Free Demon Demon Burning Bright, Whisperings book four by Linda Welch Page B

butterfly flit in my stomach. I was ready to
push the councilors, shove my questions down their throats till
they vomited out answers, until Lawrence gave me that warning
look.
    My questions died before they became
words.
    Lawrence stood and stepped down from his
chair. “I’m sorry we can’t help you, Miss Banks.” The councilors
stood as he walked the open space between their chairs. “I’ll walk
with you.”
    When I last saw Lawrence he exuded
confidence and not a little superciliousness. Now his shoulders
were tense, he kept his gaze on the floor. I turned as he came to
my side and walked with him from the Council Chamber and along the
hall, the councilors trailing us.
    “Lawrence,” I began in an undertone, but
without looking at me he again shook his head.
    Frustrated, I pressed my lips together.
Lawrence was warning me to keep my mouth shut and he wanted me
gone, fast.
    He let me walk on the inside of the
staircase, for which I was grateful. Through the tall windows, I
saw the sea of people on the grass.
    The demons in the hall below watched our
descent. They made obeisance as Lawrence moved among them, the men
bowing from the waist, the women dropping to deep curtsies.
Lawrence dipped his chin at this one and that.
    Outside the door, he held his hand to me, so
I gripped it. “It’s always nice to see you, Miss Banks,” he said.
“I hope Ryel’s home when you get back.”
    I intended to protest my expulsion from
Bel-Athaer before I knew anything worth knowing, until I felt his
hand in mine. I disguised my surprise with a tepid smile. “I hope
so.”
    Gareth came to my side. “I will walk with
you to the bus stop.”
    I smiled at Lawrence again. He didn’t return
it, but focused on my eyes before turning away.
    The demons who waited outside scrambled
upright. Lawrence lifted his hand to them, then crossed the path to
the grass. Gareth and I left the High House and started along the
lane. A few people headed our way and they moved aside to let us
through. Gareth faced ahead as he strode along, as if he did not
see them.
    I felt as if the heat would press me to the
ground. To hell with it; I would frizzle up before much longer. I
shrugged my coat off and folded it over my arm.
    I looked back to see Lawrence walking among
his people. He stopped to speak to one, moved on to another. He was
tall for his age, but small beside the adult Gelpha.
    “You did not have to hide your weapon.”
    I threw Gareth a sideways look. “You knew I
carry?”
    “You always do.”
    Huh.
    He linked his hands behind his back. “I
truly am sorry we cannot help you. Wallace is right, although we
can sense one or a few of our brethren in an area populated by
humans, locating Royal among the multitude of our own people here
is impossible. But I will spread word I am looking for him and hope
he hears of it, or someone has seen him.”
    “Thank you.”
    He acknowledged my thanks with a nod.
    “Does the name Cicero ring a bell?” I asked,
hoping to take him by surprise.
    Apart from his eyes darkening, he controlled
his expression. “Indeed it does. Cicero is one of our Seers.”
    Some names in Bel-Athaer obviously have a
capital letter, like High House, and the Lady. If I weren’t
mistaken, so did Seer. “ Our? ”
    “He serves the High House.”
    Gorge Ligori - Clarion’s resident demon
before Lawrence made him return to Bel-Athaer - mentioned a Seer,
way back when Royal and I found Lawrence at Gorge’s apartment. It
was another of those things Gorge and Royal didn’t want to talk
about; in fact, it sent Gorge into an agitated snit.
    “How do you know of Cicero?”
    I looked up at the pale sky. A few clouds
scudded along, but still no sun. One must be up there to produce
this heat. “He left a text on Royal’s cell phone.”
    Silence ticked by, then he asked, “Indeed?
What did he say?”
    “Something about Royal being late for an
appointment.”
    Gareth strode along, hands clasped behind
his back, gaze dead ahead.