Page 55 of Empress of Ruin
“That would be my guess, yes,” he nods. “Your engagement announcement and showing off your bride-to-be is good. It makes it much more difficult to claim that your actions against him some months ago were unwarranted. But he’s starting to focus in on rumors that your fiancée is the one who published the expose.”
“Is he, now?” I clutch the crystal-ridged glass until the sharp edges nearly cut into my skin. There’s no evidence that Lyra had anything to do with the expose, of course. Whatever system she used left behind no proof. But anyone from the outside looking in can speculate.
Speculation on its own isn’t enough for action but it is enough to feed the gossip mill.
“Was she behind it?” Griffin asks.
“Of course not,” I lie. “And there’s no proof to the contrary.”
“I see.” Griffin nods. “I’ve mentioned that one of your rights as a senior member is to call a tribunal if a request you submitted isn’t processed in a reasonable amount of time.”
I arch an eyebrow. “You have,” I drawl. I had no clue about that until he brought it up; it’s not like members receive a rulebook when they join. All knowledge is sort of passed down from other, higher-ranking or more long-standing members. Griffin and I are both seniors, but he’s been with The Eyes longer than I have, which automatically affords him more power.
“What I must’ve forgotten to add is that you’d need to have a senior member vouch for your cause.” Griffin smooths a hand down his tie. “I’m prepared to do so.”
I cock my head. “Why?”
He shrugs. “I like you, and I dislike Silas. It’s rare to have two members of the same industry in The Eyes. Admitting you was a point of great debate. I was the one who suggested it.”
Again, I ask, “Why?” This time I’m far more confused.
Griffin lifts a shoulder in a casual half-shrug. “It made sense. Silas was a boy who’d lose the empire his family built to men like you. You were,are,the future, and he is the past. Even if he manages to get you punished, even if he somehow manages to get your head on a platter, it’ll only hurt us in the long run. Vladimir is too shortsighted to see that, and I believe he just doesn’t like you on principal.”
“That principal being?”
“You’re new money.”
“Ah,” I nod. Despite being wealthier than most of the old-money nepo babies in this countrycombined, I’m still regarded as an outsider in many social circles. I’m also revered in many others, which makes up for the blow.
“So how would a tribunal work?”
“Judges would be selected,” he says. “Five. I expect they would be the ones with most sway in The Eyes—Vladimir, myself, Spencer, Ryan, and Raegan.”
Bull, Herald, Janus, Consul, and Crow. A powerful selection of judges, indeed, all with their own political motivations.
Ryan is from the DC political scene, so he’ll vote however he feels would best benefit himself. I think I can count on Griffin siding with me. Vladimir will go with Silas. Spencer, ex director of a three-letter agency, could be persuaded to go with me if he thinks it’d be the best long-term. And Raegan won’t show her hand of cards until the very last moment.
“When will you bring up the idea, and when will the tribunal take place?”
“Since we won’t have another meeting for a while, I’ll gather a meeting of the senior members digitally and propose it then. After that, a date will be set. You and Silas will both have time to plead your case. I expect he’ll call for your head since you’re calling for his. But once the judges decide, there’s no going back. If you lose, you and possibly your fiancée will both be killed.”
That makes me rather hesitant to go down this path. IthinkI could win, but there’s no guarantee. “And the alternative?”
“You wait for months or years. Eventually, Silas will also request your head, and we’ll be in the same position. It’s only a matter of time.”
“What grounds does Silas have to put in a kill-request on me?”
“You faked an engagement so you could take revenge against him.” Griffin stares hard at me.
Technically, I had already told Lyra that we were going to get engaged and married before I hurt Silas, so I have a strong argument to the contrary.
Maybe I shouldn’t have demanded the price I did of Silas, but I can’t bring myself to regret it. And he should be thanking me—slimming down only helped him.
“What can I do to better my chances?”
“Play the game. Bribery, persuasion, all of it. I can guarantee that Silas is already doing just that, with Vlad’s backing; follow suit.”
“Will I have a backer as strong as Vlad?” I question lazily.
