The Counseil ruptured in heated debate, topping one another in volume and voracity. Lafontaine attempted to defend his lie of a delayed autopsy, Gabriel supported his decision, and the rest tore them apart.
Nik stole a glance at Elara, who looked between him and Gaetan with such fear that it made him step toward her. He longed to hold her cheek, to sweep the hair from her face and crush her to his chest and shelter her from this storm he’d brought upon her. Later, he promised himself. Later he would surrender himself to these feelings. For now, he mouthed,I’ve got you.
Despite the shine of tears, she nodded. Trusting him once again.
“Perhaps,” Souverain Tremblay said loudly, “this is a matter to be discussed in private.”
Faucher stood. “Agreed. Take Arnaud away until we can determine if there is such a case against him.”
Lafontaine slammed his fists. “He is my prisoner—”
“And we donotwant to incite a riot if you should be wrong,” Souverain Perrault muttered. “Even in all your infinite wisdom.”
Lafontaine’s face paled.
The police yanked Gaetan to his feet and dragged him backward.
“No!” Elara bolted, and Nik was there to catch her. “No! Please! He didn’t do anything! Nik! Please! He didn’t. I swear!”
She buried her face in his shoulders as her muffled cries filled the silent hall.
29ELARA
“We’ll fix this,” Nik said.
Elara didn’t believe him. Not because he was lying, for once, but because all she could think about was Colin from The Market. Jeanine’s Colin, swollen and broken. If that’s what they did to someone who practiced magie outside Société rules, what would they do to someone accused of treason?
Elara glared out the parlor window of Nik’s home, watching the guards posted at the front door. There were more on the street corners and even more spread down the surrounding blocks. Clearly, the Counseil had chosen their side.
“How?” she asked. “Gaetan is gone. The police are everywhere. And the Restes…”
The Restes would riot just as Lafontaine had planned for all along. Even if there wasn’t a rebellion, he’d made the people north of the Joyaux believe in one enough to fear it and turn to him. Her only hope was that the Counseil had enough wisdom to see through his lies.
“I need to get into Lafontaine’s office,” Nik replied. “To research.”
She stopped. “What?”
“We need to move faster than an afternoon read, Nik.” Chantal tapped her cane. She was perched on the settee looking out the window, watching the officers pace.
Nik pulled the paper Elara had given him out of his pocket. “It’s a chemical equation for some kind of new medicine.”
Heat bloomed in her chest. “You kept it?”
He nodded stiffly. “Whatever it is, it’s not good. It’s a sedative mixed with a few compounds that I know should never mix. I just can’t remember why.”
As if it might help her understand, he pressed his finger to the first few letters. “This part slows down the communication between your body and your mind.” He tapped the next few letters and lines. “This one increases blood flow and oxygen to the brain, which heightens the senses.”
Chantal shook her head. “That doesn’t make any sense.”
“Exactly.” He waved the paper. “The key is in the elements and chemicals I don’t know. Ones Lafontaine must be working on to make… whatever this is.”
“How does this help Gaetan?” Elara asked.
“Whatever this formula is,” Nik said with a shuddering breath, “I have a feeling it’s meant to cause more harm than good. But I’ll figure it out—with or without him. The answers have to be somewhere in his home.”
Nik knew something. She could see it churning behind his eyes.
I’ve got you, he’d said to her tonight.
