“And speaking of my family, I need to go to them and tell them I’m safe,” Mr. Stewart spoke up.
Luke turned to him and nodded his assent. Stewart dashed up the stairs and dodged Brier coming down with his men. Many of them grimaced at the heavy scent of garlic and death that hung in the air like an old curtain in a disused house. Brier gestured to the secret openings to the left of the stairs and down past the dungeon cells. “The explosives are in there, and see what you can find on these bodies,” he ordered them.
They spread out and Brier turned to us. “It’s a madhouse up there, but we should get you out of here before the garlic weakens you further,” he advised us.
Luke nodded, lifted me into his arms, and carried me up the stairs with Stacy behind and Brier in front of us. He strode to the foyer and found people running to and fro with luggage in their hands and children crying beside them. The explosion that rocked the underground tunnels had made Sanctuary a mess of panicked and frightened werewolves. The tunnel collapse left a gaping trench just to the right of the massive building, and some of the trees crashed down on the roof and the once-beautiful forest path. Nobody knew what had caused the earthquake, but Lance’s rumor of terrorists spread like wildfire on their lips and many of the guests shot out the front doors for the train station.
Burnbaum returned from the east wing and joined us in watching the madness. “It is like this in all Sanctuary,” he told us as Luke set me down on the floor. I slunk behind him to avoid the many eyes on my plain wardrobe.
Protector Brier frowned and put two fingers in his lips. He blew, and the whistle that came forth was loud and piercing. It pierced the panic in the foyer and everyone stopped in their tracks. “Calm down. There’s nothing to worry about,” he barked over the silence.
Sheriff Brier with Lance at his side pushed through the crowd and stood before us in front of the dungeon doors. “What the hell’s going on here? Where’s all the commotion coming from?” Sheriff Brier demanded to know.
“You’ll know with the rest of them, but right now I want everyone to get back to their rooms. There’s no danger here,” the younger Brier insisted.
Lance stepped forward with a concerned expression on his face, though I noticed his eyes flickered over to me. I shuddered at the heated look in those blue eyes and pulled the blanket closer to me. “What’s happened, Protector?” Lance asked Protector Brier.
Brier scowled at him. Much as he knew we couldn’t positively prove Lance did the deed, that didn’t mean Brier didn’t believe it. “You’ll know as soon as I can speak with the High Lord, now I need you to get to your rooms, all of you.” The panicked citizen werewolves, cowed by Brier’s imperious demand, shuffled back into the halls. Brier turned to a few officers who followed us up the stairs. “Get some order in the halls and keep watch on that door,” he ordered them, pointing at the dungeon. “I don’t want any more trouble than we already got.” They nodded in assent and scattered to the many corners of Sanctuary to regain order.
Only Sheriff Brier and Lance disobeyed the order. “As a lord I demand to know what’s happened. What caused the explosion and what’s down there?” Lance questioned us.
“If you want to know you’re going to have to follow us,” Protector Brier replied. Brier’s plans changed when Stevens strode out of one of the western halls with a fretful Farber at his side.
Stevens looked us over, particularly my fashionable wardrobe. I scowled at him and he quickly looked to his lead Protector. “What is the meaning of this noise, and where have you been?” Stevens growled at Brier.
Brier bowed his head. “There’s been a conspiracy here, sir, that we must discuss in private.”
Stevens pursed his lips together, but nodded and gestured for us to follow him. He led us back down the hall from which he’d come and I saw that the front part of the west wing was filled with the administrative offices of the High Lord. We were guided to a wooden door engraved with wolves and Stevens invited us into the large office behind that door. There were filing cabinets to the left and a large wooden desk in the center rear of the room. Stevens seated himself behind the desk in the uncomfortable-looking wooden chair with thick arms and a high back.
Lance and Farber stood away from our little group with Brier between us. I was beside Luke with Stacy, Alistair, and Burnbaum at our backs. Stevens cleared his throat and stared at all of us with a severe expression. “Now tell me everything that’s happened, and leave out no details.”
Luke stepped forward as our representative. “We discovered a plot to destroy parts of Sanctuary with explosives planted in the underground tunnels that run beneath the structure, and the Lone Wolf Party would be framed for the terrorism,” he informed Stevens. “We only just stopped the group from carrying out their terrible intention in the dungeons, and the explosion you heard was from their last desperate attempt to kill hundreds of us.”
The man’s eyes widened and he leaned back in his chair. His soft, trembling voice emphasized his shock. “You’re quite sure about this?”
“Positive,” Luke firmly replied.
Stevens shook of his shock and his face tightened into a severe expression. “You mentioned who you don’t believe intended to do this horrible act, but who do you suspect?”
Luke turned his eyes on Lance, who looked back at him with a quizzically curious expression. “I believe it was orchestrated by the Alpha Party at the bidding of its leader, Lance Connor,” he accused.
Lance feigned outrage, and Stevens’ mouth dropped open. “You can’t be serious!” Stevens blubbered.
“I’m deadly serious,” Luke insisted.
“An interesting theory, but what proof do you have?” Lance asked him.
“We have the bodies of your confederates in the dungeon. They’ll at least merit an investigation into your involvement,” Luke told him.
The corners of Lance’s mouth twitched up into a smirk. “Really? We should go see these-” Lance’s suggestion was interrupted by the arrival of one of the Protectors. The man was out of breath and looked wildly around the room until he spotted his chief.
Brier whipped around and glared at his lieutenant. “What is it?” he asked the man.
“They’re gone! Everything’s gone!” the officer exclaimed.
“What’s gone?” Luke spoke up.
The man turned to him with his wild look. “The bodies and the explosives! I don’t know how, but they’re gone!”
“I left explicit orders for the door to be guarded,” Brier reminded his officer.
The man shook his head. “I’m sorry, sir, but the garlic was too overwhelming so we retreated up the stairs. A few minutes later we heard noise inside the dungeon and went down to inspect the bodies only to find they were gone, and so are the explosives.”
Luke turned to Alistair. “Go see,” he commanded him.” Alistair bowed and strode out the door. The officer glanced at Alistair and then to Brier, who scowled and nodded to where Alistair left.
“Follow him,” Brier ordered him. The man nervously bowed his head and hurried to catch up to Alistair.
Lance silently watched the exchange. After Alistair left he crossed his arms over his chest and frowned at our group. “It seems your proof has walked away, leaving you with only baseless accusations and slander,” he quipped.
Luke growled and strode toward him, but Brier stepped between the pair. “None of that. It’ll just make things worse for you,” Brier advised.
“This is absolutely outrageous,” Stevens spoke up. His hard, annoyed eyes roamed over we who stood on the other side of the desk. “I’m fed these wild accusations of terrorism by one of our own lords only to find it’s some sort of a joke. Is this what’s become of our political discourse?” he angrily wondered.
“I swear it’s the truth,” Luke insisted as he gestured to Lance. “Connor has done nothing but manipulate the voting for his own benefit, and planned this act of terrorism for to destroy the opposition.”
“I find that accusation entirely baseless!” Farber countered. “Lord Connor has done nothing of the sort, and if what you say about the terrorists is true than he had every right to fear for everyone’s safety and move the date of the vote!”
“I must agree with Lord Laughton,” Baker spoke up. He glared at Farber, who cringed and hid behind Lance. “Lord Connor has changed the dates to further his own ambition, and members of his own party were part of the terrorist group.”
“And I suppose you were part of the group who stopped the terrorists?” Stevens sneered. My mouth dropped open in shock. Stevens was mocking us risking our lives to save everyone.
“Dad!” Stacy yelled at her father. She strode to the forefront and slammed her hands down on his desk. “These people just saved everyone, and you’re treating them like they’re hardly better than criminals!”
He stood and scowled at his child. “You think you can change my opinions by my affections for you, but in this serious matter I won’t be swayed by my affections for anyone. What evidence can you show me other than your own word?” he snapped at us. I noticed Lance kept a blank face, but his eyes had a triumphant gleam in them.