Then I took in the rest of the room and saw all the other elders milling about: Elder Nelson, the old one who seemed to lead; Elder White, the heavyset one; Elder Tomes, the thin, dour one I met at Mirkwold; and Elder Dalton. They exchanged easy smiles and laughs.
My sedge had once acted that way, molded from years of friendship and working together. I gritted my teeth against the bittersweet memory.
Elder Nelson thumped his cane on the floor and took a seat at the head of the table. “Let us begin.”
Elder White slid around the back of the table, resting his hand on Lilith’s lower back as he pulled out his chair.
Sudden rage boiled in me, and I saw red. My eyes zeroed in on the bastard’s hand as I seethed. My feet lurched forward, and I barely caught myself before a growl ripped from my mouth. My hand gripped the back of the chair in front of me. All I wanted was to fly over there and tear his arm off.
Something cracked.
Lilith’s eyes flew to mine, and she looked down in dismay. Her expression cut through my rage. I realized the room had fallen silent, and every single person was staring at me. I glanced down to see the back rail of the chair split. I blinked, pulling my hand away. Had I grabbed it that hard?
Splinters sprung from my palm, one particularly deep and large jutting from the heel of my thumb.
The men blinked at me. Then White laughed. “Power of Erlik himself!” The rest followed suit, laughing off my actions.
Lilith jerked around the table toward me, then halted, as if unsure what to do.
As the anger receded from my mind, I could recognize I had been a bit…ridiculous. I still didn’t like what I saw, but it wasn’t my problem to solve. Lilith had made that clear.
“Lilith, girl, go get a bandage for the Herald.” Tomes jerked his thumb.
She lurched forward again, shooting my hand a worried glance, but I waved her off. I wasn’t going to posture and force someone to serve me just so I could feel important.
“No need. We heal quickly.” I yanked the splinters out, keeping my face impassive against the pricks of pain. Red blood dripped from between my fingertips. Suddenly Lilith was beside me with a white cloth, cradling my hand.
“You’re going to stain the wood,” she whispered sharply. “Let me wrap it at least.”
Although her words were harsh, her hands were tender as she delicately wrapped the cloth around my palm, applying gentle pressure to the wounds. Pain pricked my hand, but I didn’t care. I basked in her attention.
She smelled of herbs—I didn’t know what kind, but they were sweet and mellow. It reminded me of wildflowers and clean linens flapping in the summer breeze. I closed my eyes, resisting the urge to bury my face in her hair. My heart throbbed at her nearness.
Or—no. Surely my heart throbbed from the pain. I could feel the ayim spreading down my arms, likely to heal my wound in a few moments. It had nothing to do with the beautiful woman at my side.
“Let us begin.” Elder Nelson rested his cane against his chair and folded his hands on the table before him.
Tomes pointed to one of two empty chairs. “Please, take a seat, Herald.”
I glanced at the narrow chair with the rigid back. There was no way I would fit. I cleared my throat. “Thank you, but I shall stand.”
The men nodded and turned to one another.
Which seat had the man pointed to? Lilith’s brother’s? I sneaked a glance at her as she backed toward the door. I hadn’t seen an outpouring of grief from her, but she wasn’t the type to grieve where anyone could see. How did she feel about her brother’s seat being offered to me? Perhaps it was a good thing I couldn’t sit in it.
“Lilith, bring us water.” Elder Dalton sat rigidly in his seat.
She murmured something and slipped out the door.
I ground my teeth, disproportionately annoyed at the scene.
“Before we begin with the needs of the community, I wished to inform the group the Herald desires to visit some of our sympathetic friends, like Lord Fallon, to test their hearts and urge them into the fold.” Dalton glanced up at me.
I took my spot, standing at the head of the table.
“That can be arranged.” White looked thrilled. “When can we begin introducing the Herald to the rest of those lukewarm reverends who claim to serve Erlik? I can’t wait to show the rest of those smug men we were correct all along and we have Lord Erlik’s favor.”
No, that wasn’t happening. No way was I going to be paraded around like a bird in a cage for a cult to score points over the rest of the Church of Erlik.
