My heart pounded as I waited; and I’m sure I wasn’t the only one to let out a gasp of surprise — or was it dismay? — when Lisette revealed the true name of the assassin. The room erupted in whispers. Georgia looked puzzled; Etoile surprised; and Lisette looked angry, which was worrisome in itself.
“Silence!” Lisette had to raise her voice to be heard above the din. “Silence!”
“I didn’t do it,” said Matthew. “I had nothing to do with this! I swear.”
“It’s a trick.” His wife rushed forwards. Instantly, two stewards were by her side. I took a closer look at their uniforms. They weren’t stewards, but security guards of some kind. I looked around. The guards had moved to the exits and now flanked each wall.
“She did it!” Matthew pointed to his wife and she shrank back in surprise. “I didn’t want to believe it, but you saw my memories. My wife must have planned this all along.” Matthew gaped at her, his face creasing into horrified lines as he stepped away from her. Despite his wife still standing below the stage, looking up at him in absolute shock, he gasped, “How could you do this? How could you hurt anyone? Me?”
“Save it, Matthew. You aren’t pinning the blame completely on me,” Paige screeched.
A death-like hush fell over everyone. Instead of outraged panic, now we all wanted to know what was going on and how Matthew was involved. “I have no idea what you’re talking about,” he said as he took another step backwards, widening the space between them.
“You bastard. It was your idea! You said, all we had to do was make sure Georgia got the blame for the attacks and that was easy enough, if it weren’t for her meddling.” She pointed at me, and left her hand there while she berated her husband. “Georgia should have taken the fall for this.”
“But she wasn’t guilty,” Etoile reminded the quiet, breathless crowd. Very softly, she added, “For once.”
“So? Everyone hates the bitch! She’s a bully and she’s mean and her magic is dark. We don’t want to be pushed around by the likes of her anymore. Matthew would have made a great Leader. He’s exactly what the Council needs to move forward.”
“A cheat and a liar?” someone called out.
Paige wheeled around, searching for the witch amongst the sea of angry faces. “We did what needed to be done!”
“I swear I had nothing to do with this,” Matthew said, still backing away. “She’s delusional. She doesn’t know what she’s saying.”
“I. Am. Not. Delusional!”
“I’m so sorry for my wife. She needs help. I’m so sorry,” he said, this time to Etoile. “I had no idea she would try to hurt you, or try to kill me.”
Etoile gave him a stony-faced gaze in response. He looked from her to Georgia. “I truly didn’t see this coming,” he told her, beseeching, “I would never hurt you. I would never hurt another witch.”
“But you would use your wife to?” sneered Georgia. “You’re pathetic!”
“No! I’ll get her help.”
Behind Lisette, the remaining members of the judiciary, stood. “You will step down,” said Lisette.
“But I’ll get her help, I promise. I’ll make sure she can never hurt anyone again!”
“You’re such a dick,” Paige snapped. “I can’t believe I let you suck me into this, and now you’re trying to sell me out to save your own ass. I’ll tell them everything!”
“I’m sorry for you,” Matthew said, with a sad shake of his head. “I promise I’ll make sure you’re sent somewhere safe. We can help you, make sure you never harm anyone again.”
“Oh, for the love of Mother Earth, I’m not insane!”
“Of course you are, honey. You must have had some kind of breakdown.”
“I have a recording,” Paige said simply, extracting her phone from her pocket. “When you told me to shoot you, I recorded it.”
“She… she’s lying!”
“Am I? Shall I play it?” Before anyone could answer, she hit a couple of buttons and her husband’s voice streamed out, tinny at first, then clear as the volume amplified. The room fell silent as we listened to Matthew talk about how unfair the proceedings were, how he couldn’t believe Etoile had survived the shot, and after the trial barely dented her reputation too! Not only that, but it had ensured that everyone knew Etoile‘s name, instead of making her the object of bereavement cards. Then he suggested that he be shot as well, to make it look like he’d been attacked, and how he would get a share of the sympathy vote. We listened to him plot and plan how to be hurt for maximum effect, while Paige agreed with him.
“Enough!” Lisette snapped. “Take them into custody. Both of them,” she added, looking towards Matthew as the guards streamed past to leap onto the stage. He fought them as they clamped tightly onto his arms, binding his wrists behind his back. They carried him, bucking and kicking, off the stage. Paige went more quietly, simply walking away, surrounded by guards.
When they were gone, the door slamming behind them, Lisette called for order again. “There will be a full trial. You have all borne witness to the confession of Paige Donovan and the part Matthew Donovan played in this debacle. We will proceed with the ceremony. Georgia, we thank you for your participation. You may return to your seat. Etoile, please take your place as Council Leader.”
Despite the recent shock, I couldn’t have been prouder the moment Etoile stepped onto the dais and crossed to the circle painted in its middle. The swearing-in ceremony was brief and to the point. Etoile swore to serve our kind as best she could and not let anything impede her judgement. She promised to defend us, to work to keep witches safe from all others, and to be the voice of reason even during times of uncertainty.
I hoped to hell she knew what she was doing.
When she accepted her duties and finished reciting the ancient oath that bound her to her title, she looked tired rather than giddy with excitement.
“The Council,” Lisette said, stepping aside as the old Council took the stage and waited for Etoile‘s judgement.
Etoile gave them a long look. “Those who wish to retire from service may leave the stage now, with thanks from the community for their dedication.” She sounded incredibly self-possessed and sure of herself.
The Council looked amongst each other.
“Is this unusual?” I asked Anders, who had taken the seat on the other side of me.
“Yes. I don’t believe a Leader has every offered a Council member a better way out before,” he told me, leaning in as he whispered. “She’s letting them save face by accepting their resignation, rather than simply waiting for them to quit or dismissing them straight off. It’s unprecedented.”
“And so it begins,” I said, turning away to watch.
Steven was the first to step forward. He bowed before Etoile and left the stage, striding between the rows of chairs until he came to a stop by the Winterstorms, where he took the empty chair next to them. That explained why they’d kept it vacant. Several more members left in the minutes that followed, bowing quickly and taking up seats in the audience. That left six members of the Council, including the judiciary members. Lisette surprised us a moment later by stepping forward and bowing to Etoile, the tail of her long red braid sliding across her shoulder. I saw her lips move briefly, and Etoile reply before the woman left.
“Do you wish to remain on the Council?” Etoile asked the remaining members.
“I ask to be considered for the new Council,” one man said, carefully emphasising his request.
“That’s Rick Chavez,” said Anders. “He’s a good man.”
“What makes you say that?” I asked. Chavez was the man who briefly glanced at me during my trial.
“My parents spoke of him often. I believe my mother, Brita, knew him from childhood.”
“I too,” said another Council member, a woman next to him, though like Chavez, she didn’t clarify why she wanted to stay.
“And you?” Etoile asked the remaining two. They looked at each other, than at her. “I would
like to thank you for your service,” Etoile continued, “which has been long and dedicated. You are excused. Rick and Antonia, I would welcome further discussion with you.”
“She just told the other two to get lost, didn’t she?” I asked Anders.
He grinned. “Yes.”
“I will announce my Council tomorrow,” Etoile said, her voice strong and clear. “Today is a new era. Tomorrow the Council will begin its work.”
The audience burst into chatter as Etoile exited the stage, sliding behind the curtains and disappearing.
“I can’t believe she actually won,” said Seren, turning to beam at me. She gave her parents a wave. “She’s going to do so much good.”
“It will be an uphill struggle,” said Anders. “I’m going to go and offer her my congratulations. Tonight, we’ll celebrate. Stella?”
“I’ll be there.” I looked away from the empty stage and at the assembly behind me. I hadn’t noticed that the werewolf delegation — all of them looking very sullen indeed — had taken up a row of chairs towards the side of the stage. The vampires were noticeably absent, given that it wasn’t yet sundown, but I had no doubt the news was already on the way to them. The shapeshifters seemed more pleased with the results than I guessed they would be, though maybe they were just happy at the impromptu drama given by the Donovans.
I looked around for the demons and found them at the rear of the hall, having apparently arrived late. Hunter was there, looking elegant in a black suit and a red tie. The formality of his attire was reflected in the other members of his party. With a start, I realised Evan was amongst them. He caught my eye and held it for a long moment, but if he wanted to impart some information about why he was suddenly very publicly aligned with the delegation, I clearly missed it. My relief that he was fine and safe was tinged with worry about what this outing meant. Far from being disinterested in demon politics, at this moment, Evan appeared to be very much in the thick of it. Micah stood slightly behind him. His jaw looked stiff, but his face was blank.
“Earth to Stella?” Seren waved her hand in front of my face.
I blinked and looked up. The Winterstorms had all gotten to their feet and were waiting for me. I got up quickly, breaking off eye contact with Evan. “Sorry,” I mumbled, caught unawares.
“We’re going to pay our congratulations. Are you coming?” David asked.
“Oh, yes, of course.” I looked back to where Evan was standing, but he was gone and the distance between us never felt greater than right now. I’ll see him later, I reminded myself. I had an awful lot of questions and I hoped Evan had found some answers.
NINETEEN
The reception for Etoile continued until the sun set and then it turned into a party. Between Etoile‘s election and Donovan’s arrest, there was a lot for people to talk about. The atmosphere turned particularly jubilant now that the vote was settled. Just as the sun disappeared and the lights flickered on, I edged away to go back to my room.
I didn’t think Etoile would mind my absence, given that everyone in attendance seemed to want to talk to her and offer her their congratulations. A couple of them even started to air their grievances.
I had other important things to deal with and the party was a welcome distraction. Evan wasn’t in my room when I returned, but showed up a few minutes later.
“I saw you leave,” he said. “I’m really proud of you. You stood up for your friend.”
“The judiciary would have come up with something if I didn’t say anything.”
“Don’t be so sure.”
“I saw you, too, with the demons at the back of the room. Are you with them now?”
Evan inhaled and closed his eyes. When he opened them again, his pupils were very black and the pitch seemed to spread into his irises. “I made a deal with my father,” he said simply. “And I must fulfill some duties.”
“What kind of duties? What’s going on?”
“I want to tell you. I want to tell you everything. This… ah, shit. It’s a mess. It’s a big, freaking mess.”
I reached for him. “I just want to understand why you couldn’t come for me when I needed you.” As soon as the words slipped from my mouth, I had a horrible feeling in the pit of my stomach that something was very wrong with the way I felt. It wasn’t a case of witches versus demons, or him being kept from me, or that he couldn’t come. It wasn’t even that the magic from the ring I wore could transport me to him if he so wished. It was a combination of everything. It was everything that had happened from the moment we met. Every little problem. Every time he had to come to my aid. Every time I’d been reminded how powerful he was and how much of a neophyte I was, even if I could only learn through practice from now on, rather than by instructor. All the time we had known each other, our relationship was always very uneven. It was a startling revelation.
“I never wanted to be involved in politics. I’m much better without the problems of our races. That’s why I’ve worked so hard to make my own business. That’s why I’ve worked my ass off to have a life separate from all that. And they left me alone until now.”
“I don’t understand. Evan, please, you have to talk to me. I didn’t have the slightest inkling where you were these past ten days, and then I find out that Etoile knew more about your job than I, and Micah refused to tell me anything. Earlier, you said you were prevented from contacting me, that it was some huge problem; but now you’re here. I can’t understand and I can’t help if you won’t tell me.”
“I don’t want to tell you in order to protect you.”
“I know. But it can’t always be about you protecting me! I need to protect myself.”
“I want to marry you. Some day, I want you as my wife. I want a family with you and I want to know you’re always safe and happy.” His voice cracked as he reached for me. “I want to be the one who takes care of you whenever you need me.”
“So what’s the problem?”
“You’d be better off with Gage.”
I stepped back like he’d landed a blow. “What’s Gage got to do with anything?”
“He’s a decent guy. He’ll look after you. You’d be safe with him.”
“I don’t want to be looked after.”
“You could have a family, live in peace. You wouldn’t have to deal with all this shit.”
“Right now, we’re not dealing with anything. Please Evan, just… please. Tell me what happened. Let me help you for once.”
“The demons want a bigger ‘in’ with the witches. Why? I don’t know yet, just that they do. I suspect it’s something to do with the High Council they’re collaborating on. I’ve made a deal with my father. If I work with him, I keep you safe. The protective registry only goes so far. It can be violated. With this deal, I can ensure none of them will approach you, despite the immense magic they sense you have.”
“You already told me that I’m ready. I can keep myself safe now.”
“Not against these demons you can’t. You have no idea how dangerous they are, and until I know exactly what they want, I don’t know what to do to protect you, short of isolating you from everything and everyone you know in secrecy.”
“We can’t do that. I don’t even want to do that. I won’t run just because I’ve been threatened. I’ve done that before. Someone always finds you eventually.”
“I know you won’t.” Evan sighed. “That’s why I made the deal. No matter what happens now, I can keep you safe. I’ve joined forces with my father, and that gives me more clout, more prestige amongst our race.”
“Didn’t you have enough before?”
“Not nearly. My new position provides me with enforceable backing from my father’s clan and his associates. I’m doing this for you, Stella, for us.”
“What if I don’t want you to? What if this isn’t what I want? I don’t want you to compromise yourself just to keep me safe.”
Evan sat on the edge of the bed, his hands on his thighs. I stood in front of him and tried not to l
et my jaw wobble. Whether it was because I was angry or about to cry, I wasn’t sure. All I knew was I didn’t want to cry in front of him. Couldn’t. Wouldn’t.
“I want to protect you,” he said again.
“I know. I don’t doubt that.”
“I want to keep you safe.” He glanced up at me, and held me in his eyes. I saw a flash of his inner turmoil.
“I know that too.” I pushed my hair back with one hand and took a deep breath. It hurt. “During the trial, and later when Etoile was shot, and when Matthew faked his own attack, and when Esme was poisoned… I hoped, Evan; I hoped that you would come and rescue me because that’s what you do, but you didn’t ever come.”
“And I’m so sorry. I would have come if I’d been able.” His jaw was stiff, his mouth a thin line. His fists flexed open, then closed like he was having a hard time keeping still. “I sent Micah to protect you. I did the best I could.”
He didn’t need to add “under the circumstances” because I got that. I knew. I did understand, even if he thought I didn’t, but that wasn’t the problem. Or, at least, it wasn’t the whole problem.
“I appreciate that. I really do. And Micah was great. He protected me. Please tell him I’m very grateful for everything he did for me.”
“You’ll have to explain it to me, Stella, because whatever the problem is, I’m not getting it.” He rose to his feet and strode across the room, staring at the wall for a moment before turning around to face me. “You said you understood. You said you understood,” he repeated. “I couldn’t come then, but I’ve made a deal and I’m here now. Whatever was going on with the demons, whatever deal was made, it won’t affect you ever again.”
“I know you were in a really difficult position, and I get that. The problem isn’t you, it’s me.” The moment I said it, I realised how lame it sounded. The old “it’s not you, it’s me” BS. I never thought I would be the one to use it… but now it was absolutely true. How could I explain that? I wasn’t sure, but I knew for certain something had changed in me during the past few days. Something had clicked. The fearful part of me that sometimes felt alone and wanted to be saved received a revelation. I wasn’t the same frightened young woman I was in London. I was very different now. Stronger.
Magic Rising Page 26
