Page 133 of Possess Me at Midnight
As he passes me, he spares me a glance. Just one. It drips regret and love, remorse and need. And exhaustion. Still, he refuses to have anything to do with me.
I want to tear my hair out.
“Ice, wait!” The plea tumbles out before I can stop it.
“We’ve nothing to say.”
“You may feel that way. I, however, have plenty?—”
“Not now, Sabelle,” my brother cuts in. “The Doomsday Brethren have grave matters to discuss. There are wider implications to the Council’s newest vote.”
I press my lips into an angry line to hold in my frustration—and barely succeed. Magickind and the future, the Doomsday Brethren, and the Council are all important. But damn it all, so is my heart. So is Ice’s love. But Bram has taught me well over the years.
Duty first.
As I follow my brother to the back of Ice’s cavern and the massive dining table, the others emerge as well. Marrok kisses Olivia tenderly, then settles in a chair. Caden whispers something in Sydney’s ear, then kisses her forehead before sitting. She smiles, then loops arms with Olivia. Together, they retreat to the back of the cavern. I stand my ground, refusing to leave, as Lucan, Tynan, Bram, Duke, Ice, and the twins all settle into chairs around the table, my brother at the head.
Bram casts me a challenging stare. I meet him head-on, arms crossed over my chest. “I’m not leaving before I hear about the Council initiations and the edict vote.”
“There’s little more to it than what Sydney announced via transcast. Tynan and Ice are official, and Mathias now has a bounty on his head.”
I read his mind well enough to know that’s a partial truth at best. “Did any of the Council members try to protest the initiation?”
“Blackbourne and Spencer aren’t pleased, but they’re resigned,” Tynan answers.
To Ice’s presence. Everyone thinks it, but no one says it. Why bother when the truth is obvious? The Council elders are elitist bastards.
“And Camden?” I ask.
“Suspiciously quiet,” Bram adds. “He may be resigned as well. Hard to tell. Either way, Ice will make a better Councilman than all of them combined.”
My eyes widen. Did my own brother truly say that? Is he acknowledging that Ice is more than a convenient vote to push his agenda? Judging from the look on Ice’s face, he’s equally stunned and asking himself the same question.
Gnashing his teeth, Bram snarls, “Don’t everyone bloody look at me as if I’ve grown a third head. Ice is strong and brave. I admit it. He brings the Council a perspective they lack. Along with Tynan, we’ll accomplish the critical reform to magickind I’ve long sought. Ice…” Bram pauses, then grimaces. Whatever words he contemplates, admitting them is clearly painful. “He has a core of honor. Yesterday’s challenge proved that.”
Shocking! Bram’s version of an apology, and he delivered it not merely to Ice but with me and all the others listening. I’m not only proud of Ice, but my brother as well.
Since the Devouring Shadow consumed him, Bram has struggled to quell his temper and be diplomatic, especially when his ambition is thwarted or his agenda is threatened. Tonight, he’s checked himself and fought against his raw ambition, now tucked away under his stoic surface. In doing so, he both impresses me and provides instant acceptance for Ice. My brother has never admitted easily that he’s wrong, and it’s worse since Mathias’s nasty black cloud. But I know exactly the message my brother conveys—and what it costs him. He approves and accepts my choice of a mate. Though I don’t require it and would have spoken the Binding to Ice regardless, having Bram’s blessing, even if it’s roundabout, is a relief. They may never be the best of friends again, but they can work together for the greater good. It’s more than I dared to hope for, even a few days ago.
Now if I can persuade Ice to understand that not only does he deserve me, but I love him dearly, madly…forever.
As soon as this bit of business ends, I will.
“And you suggested the edict?” I turn to Ice. I love him so much that looking at him makes my heart physically ache. Especially when he nods, refusing to look my way.
“How did the vote go? Did the others agree to a directive?”
Bram grimaces. Tynan curses. Ice grips the arms of his chair. Ah, this is the something they don’t want to discuss.
I tap my toe on the stone floor. “You know I’m not giving up until someone answers.”
My brother shakes his head. “The vote was a four-three split as Sydney reported. Ice, Tynan, Sterling MacTavish, and I supported the edict. The others opposed. No shock there. The original version of the edict contained a directive that allowed any of magickind to kill Mathias on sight.”
Tynan turns to Caden and Lucan. “That’s where your uncle parted ways with us. He won’t condone what he believes amounts to murder among the masses. He prefers that we take care of Mathias.”
“We?” I query.
“The Doomsday Brethren,” Bram supplies. “We alone have the directive to kill him. The rest of the Council vowed to put up no other barriers between us and Mathias’s death.”
