The wielders are coming, and they're ready for violence.
With a cub in her arms, Arietta James, a dedicated vet technician in training, flees for her life and the life of the little shifter she's ready to die to protect. Her escape lands her right i...
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Banging his head against the stone wall might be easier. And more productive.
His leopard snarled in his chest. "We need to learn more. We cannot let her go until we gather what information she can give us."
"When exactly will that be? We are already made to look the fools," Eoran said, his head tilted in the way of a wolf, his long white hair a sleek curtain over his shoulder. "It's best we pull the information from her swiftly."
"On the contrary," Henri drawled. The skylight in the council room draped light over his bald head and the dark shirt along his frame. "If we play this right, this woman can be an asset to us. If there is any retribution to be had, this woman might help us. Surely her people would welcome her back to them."
"Her people chased her across our border, Henri," Fay said. Her tone was steel, much like her spine. Unlike other bear shifters, Fay never slouched or lazed around. She took her position as a Head on the council seriously, even down to the way she portrayed herself. "They're not likely to welcome her back with open arms."
"That she is still alive and breathing at all is a weakness for us," Ries, Cael's father, said. "What is stopping her from alerting her people now she is safe?"
They did not understand. Because Gavriel had not told them all the information. When presenting to the Heads, he had been succinct and only advised what information he could at the moment: that Naya was one of their own, and Arietta had brought her to them. He had not mentioned a word about her sickness. That was not something they needed to know yet. And until they did, he would keep that knowledge close.
It felt wrong—the council deserved - no expected - to have every single detail. Yet, even with the words on the tip of his tongue, he could not get himself to reveal her circumstances. Her imminent demise would do nothing for the Heads. It would not influence their decisions. It would only reveal Arietta's weakness and convince them to send her away, as they would deem her useless.
After yesterday at the cliff, he felt he owed her privacy, if nothing else. If what she said was true—and it had to be based on the smell of sickness that emanated off of her—then she did not have many days left.
The knowledge was, oddly, what kept him up last night, tossing and turning in his own bed, until it was time to appear before the Heads.
"We cannot also forget," Sienna said with quiet steel of her own, "that that woman brought one of our own back to us." Although seemingly gentler than the other Heads, the previous healer was a force to be reckoned with. Deer shifters may be submissive in general, but they had their own unwavering strength.
"I asked Miguel to observe the building where the Freehold Association is based, but he had found no suspicious activity." Gavriel shifted his weight to his right foot. The Heads each rested in their own chairs around a half-moon table across from him. "I propose we collect more information before we proceed."
