Chapter 7: Odette

I went down the east stairs with my left wrist healed and my right wrist still wrapped.

Costa walked a step behind me. He had said one thing before we left the room: "It's your answer to give."

The great hall of Cairnfell was full.

Two hundred wolves lined the walls.

In the middle of the stone floor stood Odette Slocumb in her good grey coat, with two Hollowmere elders at her shoulders.

She held a paper in both hands.

"Willa, dear," she said, and her voice was all concern. "Thank goodness you're all right. We were so worried."

"You brought a paper," I said.

"I'm afraid I had to. Dean has been very foolish, and the pack law is clear."

"A debt of this size can be settled in kind. It's a hard custom, but it is the custom."

She held the paper out toward the elders with a small sigh.

"Dean put your name down as security three weeks ago. Signed and witnessed. The law says his creditor can collect."

"His creditor is you."

"The fund's, dear. I only keep the book."

I took the paper from her hand.

She let me. That was her mistake, that she thought I would be too frightened to read it.

It was a printed form with blanks filled in by pen.

Name of security: Willa Kingsmill, ward of the pack house. No kin. Pureblood, both lines.

I read that line aloud.

I read it twice, slowly, so everyone in the hall could hear.

"Who told you I was a pureblood on both lines?" I said.

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