Authors: Mackenzie Morgan
“And if the council knew you felt that way, your presence might not hurt her, but if you show up, they might think you’re under the impression you do have a say, and that could be bad for Rhianna.”
Kevin paused. “Let me think about it.”
Chris nodded. “If you do decide to sit this one out, I can take them, but I need to know where to go. It’s still dark in North Amden. We could make a quick trip out there right now and no one would see us.”
Kevin drank the rest of his coffee and stood up. “Okay. I’ll take you to the same spot Hayden took me. We’ll be in front of the building where Weldon has his office. From what Hayden said, the council meeting will take place in the same building.”
~ ~ ~ ~
Kevin’s mood didn’t improve much during the morning. The pages tried not to do or say anything that might irritate him after he blew up at Ariel because his favorite stationery wasn’t on his desk. They found any and all excuses to leave the main office. Never before had the mail been checked so often, the coffee carafe changed so frequently, or ink bottles topped off so quickly. The tension in the office was so thick it was almost visible.
When Rhianna walked into the reception area a little before lunch, the pages all breathed a sigh of relief, until they realized she was as edgy as Kevin was.
Before she could head into Kevin’s office, Chris stood up and said, “Rhianna, could we talk for a moment? Someplace else?”
Rhianna almost smiled as a picture of the island cave flashed in her head. “Where would you like to talk?”
Chris thought quickly. The only vacant rooms were bedrooms, and he wasn’t sure it would be a good idea to take her up to the family quarters. He looked at Ariel. “We’ll be in the governor’s office if you need me.”
“You won’t be gone long, will you?” Elin asked, casting a worried glance towards Kevin’s closed door.
“No, I’ll be back in a few minutes,” Chris said as he and Rhianna left.
When they reached the governor’s office, Chris asked Joan if Karl was in.
“No, he’s with General Crandal,” Joan answered. “Want me to send Petri to get him?”
Chris shook his head. “I just need to borrow his office. Would you see that we’re not disturbed?” he asked as he opened Karl’s door and motioned for Rhianna to enter.
“Sure, I guess,” Joan answered, perplexed.
Once they were alone, Rhianna asked, “What’s going on?”
“Kevin’s got a bit of a dilemma, and I wanted you to know about it before you talk to him.” When she nodded, he continued. “You know he’s behind you with this mess over Saryn.”
Rhianna nodded again.
“And he wants things to go well for you with the council today.”
Once more, Rhianna nodded.
“But if he shows up with you, he’s afraid the members of the council will think he’s there officially, as the Master Sorcerer, and that he’s planning to interfere.”
“And that could make things go badly for me,” Rhianna finished for him.
Chris let out a long breath and nodded. “But he’s afraid if he doesn’t go, you’ll take it as a lack of support, and nothing could be farther from the truth.” Chris took a deep breath. “Rhianna, this has nothing to do with what the two of you are trying to do here. He knows you did nothing wrong, and your quick actions saved several lives, including Saryn’s. I feel sure Marcus would have thrown a killing bolt as soon as he spotted the man, and no one would have blamed him if he had.”
Rhianna nodded.
“Kevin’s torn right now. He wants to support you but at the same time he doesn’t want to do anything to jeopardize you.”
Rhianna stood up and smiled. “I understand.”
“Are you sure?” Chris said. “I’d hate for you to feel like he’s abandoning you if he decides to stay away.”
“I won’t. In fact, I think it would probably be best. But if he doesn’t go, can you take me?”
Chris nodded. “And Marcus, Alek, and Theresa. Whether or not the council chooses to listen to them is up to them, but they’ll be available if you need them.”
“Thank you. Now I’d better talk to Myron.”
~ ~ ~ ~
An hour later, Rhianna and Kevin walked out of Kevin’s office smiling and looking relaxed. Chris wished he knew how to interpret it.
“We’re going to get a bite of lunch,” Kevin said as they walked through the reception area. “Chris, why don’t you join us?” He glanced at Ariel and added, “If anyone’s looking for me, tell them I’ll be back in an hour.”
“Yes, sir.” Ariel sighed in relief. He didn’t know what Rhianna had said, but whatever it was must have worked.
When they reached the dining room, Kevin suggested they sit on the patio. “We need to talk, and preferably without a lot of interruptions.”
After they were seated at one of the little patio tables with their plates, Kevin said, “Rhianna and I think it would be best for you to take her to the council meeting this afternoon.” He looked over at Rhianna and added, “Remember what I said though, if you need me, or if you think they’ll listen to me, Chris can come get me.” He looked back at Chris. “I’ll stay in the office while you’re gone so you can find me if you need me.”
Chris nodded. “What time do we need to leave?”
“The meeting’s at noon, their time, which is three our time so I’d suggest leaving by half past two at the latest.” He looked at Rhianna. “What do you think? Would that work?”
Rhianna nodded. “That’ll give us plenty of time.”
“Is Theresa going to meet us at the castle or do I need to pick her up on the way?” Chris asked.
“I think she’s planning to come up here, but if she’s not here by a little after two, I’ll go down and get her. I want all of you at the office when you leave for South Port,” Kevin said.
Chris nodded. “Okay.”
Kevin turned to Rhianna. “I’ll take you to see your parents after you get back here.”
“If I’m allowed to go,” Rhianna said, tears gathering in her eyes.
“I’ll take you to see your parents, Rhianna, no matter what anyone says.” He reached over and put his hand on top of hers. “After all, who’s gonna stop me?”
A faint smile teased the corners of her mouth. “I’ll be so glad when this is over and I know something one way or the other. This not knowing is driving me crazy.”
“Just hang in there a couple more hours and it’ll all be over.”
“One way or the other,” Rhianna mumbled as she toyed with her food.
~ ~ ~ ~
A little more than two hours later, Chris, Rhianna, and her witnesses were seated in Weldon’s reception area.
Eldwyn, Weldon’s aide, had seen them standing in front of the building looking lost. He hadn’t seen Rhianna since she was a young child, but she favored her father and uncle so much he had no doubt who she was. Once he settled them inside, he went into Weldon’s office to let him know his niece had arrived.
“Good.” Weldon stood up and nodded to Caelan who had come in earlier. “Did Hayden come with her?”
Eldwyn shook his head. “No, but several humans did.”
Weldon frowned. “Humans? Why are they here? And why hadn’t anyone let me know we had humans in town?”
“I’m letting you know now,” Eldwyn answered. “And they just arrived. They came by key.”
Caelan stood up. “Is Myron here?”
“Since I don’t know what he looks like, I have no idea, but the men are all dressed alike.”
“Probably Myron and a couple of bodyguards,” Caelan said. “He must be here on her behalf since the incident happened in Camden. I better go talk to him and explain he has no jurisdiction here.”
Weldon nodded. “Do it discretely. I’d hate for the other council members to get irritated with him and take it out on my niece.”
Caelan nodded and headed out the door. When he scanned the reception area, he spotted Rhianna, but not Myron. As he looked again, he realized the man seated off to the side was Myron’s assistant, Chris.
As he walked towards Chris, he smiled for the benefit of the council members who had just come in. “Hello, Chris. Could I speak with you for a moment? Outside?”
Chris nodded and followed Caelan out of the reception area, down the hall, and out the front door. But Caelan didn’t stop there. He kept going until they were halfway down another street, out of sight of Weldon’s building.
“Chris, if you’re here on Myron’s behalf,” Caelan started, but before he could get any farther, Chris shook his head and held up the key.
“Transportation only.”
Caelan let out a long breath. “Who are the other humans in there? Why are they here?”
“Myron thought you might want to question them as they were all involved in the incident you’re investigating. The sorcerer, Marcus, was shot by the man Rhianna’s accused of killing, and Alek, one of Myron’s bodyguards, saw it happen. Sister Theresa treated the man’s wounds and can give you a description of them and explain the seriousness of his injuries. We didn’t know whether the council wanted to hear what they have to say or not, but we figured if you did it would be easier if they were here.”
Caelan nodded. “Thank you for providing access to them. I’ll let the council know they’re here, and if they want to hear from anyone, we’ll let you know.” Then he turned back the way they’d come. “Guess we should be getting back. It’s time for the meeting. You are planning to wait for our decision, aren’t you?”
Chris nodded.
“You realize I can’t invite you to the meeting?”
“Same as you would not be invited to a meeting of the Council of Sorcerers.”
“Right.”
When they reached the reception area, Weldon was waiting for them. Chris sat back down while Caelan joined Weldon.
“All right?” Weldon asked.
Caelan nodded. “Is everyone here?”
“The last one just arrived. Are you ready?”
Again, Caelan nodded.
Then the two men opened one of the doors and disappeared down another hall.
For the next fifteen minutes, nothing happened. Then the door opened again and Eldwyn said, “The council members have requested that the Sister of Healing join them for a moment, please.”
Theresa stood up, took a deep breath, and followed Eldwyn through the door and down the hall. When they reached the end, Eldwyn opened the door to a large conference room. There was a big table in the center with sixteen chairs around the side. All but one was occupied.
Weldon stood up when Theresa entered. “Thank you for agreeing to speak with us, Sister. Would you have a seat, please?” He motioned towards the empty chair. After Theresa sat down, Weldon asked, “Could you tell us what you know about the incident involving Warrior Elf Rhianna and the human she injured?”
Theresa frowned. “I wasn’t out there when it happened, but I can tell you what I found when I went out a few moments later.” Weldon nodded, so she continued. “Marcus, a sorcerer, had been shot in the shoulder with an arrow. I know because I saw the wound, but from what I understand, if he hadn’t turned to shield my assistant, he would have been hit in the chest, which would have been a lot more serious.”
“So the other man shot first?”
Theresa nodded.
“And you say the man who was shot was a sorcerer? Why didn’t he use a shield to block the arrow?
Theresa couldn’t help but grin. “He should have, and he’d be the first to admit it was stupid not to. He hasn’t been a practicing sorcerer that long but he’s been a man for a long time, and he reacted as most men would when a woman they care about is in danger. He used his body to protect her.”
A few of the elves grinned, but most just nodded.
Theresa raised her eyebrows at Weldon, and when he nodded, she continued. “The man who shot him, Saryn, was lying on the ground with a broken leg and a dagger stuck in his shoulder. His wounds were painful, but not life-threatening.”
“Did you know this man?” Weldon asked.
Theresa shook her head. “To my knowledge I’d never seen him before. I know he’d never been one of my patients. He told me his name while I was treating him.”
“His leg was broken?” one of the elves asked. “How did that happen?
“He fell out of the tree he was hiding in,” Theresa said. “When Rhianna’s knife hit him, it startled him, so he lost his balance and fell.”
“How do you know that if you weren’t out there?” another elf challenged.
“Saryn told me while I was putting a splint on his leg. Marcus and Alek carried him inside and put him in one of my examination rooms. Saryn and I talked while I worked on him.”
“Did he tell you why he was hiding? Maybe he was trying to get away from Rhianna,” the same elf said, even more hatefully.
Theresa looked at him. “He said he’d picked out that tree because it gave him a good view of the backyard and he’d been up there for hours by the time they arrived.”
“You said his wounds weren’t life-threatening, but it’s our understanding he died.”
“He did, but not from his wounds. He died later that night at the jail.”
“Well, if not from his wounds, how did he die?”
“He was strangled.”
“How do you know that?”
“He was found in his cell the next morning hanging from the rafters by a knotted sheet. There’s no way he could have climbed up on his bed and hanged himself with a broken leg, plus the tea I prepared for him to ease his pain would have made him too groggy to do it even if his leg had been all right. Someone strangled him and staged it to look like he killed himself.”
“Do you know who was responsible?”
Theresa shook her head.
“So it may have been Rhianna,” the same elf who’d been asking all the questions said with a smirk. “It would take a lot of strength to hang a dead man. Not many humans are that strong.”
“It couldn’t have been Rhianna,” Theresa said.
“Why not? She has the strength.”
“Because she wasn’t there. She and Landis left Camden before Saryn was taken to the jail.”
“What do you mean they left Camden? Where could they have gone?”
“They were back home by then. Myron used his key to take them home right after he finished questioning Saryn.”
“Who is Landis?” one of the older elves asked. “I’m confused.”
“I’m sorry,” Theresa said. “I thought you knew. Landis is Myron’s apprentice. Rhianna was her bodyguard.”
The older elf nodded.