The Council (Darkness #5)(27)

His eyes were still shut. So I just went ahead. The spell, easier to work this time, fell around him, settling in, and locking on. “Okay. Not as easy as pie. Kind of hard, actually. But I did it!”

Ann grinned at me, giving me an air fist-bump.

“All right, let’s get this show on the road. These guys need a bed.” Tim stepped toward the meeting room.

“Can people see me with magic?” Stefan asked in a low hum. Squinted eyes glanced in his direction.

“Some will,” I answered honestly. “Toa would be able to see you, I’m sure. But the other guys hanging around with a similar spell went unnoticed most of the time, so probably only the higher level people can.”

He probably nodded, but since I wasn’t trying to see him with my magic, and had actually kind of tucked it away for now since I’d probably need my energy later, I didn’t know for sure. With a glance back toward where Jonas may or may not have been, I winked at thin-air and followed Tim and John to the meeting room.

The large room had a surprisingly lot of people seated around the table. I expected the eight Council members and a mage or two. Instead, the large oval table was full. All the Council members, the Clutch, and a great many others, including my new best friend the green-eyed bastard, sat chair-to-chair. In addition there were people loitering around the room, standing against walls or resting on the couch or chairs.

Who I didn’t see, however, was Dominicous and Toa.

“Welcome, Mata.”

It took me a second to find the guy with wispy white hair and paper-thin voice sitting at the far back of the table. The green-eyed bastard sat at his left, focused intently on me. To his right sat Mage June.

So this was the head honcho, huh? First impressions: he wouldn’t live much longer.

“Cato, hello.” Tim stood at the front of the room like an army man awaiting orders. His shifters stood back, equally straight-backed.

“Thank you for coming,” Cato continued to Tim. “It has been some time since I have seen one of your kind within these walls. This, of course, is for no other reason than mutual suspicion between our two races, am I right?”

“Something like that, yes.” Tim met the older man’s gaze.

“And you have brought some of your members with you. How splendid.” Faded blue eyes scanned the faces to the left and right of Tim, pausing on each before moving on. When they got to me, he squinted marginally. “And a human, is that right? I do not see the typical green flare around you. You are not a shifter. But… high in power.”

Mage June leaned toward him and quietly said, “She is the black power level that has surfaced.”

“Ah yes, of course. Quite a rarity. I would so like to speak with you. I had known a male of black power level once. This was many years ago. He died—what was it?” Cato looked toward the ceiling, blinking in thought.

“Ah yes!” He ticked the sky with his forefinger. “Witch burnings, I believe. He got caught up in that. Nasty affair. Half my foot is still blackened. I escaped, though, of course. Had a great many violent followers in that time. I did go back for him. Jacob was his name. Or was it Michael? I cannot recollect. But he had perished. Went out in style—took a few with him. The irony of the whole affair was that he was a follower of the church. How funny humans are. So fickle. So prone to fear. But beware the mob. Yes, yes. A mob of humans can do terrible things. Terrible, destructive things.”

Most heads nodded around the table in agreement.

Humans are violent? And you’re… what? Docile and even tempered?

Did they live in an alternate universe?

“Forgive me, but isn’t that the pot calling the kettle black?”

Oh, crap! Did I just say that out loud?

“What was that, human?” Rudy asked with a warning in his voice. His penetrating gaze hadn’t left my face since I’d come in. I could feel a rush of anger infuse the link. Stefan did not like that stare.

I didn’t, either. But I was in; I might as well go all in. Plus, when they found out what I did in the hall, I’d be in a world of trouble anyway.

I lifted my chin slightly, determined not to be terrified of a room full of gazes, many hostile, and said, “Yes, exactly. What was that human. You think only humans do terrible things? You nearly killed my almost-mate out in the hall because he is new on campus. Because he is with me. You pass humans around as a blood source. You basically try to enslave them. You beat on each other constantly. You conjure horrible demons and try to sic them on innocents—you guys aren’t roses and chocolates, either. So humans get freaked out and go mental. Well, aren’t your kind trying to take them over? Why wouldn’t they react? Someone tries to come after me and mine, and I am going to take that person down. And guess what, that is a philosophy taken directly from your people. Also: hey, did you know that technically, you are human? Scientifically speaking, yes, you are. You’re just a different branch. So suck on that—”

I flinched and felt my face turn red. I hadn’t meant to put so much sauce into my answer. Or say that last bit. Anger and fear were scattering my brain.

Silence rang through the room as my words disintegrated. My fingers tingled as my temper slowly drained out of my body. I risked a glance to those around me. Charles was minutely shaking his head. Everyone else stood frozen.

So… yes, then. Overboard on that one. Jonas was going to kick my ass.