Free Traitor by Claire Farrell Page A

him and the werewolves… I wouldn’t want to make an enemy of them.”
    “It’s a relief to know the son is alive and a warrior like his father. That makes us more secure. If Fionnuala had died or been dethroned, there would have been a civil war determining who was next in line.”
    “If Phoenix wasn’t full-blooded fae, if his father had been human, would he still be in charge?”
    Finn choked out a laugh. “Absolutely not. We are pure, and only the pure are fit to rule us.” His face hardened, the seriousness of his race overruling the light-heartedness of his nature.
    “I’m going to speak to Gabe,” I said. I didn’t like being around Finn when he acted that way. I hated to think that all of his race would judge the twins because their mother had been a human witch, despite their father being fae royalty. It didn’t seem fair.
    I entered Gabe’s office without knocking. He sat behind his desk, staring into space. He flinched when he noticed me approach, and I shrugged.
    “I can’t leave it alone,” I said. “I hear you’ve been having trouble.”
    “Finn,” he muttered. “Always with the gossip. You would think he was human, the way he harps on so.”
    “If you’re backing out, do it now. Neither of us can afford things to get messy.”
    “I never said I was backing out!” he barked.
    “I know. But maybe you need to.”
    He glared at me. “What has Finn been saying?”
    “That you think you’re losing your power maybe. That maybe there’s something bigger going on with you.”
    He made a disgusted sound. “Finn talks a lot. You don’t usually listen. Why start now?”
    “Fionnuala’s back. Things are going to get serious. We both know that. If you aren’t ready, if you can’t hack it, then you’re free to walk away.”
    He frowned. “You would let me walk away. Just like that. No repercussions. Nothing to fear?”
    “You saved my life,” I said softly. “I think we’re even by now. And you can’t be honest with me. It doesn’t make for a good working relationship.”
    He gazed around the room. “Before you came along, this made me happy. Working here, running the bar. More than being a part of the Council. It takes a lot of ego to be in charge, a huge amount of ego to believe you know what’s best for a large group of people. Most of the time I’m sitting in that Council chair, I’m thinking of this room, of being here instead.”
    “So… do this then?”
    “I can’t,” he hissed. “I’m supposed to atone. How is working in a bar atoning? How am I supposed to…? Maybe I’ve already gone wrong. Maybe everything I’ve done has been the wrong step. How am I supposed to tell?”
    He seemed to be talking to himself rather than me, and I could see he was unravelling.
    “Gabe, what’s going on?” I asked, a little afraid. “You’re freaking me out.”
    “I’m freaking myself out.” He stood abruptly and came around the desk to clutch my upper arms. “Are you leading me in the wrong direction?” he asked, shaking me. “Are you the mistake? Has this all been a test?”
    “I have no fucking clue,” I whispered.
    He let me go. “Just get out. I told you, I have work to do.”
    I left, exchanging a knowing glance with Finn as I left the bar. I walked down the road, counting heartbeats in my despair. Gabe was losing his mind. That was the only explanation I had for it. And I was relying on him to help me, too. We were a team of broken soldiers with broken minds. How did I ever imagine we could win?
    “Ava!” Gabe called.
    I paused to let him catch up. He stopped in front of me, his mask a little more secure than before.
    “Forget something?” I asked.
    He held up his phone. “I got a call. You can come with me.”
    My stomach churned. “Where?”
    “There’s been an attack on a business in town. Guardians and the gardaí have both been called in, and I told Shay we would help bridge the two. There have been some difficulties over dividing responsibilities