The Bell of Freedom (King and human romance)✔

Chapter Twenty-Four

"Stay quiet and let me do all the talking," Cain says as we descend down the staircase. "Follow my lead on everything, okay?"

"Okay," I say.

"You're going to witness some things," he says softly. "I apologize in advance."

"What things?"

He doesn't elaborate. If it's anything to do with humans then I don't think I can go in there. I freeze outside the doors that he pulls open, calming myself for a minute before I follow him into the bright room that I've never seen before. It's like a throne room. Unlike the last time the council were here, this time there are guards stationed at every wall. Cain takes a seat on a big chair on the lifted stage, and I take the smaller chair beside him. A line of creatures stand below us with their eyes focused on the entrance about half a mile in front. I stare around at the large windows and golden-brown pillars.

"Enter," Cain shouts.

My fingers curl around the chair as the doors open. Around twenty creatures pour in, a couple of them I recognize as guards from outside. But the rest are the council, along with a few familiar faces that have touched me at the nannery.

Axel, as usual, takes the centre. He bows his head. "We are not here to question your position, my King. We are simply here to get to the truth."

"Get on with it," Cain hisses.

"Come forward." Axel clicks his fingers at two female creatures and two males. They form a shorter line, moving towards us slowly to get a better look. "Please tell the council if you recognize that girl."

Cain's body tenses and he taps his fingers slowly against the armrest of his chair. The moment they look at me they recognize me, one of the females even narrows her eyes with anger that she's lost her chance to get to me. But then she looks at Cain, he is staring at them so hard that they look away.

"Well?" Axel demands. "Is she the girl from Raven's nannery or not?"

"Not," the female says, the word clicking off her tongue with resentment.

Cain relaxes with a grin on his face.

Axel stares down the line and the others mimic it. "Do not let him intimidate you," Axel says. "You are safe to reveal the truth."

"She isn't the same girl."

"You described that girl to me down to her hair length and this is not her?" Axel demands.

"You never said you'd bring us here," the female hisses. "So do not lecture me on truth."

Axel walks around her. "Detta," he says, commanding the attention from the other female beside her. "He cannot harm you in our company, please speak up."

"I have never seen the girl before," Detta says.

"Did you even look at her?" he says. "Take a good look."

The creature stares at me for a few seconds and then drops her gaze, shaking her head. Cain covers his mouth with his fist to keep from laughing. He's finding this amusing.

"Sole, River." The male creatures look at me one last time before shaking their heads. Axel finally retreats back to the other side with a sigh. He glares at Cain. "I don't know how you did it but I will find someone that will recognize her."

"I didn't do anything," Cain says. "You heard them, they don't recognize her. Would you like to ask them one last time, Axel?"

The guards around the room start chuckling. Axel is getting angrier as he looks at them, even some of the council are laughing.