by Amelia Shaw
“Gah!” Charity cried., her eyes narrowing at Matlock’s hands. “That book! Give it to me.”
She launched forward.
I grabbed her by the shoulders and pushed her back. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”
Charity’s red headed Witch companion threw a lightning bolt of magic at my chest.
It hit me with the force of a steam engine. Pain exploded into a thousand pieces, choking me.
I fell to the floor, writhing in pain, screaming for help as my life force began to drain out of me.
They’d killed me, and for what? For nothing...
My father dropped to my side and grabbed me before I passed out.
“Ava! Ava! Can you hear me?”
I could, then I couldn’t.
Everything went black.
Chapter 20.
THINGS HAD BARELY GONE dark, the cold feeling of death stealing over me, when something inside me changed. Instead of cold pain, instead of the icy-hot temperature floating across my body, something took it over.
Warm healing power pulsed through me, beginning in my belly and coming out in wave like rings. I was fighting my way back to the light. The deadly pain in my chest was being pushed out, in the strangest way.
My stomach burned in the area of my tattoo, initiating the healing power my sister had so beautifully instilled in me.
I had forgotten all about the tattoo. My mind had been so focused on the attack at hand that I forgot it was even there.
I forced my eyes open and gasped for air, my hands going for my stomach in hopes to soothe it.
My father held me in his arms, barking orders around like a drill sergeant.
“Arrest her. Now!” My father blasted black spark-like magic out his fingertips, towards the red-headed witch. I wasn’t sure if he even noticed I was conscious.
“Dad...” I gasped, struggling to sit up. I grunted, stretching out my neck, trying to get all of the kinks out.
“Ava, no. You must stay still.”
I shook my head, getting first to my hands and knees, then up to my feet. Though my legs wobbled and my belly felt like someone held a flaming torch to my skin, my head was clear and I was up.
“You cannot kill me,” I declared to the room of Witches and Warlocks staring at me. I should be dead, but they’d have to try harder. “And if you don’t choose to make me your ally, I guarantee you will make me your very worst enemy.”
There were several gasps around the room, and then the doors to the back of the room burst open.
Tavlor strode in, parting the crowd like Moses and the Red Sea.
Better late than never.
Behind him walked four tall, strong men. Two Fae and two shifters. All of which I recognized.
My heart sung with happiness. He hadn’t abandoned me. He’d brought the re-enforcements he’d said he would. Strong re-enforcements.
I couldn’t believe I had ever doubted him. Guilt pooled in my stomach. I tried to ignore it. I tried to refocus on what we had rather than dwell on my momentary lapse in judgment.
“We are here to speak on behalf of Ava,” Horlow declared, my Fae teacher from Abigail’s realm. It was so good to see him, tears sprang into my eyes. This had to be the effect of nearly dying. I didn’t want to admit that I could be this emotional.
“This is not an open court,” the older man who was running this trial all but spat at the Fae elder. “And we will not indulge your speeches. Anything you say will fall on deaf ears, Fae.”
“Well, maybe it ought to be an open court,” one of the wolf-shifters said with a growl. Robert’s beta was here in all his wiry fine-ness. He still looked malnourished, but the look on his face said he was still just as powerful, regardless.
Tavlor brought his four witnesses up to the stage where I stood and turned to face off against the Council and all their family.
I was still holding my belly and panting, and my father eased me up so I could lean against a chair. The death sentence that witch had served me had been a strong one, and I wasn’t sure that there would be much of a tattoo left after that. Which meant I had to be careful, and not let myself get attacked again.
Tavlor glanced at me, one eyebrow raised.
“Are you all right?” he asked, trying to mask his concern.
I shook my head. “Not really, but I’ll explain later.”
I didn’t want him seeking retribution for the attack now. Not when there were bigger things to do.
I waved my hand for him to continue and concentrated on breathing. Tavlor could take it from here. Thanks to Bella, I’d managed to survive up until this point. Only just, though.
Tavlor held up a copy of the ancient book he’d made from the original that lay behind me with my father.
“I have shown my friends here the original laws and rules of the Council,” he announced.
I grinned. That would show these cocky assholes.
There was a hiss and gasp of outrage around the room. Those that knew what Tavlor meant narrowed their gazes, and those that didn’t nudged their partner and whispered questions.
“Tavlor, look out!” my father yelled.
Multiple explosions erupted in front of us.
Tavlor grabbed me and dragged me into his side while I watched white and red lights go off like fireworks before me.
“What’s going on?” I yelled over the noise, my gaze darting around to see my father and Horlow standing side by side as they threw magic up to protect us all.
“They Council are attacking,” Tavlor said, gripping me, and the book. His gaze was furious.
The wolf shifters who stood beside us half shifted in their rage, their hands becoming claws. Their heads became those of the wolf.
Woah. This just got real.
I glanced back at my father and the Fae mage. “Horlow and my dad are protecting us.”
Tavlor nodded. “Stay back, okay?”
I nodded.
Tavlor stepped forward, in a surreal move of strength and courage. Evil, deathly magic was still being thrown at us, blistering the wall created by my father’s strength, bolstered by Horlow’s.
The Wolf shifters stood next to Tavlor as he walked closer, flanking him and growling in outrage.
How disgusting a thing to have to face. They came here in peace. To talk. And they were met with a classic move of the bullying, narcissistic, overbearing Council.
I was embarrassed to say I wanted to be at the head of them all.
Tavlor and the two wolf shifters together faced off against the Council, standing shoulder to shoulder. A wall of male fierceness.
Slowly, the attacks began to slow as they realized my father’s protective magic was holding. Then the Councilors groaned and shouted in frustration, then completely stopped. I almost wished they hadn’t. I wanted to see how long it would take before they sent spells so powerful, they deflected off the wall and hit the bearer.
Tavlor then stepped right up to the shield, the shifters growling at his back.
“We have not told the communities of shifters and Fae about the original Council,” he continued slowly, his eyes going to each Council member. Before, he would not have deigned to look them in the eye due to what he was. Now, it was different. Now, he believed in himself. “I have only informed these four people, and they have sworn to keep it to themselves. However, there is a price for their secrecy.”
“What do they want, then?” a Council member called out.
I almost rolled my eyes. The Council was not doing itself any favors if it was going to continue to be suspicious of everything.
King Ankor stepped up, magic rippling off him in a visible silver fountain. He was an impressive sight to behold.
“We will support Ava in her bid to be the rightful heir to her father,” Ankor said, commanding everyone’s attention. “And if you allow her the contract she requires, we will stand down.”
My mouth dropped open and I stared at Tavlor, who didn’t look at me. But I could see his
mouth twitching and knew he wanted to.
How had he managed to convince the Fae king to stand up on my behalf? My mind swam. I winced, the pain from the attack still twinging, but I couldn’t help but smile either.
A member of the Council stepped forward.
“You will relinquish all claim to the Council if we support Ava in this way?” he asked tentatively, as though he couldn’t believe it.
King Ankor’s back tightened and I yelled out to him, “You don’t need to do this. We can find another way.”
And I could. I was sure I could. Maybe... I didn’t have any examples of how we would pull it off just yet, but I was sure I could think of something.
Ankor turned back and looked at me, his eyes burning with an intensity I didn’t understand. Did he know how much I wanted to help his people?
I wanted to tell him. I wanted to explain.
But I didn’t want him giving up the one thing that could put him back in the place he should be. On the Council with the others.
But I couldn’t tell him everything I wanted to tell him, and he turned away without speaking to me. “Yes, we will.”
“Us, too.” the Alpha wolf shifter barked out, stepping up next to the Fae King.
King Ankor didn’t flinch though I knew he wanted to. His cloak was lined with a once alive wolf’s fur, and yet as they stood together, I knew the Fae and the Shifter had found something bigger to stand against than each other. I had no idea how Tavlor was able to pull it off, but I was glad he did.
The Council was the enemy today. As they should have been all along.
“Give us a moment.”
The members of the Council congregated together at the back of the room. I stood straighter, the pain in my belly now receding as did the fatigue and exhaustion that had come from being hit with such magic. Instead of leaning against the chair, I collapsed into it. Tavlor gave me a cursory glance, concern in his eyes, but he was careful not to let his gaze linger on me for too long.
I didn’t want anyone to know about my tattoo, so I didn’t touch it or check on it, but I was dying to see if it had changed in anyway.
Would I get more than one life if it saved me multiple times? Or would it be gone now, having saved me once? I didn’t know, and Bella had never explained it to me. I wondered if I could get another one if I needed.
The Fae King and the shifters walked over to me, frowning.
“Ava, you don’t look well.” King Ankor said.
I grimaced out a smile. “Oh, I’m okay. One of the witches tried to kill me, but I made it through.”
I didn’t tell them how close it had been. I simply forced a smile to my lips.
I swallowed hard against the emotions rising up, making my chest tight.
“I can’t believe you all came to support me in this,” I continued. “It’s so... unexpected.”
The Shifters growled softly as they shook themselves and transformed back to their human selves. I assumed they could do that so they could speak to me properly.
“We...” The Alpha cleared his throat. “We believe you are the best chance we have of improving our place in this world. There’s been enough wars. It’s time to do something differently.” He cocked his head at me. “Unless we were wrong about you and your intentions?”
No. Never.
I rushed to reassure him. I needed to, before it was too late.
Chapter 21.
I REACHED FORWARD AND grabbed onto Robert’s arm. I needed him to listen.
“Oh, no,” I said, shaking my head. “Not at all. The only reason I’m standing here today, fighting to be the stupid High Warlock, is because I want to have the power to help you. To change what the council has done.”
The Fae King looked at me. His icy stare coiled its tendrils around me and made me shudder inwardly. The last thing I wanted to do was cross him. “You feel the same way about my realm? Tavlor said you did.”
“Oh, yes,” I said, nodding rapidly. “Your people need help, King Ankor. And I’m going to make sure they get it.”
His world needed magic; they needed food, they needed safety and comfort. To live forever in such a state was simply tragic. Especially for a people that were born with incredible magic.
He smiled and lifted his chin. “Then we made the right choice here today.”
Tavlor stepped up and took my hand. “You have. Ava is worth putting your trust in.”
I glanced over at my father and Horlow, who were still standing with their hands outstretched, their magic protecting us all. Judging by the beads of sweat that accumulated on my father’s forehead, however, we needed to act fast before their magic was depleted.
Regardless, it was a perfect combination of powerful Warlock and Fae magic. A brilliant combination that was indeed underestimated.
Pride blossomed in my chest. My father was protecting me. It was a great feeling to know he could, and would, do so regardless of his role as High Warlock. That I was important to him.
I glanced back to the space between us. The magic that forced the Council to behave. To stop them from killing us.
Killing us... I still couldn’t believe they were willing to wipe us out in order to get what they wanted. The ‘right’ man at the top. In the role of High Warlock.
And the very fact they were wanting to do so gave me hope that perhaps the role would have more power than I’d anticipated. More than my father had ever used or even realized.
The Councilors moved back to the invisible wall between us and I glanced at Tavlor.
He stared at me for a moment, then, reading my look correctly, got up and walked across to the man who’d come to give us their verdict. His shoulders were rolled back, his eyes narrowed in front of him. He looked confident, not perturbed in any way.
“If,” Thomas said, loudly and succinctly. “If everyone hears signs a binding contract not to spread the lies in that book...”
He pointed to Tavlor’s copy.
I rolled my eyes. “Lies. Yeah right.”
The Councilor glared at me and I glared right back. “If that is done, then we will accept Ava as the heir apparent, with the removal of her arranged marriage.”
My breath caught in my throat. I couldn’t believe it.
Oh. My. God. We did it.
My knees went weak but I forced some strength into them. Now was not the time to look like a wilting lily. I had to look like this was part of the plan, and it had been all along.
Tavlor inclined his head. “Give me a moment.”
He strode back to us, a smile growing on his face. He was happy with this turn of events, and to be honest, so was I. But it would take a sacrifice from people who had already suffered too much.
He stepped into our huddle and I glanced towards the Alpha wolf and King Ankor. I didn’t want to let them have to suffer even more because I found a way to twist the Council’s arm and allowed me to be selfish.
“You two do not need to agree to this,” I said, looking between the two of them. I hoped they understood that I wasn’t kidding. “It’s asking too much.”
The Alpha growled and shook his head. “No. I believe you are our best chance of getting out from under the iron fist of the Council. I’m happy to stand by you, even without the message from the book.”
King Ankor nodded. “I do also. We’ll do as they ask, Ava.”
I blinked back the tears that threatened to fall. The last thing I wanted was to look like a blubbering fool in front of my most powerful allies “Thank you for your trust. I swear, I will not betray it.”
We turned back and my father and the Council set to work tweaking the contract. They bickered over verbiage.
I chose to stay where I was, trying not to pace. I didn’t want to reveal my weakness, my anxiousness, in any way. My eyes kept going to my father. Every now and then he would reach up and touch his necklace casually, buried under the clothing. No one even noticed what it was.
When it was finished, the contract was presented to both the s
hifter and the Fae and everyone else who needed to sign it.
The Fae King, Horlow, and the Alpha wolf shifter signed their agreements, and I took my new contract to my father, who looked it over for me.
While everyone else was distracted and the room was full of people talking, my father whispered to me, “How did you survive that bolt of magic from Melody, Ava? I know that was not meant to merely wound but kill. I know you have a few tricks up your sleeve, but that... I don’t know how you managed that.”
My hand strayed to my belly, to my secret weapon.
“It’s like you said, Dad,” I said, giving him a wink. “I have a few tricks up my sleeve.”
He glanced up at me, his eyebrows furrowed. I couldn’t speak of my sisters here, nor should I reveal everything all at once.
So, I simply smiled and said, “It was a gift from Bella.”
He nodded, accepting what I said as truth, and glanced down again, continuing to paw over the contract until he was satisfied with it.
“You can sign this,” he said as he handed it back to me, then stood up and addressed the people still standing on the other side of the magical wall that Horlow was holding up.
Horlow sagged a little with exhaustion, but the wall remained strong.
“I’m going to ask the Fae mage to drop the protective shield, but if I see a single person cast a spell to hurt anyone on this side of the divide, I will kill every single Council member in this room,” my father said.
I blinked. I knew why he said it, but he could have been talking about the weather, not death and murder.
There was a horrified gasp as my father whirled his hand in the air, creating a fiery red magic.
“There has been enough secrets. Enough lies. Enough betrayal. I will not see my child, nor anyone who came here today to protect her, be harmed. I am the High Warlock, and it’s time that many of you realized that.”