The Awakening

Chapter forty eight

Leftover scraps of material—that was what she wore. She had attended only one monthly meeting since her arrival at Teine, and that had been one too many. As she stared at the scraps of striking orange material spread out on her bedspread, she wished she could skip the evening's meeting entirely.

Elha had left the room shortly after their discussion and returned with the attire for the evening, to which Avelon had reacted with a temper tantrum. Ernin had quietly excused himself from the conversation, promising to follow through with the plan.

Coward. Avelon's inner voice had snapped, though she knew she had not needed him to see her undress.

Of all the things she could not fathom in Balor's palace, his preference for ill-provided clothing ranked near the top. Getting dressed had taken her all of ten seconds, and she could feel her cheeks warm at how much skin was exposed. She was wearing glorified undergarments. Elha and Brianne's faces showed just as much embarrassment for her part.

She had to remind herself that she had no choice, and that after the evening, everything would change. Quick, light footsteps snapped her attention to the door. Widened, chocolate-brown eyes regarded them with shock as Jeera entered the room. She clearly had not expected to see them. To see Brianne.

"Brianne!" Jeera exclaimed in relief. Without hesitating or acknowledging who else was in the room, she barged forward and enveloped Brianne in a hug that could crush bone.

"Why are you back?" She pulled back suddenly, holding Brianne at arm's length. Her worry was evident in the way she inspected Brianne for any injuries or harm.

Brianne's cheeks flushed crimson, for reasons entirely different than just embarrassment. "I had to come back... to help." she shrugged.

Jeera shook her head and turned to face Avelon. "Why is she really back, Avelon?"

Avelon clicked her tongue at the accusation in her tone. "I didn't ask her to come back. She came back willingly to help me—" Avelon glanced at Brianne, "To help us escape."

Jeera spun to face Brianne. "That's absurd, Brianne. You shouldn't have come back. If Balor finds you here, after you escaped, he'll lose it!" Her voice rose with each word, growing more frantic.

Avelon stepped forward, her hand firmly clasping Jeera's shoulder. "That's why she's staying here, in the room. As soon as we attend the meeting, she'll slip out of the palace undetected."

Brianne whipped her head around Jeera to glare at Avelon. "The getting out part is new. When was this discussed with me?"

"Right now." Avelon smiled sweetly. "You'll leave without drawing attention, and we'll meet you—" Her voice trailed off, uncertainty creeping in. Where would they meet?

"At the docks. We'll meet you at the docks." Elha finished for Avelon.

Before Brianne could interject, Jeera cut in. "Then I'll go with Brianne."

"Balor will notice us leaving." Brianne's voice was low and deadly. She did not like the new addition to their plan at all.

"Correct, but he'll be too preoccupied with the news I offer, and the diversion that creates." Brianne and Jeera both turned their gazes toward Elha, only then fully acknowledging her presence.

"I intend to offer information while the entire group of Lords and Ladies gather. I will specifically mention his experimental regimes and how there's something he needs to know about his host." Avelon's eyes widened as Elha continued.

"I'm not sure I'm comfortable with the entire Vexar knowing I'm a Daghlan. Balor is an entity on his own, but all the Lords and Ladies who've been following his atrocities..." Avelon's voice trailed off, her throat tightening at the thought of thousands of Fae wanting her blood for their own motives.