Anchor of Secrets by Tessa Hale
48
My stomach dippedand rolled as the crowd went silent. Trace pressed his hand against my lower back, guiding me toward the front row of stone benches.
Each step wound my muscles tighter. I caught sight of Alister in the front row on the right. His profile was so similar to Damien’s, I fought a shudder. Next to him was Declan and Ronan’s father, Patrick. He cast a look in my direction, his eyes going silver. But it wasn’t the enchanting silver of Declan’s eyes. This was cold, cruel. Beyond him was Darius. Then two women I didn’t recognize.
Something prickled the side of my face, and I moved my gaze from Patrick to find the source. My eyes locked with rage-filled ones I recognized. Chloe sat between an older man and woman. She was a mix of their two features, so I knew they must be her parents. She smirked and tossed her hair over her shoulder, which looked ridiculous now that it was cut in a bob.
“Come on,” Colt whispered.
We all took a seat in the front row on the left. I hated having my back to the crowd. Hated how exposed I felt.
Colt took my hand, squeezing it. “Everything’s going to be all right.”
I wished I could’ve believed those words.
The man on the stage, who looked large enough to be a pro wrestler, scanned the crowd. His eyes narrowed on anyone who dared to even whisper. After several moments, the crowd was deathly silent. The only sounds were the occasional bird call and the wind in the trees behind us.
“The Assembly is called to order,” the man boomed.
My mouth went desert dry.
A second later, a line of people formed at the back of the amphitheater. I had no idea where they’d come from. They seemed to simply appear. They all wore robes that were a deep purple velvet, and each one looked elderly, yet somehow, they moved surprisingly spryly.
They filed onto the stage and took a seat. Five in total. Three women and two men.
I knew they were from each of the clans, and I tried to identify who might be from which, but I had no luck. That was until one of the two men’s gazes connected with mine. His eyes flashed red for the briefest of moments, and then they were the normal brown again. Vampire.
A chill skated over my skin, and Trace wrapped an arm around me. Even with our shirts preventing skin-to-skin contact, a faint buzz still took flight in my muscles.
“You are all welcome here,” a woman with salt-and-pepper hair in a chic pixie cut greeted.
“Thank you for your welcome,” the crowd echoed back.
“That’s the demon leader,” Colt whispered.
“We are here today to discuss the newcomer in our midst.” Her gaze found mine, assessing, as if looking for any signs of weakness.
I didn’t look away. Some part of me knew that doing so would be a mistake I wouldn’t recover from.
After a few seconds, the woman gave a slight nod at me and continued. “There are many factors at play, and we must consider all of them.”
A slight movement to my left caught my attention. Ronan’s hands fisted on his knees as if he could barely restrain his anger. My heart cracked. This had to be hard for him. He hadn’t had control of much as he grew up, and this had to trigger that feeling.
“Let’s get on with it, Marjorie,” the vampire drawled.
Her eyes flashed at him. They weren’t purple like Trace’s; hers went a burnt orange. “Your disrespect is noted, as usual, Raphaël.”
His mouth thinned as his eyes narrowed.
“Let us begin the questioning,” another woman said. Her black braids were woven into an intricate bun atop her head, a heavy dose of white interspersed with the black. There were lines in her dark skin that told me she smiled often, and that was a comfort.
“I agree with Delphine,” the second man said. “Let’s move along.”
He sounded incredibly bored with the proceedings.
Delphine rolled her eyes. “Let us call forward the person who demanded these proceedings.”
My stomach tightened as I glanced at Colt. We’d thought this was the brainchild of The Assembly itself.
Colt’s jaw tightened, a muscle ticking wildly.
“Patrick O’Connor, step forward,” Delphine called.
Declan’s eyes went glacial as his father stepped up to the stage.
Patrick bowed his head in a show of respect. “Thank you for allowing me to voice my concerns.”
None of The Assembly members showed a hint of reaction. But there was something in the third woman’s eyes that made me think she saw more than the rest. Those eyes were a warm amber so similar to Ronan’s, they were comforting. And the fact that she was the only person who hadn’t spoken so far told me she was an expert observer, but there was mischief in those amber eyes that also told me she wouldn’t hesitate to raise her voice if needed.
“Speak,” the second man commanded.
Patrick’s eyes flashed silver, but he quickly squashed it. “As you know, there has been great worry about our future leaders. They have become ensnared by lust and temptation—”
“By our mate,” Ronan snarled.
“Quiet, boy,” Marjorie snapped. “You’ll have your turn.”
Ronan snapped his mouth closed.
A small smirk played on Patrick’s lips as if he had won a point with that. “They fall prey to this temptation that would lead them down a dangerous road. The girl cannot ground them. She has no magic in her. This will lead to death for all of them. They must be commanded to bond with an anchor of worth. With Chloe.”
“Not bloody likely,” Trace muttered.
The second man on The Assembly glared at Trace.
Chloe positively beamed.
I felt sick. What was I doing? Maybe I was going to be the source of ruin for us all.
“We already know all of this,” Delphine drawled.
Patrick’s eyes hardened. “The girl is not yet of age. She is still under the rule of her mother. And her mother does not want her here.”
The crowd began to whisper wildly.
“Silence!” Delphine barked. The crowd instantly obeyed. “Do you have proof of this?”
Patrick grinned. “I have her mother.”
Sickness swelled in my belly.
“Produce her,” the second man demanded.
A second later, Maryanne walked down the aisle, and as her eyes collided with mine, an evil smile spread across her face. And I knew then she’d get what she always wanted. To steal every shred of happiness from me.