THIRTY-NINE
No human had ever set foot into the council chambers, yet at this emergency meeting of the Council of Nine, where only seven members sat at their designated seats, Leila was present, standing by Aiden’s side as he held her hand in his.
“What are they going to do?” she whispered to him.
He turned his head, giving her a reassuring smile, drinking in her scent at the same time. They hadn’t been apart for more than a few minutes since the confrontation with the demons in the cave, and he wanted nothing more than to be alone with her and shut the rest of the world out.
“Everything will be all right.”
He heard the gavel drop and straightened, bringing his attention back to the council. To his other side, Hamish stood relaxed. They exchanged a quick look.
“The Council of Nine is convened,” his father said and stood. “Today’s business brings great sadness to all of us. Our brother Finlay succumbed to the demons’ pull and paid the ultimate price. It was foolish of him to turn away from us and give into temptations that destroyed him.”
He looked into the round before continuing, “We all have to fight temptations, but our collective strength will help us not to succumb. May virta be with all of us.”
“Aye,” Cinead answered.
Primus nodded. “Cinead asked earlier to make a request. Please speak.”
The Scotsman rose, casting a long look at the council members, then training his eyes on Hamish. “I am pleased to learn that Hamish has returned and was indeed instrumental in ferreting out the traitor. I believe such initiative should be rewarded. Finlay’s seat on the council is vacant. I propose to offer it to Hamish. We need men like him.”
Aiden felt his friend stir next to him, but before Hamish could say anything, another council member spoke up.
“I second the nomination,” Wade said.
“A vote then,” Primus requested.
“Uh, Primus.” Hamish took a step forward, approaching the u-shaped table.
“Yes?”
“I’m honored by the nomination and your trust in me, however, with all due respect, I cannot accept a position on the council.”
Gasps went through the assembled. To be offered a seat on the council, particularly for one as young as Hamish, was the greatest honor that could be bestowed upon a Stealth Guardian. To turn it down was nearly blasphemous.
Hamish raised a hand. “May I make my reasoning clear?”
Primus nodded. “Very well.”
“The demons are out there, getting stronger by the day. From what Aiden could gather about Zoltan, he’s a rising star in the demon world. He’ll be their next leader, and I think he’s smarter than all of them. It’s a new guard. He will try to fight us with not only brawn, but brain. And while I understand the need for the council to make decisions and rule our race, I know my place is as a guardian out there in the field. It’s where I can have the most impact. I’d much rather be out there, fighting side by side with my brothers than sit on the council. No offense.”
Aiden felt Hamish’s words fill him with joy. He had suspected that the council would offer his friend a seat. His father had hinted at it when Aiden had spoken to him shortly before the meeting. He was glad that Hamish wasn’t inclined to accept the offer. He knew that his friend would serve their race better by staying where he was: at the compound, fighting demons and protecting humans.
“Is your mind made up?” Cinead asked.
Hamish nodded.
“I am sorry to hear that, Hamish, however, at your age I wanted exactly the same. I can’t blame you for your choice.”
“Thank you.” He bowed and moved back to stand next to Aiden.
“The council accepts your decision,” Primus said, then motioned to the two council guards standing near the door. “Bring in the prisoner.”
When Deirdre was led in a moment later, murmurs went through the council chambers. Aiden instinctively squeezed Leila’s hand tighter. This Stealth Guardian had tried to kill her. Not only once, but several times. If it were up to him, he’d hand out the harshest punishment.
Aiden watched her as she passed by them to stand in front of the council. Her head turned slightly, gracing him with a quick glance. There was nothing in her eyes that indicated that she regretted her actions.
“You’ve been brought before us to take responsibility for your deeds. You’re accused of acting against the council’s express wishes. What do you have to say in your defense?” Primus addressed her.
Deirdre lifted her chin, every inch of her still the council member that wielded power. “I did what was right for our community.”
“We voted otherwise,” Primus disagreed.
“Because you couldn’t see what was right in front of you.” She turned to point her finger at Leila. “She was endangering us and the entire human race. She had to be stopped. You were wrong to protect her. The demons are still after her, are they not? What makes you think they won’t get her after all? I still say we eliminate her.”
Aiden felt anger surge, his chest moving as he expelled an angry breath. Next to him, Leila put a hand on his arm, calming him. When he looked at her, she shook her head silently, indicating he should not interfere in the interrogation.
“You had no right to make this decision on your own. You had your vote, just as the rest of us did. We can’t simply take matters into our own hands when we don’t like how the council decides.”
Deirdre’s look softened. “Primus, I did this so we wouldn’t lose our own once more. I did it to keep us all safe, just as I would have given anything to keep Julia safe. Can’t you see that? I don’t hate this human, but the danger she represents should she ever fall into the hands of the demons, is too great. How many of our children will die because of it?”
Primus locked eyes with her for a moment, and Aiden saw the war that raged within his father. It was true, Deirdre had loved Julia like the daughter she never had, and had been devastated by her death. But did that give her the right to unilaterally condemn another human to death? Odd, Aiden had once thought so too, but he understood now that he couldn’t blame one human for the deeds of another.
Primus gave a slow nod. “We’ll see to it that it doesn’t happen. However, sadly, that is not one of your concerns anymore. You have broken our laws. Therefore, my suggestion to the council is to incarcerate you in a lead cell for the period of one year and one day, upon which you’ll be released into the human world never to return to us. Council, how do you vote?”
Deirdre gasped. “You can’t do that! My powers . . . you can’t do that to me!”
Aiden heard the desperation in Deirdre’s voice and felt how Leila drew closer, whispering in his ear. “What does she mean? A year isn’t very long for attempted murder.”
“It’s not the length of time, but what the lead cell will do to her.”
He heard the council members one by one giving their votes on the punishment.
Leila gave him a questioning look, so he continued his explanation. “A year in a lead cell will mean that all of Deirdre’s powers will have been drained from her body. The change will be permanent. She won’t ever be able to make herself invisible anymore; she won’t walk through walls again; and her preternatural strength, her superior senses will have vanished never to return. She will be human, not Stealth Guardian.”
It was a harsh punishment, one nobody wanted to issue. Losing one of their own in a time when every Stealth Guardian was needed desperately was painful.
“No!”
Aiden jolted at suddenly hearing Leila call out her disagreement to the council. He pulled on her hand, trying to hold her back, but she twisted away from him and approached the table.
“Please, don’t do this to her.”
His father’s eyebrows rose in utter surprise.
“You have no right to interrupt council proceedings,” Geoffrey reprimanded.
Primus raised his hand. “Let her speak.” He gave Leila an expectant look. “I’m curious why you should want to defend her, Dr. Cruickshank. After all, it was you she wanted to kill.”
“I understand, but I can also see her side. I’ve made a lot of mistakes, because I didn’t trust Aiden at first. I lied to him about the existence of another copy of my research data. It could have very easily ended with me in the hands of the demons. And then, in hindsight, wouldn’t you have rather seen Deirdre succeed?” She paused for a moment, then turned her head to look back at Aiden.
“Even you wanted me dead at some point.”
Her statement sliced through his heart. “No, I—”
“Please don’t deny it. I don’t blame you.” She turned back to the council. “I don’t blame any of you for what happened. Everybody did what they thought was best. I don’t want to be the reason why you’ll lose another one of your race. Wasn’t Finlay’s death enough? I’m not interested in revenge.”
With every word Leila spoke, Aiden’s heart expanded for her. She had so much generosity in herself, and she handed it out with grace. He admired her for the strength she showed, because it took strength to overcome one’s own sentiments about an issue and make a decision that benefited all. In many ways she reminded him of Julia, and in other ways she was so different from her. And he loved her for both.
“It still leaves the fact that she acted against the council’s orders,” Primus conceded.
Leila gave a quick nod. “I understand, and I don’t want to interfere with your laws, but surely there is a less harsh punishment you could decide on, one that would not destroy her powers.”
“You mean a slap on the wrist?”
“Something like that. Maybe a different location, another project, community service so to speak.”
“Very well.” Primus motioned her to return to Aiden’s side. “Council, a word.” He stood and the others did likewise, huddling around him, talking in hushed voices.
As Leila returned to him, Aiden pressed a quick kiss on her cheek, hoping none of the council members saw him. “I’m proud of you.”
“It’s the right thing to do. When Zoltan comes back, you’ll need every Stealth Guardian you’ve got.”
He caught Hamish’s look. “Leila is right. And Zoltan will be back. I’ve never seen anybody so determined. You said yourself that he’ll be a new leader, stronger, smarter, and more lethal. We’ll have to be prepared.”
Aiden couldn’t agree more. “He won’t give up.”
“The council has come to a decision,” his father’s voice suddenly sounded in the chamber.
Aiden clasped Leila’s hand, then focused his attention back on the proceedings.
“Deirdre, your punishment will be two-fold: you will be staging Dr. Cruikshank’s death in a way so the demons will believe it to be real. I leave the details up to you.”
Leila pulled in a quick breath, making Aiden slide his arm around her waist, steadying her. This measure was necessary; otherwise the demons would never stop looking for her.
“Your seat on the council is permanently lost to you. Do you accept your punishment?”
Deirdre nodded. “Yes, Primus. Thank you, you won’t regret it.”
Before she turned toward the door, Primus continued, “And make sure the demons buy it. If they don’t, don’t bother ever coming back.”
“You can rely on me. I swear it by the memory of your daughter.”
A moment later, she left the chambers, her head held high.
“One more thing then.” His father looked at him and Leila. “The data. We will destroy it now.” He lifted the pendant and showed it to everybody in the room.
“Allow me,” Leila said and walked toward him. When she reached him, he handed her the piece of jewelry.
Aiden approached, watching how Leila’s nimble fingers opened the diamond crusted pendant and removed a USB drive from its interior.
“May I keep the pendant?” she asked, lifting her eyes to face Primus.
“You may.”
Aiden reached for the USB drive. “I’ll destroy it for you.”
She smiled at him. “No, I’ll have to do it myself. You see, it’s time to let go of my dream. I’m the only one who can do that.”
He felt his heart clench at the obvious pain in her voice. “You’re strong,” he whispered.
When she looked up, his father pointed at the large flat stone boulder to one side of the chamber. On it lay a hammer. “There.”
The council members rose to follow her as she laid the electronic device containing her data onto the flat surface. Aiden noticed how her hand shook slightly when she took the hammer, closing her palm around it.
“I’m proud of you,” he murmured, locking eyes with her for a moment.
Then she slammed the hammer down on the USB drive, once, twice, three times, until it had shattered into a hundred little pieces, a solitary tear escaping from her eye and running down her cheek. As the tiny particles scattered on the boulder, Aiden caught her look and saw the sadness in her eyes as she watched her dreams vanish.
As the council dispersed, Aiden felt his father’s hand on his shoulder and turned to him.
“There’s still one issue that remains. The council has left it up to me how to handle it,” his father said ominously. “Excuse us for a moment,” he said to Leila and led him a few steps away.
“And that would be?”
“You brought a human to your compound. As you know that’s against the rules.”
Aiden’s heartbeat kicked up. “You know I had no choice. It was the only safe place.”
His father patted his shoulder. “I understand that, but that doesn’t change the rules. There’s only one set of circumstances under which a human would ever be allowed at a compound. And the council has asked me to inquire about your intentions regarding this particular circumstance.”
Aiden felt certainty about his intentions fill his heart. “Tell the council that the answer is yes.”
His father pulled him into a hug. “I’m very happy to hear that, son. Very happy.”