Larissa was watching him with unabashed interest. He said, “I find I must go and talk with my Council.”
“Can I go home now?”
“I wish to finish our discussion first. This will only be a few minutes. I will not let it take any longer than that.” He gave a small bow. “Excuse me.”
“Wait-” She held out her hand to him. “My father is expecting me. If I’m not there soon, he’ll start searching for me. I promise I won’t say anything about tonight. I don’t want him to worry.”
It was a reasonable request. “I will have a phone brought so you may contact him.”
With those words, she smiled at him. “Thank you.”
He had seen her smile many times, but never like this, never so close. Worry and tiredness still lined her features, but the smile created a radiance the firelight could never replicate.
Another knock brought Terak back to awareness. “Excuse me,” he repeated and left the room.
Malek was waiting, along with another warrior. “Have a phone waiting for me when I get back,” he told the younger warrior. As he and Malek turned and walked down the corridor the Council Chamber’s, he asked Malek. “What news?”
“Word of your guest has spread throughout the Clan and not all are happy she is here. She is the one the Oracle told you of, is she not?”
“Who else would she be?”
The displeasure Terak was feeling must have announced itself in his voice, for Malek lowered his head. “I live and die for you, Mennak. Please do not mistake my observations for censure.”
Malek did not deserve misplaced ire heaped upon him. Terak said, “Forgive me. I find I do not like being summoned like a youngling.”
Malek nodded, accepting the apology. “Your absences these last months have emboldened the Council.”
“They are my councilors, not my wardens.” That they assumed they could summon him with a moment’s notice meant they were bolder than Terak had suspected. That would be put to rights tonight. “Who is fueling tonight’s displeasure?”
“Valry.”
Of course. His future Meyla had hated his watching over the human from the first, had fought against the Clan acting on the Oracle’s prediction. And now she presumed she could openly go against his decisions.
That also needed to be put to rights.
Terak entered the Council Chamber, a large room with a round table and thirteen seats surrounding it. He did not bother to go to his seat. Krikus, the eldest member of the Council, rose and spoke. “Mennak-”
“I have only a few moments, so all here will listen well,” Terak said, projecting his authority and banked anger into the tone. The members cowered in their seats. “You seem to forget who is leader here, though you still call me Mennak. Let me remind you. You do not summon me. You may seek my presence, you may ask for my decision, but never again shall you summon me as though you hold the title of Mennak. Is this understood, or are any here demanding challenge?”
Most lowered their heads and refused to look at Terak. Krikus held his hand up in apology. “We never wish to insult you, Mennak. But this news about the human was so unexpected, we needed to know the situation.”
“You only need know your Mennak has the situation under control. Any explanations will come when I deem them necessary.”
Krikus lowered his head. “If you wish for our council, we are always at your service.”
“And I do wish your council,” Terak said. His point had been made, now peace had to be restored. He did not want seeds of resentment and suspicion taking root because of this night. “There is a new development with the human. She was attacked by zombies tonight.”
An explosion of sound circled the table as the Council talked amongst themselves. Terak held up his hand for silence. “I do not yet know what it means, but I do know we cannot leave the human unguarded. We must remain with her.”
“Is she in league with necromancers?”
“No.” Of that Terak was sure. “All of the information we have collected on her both by watching her and by other means, nothing hints at that. They hunt her for an unknown reason, and we must protect her until all these threads are untangled and the reason of her importance is clear.”
Nalith rose. He was new to the Council, joining after the death of his father. While Terak had enjoyed the father’s council, Nalith was discord and whispered poison in the shadows of the night. “Mennak,” he began, his tone as far from respectful as it could be while still remaining civil. “This is foolish. We had agreed to three months of guarding the human, long enough to decide how she could be of interest to the Clan. It is clear she has no importance to us. The Oracle’s pronouncement is nothing more than a powerful being bored enough that she wishes to cause mayhem amongst other races. It is not an unknown situation.”