Alterant (Belador #2)(14)

With one disgusted snort, Ares gave his opinion of how much he thought of Evalle as an asset.

Pele and the gods spoke among themselves for several minutes, but Evalle started to feel optimistic about being returned to VIPER long enough to help them deal with this problem. Maybe she’d been worried unnecessarily.

Worried sounded so much better than terrified.

When the trio of entities finished talking, Loki leaned against one of the columns that decorated the dais, and Ares tapped his fingers on the hilt of the sword sheathed at his hip.

Pele paid no attention to the gods when she spoke. She had a soft voice, but power surged beneath the feminine tone. “Evalle has committed a larger transgression.”

What the hell? Evalle got an air cuff upside her head kinetically from Brina for cursing. Sorry.

Brina asked Pele, “What transgression?”

“When we last met, Evalle was told not to associate with another Alterant. We have learned that while hunting said Ngak Stone she communicated with the escaped Alterant Tristan.”

That blasted Sen must have ratted her out even though he knew the circumstances. She’d also sent Tristan back to his spellbound cage in South America with him begging her to kill him instead.

She’d hated doing that to him. Tristan had only wanted what she wanted, what any person wanted—to be free. Death would have been more humane, but neither could she have killed him in cold blood.

Tristan would gut her if he stood before her now, and she couldn’t blame him, even if she had been doing her duty when she’d sent him back.

Pele asked Evalle, “Do you deny communicating with the other Alterant?”

Evalle said, “No. I did speak to him, but doesn’t the fact that I returned Tristan to captivity count for something?”

Ares pointed out, “We let you live.”

Brina kept her hands linked in front of her, docile to an untrained eye, but she wasn’t a warrior queen in title only. When she spoke her words rang with authority. “Evalle communicated with Tristan only to gain valuable information that was key to getting the Ngak Stone away from a dangerous predator. Had she not, the Kujoo might have destroyed much of the human world. Due to Evalle’s efforts the stone is now secure in the VIPER vault.”

Ares crossed arms bulging with muscles and dismissed Brina’s explanation. “No provision was made at our previous meeting when this Alterant was ordered not to associate with another Alterant. She should have asked for an exception to the terms before agreeing, and that is but the least of her charges. Any aid she gave to recovering the Ngak Stone does not justify her part in releasing deadly Alterants in the human realm.”

I did not release Alterants, Brina, Evalle sent to her queen mind to mind.

I believe you, Brina replied, then addressed the Tribunal. “What evidence is used to charge Evalle with this?”

Still amusing himself by tossing miniature fireworks the size of a baseball from the palm of one hand, Loki said, “Let us get to the point. You told Tristan you wanted to see Alterants freed.”

“Tristan said that. I didn’t,” Evalle argued.

Brina swung a look at her that promised retribution if Evalle had just fed her a bunch of hooey.

Evalle shifted her hands to open palm out at her sides. Do I look like a glowing beacon in the red light district? I never told him that. Sen had obviously given his own version of what had happened that night, editing at will.

Pele asked Evalle, “What did you say to Tristan about the Alterants?”

Anything less than truth would burn her. Evalle said, “I told him I wanted to help Alterants so we wouldn’t have to be locked up or destroyed.”

Loki interjected, “I see no difference.”

Ares’ voice boomed. “Guilty as charged.”

Evalle argued, “No, there is a difference, because it was taken out of context.”

Shaking her head at Evalle, Pele said, “Context doesn’t matter. In our world, words are as dangerous as any other weapon and should be wielded with care.”

Loki said, “She influenced the Alterant Tristan, who released three others from captivity. Now we have even more beasts shifting and killing humans. It appears this could be part of a plan by this Tristan to turn Alterants loose on the world.”

Un-freaking-believable. Forget being locked away. They could dust her if they thought she played any part in the Alterants that are now shifting and killing. “If that’s the case, why don’t you bring Tristan in for questioning?”

Pele glared at Evalle, power blowing across Evalle so sharply that it bumped her back a step. “Macha ordered the Alterants caged. We do not have Tristan’s location.”

Evalle tossed a look of question at Brina, then swung her attention back to Pele. “I asked the Ngak Stone to return Tristan to his original prison.”

Pele picked up on Evalle’s glance. “Brina is under oath to her goddess. She can only divulge information voluntarily.”

Brina gave a brief shake of her head. “Unfortunately, I can share nothing about the captured Alterants, O Goddess.”

Pele told Evalle, “We cannot locate Tristan without Macha’s assistance, which she is not offering. Since Tristan does not fall under the jurisdiction of a specific pantheon that is a part of the coalition, we cannot demand his presence.”

In other words, Tristan was safe from the Tribunal.