Blood Trinity (Belador #1)(55)
The three entities exchanged glances, then turned their backs to Evalle and Brina as they conferred quietly among themselves.
Evalle couldn’t believe Brina had actually stepped up and spoken for her, just as Tzader had said she would. He was right about showing trust in return.
Brina was doing her best to buy her time. Goddess be praised.
Evalle rubbed her damp palms on her jeans, cheered at the possibility of putting all suspicion about her to rest. Even with Tzader and Quinn’s help, she expected that rounding up the evidence needed to cement her case would take a while.
But surely Brina would petition VIPER to allow her a leave of absence so that she could focus on this. Would Brina finally share information on the caged Alterants?
Evalle would be willing to give the Tribunal updates every few weeks. Whatever they needed to make this work.
“We have come to a decision,” the goddess said as she and the other two faced them again. “Your request is acceptable to us—”
Hallelujah! Evalle almost staggered in relief.
Until Pele spoke again. “—with the caveat that Evalle remains loyal to VIPER and does not associate with another Alterant while collecting her evidence.”
I haven’t even seen one in eight years, and if I had, it would probably have killed me. Evalle pulled a calming breath into her chest, preparing to thank the Tribunal for this chance.
Brina nodded. “Agreed.”
Ares cleared his throat. “She may have until the first hour of Thursday to prove there is no danger in her remaining among humans. If her status changes at any moment between now and then, she’ll be teleported to a secure location immediately.”
Evalle’s stomach hit the floor. Three days?
Three flippin’ days.
Were they out of their divine minds?
Surely these weren’t the same three days she had to spend hunting the Ngak Stone or she’d appear disloyal to VIPER?
Oh dear goddess …
No matter what she did, she was screwed. If she proved her innocence, she was disloyal, and if she was loyal, she’d never be able to prove her innocence.
Finally Sen would have his wish and she would be caged.
In only three days.
SIXTEEN
AMAZON JUNGLE, SOUTH AMERICA
Vyan stared at his warlord, who was about to march all of them straight to their deaths. He wanted to call the man a lunatic, but his intelligence and desire to live kept that word out of his vocabulary. Instead he used a moderate tone that flew in the face of his true nature. “I would warn you one last time, my lord, to rethink this plan with so few men.”
After passing through the portal that’d been opened by the witch, Batuk had been driving the men relentlessly to invade the city.
“Ten is all we need,” Batuk finally said. “We have waited long enough. I have a duty to my men, to our men.” With one cut, he sliced his sword through a tree the size of Vyan’s arm. “Every hour we waste my people spend another day in immortal misery beneath Mount Meru. Can you not understand that?”
“Me not understand? I stepped through the portal two years ago for the chance to free our people.” Vyan slashed a path through thick undergrowth of this jungle called Amazon, so different from the streets of Atlanta, where he’d been living.
“Has your time in this new realm softened your hatred of the Beladors?” Batuk asked without looking back at him.
“How can you say that? The Beladors killed my wife. I only question how much we risk by facing a monster with less than a legion of warriors.”
“We have something the beast will want. This beast will be our shield against the Beladors. How fitting that one of their own will aid us.” Batuk chuckled to himself.
Vyan saved his breath. Monkeys raced across branches above his head, screeching to one another. He eyed a fat one that would make a fine meal if he were allowed to stop long enough to hunt. His warlord had less patience than a dog on the heels of a bitch in heat.
“Batuk!” one of the men called out, and raced forward. When Vyan and the warlord turned, Nhivoli plowed through the jungle, past the men marching in line, and stopped, breathless. “I have your peace offering.”
Batuk’s face split with a satisfied smile. “Excellent. Keep it at the back of the line until I call you.” He dismissed Nhivoli, who trotted away and disappeared behind the string of men hidden by vegetation.
Batuk planned to sacrifice an animal to the monster.
That reminded Vyan of the witch’s serum he carried to feed the animal. “Are you not curious what animal Nhivoli captured?”
“No. I have no doubt he followed my precise orders, as every soldier should.” Batuk scratched his grizzly black beard. “I expect my first in command to show the same commitment and loyalty.”
Vyan wished for the millionth time that as a young man he’d sought another way to acquire the land he and his wife had intended to farm. Taking up a sword to follow Batuk upon the promise of his own tract of land had made sense at one time. A foolish decision observed clearly in hindsight. Just another way he’d failed his wife. Time had stolen her face from him, but not the sense of failure to protect her.
Vyan blinked away the hot sting in his eyes and swallowed to wet his dry throat. His saliva tasted bitter with salt and remorse.
A sizzle of energy washed across his skin in a cloak of warning.