Delta drummed her fingertips on the polished stone of the table, as if concentrating on such a simple action could render the world around her nonexistent. Sure, she'd insisted on attending the meeting, but now that she was here, regret was creeping in.

Even if the hall was still and quiet now, it was poised to collapse into senseless argument. Stiff-set shoulders, cautious eyes, bit lips, tapping toes, and a general sense of pent-up anxiety--everyone in the hall was barely containing themselves, and the smallest provocation would plunge them all into a fit.

A similar mood had hung over the palace in the days since the attack; nobody could relax.

Astin cleared his throat, and, from his position at the head of the table, announced, "Shall we begin?"

There was a low murmur of assent, and a few nodded their heads. It seemed Delta's reluctance was shared.

Delta ceased her tapping and drew her hand off the table, tucking it into her lap and pulling her arms as far in as they would go. The circular table used by the council by the meetings was far more crowded than usual; not only was the entire council there, but also Saros, Alina, Falak, Keir, and Delta (Brook, still shaken from the attack, had opted out).

As a result, the chairs around the table were far closer together, and though there was still a good two feet between each person, it left Delta feeling cramped.

"Goodness, must it be so dark in here?" said Alina, glancing at the dim lamps in each corner of the room. Each person at the table cast a long shadow forward, all of them mingling in the center of the table. Alina shook her head and lifted her hands above her table, forming a small orb of light inside them. With a small flick she sent it drifting upward to the shadow-cloaked ceiling. Shadows slid away as the orb reached the apex of the vaulted ceiling, bright light glinting off white stone.

"Ah." Alina, noticing everybody looking at her, placed her hands back in her lap. "That is all."

"Thank you," said Astin, nodding toward Alina. "Now. Today, as I'm sure you know, we'll be discussing the event of the attack four days prior, as well as how we intend to proceed. But, first, Lady Tor, if you would inform us of the discoveries your team made while investigating the scene."

"Of course." Kaia tipped her head into a shallow bow. "But first, Captain Sidereus, those in charge of repairs have a question for you."
"Ask away."

"A large amount of the foundation below the study has been destroyed. Should we repair the foundation first, and then focus on the surface--this will take a little longer, of course--or take the quicker option and simply restore the surface? Broken foundation won't affect King Saros much, but if there's another attack, it might--"

"Restore the surface," said Astin without so much as a glance toward Saros. "We'll worry about the foundation later."

Kaia hesitated for a moment, a slight frown on her face, before bowing again and murmured, "As you wish, captain." She was the picture of calmness, face flat, almost stern, posture betraying none of the pent-up worry the others displayed. Seeing her so composed, the memory of her behavior at the day of the attack seemed like a wild dream brought on by the chaos.

She had materialized from the crowd of stunned angels and seized Blaise in a tight hug, stone-cold countenance shattered by relief. They'd stayed like that for a good thirty seconds before Kaia broke away, and she was back to normal, ordering around soldiers and council members alike to bring a semblance of calm to the battle scene.

"As for the site of the battle," started Kaia, "most of the debris was thrown outside so--"

"The bombs were planted inside the study," cut in Esen, crossing her arms.

Kaia frowned. "Yes, that's what we think."

Falak chimed in. "I find it hard to believe that Saros wouldn't notice bombs in his study." He had the good sense to wear some semblance of solemnity of his face, though his tone was still a bit too casual.

"Please don't take what Lady Kalani says literally," said Kaia after a poorly concealed sigh. "We're unsure what types of explosives were used. The marks on the stone indicate incredible outward force." With a touch of reluctance, she added, "We are indeed curious as to why King Saros noticed nothing." She directed her next question at Saros. "Are you sure you noticed nothing odd?"

Saros shook his head helplessly. "Nothing. It pains me to think about. Because of my ignorance, so much destruction was caused."

Astin, sitting to Saros's left, placed a hand on his shoulder, a small gesture of comfort.

At the brief lull in the discussion, Alina, whose eyes had been smoldering with excitement, stated, almost shouted, "I know what the explosives are."

Every pair of eyes in the room snapped to her. Instead of wilting under the attention as she usually did, it seemed to fuel the fire in Alina's eye. She straightened her back and raked her gaze over the hall, commanding everyone's absolute attention.

Ever since her meeting with Adrian the day prior, she'd shaken off the perpetual gloom that hung over her head and set about with a sense of deliberate purposefulness. In a brief conversation, Delta had asked her what exactly had brought about the change, but Alina had only said something about sorting her thoughts out, and that Delta should be ready for tomorrow's meeting. She'd then marched off, eyes glinting.

The corners of Alina's mouth twitched up as she spoke. "I learned this in my meeting with our human confidant."

In the second it took for Alina to draw a breath, Arroyo jumped in. "And why haven't you shared this information with us yet?"

Alina replied smoothly, unfazed. "The meeting was just yesterday. I didn't have time to formally present it to the council. Ease up, Lord Balog."

Delta found herself fighting back a smile. It was a relief to see Alina in better spirits after so much moping, and it was always a pleasure to witness someone put down Arroyo.

"The explosives are the product of an enchantment," continued Alina. "I learned that the organization hunting us utilizes pieces of debris enchanted with fire magic. Each of the miniscule pieces is packed with raw power, and it only takes the slightest push to send it all spilling out, causing an explosion. I think that Dark provided this push--it would only take the slightest amplification to set them off."

A brief silence followed her words, the attendees glancing among themselves, gauging the plausibility of Alina's theory. Delta found no issue with the theory, but there was a far more pressing question, one that everybody in the hall seemed reluctant to bring up.

Blaise was the first to break the silence. "I don't know about that," she said, leaning on the table. "You don't just stick that much magic in something that small. Fire is wild, fire is free, fire hates being contained." She gestured at nothing for each adjective. "And, from what you've told us, their fire user doesn't seem capable of something on that level."

Alina listened with slight contempt in her eyes, though, when she answered, her words were even. "I've been told he's been making drastic improvement. Anyway, the point isn't that it's difficult magic, the point it that it's possible. So, tell me, Blaise, is such a spell possible."

Blaise crossed her arms and glowered at Alina. "...it's possible."

Alina spun to face the rest of the hall. "And there you have it. Possible." Her lips twitched into a small smirk. Her eyes roved the hall, silently daring them to ask the next question.

Arroyo raised an eyebrow. "I find it foolish to so flippantly disregard King Saros's powers. Would he not have sensed such an enormous energy? " Halfway through the question, he shifted his focus to Saros and Astin.

Saros once again shook his head, clearly distraught. "I noticed no such thing. Maybe, Alina you were wrong in your judgement."

Alina shook her head. "I'm sure. From the information I've been given, it seems our attackers simply don't have access to the high-power explosives needed to create such a blast. The debris would be easy to hide and easier to set off. Does anyone have any other ideas?"

Silence. None of them knew anything about human weaponry.

Astin had gone as pale as the white stone around him. "Perhaps it was what you suggested," he offered, "and Saros simply didn't suggest it. If the magic was, as you said, concentrated in such a small area, it would have been a mere pinprick, regardless of power. Too small to be immediately detected. And why would he be searching for magic in his own study?"

A brief pause, then some consenting nods. Nobody except Astin and Saros really understood how dark magic worked, anyway.

Saros listened with a blank face. After Astin finished, he remained still for a second, blinked, then spoke. "Yes, that's possible." He nodded, as if the more he thought about it, the more sense it made. "Yes, yes, that's probably it." He smiled at Astin. "Good idea."

Astin didn't return the smile. Looking paler than ever, he kept his gaze fixed on the table, face a mask.

Alina took up the lead again. "Let's assume the debris is what the attackers used. However, I'm far more concerned with how it was planted."
"Easy. One of them snuck in here and planted it," said Esen.

Arroyo, across the room, scoffed. "Perhaps you should think before you speak, Esen. We've got guards on the outside and inside watching the study day and night. Do you seriously think a human is capable of such a feat."

Esen glowered at him, but reluctantly muttered, "I guess not." Regaining her energy quickly, she added, "But Dark certainly could. He's snuck in here plenty of times before."

"May I remind you," said Alina, "that Dark claims to be human."

"As if!" scoffed Esen. "Humans can't perform magic like he does."

"Human or no," offered Saros, "I don't know how anyone would be able bypass the guards around the study. There are at least two outside the door whenever anyone is inside, and those patrolling pass by quite frequently. As for the windows--they're in view of the guards outside. I can't imagine anyone being able to sneak in."

Astin watched Saros speak with an odd expression, one of slight disbelief. "Perhaps not," he said. "It could, in theory, be feasible for someone to sneak between the patrols--"

"--if they knew the schedule," finished Saros.

Astin stopped short.

"Saros," said Alina. She regarded him with a mixture of surprise and delight. "Do you think the same as I?"

"I believe," Saros said, "that there's a traitor in our midst."

"In this council?" Alina's words were a breathless whisper, her narrowed eyes gleaming.

With a touch of sadness, Saros nodded. "Possibly."

After that, there was a long, heavy silence, weighing down on all of them. They waited, waited, as if the ripples spread by Saros's comment could fade away out of existence, as if they could ignore it and it would go away.

Delta drummed her fingers on the table as the silence stretched on. Why did they have to face the idea with such trepidation? The quicker they got over it, the quicker they could address the issue, and the quicker it was addressed, the safer Brook would be. If there was a traitor, then that was that. Move it along.

But as she sat there and considered it, their reluctance made a bit of sense. Most of the council had known each other for decades--some of them longer--and the idea of one of them being a traitor was practically inconceivable. Yet Saros had just thrown it out in the blink an eye, and sat there patiently, scanning their faces, waiting for someone to speak.

Perhaps it was better Saros had proposed the idea than Alina. Alina was younger--they could dismiss it, discredit her, but Saros? Saros had been with them for just as long, though he'd only been the regent for a few years. And even in those few years, he was immensely popular; Delta had witnessed a few public addresses since her return from the Earth, and the cheering from the crowd seemed to shake the foundations of the city.

Blaise was the first to react. Her eyes lit up in the usual flare of rage at the word "traitor," but she managed to remain somewhat composed, perhaps because the accusation wasn't aimed at her family. "What makes you think that?"

Ever so slightly, the other council members leaned in.

"Well, as I said," began Saros, addressing the entire hall, "I personally don't believe that anyone, human or angel, could make it past our guards. Lady Tor, your team was investigating guards around my study. Do you think there was enough of a gap to make it in undetected?"

Kaia raised an eyebrow and cast a curious glance at Astin, who was staring at the wall. "We did interrogate the guards with a path that takes them by the study, as well as those guarding it while you're inside, but wouldn't Captain Sidereus know more about this?"

Saros regarded her for a few tense moments, then nodded. "I suppose you're right. Astin." He turned to face his brother. "Can you tell us about the guard's patrols?"

Astin, who also commanded the royal guard, seemed frozen. At Saros's question he flinched, and, movements unsure and jerky, like he really was just thawed from ice. "Um, yes." He straightened his posture, and, still avoiding eye contact, spoke in a muted tone. "A pair of guards passes by Saros's study every two minutes, traveling east to west."

"And since there's about 100 feet of empty hallway west of my study," said Saros, "I'd say it'd be near impossible for someone to travel against the flow of guards, wouldn't you?"

"P-perhaps."
"Meaning they came from the east," said Saros. "The nearest entrance from the outside is the sunrise window, but that's in the view of the outdoor guards. Lady Tor, did they see anything?"

Kaia shook her head. "None of the outside guards reported anything strange."
Saros rolled right on. "And, of course, the next entrance is the main entryway, and I can't imagine our guards letting anyone stange in there, can you?" He chuckled. "All the windows on the way are too high and many too small for a human to enter, wouldn't you say?" He directed the question at the entire hall; this one, apparently, was not rhetorical.

The other councilmembers nodded, catching onto the idea as Saros explained further. Delta found herself nodding with them. The sooner we agree, the better. Alina nodded too, though she still seemed a bit disappointed to have her spotlight stolen.

"Basically, what I'm saying is," said Saros, "though it could be possible to circumvent the patrols, the intruder would have to navigate almost half the palace undiscovered, and, with it being constantly patrolled, that would be near impossible. After all, the security system that Astin's created is practically flawless."

"N-nothing is flawless," stammered Astin, breaking from his stupor once again. He managed to tear his gaze from the table and fixed Saros with a pleading stare, almost desperate. He grew surer after the eye contact, and, hardening his gaze, said, "Dark's gotten past it several times, after all. I'm sure that--"

"You're oddly eager to discount your own security system, Astin." Saros's voice was quiet, dangerous, and his silver eyes betrayed nothing.

Astin, a near mirror image, stared back. He raised his eyebrow in a silent question, perhaps a challenge, and in response, Saros merely smiled. Not his usual grin that wooed the people, but more of a smirk, hinting at hidden knowledge.

The rest of the hall watched, transfixed and baffled by the silent exchange between the brothers. Saros broke the stare and swung around to face the rest of them, grinning as if nothing had happened. Astin leaned back and watched Saros with an unreadable expression.

"As I was saying, I personally believe it's near impossible to avoid the guards," continued Saros. "And, even if it was, the precise movements required would need detailed information on the guard's movements. Information only the highest ranked guards and the councilmembers have. And, if you're trusted enough to have that information, why not just skip the hassle and do it yourself?" A quiet murmur of assent met his words.

Arroyo, who had been watching Astin with thoughtful eyes, said, "I think you may be underestimating our enemies. As Astin said, Dark has managed to sneak in here...several times."

Saros lifted an eyebrow. "Do you believe humans could make it into my study?"

Arroyo scowled. "That's not what I said. I believe that Dark could."

"Perhaps." Saros tilted his head side to side. "And is that based on our previous experiences with Dark?"

Arroyo frowned and furrowed his brow. "Of course. Why do you ask?"

"You still don't realize?" sneered Esen, leaning in and smirked at Arroyo from across the table. Apparently, Saros had convinced her. "It was always ridiculous, the things he did. After all, wasn't he barely a teen when he first stuck and killed the queen? Nobody, human or angel, at that age, could possibly have enough power to commit that, then escape!"

"Must I remind you that we had no security system then?" Arroyo said incredulously. "Eight years ago, the idea of anyone attacking our palace was unconceivable. We had no measures to defend ourselves, and he caught us off guard."

Esen dismissed Arroyo's argument with a flick of her hand. "Maybe, maybe. But what about the attacks after that? The one six years ago, and all of the ones following that? Those three years where he stalked through our city in a ruthless murder spree, and we were totally powerless to stop him? And his final attack, when Enyah died? What about those, Arroyo? How did he pull that off?"

Even as Esen grew in fervor, wild brown hair whipping around her as she punctuated each question with increasingly emphatic gestures, Arroyo remained calm, watching her through narrowed eyes. When she finally stopped and fixed him with a challenging stare, he folded his hands, took a deep breath, then spoke in a low volume.

"In the second attack, we were still unprepared. We thought it was a singular occurrence. We thought he'd stop at the queen. Clearly, we were fools, but that is what we thought. We took minimal efforts to increase security, and we paid the price."

Esen raised an eyebrow. "Is that so? Well, what about the three years following that, when he attacked almost monthly? Would you claim security was still minimal then?" There was a faint mocking tone to her voice.

Arroyo's hands, still folded, held each other so tightly the knuckles turned white. "No. But it could be that as our security improved, Dark did as well. He learned as we did."

"But he--could he--then he--" Esen spluttered, too caught up in her fervor to form a coherent argument. Then her eyes lit up and she fell silent, as if she'd been struck by the most wonderful realization. Then, in a breathless whisper, she said, "There's no way he could have killed Enyah without help."

Blaise, who had been looking more and more thoughtful as the argument progressed, stiffened and stared at nothing with wide eyes. She turned to Esen, and there was something desperately hopeful in her gaze.

Kaia, too, visibly tensed, but her features were far more cautious. Slowly, as if she hardly believed it could be true, she said, "Yes, Enyah was our finest warrior. Dark had never gotten close to scratching her before. There was no slow improvement. He just...one day, was able to..." She shook her head in disbelief, but her eyes with shining as if a great secret had been revealed to her.

After Kaia had voiced her agreement, Blaise nodded. "M--Enyah couldn't have been defeated by a mere ambush. There's no other way."

Delta could barely stop herself from gaping at them. What sort of spell had Enyah's name cast them under? Even Arroyo had lost his tension, the sharpness in his eyes replaced by deep melancholy. Delta had regarded Enyah the same way as the other palace officials--with general disinterest. Had Enyah really been such a figure in the council?

Delta recalled a memory from two weeks ago, when Astin had relayed to her the position held to her in the council. His eyes had shone with admiration, and his stonelike demeanor had cracked to reveal the slightest hint of a smile; for a moment, the cloud that always hung over his head had been gone.

But now, he could've been replaced with a statue and no one would have noticed a difference. What are you thinking?

She shot a questioning glance at Falak and Keir--what did they think of this? Falak, who'd been whispering something to Keir, met her eyes, raised his eyebrows, and shrugged.

Delta tried to catch Alina's eyes, but she was on the same side of the table as Delta, and Delta couldn't lean out any farther without becoming conspicuous. She leaned back into her seat and glanced at Arroyo, who still hadn't spoken.

He dropped his gaze to the table, becoming as still as Astin. The silence stretched out, the three councilwomen not taking their eyes off him for a second. Finally Arroyo looked up, though at nobody in particular, and murmured, "Perhaps."

Saros jumped in before the silence could settle in. "I'm glad we all agree on the possibility. But who is it?" He swung his hand out in a wide gesture. "It could be any of us."

"My team interrogated all of the soldiers who patrol past your study," said Kaia. "They say they've only seen a few people enter. Everyone in the council. Princess Alina, as well as Prince Falak, Princess Brook, and their guardians. The soldiers assigned to protect Princess Alina. A few of the nobles and your personal servants."

Alina nodded. "Then we start there. Gather everyone Lady Tor's listed and interrogate them."

"Wouldn't that be wasting our time?" asked Esen. "We already know the traitor must have extensive knowledge of the soldier's patrols, and the servants certainly aren't going to know that."
Saros nodded as Esen spoke, but Alina frowned. "No," she said, "I think it would be best to interrogate all of them, just in case. We don't know how many traitors there are--this could be far more than just one person. I don't want to leave any stone unturned."

Saros blinked, eyebrows raised. "Yes, I suppose that makes sense." His confusion disappeared after he spoke, and he nodded, assuring only himself. "Yes, yes."

Blaise, who was leaning back in her chair, arms crossed, watched Alina with wary eyes. "Excuse me, but can I ask why?"

Alina tilted her head. "'Why' what?"

"I mean, why!" Blaise sat up and threw out her arms. "What reason would anyone have to to this?" She shook her head helplessly and shrugged. "Why would any of us want to murder the entire royal family?"

"Plus the council," added Falak. "What's to be gained if everyone's dead?"

"Well, yes." Alina lowered her voice to a much more conversational tone and only looked at Falak as she spoke. "That's a good question, Falak. I--"

"My question," snapped Blaise.

"I always get caught up at that part. The most plausible reason I can think of is for power, but it won't be easy to gain singular power even if Dark succeeds in killing the rest of our family and the council. There's still nobles, large families holding the council seats...quite frankly, there's plenty of people to replace the council if the current members die."

Esen smirked. "Maybe it's not power. I seem to recall Arroyo being quite unhappy with many of the heirs before the killings started."

Arroyo flinched as if stuck by lighting, and he stiffened. "What," he hissed, with narrowed eyes, "are you insinuating?"

Esen didn't answer. She crossed her arms and leaned back in her chair, the picture of smugness, as if she'd solved the mystery there and then.

"Lady Kalani, please don't make such careless accusations."

Every person in the hall stared at Astin in surprise; finally broken from his stone casing, he pinned Esen under a steady stare.

"May I remind you that several other council members had similar concerns about the lineage of the heirs?"

"I--" Esen's face turned deep red, and her mouth opened and closed, searching for nonexistent words to defend herself. Next to her, Kaia stiffened, mouth twisting into a strained grimace.

The seconds seemed to grow longer and longer as Astin watched them, Esen practically sinking into her chair. Only after a good thirty seconds did Astin finally tear his gaze from Esen, turning his sights on Alina. She flinched when his gaze fell onto her.

"Princess Alina." His tone was as calm as ever, even holding a slight note of invitation. "You looked like you had something you wanted to say?"

"Oh--uh--" She blinked several times, cleary not expecting the sudden spotlight. After a few seconds and some deep breaths she managed to regain her composure, straightening her posture. "Um, yes. I was thinking--this attack was clearly planned ahead of time to take place in Saros's study. All of the heirs were gathered there--it was the perfect chance to take us all out in a single blow. So, anyone involved in planning the meeting could be involved with the enemy."

A long, uncomfortable silence followed. Uncomfortable for the council members, anyway. Blaise fidgeted in her seat, never staying still for longer than a few seconds; Kaia noticeably looked away, suddenly very fascinated in the wall; Esen wore a poorly disguised grimace, fingers tracing a small circle on the table; Arroyo's lips pressed into a thin line; and Astin froze, turned back to stone.

Delta shot another glance at Falak. What in the world was up with the council? Falak was busy gaping at the council, apparently unconcerned with hiding his surprise. Keir, however, caught her gaze. She raised an eyebrow, and, in response, Keir shrugged and shot her a sympathetic smile.

It was Kaia who broke the silence. Her voice was quiet, halting. "Well...the entire council approved the meeting. It was--" She broke off, casting nervous glances at the rest of the council.

Blaise and Esen looked away. Arroyo turned to Astin.

Astin lifted up his head--a jerky, abrupt movement. "I--I proposed the idea to the council."

"But it was far in advance," said Arroyo. "Anyone could have built the plan around the meeting."

"A week," said Saros. "There was a week."

Astin, face flat, cast Saros a side glance.

"It wasn't the largest window of time," said Arroyo. His stare toward Saros was just short of a glare. "But it's still very possible to arrange an attack within that time frame."

"Perhaps." Saros leaned back, tone and expression very mild.

There was a brief lull in the conversation, nobody quite sure how to respond to such a passive statement. Blaise took up the opportunity; she'd been mulling over something with a deep frown on her face, and, after glancing around to make sure nobody else was about to talk, spoke.

"How did they know to start the attack?" she asked. "I mean, if it really was Dark who set off the explosion, he'd need to know when. Was he in the study? Hiding in the ceiling again?"

"The ceiling's domed," said Kaia. "There's no place for him up there."
"There's no place to hide in my study," offered Saros. "Even if there was, I definitely could have sensed him."

"Then there was someone else," said Alina firmly. "An insider, who could make sure we were all in the study. Then they could've given a signal--it might've taken a while, which is why the attack didn't start immediately."

"Then it was someone who wasn't in the study at the time!" exclaimed Falak, a little too excited to join the conversation. Beside him, Keir nodded.

"Though it's quite possible they joined the ensuing battle to cover their tracks," said Alina. "So we can't rule out anyone who fought."

Esen smirked. "Arroyo wasn't in the study or the battle."

"Because I wasn't in the palace!" retorted Arroyo, raising his voice for the first time. "Esen, I'm sick of your childish finger-pointing. Must you always drag every subject back to me? This discussion would run much smoother if you'd cease using it as an excuse to carry out your silly grudges!"

Esen placed her hands on the table and leaned forward. "I'm just stating the facts. Where were you?"

"Far from the palace," stated Arroyo, voice barely above a hiss. "I visited the manors of each of your families to inform them about the attack." His gaze raked the hall. "I'm sure you can contact each of them and they can confirm my presence."

"It takes plenty of time to travel between them, though..."

"I've had enough of this, Esen!"

"It's impossible to look at you and not be suspicious!" declared Esen, throwing out her arm and pointing at Arroyo. "The rest of us, who did fight, are all injured, and you're sitting there unscathed! You certainly picked a good day to be out of the palace."

"You seem to forget I exit the palace quite frequently." Despite his defense, a flicker of doubt crossed his features, and his hands went to his arms--skin clear and unscathed.

Once Esen pointed it out, it was all the more noticeable. Everyone in the hall was visibly injured--bandages and bruises and burns marred their skin. Even Alina, who had almost immediately hidden herself with magic and escaped, had traces of an ugly burn poking out from the neckline of her shirt. A throbbing in her shoulder reminded Delta of her own wounds.

"You can't condemn me for performing my diplomatic duties," said Arroyo. Though his face was cold, there was an uncertain quality to his voice, wavering ever so slightly.

There was something pathetic in his tone, something desperate, disbelieving. Suddenly, Delta's enjoyment at Arroyo's discomfort soured. Did he really deserve this? Sure, he was always hard on her--but he was like that to everybody. Didn't he just want the best for the kingdom? Esen did seem to be reveling in her accusations; perhaps they were spurred more by resentment than actual facts.

"Lady Kalani."

Esen flinched and whipped around to face Astin, who looked at her from stony eyes. "What is it, captain?"

His voice was cold. "Didn't I tell you to stop making careless accusations?"

All the color drained from Esen's face and she stared at him, speechless, for breathless seconds. Confusion, and, more clearly, fear, dwelled in her eyes, her silent dread bleeding out and seeping into the rest of the hall. This time, it wasn't just the council members; Delta's stomach turned, her heartbeat growing louder and louder in her ears. When was the last time Astin had been so cold? Had he ever?

"Y-yes, sir," Esen stammered, her quiet voice swallowed by the heavy air. Everyone flinched at the sound. "I'm---I'm sorry."

Astin nodded, accepting the apology. Esen let out an audible sigh of relief. Apparently not bothered by the sudden tension, Astin folded his hands and spoke.

"This is pointless. Blindly blaming each other will get us nowhere." His voice, though cool and businesslike, held no trace of its earlier coldness. "Let's move on, and perhaps we can make some sort of progress before sundown.

"Do we have any propositions on how to respond to this attack?"

Nobody spoke, still struggling to process Astin's shift in tone.

Once again, Blaise was the quickest to recover. Her eyes lit up at the question, and she lunged forward and slammed her palm on the table. "I'll tell you what we do!"

Astin tilted his head. "What's that, Lady Ignis?"

Her eyes blazed. "We strike back."

_____________________________________________________________________________________

After that, Delta and Keir were dismissed to wait outside the room; the less that heard the information, the less chance it would leak, and they were deemed unnecessary for the discussion. They waited in silence for a good hour, unable to distinguish words from the voices that made it past the thick walls. Delta didn't particularly mind being left out of the planning, but there was something she absolutely didn't want to miss, so when a guard opened up the doors and informed them the meeting was over, she marched in and straight to Alina.

Alina had just pushed in her chair, and turned to greet Delta with a warm smile.

"How'd it go?" The words, tone bordering on forceful, were out of Delta's mouth before she could process Alina's greeting; in a rush to remedy her unfriendliness, Delta managed to return a belated smile.

Alina wrinkled her nose and furrowed her brow. "Good, I think?"

"You don't sound too sure."

"Well, it's..." Alina shrugged and shook her head. "It was weird. The outcome is favorable, but I'm not not sure how we got there."

In the corner of her eye, Delta glimpsed Arroyo speaking to Astin, who was still seated. "Wait," she said. "Shh." With a subtle nod of her head, she directed Alina's attention to the captain. They both fell silent and strained their ears.

Arroyo loomed over Astin, face pulled taught. "What's going on with you?" he hissed. His voice was quiet, but the confusion and anger in his voice raised it to an audible volume.

Astin didn't move, staring at the wall with a thousand-mile stare.

"What was that?" demanded Arroyo, gripping Astin's shoulder and shaking him. "Is there something wrong?"

"I--" Astin shook his head slowly, desolation weighing down his features. "No, no, nothing's wrong, I..."

Arroyo let out a soft, "Tch," but he looked more concerned than irritated. "You can't fool me. Come on." he tugged Astin's shoulder.

Astin, as if he suddenly had no strength, let Arroyo pull him back, flopping backward. With a resigned sigh he braced his palms on the table, and, with a great deal of effort, pushed himself up. Almost instantly he swayed, face twisted in pain. Arroyo swooped in and caught Astin, letting Astin lean on his shoulder as he regained his balance.

"Sorry," murmured Astin, still grimacing. "I'm not fully healed."

"You're unbelievable," muttered Arroyo. Once Astin seemed steady, he stepped away, but still spotted Astin as they started walking. "You still charge in headfirst like you're a one-man army. The rest of us can back you up, Astin. There's no reason for you to do this. You're just hurting yourself."

"I do what I must."
"Did you not hear me? All you did was get yourself torn apart!"

"Everyone else is injured."

Arroyo scoffed. "Everyone else can walk." He shook his head helplessly. "You don't have to prove yourself to anyone, Astin."

"I'm not..."

They were getting dangerously close. Delta stepped out of their path and feigned talking with Alina, who quickly followed suit. Astin limped past, trailed by Arroyo, and the two left the room.

Delta and Alina watched the empty door frame for a few moments, then turned to each other.

"What do you think about that?" asked Delta.

"I have no idea." Alina pushed her hair back and sighed. "I...well, something's bothering Astin--that's for sure."

"Any idea what?"

"Your guess is as good as mine," said Alina. "I mean, he's been captain for as long as most of us can remember. The idea of a traitor might be troubling to him."

Delta nodded. "He did seem pretty troubled when Saros suggested it."

"Ha!" Alina's short laugh almost sounded like a gasp. "Saros."

"Did you not expect him to suggest a traitor?"

"Of course not." Alina leaned against the wall, watching the other councilmembers leave. "He'd never mentioned it in our meetings, and I thought he'd be too concerned with unity to address that possibility. Honestly..." She smiled sheepishly. "I was kind of hoping I'd be able to play that card. It'd be a big, shocking accusation, since everyone seemed so averse to it...it'd be grand and dramatic. It's not really that important, though. I'm glad we're at least considering a traitor. I'm even happier that they took to it so well. I was expecting more resistance. Even Blaise seems on board." She said the name with a touch of contempt.

"Oh, give Blaise a bit more credit. She asked some good questions."

"Hm." Alina frowned, clearly reluctant. "Maybe."

Delta shifted. This conversation was dragging longer than she'd plan. "Can we leave here? I need to check with Brook."

"I...I guess so." Alina followed Delta out of the meeting hall, where they set off a brisk pace. "Why the rush, though? She's got plenty of capable guards watching her."

"Sure, she's safe, but that's not all she needs."

Alina tilted her head. "What do you mean?"

"She's scared witless, Alina. Too scared to attend the meeting. She won't leave her room. She needs a companion, not guards." The thought of Brook, shivering in fear, telling Delta in a wavering voice that she'd be fine, that Delta could go to the meeting, that she didn't need to worry, clutched her heart in a fist of guilt and quickened her footsteps. "You know Brook. She needs people."

Alina flinched at Delta's last comment. "Yes...I suppose you're right. If I were in Brook's shoes, I'd..." Her gray eyes misted over, and her gaze shifted, not looking at Delta anymore. For a moment, Alina was silent, drifting in whatever memories she'd conjured up. And, for one moment, moisture gathered in Alina's eyes--and Alina snapped out of the trance, blinking rapidly.

"Are...are you okay?"

"Perfectly fine." Alina's tone was brisk and her eyes clear. "Now. Was there something you wanted? I can't imagine you looking so purposeful for only some conversation.

"Yes, there is," said Delta. "I want to join the attack."