Chapter 217: THE MAN ON THE PLATFORM
Keisha’s POV
Callum went upstairs with me, and I snuggled into bed with him, feeling his hands wrap around my waist.
It made me feel so safe. So...protected. And I slept peacefully that night.
When I woke up, the other side of the bed was empty.
For a few seconds, I simply stared at the space where Callum had been, wondering when he’d left.
He probably had to leave early to deal with the preparations so I didn’t dwell on it. After getting dressed, I took the journal from where I’d hidden it and slipped it beneath my clothes before leaving the room.
Nadia was already downstairs. She was in the middle of a yoga routine in one of the open areas near the sitting room, moving through the exercises with focus. I watched her for a moment before she noticed me and lowered herself into a sitting position.
"You’re awake early," she said, reaching for the bottle of water beside her.
"So are you."
"I couldn’t sleep anymore." She took a drink before looking at me properly. "Where are you going?"
"I have something I need to take care of."
Nadia didn’t press me, and I was grateful. I left the mansion shortly afterward and headed toward the section of the estate where the elders who remained loyal to Callum usually held their meetings.
I wasn’t sure how they were going to react.
I had evidence, but I also knew exactly how serious what I had found was. Accusing elders of corruption and rebellion wasn’t something I could simply walk into a room and throw at them without expecting resistance.
Still, I couldn’t keep the journal hidden in my room forever.
When I entered the meeting room, three of the loyal elders were already there. They looked up as I approached, and the oldest among them immediately frowned when he noticed the seriousness on my face. "Keisha, what brings you here this early?"
"I found something last night, and I need you to look at it." I announced as I placed the journal on the table.
For several seconds, nobody touched it.
One of the elders glanced at the book and then at me. "What exactly is this supposed to prove?"
"That Elder Osric has been involved in something that could put us all in trouble."
The oldest elder leaned back in his chair, his expression hardening. "Keisha, you need to be careful with accusations like that."
"I’m not here without proof, am I?" I scowled at him.
"No, but it’s a big thing," another elder said. "There is a war approaching our borders, the Alpha is dealing with Duskfen, and you’ve been under attack repeatedly. You are seeing threats everywhere because you are surrounded by them."
I stared at him. "I’m not accusing Osric because I feel threatened."
"Then why?" The man questioned.
"Because I found this in his bedroom."
That silenced them for a moment. The elder closest to the journal finally reached for it, but before opening it, he looked at me again. "And you’re certain you didn’t misunderstand what you saw?"
"I know what I saw." I nodded.
He opened the journal slowly. At first, his expression didn’t change. He flipped through several pages, reading the entries carefully while the other two leaned closer to see what he was looking at. I watched their faces change gradually as they moved through the records.
Suddenly, their faces filled with horror. "Where did he get these figures?" one of them asked quietly.
"Keep reading."
He did and the room became silent.
The names of the elders involved were there, along with records of meetings, payments, plans and discussions that had clearly been kept away from Callum. The blood seals beside several of the names made the evidence even harder to dismiss.
One of the elders turned another page and stopped. "This can’t be real."
"It is."
He looked at me. "Do you understand what you’re showing us?"
"Yes." I nodded.
"If these records are authentic, these people have been planning a rebellion."
"That’s what I believe and that’s why I’m here."
The oldest elder took the journal from him and examined the seals himself. His face became grim. "There is no mistaking these."
None of them spoke for a while and I stood across from them, waiting.
Finally, the elder closed the journal carefully. "You did the right thing by bringing this here."
I had spent the entire morning preparing myself for them to reject me again, and now that they believed me, I was relieved.
"What about the woman?" I asked. "She has been mentioned, but there is no name. Osric only refers to her as their leader."
Because I couldn’t tell them of what I thought of Vera yet. I had no proof and she would immediately debunk it. For now, I could deal with the elders I was sure of.
"We don’t know who she is," the oldest elder admitted. "And unfortunately, neither does this journal tell us."
"Can you find out?" I asked.
"We will try."
He placed the journal in front of him. "But this stays with us for now. We’ll investigate the names, the seals and the financial records before anything is brought before the Alpha."
I nodded. "Shouldn’t Callum know?"
"Not yet," he answered. "The Alpha already has a war to deal with. If we bring him an incomplete accusation while he’s trying to prepare this pack for an attack, we may create more chaos than we solve."
I understood immediately.
They thanked me again for bringing the information, and after making sure they had everything they needed, I left the meeting room.
At least it was no longer my problem alone.
On my way back toward the mansion, I heard voices coming from farther down the path. A group of maids were walking together, speaking quietly among themselves. I wasn’t trying to listen, but one sentence caught my attention. "They’re questioning him outside the hall."
"Already?"
"They said everyone is supposed to be there."
I slowed. "Who are they questioning?"
The maid looked over her shoulder. "Orin."
My steps stopped completely and for a moment, I considered returning to the mansion.
Instead, I followed them.
The closer I got to the main hall, the louder the crowd became. Guards had formed a perimeter around the open area outside the building, while people from different parts of the estate gathered behind them. Servants stood together in groups, warriors occupied the front sections, and several elders were already present.
There was a raised platform in the center, but it was empty.
I moved into the crowd, keeping toward the back so I wouldn’t draw attention to myself. I wasn’t sure what I expected to see. Callum had said Orin would be punished in front of the pack, but seeing so many people gathered made me feel queasy.
Someone touched my arm and I turned and found Nadia standing beside me.
"Where have you been?" she asked, looking me over. "I woke up and you were already gone."
"I had something to deal with." I said vaguely.
"What kind of something?"
I hesitated before deciding there was no reason to lie to her. "I took the journal to the loyal elders."
Her eyes widened. "You did?"
I nodded. "They have it now. They know about the rebellion and the elders involved. They didn’t know who the woman leading them was either."
Nadia stared at me for a second before a small smile appeared. "I’m proud of you."
The simple words caught me off guard and I smiled. "Thank you."
She moved closer so she could speak without anyone else hearing. "At least it’s not sitting in your room anymore."
"No. It’s gone."
Before we could say anything else, the crowd suddenly shifted and the guards at the entrance moved apart.
Several warriors appeared first. Then I saw the man between them.
My stomach tightened as Orin was being brought toward the platform.
I hadn’t seen him since the night he’d escaped, and even though I knew he had been caught, seeing him standing there among the guards made me tense up.
The crowd grew quieter as he was led forward.
I couldn’t look away. Then Orin lifted his head. His eyes moved across the crowd and found mine.
He had found me.