Well, that’s not exactly what the paper says. The paper says, “Elliot Cross is hereby ordered to report to the Inquisition no later than the eighth hour of this day.”
Which Dame and I know firsthand actually means a seat in the inquisitor’s chair and possibly a cot for the night. If you’re lucky. If you’re unlucky?—
“But we already went in for questioning,” she says, eyes wide, reading the paper again.
“Yes, but questioning is not the same as a formal inquiry. And they only pulledyoufor questioning. This time they want me, and it’s much more…involved.” I choose my words carefully so as not to scare her, but Dame’s cutting glare gives me away, and Iris starts to pace.
“So they’re going to detain you?” she asks, walking back and forth in the doorway.
“Yes,” I confirm.
“For what?”
“They must think he knows something about Grey,” Dame answers.
Iris spins.
“Yeah, no shit. But what could they possibly think we know? We weren’t even here.”
“I don’t know. There’s only one way to find out.”
“You mean you’re going?” she asks, eyes wide.
“You’d prefer I, what? Go on the run? For something I didn’t do?”
She blanches, and I realize too late I’ve struck a nerve.
“No,” she mutters. “I just meant…can’t the council deny it?”
Dame shakes his head.
“No. It’s signed by the headmaster. Challenging it would be too costly for the pack.”
“Okay, but we can go together, right? Since you’re mine?”
She asks her question so innocently, not knowing what it does to me.
Mine.
She should be careful throwing that word around.
“Not this time,” I say.
Her pacing starts again, and I catch her by the hand as my dampener begins to tighten.
“Baby, you’re choking me.”
“Oh, sorry.”
She has the nerve to look guilty, and I pull her into my side to keep her from fidgeting anymore.
“I’ll be fine. It’s not my first time.”
I wink, and she isn’t comforted by that statement, but it’s the best I can do.
“Dame, can you take her home?”
He nods and ducks into his room, leaving me to face Iris’s wrath alone.
