by HP Mallory
“What sort of high cost?” Jolie asked.
“We are still unsure how Bryn plans to enlighten the Tribe, but if it’s a messenger who will relate such a story, it isn’t beyond the realm of sanity to imagine such a messenger could be killed upon the spot.”
It was a fair and good point.
“Bryn, would you like to address Odran, Rand, and Mercedes’ concerns?” asked Queen Jolie, maintaining a neutral tone although it was quite obvious she was irritated.
“I don’t think I have another option,” replied Lady Bryn, and she took a deep breath. “I haven’t yet decided which is the best way forward on that front,” she admitted, then swallowed audibly. There were a round of grumbles and pronounced frowns.
“Then ye are wastin’ our time!” Odran announced. “’Tis joost ah boonch o’ silly mumblin’, if ye have nae plan.”
“I didn’t say I have no plan,” Bryn retorted. “I said I haven’t finalized one yet.”
“At this point, I thought it important that the princess share her idea with you,” Jolie explained, becoming visibly upset. “We can figure out the specifics afterwards.”
“The specifics could dictate whether or not we believe it to be a good idea,” Mercedes put in, her lips tight.
“I think it’s the other way around,” the princess replied with narrowed eyes.
“Ah believe ye have a silly plan that hasnae been developed at all,” Odran said.
“There really is no arguing that,” Varick added.
I felt it time I stood up. I cleared my throat, and all attention shifted to me. Facing the apish king, I smiled as congenially as was possible. “Odran, you forget yourself. The princess is now the lead defender of Kinloch Kirk—and the warrior directly responsible for our most recent military victory, shall I remind you?” I did not wait for his response. “Right. Thus, I would strongly suggest you give more thought to this idea. And do keep in mind,” I continued as I turned to address the rest of the room, “that the person who knows Luce best is Lady Bryn. It is for that reason alone that I believe we should favor her with our trust. Last I checked, none of us could claim the same ties. ”
Odran gripped the arms of his seat, giving the impression he was about to rise for a fight. However, I was fully ready to beat him in any physical contest in which he thought he might engage me, and the eye contact I maintained with the lion-man communicated as much. He didn’t stand and instead merely nodded, acknowledging he had decided to accept my advice.
Smart ape.
Klaasje cleared her throat. “With all due respect, fellow council members, I’d like to move on to discussing what our next steps are instead of debating whether or not this is a good idea. Like Sinjin says, if Bryn thinks it’s a good idea, I think we should side with her. She knows what she’s talking about,” suggested the vampire in her Texan drawl.
“Thank you,” the princess said graciously and offered Klaasje a smile. I glanced at her with an elevated brow as if to inquire as to why I had not received the same gratitude, but to me, she merely smiled in that crafty way of hers that grated on my very soul.
“I, too, have my qualms about whether or not Luce’s people would believe whatever it is you have to say to them, Princess,” Lady Maetta began as she faced Bryn. “But if you believe it could make a difference, I am willing to put my faith in you.”
The princess nodded at the lady and smiled her appreciation. “I believe the Tribe members deserve the same chance I was given,” she said. “They deserve the right to choose.”
“What about the rapists?” Audrey asked, her mouth tight.
Bryn nodded. “I agree that some Tribe members are beyond redemption,” she admitted. “However, I also believe there are others who aren’t inherently evil. I know the men who came to me and… had their way with me. Yes, there were some who wanted to do it, but there were others who didn’t. Some of them were basically boys, simply acting on Luce’s orders. I don’t believe they are intrinsically evil.”
“And what have those same ‘boys’ become today?” Mercedes demanded.
The princess swallowed hard. “I can’t say for sure.”
“I agree with Bryn,” Rachel spoke up. “I, too, experienced the same thing Bryn did, and I agree that some of the men who came to me would have preferred not to. Many of them seemed to be just as scared as I was.”
“None of them seemed very scared to me,” Dayna said, her eyes angry.
“Dayna, you have been among Luce’s Tribe most recently,” the Queen said, looking closely at the girl. “Do you believe any of the Tribe is worth sparing?”
“The women, yes,” Dayna confirmed with a clipped nod. “I can’t say that I would agree to sparing the men, though. With the exception of maybe one, the rest were horrible, awful people.”
“I propose that we leave the future of the Tribesmen to the women they violated,” the princess declared, and glanced at Rachel, who nodded back at her. When she faced Dayna, the girl remained quiet for a few seconds. Then she nodded, as well.
A moment of silence followed. I looked around the room to gauge the reactions of my fellow council members. Respect seemed to be drawn on every face. It seemed my pet’s speech had hit its mark—everyone appeared to be understanding, despite the hatred and ill-feelings the council members nearly unanimously harbored towards the Tribe.
When my gaze rested on Audrey, I found her already focused on me. She smiled lasciviously, then pursed her lips together into the shape of a kiss. I gulped as I turned back to the princess, who was frowning at me. I shrugged as if to say I could not control the actions of the French woman, but the princess simply turned her gaze away.
“Sinjin, you have been surprisingly quiet.” The Queen eyed me as I pulled my attention away from her sister. “What do you think of this subject?”
I cleared my throat. “If I may, Queen Jolie,” I began, receiving a nod of approval. I stood before the council. “I believe that any man who had a hand in hurting the royal princess, Dayna, Rachel, Lady Maetta, and her soldiers should be put to death upon being captured.”
Lady Bryn raised her hand to speak again and immediately received a nod from Queen Jolie, signifying that the royal princess now had the floor.
“I disagree,” she said, narrowing her eyes in my direction. “I believe we should leave the question of who is offered clemency to the women who suffered.”
I hated the idea of those who had violated her going unpunished. However, I bit my tongue and nodded in response, deciding to keep quiet out of respect for her wishes.
“I have vowed to help Bryn educate Luce’s people,” Chevalier piped up, out of nowhere. “Does anyone else have any objections to this plan?” he asked, being careful to avoid looking at me. “In that case, as no one has any objections—Lady Bryn, you have my full loyalty, and my promise that I will do whatever it takes to help you carry out this mission,” he finished, before I so much as had a chance to publicly offer my own help to my little hellion.
“And how do you intend to carry out this mission?” Mercedes asked.
“Bryn, if I understand you correctly,” the Queen began, “you want to invade Luce’s camp and inform all of the Tribe members that the truth about their beginnings is a lie?”
My pet nodded in agreement, a small smile crossing her face as if to acknowledge that she knew her plan sounded completely impossible and, furthermore, doomed.
“Quite frankly, the plan sounds insane,” Randall said. “You’ll need to figure out a way to get the news out quickly, before Luce can fight back, and you’ll need to figure out a way to infiltrate his camp in the first place. The success of this approach seems incredibly improbable, to say the least.”
“We have to try, that’s all I’m saying,” Bryn responded, her expression falling.
“And how will you relay this information?” Mercedes pressed.
The princess took a deep breath. “I don’t know yet. Once I figure that part out, we can meet again.”
&nb
sp; The Queen nodded. “Regardless of the vehicle, Bryn makes an excellent point—much of Luce’s strength comes from his followers. Once we separate him from the support of his army, he’s just one man.”
“And one man is capable of being defeated,” the princess concluded.
“I believe Bryn’s idea is our best option, and the best way to avoid a protracted war that results in hundreds of casualties,” said Chevalier pointedly.
The Queen nodded. “I would prefer to avoid the deaths of any more innocents, if possible,” she agreed. “I do, however, expect you to clarify with me exactly what you intend to do and allow me to confirm that my sister is not headed off on a suicide mission.”
I cleared my throat and captured the Queen’s attention. “With your permission, Queen Jolie, I would also like to volunteer to go on this mission with the princess. It is particularly important that I go, as you appointed me Lord Protector to the royal bloodline. This is an incredibly risky task that Lady Bryn is attempting,” I finished.
“Yes, Sinjin, you are indeed my sister’s guardian. I wouldn’t dream of sending her to complete this mission without you watching over her every step.” Jolie offered a pronounced smile.
“The more people who come on this mission, the more risk,” protested Chevalier. “I believe it would behoove us to deliver the information without endangering more people than we need to.”
“I disagree,” I began, irritated with his very existence.
“I do, too,” the Queen responded. “Sinjin is to watch over my sister,” Jolie announced with determination, and I smiled at her while the princess and Chevalier both frowned. She looked over at her sister. “As to the subject of how you plan to enlighten Tribe members regarding the truth of their lineage, I propose we call another meeting once you have an approach in mind?”
Bryn nodded, but her jaw was tight. Perhaps this was a subject for which she might require a bit of assistance.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Bryn
The meeting disbanded, leaving me emotionally exhausted. The council members walked away from the Green Room, some in groups, others on their own. I was heading to my bedroom, planning on immediately going to sleep because the meeting had taken everything out of me. It had been a stressful day and tomorrow was likely to be equally as exhausting, given the intensity of my training schedule.
And now, I had to figure out the best way forward in terms of educating our enemies. Sometimes, when I really thought about it, the idea seemed entirely absurd. But then I remembered that not every Tribe member was innately evil. Confused and misdirected, yes. But there had been good people, too. People who could learn a new way. People who didn’t have to die in Luce’s name.
That wasn’t the only subject racing through my mind. I couldn’t stop thinking about Audrey and Sinjin—how she’d persistently made eyes at him throughout the entire meeting. Had I overlooked something? Had something really happened between the two of them the other night? Sinjin had insisted that it hadn’t—that he hadn’t been able to give her what she wanted. But maybe I was stupid for believing him?
When I reached the hallway, I breathed a sigh of relief. Soon, I’d be in bed, and sleep was sounding just like heaven. But I heard footsteps and, a split second later, felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned around only to find myself face to face with Dureau.
My stomach dropped as memories of my evening with Sinjin began to flood my mind, and I suddenly wondered if Dureau would be able to read the truth in my eyes. A truth that I was still processing, myself. Yes, my evening with Sinjin had been intense, incredible, amazing, all of the above. And, yes, I was currently trying to deal with emotions I wasn’t used to—specifically, I was trying to deal with the fear of what would happen from here on out.
Would Sinjin get bored with me, now that he’d gotten what he wanted? Would a relationship between us really last? Was I even capable of being in a relationship? And how would I begin to tell Dureau about Sinjin and me? Was there something going on between Audrey and Sinjin? Had Sinjin lied to me?
The last question was one I really didn’t want to face. Especially now.
“If you don’t want to get the reputation of stalker, you should probably stop stalking people,” I warned him with a slight smile, a smile I didn’t feel.
“My apologies.” He laughed. “Would you do me the honor of accompanying me on a late-night walk through the forest?”
“I was just on my way to bed, actually. I’m exhausted.” The last thing I wanted was to be alone with him. Not after what I’d experienced with Sinjin all night. Somehow, I’d have to tell Dureau that there was… something between Sinjin and me. Somehow, I’d have to tell him I couldn’t give him what he wanted. And even though I was absolutely stressing about my evening with Sinjin, I couldn’t say I regretted it.
Regret it? I reprimanded myself. Sinjin’s all you’ve been able to think about all day!
“Twenty minutes?” Dureau asked imploringly.
I hesitated a moment before answering, guilt doing a damned good job of acting the part of frog in my throat.
You have to tell him, I reminded myself. And what better time than now? Just get it off your chest. The sooner you do, the better.
“Yes, let’s go for a quick walk,” I agreed after a minute.
A smile spread across his face as we started towards the front doors. We left the palace, headed for the forest which bordered Kinloch on one side. The moon was high and full and revealed our path in milky rays of white.
I was surprised by how many animals were out and about at this time of night. Dureau pointed them out and proceeded to inform me what each forest animal symbolized in various ancient mythologies. How he knew all this was beyond me, but I had to admit it was interesting.
“You’re a super nerd.” I laughed, trying to cover up the fact that I was nervous. I just wasn’t sure how he’d take the news. I knew he didn’t like Sinjin; that much was obvious. But when he found out that Sinjin and I were… dating, for lack of a better word, would he become angry? Would he just be sad?
I honestly wasn’t sure which would be worse.
“You know, Bryn, I believe you like my intellect,” he teased.
“Um,” I said with a small laugh and started to feel sick, because he was definitely flirting with me.
He pointed out what looked like a rabbit in the foliage and then started mentioning something about Celtic beliefs, but my thoughts weren’t on the wildlife. Instead, I wondered what I was doing. What was I doing out here with Dureau? What was I doing with Sinjin? And why couldn’t I seem to get the truth out about Sinjin and me? Why was I clamming up?
“Are you paying attention?” he asked, and my eyes widened in surprise. When I turned to look at him, I found him smirking at me.
“Um… yes?” I asked, flashing an apologetic smile.
“If I’m boring you, you should have said so.”
“You aren’t,” I explained hurriedly. “But it’s hard to focus on bunnies when—”
“Foxes,” he corrected.
“Wow, I guess I was totally off.”
“Pretty much.”
“I just have a lot going on in my head at the moment,” I finished.
“You’re worried about your task?”
“My task?”
“About figuring out how to deliver the truth to the members of your old Tribe.”
I nodded, even though that wasn’t the half of it. “How in the world am I going to do that?” I took a deep breath as I thought about all the crap that was weighing down on me. Truthfully, I had no business worrying about Sinjin and me when I had way bigger and more important things I should have been thinking about. “Mercedes was right—if I get anywhere near Luce’s people, I’m basically dead.”
Dureau cocked his head to the side. “Perhaps you won’t need to do it in person, then.”
I glanced at him, confused. “Explain.”
“When are people most open to ideas?”
“Um?”
“In sleep,” he answered for me, smiling as if to say I should have known the answer. “When we’re asleep, our subconscious is at the helm of our ship,” he continued. “And our conscious mind can no longer interfere.”
“So why is that important?”
“Because you must first get past the defenses created and set forth by their logical minds, which have been brainwashed to believe Luce’s lies all these years. The conscious mind governs the logic, princess.”
“Sometimes, your intelligence does have its benefits,” I told him. “Go on.”
“Thus, the answer is to bypass the conscious mind. And attack them where they’re weak. Otherwise known as their subconscious minds.”
I took a deep breath as I considered this advice. “So, the question then becomes, how do I gain entrance to their sleeping minds?”
Dureau shrugged. “Do you happen to know someone who is able to enter dreams?”
I frowned, because he was obviously talking about himself. “Okay, so you know how to access their dreams?”
“With the help of Mercedes and Mathilda, I believe it would not pose a problem.”
“Let’s play devil’s advocate and say you were able to access their minds in dreamland, so what?”
“So what?”
I nodded. “What if they just believe they had a weird dream and that’s the end of it? It’s not like someone is going to put much stock into a dream telling them everything they think they know is wrong. They’d just figure it was some random, weird hallucination and leave it at that.”
“But it would be the first chink in their armor. It would cause them to wonder.”
“Maybe over the long haul,” I conceded, shaking my head, “but we don’t have that kind of time.”
