Chapter 16: That Was Not Fighting, That Was Inventory

The hearing was at ten, in a stone hall with six Elders at a long table and no coffee.

I arrived in my good blazer with my ledger under my arm.

My eyes were swollen from not sleeping.

Caspian was already there, at the far end of the room in a plain dark suit.

His tail was coiled around his own ankle, holding itself still.

He did not look at me when I walked in.

He looked at the Elders, then at the floor, then at me, very fast, and away again.

The eldest Elder cleared his throat.

"We are here to hear the petition to remove the mate mark from Carys Winslow Draven, human."

"It was filed by the head of the Serpent Clan."

"I withdraw it," Caspian said.

The room shifted.

"The petition was your own," the Elder said.

"It was written by a man who had lost his memory. I have it back."

"And the lady?"

Every head turned to me.

I had practiced a speech in the car.

I opened my mouth and the speech was gone.

"I would like to say something first," Caspian said.

"The head of a clan does not usually speak twice."

"I am not speaking as the head of the clan."

He stepped forward, and the tail came with him, and nobody in the hall looked at it.

"Carys," he said.

"Don't do this in front of the Elders."

"I think the Elders will find it educational."

I closed my ledger.

"All right," I said. "Say it."

He drew breath.

"When the banker called you, you said 'No problem, sounds good.'"

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