“Fine,” Bennett answers, his eyes not quite meeting mine behind his glasses. “It’s the anniversary of my parents’ death.”
My heart constricts, both from sympathy and annoyance. Why is Bennett lying?
Before I can press further, Keris takes his seat closest to mine, his azure eyes swirling with caution as he surveys the room. Now is the time to talk to him. He is a minnow in a room full of piranhas. He could use an ally like me after Stellan’s article.
I squeeze Bennett’s shoulder. The gesture feels hollow. “Don’t worry about Stellan. I’m sure the scandal will blow over soon.”
I leave Bennett, who looks torn between chasing after me and throwing his phone at my head.
“Good evening, Keris,” I say, settling into my chair.
Keris Telfour dips his chin. “Your Majesty.”
“I heard about the article.” He flinches at my words. “I am sorry someone leaked photos of you and your date. I’ve been in a similar position countless times before.”
“I don’t understand why someone would take those photos in the first place or how Stellan spun a story using them to claim I am unfit for office because of my leisurely activities.” Keris sighs. “You see, we were in one of the private rooms at Little Death. Someone must have followed us there to capture those photos.”
I blink, remembering that Little Death has numerous private rooms. During my first visit, Vane and I conversed in one of them to gather information about the letters. There, I discovered his gifts don’t work on Lunar Witches, revealing that he had guessed my secret but chose not to say anything. This proved his trustworthiness and good nature.
I glance toward the door. There is no sign of Vane or Vyvyan. Have I miscalculated in my efforts to bring them to the table? I meet Bennett’s questioning gaze beside me. “Where is everyone?”
As seconds turn into minutes, with no sign of Janus or the vampires, my attention drifts around the room. The tension is palpable, with each Council member eyeing the others with suspicion they barely conceal. Stellan’s articles have sown seeds of distrust, which now bear bitter fruit.
“Keris, I hoped to have your support today?—”
“I just heard from the president,” a councilor interrupts. “She isn’t coming.”
I sit straighter. “Did she say why?”
“No, ma’am,” the councilor replies as he slips his phone into his pocket.
My eyes narrow.Is she unwell? Janus seemed healthy in our audience yesterday.
“No matter, we can still present without her.”
Bennett shakes his head. “Protocol states that without the president present to call the vote, we can’t make any presentations.”
“Are you kidding?” I demand.
“Sorry, those are the rules, Leigh.” Bennett sounds anything but sorry.
My hands tremble as nervous conversation fills the chamber. The president’s unexplained absence leaves me no choice but to act now. These changes can’t wait. Within ninety days, we could transform the asylums from prisons into sanctuaries. By abolishing the Labor Laws, we could ease the suffocating tension gripping our nation. I had planned to speak with Keris and others first, but another week of delay means another week of the witches suffering. I won’t let that happen.
I stand. “Although the president is missing”—all eyes drift toward me; a few narrow their eyes— “I would still like to propose my changes to you all.”
A few members whisper to each other. I strain to hear what they say, but I can’t, as Keris asks, “You want to breach protocol?”
“What I’ve been working on could change things for the better,” I begin, but someone interjects.
“You’re new here, Your Majesty, but we have rules for a reason. We need order now more than ever, which is why I must insist we wait for Janus,” a female Epsilon councilor with gray hair and green eyes says.
My stomach turns as another councilor, a Nebula, exhales before saying, “Our focus shouldn’t be on governing policies. Not when Stellan Navis is attacking the Council. He knows things about us, and I fear none of us is safe from his pen. How do we expect the nation to listen to us when they are busy listening to him?”
“I agree,” someone else says, a man from one of the oldest Epsilon families in Corona. “Stellan means to take us down. The information he shares is unsettling. It’s dividing the populace. Those for and against us.”
“How did Stellan even get those photos, Keris?” someone else asks, and Keris shakes his head.
“Who else here was at Little Death last night?” someone asks.
