Her Hidden Half (War Songs of the Courts #1)

Chapter Twenty-nine

I tapped my foot and bit the inside of my lip uneasily.

What was taking him so damn long?

"You're incredibly impatient. Did you know that?" A deep voice asked, startling me out of my thoughts.

I turned at his voice, sighing with relief. "Where the hell have you been? I've been waiting for at least twenty minutes," I said, my voice edged with frustration as I walked towards him in short steps.

He shrugged, wearing an easy smile on his face. "I've been busy."

"Well, you can't possibly be too busy for this. The Council's here," I told him, anxiety underlying in my voice.

He gave a single nod. "I know."

Taken aback for a moment, I stared at him incredulously. "Wh- What do you mean 'you know'?"I asked, confused. "If you knew that, then why didn't you warn me? Hell, why didn't you prepare me for them?" I continued, outrage slowly replacing my confusion as I spoke. "A woman stuck her nails into my neck, Deema! My neck. And I'm pretty sure she knows all about you and these dreams."

Not saying a word, he stepped directly into my space and swept my hair back to examine my neck. His fingers lightly ran over the scar he created, sending a pleasant shock through me, and I reluctantly leaned away from him, trying to ignore the odd sensation it created.

"Did you even hear what I just said?"

"Hmmhmm, you called me Deema again," he hummed as he closed the distance between us.

"What? I have not," I snapped, slapping away a hand of his that was on it's way up to cup my face.

Not bothered by my reaction, he redirected his hand to my waist instead. "Yes, you have, and it's the second time."

I paused and thought back to all my conversations with him and shook my head in denial. "Nope, never happened."

He stayed silent, watching me as an amused smile grew on his face.

"What is wrong with you today? I just told you a woman on the Council knows everything. Why aren't you worried about this?" I asked, my voice bemused.

"I told you, I know. I knew the moment they arrived and I knew the moment you stepped into a room with them they'd know everything," he said in an oddly assuring voice.

Not assured in the least, I crossed my arms in between us and gave him a look that told him I wasn't going to be letting this go without an explanation.

He sighed and leaned back. "The Council being here for you is an essential part of my plan. Trust me, they're not going to be a problem."

"Demetrius, their king thinks I'm a problem that needs to be taken care of silently. I'm pretty sure they're going to be a problem."

He held my eyes. "Do you know how each member comes to be in the Council?"

I slowly shook my head, confused as to where he was going with this.

He nodded as if he expected that answer. "They go through several tests that very few ever pass. No one knows exactly what the tests are because the ones who pass are bound by old magic to never pass that information onto another living soul. The ones who don't pass never get the chance to tell that tale."

"I know there must be a point here, but I'm missing it so can you just skip to the part where you tell me what it is?"

He ignored me and continued, "The Council exists purely for the good of their court. They make sure everything is as it should be, enforcing the laws of the Court as they see fit to ensure the survival of their people."