Page 58 of Scarlet Wars
“Judging by your friends' reactions,” the High Chief began, his voice calm but edged with a subtle challenge, “I’m guessing you think I’m here about your untraceable translation.”
Fuck.
The fact the United Chiefs knew about this, put me on serious edge.
“Clearly, these men don’t trust my good intentions.” His focus shifted from James, to me, lingering for a moment too long before returning to Emma. “Considering how our Board treated you in the past, I can’t say I’m surprised.”
I caught the flicker of Walker stiffening beside me, the weight of his suspicion echoing my own. Whatever “good intentions” the Chief claimed, I could feel him circling, angling closer to the real reason he was here, and I had the distinct, sinking sense that target was Emma.
The High Chief leaned back in his chair, his expression a mask of calm authority. “You’ve become quite the topic of discussion, Ms. Thompson. Your translation—untraceable and immensely powerful—has made you a target. A very dangerousone. Humans and Collabs are coming for you, whether you want to acknowledge it or not.”
“Collabs?” Emma’s question was clear.
“Collaborators,” he spat, the word dripping with contempt. “Magi who side with humans. They let themselves be studied, cut open, tested, controlled.”
His jaw tightened. “They think if humans understand us, they won’t fear us. That if we prove we can be managed, we’ll be allowed to exist.”
He scoffed. “The bubble over the US proves exactly how wrong they are.”
Emma’s lips pressed into a firm line, the fire in her eyes unflinching. “You’re saying the Collabs are responsible for the bubble?”
The High Chief snorted derogatorily, and I almost tore out his spine for disrespecting the most powerful woman on the planet. “If you know of any other magi willing to bubble in their own kind to protect humans, I’d love to hear it.”
“A bubble,” he continued without awaiting her answer, “I’ve been told you survived, even while projecting your haze?”
Emma didn’t blink, didn’t move, only stared him down with that razor-sharp focus that made a Canadian winter feel like a mild autumn breeze.
The High Chief’s nodded once. “I see. Any idea how that happened?”
“She was lucky,” James gritted out, his tone lethal enough to draw blood.
The Chief’s mouth curled, but it wasn’t a smile. “Lucky,” he repeated, tasting the word like it was foreign on his tongue. “I’ve heard you’ve been lucky many times now,” he furthered, sounding too smooth to trust. “Surviving an Amplifier. Different bouts of consummation.”
His gaze roamed over Emma, studying her as if she were some rare specimen. “Your so-called ‘luck’ is beginning to attract attention,” he murmured. “Which is precisely why I came here, to ensure you are making the right…decisions.”
Emma’s brow arched, the barest lift. “‘Right decisions’? What does that mean?”
“It means,” the High Chief said, “There are certain concerns about where your loyalties might eventually lie.”
My Chela manifested in my hand without me even thinking about it. One second my hand was empty, the next, cold metal was pressing against my palm. The jagged points glinted menacingly beneath the room's harsh lights.
His attention flicked to it briefly, then he raised a brow. “What a beautiful,bannedweapon you have there, Mister Colt.”
My grip tightened around the handle, the metal humming faintly beneath my fingers. My voice remained calm, cold. “If you do not change your tone toward Miss Thompson, you’ll enjoy it a lot more up close and personal.”
He smirked, not the tiniest bit intimidated by my clear threat. Impressive, but foolish.
“You won’t need to use it,” the High Chief said, his gaze sliding lazily toward James. “Seeing Mister Walker at Emma’s side here, I realize our interests are already perfectly aligned.”
Emma’s face remained unreadable. “Aligned how, exactly?”
The High Chief leaned in slightly, as though about to share a secret meant for Emma alone.
“A few weeks ago, I met with Stephen Stone. He told me all about his excursions through the blue portal. The future he revealed swayed us against the Great Exposure, though his confession came too late. I’ll never understand why he waited until now to expose true human nature, but what’s done is done.”
“We couldn’t stop the Exposure anymore, but we can still work to prevent a future where we are hunted into extinction.”
Then, almost imperceptibly, his tone softened. “He also told me of the Krait—your son, Alek—and the role he is destined to play in our survival.”
