She had to tell Brina about the attackifshe was allowed a moment before the Tribunal meeting started. Much as Evalle detested Sen on every level, at least he’d come looking for her rather than waiting at the park.
Not because he gave two hoots about her being late, so he must have had orders to deliver her on time. Whatever the reason, she was glad for it right now.
Sen’s superior tone ghosted through the swirl of colors and spinning sensation, but she couldn’t see him. “One more thing, Alterant.”
“What?” she said nicely, or at least she tried. Hard to be civil when her insides were coming apart.
“I was at the park on time,” he said, then paused to let his point settle in. “Once you were late, I had no choice but to pick you up. You’re a minute late according to time among the humans, but in the Tribunal’s world time flexes. You’re already forty-five minutes late.”
FIVE
Once the vertigo from teleporting ended and her next breath tasted ancient and dangerous, Evalle knew exactly where she was—the Nether Realm. She held her head in her hands, fighting nausea. Screw Sen. She would not give him the pleasure of watching her barf in front of the Tribunal.
She opened one eye to peek.
When she’d last visited the Nether Realm, she’d stood on grass that had covered a circular plane the size of a city block. This time, her feet had landed on a rocky surface that glistened lavender and silver. She looked up further to locate the dais in search of the two gods and one goddess who would preside over this meeting.
The Tribunal was indeed in progress, and no one was happy to see her, not even Brina.
Especially Brina, whose holographic image, with her waist-length flaming red hair and vibrant green gown, sung with tense energy.
Silence hung like a guillotine awaiting a neck.
The trio on the dais glared at her. Pele, the Polynesian goddess, wore a swoop of deep pink and purple flowers across her breasts. More flowers wrapped her lower body as a floor-length skirt. She stood between Ares, the Greek god of war, decked out in his battle attire, and Loki, the Norse god of devilment, who showed off his massive naked chest by wearing only blue silk harem pants.
Stars crowded the black sky stretching from one side of the Nether Realm to the other, the perfect backdrop for glowing entities.
Pele’s exotic eyes studied Evalle with the same consideration an exotic bird might ponder the merits of a slug. She spoke in a voice crafted of honey and gold. “You have delayed this Tribunal, Alterant. Why?”
Evalle made the mistake of taking a second to decide how best to answer, which allowed Sen to speak first.
“She has no excuse, Goddess.”
“Wait a minute,” Evalle snapped, spinning on Sen. “She asked me.”
Sen lifted a negligent shoulder. “You won’t like what happens if you lie during a Tribunal meeting.”
Loki had been spinning a ball of power between his hands. The sphere rumbled and flashed with a kaleidoscope of colors inside. He paused to interject, “The body of one who tells an untruth here will glow red.”
Evalle hadn’t planned on lying now or any other time in a Tribunal meeting because she figured they’d justknowif she told a lie.
But this was the first she’d heard about glowing red.
Ares leaned forward, squinting. “Was not your aura silver the last time you were here, Alterant?”
Everyone gawked at Evalle.
Brina’s lips parted in surprise.
Evalle considered his odd question. He hadn’t said anything about her aura being brighter. She answered truthfully. “As far as I know, yes.”
Ares scowled at her. “Then why did you change it to gold?”
Gold?Storm changed her aura to gold?
Evalle would kill him if she survived this. How was she supposed to answer that and not tell this bunch about Storm using his majik on her? Whathadhe done to her? “I didn’t change my aura. I can’t see auras and don’t even know how to change one.”
That didn’t soften Ares one bit.
