***
After returning from the tree, I had just enough time to grab something to eat before we headed back to the council hall. Samantha and Henry came with us. The room looked exactly the same, except nearly every seat in the room was taken, with even more people standing around the edges. Glancing at the seated council members, I took my seat at the long table and tried to keep my cool. I was thankful to be seated between Bry and Naomi again. I knew that when it came time to give the speech, I would be on my own, but until then, it was nice to be surrounded by friends. Friends—it was funny how quickly my small group of companions had become my friends. Maybe it was because I didn’t have Liam and Monty with me. As much as I missed them, I was glad they were with Charlotte. Things probably weren’t any easier for her right now, and I wanted her to have all the help she could get.
I felt pretty good about things until Alexander entered. He shot me a venomous look as he crossed the room to take his seat. I really didn’t understand why the guy hated me so much. Naomi and Bry had told me that he was antagonistic all the time, but his reaction seemed personal. I chalked it up to my status in Energo, but it still bothered me.
Marquis was the last to enter, and instead of taking his seat at the head of the table, he stood facing us with his back to the audience. “We meet today to determine whether the Pact lends support to the Resistance in Energo. Kevin Winthrop will speak for the Resistance, and Alexander will be speaking against our involvement. I will turn the floor over to both men now.” Marquis preformed a half bow before moving over to his chair.
I didn’t have time to consider standing up before Alexander pushed back his chair and addressed the council. “Most of you know my dislike for Blake and the leadership at Bellgard, but Energo’s politics are not our concern. We cannot trust the Winthrops, and we have no proof of this boy’s intentions or loyalty. For all we know, he is working for Blake, and this is a ploy to get us to leave our lands unprotected and at risk. We must protect our own people instead of joining a fledgling resistance that is doomed to fail. I would say more, but there is no need. You all already realize that I am right. We must hear this foreign child, but afterward, let us put this issue to rest.”
Murmurs of agreement spread through the crowd. Several council members nodded, but I ignored them and focused on those who did support me. Standing to face the audience seemed like the appropriate thing to do, even though the council would be the ones making the vote. I found Samantha in the crowd, and she gave me an encouraging smile.
“I understand that you each come from different nations and are most concerned with what happens within the borders of your homeland. I understand that you are afraid of the sacrifices required to step outside of your borders and take on Blake. I understand, but that doesn’t mean I agree. Alexander was right when he told you that I spent the first eighteen years of my life somewhere else. But he is wrong about presuming it has any bearing on my dedication to Energo and taking out Blake’s evil.” I heard a gasp from someone in the audience.
“Yes, evil. I know that word is weighted, but when it comes to Blake, it’s true. I know some of you don’t know why you should trust me. Alexander might have you believe that I am secretly working for Blake, but that could not be further from the truth. So right here and now, I am going to put my cards on the table and show you why you need to believe me.”
I paused and studied the sea of faces. I found Henry and Samantha, who were literally sitting on the edge of their seats. I didn’t know if that was a good or bad thing. I turned to look down the line of faces at the table. Naomi and Bry both gave encouraging nods. I returned my attention to the crowd.
“How many of you have a family?” Hands went up around the room, and a quick glance told me that everyone at the table had a hand raised except for Alexander. I smiled when I noticed; that might work to my advantage. “Or if you have no family, how many of you have friends who are like a family?” More hands appeared.
“Try to picture what I am about to tell you.” All eyes were on me; I swallowed and went with it. “You come home to find your sister missing. This is only a few years after being told your mother has died. You panic and soon discover your sister has been kidnapped and taken to another world. A situation many of you have faced, right?” I heard some light laughter.
“Okay, so next you learn that it is up to you to try to find your sister, but she might not want to come home at all because she is so in love with one of her captors. Yeah, crazy, I know—but true. And it gets worse. The only way your sister escapes is because someone puts a sword to her neck and threatens to kill her. During all of this, you are helpless to do anything.”
“And then you find out that the same guy who was behind your sister’s kidnapping was also behind your mom’s disappearance because, get this, she wasn’t really dead. So yeah, I have a pretty good reason to hate Blake and want to see him fall.” I paused again and caught Samantha’s eye. She was grinning.
“Although my story may seem bizarre, my family’s suffering at the hands of Blake is not unique. Many of you have similar tales of the horrors committed under his leadership.”
“Alexander claims Charlotte isn’t loyal because she left her Gerard, but if you know anything about the Essence-Gerard bond, I’m sure you understand how hard it was for her to leave. Charlotte fought against the bond to do the right thing. Now, it’s our turn. Sometimes doing what’s right isn’t easy, but that doesn’t change its importance.” I could feel the intensity in my voice, and I let it take over. “Sacrifice by its nature is hard, but we will have greater losses if we fail to act. It is paramount we defeat Blake. Should we wait for someone else’s mother or sister to get kidnapped, or worse, killed before we do something?”
“Hell, no!” Ollis was on his feet, the contents of his mug sloshing over the sides as he smacked it down on the table.
Several men, so similar in appearance to Ollis that it was almost disconcerting, stood up in the audience. “We fight him!”
“We fight for our families, we fight for the Essence, and we fight for the Source.” The leader of the Zales was on his feet as well—no one had introduced us, but I figured anyone that sparkled that much had to be a Zale.
Everywhere in the room, people pushed back their chairs to stand. I felt Bry’s strong grip on my arm, and Naomi beamed.
The Zale started a chant. “For our families, the Essence, the Source!” echoed through the room. It seemed funny that people were chanting about my sister, but I knew it was a good thing. The only person still seated at the table was Alexander, and only a handful of people sat in the audience. I knew we had won. I joined the chant, feeling the intensity of the words flow over me.