by A. J. Macey
It wasn’t lost on me, as soon as I outed us as a bonded group and myself as their conduit, the council popped up. If they had wanted to discuss the Delilah situation, it would have been handled by now. They weren’t slow when it came to getting what they wanted.
Trying to distract myself, I glanced out the window, taking in the now-familiar thatched roofs and colorful accents of Divus’ homes. I still thought this part of the city was way prettier than the larger stone-and-brick buildings as you traveled further in. I could already see the large, domed building of the council, and it filled me with unease again.
Witches were bustling back and forth through the crosswalks and along the sidewalks, looking interested in the official cart we were in as it rattled past them. The Goddess fountain caught my eye, and I smiled softly as a little boy threw a coin in, the silver metal glinting off the amethyst accents. There was beauty in this city. I hope I get the chance to appreciate it someday without getting attacked or having councilors looming over us.
“Where will we be staying?” I asked, turning to Xan. The poor guy had been bombarded with questions the moment we were shut away in the cart. His hair was standing on end as he ran his hands through it, clutching at it when he didn’t have answers. I’d never seen him lose his composure like this. It was unsettling.
“I’d normally say we’d stay with my parents since all councilors have a home in Divus, either in the Council Hall or nearby, but I have a feeling that won’t be accepted. If we are here on official business, they will likely have us stay in the guest rooms in the council hall. I have a feeling we’ll only have a day or so of freedom before they’ll want to force us into long days of investigations. I also have a feeling they’ll separate us sooner rather than later.”
“Like hell they will,” Torryn growled, the sound echoed by Ruby, before pulling me out of my seat onto his lap. Ruby didn’t hesitate to snuggle with me and Stripes. “Fuck them. They aren’t separating us.”
“We may not have that choice,” Xan said gently as if he was talking down a rabid beast. Though seeing Torryn being all protective was sexy. I turned in his arms and kissed his lips. His eyes warmed as he looked down at me.
“Don’t worry, Gorgeous, I’ll make sure you’re safe,” he promised, kissing me back.
“Well, we don’t have to wonder much longer, it seems we’re almost there,” Xan informed us, fussing with his clothes and straightening his shoulders. He was slipping back into his role as Xanthius, son of a councilman. I held back a defeated sigh. Seeing him like this just solidifies this is real. I already had a bad feeling and suspected it was only going to keep getting worse.
The cart came to a stop outside the Council Hall. The building itself was impressive, my jaw dropping as soon as I stepped out of the carriage and took it all in. The dome was pristine white with gold accents that glittered in the sun. The main part of the building was made from stone, perfectly smooth to make the circular building stand out and look prestigious. The gold accents extended to this portion and the ridiculously ornate front doors. The building stood out among the rest of the city, making it unmistakable who occupied it.
“They go for subtle, don’t they?” Kye deadpanned with a roll of his eyes. Raptor clucked in agreement, and Kye chuckled, petting her affectionately. Everyone couldn’t help but freeze, staring at Kye with equal looks of disbelief. He noticed the change and glanced up, his smile melting into a scowl. “Oh, shut up, I’m a fucking sweetheart.”
“Of course, you are,” I said gently, hiding my grin. “Let’s go. It’s now or never.”
“Xanthius!” Xan’s mom rushed forward and pulled him into a hug. It was weird. She had been so rigid at the dinner where we met the last time we were here. He relaxed a fraction and hugged her back as she fussed over him. The moment someone cleared their throat behind them, she stiffened. Xan’s dad stepped forward and shook his hand, giving us all a pointed look.
“Xanthius, Aris, Kyelerian, Drayce, Caspian, Torryn,” he greeted us all in turn. We nodded formally, letting Xan take the lead.
“Father, can you tell us what this is about?” Xan asked, all of us turning to him. A look of worry passed over his mom’s face, and his dad froze for a second.
“Now, Xanthius, you know we can’t tell you details of investigations like this,” he started, his words overly patient as if he was speaking down to us.
“Is my family safe?” Xan asked, gesturing to us. My chest warmed at the gesture, loving that he had claimed us in front of his parents. Take that, you stuffy bastard!
“We are your family,” his father said angrily, narrowing his eyes. “This,” he paused, gesturing over at us before finishing, “is abhorrent.”
Well, doesn’t that just tell us everything we need to know? The warmth I had felt was quickly replaced with worry. The mood shift was swift in all of us, but nobody took it harder than Raptor, who rushed forward and pecked at Councilman Eideann’s foot. He huffed and shooed her away, but Petunia rushed forward to protect his feathered friend. Kye lunged for Raptor, scooping her up and glaring at the man.
“My apologies,” Kye growled, glaring at him.
“I’m sure,” Councilman Eideann grumbled before turning back to Xan. “We will see you all at dinner. The council is expecting you. I’ll have my secretary take you to your rooms.”
“Room. We will only need one,” Torryn said in a hard voice. I was honestly shocked he’d stayed quiet this long. Even Caspian and Drayce hung back, their hands clasped together, likely Drayce keeping Cas calm.
“This way,” Xan’s dad said, completely ignoring Torryn as he led us inside. A nervous woman was waiting inside, her clothes impeccable and hair in a severe bun. I would have assumed she was cut from the same cloth if it wasn’t for her nervous expression. “Brynn, take my son and the other guests to their rooms, please.”
“Of course, sir, right away,” she said, grabbing a pile of keys from the front desk and ushering us forward. Councilman Eideann walked away without a backward glance at his son or us, anger flaring inside me when I saw Xan’s shoulders slump. What a tumultuous troll!
“They reserved six rooms for you. One of them, the one for Miss Calisto, is in the opposite hall. The councilors deemed it inappropriate for her quarters to be near yours.” Brynn explained as she led us through a maze of hallways. “Don’t worry, dear. Yours is closer to the council’s quarters, so there’s nothing to worry about.”
My stomach dropped at her words. Why would they separate us like that, and why would I be placed near the councilors? Even if we expected their reactions, things seemed to get stranger as the day wore on.
“Show us hers first, please, then ours,” Torryn commanded, his professorial tone leaving no room for argument. She gulped audibly and did as he asked, showing off a lavish guest room for me and pointing two doors down, explaining who occupied the other rooms. “She can follow us to ours for now.”
“Of course, sir,” Brynn said in a shaky voice. How she ended up working with the council was beyond me. She looked ready to pass out. I’d hate to see her with that bunch of grumpy goblins.
She led us back down the hallway and wound around at least three more before she pointed to a row of doors that were much closer together. She looked apologetic as she handed each of my guys a key. I would bet all the chocolate cupcakes in Aether, their rooms would be more like dormitories or cells compared to mine.
“Well, Angel, it seems you’re more special than we are,” Drayce teased, checking the number on the keychain and unlocking his door. I walked in behind him, letting out a short laugh. There was a tiny single bed with plain white bedding, a small dresser, and a faded armchair.
“Glad they didn’t hurt themselves when they made these rooms,” Caspian deadpanned.
“I vote we all stay with Aris,” Kye added, looking disgusted at the tiny bed. “Xan and Torryn’s feet will hang off of those kid-sized beds.”
“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Brynn fussed from the
doorway, wringing her hands. “They were very specific about the separation.”
“We will be sure to keep that in mind. Thank you for showing us here,” Torryn said formally, giving a pointed look down the hall. “We can handle it from here.”
“Oh, sure,” she mumbled, almost dropping the paper in her hands before steadying herself with a deep breath and handing it over. “Here are the details of dinner, where they’ll give you a small debrief about what will happen moving forward.”
With that, Torryn ushered us into an open room and closed the door in her face, obviously done with the formality and pretense. With a wave of his hand and a muttered incantation, the room became soundproof, and we all let out a collective sigh of relief. Our poor familiars all looked so out of place and nervous, huddled together in the middle of the floor.
Torryn held a finger to his lips to silence us as he walked around the room, letting his magic scan over every corner, under the furniture, and in the windows. My brows rose up in confusion, but Kye mouthed ‘checking for charmed listening devices,’ and it all made sense. We were lucky to have Tor on our side.
“There’s no way I’m staying alone. That’s asking for a repeat of the Tallis situation,” I grumbled, shuddering.
“I don’t like any of us staying alone or even staying here if I'm honest,” Torryn said, leaning against the wall, then sliding down, so he was sitting. “I don’t know what to do here.”
“My guess is the dinner is to observe us as a unit,” Xan said. “It would be their smartest tactic, see how we interact with one another and draw a few conclusions outside the stress of the ‘investigation.’” He used air quotes around investigation. We all know this has nothing to do with me getting attacked over Samhain. “I say we start with dinner, observe them as much as they observe us, then move on from there.” He sounded defeated as if we’d already lost a battle, we didn’t realize we were fighting.
“I’m so sorry. This is all my fault and my lack of control. If I hadn’t let those wicked witches get to me, we would be back at school,” I said, tears stinging my eyes.
“Nope, none of that. This would have come out eventually, especially with someone watching us at Aether. It might be for the best,” Drayce said, giving me a reassuring grin.
“True. No more hiding,” Caspian said, his relief clear on his face.
“I hated the hiding,” I agreed. “I guess we get ready for dinner.” I hurried over to my bag, sorting through until I found something that could pass as dinner attire. Thank goodness I’d thought to pack a skirt.
We finished getting changed in silence, the prospect of seeing the council hanging heavy in the air. The dinner was in an hour, so we said our goodbyes to the familiars after Torryn fished some snacks out of his bag for them before we made our way back to the front doors. I needed fresh air, and we could all use a moment to clear our heads.
“You holding up okay, Cupcake?” Caspian asked, sliding his arm around my shoulder and tucking me into his side. I smiled when he kissed my head and steered us toward the garden around the side of the building.
“Just a little scared. I don’t like that they’re trying to split us up. They’re up to something, but I don’t want to offend Xan and accuse his dad of being corrupt, you know?” I mused, glancing back to make sure Xan wasn’t within earshot.
“I get it, but he doesn’t seem too happy with his dad either way.”
“I hate that his parents can bring him down so quickly, but then again, so can mine.”
“Parents suck sometimes, and so do councils, but we’re in this together, Cupcake. They can’t change that. I have a feeling this is all a power play. We’re the most powerful type of witch now, especially as a whole,” Caspian said, another voice behind us making us jump.
“Can you two keep it down?” Torryn hissed, giving us both a stern look. We hadn’t even noticed him approach, so I couldn't really argue. He lowered his voice and continued. “Sorry, but it’s dangerous. Though Caspian might be onto something about why they’re trying to separate us.”
“It’s about time; let’s get this over with,” I mumbled, wrapping a hand in each of theirs as we walked back to the front. Kye, Xan, and Drayce were there, waiting for us to head inside. I wished we had the gift of telepathy so I could hear their thoughts during dinner. I had a feeling it wouldn’t be pleasant.
“Ah, there you are!” Brynn called, her voice echoing in the foyer and making her wince. She lowered her voice as she continued, looking relatively flustered. Which is both impressive and sad, considering how nervous she looked earlier. “They’re waiting in the dining hall. Let me show you the way!”
“It’s okay, Brynn. We’re still fifteen minutes early,” I said, hoping to calm her before she had some kind of aneurysm.
“The council always gets there early. They aren’t patient men,” she mumbled distractedly, her steps so quick, we were practically running through the halls. She stopped outside a large set of double doors, motioning for two guards standing outside to open the doors. The council was seated around a large dining table, which took up most of the long, rectangular room. A fireplace was on the opposite side of the door and another swinging door that likely provided access to the kitchens. I noticed huge banners hanging along the walls, each depicting one of the Akasha territories.
“Welcome, please take a seat,” Councilman Altermin said with a warm smile. I recognized him from the dinner with Xan’s parents last time we were here. His wife Sircey wasn’t here; in fact, neither was Xan’s mom. I guessed it was only the council members this time.
“Thank you,” I said, nodding in his direction and claiming a seat between Torryn and Xan. Once we were all seated, the staff hurried out of the kitchens. How they knew we were there was beyond me, but dishes were quickly slid in front of us. My stomach growled at the fancy food—a side salad, the size of an entrée and a huge bowl of soup. I hesitated, waiting until I saw the council begin before I devoured the food. I hadn’t realized how hungry I was until it was in front of me. I only ate half, expecting the entrée to be even better.
I wasn’t disappointed when a plate of tiny potatoes, steak, and a heaping portion of steamed veggies was slid in front of me. My stomach rumbled happily as if I hadn’t just eaten my weight in soup and salad. My guys didn’t wait, instantly cutting into the steak and digging in. We didn’t bother to talk, knowing every word would be overheard. The council didn’t speak either, apparently waiting until dinner was finished, though a few kept shooting us annoyed glances, apparently disgruntled by our lack of conversation. As our plates were being cleared, one of the councilmen spoke up.
“Please give us a few moments before dessert.” The chef nodded and ushered his staff out of the room, leaving us with nothing to occupy ourselves and awkward silence.
“How do you like Divus so far?” another councilman asked, his voice bored and monotonous as he glanced in my direction. It felt as if even the mundane questions were targeted, their eyes far too focused on me to be simply listening. I had a feeling they were trying to make us nervous, so we’d slip up tomorrow during the formal meetings.
“Well, last time I was attacked, and this time I’m being hauled in and observed, so I would say it hasn’t been my favorite city,” I said bluntly, my eyes going wide when I realized I’d just blurted that out. Councilman Altermin looked amused, but he was the only one. Everyone else was looking at me like I was a petulant child. Excuse me for being unhappy about almost dying at the hands of a jealous psycho.
“Understandable.” Altermin chuckled. “That does not make for the best of vacations, does it?”
“Could you explain why we were forced to come here?” Torryn cut in, clearly over the small talk.
“We simply wanted to get your thoughts on the attack, help fill in a few blanks,” Xan’s dad explained as if it was simple. The vibes I was getting from the council said it was a blatant lie. “But those are issues for tomorrow. Tonight is not about the investigation.”
“I think I need some fresh air,” I croaked out, Torryn and Xan immediately helping me to my feet and leading me out, the other three trailing behind us.
“Thank you for dinner. We look forward to speaking with you tomorrow,” Xan said formally, giving a low bow the others mimicked before ushering us from the room. Once we were outside, I relaxed and gave them a sheepish smile.
“Sorry, I heard them mention the words ‘conduit’ and ‘observations,’ and I panicked,” I mumbled quietly, letting them lead us out to the gardens. Our steps were slow as we walked as one unit, claiming a spot out of eyesight before leaning against the building and letting ourselves relax for a moment. I hadn’t realized how tense I was until I could finally take a council-free breath.
“I’d bet they’ve got an eye on us, so keep the talk simple, then we can go claim Aris’ room,” Torryn hissed, all of us nodding in understanding. Before we could say anything else, voices drifted our way. We all tensed and fell silent, listening in on the conversation.
“Can you believe it? They actually want to work with that crazy chick.” The gravelly male voice reached us, traveling down the stone hall from wherever he stood.
“That psycho witch? I mean, I don’t even want to be in the same room! Those red eyes are enough to freak me out, let alone that blood magic she’s been practicing,” another said, the grumbling of a shudder reaching us. “No, thank you.” All six of us looked between the group, coming to the same conclusion.