“His last name is “Church”. Who’s the head of the Church? The Pope.” I laugh under my breath, but it dies on my lips when we finally arrive in front of a set of large doors and she pulls me in for a hug.
“Shut up and listen: answer their questions and nothing more. Let Brandt and Church do the talking. No on in there is your friend, so don’t piss them off.” We separate just as the other come around a corner, and she opens one of the doors. Church enters first, followed by Brandt. Roth gestures for me to go next and once again, I’m hyperaware of his body heat at my back. I join Church and Brandt at the table in front of the semi-circular dais, but Roth, Thane, and Killian walk around and stand behind their fathers.
I’m more grateful than ever that Tori shared everything she new about he Council when she stare me down. Roth’s father, Renard Kovacs, sits in the middle as Council Chairman. Killian’s father, Preston Hastings, sits at his right, followed by Thane’s father, Soren Rorvik, Marcus Falke, and his son Cyrus Falke, Luther’s father and older brother, respectively. To his left, Vivica Hektreia, Head of the Witch’s Council, Amadeus Mondragon, King of Shifters and head of the Shifter Council, the Unseelie half of the Fae Council, Corvus Altair, and the interim Head of the Vampire Council, Armand Foucault. As they introduce themselves, I give them my best polite “customer service” smile and mentally prepare for the shitshow.
Renard is a cold, hard man who looks at me like a shiny new toy. Preston leers, but his smirk is insidious in contrast to Killian’s impishness. Marcus and Cyrus make no attempt to conceal their shared eagerness. Soren looks at me with an unnerving hunger.
It’s easy to see the family resemblance between Vivica and her daughters. She’s beautiful, but her warm smile never reaches her eyes. I bristle when Amadeus looks at me like I’m nothing more than a bug on his shoe—this piece of shit exiled and disfigured his son, for fuck’s sake. He deserves to fuckingrot. Corvus and Armand are the only two Tori didn’t have as much information on. With so few Fae left on Earth, they have noreason to interact much with the other Councils. Armand merely nods when Renard introduces him and flicks his eyes to Vivica when the hearing starts, but I still notice.
“Headmaster Church, Grandmaster Brandt, Ms. Byrke. The Council has called this hearing to understand exactly what transpired during your epiphaneia and the implications of your new abilities to the students of Dreadhurst and the community at large. We have reviewed the written testimonies provided by Headmaster Church, Grandmaster Brandt, and Mr. Falke as provided by Mr. Kovacs, and will be recording Ms. Byrke’s oral testimony at this time. Each Council member will be allotted ten minutes to ask questions of all three witnesses following the oral testimony, after which the Council will deliberate on the most appropriate path forward.”
Renard grins, and his emotionless gaze is less “benevolent leader” and more “rabid hyena”. But I grew up in Lynden, where people who believe everything they see aren’t usually seen again.
“Ms. Byrke, please recount the series of events that led to your epiphaneia and what you experienced.”
“I was in Physical Training and began sparring with Luther as Coach Carrick had assigned us last term. It was clear that Luther was agitated about something. As our sparring grew more heated a crowd of students began to surround us and I attempted to de-escalate by discarding my protective equipment and leaving. He then attacked and restrained me on the ground. None of the other students intervened to stop him or help me escape. I realized then that he was unable to think or act rationally.” I swallow thickly at the memory of seeing my panicked reflection in his eyes, of realizing that there was no way out.
I glare at Roth. “I thought I was going to die. My ears started ringing and my head started to throb. At first I thought I was hyperventilating, and then my chest started to ache, and myvision blurred out. The next thing I remember, I woke up in the Medical Center.”
Amadeus interrupts me before I can continue. “You don’t actually expect us to believe you can’t remember destroying the wards or nearly killing thousands of students and faculty?”
“Councilman Mondragon, you will have your opportunity to ask questions during your allotted time,” Vivica censures with a deceptively polite tone and kind smile. It doesn’t work on me. “Please continue, Ms. Byrke.”
“After I woke up, Dr. Mercer examined me and admitted the Headmaster, Professor Brandt, and High Priestess Esmé Cyriaque, who explained that my epiphaneia had been triggered, and that my power had brought down the wards around the campus. When Professor Brandt attempted to contain my power, it identified an… alternate source to try again, but was interrupted by Esmé.”
Renard crooks his eyebrow, eyes glinting in the light. “Does that conclude your testimony of the events last Thursday, Ms. Byrke?”
“It does.”
“Thank you. Starting from my right to my left, Junior Councilman Falke, you have ten minutes to question the witnesses.”
“Thank you Chairman Kovacs.” He nods, practically bouncing in his seat as he turns to me. “First, Ms. Byrke, please accept my apologies on behalf of my little brother—”I mean, he’s at least a foot taller than you but go off, king—“His reprehensible actions are antithetical to all that House Aeris stands for and I promise you he will be punished to the harshest extent of the law.”
Nope, don’t like the sound of that. Luther’s an asshole who had a psychotic break. He’s not evil. And while he deserves to be knocked down a peg or five, the look of glee on Cyrus’s makes menauseous with something like pity. I grew up with nobody. But if he grew up as the scapegoat for this golden boy? Yeah… I can understand how he’d be a bit fucked in the head.
“What do you mean?” He blinks in surprise when I cut off his poorly-disguised attempt to ingratiate himself.
“Openly attacking a fellow student is grounds for expulsion, and based on your testimony there’s a case to be made for attempted murder.” From the corner of my eye, Roth aims his icy black stare on Luther’s brother as Thane and Killian try not to react similarly.
“Maybe if it had been intentional. But as I testified, he was unable to think or act rationally in the moment, as I’m sure his written testimony will corroborate. Right, Roth?” I lock eyes with Roth as everyone else stares at me.
This is going well.
“Nyx is correct, Cyrus,” he says, holding my gaze before turning to face the Junior Councilman, “or did you not review all submitted testimonies prior to this hearing?”
“Of course I did, Roth,” he fumes. “But given Nyx’s vulnerable state?—”
“Ms. Byrke.”
Cyrus whips around to face me. “Excuse me?”
“I’d prefer to be addressed as Ms. Byrke during this hearing, Junior Councilman Falke.” The room holds its breath: Roth, Thane, and Killian are all locked on me with varying degrees of shock. The other Council members are reassessing me with newfound interest, and whatever poor little hamster is spinning the wheel in Cyrus’s brain has just had a stroke.
Oh right, I wasn’t supposed to piss people off. Oops.
“As—as you wish, Ms. Byrke, please excuse me.”
“You’re excused,” I answer without inflection, and Killian quickly brushes his hand over his mouth to hide his grin.
