Noble felt both Kai and Fort's emotions spike. But in true diplomatic fashion, neither let it show on their face.
"Treacherous? I don't know anyone here who fits that description. Please elaborate." Kai motioned for the princess and her companion to sit.
He then turned to Noble.
"This will have to wait, Master Noble. If you will excuse us."
"Of course." Noble took the cue and began gathering the papers to return to the portfolio.
The handsome Saint nodded. "Thank you both for your patience. Ambassador Fort, I'll call you when I'm through."
The action was clear. Kai wanted them both out of the way for whatever was about to happen.
Fort was a mundane, and Noble, as far as he knew, was a Master. Getting them out of whatever treacherous mess had come there was Kai's primary goal.
However, the handsome Saint's plan was thwarted.
Peta blocked the exit, crossing his arms.
Seishan shook her head.
"You are mistaken, Saint Kai. Those two are who I want to see. You being here is convenient because they won't be able to lie."
"If you wanted to see me, I am at your disposal," Fort furrowed his brow. "But surely we can make an appointment."
"The appointment is now. Sit, I insist." Seishan motioned for the husband and wife to rejoin her and Kai at the table.
Resigned, they took two spots across from the Princess of Song and next to Kai, who was at the end of the table. Peta took a seat on the other side of Fort, lest he try to make another break for the door.
However, as long as Noble was still in the room, the ambassador was not leaving her without his support.
"Let's start with what we know. Peta?"
The muscular man tossed an amulet on the table.
Noble furrowed her brow.
"I haven't seen that before in my life."
"Nor have I." Fort was visibly confused.
Kai nodded. The pair was telling the truth.
Seishan didn't seem bothered by their answers.
"It was found on one of three emissaries who were coming to Ravenheart. A welcome party went out to greet them and found their bodies with their heads gone and their hearts pulled from their chests. The rest of the forest where they were found is obliterated."
"Emissaries?" Fort furrowed his brow and glanced at Kai. "Emissaries from where? I was not informed of any diplomatic visit."
The handsome Saint was equally confused. "I'm afraid you've lost us, Lady Seishan."
Noble's eyes began to swirl. She wasn't lost. She had seen the plume of dust and the dragonfly circling it. She had been too worried about her family to give the creature much thought, assuming those on the wall would handle it if the creature came near.
Now she knew that the curious creature was a person using his transformation ability. That person was Saint Peta. Having never met him before today, Noble couldn't fault herself for not recognizing him. He was one of the new crop of Saints to support Clan Song and the Queen.
And if Peta was here for an inquiry involving emissaries, that meant that the two Song Saints weren't after whatever Kai and Fort were working on.
They were seeking out other treachery.
'Uh oh…'
At Kai's confusion, Lady Seishan's polite smile grew. "And here I thought the government was omniscient."
"My Lady, if human envoys have been attacked, then we need to investigate immediately. The creature who did this should be found and eliminated!" Fort balled his fist. What were they doing here when a menace was on the loose?!
"I would agree. Except the creature wasn't a monster, at least not in the traditional sense that we use the word. It was a human." Seishan narrowed her gaze.
"A human?" Kai raised his eyebrows. "What are you suggesting?"
"I am suggesting that at the scene of the massacre, a person was spotted. Would either of you know anything about that?" Seishan's sharp eyes watched the couple closely.
"Why would we know anything about someone's actions outside of Ravenheart? I have been here with Saint Kai all morning, and my wife has just recently returned from a government ceremony in the waking world. Forgive me, but if you saw someone, shouldn't you be chasing after them?"
"Unfortunately, that person disappeared before Peta could apprehend her. That is why I am coming to you. I am looking for that dark-haired mundane girl." Seishan tilted her head. "Where is your daughter, Ambassador Fort?"
"She's out hunting, but she hunts creatures, not people. Surely you must be mistaken." Fort scoffed.
"I know what I saw." Peta's booming voice shook the room. "A pale-skinned girl with long dark hair. She had a bow in her hand and a pack on her back. And before you ask, I am sure she was mundane."
"The only person who matches that description who left the gates this morning is your darling daughter. I checked." Seishan tapped her sharp nails on the table.
Noble shook her head.
"That doesn't mean it was Rain. This girl you saw could have been part of the group of emissaries. What did she say when you caught her, Saint Peta?"
"She disappeared into the shadows before I could reach her." Peta scowled.
"There was certainly some foul play. No one runs from Peta." The Song sister clicked her tongue. "As for the visitors, there were no women with them. Your daughter is the only reasonable alternative. Rain was there."
"Lady Seishan, let's pause for a moment." Kai's soothing voice settled the room. "First things first. Are you sure this amulet belongs to the people you were going to meet?"
Noble looked down at the necklace. It was not a memory, but it had been crafted by someone with great care. Perhaps it was a relic of some sort? Or it was made of a material that could outlast even the greatest calamity.
"I am sure," Peta answered without hesitation. "The Master this belongs to has had it since our days back at the Academy. He wouldn't have given it to anyone."
He was telling the truth. It was no wonder he was so angry. He had lost a friend.
"I see. I am very sorry for your loss." Noble's concern was genuine. "But did you just say a Master?"
Seishan shot Peta a sharp gaze. Apparently, that was more than the man was supposed to reveal, even if he hadn't said the man's name. Seishan wanted to see how much was known without giving anything else away.
"The three were Awakened," Seishan said at last.
Kai was troubled by the revelation, but it was the ambassador who spoke.
Fort leaned forward in his chair. "Are you trying to insinuate that a mundane girl beheaded and ripped the heart of not one but three Awakened?"
And at least one of them was a Master!
"Of course not." Seishan leaned back lazily. "Only a fool would allow themselves to be taken down by a weaker being. Yet the evidence speaks for itself. The only conclusion I can make is that the girl had help."
The Song sister nodded as she continued.
"Not just any kind of help. She would need someone strong and adept at cutting down even the toughest warriors. A champion. More than just an Awakened would do, of course. They would have to be at least a Master and have a way to flee a scene quickly, perhaps by flying..."
Seishan's gaze landed on the brunette across from her. The princess dug her nails into the table with a decisive tap.
"It seems you have some explaining to do, Master Noble. And make it quick. Treacherous actions require a decisive response."