PROMISE

CHAPTER 32

"The Vrai knew right where to hit us." Smith's face was flat and white as a gravestone as he spoke to the gathered Foew. "They struck the most inhabited portions of the haven."

Hain watched from his place near the back of the room as a melange of shock and horror rolled over the faces of the gathered Foew.

Hain felt it too. Because he'd seen what the Vrai could do. He'd watched Vrai torturers scourge victims to the bone. He'd seen skin flayed and peeled from arms like gloves. And he'd heard the screams, crying for them to stop. To please, oh God please, just let me die.

But this, Hain thought, was somehow worse than anything he'd witnessed before. This was death, heaped and piled in a smoky ruin until fire and blood clogged the streets. This, Hain realized, was the enemy he'd seen in Memory. The true Vrai.

A blocky-looking Foew spoke into the pause. "What of survivors?"

Smith's voice came out low. "No word."

"But that's hundreds of people." A willowy Foew said in a trembling voice. "Surely someone must have survived."

"Maybe," Smith said. "But maybe not. Given the extent of the damage, it's unlikely that we'll be hearing anything soon."

More silence blanketed the room. Hain listened, eyes on the floor, hands folded into his lap. He wanted to leave. Sitting in the midst of their grief felt obscene, like sneaking into the funeral of a stranger.

"We need to track the missiles. Find out where they shot them from." The willowy Foew spoke again, but this time her voice was hard. "We need to hit the bastards back."

Hain saw heads nod as the sound of assent bubbled about him, until Smith's deep baritone cut over it.

"There will be no retaliation," Smith said. "At least, not for now. Our first duty is to evacuate all those who've reported in." Smith leveled the gathered Foew with a hard look. "And considering the situation, I move that we vote for an interim chairperson to coordinate our efforts."

"But what about those who can't report in?" Lilith spoke up from the center of the room–the place Hain thought Hume would have likely sat. "Surely there must be some survivors beneath the rubble."

"And give the Vrai a chance to finish their work with another round of missiles?" Smith shook his head. "No. I won't allow what's left of our people to be slaughtered on a fool's errand."

"Unless your order came from Hume, I don't think you should be talking about allowing anything," Lilith said. "Speaking of which, where is Hume?"

Smith sat up straighter in his chair. "We have authority enough to convene without him present."

"That's not what I asked."

"Hume was taking shelter in one of the sectors of the haven that was hit," said the willowy Foew. "At present, he's unaccounted for."

"As are a lot of our people," Smith said. "Which is exactly why we need to decide on a strong leader to carry us through this crisis. That said, I make a motion–"

"Cut the power grabbing theatrics." Lilith's tone was a cracked whip as she cut over Smith. "Everyone here knows this isn't what Hume would have wanted."

"What he wanted?" Smith sneered, heat boiling behind his smoke-colored eyes. "This entire situation would have never happened if it weren't for what Hume wanted."

Lilith nearly screamed with derisive laughter. "You're delusional if you possibly think the Vrai attacks are because of Hume."

"Not because Hume." Smith lanced a finger toward Hain. "Because of him."