We entered from the rear parking lot, walking through one building after another as we headed towards the front of the school.
“I want to know where the rest of my family is,” Jenna demanded of Evanson. “We haven’t seen my brothers or my sister since we woke up outside that … farmhouse.” Somehow, she made farmhouse sound like it something reprehensible.
Evanson didn’t say anything, however. Neither did the redhead who walked behind us.
“It’s just like the drivers,” I explained to her.
“They’re not going to talk, no matter how much we try.”
“If Maddy would have taught me that spell to set his boxers on fire, I’m sure he’d say something,” she sniped. I thought I caught a glimpse of a smile on Evanson’s face.
As we approached the main building, there was more activity in the halls. Men and women, stationed at every intersection. The closer we got to the front of the school, the more guards we saw. All in all, we probably passed thirty to fifty, and that was just down the main thoroughfare of the school. Every single one of them stopped what they were doing long enough to watch us pass. No one said a word.
Our guards led us towards the main office, a place that was quickly becoming my home away from home. From there they led us back into the conference room where I’d been spending so much time lately. Only this time, there weren’t only one or two people inside. There was a full-on dozen. The long rectangular table was full on three sides, with Illana Bryer in the dead center of one of the long sides. Across from her, the entire side of the table was empty, except for two empty chairs clearly left for us.
“Oh no,” Jenna whispered, as Evanson held the door for the two of us. One look at all the closed, emotionless faces in the room and I think we both knew that this wasn’t just a simple expulsion.
“Thank you, Aaron. That will be all,” Illana said formally. Once we were in the room, Evanson nodded once and closed the door from the outside. I watched him disappear down the hallway through the slats in the blinds.
“That’s Robert Cooper,” Jenna whispered at my side, nodding to a white-haired man who was so sour he looked like he had lemon juice running through his veins.
“This is a troubling night for all of us,” Illana spoke first, but she was speaking to her gathered comrades, not to us. We were the only two in the room under the age of fifty—although with witches you could never really tell. Some could have been close to one hundred. “For the past several months, we’ve all heard the whispers and scandal that has been plaguing this town.”
“Excuse me. But before you convene the lynch mob, the polite thing to do would be to introduce yourselves.” It was the standard Jenna response. However, it wasn’t Jenna who was speaking. I was.
Illana Bryer stared at me in shock. Twice in one night, I’d caught her by surprise. But I didn’t stop there. “And before you start with anything, the least you could do is inform us how our family is.”
“Absurd!” Robert Cooper glared at us from Illana’s right. “I don’t answer to you, Moonset. ”
In the corner of the room, where I hadn’t noticed him before, Quinn pushed himself off of the wall. “Grandfather … ”
“And I’ve heard more than enough out of you,” the man continued with a brief look to his left, his voice dripping with contempt. “You’re lucky you aren’t seated next to the warlocks.”
Conversation began to spring up between different groups around the table. Two women to my left were murmuring about how it was “so upsetting.” A group of men who looked like they should have been at a sports bar were grunting about “mistake letting them come here.”
Jenna had taken her seat, but I didn’t. For once, I wasn’t going to be the one trying to placate everyone, and make things better. Besides, this wasn’t a fire we were just going to walk away from.
Screw the good twin.
“Excuse me!” My voice rang throughout the room, and all movement stopped. Quinn’s grandfather looked like he’d swallowed his tongue. “Are they okay? Where are they?” I kept my voice loud, and controlled. I thought I caught a glimpse of approval on Quinn’s face, but with him it was so hard to tell.
“Your family is fine, dear boy,” Illana said, her voice smooth and uncompromised. “As is the girl, I can assure you.” She, too, looked less murderous than some of the others around the table, but her tone wasn’t entirely respectful either. “They’ve shown no adverse effects to their
… trials this evening.”
“Where are they?”
“Safe,” Illana said.
“They were not deemed a threat,” Robert snapped.
“He has a right to know what’s going on,” Quinn fired back.
There was a moment’s pause before Illana stepped in. “Justin Daggett. Jenna Bellamont.
We’ve been gathered tonight after accusations that you have been known associates with a warlock.”
“That’s ridiculous,” I said, feeling fire in my veins. “Jenna wasn’t even involved. She was as much a victim as the others.”
“Nevertheless,” Illana continued, as if I hadn’t said anything of value, “those are the accusations in play.”
“We’re the only ones they’re scared of,” Jenna murmured quietly, looking up at me. “They don’t care about the others.”
Robert Cooper cleared his throat. “And that’s all you need to know. Now then—”
“I am not bait.” I took a deep breath, and looked at the members of the Congress. None of them, save Illana, looked particularly intimidating. “And this is the last time you’ll use any of us like that.” Someone had to stand up. Someone had to put this to an end.
They’d brought us here, hoping we’d draw out their warlock. Hoping that maybe, just maybe, the warlock would take care of the Moonset problem for them. And if not, well, we could both be painted with the same brush. The whispers once again picked up around the table, from smug whispers of “how inappropriate” to more scandalized “of course it was them.” Everyone around the table had an opinion, it seemed. That’s when I knew for certain.
The Invisible Congress. Made up of the leaders of the Great Covens and a few token
Solitaires. They pulled at our strings and toyed with our lives. I looked down at Jenna, who was looking back up at me like we’d never seen each other before.
“Young man, should you choose to interrupt me again, I will have you bound and gagged,”
Quinn’s grandfather said, taking to his feet. We stood across the table from each other. I swallowed. “We’re all well aware of your need for dramatics,” he said, waving his hand in a way that included the two of us. “And I won’t tolerate it this evening. You lost your rights the moment you consorted with the Abyss.”
“Calm yourself, Robert,” Illana said, placing her hand on his arm. “Remember, we’re not at war any longer.”
The rotund, sweating man seated on the other side of Robert cleared his throat. “Are we sure that both of them are involved with the Denton boy? Their files indicate the girl is a risk, but hardly the boy.”
Robert looked to his left, pitching his voice for his grandson. “Bring the girl in.”
I followed Quinn with my eyes until he went to the door, and then I turned to watch as he disappeared across the hall. A few moments later he returned with Ash following behind.
There was soot covering her face. I could see rips in her shirt underneath the too-large jacket she was wearing, and her hair was a mess, but she looked otherwise unhurt.
“You can stand with Quinn,” Illana said, not altogether unkindly to her. But Ash didn’t move.