Stir Until Petrified

by Theda Vallee

  “We’re elected by our peers. The council is made up of one representative from each of the magical groups. I was voted in by the witches.” He flashed a replica of Luc’s megawatt smile at me when he finished speaking. Double ew.

  “There are more than seven types of magical beings, and I don’t remember seeing a ballot to vote for you,” I said leaning forward intently.

  “I should clarify, there’s a representative from each of the major magical groups. Can you imagine if we included all the subgroups and one-offs? It would be chaos. It would also be untenable if we let everyone in the greater world vote for a representative. It’s all done in-house. We know each other and our capacities.”

  I had a million other questions, but it looked like those would have to wait. What I could only assume was the remainder of the council began streaming into the room. Despite my theory that they would all be monstrous, it became clear you needed to be very attractive to win a seat on the council. Maybe Leontyne had a shot. Her personality was hideous, but if you ignored that she had the aesthetics down. I wasn't experienced enough with other magical beings to know what type each of them was by sight. A few of them were easy guesses. The elf was easy to pick out, with his pointy ears and condescending sneer. The fairy was also very easy to recognize. Looking at her dazzling beauty stunned me. I’d heard rumors the fae could be addictive to humans. I could see how. She seated herself at the far end of the table to allow room for her wings. I was transfixed by the prismatic reflection that bounced off them. I’d never seen anything more resplendent. She caught me staring, and I blushed in embarrassment. Her kind face answered me with a slight smile. So far, she was the only one that hadn't looked at me like I was a bug on the bottom of their shoe.

  The rest of the council shuffled in, but I couldn't identify any of them. I had a strong suspicion there was a vampire in the group as one woman kept sniffing the air as people filed by, but she could also be a shifter.

  “It appears we’re all gathered. Should we get started? I have a great many things on hold while I attend this farce.” The sneering elf spoke first. Guess he wasn’t a fan of me or meetings but a farce? This was my life we were talking about.

  “Desideria, you’re co-chair of this council. Do you want to begin?” Pietro asked.

  The woman who had fascinated me stood. Her wings touched the ceiling as they stretched behind her. At her full height she was at least six feet. Her wings added to that expanse. Golden rivulets of hair shimmered with every movement. Her skin was a flawless canvas that reflected the light as she moved. The reflection gave the impression of an almost pearlescent sheen to her. It was like staring at a rainbow come to life.

  “Very well. First, we will start with a roll call. For the record please state your name and who you represent so we can ensure each member of the council is present. I will start. Desideria Partamian, the Archduchess of the Seelie Court in Fairy Land. I, of course, represent the fae.” She tilted her head gracefully towards the elf indicating he was to go next.

  “I am Aethelstun, the Alfric of Alfheimer here on behalf of the elven folk.” The haughty elf pronounced to the room. He needed to say his name with that much confidence, because that was a mouthful. He stroked his pale, almost white hair, his indigo eyes moving from person to person, daring them to have a problem with him. I was not a fan.

  Around the room they went, each announcing their name and affiliation. The elves and fae were the only two groups pretentious enough to have royalty it seemed. As for the witches, shades, shapeshifters, nymphs, and vampires, it seemed that it’d been a popularity or power contest that’d won them a seat at the table. As each person spoke they looked at me. I was confident I had some sympathy in the room. The fairy, shapeshifter, and the shade all looked at me with some level of empathy.

  “With all members ready and accounted for, we can begin this emergency session of the council. Pietro, can you please provide us some background on why you felt this meeting was necessary? In the past, our rules when it comes to those who choose not to control their magic have been very clear.” Desideria asked in her lilting voice. Perhaps I was mistaken about her being on my side. I didn't like the ominous sound of her opening statement.

  “Of course. We’re at an impasse internally as to how to handle this case, and as such we need the wisdom of the council. Ms. Massoni as she has asked to be called, is a threat to herself and others through willful neglect of magical training. Our standard course of action would be to mitigate that risk. However, in the light of recent events, some in our organization believe we’d be better served if she were brought into the fold and trained.” Pietro said folding his hands in front of him.

  “I vote to exterminate the wretched creature and be done with it. I can’t believe we’re wasting our time meeting over this. Look at her. She’s clearly a pathetic waste of potential. I say be done with it and let us move on.” Aethelstun the Asshole elf had just solidified my dislike for him. His tone left no doubt that he thought he was better than just about everyone in this room.

  “I vote that we don’t do that. I’m twenty-six years old. Nothing like this has ever happened until now. I’ve had control over my magic all these years. If I was a danger I would’ve nuked a city by now. Right? I can learn. I know I can.” I hoped the desperation I felt was not creeping into my voice. I doubted these were the kind of people who’d take pity on me.

  “Ms. Massoni, we have not asked for your opinion. When we want it, you will be addressed,” Aethelstun coolly advised me.

  “So, I just sit here and let you talk about killing me without being able to say anything.” That was so not OK.

  “Etta, please. You’ll only make it worse,” Luc whispered as he leaned in close to me. I looked around the room. They were all waiting to see what I’d do next. My chin quivered, as fear slid down my spine. If keeping quiet would help, I’d try it for now.

  The man who’d announced himself as representing the shifters stood up. His skin was a shade of onyx so deep it hinted at blue when he moved. He was not as tall as some of the other beings, but his presence exuded authority. Whatever he shifted to, it had to be an apex predator. His sculpted arms rippled against his shirt as he folded his hands behind him in the at ease position. He was ex-military for sure.

  “With all due respect, Aethelstun, we’re struggling to maintain order right now on several fronts. There are too many rogue elements springing up for us to contain. I have a bad feeling that these are the rumblings of something bigger to come. It would be foolhardy to dispatch of a weapon that could turn the tides for us if it was finely honed.” He was beautiful and, on my team, sort of. I’d take what I could get right now.

  “I agree with Leander, we need more hands, stronger hands. She’s powerful enough to have almost taken out a crew of thirty-seven of our best men and women. Imagine what she could do if her magic were channeled properly,” Desideria said.

  “We don’t need weapons. We need order, we need laws, we need pre-emptive strikes. She’d be a very valuable lesson. Think of the message we’re sending if we take her in and train her rather than make an example. That will only worsen our problems. Kill her today. Burn her body. Be done with it,” The woman who’d announced herself a vampire hissed out into the room.

  The room erupted into a cacophony of voices as each person vied to have their opinion heard. I couldn’t keep track of the back forth. I counted at least two people in the room who didn't want to kill me, but that was tied with the number of people who wanted me dead. That left three people. I had no idea what they thought as I couldn't pick out their arguments from the tempest of voices competing for space in the room. My hands trembled underneath the table. How could they talk about killing me so nonchalantly? You had to stumble far from your humanity, even if you were a magical being, to discuss murdering someone in front of them. I could hear my heart thudding like a marathon runner in my chest. The warm pulse of my magic floated to the surface responding to the siren call of my emot
ions. I pled with it silently to stay inside of me. No one would argue for my life if I let the magic out on accident again. It was bad enough I’d punched Leontyne earlier. Had I known that they were going to debate killing me, I wouldn’t have been as pleased with myself. Luc had been right. This wasn’t a game. These people would snuff me off the face of the planet without hesitation.

  “Enough.” Pietro slammed his palms on to the table. His voice booming with power. Everyone turned to him in deference. They may’ve all had equal footing on this council, but I had a feeling he was the most powerful among them. “We’ve heard some of your arguments but clearly we don’t have a consensus. This will be decided by vote. Each of you will cast a yes or no vote. A yes means she will be trained. A no vote means that we’ll take the normal course of action and she will be put to death immediately. We all agree this vote is binding, and no one shall go against the vote of the council without facing swift and severe punishment.”

  Desideria walked around the room passing out paper and pens like they were all about to work on a grade school assignment. They were going to turn in a sheet of paper to seal my fate. It seemed absurd to me that I had no say in the matter.

  “Before you vote on killing me, don't I get to at least throw out one reason why you shouldn't?” I swallowed down the tears that were threatening to run free.

  “What could you say that would convince us?” The elven jerk was the first to comment. Of course, he was. He was ready to sign my death warrant.

  “I understand your concerns. My family didn't understand I was this powerful. I had no clue I was this powerful. If my grandmother had any idea, she would’ve insisted I train. I wouldn’t have had a choice. But we didn't know, and so now we’re here and it’s a problem. I’ll do what I always do with problems, what my family always does. We fix it.” I looked around the room at each of the faces deciding my fate. I faltered for a moment, my runaway heart thumping it’s possible last beats. “I’ll do whatever it takes to learn control. Not just so that I can live, but so my daughter can live. She’s strega, I’m sure you know that. When I find her, she’ll need me to show her what I’ve learned. She’ll need to understand that her life depends on it, whether she realizes it or not. I need to learn this not only for me to live, but for my child to live. That, to me, is all the assurance you need to prove that I won’t fail.”

  “A mother on a mission is one of the most unstoppable forces in nature, with or without magic.” The nymph who’d remained relatively quiet throughout let her voice float into the silence. She peered at me as if she’d just seen me for the first.

  “Can we cast our votes already? I really do need to get home. The new moon and spring mean it’s breeding season. My people can’t proceed without our ceremony,” the elf demanded.

  Elf boy was getting on my nerves more and more every time he spoke. His people having a spring sex fest was more important than giving me a fair shot at living? I hoped his dick was limp for the ceremony. I also hoped there was no elf equivalent to Viagra to help him out.

  “Cast your votes now. Pass them to Desideria for tallying,” Pietro said. I wasn't sure what he’d vote, but I had a feeling he wasn't on my side.

  I watched as each of them busied themselves with writing their vote. I looked over at Luc. He sat straight as a board watching each person intently. I wondered what he’d vote if he was given the option. His silence through most of the proceeding seemed to say a lot. If he’d wanted to save me, wouldn't he have spoken up?

  The last vote was passed to Desideria. She shuffled the papers to give the pretense of anonymity. This group didn’t seem to be the type to care about that. I’m sure elf boy would strut home with a giant erect cock, proud of the death blow he’d dealt today.

  Desideria began reading the votes. My teeth clamped down on my bottom lip and dug in as I listened. Yes, Yes, No, Yes, No, No. A tie. Three yes and three no. The last slip of paper would seal my fate. Luc finally looked at me. Fear as real as mine was written in everything he conveyed.

  “The final vote is a yes vote.” A soft lilt of joy seemed to fill her voice when she read it. I wanted to jump across the table and plant a giant kiss on her. I was going to live!

  “It’s set then. We bring Violetta onboard as an agent. Who will she train with?” Pietro looked around the room waiting for a response.

  Wait? Did he say agent? I’d thought bringing me under their wing entailed training me. It hadn’t occurred to me that I’d be an Osservatori. I wasn’t equipped for that job. I couldn't catch a spider without a meltdown. How was I supposed to take on supernatural baddies?

  “I’ll train her. She can work on my team. I’m the most equipped to handle her,” Luc offered up to the room. Handle me? He’d better have a good explanation for what exactly that meant!

  “Wouldn't that be convenient. Of course, Pietro would like to keep all that power in his backyard by handing her over to his son.” The vampire hissed in disgust letting her fangs show.

  “I think you’re forgetting he is my son too. His allegiance would not lie with the witches alone. He’s had success making soldiers out of recruits no one thought possible. I think if anyone would be able to do this, Luc has the proven track record,” Desideria said.

  Luc was half fae? His mom was big wig fairy royalty and his dad was a powerful strega prick. Seemed to me like he’d been saved by being raised by the nanny. It also meant he probably had a lot of baggage. No wonder it was so easy for him to seduce women and discard them. His parents clearly didn't have time to love little Luc.

  “Hathor, I think you can agree none of us know how to train a witch. It’s a good compromise as his loyalty would be split if that were something we needed to worry about. However, since we’ve all made a vow of allegiance to the Osservatori, that shouldn’t be of concern.” Leander smiled broadly at the vampire after making his point. Something about his grin told me he loved messing with Hathor.

  “Does anyone else have any suggestions? If not, we will onboard the girl and place her in Luc’s care for training,” Pietro asked the room. No one had anything else to say. “Excellent. Meeting adjourned.”

  The council members moved from the room. Elf boy strode out without so much as another word to anyone. Every step emanated anger as he sought to punish the floor for the grave injustice suffered here today. I didn't have to guess what he voted.

  Leander the shifter made his way over to me. “Madam, it will be a pleasure to serve with you.” He lifted my hand and turned it over, planting a kiss on my wrist. A shiver of pleasure ran through me at the intimate gesture. He smiled up at me before releasing my hand. With a slight bow, he turned and left. I wonder where he lived? Maybe he could be the guy to unleash my six years of celibacy on. I was happy to assume he’d voted not to kill me.

  No other members of the council bothered to make my acquaintance. If I ever saw any of them again I’d have to wonder who’d been ok with letting me die.

  “Well, if this isn't exciting, Ms. Massoni. I believe you could be one of the most talented strega we’ve seen in several generations. You’ll be able to put that talent to use by working with us.” Pietro turned to me after the room had cleared of everyone but Luc and me.

  “I really appreciate not dying, and being able to train, but is there an Osservatori Lite plan? I’m sure you’re aware that I’m unqualified for this kind of work. I thought you were going to just train me on how to use my magic, not turn me into one of you. That’s not going to work.”

  “Etta, you got off lucky. You get to live. We’ve only had the council come together one other time to see if someone should be recruited or excised. It didn't go so well for him. This is going to be hard, but it’s vastly better than the alternative,” Luc interjected with his two cents.

  “I understand your reticence, Etta. We’ve a very nasty reputation within the magical community. I’m sure you’ve heard any number of off-putting stories about how we conduct business. It’s a shame really. We’ve served our kin
d for several centuries now. Once upon a time, we were at the mercy of humans. Hunted. Burned. Unable to live in peace. Wielding magic was an automatic death sentence for our people. Once we organized, charted treaties with the human world and began policing ourselves, life became much more pleasant for everyone. Yet it’s those very people that we seek to protect that villainize us. I ask you, does that sound fair?” Pietro asked, peering at me intently for a response.

  “If my personal experience is anything to go on, I’m inclined to think perhaps you have some issues that’ve earned your reputation. But that’s not my point. The problem is I’m not equipped to do this job. I’m a baker. I don’t exercise. I eat a lot of pasta. I can’t run. You see where I’m going here?”

  “Don’t worry. Once you have your magic under control, none of that will matter. Your magic does it all for you. Look, dear, you were just given a reprieve which you should be grateful for. I can see the wheels turning in that brain of yours, but this is win-win all around. Aside from getting to live, you now have a very lucrative career. You'll be compensated very well. This is an amazing chance for you to become something greater than you’ve ever imagined you could be.” Pietro said, sounding like he had rehearsed this speech in the mirror a few times.

  “I like the life I have now.” I breathed in slowly pushing back the tears that were trying to escape.

  “Etta, you work in a bakery. You have no friends. You have no outlet for fun or entertainment. From what I see in your file, you work and obsessively search for Redmond Kane. That life is lost to you. It’s not coming back. Why not embrace this new life? Make something for yourself and of yourself.” Pietro seemed intent on selling me the dream. “You’ll be paid well with benefits. What more could a girl who was just about to be executed ask for?”

  “I don’t understand why you're paying me like it’s a job. You don’t usually pay people who’re forced into servitude.”