Greta had chosen an embroidered floral shirt and green khaki parka for August to wear, and as she took Grae's hand with one of hers, she buried the other hand in her pocket and blinked a few tis to feel the rims of the contacts in both her eyes.
As she stepped over the threshold with Grae, her eyes took in the open space that greeted her. People were scattered on sofas and chairs and a few sat at a long rustic dining table that she could see beyond a stone fireplace serving as a room divider.
The low buzz of friendly chatter that had greeted them upon entering fell to a hushed murmur as heads began turning to see the three figures who entered. Greta could sense the protective, dominating aura of Grae quickly engulf the room, as could everyone else, and she slipped from behind August with a beaming smile to dissipate whatever tension it might bring. This is how they had always complented each other so well as twins. Grae was gruff and dominant, his re presence overbearing at tis, and Greta was the pin pricks of light shining through.
"Hey, everyone," Greta said as she walked forward and embraced one person after another, each who looked genuinely happy to see her. August wondered if it was because of the comfort she was able to give everyone with a simple touch. Who wouldn't love her? But was Greta always as happy as she seed? She imagined the real Greta encapsulated within the calm and joyous bubble with her own unseen feelings.
Soone had approached Grae as well and was chatting with him. August felt the man's eyes sweep over her with curiosity, and Grae pulled her closer to his side before leading her forward and up a staircase where they passed more curious faces. She heard Greta's chipper voice skipping up behind them as she danced lightly between greetings.
When Greta caught up to them, she approached Grae's other side and touched his arm lightly. It wasn't a gesture that would seem out of the ordinary to anyone looking on, but August now wondered what she had said wordlessly to her brother.
The corridor they were walking down seed to extend forever before they turned to descend another staircase. Greta hung back a step and ca up on August's other side as they hit the stone landing to another set of double doors. Grae paused and turned to look at August and then his sister with a reassuring smile before opening the doors.
They walked into a tall, circular room with rows and rows of seats rising beyond the zzanine above them. The zzanine encircled the entirety of the room. A do skylight far above was the only source of light, and sunlight cascaded in to illuminate the dark floor, which is where Grae led them. August gazed up and had the sudden feeling of being stuck at the bottom of a well.
A door opened further up above the zzanine, and, one-by-one, solemn looking n began silently filing in, winding their way around the room to find their designated spots. The well was filling.
Grae was standing on one side of August while Greta stood on the other, and the three of them silently watched the council mbers filter in, slowly surrounding them. Greta was close enough to August that she could brush against her without grabbing hold, and she did this now—resting her hand lightly behind August's hand. August took a deep breath and looked straight forward, suddenly feeling calm confidence spread through her.
Because so of the n who ca in took seats behind them, August lost count of how many there were. Once they all appeared to have settled and their eyes rose to take in the three standing people at the center of the room below them, August guessed there were about two dozen council mbers in the room. Not all of the seats were filled, and she wondered what other events caused the whole room to fill. Maulings? She silently cursed Grae and Greta for not preparing her for just how intimidating this space was.
The direction and glare of the sunlight made it such that the council mbers' faces were partially obscured in shadow. Placards seed to indicate that the three central n whom Greta, August, and Grae now faced were primary amongst the others. According to the placards, Head Council Elder Andreas was seated in the center while Council Elder Auden sat to the left and Council Elder Pearce to the right.
"Greta Hallowell. August Cady. Grae Hallowell. Thank you for joining us today. We are here to discuss the circumstances that led to Miss Cady's presence on pack land, what has transpired since, and plans moving forward," said the severe-looking man in the center, Head Council Andreas. "We encourage you to speak freely," he added, looking over his glasses at the three.
"Thank you, Andreas," Grae answered.
"Grae, why don't you start with how you ca across the young woman and the exigency that led you to cross our border with her," Andreas said. All eyes focused on Grae, but August could feel eyes on her as well.
"I was passing through the Grimm on my way to visit the pack. I caught an unusual scent in that area and investigated, and that's when I saw Miss Cady fleeing a man. It seed likely, based on their clothes and appearance, that they were from Eliade—that she was likely a subject. Miss Cady lost him but was severely wounded and unconscious when I decided to bring her to the outpost, which was a few miles away."
"That's leaving out many details, Grae," Council Elder Auden chuckled.
"If you wish, I can elaborate further. Her hands were tied. She had a cara around her neck. The man was wearing a sweatshirt that said 'Eliade University' on it. He was chasing her but I scented his fear of the area. She slipped and fell down a steep embanknt, hitting a tree in the process and losing consciousness…"
"Okay, okay," Auden waved dismissively. "We get the picture. If more details are needed for our records, we will go over them at another ti."
"You say you deduced she was from the university's experint, the sa experint we all know to be involved in pandemic-related genetic engineering?" Andreas asked, seemingly also uninterested in the details Grae had begun rattling off.
"Yes."
"Did you also deduce that she was your mate?" Andreas asked bluntly.
"I did."
"I see," Andreas said, appearing to take note of it on paper in front of him.
"The following day when Marius arrived on the council's behalf to assess the situation and bring the girl in for assessnt, did you tell him she was your mate?"
"No, I didn't. He knew only what Lucas must have communicated to him," Grae replied.
"Why did you not tell him?"
"It was sothing I was still processing myself," Grae replied.
"I suppose that's understandable given your prior attitude toward things involving destiny," Andreas's eyes narrowed. "Though it seems you have had a change of heart regarding your reaction to it." He gestured toward August. "Are you unconcerned with your mate's sudden strength that allowed her to incapacitate one of our n?"
"I am concerned that it may be a threat to her health. She was in a coma for three weeks following that incident. But I'm thankful. It saved her life."
"It saved her life from Marius?" Council Elder Pearce asked now, eyebrows arched.
"Yes."
"Miss Cady," Pearce shifted his eyes to the human girl, "Please tell us what you rember from that night when you found yourself in the forest."
Reviews
All reviews (0)