“That was likely the easy part,” I whispered, staring at my hands in my lap. “I have no idea how to take her place.”
“Those plans have been in the works for almost two years,” he said. “You won’t be alone.”
“Can we go back to the estate?”
“Now?”
I nodded. I couldn’t stay here, but I wasn’t sure I could stay at Kellen’s either. Logan wouldn’t be there right now, not with a pile of mages sleeping in his room.
“We snuck out, remember. The others will be expecting us for breakfast in a few hours.”
He frowned and nodded. “You’re right. I’d forgotten about that.”
“Are they secured?” I asked, knowing he would understand I meant my mother and the other two vampires.
“Yes. I found several people loyal to me who are willing to make sure they don’t escape,” he replied.
I didn’t miss the ‘loyal to me.’ Not loyal to AJ, loyal to Kellen. His brown eyes stared back at me with compassion and understanding. How could I doubt him? He’d been nothing but supportive to me. Then again, he would be. He needed me to overthrow the Magister, after all.
I squeezed my eyes shut for a moment and rubbed my temples, then pushed myself to my feet.
“We should go,” I said, attempting a smile. I had too much to figure out, and staying in the palace wasn’t going to help.
Chapter 36
Morning came too quickly. Despite my lack of sleep the night before and only four hours just now, I lay awake, staring at the ceiling. Exhaustion took me when we arrived back at the estate, but now my mind felt like it had enough rest to jump back into overdrive. I heard Kellen leave the room a few minutes before, despite his efforts to be quiet.
I pushed the covers back and rolled out of bed, stumbling to Kellen’s bathroom. The mirror lied to me about my appearance. No one could look as tired as the person staring back at me. Deep circles hung beneath my blood-shot eyes, and no amount of cold water was going to fix it.
I brushed my teeth, changed my clothes, and prepared to face the million and one questions I knew were coming. Maybe I could stay in bed and let Kellen do it. The thought faded as quickly as it surfaced. I already had guilt over Logan. I didn’t need to add selfish laziness to the list.
I opened the door to Kellen’s room and nearly ran into Kate. Her glare turned into concern.
“You look like shit, girl.”
“Thanks, I feel even worse.” I tried to go around her, but she pushed me back into the room and handed me a cup of coffee. A small smile crept across my face. “Thank you.”
“I need information,” she said. “Bribery is a thing. So, tell me Kellen’s lying. Did you really sneak into the palace last night?”
“Nope, and yep.” I took a sip of coffee and closed my eyes. It was hot and strong, just what I needed.
“Holy shit. Is she really a vampire?”
“Yep.”
“Can I get more than that?”
I heard the exasperation in her voice and relented. “She and two others are imprisoned at the palace. I suppose we’ll need to go back and make an announcement.” I took another sip of coffee. “Can we get breakfast now?”
“I can’t believe you’re acting so calm about this,” she exclaimed. “We’ve worked so hard to get to this point.”
I lowered my cup and eyed her suspiciously. Kellen said he’d kept most of his traitorous activities from her. “I wasn’t very calm when we got home this morning,” I said. “I think I’m too tired right now to provide an appropriate reaction.”
I skirted around her and made my way to the kitchen. What was wrong with me? Was it just exhaustion causing me to doubt the people who saved me? Or would the vampires have done the same when they discovered who I was? I guess the real question was did I want the vampires as allies or the mages? I didn’t think my elements would have approved of the vampires, which answered that question.
I shook my head, trying to clear my thoughts as loud, agitated voices drifted towards me through the open door to the kitchen. I sighed. Maybe I would let Kellen deal with it.
Silence filled the room as I entered and ten sets of eyes landed on me. Wonderful. Just when I looked my best. I made a beeline for the coffee pot and ignored their stares.
“Good morning, Magister,” Raul said.
I turned around and glared at him, unsure why the moniker made me angry. Maybe because it was my mother’s.
“There will no longer be a magister,” I said. “The previous one has ruined that title, and all who hear it will only remember the harm she did to her people. You’re in my spot.”
Raul slid from my favorite barstool with a smile. How did he find that amusing? I wasn’t trying to be amusing.
“So, what do we have the pleasure of calling you?” Sammy asked.
“AJ,” I replied, sipping my coffee.
“We need time to discuss the details,” Kellen intervened. “In the meantime, you guys need to get back to the palace and make sure there aren’t any more vampires lurking about.”
“Can you tell if someone’s a vampire?” I asked, looking over my cup at Kellen. “I mean, I can’t unless their eyes happen to turn red or they show their fangs.” I was certain my partner recognized the lie, but the others couldn’t know of my connection to Logan.
“Most of the time,” Raul replied. “They move really quick, even when they try not to. They also give off a weird vibe.”
“But the ones at the palace will likely be former mages and people you know,” I countered.
A soft mumbling surrounded me. No one wanted to suspect their friends.
“We’ll be right behind you,” Kellen added. “We need to announce the Magister’s capture and her new status as a vampire.”
The others drifted from the room, leaving my partner and I alone. I looked at the coffee cooling in my cup. I hated that I was so grumpy when there was so much to do.
“Do you think you could sleep for a few more hours before we go?” he asked.
“No, I tried to stay in bed, but it didn’t work out so well.”
“I tried to keep Kate from bugging you.” He didn’t hide the apology in his voice or the annoyance.
“I was already up and dressed when she showed up.” I took another sip of coffee.
Kellen leaned on the counter, bringing his face within inches of mine. “Tell me what’s wrong,” he said. “I can feel the turmoil rumbling through you.”
I wanted to tell him everything, but I settled on the most immediate. “Our next step will set the stage for the future of your people,” I said. “It has to be the right step. I feel like you’ve already got a plan outlining my future, and I don’t know what it is.” I tried to hide my resentment about not knowing the plan, but failed.
“My plan is to create a council to rule the mages,” he said. “It would be best if you are at the helm, but it isn’t something I’ll force on you.”
“And if I decide to let the council rule, what happens to me?” I asked. Even through my fatigue, I could feel the ambition Kellen was trying to suppress. Now that his plot was complete, what would happen to me?
“Whatever you want,” he replied. “The important thing was to remove your mother. I believe your destiny is to take her place, but that decision is yours.”
“And one I have to make today.” I snarled, trying to suppress my grumpy.
“Not necessarily.” He slid around the counter and sat in the stool next to me. “For stability sake, you can accept the role as leader, call it whatever you like, then hand it over to the council when you’re satisfied with their ability to take over.”
I raised my eyebrows at him. “You know how ridiculous that sounds, right? I have no authority to determine whether or not they’re doing it right.”
“You may not think so, but we need to convince everyone else otherwise.”
“Leaders aren’t born, Kellen, they’re made. And I’ve spent my entire life in poverty looking after n
o one but myself.”
“I believe you can do this,” he said, his look of sincerity almost making me believe him if it weren’t for the other emotions pushing through our bond.
“Let’s convene a council.” I gulped down the rest of my coffee and left him in the kitchen. Would he really let me just walk away? Shouldn’t he be fighting to keep me with him, as his partner if nothing else? Or did he really not care now that my mother was out of the picture?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Two hours later, I sat at the head of a table large enough to accommodate twenty people. Only twelve filled the stiff-backed chairs. Portraits of previous rulers lined the stucco walls. The empty frame where my mother’s had been glared at me.
Kellen sat to my immediate left, while an old man sat on my right. My partner had already introduced everyone, but my foggy brain didn’t retain anyone’s name. The group consisted of six men and six women, including Kellen. My attendance would break an even vote according to the council rules that had already been established. Again, my thoughts wandered to my predetermined future.
Everyone looked at me expectantly. Had someone asked a question? Kellen must have noticed my dazed expression.
“The Magister is being held in confinement along with two of the mages-turned-vampires.” He looked at me for confirmation he didn’t need. I nodded, and he continued. “They will have the trial that is afforded all mages.”
“But they are no longer mages, if what you say is true,” the older man on my left said in a low, gravelly voice.
“No, but we would be no better if we just executed them,” I said. “We cannot start a new council under less than ethical circumstances.”
They all stared at me with wide eyes, as if seeing me for the first time.
“I believe my dislike for her is equal to your own,” I continued. “But I won’t see our new leadership fall into the same power-hungry selfishness that ruined my mother.”
“Yes, Magister,” the older man said, dropping his eyes to the table.
Had I commanded them? I didn’t think so.
“There is no longer a Magister. The mages of North America will be ruled by this council.” I looked at each of them. “I believe my mother has proven that singular rule in the wrong hands doesn’t work, not that we didn’t already learn that in history class.” Their sullen silence continued. “This council will be responsible for making the best decisions for our people. Hopefully, twelve heads are better than one.”
“What will the people call you, if not magister?” a heavy woman at the end of the table asked.
“AJ…” I paused. “Alisandra is my name and all that is necessary. If the council members wish to create official titles for themselves, I have no objections.”
Several members nodded their heads in agreement.
“When will we have the Magister’s trial?” the same woman asked.
I turned to Kellen.
“As soon as possible. I’d rather not keep the vampires any longer than necessary,” he replied.
“Are there more among us?” a young man with blond hair and green eyes asked from the left side of the table. “How do we know who’s been turned?”
“We have a plan in place to identify any remaining vampires,” my partner replied. “The scanning process will begin as soon as we finish here. Any more questions?”
“When is our next meeting?” the older man asked.
“We should meet once a week until everything is settled,” Kellen responded and looked around the table. “If there’s nothing else, let’s introduce our new council to the people.”
When no one moved, I rose from my chair. They immediately did the same and filed towards the door.
“Can I eat before we do this?” I asked my partner. “I assume I’m your plan for sniffing them out.”
“I’ll definitely feed you first,” he replied with a nod.
He led me to a small dining room and directed a middle-aged woman to feed me. “I’m going to coordinate our meeting. See you in half an hour.”
He kissed my forehead and quickly walked away. I felt the distance between us growing by the minute. The wall I tried to ignore reared its ugly head again. I needed to decide if I cared who ran the council. Kellen was definitely more qualified and actually wanted it. I was just a tool, a way for him to get what he wanted. I really needed to set aside my exhaustion and think with a level head.
Chapter 37
Hundreds of people pushed their way into the crowded hall as I stifled a yawn. Their low murmuring vibrated with anticipation as the council filed onto the raised platform in the front of the room. My nose wrinkled at the smell of body odor, perfumes, colognes, wide varieties of foods, and shampoos. There was no way to tell who was human and who wasn’t; I would’ve had to meet them all individually.
Kellen called for order, and the crowd settled. “I’m sure the rumor mill has circulated rapidly, so let’s get the important one out of the way first,” he began. “Your Magister has given herself to the vampire’s curse.”
Voices rose in astonishment, and he raised his hands.
“As such, she is no longer our Magister. Even before her fall into darkness, she secluded us from our allies and painted a target on our backs. For those who didn’t know, our allies in Reno were attacked by vampires just over two weeks ago. The Magister was not there to aid in their defense. As a result, they lost eight members of their pack, with dozens more injured. If the Magister’s daughter had not been at Victor’s lodge, the shifters would have seen defeat. Alisandra and her wind elemental forced the vampires’ retreat and ensured our victory.”
The crowd reacted with shouts of approval, and Kellen’s satisfaction drifted through our bond. He was a good liar and an even better speaker.
“Alisandra and I spent that time evading the Magister’s bounty hunters and discussing a way to free us from her clutches. Not just the mages, but our circle of allies created long ago, a circle that was broken by our fallen queen.” He paused as the throng of people leaned forward in anticipation. “We will embrace our past while creating a new future, one that promises inclusion, hope, and prosperity.”
Cheers filled the hall, but I noticed more than a few looks of doubt.
“You’re not here to listen to me,” he yelled over the gathering. They quieted, and he turned to me with a smile. “I humbly introduce Alisandra Rosewynn.”
Cheers erupted as I stood and smiled, clasping my shaking hands behind my back. Kellen and I had already discussed my very short speech, but the words left my mind as I looked out at hundreds of faces. My partner came to my rescue once again, tracing his hand down my back and intertwining his fingers in mine. He gently squeezed my hand, and some of my tension released.
“Thank you. These first few weeks will be challenging for me, but thankfully I won’t be alone. I believe it’s best to have the voice of many making our decisions, rather than the voice of one.” Silence greeted me, and I swallowed hard. “Many of you have suffered because of the decisions made by my mother. She allowed no one to interfere with her plans, nor did she listen to anyone else’s advice or council. All of these things led to the abduction and loss of dozens of our mages. We can’t allow that to happen again.”
Murmurs of agreement drifted across the large, open space, but I didn’t wait for their voices to rise.
“From this point forward, we’ll be governed by a council of our peers. They’ll vote on the decisions that need to be made. We’ll establish time in service requirements and hold elections for new council members based on those time limitations.”
Cheers rose from the congregation of mages, cutting off the end of my speech. I smiled and tried not to fall into my chair. Kellen released my hand and quieted the crowd, then fielded the numerous questions that followed.
Even as Kellen answered the crowd’s questions, I failed to listen. Logan was down there somewhere, but even searching the sea of faces, I didn’t see his. Were there other vampires present?
How many knew how to infiltrate the palace? Why didn’t Logan tell me he could get in? He was obviously no stranger here. Kellen’s hand on my shoulder brought my attention back to our meeting.
“It’s time to go,” he whispered.
“I’m sorry,” I said, rising from my chair. “I’m so tired.”
“It’s okay. We’re almost done.”
I shuffled my way across the platform, following Kellen’s lead. I tripped on the edge of a step I didn’t see and stumbled, falling on my hands and knees. My face flushed as I pushed myself to my feet, wiping my hands on my pants. They left a fine, gray dust across my jeans, and I mumbled several curses trying to wipe it back off.
“What the hell?” I whispered, curling my lip.
A trail of dusty footprints lined the steps and disappeared through the doorway Kellen just entered. I huffed and jogged to catch up with him.
He and two other men stood just inside the door, having a heated conversation.
“What do you mean they’re gone?” Kellen asked.
“I believe someone killed the two men and helped the Magister escape,” said a tall man with short hair and a thick beard. “We found what looks like the remains of the two vampires in their cells, but the Magister’s is empty.”
Had I heard them correctly? Someone killed the vampires and released the Magister?
“Were the cells open or the locks tampered with?” Kellen asked.
“No.” The man’s eyebrows narrowed, his face darkening. “Are you suggesting one of us let her out, Kellen?”
“No, I trust the two of you more than anyone else here,” he replied. “I’m just trying to understand how she escaped.”
I felt the lie in his voice. Did he not trust them, or did he already know what happened? I searched for my connection with Logan. He was still here in the palace and not very far away. Was Logan responsible for releasing her? Were they sneaking away as we spoke?
I poked Kellen’s elbow, and he looked down at me with surprise, almost as if he’d forgotten I was there.
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