вlood & peтalѕ [ ĸoтlc - тιana ]

ch. l

Heheh, fiftieth chapter on my birthday. What a coincidence....NOT.
(It actually IS a coincidence. Wowee.)

It was taking more willpower than she thought it would to not march back up the podium and yell "WHY ISN'T IT WORKING?" in Emery's face.

Instead, Biana settled for gripping the arms of her chairs tightly enough to splinter the delicate wood. "Mom...what happened?"

Della Vacker looked just as surprised as her children and husband. "I'm honestly not sure. Either the Council messed up, which is pretty likely. Or... the disease did affect the seed as well."

"But that makes no sense, actually," Biana grumbled. "It affected his lungs. They've put his hair in the stupid seed. Completely unrelated things."

"Well then, feel free to blame the Council. Like we do for everything else."

"Yep. You know what?" Biana made to get up from her seat. "I'm going to go give them a piece of my mind."

And she did get up, making her way purposefully across the brief stretch of grass between the seats and the podium. But someone else beat her to the Councillors themselves.

"What," Linh shouted, striding up the steps to the stage "have you done to my brother's Wanderling?"

Biana knew that Emery was good at hiding his surprise, but he very nearly didn't, this time. "Miss Song, please do return to your seat. We will tell you-"

"Don't call me that! My name is Linh. Not Miss Song." Biana was pretty sure she was the only one who noticed that Linh's hands, which were thrust deep into the pockets of her emerald-green gown had formed into fists.

"Very well, Miss Linh. Now please to return to your seat."

One of the goblin bodyguards escorted her back, looking slightly scared of the ferocious scowl now marring Linh's usually cheerful face.

"Look," Della murmured. "See that man whispering in Bronte's ear? He's the Council's personal Alchemist. The one who created the seed for what would have been Tam's Wanderling."

"Does that mean something's going to happen now?" Fitz asked. "Or are we just gonna go back home without seeing any planting?"

"Wait and see. I don't know everything."

Emery now looked even more taken aback than before as the Alchemist drew back from where he'd been whispering into Bronte's ear. Biana guessed that he'd probably read the older Councillor's mind. Slowly, he rose to his feet, clearing his throat for silence.

"Everyone... I am sorry to say that we will not be having the planting today. I thank you all for attending. Please have a nice day."

What was this chapter even idek—