Fear threatened to rise to the surface as all eyes focused on Neve. Slight movement from Seth beside him offered minor support before Neve stood and addressed the council.

“After we discovered the boy the following month we separated and began looking for the owners of the vehicles that were at the National Park the night we were there. After the third phase of the year I discovered the boy, but I did not anticipate the level in which his skills had advanced over such a short period and as a result he found me first.”

“Would you please explain how this happened?” Donovan asked.

“I learned he attended the Melbourne University and so I decided to scout the campus to confirm it was in fact him.”

“You were convinced you had found him.” Meredith asked. She was one of the few he did not want asking him questions but he stood tall and replied, “Yes.”

“Did it occur to you to contact Tom immediately to inform him?”

“No, it did not occur to me at the time. I hoped to confirm I had found him.”

“Yet you say he found you first.”

“Yes, I was careless. I was sitting in the campus and he approached me. I panicked, but he seemed pleased to see me that he immediately began to talk to me like we had been friends for years. It was then I realised he was no different to me when I first turned.”

“At that point did you consider notify Tom and terminate the threat?” Meredith continued her questioning.

“Yes.”

“And yet that never happened.”

“No.” Neve refused to drop his eyes and show the sign of defeat; he lifted his head a little higher and looked at Meredith.

“Did you at any time discuss with this boy the nature of our existence?” His mother asked him.

“No, I pleaded ignorance like him; I let him do the talking which was mostly about the possible theories behind our enhanced skills.”

“Did it occur to you at any time while talking to this boy that you were breaking the family protocol by speaking with him?” Again, his mother asked him

“Honestly, no. I found his enthusiasm refreshing and if anything I began to doubt our protocols.”

Craig, Tom's father, and the last person Neve wanted to be questioned by said, “You would doubt the reasons why we insist on living this way. Do you need to be reminded about what would happen to us if the truth became public?”

Neve’s hands trembled at his side but he held firm, his eyes locked with Craig's. “I know exactly what would happen if the truth were known but I don’t understand why we must kill the half breeds. Why can’t they not be absorbed into the family, isn’t that how it’s done overseas?”

“We are more superior to any other of our kind in the world. If we allowed half breeds to exist within this family, the work done to produce the greatest species will be for nothing. Who are you to decide that our protocol should be ignored?”

“Craig, we’re not here to prosecute my son.”

“Do you not condone what he has done Erica?”

Donovan cut in as voices escalated.

“The issue with half breeds has nothing to do with us being superior. History has shown the introduction of half breeds, at a late age, creates resentment and conflict. We choose to avoid this by eliminating half breeds. It is done this way to spare them the pain and suffering.”

Donovan’s expression lost part of its harshness as he address Neve.

“What kind of life have you now exposed this boy too. He will be forced to make choices that may ultimately taint him for the worst. Is that something you can live with?”

Neve had not expected the word to affect him as much as they did. His body began to tremble and he struggle to remain standing. Beside him, Seth reached out, placing a hand on his back to steady him.

“He made a mistake.” Erica said coming to Neve’s aid. “It’s not the first time something like this has occurred. Do I have to bring to your attention the last time this happened?”

Neve’s eyes found his mother’s month as he questioned if he heard her correctly. He had not been the first to do something like this. Therefore he should continue to be naïve about his actions.

“He was a kid.” Neve told them. “I knew it wasn’t right to become friends with him but I couldn’t do it. When I came back after meeting him I wanted to tell someone but I was afraid. I didn’t want to be the one responsible for his death. The guilt from that outweighed my obligations to our protocol.”

“The second time you saw him.” Donovan asked.

“Three months later, I struggled all that time with what was right and wrong but with every cycle that went I found myself becoming more and more confused. When I returned he was happy to see me and he questioned me about my disappearance but I never told him anything. Instead, I talked him into going to a reserve where we ran together. It was fun, and I was able to forget everything that had been eating me up but then I left him. I gave him a false story about my family and I pretended not to know anything.”

“Again you didn’t consider telling anyone at this point?” Meredith asked.

“Yes I considered it but I couldn’t bring myself to do it.”

“At this point what were your thoughts about his survival knowing full well that he would need to be eliminated?”

Grateful his mother was part of the council, her question allowed Neve to keep a level head.

“I was in denial. It had been six months, and no one had found him other than me.”

“Didn’t you think it was unfair for this boy to let him live for that long knowing he would be killed at any time once he was reported?”

Neve stared at his mother and then around the room. “The third time I returned he didn’t look good. I didn’t know what had happened or what was wrong with him. It was at that point that I realised my mistake but by then, the guilt made me flee. I never spoke to him that time. I realised at that point I needed to tell someone but then Seth had found him.”

“At any time were you aware of Nikali Papas involvement with the boy?” Another member, William asked. Neve did not know the man well; he was much older and didn’t live in Sydney as most of the family did.

Neve stared at William straight in the eye and said, “No I never suspected anything of the sort. Why would I?”

“The boys’ condition indicated something was wrong, you didn’t care to learn after you claim to be his friend? You didn’t attempt to scry his thoughts to better understand what was happening to him?” Frances asked.

Neve feared they would ask him that, hell he feared they would use the technique on him, he was surprised none had touched his mind yet.

“It never crossed my mind. The realisation of what I was doing hit home. Seeing him like that made me realise I had made a mistake. I never meant for any of this to happen. I panicked and ran.”

The room fell silent and Donovan said, “Thank you, Neve.”

Neve gave a nod and sat down his hands sweaty, tight and sore from clenching them for so long. He flexed his fingers under the table and looked down at them. He had done everything, including on occasions emitting feelings of fear and anxiety, which was not too hard to do considering his situation. He wanted then to believe he was genuinely sorry for what had happened.

Donovan stood once more as all eyes fell on him.

“The fact that this situation has happened in the past only highlights the need to inform all members in this family the dangers of weaker members. In the past, there has been an emphasis to cover up these types of situations but it is clear now that this is not the right decision.

“Therefore, it has been decided Neve will be withdrawn from duties as seeker and will take up a position of employment with a subsidiary company in Perth until the time of his ceremony.

“All in agreement raise your hand.”

Neve stared at the sixteen people around the table and nine raised their hands, including his mother.

“Then the decision is final. This meeting is adjourned.”

Neve sat staring into space as Seth tapped him on the shoulder and they both stood and left the room.