Page 39 of Blood Lord

I nod, and internally, I smugly gloat that I was right on the scout's bluff. She knows nothing of it. "There are humans everywhere. The dark elves have enslaved them, tormented them, and used them for their pleasure. They've taken what is ours."

The crowd starts to grow unruly at this. It is clear that they are enraged, and even a flicker of anger flashes through Brinda's eyes before she raises her voice.

"And what of her?"

Her eyes don't even need to go to Selene for me to know who she is talking about. I fight every urge to stiffen, to fly in between Selene and Brinda to protect my love. Instead, I smoothly answer, "I found her on my way back, and I thought it would be good to have a witness. I thought she would have more answers about the surface than I could glean in a week."

"We'll be the judge of that." Her voice lowers as she stares me down. "And we will discuss your decision to Make a vrakken without consulting the Council first later."

I nod, and she finally shifts to look at Selene. "Come forward."

Selene rises smoothly, her movements fast but graceful. Her performance skills are lending a hand to our situation as she glides forward, her eyes sparkling. Inclining her head, she says, "How may I be of service?"

"Tell me of the surface."

She raises her eyes, and I can see the glint of excitement there. Her lips are still bright red, and even this close, my scent masks her well. I nearly hold my breath as I wait for her to speak.

"As Elder Raziel said, there are humans everywhere. I am from Liiandor, the city he described, but I know there are more dark elf cities across the water. The dark elves are truly selfish and lazy. They use humans or other elves with little magic to do everything for them. It's a harsh caste system that benefits only those at the top, and having money or servants is all that matters to them."

"Have you ever seen them battle?" It's almost word-for-word a question I had prepped her on.

And Selene delivers flawlessly, sticking to our script in that lilting tone that I helped her perfect. "No, Matriarch. They rarely battle, and if there is a problem, they lean heavily on their magic."

Brinda thinks it over, nodding until she finally says, "You may both be seated."

We move back to the table, Selene darting faster than I for show of her new powers. I relax back in my chair, but Selene remains upright, eyes bouncing around. "The humans on the surface," she says after a long pause. "Where do they come from? What is their purpose?"

Selene gulps, almost like it's painful for her to remember. I didn't teach her that, but damn is it flawless. "We thought we were all born on Protheka, like everyone else. I have no memory of anything other than my life there." Her hands twitch just a little, as if she was going to fidget. "As for our purpose, we have none. Dark elves have taken us, and we are powerless against them. We've been forced to please them, serve them, endure their torture until our lives end. There is no hope for anything more."

Brinda's gaze stays locked on Selene for a long moment, and I fight to keep my heart rate under control. I'm growing nervous under her analytical gaze, and when her lips part, I'm expecting her to wipe away the glamour.

Instead, she instructs in her authoritative voice, "Everyone is dismissed. The Council needs to deliberate on this new information before a course of action can be chosen."

I stand with Selene, inclining my head to Brinda. Selene does the same, and we turn, mixing in with the crowd easily. As soon as we are out of the Council room, though, I pull her tight to me, guiding her in the right direction and trying to make sure the only scent anyone catches is mine. I have to get her back to my home immediately.

"How did I do?" she murmurs to me so quietly that no one can hear it. I barely did.

"Excellent," I whisper back. "Absolutely excellent."

22

Selene

"Hey." Raziel runs his hand down my back. "I told you you did great."

I nod, taking the water he offers me as I continue to stare down into the spring. There are fish in there that I've never seen, that shimmer with a multitude of colors and the currents pulse with magic that's visible to the eye.

And yet, none of that can take my mind off of the Council meeting.

It's not that I don't think I did well. I am a true performer, and I know that I filled my role well. I do believe that Razie would tell me if he saw a problem with how I acted, but neither of us find anything troublesome in the way I conducted myself.

The problem lies in Brinda. I know how to gauge my audience's reaction, and there is something about the way she watched me and reacted that tells me that she isn't buying it.

She believed every word I said about the surface, I could tell that much. But when Raziel said he Changed me on his way back and I came to the front, there was a subtle shift in her expression. I don't even know how to pinpoint it. I just feel the doubt growing in me.

The other Council members seemed curious about me. They were intrigued by me. They leaned in to survey me, and their eyes danced with amazement.

But not Brinda. Brinda was studying me, trying to pick me apart. I could see that she would find any loose thread and grab it, and that makes meverynervous. We have too many loose threads to get by her.

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