Page 79 of Tricky Princess
“Showing up here with two beasts from Hel and a sword on your back like some barbarian… What a shame.” He clicked his tongue.
Garm snarled beside Ros. Her nana spoke up before things could go too far south.
“Are we here to discuss my granddaughter or my daughter?” she said with a raised voice.
“I’m not sure you should be here at all,” the red-haired vampire said.
“And I’m sure you’re the only one of the fifteen who thinks that,” her nana snapped back.
The three demons to the left let out a collective sigh, leaning back in their chairs and rolling their eyes.
“We don’t have time for this,” the centered human said. Ellea wasn’t sure of his name, but he was young for a council member. “We have lost too many of our own and wasted enough time.”
“Maybe if Rosier wasn’t busy chasing his new toy and doing his job, we wouldn’t have had such a catastrophe,” the vile vampire said.
“I am not the only hunter, Vladdy, and you know it.” Ros gave him an evil smirk. “And who said I haven’t been working on things? I killed over thirty of your ilk before I was able to connect with Ellea.”
“You mean saved her,” her nana corrected.
“I’m sure you know your granddaughter never needed saving, Jadis.”
Jadis barely held back her smile.
“Do we have a plan?” the young man said.
“You don’t have one?” Ellea asked. “My parents have been free for weeks and you have nothing? You waited for us to crawl back from Hel before you did anything?”
“We have been dealing with the families of the dead, setting up evacuation routes, setting up more watches, and bringing in more hunters,” one of the wolven said.
“But you haven’t figured out how to capture them?” Ros asked.
“You’ve seen the reports,” a demon said.
They had. They had pored over them every day while they were in Hel. There was no pattern, no way to tell their next step. All they knew was that her parents were working with vampires, demons, and Belias. He had claimed he wasn’t helping them, that his only part in their scheme had been getting Ellea to them.
“I have, but it seems you need the witch you have so much fun insulting.” Ros eyed Isaac’s father and then paused on the vampire. “We have our first lead. Your brother appeared in a vision Ellea had about her mother.”
Jadis’ sharp intake of breath could not be hidden, and Ellea raised her chin.
“You are not to look into the future of your family,” Isaac’s father scolded. “It is forbidden.”
“I do not consider the woman who birthed me to be family,” Ellea said, staring at the man that reminded her so much of her ex—not that she would call him that. “I also feel it was warranted with the circumstances.”
“We will add that to the list of your other grievances that have yet to be dealt with,” he said harshly, and Ellea couldn’t help her flinch.
“My granddaughter is not on trial, Simon,” her nana said.
“Maybe she should be—”
“That’s enough!” two or more people shouted. Ellea thought that one of them had been the demon who was now standing.
The human in the middle stood as well and glared at every one of the council members before looking at Ros and Ellea.
“You have the full support of the council to move forward in any way you see fit. Any resources you may need can be requested from the heads, but it is my understanding that all of Hel is already ready to support you.”
Ros and the three demons nodded.
“Whatever you need or need to do, Rosier, do it.”
