Rosie

by Jessica Cage

  “Great, you save a bunch of underbelly beings, good for you.” Venetia rolled her eyes while muttering the comment under her breath.

  “Please, say that louder. Let everyone know how you feel right now. That you think your people, the same people who betrayed the trolls in the war, are any better than his?” Kamshi growled. “Hell, we all had a little dirt on our hands when the turn of the world happened, and yet you still sit here as if you didn’t cause them to lose nearly ten percent of their population.”

  “This isn’t the time for pissing matches,” Briar stated, thankful for the interjection yet trying to maintain control of the room. “As you all have noted, there is a lot that has happened in the past months and a lot that still needs to happen. We have to discuss this in an orderly fashion so that we may work toward a solution that benefits us all! Clearly things aren’t what we want them to be, and if the past events are any indication, we have a long way to go until we get there.”

  Again, the room was filled with the sound of overlapping murmurs and whispers. As the sound began to rise again, it was sent to complete silence, as the portal next to Kamshi lit up, announcing the arrival of its owner. They watched the doorway closely and waited for the figure to appear. When the person who crossed over was not who they expected it to be, disorder erupted.

  “Where is Akasha?” Mino had her finger pointed at the man who had just appeared.

  “The queen is dead. Now, let’s move on,” Magua stated plainly, and sat in the empty seat on the balcony. “I didn’t come here to be accused, so I’d advise you to drop your finger.” When he lifted his eyes to Mino, the threat was real. They had no magic thanks to the boundaries of the Summit holding. He didn’t need magic though. If he wanted to, he could leap across to her and kick her ass the old school way. She dropped her finger and instead turned to Briar who remained at the head of the gathering.

  “See, they tell us nothing but expect us brush it off. Why weren’t we informed of a change in power?” Mino turned her question to Briar. She didn’t want to risk having the jaguar, who barely went by their rules, attack her. She knew she would never win that fight.

  “What happened to Akasha?” Valky pounded his fist against his balcony railing. “Tell us now!”

  “She betrayed her people and for that she lost her life,” Magua spoke, and when he did the room vibrated with shock and they all fell into a deep silence. “Any more questions?”

  “Are you the true ruler now?” Venetia asked lowly.

  “True ruler? What is this?” Laughing, Magua rolled his eyes. “You people are ridiculous! No, I am not the ‘true ruler’ as you put it. I’m filling in so that you all don’t make decisions for or against my people without us having a voice, as you all love to do.”

  “Excuse me?” Mino took offense to his statement, and the hair that hung from her head over the balcony beneath her shrunk. It was a sign of her flaring temperament. When her people were preparing for battle, their hair retracted to allow for easier movement in the field.

  “Well, take our slither friend here.” Magua nodded to Mike who groaned at the mentioning of his people knowing that all eyes would once again be put on him. “His people didn’t even have an invite to this ridiculous meeting until now. You judged them without allowing them to speak for themselves. Created this new world order, and sentenced their people and all their descendants to centuries of hardship, and why? Because you got your feelings hurt when we were at war! No, thank you, but as much as I despise this social construct, I will stand and speak for my people before I let any of you take that power away from us!”

  Before anyone could further dispute what Magua said, the air in the room chilled. The temperature dropped dangerously low before it spiked again rising so high that the water in Venetia’s pool started to boil. She was not the only one to express a sudden discomfort. Around the room murmurs of confusion and distress rand out. Their complaints were disrupted as sparks of light drew their eyes to the center of the hall.

  In mid-air, a massive display of magi in the form of swirls of light and smoke, put on a show, and when it cleared an elaborate garden with a patio appeared. The room returned to normal and the air took on the subtle scent of lavender and mint. No one moved but their eyes found each other’s faces and then everyone stared at Briar as if she had an explanation for what had just happened.

  What was this new addition and how did it get there? Moments later, when the smoke settled, a pair of double doors emerged from the garden, grand in design and etched in silver. Everyone held their breath as the doors slowly opened. The leaders of the world waited in silence to see what would happen next.

  Moments later, a demon emerged, and everyone lost their shit!

  The moment they stepped foot inside, the hall erupted into chaos as the world leaders panicked. Several of the balconies lit up, announcing the departure of its inhabitants.

  “Settle down, people!” Genesis spoke with easy confidence and the sound of his voice stilled the room. “We are not here to cause you trouble. Just listen to what my friends here have to say, and we will be on our way.”

  “I say we listen to them.” Magua, who looked like he was fully enjoying the moment, winked at Ardyn. “Looks like I picked a good day to return to this hellhole!”

  “You have got to be kidding me. This entire thing is a travesty, and I will not be a part of it.” The smallest voice came from the leader of the pixies. Kiara could barely be seen but she made her opinion known, and moments later her balcony lit, and she was gone.

  “Have it your way.” Genesis shrugged and sat down in one of the patio chairs. “I suppose we’ll wait and give anyone else who feels that way a chance to tuck tail and leave. It will make this easier to get through.”

  “May I have the floor?” When no one else left, Jinn asked Briar for the chance to address those who remained. She waved her approval. He was the first to ask anyway. At least someone cared to maintain protocols.

  “There is a lot happening here, a lot of changes, and we are only here to try to ask your help in stopping what is to come. There is no doubt that you’re all aware of the recent events and the part that our group has played in it. And if you’re not, I’m just going to cut to the major point that you all need to be aware of.” Jinn paused and waited for the final murmurs to settle. “Daegal is trying to come back. At his command a spell was enacted. One that would bring him back from the afterlife. There is something keeping him from leaving this world entirely. We believe he is using whatever that is to bring him back. This spell has already affected the shifter territories, and if it goes unchecked, that could very well reach outside of its boundaries. We aim to stop that, but we cannot do it alone.”

  “Why should we help you?” The orc king asked.

  “Well, it’s your world that is in danger here. We can all just leave.” Zaria rolled her eyes, and Genesis laughed proudly, which got him a raised brow from Ardyn.

  “Look, we care about what happens here.” Jinn continued. “There are a lot of people who we want to protect. If Daegal succeeds he will come back stronger than anything we’ve ever seen before.”

  “This is not our issue!” Mino called out. “We didn’t start this!”

  “It is all of our issue!” Kamshi growled. “Do you think my people started this? Do you think we had anything to do with Daegal and the shit he freely did for centuries? Is it your opinion that our people deserve to live in terror over what may happen to them because of something entirely out of their control?” He stood from his seat, but when he did, his legs gave out and he doubled over in pain.

  “Dad?” Ardyn flashed to his side, and when his body materialized in the green smoke, the others roared.

  “Their magic works here!” someone screamed, and balconies started flashing as those who were afraid left the hall.

  “It’s gotten to him.” Zaria was there by his side as well. Kamshi’s body was covered in sweat, his skin already losing its color. Quickly Zaria waved her
hand over him, knocking him unconscious and freezing him in time. “What are we going to do?”

  “Will none of you help us?” Ardyn called out to the few who remained. “I was one of you, we all were before Daegal changed us! This was not our doing! And his magic is dark, dangerous, and will continue to spread if you people don’t stand and fight!”

  “I will stand by your side,” from the red-stained balcony, Graham spoke. “You have been a friend to me and my people and I will help in whatever way I can.”

  “A lot of help that will be,” Nitara mumbled under her breath, rolling her eyes.

  “I’m sorry my offer of help seems inadequate to you,” Graham responded, having heard her comment. “Perhaps we aren’t in the position to impact the situation after all.”

  Nitara sucked her teeth, biting back her response as Jinn laid his hand on her shoulder. Now was not the time to allow tempers to fly.

  “What can any of us really do?” Venetia watched with a show of terror.

  “My people have no such power,” Valky added to her concern. “The magic that you speak of is outside of our limits.”

  “I’ll help you.” Azalea stood at the darkest balcony. Her pale blue skin, changed by years of practicing the darkest of magic, stood in heavy contrast to the dark hair that fell around her face. She had remained silent this entire time as she typically did during the summit meetings. It wasn’t often that anything was brought up that really got her attention, but as leader of the dark half of the collective, the return of Daegal was of the highest concern.

  “What do you mean?” Cairo, leader of the light half of the Collective, inquired. She was an ethereal beauty who at one time looked exactly like her twin sister who reigned over the dark side. Now they were opposite halves of a very tarnished coin. “Are you really offering your aid to this?”

  “If what they say is true, it means that Daegal is trying to come back here. We must stop that from happening. Hell, if he succeeds, he’s going to want to stake his claim to the Collective and something tells me that he isn’t going to be satisfied with just one half. How long do you think it will take before he comes knocking at your door? Do you think you can defend yourself against him?” Azalea spoke to the room. “His magic is the darkest I’ve encountered, and I would much rather he not return.”

  “Do you think this is wise? Taking a stance against him, if we should fail?” Cairo allowed her fear to steer her judgment.

  “As I see it, either way it’s gonna be a shit show if he gets back here. Do you want to stand aside and not even try to prevent it from happening?” Azalea sized up her counterpart and shook her head. “Is that the life you choose to lead? Is that the example you set for your people?”

  Cairo considered her words before laying her eyes on Ardyn. “What do you need from us?”

  “We have a copy of the spell he used. Perhaps you can figure out how to reverse it or end it?” Jinn held up the rolled papers. With a snap of her fingers, the papers were in the hands of Azalea.

  “Of course, this wouldn’t be anything simple dealing with Daegal.” Azalea frowned as she read over the pages.

  “Do you think you can do it?” Jinn asked.

  “Oh, we can, it will just take a lot of preparation, and power.” Azalea turned to Cairo. “We will have to gather our best people for this.”

  “We’ll need access to where the spell was started,” Cairo added. “It’s always best to end a ritual where it began.”

  “In the heart of shifter territory,” Jinn responded.

  “Great.” Azalea rolled her eyes with a deep sigh. “I’ll send instructions for preparations that will need to happen before we arrive. Do you think you can handle that?”

  “Yes, we can,” Nitara answered.

  “Perfect, we’ll need three days.” Azalea nodded to Cairo before she turned and walked through the portal that would take her back home. Cairo followed suit.

  “What can we do for him?” Briar asked about Kamshi as the other balconies began to light up with the departures. The summit was over, and they hadn’t even touched on half of what they needed to. As far as she was concerned, she had nothing else to say to the collection of cowards.

  “I think it’s best we leave him here. I mean, the magic should work slower here, and with the suspension spell in place, I believe it’s the best chance we have of preventing him from changing. We can have someone stay or come back and check on him,” Zaria answered.

  “I will stay, for now.” Ardyn looked down at his father. “I left his side once before. I won’t do that now. You guys can prepare the grounds and I will be there when it is time to finish this.”

  9

  “Do you think we can trust them?” Nitara spoke to Jinn lowly in the plush sitting room of Rosie’s home. They’d gone back to fill in Bruto on the events that took place at the summit. “The witches have never struck me as people to put your faith in. Even those of the light side. They don’t dabble in the dark stuff, but it doesn’t make them any easier to work with. It’s funny how djinn get the reputation for being conniving tricksters, but no one seems to mention how those witches will literally trick you into handing over your soul for fool’s gold.”

  “Yeah, I know what you mean. Unfortunately, at this point, I don’t really think we have a choice but to trust them. We can’t do it without their help, and if they betray us, they screw themselves over. You heard what Azalea said, if Daegal comes back, it’s bad news for everyone, the Collective included.”

  They turned to the door as Bruto walked through carrying the world on his shoulders and mumbling under his breath.

  “How is she?” Nitara stood from her seat when Bruto entered.

  “Unresponsive. I’ve just been staring at her lifeless body.” He ran his hand over his face. “At first I tried to reach her, tried to get to her in some way, but nothing worked.”

  “Do you mind if I check in on her?” Genesis asked as a courtesy to the man, but also as a way to inspire more of that intoxicating jealousy.

  “Help yourself,” Bruto grunted without looking at him. “Hell, if you want to just stare at her lifeless body, feel free.”

  Genesis nodded and disappeared from the room. Stepping closer to Bruto, Zaria rested her hand on his arm, and as she did, she allowed her phoenix to coax him. The man had been through a lot and she could feel his spirit was uneasy. It was a part of her she could never turn off. She wanted to nurture others, make sure they were okay. Her efforts were working until moments later when the echoes of soft whispers in the tone of Rosie’s voice began to drift through the halls of the house. The lights flickered in a soft pink hue, and with the light show, came a heightened level of tension.

  “You’ve got to be kidding me,” Bruto cursed out loud. “I’ve been sitting here with her all this time and nothing. I’ve been fighting for that woman and yet he gets through to her.”

  “This is a good sign,” Nitara offered with little belief that it would ease the anger building in her friend. “It means we haven’t lost her, there is still some hope that she will recover from this.”

  “Yeah, sure. Whatever. I need to get some fresh air.” He disappeared from the room, leaving Zaria’s hand hanging in the air.

  “I’m gonna go talk to him.” Jinn kissed Nitara on the cheek before he vanished as well.

  “This can’t be good, why does she keep responding to him?” Zaria asked as she dropped her hand to her side.

  “The bond between them, it’s dark but its strong. Nothing can deny that.” Nitara turned to look out the window and down to the edge of the island where Bruto materialized.

  “I can’t imagine what this is doing to Bruto,” Zaria whispered.

  “I think I have an idea.” Nitara sighed as the pool of blue smoke appeared beside Bruto.

  “You all right?” Jinn appeared on the coast of the island not far from where his friend was now perched and holding another unopened bottle of bourbon.

  “I can’t take this, man,” Br
uto said honestly. “That woman means everything to me, and yet, there is nothing I can do for her now.”

  “Trust me, I know how you feel.” Jinn pointed to the bottle, but instead of offering it to him, Bruto threw it into the ocean.

  “Oh?” He looked at Jinn. “You know what it’s like to have your heart ripped through your chest? I mean, why the fuck is she responding to him?”

  “Have you forgotten the whole Nitara and Ardyn crapshoot?” Jinn laughed. “He was her anchor, remember?”

  “Oh, yeah.” Bruto fell to his knees, and then sat back on the sand. “I forgot about that.”

  “You realize none of this changes the way she feels about you, right?” Jinn knelt beside him. He grabbed a handful of sand and watched the pieces slip through his fingers.

  “It’s hard as hell to even have him here, but to know that he still has any type of effect on her, it fucking breaks me. I’ve been in there with her for hours, and nothing, not one bit of life or sign of her recognizing my presence. But he pops in for two seconds, and its light shows and from the sound of it, she’s even trying to communicate.”

  “Bruto—” Jinn started, but stopped when Bruto held his hand up.

  “I know, man, I know. This is necessary, he is helping. But dammit, Jinn, this hurts!” He got up from the ground. “I love that woman, I would put my life on the line for her, but right now it feels like that doesn’t matter. It doesn’t help for shit!”

  “Tell me what you need.”

  “I need time, and a good drink.”

  “Looks like you have one there.” Jinn pointed to the bottle that had reappeared in his hand.