Rogue Belador: Belador book 7 Read Online Free Page B

other time, I wouldn’t lose sleep over one less Medb witch or warlock, but VIPER is actually sending agents out on security details for the Medb because the Medb are claiming harassment.”
    “You had to see that coming. The minute VIPER accepted the Medb into the coalition, the first strategic move I expected was something that would put all the non-Medb on defense, especially Beladors. VIPER should have anticipated these problems.”
    “Agreed, but this goes beyond harassment if one of theirs is dead,” Evalle conceded.
    “Exactly. If you show up with a familiar, and it belongs to the Medb, you’d better hope the witch died of natural circumstances or that you find the killer quickly. I’d start looking for a killer. If a witch or warlock died naturally, someone in the coven would know and would have come for the familiar, which means Queen Maeve can use this as grounds to demand restitution from the coalition.”
    Evalle made the leap to where Adrianna was headed. “Like handing over a gryphon.”
    “More like handing over you ,” Adrianna pointed out. “She wants any and all gryphons, but getting you would be a coup. Everyone knows you’re on the top of Queen Maeve’s wish list. A Tribunal might even suggest giving you to them as compensation.”
    True. “This timing sucks.”
    “I can’t imagine it would ever be a good time to cross a powerful dark witch coven,” Adrianna noted in a wry tone.
    “Now is really bad, though. A Tribunal is supposed to finally vote on acknowledging the Alterant-gryphons as a free race this week, but I have a feeling it’s been put off again. No one has confirmed the meeting. The deities are already jacked up about the constant conflict between Beladors and the Medb. If this familiar belongs to a Medb witch, things would turn far worse.”
    “True. How much time until the vote?”
    “It’s supposed to be tomorrow, but ...” Evalle shrugged. “The only ones with a vested interest in this vote are the gryphons. I have some degree of freedom and a life. When the vote doesn’t happen, I’m the one who will have to tell them.” How am I going to do that, then return home to Atlanta with a clear conscience? I can’t.
    “That’s ... unfortunate,” Adrianna consoled.
    “Tell me about it. Every time Quinn asks Sen for information on the vote, Sen just smiles and shrugs. It’s not like Macha will raise a fuss over it on our behalf.” Still, Evalle had hoped for a quiet week leading up to the Tribunal meeting, just in case it did happen. Adrianna was right. Queen Maeve would turn this into an opportunity to go gryphon shopping.
    At that point, it wouldn’t be just Evalle’s future at risk. There were the other gryphons to consider.
    But beyond that, Storm, Tzader, and Quinn would get involved in a bloody way.
    “Good luck,” Adrianna offered. “I’ll be interested in hearing how this turns out.”
    Me, too. “Thanks, I’ll let you know.” Evalle ended the call and glanced at the furry bundle in the passenger seat. Nothing to do now but contact Rowan. She texted a quick message to the witch, then cranked the engine to warm the cab while she waited for a reply. Nothing came back.
    She drove away, determined to leave this little guy with someone tonight.
    Evalle would rather have her fingernails ripped out one at a time than take this familiar to VIPER, but she’d end up hauled into a Tribunal meeting the second someone got wind that she’d failed to inform everyone of what she’d found.
    She rubbed her head. No easy answers.
    Not with her best friend and former Belador Maistir, Tzader, out of pocket at Treoir Castle. In Tzader’s absence, her other best friend, Quinn, was doing his best to carry out the duties of Maistir over all North American Beladors. Added to that, Quinn was dealing with a boatload of personal grief over the death of the woman he’d loved in secret for years.
    When Evalle pulled up to a stoplight, she turned to her silent companion. “So