“Thanks for coming,” he murmured instead.
She kept watchful eyes on the Senatus. “Of course. It evens the playing field for you.”
No one would dare speak their native languages with Gwen present. As a Translator, a rare genetic trait, she was able to pick up any language in an instant. Five years ago, that skill had changed the Ofarian world.
David flanked him on the other side, chuckling. “You ready for some Grade A groveling?”
Griffin didn’t want groveling. At least, not entirely. Maybe two days ago he would have been satisfied with a heartfelt apology from the chief because it would have meant a step in his desired direction. Not anymore. Now he wanted answers about Keko, but it was forming the questions that scared the shit out of him.
So many secrets had come to light since the last time he’d been in the presence of the Chimerans. So many more still buried.
Griffin’s mind whirred with a racket of magic signatures, and an intense churning of political analysis, strategic planning, and general nervousness.
“Chief,” said the premier in his flat Canadian accent, “a little light and heat, if you please.”
The symbolic lighting of the bonfire, calling the Senatus to gather. Griffin approached the ring of stones, his two most faithful Ofarians at his back. This would all be new to them, since last time he’d come here he’d been alone.
In the moonlight, he watched Chief bestow a regal, respectful nod to the premier, then give a curt, authoritative gesture to Bane, pointing at the piled logs. Bane, massive and glowering, stomped forward. It was difficult to look at him; he reminded Griffin of Keko so much—the same tint to their skin, the same dramatic arch of their eyebrows, the mixed Hawaiian heritage enhancing all their best features. Bane drew a Chimeran breath, the expanse of his muscled chest widening even more. He bent forward at the waist as he released his magic, a great and forceful spurt of gold and sunset flame shooting from between his lips. It struck the logs, which instantly caught fire.
Then, slowly and deliberately, Bane lifted his dark eyes and pinned Griffin with a hard stare. One that wouldn’t break under anything less than a tank driving between them. A quick ripple of flame flashed across Bane’s irises, and tendrils of smoke drifted out from between his lips.
“Whoa,” David said at Griffin’s shoulder. “You see that?”
“Yeah,” Griffin muttered.
“Maybe the war isn’t over. Thought they called you back here to bow down and apologize.”
That’s why the premier had, Griffin thought, and maybe the chief, too, but Bane’s warning had something to do with Keko—clearly personal and full of the very answers Griffin wanted. As he stepped into the stone ring, the fire’s heat struck but did not warm him.
The premier craned his neck to take in the other Ofarians, assessing. “Only two. Where’s the third? The one I asked you to bring, the one you found in Colorado.”
At the mention of Colorado, David and Gwen shifted in confusion. Griffin hadn’t told them about the premier’s request because he knew he couldn’t fulfill it.
“I don’t know where he is,” Griffin replied. “He took off over a month ago. He tends to do that.”
The premier gave him a squinty-eyed glare from underneath the brim of his cowboy hat. “He’s Secondary. Elemental. He is spirit to my air, to your water. He should be here.”
Griffin stroked his chin. “Yeah, well, there’s really nothing I can do about that. Sean’s his own man, he’s not Ofarian so I have no control over him, and he’s had a shit life.”
“I think you should find him.”
“Maybe he doesn’t want to be found.”
The premier wanted to say a lot more, but he pressed his already thin lips closed.
Time to change the subject. “I want to thank you, Premier, for inviting me back,” Griffin began, adopting a more formal tone. Turning to the chief, carefully avoiding Bane’s continual stare, he added, “And I feel I should apologize, on behalf of my entire race, for what one rogue Ofarian did to your general.”
“Former general,” Chief barked.
It took immense effort for Griffin to hide his immediate reaction.
“Gentlemen,” said the premier, removing his hands from the crooks of his elbows and holding them up in stern warning, “we’ll begin discussions on the issues at hand when the Daughter of Earth arrives. Not before.”
“Good.” Bane’s voice rumbled and crackled like an inferno taking over a building. “’Cause there’s something I want to say to him.” He pushed out from behind the chief and started for Griffin.
Flashbacks to Makaha. Flashbacks to Keko’s too-late statement about not using magic in an attack.
Griffin planted his feet. Ready, if it was called for, to do it all over again.
“General,” the chief growled.
“Peace, Chimeran,” boomed the premier.
Bane kept coming.
Griffin stood his ground, dying to scream: What’s happened to her? Fucking tell me already!
Bane pulled up three feet away, his bare chest heaving, but not filled with Chimeran breath like Makaha. He nudged his chin into the deep shadows wedged between the trees. “I want to talk to you. Privately.”
David, Griffin’s head of security, jumped all over that. “Not outside the protection of the gathering.”
Griffin held up a hand but didn’t unlock his stare from the Chimeran general.
The chief appeared beside Bane, and Griffin could not read his face. It seemed to shift from worry to hate, desperation to fear. Griffin understood none of it.
“Gentlemen.” A sharp reprimand from the premier.
“No harm intended,” said Bane to Griffin. “Just words. It isn’t Senatus business.”
The premier crossed his arms. “Up to you, Ofarian.”
Without hesitation Griffin turned to David and Gwen. “I’m going. Alone.”
“But—” Gwen began.
“It’s not a discussion. Make sure we’re not disturbed or overheard.”
After sharing a long look, his two oldest and dearest friends fell back. When it came down to it, they had no choice in the matter. Maybe on another night he might regret ordering them to do something they so clearly didn’t like, but not on this one.
Bane headed off into the forest, the chief following, Griffin picking up the rear. He didn’t let himself think about how he was being drawn away from formal protection, didn’t let any sort of fear trickle in. His goal and a thousand questions propelled him to trail after the two wide, Chimeran backs stomping barefoot through the frigid forest. When they’d gone deep enough into the trees that the bonfire light didn’t reach and only the moonlight rained down, Bane stopped short and whirled on Griffin. Got right up into his face.
“She’ll die,” the general snarled. “All because of you.”
An invisible monster drove its great taloned fist right into Griffin’s stomach. “What’s happened?” He could barely get the words out.
“What’s happened?” Bane slapped his own chest, the sound violent and thick. “What’s happened? You’ve destroyed her is what happened.”
Griffin ignored the tingle of water magic, that sword of ice, begging to be released. “I did no such thing.”
Bane lunged. The chief was suddenly between them, pressing hands to Bane’s chest, pushing him backward. “General.” There was surprise in the chief’s voice. Also censure. Surprise that Bane could or would be so emotional about the sister who’d bested him in the past, and censure because the crazy rules of Chimeran society didn’t allow him to show such concern.
The chief turned around to face Griffin, and looked at him for a long, long time.