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Authors: Nancy Straight
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they join the ranks. If he lies to you, he is unable to serve. You don’t want to believe me, fine, but make him tell you of his role. Let him tell you of Zandra’s orders.”
Cameron looked like he’d been sucker punched. His eyes narrowed further at Quinton. “Is it true? Were you at my house when Camille destroyed it?”
Instead of answering Cameron, Quinton dug in his heels, straightened his back while his voice oozed contempt for the Lost Herd who surrounded him. “I welcome your presence at the Centaur Council tomorrow. All of you. We are ready for you, and mark my words – we will send every last one of you to the pasture.” Quinton looked directly at me as if the Centaurs who surrounded him were the least of his worries. “ Ms. Chiron, I will keep him away from the meeting if you promise to stay away, too. ”
Surprised that he had said such spiteful words yet still asked me to stay away, I answered, “ No, this ends now. ”
“ I can be tried for treason for going against the Chairman. I beg you, you are the last Chiron Centauride – you have supporters here, but don’t force our hands. We cannot protect you at the Council Meeting. There we are beholden to the Chairman. ”
Ben, who couldn’t hear the exchange between Quinton and me, confidently stepped from behind our father, “Those are strong words for an enforcer whose life was spared twice by my sister. You would have been shark bait if Cami hadn’t told us to spare you and the others. Or did you forget she’s the one who freed you yesterday? She’s the reason your men are still alive.”
Irritation was thick in Quinton’s response, “We never asked for our lives to be spared. We asked for no favors. You and your herd disgust me.” Quinton spoke directly to me again, “ There are ears listening. If it looks as though I am a Lost Herd sympathizer, I could be locked up and be of no help to you. ”
Ben was slightly shorter than Quinton and a good bit leaner in build. Quinton’s height advantage seemed irrelevant to Ben as he was quick to ask, “Did you take her warning to the others as she instructed?”
Blush reached from one ear to the other. “I carried her message to the Chairman. We would have preferred death over being locked in the basement like animals.”
Cameron looked confused. This was my chance. If he was ever to listen and to hear me, now was my chance. “Cameron, I’m sorry about what happened to your house. Zandra’s enforcers stormed the place while Drake and I were hiding inside. They were under her orders to kill us. We escaped, but barely. There were too many, the attack was too well-rehearsed. We fled to Cancun where this enforcer,” taking the time to point at Quinton, “and eleven others found us and attacked us again.”
It was still uncomfortable to think of Will as my father, but I knew Cameron needed it to register, “Dad and our brothers were there that time. They are the reason I’m standing before you right now. We are your family.”
Cameron’s eyes darted between Will, Quinton and me. His mouth opened as if he intended to ask a question, then he abruptly closed it, pivoted on his heel and dodged all of us as he headed for the door. Quinton tried to mirror Cameron’s exit, but Ben caught him by the shirt.
Quinton’s reaction was so fast it didn’t even register in my eyes while it was happening. One moment Ben had a hold of Quinton’s shirt, the next Quinton’s right hand encircled Ben’s neck as he lifted him two inches off of the floor. Ben’s feet dangled in mid-air at first, then swung out-of-control trying to connect with Quinton’s legs a second later. I recognized Ben’s look of helplessness. I'd felt the same when Quinton held me off the ground by my neck after he’d followed me into the jungle in Cancun.
Quinton’s tone was menacing, “Not so tough now, are you? No need to wait until
Cameron looked like he’d been sucker punched. His eyes narrowed further at Quinton. “Is it true? Were you at my house when Camille destroyed it?”
Instead of answering Cameron, Quinton dug in his heels, straightened his back while his voice oozed contempt for the Lost Herd who surrounded him. “I welcome your presence at the Centaur Council tomorrow. All of you. We are ready for you, and mark my words – we will send every last one of you to the pasture.” Quinton looked directly at me as if the Centaurs who surrounded him were the least of his worries. “ Ms. Chiron, I will keep him away from the meeting if you promise to stay away, too. ”
Surprised that he had said such spiteful words yet still asked me to stay away, I answered, “ No, this ends now. ”
“ I can be tried for treason for going against the Chairman. I beg you, you are the last Chiron Centauride – you have supporters here, but don’t force our hands. We cannot protect you at the Council Meeting. There we are beholden to the Chairman. ”
Ben, who couldn’t hear the exchange between Quinton and me, confidently stepped from behind our father, “Those are strong words for an enforcer whose life was spared twice by my sister. You would have been shark bait if Cami hadn’t told us to spare you and the others. Or did you forget she’s the one who freed you yesterday? She’s the reason your men are still alive.”
Irritation was thick in Quinton’s response, “We never asked for our lives to be spared. We asked for no favors. You and your herd disgust me.” Quinton spoke directly to me again, “ There are ears listening. If it looks as though I am a Lost Herd sympathizer, I could be locked up and be of no help to you. ”
Ben was slightly shorter than Quinton and a good bit leaner in build. Quinton’s height advantage seemed irrelevant to Ben as he was quick to ask, “Did you take her warning to the others as she instructed?”
Blush reached from one ear to the other. “I carried her message to the Chairman. We would have preferred death over being locked in the basement like animals.”
Cameron looked confused. This was my chance. If he was ever to listen and to hear me, now was my chance. “Cameron, I’m sorry about what happened to your house. Zandra’s enforcers stormed the place while Drake and I were hiding inside. They were under her orders to kill us. We escaped, but barely. There were too many, the attack was too well-rehearsed. We fled to Cancun where this enforcer,” taking the time to point at Quinton, “and eleven others found us and attacked us again.”
It was still uncomfortable to think of Will as my father, but I knew Cameron needed it to register, “Dad and our brothers were there that time. They are the reason I’m standing before you right now. We are your family.”
Cameron’s eyes darted between Will, Quinton and me. His mouth opened as if he intended to ask a question, then he abruptly closed it, pivoted on his heel and dodged all of us as he headed for the door. Quinton tried to mirror Cameron’s exit, but Ben caught him by the shirt.
Quinton’s reaction was so fast it didn’t even register in my eyes while it was happening. One moment Ben had a hold of Quinton’s shirt, the next Quinton’s right hand encircled Ben’s neck as he lifted him two inches off of the floor. Ben’s feet dangled in mid-air at first, then swung out-of-control trying to connect with Quinton’s legs a second later. I recognized Ben’s look of helplessness. I'd felt the same when Quinton held me off the ground by my neck after he’d followed me into the jungle in Cancun.
Quinton’s tone was menacing, “Not so tough now, are you? No need to wait until
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