Scion Excerpt!

Scion Excerpt:

     "As we took the elevator up to the fifty-sixth floor my nerves reached an all-time high because of what I knew would be waiting for me when I reached the top. Or rather, who would be waiting. I glance at Duncan, trying not to let my panic show. “Are you taking us directly to the council?”
“Yes.” Duncan eyed me suspiciously. “Is that a problem? It sounded like you guys wanted to get this over with as quickly as possible.”
“We do,” Ethan assured him.
I did, but that didn’t mean I was looking forward to it. I swallowed back the chunks that were starting to rise in my stomach and asked something I had to know. “Will she be there?”
I avoided Ethan’s gaze and held my breath as I waited for Duncan’s answer.
“She’s a member of the council now Russ, as is the Seer. They will both be there.”
Of course they’d both be there. Because the universe hates me. “Does she know I’m here?”
Duncan took a minute to answer me. “I thought it best not to warn her. She would have just agonized over it unnecessarily.”
“Agonize over it?” That pissed me off. “She has no right to—”
“You don’t understand. She’s been a wreck, Russ. I never even told her I saw you.”
“She’s had no idea where I was this whole time?” For a second I felt bad. But then I remembered the way she clung to him when she said goodbye to me and I got angry again.
Duncan sighed. “You asked me to keep her out of your life. If she knew where you were, she would have come looking for you. This is going to be very difficult for her. More so than for you I think. You seem to have moved on better than she has.”
“I’ve moved on better?” I couldn’t listen to any more, and since I couldn’t really punch anything I kicked the side of the elevator. “She moved on before I left.”
“Would you like to see her before you’re brought in front of the whole council? I can take you to a holding cell and tell her you’re here. The council would understand the delay.”
“No.” That sounded like hell on Earth. “I don’t want to talk to her. I was sort of banking on never seeing her again. Lets just get it over with.”
“It might make things go a little smoother if you got it out of the way before you’re questioned.”
I laughed hard. “You think the council cares about questioning us? They’re going to do whatever they want no matter what Ethan and I say. To tell you the truth, Duncan, I don’t really believe they’re going to let us go. That’s why I came. If they’re going to try to kill Ethan, then they’re going to have get through us both.”
Duncan laughed as the elevator doors chimed open. “Nobody is going to kill anybody. You’re always so dramatic, Russ.”
As Duncan ushered us down the hall, I stopped hearing what he was saying. The consulate was fairly busy. There were people everywhere, but it wasn’t their stares that made my heart pound as I looked at them. I kept waiting for one of them to be a familiar face.
Duncan gave me a sympathetic smile and shook his head. “The council isn’t what you think. They aren’t cruel monsters. Dani was an unfortunate case, so your perception of them is skewed. I promise you they can be reasonable, caring people. They want order and justice, and they will be fair. They’ll listen to your story. I honestly don’t think you’re in any danger.”
“We’ll see,” I grumbled.
I stumbled to as stop as we came to a set of large double doors. “Where’s Grace when you need her?” I gasped. Ethan glanced at me and I nodded at the doors. “Dani’s in there. I can already feel her energy.”
“You want to hold my hand?” Ethan asked, holding out his cuffed wrists to me and batting his eyelashes. “I may not dissolve bonds, but I’m every bit as pretty as Grace.”
I appreciated his attempt to give me crap. I needed the distraction. I was supremely messed up right now and he knew it. Joking might be the only way to get me through this. “Bite me.”
We laughed, but the smiles left our faces the second the doors opened. Game time."