Page 40 (2/2)

I wish it could have stayed like that, but I should have known better

Eventually, someone bothered to really see me That person must have made the connection to the wallflower in front of theirl on television the day before Soon I had a s me Some stared openly, while others did sowho I was and why I was there

I ignored the scrutiny, focusing in on ht after Jason’s death and ods awfully curious Even so, I was relieved when Blondie shouted for everyone’s attention, s trestle table in the middle of the floor that she could use as her speech’s stu voice carrying through the hall "Thank you for coency, but the truth is that your speed arranted"

"What’s happening, Cyntaf?" shouted a voice from the far corner of the roo in that crowd, but the voice sounded both scared and angry "Was that the Red?"

"Yes," other voices shouted, various people de answers: what had happened, was that the Red, e going to do about all the hu surprised I don’t think she’d been expecting this much confrontation frohting ancient evils, most of the people in this rooht the Red and the White Of course they were afraid, and of course they wanted answers

"You have every right to ask questions," Blondie said "And I’ll do my best to respond Yes, that creature you saw in Paris was the Red"

Briefly, Blondie lost control of the crowd again as everyone gasped, then started babbling I heard people shouting "What do we do?" or "Hoe fight her?" All of which were good questions

I only hoped we could answer the herself until the crowd quieted "But the White is still asleep And we need to keep it that way"

Beings looked nervously at one another, their faces betraying their skepticisht the Red!" shouted a tall goblin halfling I could only see him because he was near me, and he stood about a head taller than everyone else He had the yolk yellow eyes of his goblin ancestry, as well as the build, but otherwise he appeared huht of Jarl’s Healer, the ainst hus, and purebloods alike I wondered if I’d see the Healer again, and whether I or one of et to kill hi’s pessioblin’s questions This seeain, "It’ll destroy us without even trying We can’t fight it!"

"Not true," Blondie said "We can fight it, and we ainst this evil…"

The Original continued on in this vein, but she’d lost a large portion of her audience I met Anyan’s eyes, and his own features betrayed his concern Nor people, but she’d fallen apart on this one

It’s too much of a no-brainer for her, I realized The Red and the White pop up and Blondie fights them It’s what she does What everyone always did But she was too good the last tih people had tienerations had been born since she last picked up the labrys, and the Red and the White had passed into legend So people don’t knohat to do about them, anymore, the way they used to, and they didn’t innately understand the threat, like they had

While Blondie’s natural charishton, this was a huge crowd They were feeding off of each other’s skepticis up her natural ability to lead

Blondie was still up there, speaking about joining together, and fighting the good fight, but I could tell no one was listening They were all looking towards their own leaders: individual supes looking at whatto the regional leaders, the regional leaders looking towards Jack, who stood nearBlondie with a placid expression He wasn’t underht behind her

Instead, he was letting her sink or swihest looked down at ," he ru, before we lose ’eh the crowd It took forever, and it was ridiculously slow going, but eventually I was at Blondie’s table I looked up at her enquiringly, and she al my outstretched hand, she helped me up on to her platform