“No,” she shouted, shoving Lila back. “For the millionth time, you don’t get to call me that ever again. You fucking bitch, you made me help you!”
She shoved Lila again and dropped her voice to a hiss, anger and regret and shame in every word. “Patrick would be at home right now if I hadn’t taken you to the compound. Instead he’s rotting away in a holding cell, waiting to be hanged like a criminal, and three of my cousins are dead. You made me do that! You!”
She shoved Lila again, as tears fell heavy on her cheek. “How could you do that to me? How could you make me help you? You’ve made me worse than her. You did that, Lila. How could do that to me?”
Lila didn’t fight back. She let Alex shove her farther and farther down the hall, back toward the council chambers.
Lila took it, even when Alex slapped her, the sound echoing in the corridor.
“Say something!” Alex shouted at last, punching Lila in the jaw, right where Hans Schulte had elbowed her.
Lila took a step back at last, holding her face.
Alex winced and held her fist, reddened from the blow.
Neither of them moved.
From the corner of her eye, Lila saw the unblinking eyes from the High Council chamber, disgust etched in all ten faces. Several senators gaped at the end of the hall, unsure if they should intervene. A few militia hovered twenty meters away, staring at one another, ears cocked for orders ungiven, tranqs wavering, well aware that the chief had not drawn hers in self-defense.
Lila hadn’t even seen the blackcoats approach.
Her jaw hurt badly.
Her cheekbone still throbbed.
After walking several steps to the High Council chamber, she slammed the door on the matrons and primes before returning. “Alex Craft-Wilson,” she said quietly, “I charge you with assault against your master. You have the right to—”
“You’ve got to be kidding me! But you’re not, are you? You’re serious. Gods, Lila, how do you look at yourself in the mirror? How do you sleep at night?”
When Lila didn’t respond, Alex started forward. “I said how do you—”
Lila grabbed her old friend’s shoulder and guided her toward the wall. The militia ran forward to assist, cuffing Alex’s hands behind her back and patting her down for weapons.
“Take her directly to Chief Shaw’s office, nowhere else,” Lila ordered, already sending him a message on her palm. Perhaps it wasn’t fair to disrupt his evening, but he’d disrupted plenty of hers. He owed her.
“As you wish, Chief Randolph,” one of the militiamen said, bowing before they escorted Alex from the building.
Lila sent another message to Chef, telling her to return home. Then, rubbing her jaw, she slipped back into the council chambers.
“Oracle’s light, did you see her face?” Élise snickered. “It’s like she was possessed. It’s clear now the whole family suffers from poor breeding and aggression. They never should have been admitted into the highborn. They’ve been an embarrassment to us all.”
Lila didn’t even tell her to shut up. She merely lo
oked at Élise, pouring all her anger into the glare.
Élise closed her mouth.
“Perhaps we should move on the last item on the agenda,” Chairwoman Masson suggested.
“That sounds like an excellent idea,” Élise said, trying to smile. “Since the House of the Golden Serpent has fallen, we now have cause to add another family into our ranks. There is one lowborn family in New Bristol who has shown decorum in the face of adversity, who has proven their worth, wealth, and quality. If it pleases the council, I nominate Suji Park to join the highborn.”
“I second that motion,” Johanna agreed.
“All in favor?”
Everyone raised their hands, even Lila this time.
“Any other New Bristol families to consider?”