Blood Trinity (Belador #1)(54)

Evalle would love the ability to make him do that.

As the seconds ticked by on soggy feet, worry banded her chest so tightly that she could hardly breathe.

What was taking so long?

Would Brina deny her request?

Time passed at a different speed in this dimension. When the delay stretched into what felt like thirty minutes, Evalle struggled not to cross her arms and tap her fingers. Showing any sign of impatience wouldn’t be wise. Not with three entities watching her.

Plus Brina might take that action as a bad reflection on the Beladors.

Loki stopped juggling the orb. It immediately sprouted wings, then floated above his shoulder and stayed there. He glanced around as though just noticing the proceedings. “I see no reason to wait any longer.”

Pele arched a brow. “As if your time is more valuable than ours?”

Evalle had come and gone quickly the last time she’d faced a trio of entities.

Was Brina making them wait so they’d be angry enough to ship Evalle off forever?

Loki returned her arrogant stare with one of his own. “I know only that my time is valuable. And I can make a decision where others may not.”

“You will hold your tongue unless you wish to lose it for the insult you wield.” Ares took a bold step around Pele to face Loki, who grinned like a wicked brat.

Evalle was ready to recant her request for Brina when a spinning blur of autumn colors appeared between her and the Tribunal. Hair the color of a brilliant red sunset fell to Brina’s waist. She wore a gown of ocean green that challenged her matching eyes for dominance. But this wasn’t the real-life Brina, only a hologram of their warrior queen, who could not physically leave her mystical island in the Irish Sea.

“Please forgive me for delaying the proceedings.” Brina’s voice was soft with deference but lined with steel. “I was attending to a matter for my goddess.”

Why did Evalle not believe her? Anything could be construed as a matter for her goddess, like talking to Tzader first to see if Brina should waste her time helping an Alterant.

“Your delay is acceptable.” Loki spoke before Ares or Pele could voice an opinion.

Pele eyed him with quiet malice, then slid her attention to Brina. “We have the unfortunate task of informing you another Alterant has shifted and killed.”

Evalle’s mouth slipped open. Now she understood why she hadn’t been given a suspension hearing. This wasn’t about the Birrn demon.

They’d found out about the human.

Macha help me.

Brina dropped her head, a sign of shame in front of the Tribunal.

Evalle would not drop hers. Not while she was innocent and being wrongfully accused.

“May I speak?” Brina requested.

Ares jumped in first this time. “Granted.”

Brina swept her gaze around the gods. “We have kept a close watch on Evalle, and she has shown no signs of being a threat to humanity. I would ask that she continue in her current position with VIPER and under our supervision.”

Not that she didn’t appreciate Brina’s support, but Evalle hated being spoken about as if she was a feral animal, incapable of living among humans like everyone else unless someone kept a choke collar on her.

Pele’s eyes turned to acid. “Evalle has been allowed to remain free all this time based on your recommendations in the past. But this situation is different.”

“How so, Goddess?” Brina’s voice flowed as easy as an undisturbed stream.

But then it wasn’t her neck at risk here. Evalle held her hands in front of her to keep from fidgeting or running.

Pele glanced at Loki and Ares with a look of are-you-through-posturing?

When neither god spoke up, she answered Brina’s question on how this attack was different. “The Alterant that changed into a beast this time was a female. She killed three innocent people and had to be destroyed, but not before VIPER agents learned that she was pregnant. That child died with her. Until now, Evalle was allowed her freedom based on her unique position. Now that a female Alterant has proven capable of shifting and being impregnated, we see two potential problems with her continuing to live among humans.”

On the one hand, she was grateful they still didn’t know about the mutilated body.

On the other, this was worse. She wasn’t being accused of something they thought she’d done. She was being condemned for the actions of someone she’d never even met.

The injustice of that burned deep inside her and made her seethe. How dare they judge her?

She released her hands to grip the front of her thighs, fighting against the pressure that closed in around her.

They were going to lock her away. Now.

Had she known what this was about, she’d have fought Sen with everything she had.

Sweat ran down the insides of her arms. “Brina, please.”

“Silence!” Brina didn’t even look her way.

Evalle sent a telepathic plea. Tzader, I need help.

Silence! Brina’s shout was even louder in Evalle’s head.

“I understand your joint concerns.” Brina addressed the Tribunal in a much calmer voice. “As Evalle has proven to be an exemplary follower of our beliefs and valued VIPER agent, I would ask the Tribunal to provide her the opportunity to produce evidence that she is not a risk to the humans, that she is different from all the other Alterants.”