I feel myself growing more numb. “They used the table.”
When she says nothing, the words tremble from my mouth. “The Grand Chancellor did it a few feet from me. He cast a spell and a dagger was in his hand. I couldn't watch, but he did something to her. When I looked again, she was dead.” The sight of her won't leave me. “I thought I was going to be sick and afterward the warlocks laughed about it. Laughed and mocked and jeered. None of them even mentioned the fact that a person was just killed.”
She flutters to me and throws her arms around me. I'm too numb to have it shock me, but the gesture lightens some of my load.
“I can't believe you had to go through that. No wonder Daniel always hates the meetings. I can't even—” She bursts into tears on my shoulder.
The only time I've comforted someone who's crying was one of my younger sisters. I'm not sure how to help. Mostly, I feel like crying with her. Instead, I give her shoulder a pat.
From behind the foliage next to us, a male voice says, “Gertrude said you wanted—”
Before the thought is finished, Councilman Daniel and Zade come into view. Daniel drops the basket he's carrying and rushes to us. Annabelle latches onto him.
“What's the matter darling? Was it too much for you? I'm sorry. It's all my fault. The opportunity presented itself and I thought you'd want to take advantage of it. You won't ever have to do it again.”
“It's not that,” she says, voice muffled by his shoulder. “Serena told me what they did before I came.”
Councilman Daniel meets my eyes, his brows drawn. Blast. I shouldn't have told her.
“Sorry, Daniel,” Zade says. My chest tightens. He has yet to look at me. “I didn't think this would affect anyone but Serena.”
“Don't worry about it. I've been meaning to tell her, but never knew how. If anything, I'm grateful she's knows.”
I step back from them. Never have I seen a man and woman act as such. Something about it pulls at me. I feel as if I broke Annabelle. Broke her sunny disposition. Broke the way things are done. Broke everything.
Whether Councilman Daniel would have told her or not, Annabelle wouldn't be in tears right now if it weren't for me. I'm surprised he hasn't punished her yet. Then I realize, she always calls him by just his first name, not his title. And they're entwined in such a sweet way. Her fingers clasped behind his neck. His arms wrapped around her. He's whispering things in her ear. Perhaps there are others more like Zade than I thought.
Watching them feels like I'm spying on something I shouldn't. He rubs her back and says things too quiet for me to hear. She clings to him, tears trickling to a stop.
Zade moves closer, no longer ignoring me. “Are you all right? He hit you pretty hard.”
My stomach's fine, but is the rest of me all right? No. Never will I be again. Especially if something happens to him. “Fine.”
“No you're not.” His hands are fisted at his side, jaw clenched. “Do you want to talk about it?”
Which part? I bring up the least bothersome of my problems, though it still seems like too much. “The new tarnished law, when will it start?”
“I meant talk about the sacrifice, how you're feeling.” Not a word about the threat. Maybe he doesn't know I heard. “I didn't tell you because I wanted to see your genuine reaction. I'm sorry. It was wrong. I should've said something.”
Would knowing about it beforehand change how hard it was to go through?
He puts a hand on his hip. “The law will happen when the Grand Chancellor decides. No other really knows.”
I stay silent, contemplating.
“I didn't mean to stop your question, it just surprised me. Is there anything else you want to know?”
Lots of things. Coming here raised more questions than expected. Mostly I want to know how serious Chancellor Ryan was, but I stick to the easier topic. “Are the tarnished who are causing the problems really going to participate?”
“Many will have to participate because they have no way to earn money and pay taxes. But those causing the problems, it's doubtful they will.”
“Then why bother with the compromise? It doesn't make sense.”
“It's just a way to sneak the law in. They've been fighting the tougher law for so long, that the weaker law now looks good. The Grand Chancellor can act on it without anyone trying to usurp him.”
“Is someone trying to take over?”
“He's aware some are unhappy with the way things are,” he says. “And by doing it here, it makes Daniel appear in support of the law. The Grand Chancellor knows what he's doing with this law. It'll probably grow harsher after people get used to it.”
“So, things will keep getting harder for the tarnished.”
“Do you think that's a good thing or a bad?”
Before my name was entered in the marriage pool, it would have meant nothing. Now I know how much it means. “Why didn't you vote against it?”
Immediately his expression becomes guarded. “I couldn't.”