Page 31

Njáll

T he Hunters’ Council is hardly any different than my last visit here, a few months ago, although I suppose this time there is no mage’s body in a cell, waiting for us to uncover her murderer.

No. Instead, Augustine is here—apparently, he has taken it upon himself to approach the Council directly—and that means so are the wolves, and so is Vasile.

He gives me a tight smile when I arrive, one that I do not return. Afsaneh is with me, at my own request, and the other chieftains have gathered at the clan house, waiting for our return in a few hours.

The tables in the Council meeting room are set in a horseshoe, the current Council members sitting around them. Alwynn is in the centre, and she stands when Afsaneh and I walk inside, inclining her head in greeting. “Crai. Chieftain.”

Deacon and Kieran are already in here. Vasile waits in the corridor, and I do not know if that is at Alwynn’s insistence or his own.

And, finally, there is Augustine. He looks worse than the last time I saw him, somehow more drawn. He gives me a hateful glare, and I stare mildly back.

It did not have to come to this.

“Now that we are all here,” Alwynn says, taking her seat again, “we can begin.”

She has not offered us anywhere to sit. Deacon and Kieran stand to Augustine’s left. Afsaneh and I are to Augustine’s right.

“We have had a petition from this vampire, Augustine Halbrook, which concerns one of the wolves in Alpha Kieran’s clan, Quinn Murphy. Mr Halbrook’s accusation is that Mr Murphy killed his partner.”

“It is not an accusation ,” Augustine snarls. “He did it.”

“Indeed,” Alwynn says, raising both eyebrows and staring at Augustine until his hackles go back down.

“Mr Murphy testified as such when the Council questioned him about it in January. The question is not about his guilt. We have convened today to talk about the justice Mr Halbrook believes he is owed.”

“Owed?” Deacon asks.

“We are in a tricky situation, alpha,” Alwynn says. “At the time of the attack, Mr Murphy was not subject to our rules in London and was not under the protection of your pack.”

“But he is now,” Kieran snaps. I’m honestly surprised he’s managed to hold out for this long.

“That is correct, alpha,” Alwynn replies.

She is remarkably calm. Deacon is more restrained than Kieran, of course, but I suspect it may not take even him long to lose his temper.

“Augustine is willing to face Quinn in a challenge, the way wolf packs do. It would, of course, not be to the death. I have made it clear that is not an acceptable outcome and if it were to look as though the situation was headed that way, we would intervene.”

Augustine nods. He never takes his eyes off Alwynn. He is acting as though Deacon and Kieran are not there at all.

Deacon and Kieran, who are having a silent conversation now, neither of them pleased about this development.

I understand. I don’t trust that Augustine doesn’t have anything else up his sleeve.

He’ll try to kill Quinn the first chance he gets.

He doesn’t care that much for the consequences, I imagine.

“I’ll take his place,” Kieran says. Apparently, whatever argument he and Deacon just had, he won.

“No,” Augustine snarls. “ You didn’t kill him.”

“I’m Quinn’s alpha. I have that right. He’s in no condition to fight you, anyway.”

“After six months?” Augustine shakes his head, now turning to look at Kieran, clearly irritated.

“What kind of pack are you leading that he can’t defend himself after half a year?

Even that vampire had better control over them than you.

Under his leadership, the wolf killed a vampire centuries older than either of you. ”

Kieran looks like he might attack Augustine here and now, but Deacon shakes his head, stepping forward.

“Alpha Kieran is correct,” he says. “Quinn is in no condition to fight a vampire right now. That and he’s too young.

Even under these circumstances, within our packs, we would seek a different solution.

One option would be to have someone take the accused’s place in the challenge. ”

Augustine opens his mouth, but Alwynn gets to her feet in a rush.

“That’s enough. Mr Murphy is over the age of eighteen, and even by your standards,” she says, looking at Deacon, “he would be considered a full adult. Unless taking part in this challenge would certainly kill him, he has a responsibility to answer the call and you, alpha, have a responsibility to take measures to ensure our city’s treaty remains intact. ”

“You are overstepping,” Deacon growls.

Alwynn doesn’t even flinch. “I am not. We all learnt a lot six months ago, but that means nothing if we do not carry those lessons through. One of those lessons is that we need to deal with the consequences of our actions, lest we have another Tamesis rise amongst us and destroy us.”

“You are sacrificing one of my wolves for this—”

“I apologise if he ends up injured, Alpha Deacon, but the challenges are the wolves’ way of handling the situation.”

“Don’t you turn this back on us! We didn’t—”

“We need a different solution,” I say, loudly enough that it seems to shock Alwynn and Deacon out of the argument they’re having.

Augustine turns on me faster than either of them. “You traitor ,” he snarls. “I came to this Council because you are no leader of vampires. You should not even get to speak .”

“And what happens when you lose to a young wolf, Augustine?” I say, and this time I keep my voice mild.

He blinks in surprise. “What? It is not beyond the realms of imagination. Quinn is young and strong enough that he survived all that Tamesis did to him and his pack. And now he’s in a pack under an alpha who won a challenge against another, shifted, alpha with ease. What happens when you lose?”

Augustine has no answer to that; I doubt he has even considered it. He stares at me, expression hateful, and I don’t look at Deacon and Kieran because I don’t want to see the looks on their faces.

“We need another solution,” I say. “Something more civilised.” There is something else, some idea forming at the back of my mind, but not one I want to speak aloud just yet. I do not think it would be well-received here.

“I don’t want any of that,” Augustine snaps. “I want my vengeance.”

He storms past me and is out of the room before even Alwynn can shout for him to stop.

Have I made things worse? Perhaps. Though I don’t know that it would be better, either, to make Quinn face Augustine. I do not think Deacon or Kieran would push so hard for a lie.

“We’re done here?” Deacon asks, but when I look up, he is talking to Alwynn, not me.

“I suppose so,” she says with a sigh. “I’ll let you know if we hear anything else from him.”

Deacon nods. Kieran is out of the room first, not looking at any of us, but Deacon pauses when he reaches me.

“It was a nice attempt,” he says. “I don’t think he’ll be satisfied with anything we can give him.”

“No,” I agree. I know what he means. If Augustine becomes a threat… I think he could, but so far he has done nothing aside from run around and cause more tension between us all.

Tension we do not need.

“Good night, crai,” Deacon says and heads out of the room after Kieran.

Alwynn stares at me once they’re gone but doesn’t speak until their footsteps have receded far away. “Do you need help dealing with this vampire?”

“No,” I say, and it is only half a lie. What help can she give me? The hunters can likely hunt and kill him—that is part of their job—but so far, he has done nothing wrong. “No, the clan can handle it.”

I glance over at Afsaneh for the first time, and she nods decisively at Alwynn when I do. “We have it under control, Hunter Alwynn.”

“See that you do,” Alwynn says. “If Augustine attacks Kieran’s pack, it will be our responsibility to step in. You know that.”

“I do.” I manage a faint smile. “Thank you for the reminder.”

Alwynn sighs again, leaning back in her chair. That’s as much a dismissal as anything else, so I incline my head to her and sweep out the door, Afsaneh beside me.

“We both know Augustine is not going to stop at that,” Afsaneh murmurs once we’re in the car, heading back to the clan house.

“I know.”

“Should we keep an eye on him?”

“Do you have anyone you trust to do so?” I do not know where Augustine goes when he is not at the clan house, and that in itself is a mistake, though he is not obligated to tell me, so long as he is not staying in wolf territory.

I think I have been of half a mind that he is staying outside of London entirely.

“Yes,” Afsaneh says without hesitation. “Is that a matter to keep between ourselves?”

I consider the other chieftains. I trust them all. Still…

“For now. See if you can find out where Augustine is staying during the day and if he’s meeting anyone. If he makes any moves towards Quinn or Kieran’s pack, we need to know first, and we need to stop him.”

“Of course, crai,” Afsaneh says. She pulls her phone out of her pocket and begins typing.

I turn my head, watching buildings pass by as we drive.

Maurice would have thought of that faster than I did, hunter that he is, but I cannot think of him now.

I have been pushing thoughts of him aside all week because there is little point in dwelling; he is gone, dealing with something far bigger than we are, and I cannot afford to be distracted.

Still, I indulge myself for a moment and imagine him by my side. Imagine him swooping in and taking care of this problem, or at least giving me the tools to.

That’s all I have of him, at least for now. Imaginings. I huff and tear my gaze from the window, shaking my head when Afsaneh looks at me with a questioning expression.

“It’s nothing,” I say, and she smiles. She doesn’t believe me.

“Of course, crai.”