The Council (Darkness #5)(29)

With a deep breath I pulled fire and—

My spell disintegrated before my eyes.

“What the—”

The sound in the room went dead. Everyone around me froze. And then I realized it was because they couldn’t move. I couldn’t move!

The entire room was covered in the most intricate spider web of spells I’d ever seen. Weaves upon weaves of elements blended so perfectly they looked like a tapestry. I recognized the thickening spell, which is what kept everyone immobile, but that was it. I had no idea how the spell deadened sound. Or how my spell, made with a bunch of nasty booby traps, fell apart. Wasn’t picked apart, or unraveled, but just disintegrated.

“You see? I still have a trick or two left up my sleeve.” Cato smiled benignly. He was the only one moving. “Now, young lady-human. If you would be so kind as to stop working at my spell—I noticed you have an affinity for traps. I must confess—I do as well. We are similar, you and I. I would hate for our meeting of minds to extinguish everyone in this room.”

Chapter 8

Faded blue eyes, like a polarized sky, surveyed the room slowly. “I feel as though I have been asleep for so long. Years pass in a faded blur when one lives so long. Menial issues seem nothing more than minor annoyances, best left to the vigor of the young. But it seems my partially stepping away, my here-but-not presence, has left a hole. A confusion in leadership, perhaps. Maybe, too, power and boredom has started to eat away at our sanity; such is the case with a warrior class relegated to the chairs and conferences of a committee. I will take this blame unto myself, of course. It seems it is time for me to once again take interest—to steer the needs of these people.”

His gaze settled on me like falling ashes. “And a human with the black power level has emerged. I am sure this is foretold. But of course it would be. It was only a matter of time. And our young, ambitious Rudy would have her for himself. A great many would, I am sure. Tied to one of so much power is promising. Especially one such as her, ready for molding and shaping. But she is not what she seems, is she? Look at what she has done with the vanishing spell. Inverted to my eyes, yes, as is the case with humans, but also tweaked. Patched together, as one might a table leg shorter than the other three. She is smart and ingenious; and protected. Let us not forget protected.”

His gaze drifted next to me, to Stefan, still invisible to those in the room without the magical know-how. And judging by the gazes, only a handful had it—and not all of the Clutch, at that. “So much strength and power in this youth. He could lead the whole organization perfectly, I have no doubt. And so trusting of the human next to him. Look at the spell he allowed her to drape over him. Dangerous, but perfectly safe at the same time. She is a marvel, is she not? Show yourself, young male.”

I let the spell fall away, revealing the most handsome man in the room. Also the most worse-for-wear. He stood beside me, straight and tall, as though he hadn’t gotten beat to hell a half-hour before. Jonas, now also visible, walked behind us to lean against the back wall. Blood shimmered on his bare arms.

“This is the young, promising new leader, is that right?” Cato leaned toward Mage June.

“Yes, sir.” She clasped her hands in front of her on the table.

“He has marked her, and been marked. Blood linked, too, I take it?” Cato waited for my nod. Obviously it didn’t come since I couldn’t move. He must have realized that because the spell fell away a moment later, letting me answer with a head bob. “I see. He was chosen not to succeed, but fought against someone else’s choice. Do we not have a ban against organized challenges?”

“Yes, we do,” Kallias spoke up. “But it hasn’t been in effect for years.”

“Years, yes.” Cato’s gaze traveled over Stefan’s wounds. “I wonder what else has fallen by the wayside in years.”

Three Council members opened their mouths, eager to fill Cato in, before he waved his hand. “That is a debate for another day. Now, let us speak to a new and exciting development.”

It was Tim’s turn in the intelligent gaze. “The shifters have reorganized, is this correct?”

Tim clasped his hands behind his back again. “All we needed was leadership. I have provided that. I directly lead a faction within my home town, and indirectly manage packs across the nation. We are coming together slowly, but we are coming together.”

“Yes. And you choose to keep your traits to your kind? You have not filled the humans in on your existence?”

“I don’t want to live out my days in a lab.”

“If you weren’t killed immediately, that is.” Cato leaned back in his chair slowly, hands clasped over his chest.

“They have attached themselves to the human,” the Councilwoman Constance stated.

“And why is that?” Kallias asked Tim. “Why her?”

Tim said, “She risked her life to save a great many of ours. She would do it again. And we would return the favor.”

“Loyalty. That is an honored trait.” Cato glanced around the room. “And Dominicous—is he here?”

Movement and shifting took place until finally Dominicous was able to step through a wall of people. Most of the room was on their feet, agitated at the proceedings, but also in awe of Cato it seemed like. Toa stepped out a moment later, completely unruffled. Every hair was in place even though he was probably pushed and shoved around way back there.