After a few more days of drifting in and out of sleep, I was deemed well enough to return to the academy. With a smile on his face, Aden appeared in the door of my hospital room while I was tying my boots.
"Hurry up, champ," he said, leaning against the frame. "General Frost wants to see you."
I froze, eyes wide with fear. Was she going to punish me for killing some vampires? I couldn't remember that night very clearly – I think the electric jolts had fried my memory or something. But I could still feel the bloodlust rising in me as I sought to kill the vampires hurting Mrs. Knight. I had warred with myself for days, knowing I should feel guilty about killing them but trying to justify my actions by saying they were self-defense.
Maybe I'm no better than the Rogues...
He held up a hand, noticing my expression. "Relax. It's not what you think."
"I hope not, because I really have no desire to play torture chamber with Frost again."
He grimaced as I rose from the bed, and I saw the apology in his eyes. I nodded curtly then looked away, clearing my throat as butterflies rose in my chest. "Do I have to put on the, you know, 'ankle bracelet from hell?'"
Aden's lips twitched in a grim smile. "No, I persuaded Frost it was safe to leave it off."
I let out a sigh. "Good." My stomach flipped at the mention of Frost. "I guess this is kind of like ripping off a Band-Aid. Better to make it quick and get it over with."
Aden raised a brow. "Frost as a Band-Aid brand," he murmured, turning around. "Somehow, I don't think parents would take well to the skulls and dismembered organs on the bandages versus cute fluffy bunnies and My Little Ponies."
I giggled, imagining Frost as a spokesperson for children's safety products.
He signed my discharge papers, and I followed him out, my stomach still queasy at the thought of facing Frost again.
***
I paused outside the ominous black door, on the equally ominous black giant-of-a-building. The thing stretched all the way to the ceiling, by far the tallest structure in the dome. "Ugh... are you sure they don't want to torture me some more?"
Aden had his back to me, punching in a security code. "It's the Council Chambers," he replied as the door opened with a beep, "where the High Council convenes to conduct business affairs for the base, like, for instance, the fate of criminals." He glanced back at me with a smirk.
"Haha," I said, following him inside. "I'm definitely the picture of a hardened criminal."
I still felt shaky and a bit weak as we walked, but it was definitely a vast improvement over my condition from a few days ago. At least I wasn't half-dead.
"Who's on the High Council?" I asked.
"Twelve elected officials, all of which are pulled from the community. It's basically our version of a Grand Jury."
Entering the building was like walking into the night itself. The walls, ceiling, and floor were all black, with small white bulbs along the ceiling providing just enough light to see. Though everything looked the same to me, Aden seemed to know where he was going, and I stayed close to his side as we meandered down one hall after the other. He would take sudden turns, seeming to disappear right into the wall before my very eyes. Then he'd poke his head out to look for me, and I would realize there was actually a hallway there. The place reminded me a bit of a maze.
Aden finally stopped before a set of black doors, so polished they gleamed like onyx. "Wait here," he said, knocking once before stepping inside.
I fidgeted in the hallway, nervously shifting my weight. I glanced at my ankle. I was incredibly thankful they hadn't replaced the anklet, though I knew that was too good to last. They'd probably cuff me as soon as I got home.
Home. I blinked. Since when did I start thinking of this place as home? Home was above ground, with Leo and the sun and moon and stars. This place wasn't my home.
Was it?
Aden reappeared. "They're ready for you."
I gulped. "Who?"
"The High Council."
My eyes almost bulged out of my head. "I'm going before the High Council?"
Aden nodded. "That was sort of what I implied when I said we were going before the High Council."
"You never explicitly said that," I snapped, blushing. I remembered him telling me about it on the way over, but the thought hadn't really hit home until now. The more I thought of it, the more I was convinced I was in some sort of trouble, possibly even in danger. I had killed two vampires, living up to the hunter reputation. Maybe they were going to punish me – or worse, kill me – for acting "out-of-line."
Cold sweat washed over me, and I suddenly felt very sick. This was it. I had blown my chance at ever seeing Leo or warning my mother of the impending attack.
I've failed Orion, now I've failed everyone else. I'm so sorry Leo.
"Sloane?"
I looked up, startled. I had forgotten Aden was there, watching me with worry creases around his eyes. "Are you all right?"
I nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine." I took a deep, steadying breath. "Let's do this."
Aden pushed open the doors, and we stepped inside. The room was huge and circular, with twelve high chairs in a half moon arc toward the front. Men and women I didn't know looked down on me, their faces hard, their eyes scrutinizing. My eyes found Frost sitting at one chair to my right, and I shivered. I scanned the faces of each Council member, from one end to the other. My jaw dropped when I saw who the last member was.
I gawked at Aden. "Your mother is on the High Council?"
"Yes," he said, gesturing for me to be quiet. "Face them and don't speak unless spoken to."
I did as he said, anxiously turning around to face the High Council.
A gavel rang loud in the chamber, signaling for the session to start. Frost stood. "Sloane McAllister?"
My mouth felt dry. "Yes ma'am?"
Her eyes grew impossibly colder. "Do you deny killing two of our own?"
My knees shook, but I kept my face composed. "No ma'am, I do not. It was self-defense."
"I didn't ask what it was! Do you realize the weight of your actions?"
My eyes narrowed. "I certainly hope so, as I don't take death as lightly as some of us seem to."
"Sloane," Aden hissed.
Frost stared at me, a slow smile spreading across her pale lips. "As much as I would love to see your actions as the bloodlust of a vicious hunter, I can only see them as... heroic." She struggled to spit out the last word, and I held my breath, hanging on to her words.
Mrs. Knight stood, looking lovely and fragile but healthy. She wore a turtleneck blouse, hiding the mark on her neck. "You saved my life," she said, smiling with a wince. Her jaw had been re-aligned, though purple bruises splotched her fair skin. "And for that, I will forever be grateful."
"As will I," Aden murmured behind me.
"As reward for your bravery," Frost declared, "your house arrest is to be lifted and your bonds permanently removed."
I exhaled with a half-laugh, smiling. I couldn't believe this. It was the best stroke of luck I'd had. If they trusted me enough to let me roam freely, then I would have a better shot at finding a way out of here.
I smiled up at them, and Frost raised a brow, looking like she'd swallowed a lemon. "Thank you." I glanced at each of the Council members. "Thank you all so much."
"Don't give us reason to regret our decision," Frost said icily.
I shook my head, saluting her. "Wouldn't dream of it."
The gavel rang again, dismissing us, and I practically skipped out of the room. Once we were in the hallway, Aden was all grins. "Well, I'd say from the week you've had, you could use some fun in your life. Come on. We're celebrating."
I cocked my head. "Don't you think I've missed enough training?"
Aden gave me a look of disbelief. "I'd say you're more qualified to teach the training courses than some of our instructors. One more day won't hurt. And besides," he added, giving me a devilish grin, "you still owe me a date."
I flushed. "I am not going out with you."
He was already starting to walk away. He turned, walking backwards, and held both palms up in a disarming shrug. "Then don't think of it as a date. Just think of it as an outing with a friend."
I didn't reply, shifting my weight.
"Please?" Aden said, stopping. "It's on me."
An outing with a friend. Did I think of Aden as a friend? Did I want to think of him as something more? Mentally, I shook my head. The scars he'd given me would take a long time to fade. But I supposed...
"Fun does sound pretty wonderful, actually," I admitted. When was the last time I had relaxed? Not in a long, long while. Well, not since before my mother had become Sovereign and the world had gone to hell.
Aden smiled, his excitement and joy seeping intome. "I promise you won't regret it."