And it builds from there. Ursala and one of the blond men who visited the mansion come out next, and then a woman and the other blond man emerge and take their podiums, leaving the middle, and the tallest three, empty.
And at last, Stella and a dark-haired man emerge, taking the two second-place podiums. They climb stairs and sit. They're the assistant heads.
The doorman shouts, “All rise for Li Xingiang, Head of the High Council.”
Everyone rises, and I push myself to standing for the woman who will announce our fates.
A long silence drags out, and then the Head of the High Council emerges.
The woman who climbs the steps behind the tallest center podium shocks me, not because she's barely over five feet tall, but because she looks so young, like she must be in her upper twenties. Dressed in a long black coat that hugs her waist, she straightens and surveys the crowd with sharp, almost black eyes that make her copper flecks stand out. Her raven-colored hair is up in an elegant bun and hugged by a golden tiara encrusted with red jewels.
I sense her mental wall immediately. She's focused and impenetrable as she passes over us with hard eyes that have seen everything. How old is this Trueblood?
“Sit,” Li orders, lowering herself to her leather chair. The word rings over the Convening like a gong. “Official business is about to begin.”
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Like a harsh judge on a prime time TV show, Li flips through some papers on her podium, papers we can't see from our angle, and wastes no time. Li is not one for a lot of words, and that makes her terrifying. She won't stall, and she'll shout the order to kill us in a heartbeat.
My throat is dry.
But it's Stella who speaks, running her fingernail down a paper on her podium. “We have several items to get through tonight. The Martin coven would like to merge with the Scranton coven, and we will vote on the safety of having such a large coven in a mid-sized city. We are to renew our truce with the hunters, and we will vote on that as well. And of course, we will vote on whether to legitimatize our newest coven.” Stella nods at Riley. “We are applying the same rules we have for hundreds of years. Each coven master will have one vote, so long as they are already legitimate. Riley Johnson, you may vote next year if you win tonight.”
Riley nods, not missing a beat. “Thank you.”
I tense. They're lulling us into a false sense of safety, trying to make us believe we have a future.
“Now, for our first matter.” Li looks to the man on the other side of her, her other assistant. “Enrico?”
He rises. “Would the masters of the Martin and Scranton covens rise? State your cases.”
We're going to go through the less bloody issues first. Nobody's going to want to sit and listen to legal jargon when there are bodies on the floor. I have no saliva left. They're going to drag out the torture, but that gives me time to penetrate Stanley's defenses. I'll force a confession from him. Either he's the Originator or he knows the killer. If I show the High Council that I'm willing to work with them, I might not have to fight.
Do not stay calm. There's a place for your rage.
And this is it.
The masters state their cases for merging their covens, and then Enrico directs them to sit. They do, and then Stella calls for the vote.
Twenty ayes and ten nays.
And Stella announces that the coven may merge, beginning at the start of next year. Applause rings out. The next item will be to renew the truce with the hunters.
The hunters, standing at the sidelines, draw closer, waiting in a perfect line. Lily stands at the very end, expressionless.
Enrico reads out the entire truce out loud, speaking as if he's read these words a thousand times before. Most fade into the background. I'm watching Stanley.
He sits with his legs crossed, calmly watching the proceedings. So do the other Nightsides. Riley has told them time and time again to look calm, as the High Council will sense nerves.
He looks too calm.
In fact, his slight smile makes him seem sure of himself.
I've got to control him before he controls me and makes my emotions go out of control. I will not be the Originator's puppet.
“Aye.”
“Aye!”
“Aye!”
One by one, the masters vote to renew the contract with the hunters. The hunters all back away when everyone votes yes, and Stella announces, “The truce is renewed!”
Roaring applause breaks out, and Riley straightens in his chair and dares to look at me before the clapping dies.
I take a deep breath and tense.
Now's the time.
I must act before Li shouts the order.
“Riley Johnson. Rise, please,” she says with a smile.
This is a woman who enjoys power, who bribed the other covens to vote against us ahead of time. She's corrupt, and her cruel eyes tell me she's driven a knife into the backs of others many times to get where she is now.
Riley rises.
I tense, and my senses, desperate for me to survive, explode. I hear Walton going completely still, because his chair stops creaking. Becky does the same. So does Trish, and Stanley, and the other Nightsides in our row. We're all getting ready to fight and prove we're more than just humble servants. We've all been training.
And I keep one eye on Stanley, just in case he's seen through my disguise. He'll spring into action, making me lose it. He has the real possibility of making me the monster I dread.
“Please, state why we should vote to make your new
