett, for your history lesson and a kind reminder of how our work is not yet done.”
“Sit down,” Marcella ordered, and silence enveloped the room, letting her words echo around them.
Amadeus looked to the members, but they simply nodded, unwilling to go against Marcella yet.
Garrett straightened, pushing his shoulders back, taking a moment to relish the fact that the world they lived in was about to fall apart and from its ashes, a new faction would grow.
“It is that promise that has me before you today as a witness to the corruption of The Council and their vile abuse of power over the breeds.”
Gasps came from the crowd, but also the head table.
Madhavi motioned to the Fae in the balcony to cut the feed then turned on him.
“What are you doing?” she hissed.
“It’s time the entire faction knows what is happening in The Sanctuary and behind the doors of elite dens. It’s time the Fae and witch parents know what you do to their children sent here for safety.”
“We had no idea you were questioning your work,” Amadeus said with artificial concern, projecting his voice for everyone in the room to hear. “Perhaps it would be best if we discussed your concerns in private. We understand that you and your mate have had some issues, but they are not reflective of The Council’s typically approved unifications.”
“This is not about my mate. This is about what The Sanctuary and Council represent.”
“What they represent is the future of our people. No one here wants to see the breeds used at will by witch or Fae.” Madhavi gave a forced chuckle.
“That’s exactly what is happening here,” Garrett said. “The only difference between this and the prostitution dens in Oozara is that this is decorated with a fancy castle and a mating ceremony.”
Hunter: Faction 10: The Isa Fae Collection Page 22