The Rise Of The Betrayed Luna (Amorah and Holmes) novel Chapter 46

Chapter 16

Chapter 46

AMORAH

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I took the report from the strategist’s hand and read it again, slower this time. The first time had been enough to understand the meaning, but not enough to catch the details. Now I focused on the exact words that had been recorded.

“They asked why she left.”

I read that line twice.

It settled differently than anything Holmes had done so far.

“They didn’t just ask where I was,” I said quietly. “They asked why.”

The strategist remained silent, waiting.

“That’s not a simple question.” I continued. “That’s not something they would come to on their own.”

Conrad stood a short distance away, his attention fixed on me.

“They’ve been told something,” he said.

“Yes,” I replied.

I lowered the report slightly, thinking through it.

“They’ve been given a version of events,” “Something that explains my absence in a way that makes sense to them.”

“And you believe that came from Bethany,” Conrad said.

“It had to,” I replied. “Holmes wouldn’t explain anything directly to them. He would leave that to someone else.”

“And she would make sure it serves her position.”

“Yes.”

I looked back down at the report.

“They didn’t ask if I was gone,” “They already know that. They asked why.”

“That means they’re questioning what they’ve been told,” Conrad said.

I nodded once.

“They’re not accepting it fully,” “Not yet.”

The realization sat heavily. That was not something I had expected to deal with this early. I set the report down on the table, my thoughts moving faster now.

“This changes how we approach them,” Conrad said.

“Yes,” I replied

He stepped closer, stopping near the table.

“We can use this,” he continued. “Their curiosity gives us an opening.”

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I did not answer immediately. Because I already knew what that meant.

“You’re suggesting we involve them directly.”

“Yes.”

I looked at him, my expression tightening slightly.

“That’s not simple.”

“No.” he agreed.

“They’re already in the middle of this,” I continued. “Pushing them further into it could backfire.”

“It could,” he said.

Silence settled between us for a moment. I looked away, my attention shifting back to the table, but my thoughts were no longer as clear as they had been before.

This was different.

Before, everything had been strategy. Now, there was something else in the way.

“They’re still children,”

“They are,” Conrad replied.

“That matters.”

“It does.”

I turned back to him.

“And

“Yes”

A

you still think we should use this.”

His answer did not change. I exhaled slowly, crossing my arms lightly.

“That puts them at risk,”

“They’re already at risk,” he replied.

“That doesn’t mean we add to it.”

“It means we decide how that risk is handled.”

I looked at him for a long moment, then looked away again.

For the first time since leaving Silvercrest, I felt something slow my thinking.

I did not like it.

I had been clear, focused, moving from one step to the next without hesitation.

“You don’t have to decide that now,” Conrad said.

I glanced at him.

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Chapter 16

“I’ll think about it,”

He gave a slight nod.

“That’s enough for now.”

I turned back to the table, picking up the report again, forcing my attention away from that hesitation.

“We still have the council to deal with.”

“Yes,” Conrad replied.

I focused on that instead.

Holmes had already made his move.

He had called for a review, positioned the narrative, and pushed for a decision in my absence.

That part was clear. What mattered now was how I responded.

“I’m not going back to defend myself,”

“That would put you in his position,” Conrad said.

“Yes.”

I set the report down again.

“I need to force him into a position he can’t adjust out of,” I continued.

Conrad remained quiet, waiting.

“If I return and simply argue against his claims, the council will already be leaning toward him,” “I’ll be reacting to something he prepared.”

“And that weakens your position,” he said.

“Yes.”

I stepped back from the table, pacing once before stopping again.

“So I change the focus.”

“How,” Conrad asked.

“I don’t respond to his accusation directly,” I replied. “I introduce something he can’t dismiss.”

His attention remained fixed on me.

“Something that forces the council to stop looking at me and start looking at him.”

“And what would that be,” he asked.

“The Bloodline Rite.” I answered.

There was a brief

pause.

“You want to bring it back into the council discussion,” he said.

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Chapter 40

“Yes.”

“It already failed once.”

“Because it was interfered with,” I replied.

“That’s

‘s not proven.”

“It doesn’t need to be.” “Not yet.”

He watched me carefully.

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“If I call for it again, publicly, in front of the council, he won’t be able to refuse without raising suspicion I continued. “And if he agrees, we control how it happens this time.”

“And remove the chance for interference,” Conrad added.

“Yes”

Silence followed.

“That puts pressure on him,” he said.

“It forces him into a choice,” I replied. “Either he refuses and weakens his position, or he agrees and risks exposure.”

“And you’re prepared for both outcomes.”

I hesitated for a fraction of a second.

Then I answered.