Page 73 of Awakened and Betrayed
“Are you okay? What happened?” I ask, stepping towards him.
“I didn’t know they had been ordered to move against you if they considered you a threat, but I know who issued the order.”
Everyone in the room seems to hold their breath as we wait for Pebble to continue.
“Elder Cleary was who I heard on the call, giving instructions. When you took the ATVs through the forest we couldn’t track you, and a member of my coven called him. They must have forgotten that I wasn’t in the loop, or they figured the cat was out of the bag after what happened in the parking lot. But it was definitely him on the phone.”
“Are any of the other elders aware of this, or do you think he’s acting alone?” Aydin asks, his eyes hard and his body language screaming that he wants to hurt someone.
“I don’t know. When he took the call, he made my coven leader wait until he was somewhere more private he could talk. He could be hiding this from the other elders, or he could have been around casters that aren’t privy to what the elders are doing as a collective, it’s hard to say. As soon as I knew though, I came to tell you.”
“What’s your coven going to do when they find out you were here?” I ask, aware that Pebble is risking a lot to be here.
“I don’t give a fuck at this point. I don’t know what’s going on, but tracking and being ordered to move against citizens who haven’t broken any laws, is not what I signed on for when I became a paladin. If this is how it’s going to be, then I’m out.”
Pebble moves toward the door, he’s clearly eager to leave, and I don’t blame him. I wouldn’t want to be on the elder’s radar if it was avoidable either.
“Do you have somewhere to go? Evrin asks, as Pebble reaches for the doorknob.
“I’ll figure it out,” he calls over his shoulder.
“Thank you, Eli,” I shout toward him, as he takes a step out of the house.
He stills for a moment and turns back to me. “It’s Pebble if you don’t mind, and I’m sorry for being such a prick before.” He smiles that arrogant smile that’s all him, and I chuckle.
“Be good to Mave, asshole!” I yell, as the door starts to swing shut. Pebble flips me the bird before the door clicks closed, and I can’t help the grin that takes over my face.
Who would have thought he’d grow on me? Mave is going to eat him alive.
“Now what?” Ryker asks.
“Now nothing,” I say, and then hold up my hands in ajust hear me outgesture when all the tense eyes in the room turn their irritated gazes on me.
“We already knew Elder Cleary was an issue.” I motion to the door that Pebble just walked out of. “He didn’t really give us new information. We still don’t know if the other elders are involved, and we already haveplan Bset up in the event things go to shit here.”
Everyone nods their agreement, but I can tell they all hate not being able to do more. This whole waiting game is brutal. Who will make a move first; will it be the elders as a whole or just one of them? What does Adriel have up his sleeve? He was putting something together that had Sorik nervous enough to come to warn me and risk getting caught, but I haven’t seen any lamia here, outside of Sorik and whoever his friend was.
I find myself antsy with anticipation.
“Knox, Ryker, and Sabin. Why don’t you guys set up bank account backups for us and your families, and make sure there’s enough money in multiple places that any of us can access it if needed. Pick out a place your families can run to, if needed, and a password we can tell them that will let them know to hit the road.”
They nod and separate to grab whatever they need to start working on that. “Aydin and Evrin, you guys do the same if you have anyone you want to keep safe. Bastien and Valen, it might be time to reach out to Silva and find out what he, Keegan, and Lachlan are doing. If they have a lead on Vaughn or Adriel, that info could come in handy down the road. Not that I think they’ll share it, but it might be worth a shot.”
I head in the direction of my room.
“What are you going to do?” Valen asks me.
“I’m going to call Enoch.”
“Why the fuck are you calling him?” Bastien demands.
“Because Enoch’s dad wants me to choose him. Maybe if Elder Cleary thinks I’m considering it, it will buy us some time and a little temporary protection from anything else that might be coming our way.”
“Bruiser, you can’t trust Enoch and his coven.”
My eyes move back and forth between Bastien’s green-ringed pupils and the earnest concern radiating from his features. Weeks ago I would have agreed with him, but my gut and head are at war on this. Logically, given everything that’s happened, I probably shouldn’t trust them, but my gut is telling me differently, and I always listen to gut.
“Let’s hope you’re wrong, Bastien.”
