by AE Jones
Alex’s stomach dropped. How could she have forgotten? “What will happen to you?”
He started to answer her, but the words flickered away as if she was listening to an out of range radio station.
He faded in front of her and she gasped. She reached for him and her hands passed through his image as he blinked out of sight. “Oh my God!”
Her grandmother grasped her shoulders. “He’s okay, dear. Apparently the magistrates lost patience with him. They summoned him to their chamber.”
“I need to go with him. I have to explain to the magistrates what happened. He did this for me! I won’t let him lose his powers.”
Lorinda patted her shoulder and nodded resolutely. “I know where they meet.”
Charlie and Julian chimed in. “We’ll all go and plead his case.”
“We can take the stretch limo,” Theresa, the bride, announced.
Alex turned in shock to her. “You’re going too?”
“Of course. He saved our lives. And this wedding will be a story we can tell our children and grandchildren, and they can pass it on to future generations. Let’s go!”
Peggy hugged Alex. “Go fight for him. I’ll take care of the guests. As soon as we open the bar, everyone will begin to settle down.”
Lorinda led the group out to the limo. Alex, Lorinda, Sheila, Connor, Julian, Fiona and the bride and groom crowded into the back. Charlie opened the driver’s side door and made the driver push over into the passenger seat.
Charlie opened the privacy glass and hollered over the chattering in the back, “Where to, Lorinda?”
Lorinda’s Wedding Tip: Your role as wedding planner will change throughout the process. You will be cheerleader, counselor, and sometimes judge when consensus cannot be reached.
Chapter 40
Why did a summoning have to feel like a bad acid trip? Devin stood in the hall outside the Tribunal, trying to regain his equilibrium. The magistrates’ unexpected summoning made him feel like he’d been on an all-night bender. He locked his knees and took a deep breath.
“I see you were finally able to tear yourself away to meet with us,” Tobin proclaimed as he walked up to Devin.
He had forgotten how condescending Tobin could be. Devin rubbed the back of his neck while counting to ten. “Didn’t really have a choice in the matter.”
“Of course you didn’t. Did you honestly think you could disrespect our ways by not showing up for your own hearing?”
“I was dealing with a situation.”
“What could be more important than your powers?”
“That’s enough, counselor. My client doesn’t need your needling. Why don’t you go inside and grovel to the magistrates while we confer?”
Julia strode toward them both, wearing a power suit and carrying a briefcase. She stopped in front of Tobin. With her heels on, she met him eye to eye. “Excuse us for a moment.”
Tobin scowled. “You have one minute; the magistrates are through waiting for him.” He yanked open the door and left them alone in the hallway.
“You still came,” Devin blurted.
“Of course I did. I wouldn’t leave you hanging.”
“Julia, listen, about Thomas.”
She shook her head. “We need to talk, Dev, but we don’t have time now. We need to prepare for your Tribunal.”
“No, I need to say this first. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about my suspicions. I should have. I convinced myself that I was protecting you, but I was wrong.”
Julia grabbed him in a hug. “You were, and I’m still mad, but that doesn’t mean I don’t love you. Now, before we go in, please tell me why in the hell you were late.”
“The gang took Alex hostage.” Julia gasped, but he hurried on. “Don’t worry, she’s fine now, but we had to keep them from blowing up an avian demon wedding.”
Julia’s eyes widened. “You’ve been busy. I’ll see if the magistrates are willing to listen to reason on this. But you have to stand up for yourself regarding Marina’s death.”
“Oh yeah, about that…Marina didn’t die a year ago. She ordered the abduction of Alex, and fought me when I tried to get her back, and I killed her. She was working for the gang all along.”
Julia slugged him in the shoulder. “Don’t you think you should have started with that rather important tidbit?”
“Sorry.”
“I’ll ask for a dismissal as soon as the opening notes are read. But we still need to be very careful about how we address the magistrates. They are more than a little pissed at you right now.” She smiled. “Don’t worry. We’ll work it out. Is there anything else I need to know before we go in there?”
“No.”
“Okay. Remember to be respectful. If we irritate them any more than we have already, they might rescind your powers permanently out of spite.”
Devin opened the door, and Julia entered in front of him. The large room was similar to a human courtroom. There was a high desk, but instead of one judge, there were three magistrates. In front of the desk to the left was a podium for the defense, and to the right, one for the prosecution.
Tobin glared from the prosecution podium while Devin and Julia walked past the gallery to the front of the room. The gallery seats were empty, since the Tribunal session was closed due to the severity of the charges.
Julia set her briefcase down and stood behind the podium. “We apologize for the delay, your honors. Mr. Cole was…”
Lokar, the high magistrate, who sat in the middle and would oversee the proceedings, held up his hand, silencing Julia. “We do not want to hear any excuses, counselor. Mr. Cole’s flagrant disregard for these proceedings has made our decision rather easy to make. His powers will be rescinded permanently.”
“No!” a voice yelled from the back of the room.
Devin turned in astonishment. Alex stood just inside the door. Filing in behind her were her grandmother, Sheila, Julian, Fiona, and his team—along with the bride and groom.
“What is the meaning of this?” Tobin thundered.
Alex hurried to the front of the room. “We’re here as witnesses.”
The high magistrate spoke again. “There will be no witnesses called. This matter has been decided.”
“You have to listen to me,” Alex protested.
“And you are?”
She lifted her chin slightly. “Alex Bennett. I’m a faery. Therefore, by the rules set in the Magistrate Tenet,” she turned to her grandmother, who nodded before she continued, “you have to hear my plea.”
Tobin sputtered. “Your honors, this is highly uncalled for.”
“Actually it is highly called for,” Alex retorted.
Devin wanted to kiss her for her spunk.
“Devin lost his powers because he was charged with negligence in Marina’s death a year ago. But Marina didn’t die then.”
“And you know this how?” the magistrate demanded.
“She held me captive for the past two days. She was very much alive, and, for the record, bat-shit crazy.” She cringed slightly. “Sorry if I insulted any bat demons in the room.”
Connor chuckled beside her. “There’s no such thing as bat demons.”
She scowled at him. “How am I supposed to know that? Why would a bat demon be out of the realm of possibility when I had a frog dentist hit on me!”
Devin closed his eyes. At the rate she was going, they would put him to death.
“Order!” the magistrate hollered.
Alex cringed. “I’m sorry, your honors. I don’t see how you can continue to block Devin’s powers when Marina didn’t die a year ago.”
Tobin turned to Alex. “Where is she now?”
She paused. “She died today. Devin killed her in self-defense.”
“Your honors, this is highly suspect. This is obviously a futile attempt to protect Mr. Cole.”
The bride stepped forward. “You have to listen to Alex.”
The high magistrate frowned at her. “Ma’am, please
stop sprinkling feathers around the Tribunal chamber.”
“I can’t help it! My husband and I were almost blown up at our own wedding, and I’m still upset. Devin and his team saved our lives, and the lives of our guests. You have to listen to our testimony.”
Tobin pounded on the podium. “Do not listen to this. I will have vengeance for my niece!”
“Marina was your niece?” Alex gaped at Tobin. Devin wasn’t sure what she was thinking, but he could almost see the wheels spinning.
She pursed her lips. “Well that definitely explains a few things.”
* * *
All the pieces were fitting together in a very insidious puzzle. Alex marched up to the high desk and waited to be acknowledged again.
“Ms. Bennett,” the high magistrate spoke, “do you have something further to say?”
“Yes, sir. I do, but may I ask a question first?”
“We have not been following protocol since you arrived, so I don’t see why not.”
“Who knows about this Tribunal?” He raised his eyebrows at her and she continued, “I mean, when a Tribunal is called, who is informed?”
“The defendant and his attorney, the prosecution, and the magistrates who will hear the case.”
“That’s it?”
“That is who we tell. We have no control over how that information is disseminated after that.”
“Well, your honors, while I was being held captive, Marina made it clear she knew about the Tribunal today. She purposely set it up so Devin had to choose between negotiating my freedom with her or this trial. She wanted to force him to miss it so he would lose his powers permanently.”
Alex paused. “I am, of course, confident that your honors didn’t tell Marina about the hearing.” She turned to her left but couldn’t bring herself to look Devin in the face. “Devin? Who did you tell?”
“You and Charlie.”
Charlie spoke up. “I didn’t tell anyone.”
“Julia? What about you?”
“No one knew but me. I didn’t even let my paralegal know, since it was a supernatural case.”
Alex turned to face Tobin. “That leaves you.”
“This is outrageous!” Tobin howled.
But the high magistrate held up his hand for silence. “Continue.”
“The simian who was in charge of watching me while in captivity told me Marina was related to the boss of the gang.”
Tobin turned toward the magistrates. “You can’t possibly be accusing me! Why would I do any of this?”
“Ignorance. Fear. Isn’t that what bigotry is?” Alex retorted.
“Or was it about power?” Devin demanded. “Thomas was in line to become a magistrate before you. Is that why you killed him?”
Julia gasped. “What?”
“Thomas told me he had been approached by the council to become the next magistrate when a position opened up. When he died, the role fell to Tobin.”
The high magistrate shook his head. “Actually it fell to you, Mr. Cole.”
“What are you talking about?” Devin asked.
Lokar glared at Tobin. “You were tasked with telling Devin about his role after Thomas was killed. Why was this not done?”
“I did tell him. He’s lying.”
“I knew nothing about this,” Devin declared.
“Are you honestly going to believe what the two of them are saying?” Tobin demanded.
“You don’t have to believe me,” Alex answered. “We have several supernaturals in custody who would probably corroborate our story.”
The high magistrate nodded. “We will listen to their testimony as well. If Marina has, in fact, been alive this past year, we do not see how the first charges can be upheld.” He turned to Tobin. “And a further investigation into your involvement will also be conducted.”
The group cheered, and Alex grabbed Devin’s hand.
“Why are you listening to this human?” Tobin bellowed, his eyes flickering and then lighting from within.
“She is a faery, Tobin.” Lorinda stepped forward. “Watch your tongue.”
“If she is a descendent of yours, then she is no faery.”
Lorinda scowled at him. “You can deny me my heritage, but the Fates have seen to it that Alex will not be stifled.”
Tobin scoffed. “Those Fates should mind their own business. Nosy bitches.”
Everyone gasped and took a collective step away from Tobin. Apparently, you didn’t talk smack about the Fates.
A female guard standing to the side was the only one who moved toward him, vibrating with a low, rumbling growl.
“You will control your outbursts, Tobin,” the high magistrate declared.
The female guard took several more steps toward Tobin, who backed away from the podium.
“My outbursts! Are you serious? This Tribunal is a joke, listening to this half-breed faery who shouldn’t be allowed in here!” He waved his arms to encompass the room. “You are destroying all I have worked for. We need to become stronger, not weaker. The problem is this human bitch.”
As the word bitch left his mouth for the second time, the female guard leapt forward and decked him. Tobin dropped to the floor.
Alex gasped. “What’s going on?”
Devin mouth quirked into a crooked grin. “She’s a canine demon. You don’t use that word around a female canine.”
“And here I was worried about pissing off a bat demon.”
* * *
He wanted nothing more than to wrap Alex in his arms. But when she inched toward him, eyes sparkling, while the guards led a screaming Tobin away, Devin backed away from her.
Her eyes flickered with pain. “What’s wrong?”
Devin hesitated before continuing. “We can’t be together.”
“Why not?”
The room went silent, every person fully focused on the scene unfolding before them. Even the magistrates were hanging on every word. “Let’s talk about this in private.”
She folded her hands over her chest. “No, let’s talk about this now.”
“You’re a faery and I’m an elf.”
“So?”
“Faeries do not mate with other species.”
“My grandmother did.”
“And she lost her powers.”
Alex shrugged a shoulder. “I don’t care.”
“You should, Alex. They’ll strip you of your powers.”
She shrugged her shoulders. “You mean the powers I never knew I had to begin with? I grew up as a human. I have no problem remaining that way.”
Lokar spoke up. “You are young, child. You do not understand our ways.”
Her chin came up in a militant pose, and Devin flinched. Lokar was going to get an earful. “Oh, I think I understand your ways all too well. What are we going to do next, segregate ourselves? Set up faery drinking fountains and elf drinking fountains?”
“My child, it is not the same thing.”
Alex narrowed her eyes at him. “I am not your child. If you’re so wise, how can you do something so stupid?”
Devin stepped up behind her and placed his hands on her shoulders. “Alex, stop.”
She shrugged out of his grip. “No! Haven’t we learned anything from this? We have supernaturals fighting each other. All because of fear. Love is blind to differences and deaf to slander and defamation. How are you any better than the gang we just arrested? I love you, Devin. Powerless or not, elf or human, I love you.”
Her face turned pink and her eyes darkened. He was more and more amazed by her courage and heart, every second of every day. And she loved him. His heart hammered so hard it pulsed up his neck and into his head.
She had no idea what being a faery meant. What she would be giving up for him. But he did. He was in love with her. So much so that he was willing to let her go. He refused to be the reason she would lose her powers, not when she just received them.
“I’m sorry Alex, but this isn’t going to work.”
She
recoiled from him as if she’d been slapped. “You’re right. If you won’t fight for us, then I don’t want to be with you.”
She turned and strode toward the back of the room. Each step she took was like a stab wound to his chest.
Julia murmured, “You fool” next to him, and he closed his eyes so he didn’t have to watch Alex walk out the door and out of his life.
Lorinda’s Wedding Tip: If the bride and groom can’t handle the stress, suggest Vegas. They can always throw a reception later.
Chapter 41
It had been three days, twelve hours and fifty-seven minutes since Devin crushed her.
Alex stared up at the stars on her ceiling. Even though Marina had been crazier than a bedbug—Alex made a mental note to find out if there were bedbug demons—Marina had been right about one thing. Devin was too damn noble for his own good.
He was willing to throw away his powers to save her, but didn’t feel right about letting her do the same. Well, she had a few things to say about that. She was going to convince him they were meant to be together. Dr. Jennings would tell her she needed to go about this in a logical fashion. So Alex had been formulating her defenses for any arguments he might throw at her. She ran through her list, starting with the easiest one first.
Issue number one: He lived in DC, she lived in California. Easy fix. She would move.
Issue number two: They fought all the time. That just meant they were both passionate and headstrong. They could work it out. She would learn to compromise.
Issue number three was the sticky one. The whole faery-elf thing. Alex had no problem giving up her powers. She was part human, and her grandmother said she might never develop powers she could control anyway. She was willing to make this work. He just needed to give a little.
She closed her eyes. Now all she needed was to get Devin alone and willing to listen to what she had to say. She was going to pick up Cat tomorrow; she would talk to him then.
* * *
Alex took a deep breath before she knocked on the door. Charlie opened it and smiled at her.
“Hello, darlin’.”
She nodded silently, since a lump had lodged in her throat when she stepped into the house. She looked around the living room.
