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thumbs are and sets out to use ’em everywhere…even where they shouldn’t.”
    Ramsay relaxed back into the couch. “I’ll talk to Eryx. See if we should—”
    “Leave her alone.” Ludan steepled his fingers. A contemplative pose for those who didn’t know better, but the whites of his eyes burned neon vivid around his already bright blue eyes. That signaled one thing and one thing only for men of Shantos and Forte lineage: time to defuse the situation before earth, fire, water, and air all clashed in a cataclysmic event.
    The study door opened.
    “I cannot fucking believe it.” Lexi stormed in, her cheeks a mottled red. A testy breeze that shouldn’t exist in an enclosed space swept in behind her.
    Eryx ambled in afterward and flicked his hand toward the door, shutting it with a thought. He gripped her shoulder. “Rein it in, hellcat.”
    Calm words delivered casually, but the tension in Eryx’s shoulders made it obvious he wasn’t too far behind his baineann in the pissed off department.
    “They give the verdict?” Ramsay asked.
    “Oh, they gave it all right.” Lexi paced to the tall window at the back of the room and scowled at the packed streets. “Idiots.”
    “Reluctant accomplice.” Eryx stalked to the sidebar and uncorked the strasse. “The council totally fell for her shit, but even more than that, they’re relieved she took out Maxis. They confiscated the assets that passed to her on Maxis’ death, and ordered probation for the next five years, her first year under house arrest with supervised excursions. If she violates probation, she’ll be stripped of her powers and banned to Evad.”
    Jagger perched on the edge of the conference table, hands curled around the edge. “Histus, if that’s the case we need to celebrate. Five years of probation? For Serena? She’ll never make it.”
    Wes and Troy, both in at-ease stances behind Jagger and trying to look inconspicuous in the middle of the drama, chuckled.
    “When’s the verdict coming out?” Ian asked.
    Lexi gave up her view of the crowds and rested one hip on the sofa. “Five more minutes. The ellan are on their way back now. They want this over with so they can get straight to this afternoon’s session.”
    Ian whipped his head to face her. “Another one?”
    “Status update on how our sideshow in Evad is playing out.” Eryx strolled toward his mate.
    Sideshow meaning the public display of Myren powers in Evad when Maxis tried to swipe a bunch of humans to fill his slave farm. Also conveniently the night Serena drove a dagger through his heart.
    “We’ve covered that with them already,” Ramsay said. “The only video that made it through you frying the electronics is too blurred to show anything meaningful. We give it time and the humans will move on to something else. Hell, the new Kardashians series starts in another week. It’ll be fine.”
    “We can’t ignore this, Ramsay. The tenets were broken, and the prophecy has people primed for panic.” Eryx pulled Lexi in and kissed the top of her head. “If a regular report makes ’em feel better, then I’ve got no problem with keeping up surveillance and giving them a rundown every now and then.”
    “Who’s the unlucky bastard doing surveillance?” Jagger asked.
    “That would be me.” Ian crossed his arms over his chest and leaned back in the chair with a shrug. “I don’t mind. Jilly’s curious about Evad, and it lets me get an Internet fix. I never thought I was much of an electronics junkie, but even an old man like me can get used to cell phones and Google.”
    Easy laughter moved through the room, diffusing what remained of the tension. Ian seemed to have that effect on people. Probably a gift honed through his years as a cop dealing with unsavory assholes.
    “We’ve got to get back.” Eryx stepped away and guided Lexi toward the door. “Ludan, do your mojo on Serena’s memories as soon as she’s released. Ramsay, I want detailed recon on Maxis’