Authors: T.M. Franklin
“Relax,” Caleb said, taking her hand. “No point getting nervous now.” He squeezed her fingers reassuringly, and Ava smiled a little in response.
They walked down a wide, red gravel path, lined by the heavily-treed forest on either side. The gravel was clear of snow, but it wasn’t piled along the shoulder as if it had been plowed. It was odd, but no more so than many of the things she’d experienced recently and not something she had a lot of time to dwell on.
Although only their crunching footsteps and occasional quiet comments broke the silence, Ava could feel eyes on her from every side and fought the urge to turn around and run back the way they came, instead focusing on Caleb and Rafe’s conversation.
“. . . start the testing in the morning,” Rafe said. “Madeleine, of course, wanted to begin right away.”
Caleb’s jaw tightened. “Of course.”
Ava cleared her throat. “What exactly will this testing entail?” she asked, visions of scalpels and drills and various other torture devices coming to mind.
“It’s relatively simple, actually,” Caleb answered. “They’ll draw some blood, take some scans. You’ll have some psychological evaluations, intelligence tests, that type of thing.”
“The Council will want to know about any indications of power,” Rafe added before pulling what looked like a cell phone from his pocket. Ava opened her mouth to respond, but closed it quickly as Caleb shook his head once, eyes darting nervously to Rafe.
“The Council has already gathered,” Rafe said, fingers flying over the screen. “We need to hurry.”
They quickened their pace, rounding a corner and passing through another shimmering layer of cloak. Ava’s stomach twisted in knots as they crested a small hill, then a gasp of astonishment pushed past her lips at the startling sight before her.
A wide valley spread out at their feet, rolling lawns and landscaped gardens interspersed with modern buildings of white stone, glittering metal, and glass. Laid out in a perfect circle, the city wound out from a large central building—itself circular, with a two-story balcony running around the entire structure. Like spokes on a wheel, a dozen or so pathways fanned out from the central building at even intervals, intersecting with roads laid out in concentric circles. Beyond the city, the mountain rose up into the clouds, curving slightly around the city borders as if a chunk was carved out of the peak with a giant hand. Like the path, the city was surrounded by snow, but there was none actually within its borders. The city was jarringly structured, but still beautiful, and Ava took a moment to gape in wonder.
“What do you call it?” she asked, her voice a near whisper.
“New Elysia,” Caleb replied. At her confused expression, he explained, “After the Elysian Fields of Greek mythology.
“The final resting place of gods and heroes,” Ava murmured.
Caleb started slightly. “Yes. Exactly.”
“How did you . . . ?” She waved vaguely. “How does no one
see
this?”
“The cloaks on our cities are stronger than any others,” Caleb replied.
“Guys,” Rafe interrupted. “Sorry, but we really need to go.”
They continued down a winding walkway to the edge of the city, then down one of the roads toward the main building at the center of the wheel.
“How do you keep the snow out?” she asked. “Some kind of weather machine?”
Caleb laughed. “No, nothing like that. It snows and rains—we don’t control the weather. But the city has an underground heating system—solar powered. The snow melts and is diverted to our water system. At this elevation, it’s quite useful.”
“Yes, I’m sure,” Ava mumbled, still a bit overwhelmed. “Quite.”
They continued toward the center of the city, and Ava couldn’t resist gawking at the buildings and grounds as they passed them. She was surprised, though, that she didn’t see any people.
“Where is everybody?” she asked Caleb quietly.
He shrugged in response.
The central building—the Council Arena, as Rafe called it—was larger than she’d thought, looming over them in an expanse of sparkling white stone. High metal arches spaced along the walls led to double glass doors, and Rafe continued to one without stopping, pulling it open with an expectant glance toward Ava. She smiled slightly and walked through.
And she understood why the city streets had been so quiet.
The balconies outside were mirrored inside the large building, and they were packed with people looking down on them, leaning on the railings and the floor-to-ceiling marble columns as they tried to catch a glimpse. They stared at her curiously, and Ava couldn’t help staring back. Some were so tall—so incredibly
beautiful
—that they took her breath away. They glowed brighter than Caleb without the Veil, their eyes shimmering with light, their every movement poetic and graceful.
“You’ll make them uncomfortable,” Caleb said under his breath, and Ava finally managed to tear her eyes away.
“Sorry.” She swallowed thickly, overcome with nerves. “I thought you said it would only be a few people.”
Caleb shook his head slightly. “I don’t understand it myself.” He and Rafe flanked Ava, leading her through another set of doors to a large room she assumed was the Council chamber. Caleb shrugged out of his coat, taking Ava’s and laying them both on a low bench at the back of the room.
The chamber was full, as well, rows of chairs packed with spectators facing a dais on the far side of the room. On the platform, a long wooden table gleamed with aged luster before five larger chairs, ornately carved with padded red velvet seats. Four of the chairs were occupied, and as they continued forward, Ava took a moment to examine the occupants. In the center of the group sat an imperious-looking woman, warm brown hair swept up in a soft French roll, a few curls hanging down over her flawless cheeks as her hands lay hidden in her lap beneath the table. Icy blue eyes regarded Ava with something akin to disdain, and she fought a shudder as her gaze drifted to the tall man to the woman’s left. From Caleb’s description, Ava identified the blonde man in the expensive suit as Andreas Petrov. Next to him, a petite woman with dark skin and kind eyes smiled at her softly, one hand extended and lying on the table. On the opposite end of the group, a large man sprawled in his chair insolently, elbows propped on the arms of his chair and fingers tented before his lips. He regarded her impassively with golden eyes, his own head shaved bald and gleaming under the lights.
Ava was unable to hold back a gasp when she spotted Tiernan and the mysterious black-haired woman, Katherine, standing against the far wall. They both nodded in recognition, and Ava looked away quickly.
They came to a stop before a low railing separating the Council from the observing audience. Rafe nodded slightly at Caleb before he passed through a swinging gate and took his place in the only remaining empty chair.
Caleb cleared his throat.
The woman in the center tapped her fingers on the table, then spoke loudly. “Caleb Foster,” she said. “You have some explaining to do. Please step forward to address the Council.”
“Stay here,” he murmured to Ava as he passed through the gate and went to stand in front of the table. She wrung her fingers nervously as he looked straight at the woman, shoulders stiff.
“As a Protector, your first duty is to the Race,” she declared pointedly, her voice echoing through the chamber as she set the tone for the assembly, “to seek out those who might expose us, or even pose a threat to our existence.”
Her eyes flashed to Ava for a moment, who fought an urge to scream out that she wasn’t a threat, that she would never expose them. She bit her tongue.
The woman turned her piercing stare back on Caleb. “However,” she said. “I have been informed that not only have you ignored your orders in this case, but you have actually fought against other Protectors in order to help this human escape. Is this true?”
Caleb didn’t hesitate. “It is true.”
The woman stiffened. “Then we have no choice—”
Rafe interrupted, sparing Caleb a nervous glance. “Madeleine, perhaps we should give Caleb an opportunity to explain. There may be . . . extenuating circumstances that should be taken into account.”
“What kind of extenuating circumstances?” she asked stiffly.
“Well.” Rafe drew the word out, obviously searching for the right phrasing to justify his friend’s behavior. “He did come of his own volition. And he brought the Half-Breed with him.”
She sniffed. “
Alleged
Half-Breed. But that’s neither here nor there. The testing will determine how she will be dealt with.” She shot another icy glare at Ava before she sat up a bit straighter, somehow looming over Caleb, even though she remained seated.
“Very well, Caleb. Are there extenuating circumstances the Council should be made aware of before ruling on your act of defiance?”
Ava could almost picture Caleb’s smirk as he said, “
Alleged
act of defiance.” Ava gaped at his nonchalance, certain that at any moment he’d be hauled off to prison, or a guillotine, or whatever superhuman ancient races used for punishment.
Instead, Madeleine raised an imperious brow, nodding slightly in acquiescence.
“I had no intention of disobeying my orders. I followed the girl, per protocol, and was in the process of gathering more information when it came to my attention that more Protectors were surveilling her.
“At the time, I was unaware that they were operating under Council orders and feared that perhaps Rogues were on her trail. I didn’t see any alternative to taking the girl and going into hiding until I could learn more.”
Madeleine’s eyes narrowed ever so slightly, and Ava suspected she knew that Caleb was stretching the truth. Instead of calling him out on it, though, she turned to Ava. “Ava Michaels, please approach the Council,” she said, leaning forward slightly, forearms resting on the gleaming surface of the table.
Ava stepped through the gate and moved to stand next to Caleb, doing her best not to cower or appear defiant. She smiled at Madeleine tentatively, but received no response other than a steady perusal that made her more than nervous.
“This is a highly irregular situation,” the Council member said gravely. “Ordinarily, humans suspected to carry Race blood are brought in for testing with the bare minimum of knowledge about the Race. Am I right to assume Caleb has given you more than this bare minimum?”
“It was necessary,” Caleb interjected. Then he amended, “I
felt
it was necessary.”
Madeleine waved a hand in dismissal. “Regardless, the extensive experiences you’ve had since your first interaction with our kind—and the knowledge you’ve gained—has rendered you a greater risk to the Race than you might have been if you’d been brought in as ordered.” She spared another irritated glance at Caleb. “Blurring your memories at this point would be fruitless, I’m afraid.”
“I wouldn’t tell anyone—”
“But, first things first,” Madeleine said, running her fingers along the top of the table in a slow arc. “Tomorrow morning, you will report for testing to determine if you are indeed a Half-Breed. In two days’ time you will appear again before this Council to be informed of the results of the testing and the Council’s response. At that time, the Council will also rule as to what action is to be taken against you, Caleb. Until then, the Council is adjourned.”
As one, the five Council members stood and stepped around their chairs to leave the room. The crowd stood as well, and Ava began to panic.
She hadn’t had a chance to state her case. She didn’t get to say anything, really.
The Council members filed around the table, heading for the little gate leading out of the chamber. Ava opened her mouth to protest—to say s
omething
—but felt the back of Caleb’s hand brush against hers. She glanced up at him, and he warned her to stay silent with a slight widening of his eyes. They stood still until the Council left the room, then Caleb told her to wait and went to speak to Tiernan and Katherine. She shifted her weight anxiously from foot to foot, feeling the eyes on her from every side, the whispers she was certain spoke of her. After what seemed like an eternity, Caleb returned to her side.
“What was that all about?” she asked.
“Trying to get information about the safe house,” he said. “Audrey’s all right. She escaped and, according to rumor, made it to the Guardian colony. But three of the guards were killed.”
Ava’s gaze fell to the floor as she fought back the wave of guilt that surged through her. “What about the Jordans?”
Caleb looked away, and Ava had her answer—not that it was a surprise. “Tiernan didn’t know for sure what happened,” he said. “He and Katherine were chasing the cell phone at the time.”
Ava stifled a sob.
“It wasn’t your fault,” he said quietly, his fingers brushing lightly over her wrist. “You can’t blame yourself.”
Ava nodded, taking a deep breath to steady herself as they turned together to walk out of the chamber. She was a little shocked that nobody tried to stop them or even speak to them. In fact, the audience stayed in their seats until the two of them left the chamber—and even those on the balconies didn’t move until they’d walked outside.
“Well, that was weird,” Ava muttered as she zipped her coat. Caleb led her down the steps and toward a road off to the left of the doors. “They’re not going to lock me up or anything?”