Betrayal 2012 by Amber Garr

cutting my gummy arms.  The room in my head instantly went black and all of the humans turned back towards the front tables.  With another silent command from the Council’s leader, they began to walk out the doors with our protectors following closely behind.  Maybe Lyonetta had the ability to wipe their memories too because otherwise, I don’t know how they would be able to explain where the last thirty minutes of their life had gone.
    Kain rubbed his hand over my back again and sighed.  “You were perfect,” he smiled down at me. 
    The look in his eyes left me wondering about the extent of our relationship again.  This was a moment where I wanted to reach up and kiss him.  The way he looked at me like I was the only person in the room right now left my heart pounding in my chest.  Yet, being with him, even if Brendan wanted nothing to do with me, was not possible.  He made that perfectly clear when we got back to California and agreed to work together.  But what I was seeing in him now seemed to contradict those harsh words he had for me.  Kain was either an excellent poker player or he was just as confused as me.
    “You are dismissed.”  The command brought my attention back to the front of the room and again I caught a glance of Graham staring at Kain and me with a bemused look on his face.  When neither of us moved, Mistress Lyonetta continued.  “We will recess until tomorrow morning to allow us time to confer.”
    And with that, the seven Council members stood and made their way towards the double doors.  Graham and two others walked right past us but he was the only one to stop and he only spoke to me.
     “Rain check, then?”  I wrinkled my brows in confusion.  “On the drinks.  Looks like duty calls tonight,” he said with a sigh.  All I could do was nod my head quickly before he rushed away and placed an arm over one of the Council woman’s shoulder.  I could see her glare up at him and shrug it off before they even made it out of the room.
    “He is as irritating as everyone says,” Kain said while watching Graham’s exit.  That caught my attention.
    “You know him?”
    “No, but he’s somewhat famous.  You don’t know?” I shook my head.  “He’s the only Council member other than Adele Lyonetta to earn a seat as a teenager.  He’s only twenty two and he’s already been a member for five years.”
    “Five years?” I asked.  He would have been seventeen then.  Now I really felt like a child remembering what I was doing, and running away from, at seventeen.
    “Yeah, and apparently no one is too thrilled with it.  But he’s powerful in some way or he wouldn’t be sitting there.”
    “Hmm…” It was all that I could say.
    “You should stay away from him,” Kain added.
    “What?”
    “He has a pretty bad reputation when it comes to the women in his life.  They fall all over him but he tosses girls aside like trash.  You really don’t want to be seen with him.”
    “Thanks, dad .  I’ll be sure to keep that in mind.”  I rolled my eyes because the idea of me being with Graham was so ridiculous that I couldn’t even believe Kain would bring it up.  Besides I wasn’t interested because I had someone else in my life.  Or at least I was about to find out if I did.  “What time is it?”
    Kain looked at his watch and then back at me with a weird look on his face.  “Almost six.”
    “I have to go.  I’ll get Palmer and Troy to go with me and I should be back in time for dinner.”
    “Okay,” Kain said but it was clipped with disappointment.  At least I think that’s what it was.  “Call me if you’re running late so we know.” 
    I smiled up at him with another yes dad type of look and went to find my cousin and his partner.  There was a small skip to my step as I hurried across the room, thankful that most of the audience members had left right after the Council did.  I’m sure they would be talking about me all night long, but right