It didn’t take her long to find them. She lurked quietly outside down the hall, knowing she didn’t need to be any nearer to hear their words.
“I’m sorry, but we’re simply not willing to let you go after him. It isn’t safe.” She didn’t recognize this voice.
“I’m going after him with or without the council’s help. This man is as much your problem as he is mine, but if I have to go it alone, I will.” She knew this voice well, and it was strained in fury that was barely contained.
“We had a deal, Truman. You agreed to take the place at the head of your house in exchange for her life. If you go alone, it will be suicide, and if you die, she dies. Don’t fail to remember that part!” She recognized this man’s voice as Sylvan. His words had always been controlled but his expression restrained and distant, and she could see his mind working. He was the head of the council, and it was likely his only care in the world, and while he may be unlike the monsters she’d met before him, there was a coldness to him that left no doubt in her mind that he could easily be a threat to her.
“He won’t stop trying to destroy me, and he will absolutely use her to do it. You’re insane to think otherwise or that it is safer to sit behind your fortress walls and do nothing!”
It was Sylvan who responded. “She is not our concern, and if she dies, then you will have my sympathies and nothing more. You are the head of your family, and you are the concern of the council, not her! We can protect you here, but until we have a clear and defined means of going after Mason, we will not allow you to go off on some suicide mission!” The normally controlled voice of the council head was as strained and furious as Truman’s.
“What I choose to do is my business alone. You don’t own my life, and I’ll be damned—”
“No, but we do own her life!” Sylvan’s voice was bellowed over Truman’s own furious tirade.
Ember had to strain to hear the quiet fury that was uttered in Truman’s seething response. “Don’t you ever use her to threaten me. If you do anything to harm her, I swear it will be the last thing you ever do.”
Ember crept closer, slowly closing the space between the stairwell doorway that she was lurking in and the door to the council’s room. And when she heard Sylvan’s equally quiet response, she froze midway down the hall to listen. “She’s expendable, always has been, and the council will not take lightly to your insistence on placing her above our needs.”
“And by council, you mean you. Don’t pretend this is about anything but your tyrannical needs.”
“I mean what I say, if you die, she dies. So think very carefully on the intelligence of your next move.”
And Ember crept closer still. “I am. He’s going to kill her eventually, and if you have your way, I’ll not have even a chance to stop it. At this rate, her death is certain. The only real question is will I die with her or suffer without her once she’s been killed. At least if I try, there’s a chance for us both … and quite frankly, I’d rather die before her than live without her.”
She should have sensed, smelled, heard, or known through any one of her heightened senses that Truman was storming out of the room, but she was captured by his words and the very notion of him dying for her—so much so she didn’t realize until the door was thrown open wide and he’d stormed right into her. He grabbed at her body to keep her upright and pulled her to his chest, capturing her body in his arms, but it was no embrace, and his face was seething in anger; at whom, she wasn’t certain—her, Sylvan—his face showed only fury.
“What the fuck are you doing here?” Well that answered that question; he was most definitely not happy to see her.
Sylvan emerged at that moment. Truman’s back was to the man, and he didn’t bother turning from Ember to look at him, but Ember was left to stare in his dark and stormy eyes. “You have no business being on this floor. It is reserved for the council members only.” Sylvan’s words were controlled, and he glared at her coldly.
Ember was resentful, of course she would be. “And here I thought perhaps I should be present while you discuss my expendability.”
“Don’t make me regret allowing you to live.” Sylvan continued to regard her as though she were nothing but dog shit on his shoe. Truman’s nostrils were flaring in anger, and his own gaze was warning Ember harshly as he continued to refuse to look at Sylvan.
But Ember’s resentment was beyond control. “I’m quite certain you already do.”
“Ember! Upstairs now.” Truman’s expression was more livid than she’d ever seen. His mouth was pinched and his brow furrowed.
“No. Since she’s here, I have something to say to her.” And then directing his words to Ember, Sylvan continued. “You are expendable. You always have been, and if I could kill you this very moment, I would.” Truman rounded slowly to the man, pulling Ember behind his body so she had to peer out from around his shoulder. “The council is my only concern. It only holds power when all families are represented and respect the rule of our laws. The council does not allow outsiders to influence its decisions, and that is why you are my problem. You are an unwelcome influence and distraction, and since I can’t kill you, I will keep you on one hell of a short leash, pet.” And then he glanced directly to Truman’s eyes. “Quite frankly, I preferred the old Truman who didn’t answer to anyone. At least then you weren’t being led around by your fucking cock!”
And then, simply because Ember couldn’t control her mouth, she lashed out one final time as Truman’s head dropped and he let loose a defeated and agitated sigh. “Ah, I see. Is that why there are no women around here, save for the occasional whore? Wouldn’t want too many cocks being led around by us simple womenfolk, would you?” Ember turned from the men and stalked down the hallway.
She didn’t make it far before Truman caught her and pulled her quite forcefully into the waiting elevator, slamming his hand on the door closed button. She froze in intimidation. Loving and caring as he could be, he was also quite skilled at terrifying her.
She’d heard Truman’s fury at Sylvan inside the council’s room, so it wasn’t like she expected him to be rainbows and sunshine when he stumbled upon her, but he was livid, and in this moment, it was directed squarely at her. He just looked, watched, seared through her eyes as he stood in the elevator while the floors ticked away. After what seemed an eternity of being drilled to the core by his gaze, he slammed his fist on the emergency stop button.
Ember looked at nothing but his chest. She wasn’t frightened he’d hurt her; she knew better than that, but she was intimidated.
“Are you trying to get yourself killed? Huh?” She just watched him. She felt her eyes bulging from their sockets, and she must have looked as shocked as she felt. The moment her wits were about her enough to speak, she opened her mouth. She did not, however, wait until she had actually decided what she was going to say, and while her mouth hung open, waiting for words she couldn’t devise, he continued to glare.
“I just … I just…” She was stuttering like an idiot.
“You just what! Thought that putting your life on the line with a man who, in case you didn’t catch it, wants you dead would be a good idea!” He was yelling and pacing, shaking his head, and damn near growling in his fury.
Ember approached him. She was shaking with nervousness, and as his eyes flashed to hers with all the seriousness of his thoughts striking out at her, he swallowed over a lump in his throat, and his anger faltered for just a moment as he regarded her. His brow furrowed in frustration and helplessness, and she reached for him.