by Paula Lester
“Are you going to cooperate?” Cas reached out to touch a sparkly crystal, but as her fingers got near, some of its spikes stretched and morphed to form teeth. It nipped at her. She squeaked and jumped back.
Shiloh waved a hand. “Sorry, they get testy when they haven’t been able to participate in a spell for a while.”
Cas eyed the crystal, stuffing her hands in her jeans pockets to avoid the temptation of touching one again.
“Yes, we’ll cooperate with Lloyd as much as possible, of course.” She stood, grabbing the lavender file and moving around the desk to stand in front of Cas. “Tensions between our community and that of the shifters have been unusually high since the Archsiren died. They want a seat on the council, but the rules forbid it. At least for now, we on the council want to keep things as smooth as possible between our people.” She began to move toward the door. “Besides, so many people disliked Mr. Dewman due to his real estate dealings that it could have been a shifter or a witch who killed him.”
Cas followed Shiloh. “I only met Desi yesterday. He was kind of pushy about selling properties and being a ladies’ man, but he seemed like an okay guy other than that.”
“He made a lot of enemies with his dating habits.” Shiloh paused in the doorway. “He never let pesky minor details like marriage or previous commitments keep him from pursuing anyone. But beyond that, he was in the business of seizing properties from people who lost them. It was all legal, I think, but much of it definitely felt icky. Many folks felt he preyed on those who were down on their luck. He could have given them a hand to keep their properties, but instead, he swooped in and got them cheap, flipped them, and kept the profit.”
Cas could agree: It was an icky business to be in.
“And if Lloyd handles this for us, it’ll be one less thing we have to do. We’re completely overrun right now. Not just with the election but also with trying to gather witches from all around our council’s zone to come here for the conclave to elevate a new archsiren.”
“When will that happen?”
Shiloh moved into the hallway. “Not until after the siren election. Oh! I almost forgot. Here you go.” She handed Cas the lavender folder. “The council found someone we hope is going to make a suitable mentor for you. She isn’t a witch, but she’s powerful. The name and address are in there.”
“Siren, you’re needed in chambers for today’s first hearing.” Denzel hovered at the end of the hallway.
Shiloh nodded and reached behind Cas to close her office door. “I’m sorry to cut our visit short. But duty calls! Good luck with the prospective mentor.” She breezed down the hall, bracelets jangling, and followed Denzel around the corner toward the council’s chamber.
Cas tucked the purple folder into her purse and followed the siren at a slower pace, intending to head to her car. But a crowd seemed to be gathering in the council chamber. One man stood taller than the others. It was Graham. And who should be walking beside him, leaning in and whispering, but Lumen.
Cas frowned. The possible new mentor could wait a bit. She wanted to know what was going on with Graham and Ray Feldspar’s gorgeous raven-haired sister.
Chapter 8
It felt good to be in the back of the High Council’s hearing room instead of front and center, waiting for the sirens to decide her fate. Cas sat in one of the many chairs scattered all over the room. Denzel must have summoned them out of the walls and arranged them for a big crowd.
The woman in front of her wore a tall, bright blue hat with a stuffed parrot hanging on the side. Cas strained to see around the monstrosity of a hat. Graham and Lumen sat shoulder-to-shoulder in the front row.
Shiloh was already there, sitting on her silver chair and smiling at members of the crowd. Stu was there too, on his chair of black leather and steel, reading a paperback Western as seemed to be his custom. Valencia and Albert entered as Cas watched, the woman keeping a slow pace to stay just behind the elderly man. Once they were settled into their chairs, Denzel floated in to hover beside them. Without any other cue, everyone in the room stopped talking and moving around and silence descended.
“The first order of business today is for the council to hear from Mr. Raydiant Feldspar, who would like to speak to the sirens about a request for a rule change regarding the High Council’s member sirens.”
A low rush of noise rose in the room as people murmured to their neighbors while Ray, who had been sitting on Lumen’s other side, stood and nodded at Denzel.
Turning his body at a ninety-degree angle to both the crowd and the council members, he said, “Thank you, sir. I appreciate this opportunity to petition the council for a change we’ve been hoping would come for many years now.”
His voice reminded Cas of Graham’s—strong, confident, and with a touch of a rumble. She thought maybe it was a common shifter tone because the larynx was sometimes used to make noises other than human words. “It’s under sad circumstances that Crystal Springs finds itself needing to elect a new siren to its witches’ council.” He paused to let everyone duck their heads and murmur agreement. “But since the town does find itself in that position, I suggest it’s a good time to fix a centuries-long oversight.”
Cas noticed that many in the room nodded their heads, apparently aware of what was coming.
Ray paused for dramatic effect and let his eyes wander over the crowd. Then he turned his body to face the sirens. “There should be at least one seat for a shifter on the council.”
Valencia’s delicate eyebrow rose, and she brushed at the side of her form-fitting red dress. Albert scowled, but Stu and Shiloh didn’t appear to react at all.
Ray continued, “Shifters are a big part of the Crystal Springs supernatural community. We deserve representation on important matters that the High Council makes decision on and which affect us.”
More murmurs. Someone to Cas’ left shouted, “What about Diminutive people? We deserve a spot too!”
Ray nodded. “I agree that everyone in the magical community should be able to elect someone to the council.”
Valencia gave the other sirens a sidelong glance. Stu nodded almost imperceptibly back, and she looked forward once again. “Thank you for presenting your case, Mr. Feldspar. Unfortunately, there is no way we’ll be able to change the council’s bylaws in time for this election.”
Boos, hisses, and a few low cheers went up across the crowd.
The beautiful siren held up a hand and continued, “But we are sensitive to the concerns of other groups in our community. Denzel, please coordinate a series of community discussions to begin after the election. Perhaps we can make changes before the next siren is elected.”
“But that could be decades!” someone cried, anger evident in his voice.
Other voices rose to join the first. Valencia let it go on for a moment, but then she raised a hand and spoke louder. “But those of us currently on the council have the best interests of all members of our community at heart as we govern, and I trust that any candidates for the open position will as well.” She smiled. “You can rest assured we make decisions for the good of all supernaturals in Crystal Springs, not just witches.”
Ray balled his fists, and Lumen reached forward to tug on his sleeve. He unclenched his hands and stalked from the room.
Denzel floated forward. “This meeting is adjourned. Anyone who is not directly involved in the next case on the docket, —” he consulted his clipboard”—Sky Bright vs. Cloudy Spinster, please exit the courtroom in an orderly fashion now.”
The sirens filed off their platform and out the back door while a dull roar again rose in the room as people began talking. Cas caught a glimpse of Graham and Lumen, their heads together as they talked. She made her way around the edge of the crowd and out the door, hoping they wouldn’t catch sight of her.
But someone was heading into the courtroom in as much of a hurry as Cas was to get out, and they bumped into one another. “I’m so sorry,” Cas said, holding out a hand to steady the other woman, who tilte
d dangerously to one side.
“No, it was my fault.” She caught her balance again and smiled. Cas thought the woman was lovely, with subtle lavender hair cut in a perfect bob and delicate silver glasses.
They maneuvered around each other. Casting a glance over her shoulder, Cas saw that Graham and Lumen were still deep in conversation and hadn’t budged from their seats.
She made her way back out to the lobby where Waverly sat unperturbed as people filed past. Cas didn’t want to speak to the disagreeable woman, but she took a deep breath and stepped toward the desk, craning her neck up to where the receptionist sat perched. “Do you know where Dzovag Livings keeps an office? I’d like to go speak to him about something.”
Waverly’s eyes moved to Cas’s face. “I thought the two of you were basically enemies.”
Lifting her eyebrows and trying to keep a pleasant look on her face, Cas gave a little head shake. “He’s not always been very nice to me, but I have no real issue with the man. However, I do have business with him, so do you know where his office is?”
“Your guardian didn’t come with you today?” Waverly flipped a magazine page.
“You mean Echo? He wasn’t awake yet.”
“Hmm. Interesting. I wonder which of you is the true guardian.” She tapped the screen on an iPad and studied it for a second. “Livings is in this building. First floor—suite 117.” Looking up, a tiny smile played on her sparkly gold lips. “Tell Echo I heard Siren Albert talking about him the other day—wondering if they should have peacekeepers watching closer for signs that he isn’t holding up his end of the bargain. Tell him to watch his mangey tail.” Chuckling, she waved a hand dismissively, and Cas saw that her nails were covered in the same gold as the rest of her.
Biting back a retort, Cas spun on her heel and left the lobby, hurrying down the short green marble hallway toward the hover pad. There was a line waiting of people waiting to ride it down, but it was moving fast, and Cas didn’t want to go down thirty flights of stairs, so she waited.
Suite 117 proved to be tucked into the back corner of the massive building’s main floor. The lobby was empty, but the bell that sounded over the door caused a rustling in a room she couldn’t see. Soon, Dzovag himself entered the lobby. He looked surprised to see her. “Ms. Lorne. To what do I owe a visit from you?” His jowls wiggled when he talked.
Cas’s brow wrinkled as she wondered if the man owned more than one outfit. But the bright blue suit and orange shirt he wore didn’t appear dirty or wrinkled. Either he washed and pressed them daily or he had multiples of the same outfit. Both were odd fashion choices. “I’ve learned that, apparently, I’m running for siren,” she said.
Dzovag chuckled and sat on the edge of the reception desk. “Ah. Well, good luck.” His tone made it clear he was being facetious.
She figured the best way to approach the situation was to be direct. She didn’t want to spend more time with Dzovag Livings than she had to. “Siren Shiloh told me you nominated me to run. Why?” Cas scrutinized him. The man wasn’t exactly known for his unfailing commitment to telling the truth.
HIs answer was blunt. “To throw a monkey wrench into the voting. I need my candidate to win.”
Cas narrowed her eyes. “What do you mean?”
He stood and walked around to sit on the office chair, plopping his feet on top of the desk. “I’m behind Freesia Dolman. She is my kind of witch—shrewd, business-minded, and smart. She won’t block my development deals left and right for stupid reasons like keeping green space in the community or maintaining optimal relations with humans.” He used air quotes and spoke in a sing-songy voice as though mimicking someone whiney.
Cas cocked her head and crossed her arms. “So why nominate me if you want Dolman?”
Dzovag steepled his fingers. “Dolman’s competition, Grover Flank, has too much support. I don’t understand why people like him so much. He’s a sniveling idiot who thinks about things like the environment and supernatural race relations.” He said the words like they tasted nasty. “So, we needed someone else in the race. Somebody likeable enough to take some of Flank’s votes but not smart or experienced enough to actually win.”
Cas ignored the insult about her intelligence. “You want to split the opposition votes so your candidate will have a better chance of winning.”
“Oh, she will win.”
Smiling in what she hoped was a superhero kind of way, Cas said, “Sorry to ruin your evil plan, but I’m withdrawing my candidacy.”
Dzovag’s feet thumped against the floor as he righted himself. He laughed so loud and hard, the effort made his belly shake. The man’s face even started to turn purple. Gasping and wiping at his eyes, he sputtered, “You think bowing out will work? See, this is why you’re the perfect nominee. You really have no idea how things work here. Your nomination is a binding contract. Even if you withdraw, your name will be on the ballot.”
Cas dropped her arms and widened her eyes at the irritating man. “What? Why would I still be on the ballot?”
“Well, it will say withdrawn next to your name, but more than half the witch population is as thoughtless as you are, and they won’t actually bother to read it. They’ll still vote for you, and it will split the vote just like I planned. Leaving Freesia the majority.” He stood and leaned on the desk. “And with Dewman gone, her odds are even better than before.”
Cas fought the urge to smack his smug face. Instead, she focused on inhaling and exhaling a few times. She knew from experience the best way to deal with Dzovag was to speak in his own language. Insults.
“It’s a good plan you have here, but I think you are actually being about as stupid as can be in one particular area.”
As expected, spittle flew out of his mouth as he sputtered and drew himself up taller. “Who are you calling stupid? I’ve arranged things perfectly, and you’re a pawn who can’t do a thing about it, whether you like it or not.”
“Killing Desi Dewman to get him out of the way was stupid.” Cas knew she was taking a risk with her accusation. Of course, she had no idea if it was true, but if it was, her hope was that making him angry would cause him to confess.
Of course, if the man was a killer, getting him mad and making him say so was putting herself in direct danger. Without pausing long enough to let that thought dissuade her, she pressed on. “Don’t you think you’ll be the main suspect once people start putting two and two together that you nominated me but actually support Freesia Dolman? You didn’t cover your tracks well enough.”
Dzovag’s nostrils flared. He looked like a man on the cusp of unleashing his fury. Somehow, he managed to pull himself together, and his mouth settled into a straight line. “I didn’t kill Dewman, but I’m glad he’s dead. If you figure out who did it, let me know, so I can shake his hand.” He headed out of the room but stopped and looked over his shoulder at her, smirking. “Good luck at the debate, Candidate Lorne.”
Chapter 9
Once back in the car, Cas let her guard down and shuddered. Dealing with Dzovag Livings was not a walk in the park. Unless the park contained hidden dinosaurs that jumped out smirking, snapping, and gnashing with real teeth.
She hated the thought of him using her to gain leverage in the siren election, but she couldn’t figure out how to counter the move. The best thing she could come up with was to make spread the word as much as possible that she wasn’t running and that people shouldn’t mark her name on their ballots.
Cas dug out the lavender folder from her purse and studied the paper inside. She wasn’t familiar with the street name, so she pulled her phone out and punched the address into the GPS program. Studying the resultant map, she saw that it wasn’t hard to get to. It was only a few streets away.
When the GPS said she’d arrived, Cas shut the car off, checked the address, and stared at the building. Really? The Mermaid Bar? She grinned—there was little doubt this potential mentor had been chosen to test whether Cas’ element was water. She stashed her purse u
nder the passenger seat and went inside.
Her first impression was that the place was a hole-in-the-wall dive bar. It was dark and appeared small and even a bit musty. A tiny bar on one side of the room only had six stools next to it. She took a few more steps, checking out the other three walls that were lined with floor-to-ceiling aquariums.
Suddenly, the place wasn’t small anymore. In fact, if felt like it stretched out to infinity. The tanks didn’t seem to have back walls. She moved to stand directly in front of one and was shocked to find women swimming inside. Except the women had tails. Mermaids! It looked as if they swam in an endless ocean, though Cas knew there was no body of water behind the building. She peered closer and didn’t spot any breathing tubes for the women.
“It’s an illusion. They’re fish with a spell cast over them. Mermaids in appearance only. Like this.”
Cas turned to see who had spoken. It was a tall, willowy blond woman in a long green peasant skirt and matching flowing ruffle shirt. She leaned against one of the bar stools. Before Cas’s eyes, the woman’s form shimmered and went out of focus. When it cleared again, a mermaid, complete with a shimmering aqua tail and matching bikini top, stood in the woman’s place. Balancing on her tail, she gave a little flourish with her hands.
Mindful of being polite, Cas clapped. “That’s beautiful. Are you a water elemental?”
The woman waved her hands again and then stood on two feet, back in the gypsy-like clothing. “I’m not a witch. I’m Fae.” She gestured for Cas to follow her, and the two sat at a small table. “My name is Kopper Strata.”
Her voice and facial features were both warm, and Cas found herself relaxing. “It’s nice to meet you. I’m Cascade Lorne.”
Kopper nodded. “Siren Shiloh told me to expect you today. She said I might be able to help you. As Fae, I can work with any of the elements, but I’m strongest and most able to mentor water elementals.” Her face took on an awestruck glow, and her voice became almost reverent. “Water is life. It’s the first thing on our planet that could hold life. To work with it to do magic is the height of comfort and power.”
