54. Brett

Something was wrong.

Strangely, not with me or Killian or Paris or his family—not even Hector, who was still pale and drawn after his ordeal, sitting in the back of the carriage with blankets wrapped around his shoulders.

No, something was wrong in Hawk lands. Killian had taught me well, and I in turn had taught my people to be self-sufficient without me breathing down the back of their necks every day, so as we passed one farm after another with no smoke coming from its chimney, I worried. Where the hell were my people?

There were fires going in the houses in town, which was good, but somehow, that didn't make me feel better.

Because there, in the middle of town, was a group of people I knew too damned well. The council, minus Minerva. Well, and me and Killian, obviously.

In front of them was a smug-looking Memnon.

On the stairs that led to my house, Rosaline was clinging to a serious Orestes, who was glaring at his father like he wanted to kill him with his own hands. That part, at least, was nothing new. Orestes had despised Memnon for as long as I'd known him.

"Brett of the Hawk Clan," Memnon called as we approached. "I see we've arrived back before your raiding party."

Raiding party? What the actual fuck was he talking about?

The other members of the council were looking uncomfortable, and the leader of the Vulture Clan was staring at Memnon's back as though if he looked long enough, he might see the hole where all the shit Memnon was full of had gotten in.

"There's no reason to believe—" Nestor started, but Memnon cut him off with a sharp hand motion. Nestor did stop speaking, but he turned to stare at the man, eyes narrowed, clearly less than impressed that Memnon seemed to have forgotten they were equals.

"Raiding party," Memnon said again. "Did the lot of you attack Raven lands together? I assume there are more of you, of course. Where did you leave them?"

Killian raised an unimpressed brow. "Don't be an ass, Memnon. We've been in Urial, retrieving some members of the Hawk Clan. No one's been anywhere near Raven lands."

I looked to Balthazar, who was pale. When he met my eye, he nodded. The Raven truly had been attacked.

Memnon turned to glare at Balthazar. "Don't coach him on what to say. Unless... unless you were in on the attack. Did you murder the Raven as well?"

Murder?

Minerva?

The whole fucking Raven Clan? No, that wasn't possible. It wasn't... no. Minerva's clan was one of the strongest in Nemeda. They were warriors, and there were thousands of them. If they'd been attacked, there would be survivors left to tell the tale, surely.

But Memnon looked too damned pleased with himself.

Balthazar swallowed hard and stepped forward. "The central town in Raven lands was razed to the ground. There's not so much as a stick left standing."

"He knows that," Memnon said, almost fucking sang, smiling. "He did it. He and his traitors to Nemeda."

I cocked my head, confused. The council was present. He shouldn't be able to lie.

Except Minerva wasn't there.

"The sky is yellow," I announced.

Killian lifted a brow at me, but Balthazar sucked in a breath. "The entire council isn't here," he whispered. "The truth geas doesn't work."

Memnon's jaw clenched, but he shook his head. "It doesn't matter. We know what happened. He murdered the Raven. He has to be stopped."

"Actually, we really don't know what happened," Priam interrupted. "I, for one, am very confused about this. I don't think there's any way Chief Brett could have?—"

"I challenge you for control of the Hawk Clan's lands, murderer," Memnon shouted, not interested in anyone's doubt of his lies.

Did he think he would never be held accountable? Maybe he simply didn't care and wanted his revenge for Clio more than he wanted justice or the legitimacy. Regardless, I knew the truth, at least about Clio. And the months between then and now had brought me to terms with it.

Clio had paid her own price. She was the one who'd betrayed me and the Hawk Clan, and she'd paid with her life. That had already been justice. Yes, I'd paid the price on Rosaline's behalf, but I'd done her year on the wall too. Why shouldn't I pay the price for her sacrifice to save my life?

It didn't make a difference, though.

I knew Memnon was lying.

The council, given the way that even the Falcon Chief was looking at him, knew that Memnon was lying, and they weren't inclined to let him get away with it.

But the challenge had been made. It didn't matter that I was exhausted, or that I'd been traveling for the better part of the last two weeks. There was no choice, and no deferral till I felt more like I could handle a fight.

Memnon had challenged me to prove that I hadn't attacked the Raven Clan, and to prove I wasn't lying, I had to accept.

I rolled my shoulders back, trying to ignore the tired, sore twinge between them, and nodded. "If you want to force me to fight another member of your family, I will. But this will be the end of it, Memnon. And then, you will answer for whatever it is you've done to Minerva and the Raven."