The crowd titters with laughter, but no others dare approach. Mathias waits, his eyes focused on the back of the room, and they reluctantly part like the sea, leading us to a stage where I finally see a resemblance of a courtroom, complete with four vampire judges. Frederick, a woman with dark hair, and two other men. One who looks vaguely familiar.
No jury. Unless the crowd is the jury? That’s an unnerving thought.
Guards direct us to the left, and when we step up to the railing, I look right and see Bennett smiling at the crowd. Mybrow furrows. Why does he look like he’s had a shower and shave? I glance up to ask Mathias and find red eyes narrowed on him in clear warning.
“Mathias.” A dark-haired female vampire judge prompts him. “Do you wish to go first?”
He waves a dismissive hand. “We’ll wait.”
Bennett’s eyes light up.
The judge turns to him. “Bennett Smythe, state your case.”
I doubt that’s his real last name.
“Gladly,” he says, jolting me out of my thoughts. “As you may be aware from my previous visits and discussions with Nolan, I collect Ancient Greek artifacts. Two days ago, I received an invitation to meet with a vampire who offered something I’m keen to purchase. A panel depicting the Greek gods.” His eyes move to Frederick who’s sitting at there with a bored look on his face. “Everyone knows I’m willing to pay millions for it, as well as the other one in your possession.”
Voices rise as the crowd looks to each other for answers, wearing looks of confusion and curiosity.Interesting.They don’t know about the panels.
Bennett smirks at me, and I give him my most haughty stare. The one from my days as a royal. As if he’s not worthy of my time. His smile slides off his face, and a glint of anger takes its place. Point to me. I mentally chalk one in the air.
He’s clever, telling them a version of the truth that includes his desire to obtain the panel in a lucrative deal. I’m sure he’s piqued the interest of those who are in the know.
“Given my wealth and status, I hired six vampires to accompany me to the meeting. When we arrived to complete the deal, we were attacked by Mathias and the rest of his team. I’m sure you’re aware of them. They used to be one of the council’s top security teams, but unfortunately, they’ve gone rogue.”
Murmurs race through the crowd. Gazes sharpen, turning to Mathias to see his reaction. I look up at him. He’s staring, unblinking, at Bennett like a predator waiting for his chance to pounce.
“Anything else?” Frederick asks in a neutral tone.
“Not at this time,” he says with a smile.
“Questions?”
The woman who addressed Mathias earlier studies Bennett intently. “Why would you attack Dr. Galanis? Surely she is no threat to a powerful mage like yourself. I can detect no magic from her.”
My muscles tighten. This is the moment I’m exposed to the supernatural community. I search the crowd, wondering if there are any gods hiding in the room, watching and waiting for my downfall.
“You’re correct. She’s no threat to me,” he states arrogantly. “I simply redirected her curse back on her. Her own actions caused her demise.” The crowd’s heads swivel to peer at me as if my death is something they weren’t expecting. “Excuse me. Temporary demise. Honestly, I thought nothing of it. As an agent of the gods, it’s not like anything I do will hurt her.”
And there it is. The secret I’ve held for three thousand years. Smashed to smithereens in front of the vampire court.
28
PHAEDRA
“Order!” Frederick’s voice booms, silencing the roaring crowd. “If you cannot control yourselves, you’ll be escorted out. If you fail to heed my command, I’ll personally remove you from these premises, and you won’t like the method I use to do it. Understood?” When the room is quiet, he looks at the other judges and signals for them to continue.
The woman judge who questioned Bennett turns toward me. “Is Bennett’s allegation true?”
“Am I anagentfor the gods? Is that the question?” When she nods, I shake my head. “I don’t know what that means.”
Her lips purse, but she clarifies the question. “Tell me about your relationship with the gods.”
“I work for them. It’s my job to protect humans by eliminating threats from cursed or magical objects,” I reply with a nonchalant shrug. That is the very definition of my job. Like a spy is technically an intelligence analyst.
“You’re not a spy for them?” One of the male judges sneers at me.
He looks familiar, and that voice… I study him for a second. “Charles, right? I believe we met at Hawkes House a couple hundred years ago.” How could I forget that pretentious tone? “You think the gods need a spy?” I laugh. “You think they can’t see everything that goes on in this world? The worldtheycreated.”
