Diogenes smiled, sipping his wine and watching the commotion settle and then resume. How fun. He waited until he caught Cyrus' gaze and held his cup of wine up as if to toast his nephew before drinking deeply.

At least this meeting was more stimulating than most.

Evander acknowledged his brother’s thanks with nothing but a tip of his head. He would always stand by Cyrus, in this and all matters, but in this particular case Evander was in complete and total agreement. Now that the Blackwoods were once again united in common cause, there was no force in Arynn Frey or beyond that could stop them. None.

He listened attentively to Cyrus and Keion, sharp eyes moving from one to the other while his face remained flat and expressionless. He wasn’t surprised when Keion accepted. His brother’s value lay in the skills Cyrus was asking him to put to use. It was only logical for him to take up Cyrus’s offer, and Evander knew his younger brother to be no fool. He nodded as his brother left, eyes moving back to Cyrus as Keion moved away. “The council has chosen wisely,” Evander’s eyes tracked for a moment over the crowd, his voice low as he spoke, “Let us hope their resolve holds. We cannot afford for anyone to get,” Evander thought, choosing his next word carefully, “squeamish.”