“Did you want to?”
After checking to see where the others are, he bends toward me. “Yes.”
This makes sense with the way he's acted, but why wouldn't he say so in front of the council? Warlocks always say whatever they want, at least, I thought they did. Why is he different?
“The green in your eyes. I've never seen anything quite like it.”
It's suddenly hard to breathe. “My eyes are brown.”
He leans down, closer. “Yes, but there's a ring of green in the middle of them.”
I've never noticed. No one's ever noticed. At least not that they've told me.
“Guess none of us are hungry,” Daniel says.
I jump away from Zade desperately trying to get some air.
Zade is just like he always is, not affected by whatever it is that struck me. “No. We best be on our way. Thank you for taking care of Serena.”
“It's not a problem. Thank you for bringing her,” Daniel says.
“Yes, thank you.” Annabelle smiles. “I'll see you soon, Serena.”
Though her eyes are still red, her cheerfulness is returning. Wish I hadn't broken it in the first place. “You're staying at our house for the ball?”
“We are.”
“We'll see you soon then.”
On the ride home, I can't help but think of the tarnished woman, the glazed look in her eyes becoming lifeless. It's easier than thinking of Chancellor Ryan's threat, and what it could mean to Zade and me. I'm not ready to contemplate it, but the sacrifice...It could have been Katherine on that table. She has to know what they're doing.
Chapter Thirty-Four
Katherine sits across from me in my room, looking at me with her big, dark eyes. Suddenly, I don't want to tell her. I want her free from the burden life has forced on her. It's a false hope. I have to say something.
“Two days ago I went to a council meeting.” And had four shooting lessons since that time. It's been a busy week. Not the type of business I prefer. The metal piece is strapped to my leg. But even with the lessons, I doubt it will help Zade, or Katherine.
Her eyes widen. “How did you manage that?”
“I asked Chancellor Zade to take me a while back and he finally consented.” I choke down the regret I feel for doing so.
“He consented? I didn't think a woman would ever go to a meeting and live to tell about it.”
I cock my head. “What do you mean?”
“You were there, did you see what happened to the tarnished?”
“I tried not to.” She already knows? “But how do you know it was a woman? How do you know about it at all?”
“Tarnished get taken whenever it's time for a meeting. When that happens, you get good at knowing about it and making sure you're not around,” she says. “And it's always a woman. Always.”
“Why a woman?”
“I'm guessing it has to do with magic. Some tarnished women have magic in their blood, no tarnished men do.”
Magic in our blood. We can't use it, but the warlocks can. I remember the strange glow to the Grand Chancellor's skin after the sacrifices and Zade taking my blood during the ceremony. Didn't he say something about being more powerful after that? No wonder they want wives with lots of magic flowing through their veins. Or tarnish them and later use them as a sacrifice. How much more powerful will they become after draining our full life's blood?
Katherine says, “What was the rest of the meeting like?”
It takes me a moment to think of anything other than women being used for a power they can't access. “Horrid. Rather like my engagement ceremony, but not centered on me. Annabelle joined the meeting a little way into it. It was good to have the support of someone else, though we weren't next to each other.”
“Two of you were there? That changes things even more.”
“Probably not. I don't think we'll go again.” How could I risk Zade's life more? And I don't want to keep being around sacrifices. But I do want to stop it. There's just no way that I can. “They did discuss something that will affect you and I wanted to make sure you knew.”
Her face pales. “A law?”
“Yes. Revised from what they originally wanted, but it's passed.”
Her hands tighten around the arms of her chair. “How bad is it?”
I explain the law as best I can. “It's not mandatory yet.”
She puts the back of her hand to her mouth. “Might as well be.”
“Chancellor Zade thinks it'll be the beginning of stricter laws. Are you—”
Before I finish, Katherine rushes to the washing bowl and retches. For a moment, I'm stunned into immobilization. Once I'm over the shock, I pour a glass of water and take it to her.
“I should have broken the news more gently. I'm sorry.”
She takes a sip. “It's not the news. Perhaps in part, I've been expecting it. It's just—” she drops into the closest chair. “I'm not a tarnished.”
I stare at her.
She's not a tarnished?
It can't be. Can it?
“How's that even possible?”