Chapter 351: You Know About It, Don't You?
Ezra and Hannah took another break, standing alone at the table.
For the humans, this was the best party yet but for the vampires, it was the worst.
Instead of enjoying and relaxing, they were constantly on alert. Who wouldn't when they were being watched by a small army of vampires.
Ezra took a sip of his wine and looked up, feeling eyes on him. He met the gaze of James. The man had been watching him from across the ballroom.
Ezra gave the man a slight bow. James nodded in acknowledgement before turning back to whatever he had been doing
"How much longer do l have to wait?" Ezra muttered to himself. He was itching to confront Lana and get the answers he had been looking for.
He kept his eyes on the guests, studying the... emotional divide. He fought to keep himself from looking when he saw Lana heading to the balcony.
He took another sip of his wine and fought to keep himself from smiling as he heard raised voices near the exit.
He looked to see Alfred clutching his stomach, stopping his blood from dripping to the floor from the knife stuck in it.
The attackers, an older human couple, were being held down by the vampire guards as they struggled and screamed.
He grinned as James and Anya rushed to the scene.
He turned to see Hannah change in that instant, her posture straightening with her usual confidence.
This wasn't Hannah anymore. It was Connell. She turned to Ezra, her voice urgent. "Now's our chance. Let's go."
The two of them moved through the crowd, slipping behind those rushing to view the commotion.
They stepped onto the balcony to find Lana standing alone. Her eyes were on the view of the city beyond the walls of the estate.
From this vantage point, a vampire could clearly see some of the commercial buildings nearby.
Connel waved her hand, creating a bubble of silence around them.
No one outside of the bubble would be able to hear the conversation they were about to have.
Ezra doubted that they would be able to finish the conversation before James noticed his absence but Connell had said to trust her and that was what he would do.
Lana turned, her brow raised in irritation as she noticed them.
"Captain Matten." She said with the tone of a person about to utter a rebuke. "Why are you bothering me?"
"You know about it, don't you?" Ezra asked as he stepped forward. Connell stayed back. She had said it wouldn't work if she was too close.
"What?" Lana asked.
"I know you know what really happened to Nicodemus and his coven." Ezra said.
"W-What?" Lana stuttered, panic crossing her face for a second as she glanced at the ballroom.
That was when she noticed the barrier blocking sound and quickly composed herself.
She turned back to Ezra, wearing an expression of nonchalance but Ezra had already seen through her charade.
"If you're hoping for answers, I suggest you find someone else. I know nothing." She said, dismissively.
Ezra kept staring straight at her, not saying a word. He let the tension build for a few seconds before speaking.
"Did you notice it tonight?" He asked like he was discussing the weather.
Lana raised a brow at his question.
"The City Lord and his Arbiter." He said. "Their... unease. Their urgency. Everyone has seen it. That's why they can't enjoy this ball. But do you know why they're so tense?"
He lowered his voice. "It's because they know what's coming."
Lana stared at him in confusion. "What are you talking about?"
This was the most important part of this conversation. The lie that Connell had cooked up for him to say.
He didn't know if it'll work but there was no other way to go about it.
He leaned forward, his voice conspiratorial. "An Attendant is coming from the Ark to investigate Faewall."
Lana's composure slipped and she stared at him in shock."
Ezra grinned as he said the magic words. "I called them myself."
Lana's eyes widened, every pretense of calm shattering as genuine shock appeared on her face. "You… called the Ark? Are you crazy?"
She paused as she realized something else. "What about your wife, Genesis? You'd risk her by calling the Ark?"
Ezra wore a cold expression on his face, his eyes hardening. "My wife betrayed me by creating this mess."
"I don't care about anyone who would hide this from me. All I care about is making sure everyone involved gets their punishment."
Before she could respond, he pointed to a rooftop in the distance.
"Look." He said, his voice cold. Lana looked just in time to see three muffled flashes of light usually associated with a teleportation.
"That's the Attendant's arrival." He lied. Connell had said she'd take care of the light show and she had.
He turned to look at Lana who was staring at the dark rooftop in the distance in shock.
"Now that they're here, there's no more running. No more hiding. Justice has arrived and if you stay silent, you know the fate waiting for you."
"Why should James and Anya receive any punishment when they have you and Alfred?"
Connell had explained that the only reason this would work is because Lana herself is capable of abandoning her now deceased husband and sacrificing her subordinate.
Since it was something she'd do, it wasn't hard for her to believe that others would do the same in the right situation.
Lana's face was pale now, her fingers clenched against the balcony railing. She was silent, her mind searching for a way out.
Ezra's voice softened as he spoke again. "You can't escape this. But if you tell me the truth now, I'll present the truth on your behalf and make sure you're safe."
Lana stood there saying nothing. But Ezra could see the internal battle going on from her expression.
After a minute, she finally spoke. "Fine." She said, her voice filled with fear. "I'll tell you."
Ezra stopped himself from showing any expression.
There's a memory cache. I stored everything there. All of it. Everything you want to know."
She told him the location of the cache.
"Good." Ezra nodded. "You've made the right choice."
With that, he turned and left the balcony, Connell close at his side.
He was closer than he'd ever been to finding out the truth.
This ball was definitely the best he'd attended so far.