“Your power,” Lady Farrington interrupted, her voice dripping with irritation, “seems to extend primarily to destroying property and leaving carnage in your wake, your Grace. The Institute will require months of repairs. The victims may never fully recover. And we are no closer to understanding the scope of this conspiracy than we were a week ago.” She sat back in her chair with a frustrated sigh and pinched the bridge of her nose.
CHAPTER 2
Tension hummed through the chamber.
Evander’s jaw tightened. He could see the discontent on the faces of the committee members. They wanted answers he didn’t yet have. And, in the absence of them, it seemed they’d decided he would be the perfect outlet on which to vent their frustrations.
“With respect, my Lords, my Ladies, I was not the one conducting illegal experiments beneath the Institute.” His voice rang across the room like a pistol shot. “Nor was I the one torturing innocents in pursuit of forbidden knowledge. I ended those atrocities, at considerable personal risk, alongside my colleagues in the Metropolitan Police and our associates inNightshade.” Evander lowered his brows. “And, lest you forget, the power that you all seem so focused on criticising during this meeting is what helped to avoid a disaster that would have killed hundreds at Charing Cross a few months ago.”
Someone drew a sharp breath at his obvious rebuke.
“Oh, I say,” an elderly lord mumbled in indignation.
“Noble words indeed,” Beckett sneered. “Yet one cannot help but wonder, your Grace, why such catastrophes seem to follow you. First, the incident with that Professor”—he consulted hisnotes with a snap of papers—“Renwick. Now this business with Musgrave. Why, some might suggest there is a certain pattern to your actions.”
Hartwick and Lady Farrington looked at Beckett like he’d lost his mind.
Alas, it was too late for the minister to take back his words.
The implication was clear and it ignited a spark of anger in Evander’s chest he could no longer contain. He rose stiffly, his movement causing the entire chamber to freeze and the clerk and remaining constable to practically clutch their non-existent pearls.
“If you are suggesting I am somehow complicit in these crimes,” Evander ground out, “I would ask you to state it plainly rather than hide behind insinuation.”
The air around him quivered as power poured out of his skin.
“We are suggesting no such thing, your Grace,” Hartwick said smoothly. He glanced at the chair rattling faintly behind Evander. “Merely observing that your presence seems to attract trouble, shall we say.”
“It raises questions about the wisdom of employing an Archmage in such a volatile capacity,” Lady Farrington added in a conciliatory tone. “Surely, you must acknowledge that our disquiet comes from a place of genuine concern.”
Evander’s hands were ice-cold despite the stuffy warmth of the chamber. He could feel his throat tightening and the walls of his gilded cage closing in around him, just like the time when he’d met the Queen several weeks ago and she’d demanded he hand in his badge.
They want me to resign.They’re positioning this entire inquiry to force me out of the Met.
“Gentlemen, ladies,” someone interjected from the far end of the committee table before panic could overwhelm him. “Ibelieve we may be losing sight of the facts and indeed, the primary goal of this Parliamentary committee.”
Lord Percival Ashbrooke’s calm voice brought Evander back to his senses. The older man’s distinguished bearing and measured tone commanded immediate attention where he sat, his back straight and his expression grave. Not only was he a personal acquaintance of Evander, he was a well-respected earth mage known for his strategic mind and a trusted advisor to the Queen.
Evander briefly met his old friend’s gaze. Though he’d masked it well, he’d been somewhat taken aback at Ashbrooke’s presence on the committee when he’d entered the chamber.
His mouth grew dry. Now it all made perfect sense.
Ashbrooke was here to ensure the proceedings didn’t descend into a witch hunt. And he’d quite likely been sent by the Queen to defend Evander’s interests before the committee.
An intense wave of relief washed through Evander at that realisation. It seemed Queen Victoria would honour the promise she’d made to him in the privacy of her personal chambers. He sat back down, hoping no one noticed his trembling hands.
“The Duke acted within the parameters of his authority,” Ashbrooke said firmly. “He coordinated with Commander Winterbourne, followed proper protocols, and successfully ended a criminal operation that posed a significant threat to public safety. Are we truly suggesting this warrants such baseless accusations and, quite frankly, uncalled for censure?”
“But the scale of destruction—“ Beckett protested.
“Was caused by the criminals, not by those who stopped them,” Ashbrooke finished smoothly. “Let us not forget that.”
“The Arcane Division has benefited greatly from the Duke’s service,” Lord St. Clare added from his position beside Ashbrooke.
Surprise danced through Evander. The elderly peer was known for his connections to the magical community and his generally progressive stance on thrall rights. His support was not unexpected, but it was nonetheless welcome.
“His Grace has solved cases that would have remained mysteries,” St. Clare continued. His gaze held a warm light as he glanced at Evander. “He has prevented disasters, saved lives, and demonstrated remarkable restraint in the use of his considerable power. To suggest otherwise is to ignore the facts in favour of political expediency.”
Beckett’s face purpled. “This committee is not engaged in politics, Lord St. Clare. We are investigating a failure of monumental proportions.”
