"It wasn't at all like that," I told her, my blasted genes kicking in with a blush that was hot enough to fry bacon. "Mattias wasn't actually right there with Kristoff and me. We were locked in a cell. By ourselves. In the dark, actually. And Kristoff was handcuffed-"
"Pia," Kristoff interrupted me, his lips twisting a little. "I don't think anyone wishes to know about our time imprisoned in the Brotherhood house."
"Sorry," I said hastily, the blush cranking up another notch. "I just want to say right here and now that I've never had sex in front of an audience."
"Well, then, there you go," Allie said cheerfully.
"Er..." Christian looked a bit dazed. "Where were we? Ah, yes. I assume there is a reason other than altruism that you wish us to release the two reapers into your custody?"
"Yes. It's a means to an end-mine. Or, rather, my career as a Zorya. If I can convince you to release Mattias and Kristjana, the Brotherhood will revoke my permit to be Zorya, or something along those lines. The end result would be that I would no longer have any special powers against vampires."
"No!" Mattias gasped. "An execration? You cannot mean that! You cannot give up!"
Everyone ignored him.
"Sounds like a smart plan to me," Allie said, nodding at me. "I approve."
"Well, I do not!" Sebastian snapped. "Nor will any other member of the council tolerate such an idiotic idea. Is that not right, Rowan?"
Kristoff's cousin shook his head slowly. "I do not think it would be wise for the Zorya and the sacristan to be together. We have no guarantee that the reapers will do as they have promised her."
"Agreed. Andreas?" Sebastian looked to the man who'd been standing so silent, it was easy to overlook his presence.
Andreas roused himself from what appeared to be a deep meditation. His face gave none of his thoughts away. "I object to the release of reapers on general principles. There is no reason to believe they will not later harm our own people."
Mattias sneered.
"You are not helping," I told him. His sneer faded away to a pout.
"Christian?" Sebastian asked.
Christian was even slower to reply than Andreas. "We have held reapers before who have not been directly responsible for harm. Since Kristjana and the sacristan are both members of an active chapter, a chapter that we know has made several attacks against both Kristoff and Alec, we are within our right to continue to hold the two of them, regardless of whether or not they themselves participated in the attempts to harm Dark Ones."
My heart sank. So much for doing this the easy way.
"There is also the possibility that they do, in fact, have information regarding Alec's whereabouts," he added.
"That, at least, I think we can clear up." I turned my attention on Mattias. Beside me, Kristoff stiffened. "Mattias, you told me once that since I was a Zorya, you were obliged by Brotherhood laws to honor any demands I made of you. You will now answer me truthfully-do you know anything about Alec's disappearance?"
Mattias's normally sunny expression turned petulant. "It is not right for you to ask me such in front of the evil ones."
"Do you know anything about Alec?" I repeated.
His expression was sullen for a good minute. "No."
I relaxed. "Then why did you tell the vampires you knew Kristoff and I were responsible for Alec disappearing?"
I thought for a moment that he wasn't going to answer, but he finally did. "The evil ones would not bring you to me as I asked!" he answered, waving his hands around in expressive unhappiness. "I knew that you would come to rescue me if they would allow you in. Therefore, I said what needed to be said in order for them to summon you to me."
Kristoff muttered a rude word under his breath, exchanging glares with Mattias when the latter heard it.
I looked back at Christian. "I rest my case."
"This proves nothing," Sebastian said, waving away Mattias's confession. "They are working together to confuse us."
"I believe," Christian said slowly, with deliberation, "the charges against you precipitated by the sacristan's original statement will require further investigation."
I found a little smile. "That means you'll let Kristoff go."