Idea.
Riley will know what I'm up to.
I let out a breath, urging my pulse to slow. And I walk over and grab a tray, leaving Lily in silence. I put a few blood glasses on like an obedient servant and then balance it on my hand like the other servers, and I search for Riley. He's on the other side of the tables, near the edge and speaking to another Trueblood man, a silver-haired one turned in his late sixties, and the older Trueblood is shuffling with discomfort as he congratulates Riley. Yes, he knows we're doomed, and he's probably taken an oath of silence.
I weave over to Riley, leaving Lily behind. She can't follow me for too long without looking suspicious, and a glance back reveals she's walking over to stand with her parents.
“Master. I brought you some refreshments,” I say in my best, mousy servant voice as I reach Riley.
“Ah. Perfect,” Riley says with a strained smile.
He's picked up that something is wrong, too.
Now to get us away from the crowd. I tip the tray just a little, allowing one glass to fall to the black carpet.
It topples, spilling blood, and Riley's eyes widen as he backs away.
The glass shatters.
And blood goes all over the carpet, splattering Riley's pointed shoes.
I gasp and back away as gazes turn in our direction.
“I...I'm sorry!” I say, projecting the image of horrified tears to everyone standing around. Truebloods whisper and even Walton, who is standing by Stanley, lets his jaw drop.
“What have you done?” Riley shouts, face reddening. “Miranda. I brought you into this coven and got you off the streets, and you spill blood on my shoes. Put the tray down. Now.”
If I thought Riley was real, I would shudder. Slowly, I place the tray down on a nearby table, and another servant woman retrieves it and takes it away with skill. She's the one with fresh bite marks.
Riley seizes my wrist. “I'm sorry, Benjamin. I have to step aside for a moment.”
Benjamin, the silver-haired Trueblood, just nods and backs away.
“What did I tell you about grace?” Riley asks as he pulls me away from the Convening, keeping his voice low, but audible to the other Truebloods. “You just embarrassed this coven.” He pulls me not towards the podiums and the lobby where the High Council is discussing our fates, but around the room dividers that separate the Convening from the empty parts of the convention center. It's silent over here and empty. Once we're alone, Riley turns to me and softens his gaze. “What did you see or hear?” He releases my wrist.
“The High Council. They've bribed the other covens to vote against us because they got an anonymous tip that the Nightside from the Prophecy could be in our coven. They want to destroy the threat before it can overturn Trueblood society, I guess.” I'm shaking. I want Riley to hug me, but he can't here.
“Shit.” Riley pales and rubs his hand through his hair. “So Dominic got to them. Or someone else did. Word spreads. They must have heard about the battle. Shit.” He clearly didn't expect this. “I knew something was wrong since I got here. Olivia, our only chance is to gift them the Originator before they can vote. What else did you hear?”
“They said the Nightside from the Prophecy was double-dominant. As in having two copies of the Nightside mutation, and it's never happened before.” Could I be that person? “You never contacted my mother, did you?”
“Of course not,” Riley says. “I've always kept my distance, just in case. And I've been extra careful since this happened to you. But if you are double-dominant, you must do everything you can to stop them from killing us.” Riley hugs me, holding me tight. “That means you could survive. At least some of us can get out of here alive. We can't rely on the hunters to help us out, and if they want to keep their truce with the Truebloods, they won't intervene.”
Yes. Keeping the society together and secret comes first.
I swallow over a lump in my throat. “I could get through the High Council's mental barriers a little, but there are more of them now.”
“Try. I'll fight beside you.” Riley releases me just enough to kiss me for real. Who cares if we get caught at this point? They're planning to kill us no matter what. Then he smiles as we stand inches apart. “I'm glad we made love, even if it was on that beach on a bed of pine needles.”
I smile. “I'm glad, too. We’ll fight, then. We'll still offer our gift as a token of our loyalty, but after that, all bets are off.”
Riley smiles and runs his hands down my bare arms, sending good tingles along my skin. “You're stronger than you think.”
“I could get corrupted.” I gulp.
“I don't think you will, Olivia. You've come a long way,” Riley says. “Trust yourself. Use what you've got. Maybe you have these powers for a reason. The Truebloods need to learn to respect Nightsides. You've seen that tonight.”
“I must kill.” My heart's pounding and my teeth hurt from the stress.
Riley nods. “Sometimes, you have to, and that's okay. It just needs to happen for the right reasons.”
I glance at the bare, concrete floor. It's just me and Riley back here, discussing our fates, alone. I can't see any good way to come out of this alive and not corrupted, but I've got the other Nightsides to worry about. This isn't just about me, but about Riley and every other Nightside living as a vagrant or a slave because of this system. “Then
