Alterant (Belador #2)(13)

Brina’s lips parted in surprise.

Evalle considered his odd question. He hadn’t said anything about her aura being brighter. She answered truthfully. “As far as I know, yes.”

Ares scowled at her. “Then why did you change it to gold?”

Gold? Storm changed her aura to gold?

Evalle would kill him if she survived this. How was she supposed to answer that and not tell this bunch about Storm using his majik on her? What had he done to her? “I didn’t change my aura. I can’t see auras and don’t even know how to change one.”

That didn’t soften Ares one bit.

Evalle added, “I’m around a lot of different beings, and one of those must have affected mine somehow.”

Her skin didn’t light up red, so tiptoeing around the truth seemed to work. She let out a strained breath.

Loki juggled two balls of power and sighed loudly, clearly feeling put upon to be here. “Gold, silver, whatever. This is not why we are here.”

Evalle took that cue to change the topic back to smoothing things over. Submissive had never been part of her makeup, but she gave humble her best shot when she spoke.

“I have the greatest respect for the Tribunal members and Brina.” Yes, she’d intentionally left Sen out of that lineup. “I apologize for arriving late, but while going to the aid of a human in danger I was ambushed by three men wielding Noirre majik and was fighting for my life when Sen arrived to escort me. As a member of VIPER, I swore an oath to protect humans first even at the risk of my own safety.”

Evalle caught Sen looking at her with a curious expression. Surprised I didn’t light up like Rudolf’s nose?

She gave a quick check of Brina, who stood ahead of Evalle and to the right, between her and the dais. Brina hadn’t been happy at first, but now her eyes registered . . . pride?

That breathed life into the hope clamoring inside Evalle’s chest.

The Tribunal must have been appeased by her explanation, because Pele moved on. “When last we met, you were told of a pregnant Alterant female who shifted into a beast and killed a human. Until then, the only Alterants who had shifted and killed were males. You were given a chance to produce proof that humans are at no risk from you as an Alterant. Where is this proof?”

Evalle didn’t have said proof. She’d gotten sidetracked helping VIPER save the world.

Brina asked in her Irish lilt, “Might I have the floor?”

Loki spoke up. “By all means, anything to move this along and spare me from spending any more of eternity here.”

That drew a gritty snarl from Ares. “If being immortal is an inconvenience, I am willing to end your suffering . . . now.”

Loki leaned forward to speak past Pele. “I would find that amusing for the few minutes it would take to destroy you.”

Pele lifted her hand and flicked her fingers. Lightning shot from her fingertips and spread across the sky. Thunder rolled around the Nether Realm. “Enough!”

Evalle held her breath. Just her luck she’d have the Tribunal meeting where a god went postal. That’d end up being her fault, too.

As if nothing had happened, Brina calmly launched into what she had to say. “There are still questions we have not answered about Alterants—”

What? Evalle could hang herself without Brina’s help.

“—but Evalle has proven to be a valued member of the Beladors. She’s put mankind and our tribe ahead of her own needs, which impaired her ability to deliver tangible evidence for you. As we are living proof of the intangible within the world of the humans, can we not accept her actions as intangible proof of her reliability?”

Way to go, Brina. That’s more like it.

Brina wasn’t done yet. “Evalle was also part of the VIPER team tasked with finding and returning the Ngak Stone before daylight in Atlanta yesterday morning. She acted selflessly, risking her life to stop the Kujoo warlord and at one point when she took possession of the Ngak Stone—”

A collective gasp erupted on the dais.

“—Evalle voluntarily handed the stone over to be placed in the VIPER vault,” Brina continued. “Might I point out that many of our kind would not have relinquished an artifact so powerful? As warrior queen of the Beladors, I consider her one of my best.”

Really? Evalle couldn’t believe her ears, but Brina’s voice rang with sincerity and passion. Tzader had stated over and over that Brina was always ready to stand up for her Beladors. All of them.

Ares appeared unmoved by Brina’s declaration. “What of the seven Alterants that shifted and attacked humans in recent days?”

Seven? Evalle spoke to Brina mind to mind. I just heard about the attacks on the West Coast. Now is not the time for them to lock me away with a surge in Alterant attacks. I know the Tribunal won’t see it this way, but I could help with this outbreak. Beladors are the strongest arm of VIPER, but they can’t link their powers to face an Alterant, not after what happened in Charlotte.

Two months ago, nine Beladors had linked to stop one Alterant. They should have been able to contain him, but he’d shifted and ripped the head off one of the Beladors before any of them had a chance to unlink.

When linked, if one warrior died, they all died.

I agree. Brina addressed Ares. “With these new Alterant discoveries, we need Evalle’s abilities in VIPER more than ever.”