“You don’t need to worry about her. Ahrun will take care of Navya,” Thomas said, looking down his nose at Sophia.
She tried to get to her feet. Anton clamped a hand on her shoulder and forced her back down.
The councilor winced but remained on her knees. “You have no right to detain me like this.”
Off to the side, Drake summoned Jenna with a jerk of his head. His father and grandfather were beside him, standing slightly apart from Thomas’s enforcers.
I locked eyes with Jenna, the concern on her face fading as she assured herself that I was okay. She tipped her chin at me before drifting in Drake and his family’s direction.
“Have the rest arrived yet?” Thomas was asking.
I split my attention between the hushed conversation Jenna was having and what was going on as Eric melted out of the trees to nod at Thomas.
From Jenna’s side, I only caught part of what was being said.
“Now that we’ve upheld our end, we’ll expect to see you in a few weeks,” Drake’s father was saying.
“I know what I promised. I won’t go back on our deal.”
Noticing my gaze, Drake winked and waved, mouthing, “See you later, cuz.”
He and the other two disappeared into the trees.
“Do you know what that’s all about?” I asked Connor as Jenna hesitated, looking over at me before choosing to head over to help Caroline tend to an injured Brax.
I narrowed my eyes. Someone was avoiding me.
Brax and Caroline were naked and in their human forms. Jenna took two sets of sweats from a light pack that I hadn’t noticed on her back. She handed them to Caroline, along with several protein bars before moving on to distribute snacks to the rest of Brax’s pack still in the clearing.
“I have an idea,” Connor said.
From his tone, it sounded like he didn’t plan to share that idea with me.
I’d have to address that with him. And her. But later. When we were safe and home.
Jabari and Tse, surrounded by a phalanx of enforcers that looked more like prison guards than loyal subordinates, entered the meadow. The enforcer that I’d noticed first in Columbus, then again at Vitus’s side a few nights ago, tipped his chin at Liam.
“Is this a coup?” I whispered in suspicion.
Liam patted me on the hip. “Shh. Let’s not use such incendiary labels.”
I stared at him. “You’ve been a very busy boy.”
First tracking down my father. Then conspiring with Alches. Now a coup. Whatever he wanted to call it.
“Just a few contingency plans I put in place when I left my role as the council’s enforcer.”
Thomas clapped his hands, drawing our attention back to the current situation. “Oh, good. You’re here. We can get started then.”
Given the nature of their semi-forced attendance, Tse and Jabari appeared remarkably calm. Even when Thomas tossed Vitus’s head at their feet.
“Vitus is dead. By virtue of being the one who killed him, I’ve claimed his seat for myself,” Thomas declared. “My first act is to put forth a motion to have counselor Sophia Everett removed from our ranks and executed for her crimes.”
With a look of distaste, Tse nudged Vitus’s head with one foot, confirming the counselor’s identity before letting the head settle back into place. “I’m willing to overlook the unorthodox manner of your ascension since a challenge was already issued and accepted, but that doesn’t give you authority over the other members of this council.”
Thomas crooked his fingers at Liam’s enforcer friend. “I think you’ll change your mind after seeing this.”
The enforcer withdrew a pair of files from his jacket and handed them to the counselors.
