Lord Manetu, page 29
Jumping over the long table on the dais, Carson rushed to Glenn, scooping up the gun on the way. Though he couldn’t see him, Carson knew Dylon had joined him. Stopping when he reached the White Siberian Tiger, Carson murmured, “A fucking gun…how the hell did you know…”
Uncloaking himself, Sawyer walked toward his mate, the now-silent magic users frozen in place. Turning to Carson, he said, “Glenn heard a click and knew instantly someone had cocked the hammer on a gun. If it weren’t for the overwhelming smell of lies permeating the air, he could’ve picked up the scent of gunpowder before the asshole even had the chance to draw it.” Then turning to his mate, Sawyer rubbed the tiger’s head, sending love and praise through their mind link.
“Bring him to me,” commanded Remy, pointing to the man on the floor.
Giving one last growl, Glenn’s tiger got up and stood next to Sawyer. His eyes glowing as they searched the room for any other threats.
Carson grabbed the gunman’s arm, pulled him to his feet, and then pushed him forward until he stood before Remy.
With a flick of his fingers, Remy encased the gunman in another light sphere, then asked, “Why did you try to kill me?”
“I was told to.”
“By whom?”
“Zohar Stone.”
Frowning, Remy zeroed in on the gunman’s life force, grimacing at what he found. “Whose body are you in?”
“Derwin Keeling.”
“When did you kill him?”
“Five years ago.”
Shifting his attention to the other council members who were staring at the new light sphere, Remy said, “This is the second demon I have found in our world. Gerard Vonner was the first. The Fates will take control of this one as they have already done with Vonner. But I can assure you that this will not be the last one in our world.”
Pausing, Remy waited until each member of the council was focused on him before continuing. “The demon who inhabited Gerard Vonner’s body killed ten witches and warlocks, absorbing the magic of each one. During that time, he helped other magic users summon more demons. His ultimate goal was for demons to take over our world, enslaving all of us.
“This is what happens when we fail to object to proposed laws we know are wrong… when we turn away when we see others’ rights removed…when we stop caring about our fellow magic users, no matter how little magic they have.
“Even though evil has been allowed to invade our world, it will not succeed. Today, standing before the entire magic world, I vow to root out and hold accountable every magic user who was part of this attempted coup.”
A shimmer announced the arrival of Oracle, accompanied by Mystia. “Your Majesty,” Oracle said softly, bending her head briefly, “I am here to collect the demon Kozros who was responsible for the death of Derwin Keeling, a first level magic user.”
“Many thanks, Oracle,” Remy replied. “Please tell the Fates I appreciate their help to purge Black Magic from our world.”
“I shall gladly carry your message to them,” said Oracle, “but now we must be on our way.”
After Oracle, Mystia, and the demon disappeared, Remy glanced at Carson and murmured, “Are you ready?”
“I am.”
“Right,” Remy said, making the spheres clear again before raising his voice to address the four magic users confined. “As Ruler of the Mystic Realm, it is my right and duty to enforce our laws. There is no justification that can be used to mitigate the seriousness of your actions.” Then turning to Carson, he commanded, “Mystic Guardian, remove their magic.”
Ignoring the cacophony of pleas and cries coming from the magic users in the light spheres, Carson raised his arm and, pointing his finger at the four disgraced council members, uttered the words given to him by the Fates. Screams of agony filled the room as their bodies contorted and writhed in pain. Flames enveloped them as their magic was exorcised, ricocheting off the light spheres’ inner surfaces before merging into a fiery ball. Then, passing through the physical constraints of each sphere, the balls of fire engulfed the Keeper of All Magic, and were absorbed by his body, leaving the now-impotent council members devastated by the loss of their powers.
Turning away, Remy shifted his eyes to the rest of the magic users in the council room. “Though some of you might think this is punishment enough, unfortunately it is not…not when treason is involved. Our world was a gift from the gods and they trusted us to do everything in our power to safeguard it from harm. Kadin Fadington, Thayer White, Niam Graves, and Zohar Stone made their choice to ignore what the gods bequeathed to us and now must pay for that choice with their lives.”
Silently mouthing the words passed down through the ages from Ruler to Ruler Remy raised his arm, and a bolt of lightning shot from his hand, encapsulating each light sphere with a fiery glow. With a flick of his wrist, the flames grew hotter, incinerating each traitor inside until only four small piles of ash remained.
Lowering his arm, Remy faced the shocked magic users in the room. “The actions taken by the Witches’ Governing Council have proved that, at this time, there are no options left other than to disband the council. Along with that step, I have removed all judges from their positions for failing to uphold the laws of the Mystic Realm. However, do not think this action gives you a carte blanche to ignore our laws because it does not! Punishment for all magic users who disobey our laws will be swift and severe during this time when my advisors and I strive to reorganize the government of our world.”
Resuming his seat, Remy continued. “The new council will be made up of all levels of magic users, the number of seats for each will be based on the proportion of them in our world. For instance, low-level magic users will have more seats than the next tier up and so on, to have the council truly reflect the makeup of the entire magic world and not just a few. And this will also pertain to judicial seats. I urge everyone who is interested in rebuilding our world to apply for these openings…excluding past council members and judges.”
Bending down, Carson whispered, “Don’t forget to make the announcement regarding the families of low-level magic users.”
Smiling, Remy nodded briefly. “All low-level magic users will be returned to their families as soon as possible. I have also issued an order suspending all laws enacted by the council that apply to low-level magic users including registering their births and the requirement that they report here when they become of age.”
Bowing his head for a moment, Remy fought back the anger that had been so much a part of his life until he became the new Ruler. That he had achieved that position was in itself, a miracle, and he knew without a doubt, his parents were responsible for it. As one emotion faded, a new one took its place—pride that the Fates had given him such amazing parents and he made a silent vow to be worthy of their love.
Looking up, Remy said, “Our world of magic is worth fighting for…never forget that. It is up to us to make sure we leave it in a better shape for our children so they might also enjoy what the gods have blessed us with. I ask every magic user to please join me in ridding our world of the darkness looming over it so all of us may enjoy a brighter future.”
After removing his spell preventing the use of any magic in the Council room, Remy dismissed the former council members, sending them on their way. Then, turning to Brady, he muttered, “It’s a start but I fear the road ahead will not be smooth…at least as much as I’d hoped it would be.”
“Rome wasn’t built in a day,” Brady murmured, smiling. “But, I daresay, you’ve come close to it. I spent years trying to do what you’ve accomplished in a day.”
“I couldn’t have done it without you,” Remy said softly. “Thank you. There’s still a lot to do, and I’d like you by my side. Can I count on you to help rebuild the trust in our world?”
“Before I can answer that, I must speak to my mate,” Brady replied. “He still isn’t out of danger.”
“Of course…if there is anything you need my help with, just let me know.”
“Thank you, Remy…I shall.”
~/~/~/~/~
Giving up on getting any more sleep, Kahn opened his eyes, cursing his father once again for upending his life. Of all the days he wanted to be on top of his game, today was it—but instead, he felt like shit warmed over. Sighing, he pushed back the covers and sat up on the edge of his bed, rubbing his face in an effort to wake up. Thoughts about his father crossed his mind, but Kahn pushed them aside. He learned a long time ago that speculation was a futile exercise, guaranteed to bring nothing but confusion and doubt. Standing, he stretched out the kinks in his body from a restless sleep before heading to the bathroom. A hot shower followed by coffee would go a long way toward preparing him to meet the day.
Twenty minutes later, Kahn was dressed and ready to head downstairs. Picking up his wallet, keys, and phone, he slipped them into his pocket before leaving his bedroom. The scent of freshly brewed coffee wafting up from below meant his mother was up and he hurried down the stairs, taking them two at a time. It might be the only time today he could talk to her without his sisters present since morning was not their favorite time.
Smiling at the thought, Kahn walked into his kitchen, finding his mother opening his cupboards while clucking to herself. Reaching for the cup of coffee on the island, he took a sip, savoring it before swallowing. Then setting it down, he said, “Let me guess…there’s nothing to eat…right?”
Swirling around, his mother clasped her chest when she saw her son. “Stop sneaking up on me. You nearly gave me a heart attack.”
“Sorry, couldn’t resist,” Kahn replied, reaching out to hug her. He chuckled, “It’s been a long time since I could get the drop on you.”
Returning her oldest child’s hug, she murmured, “I use to let you think you were surprising me.”
Leaning back, Kahn looked at his mother, finding a twinkle in her eye. “Bullshit.” He laughed.
“Mind your language, son. You aren’t too big for a spanking.”
“Ooh…that’s sounds like fun!”
Batting Kahn’s chest, his mother giggled. “Enough…the last thing your sisters need to hear is you going on about how fun a spanking can be. Knowing them, they’ll be misbehaving on purpose just to find out why.”
Shuddering, Kahn stepped back and picked up the cup of coffee, needing to focus on something other than his sisters and their curiosity about spanking. Taking a sip, he studied his mother, noticing new lines on her face. “Why are you really here, Mama? Not that I mind you visiting because I’ve missed our talks, but I don’t think Father’s absence is the real reason you decided to flee the pack in the middle of the night.”
Glancing over her son’s shoulder to make sure her daughters weren’t around, she shifted her gaze back to Kahn. “A friend warned me Rudy was planning to force your sister to marry him before your father returned.”
“Marry CeCe? What the hell? She’s only fifteen,” Kahn said, angrily, slamming down his cup. “He knows Father would never allow it!”
“I believe that is why he decided to do it now…so he can become Alpha.”
“He’s delusional…Father would never step down so Rudy could be Alpha…whether he married CeCe or not.”
“That’s just it…the rumor is your Father isn’t coming back,” his mother said, quietly. “That’s why I left with your sisters. I couldn’t risk it if what she told me was true. Without your Father there to protect them…”
“It would be easy for Rudy to carry out his plan.” Thinking about it, Kahn realized they were all in danger if it was true about his father not returning. As the eldest son, becoming the next Alpha was his birthright—not that he had any intention of forcing the issue—but even if he publicly rejected it, Rudy would still view him as a threat. As he also would anyone who married his younger sister, Suzie, since her husband would have the right to challenge Rudy for the Alpha position. Fuck! The only way to stop Rudy was for his Father to return. “Does your friend know anything about Father’s whereabouts?”
“No, I asked, but she hasn’t heard anything other than what Rudy already told me.”
“What exactly did he say?”
“Your father didn’t say where he was going or why, but left Rudy in charge.”
“That doesn’t sound like Father,” Kahn mused. Then a thought hit him. “Do you think Rudy is telling the truth?”
“I didn’t smell any lies…if that’s what you’re asking.”
Nodding, Kahn asked, “Does Rudy know you’re here?”
“I…I don’t know. There wasn’t anyone following us…as far as I could see.”
“That’s good,” Kahn said, giving his mother a reassuring smile. And he meant it. It was a stroke of luck he’d closed on this condo last week; no one knew about it except his mother. As far as his father’s enforcers knew, he was still living at his studio, which reminded him. “Did Father ever tell you why he is having me watched?”
Shaking her head, his mother’s eyes filled with fear. “Rudy knows we’re here?”
“No, the enforcers left a few days ago…before I moved here, so you’re safe.” Pouring the cold coffee in his cup down the drain, Kahn poured himself another and one for his mother. Sitting down, he took several swallows, thinking about what needed to be done next. For now, his family was safe, but for how long was the question. Getting up, he walked over to a drawer, opening it and taking out some menus. “I have a meeting this morning I can’t miss, but until I can find out more about what’s going on with Father and Rudy, I don’t want you or the girls going out.”
Giving his mother the menus, Kahn continued. “Here, it’s the best I can do for the moment. These are all places I have accounts with that deliver, so order what you want and charge it to me. Also, if you could make a grocery list, I’ll go get it when I get back. Okay?” After her nod, Kahn bent down and kissed her mother’s cheek. “Love you Mama…glad you’re here…everything will be okay, you’ll see.”
Chapter 36
Waking up slowly, Smokey inhaled the mingled scents of his mates, savoring them. It had been a long night—longer than he expected—but Theo was adamant about giving their bears time to meet and get to know each other. Checking in on his bear, he found him curled around his mates, protecting them from any danger. Sighing, he knew it was now his turn to protect Theo and Norm from the danger Oracle warned him about.
“What danger?” Norm’s sleepy voice asked, having heard Smokey’s concern through their mind link.
Glancing at his mate, Smokey answered quietly. “I don’t know…it’s what I’m trying to figure out.”
Lifting his head, Norm looked at Smokey, careful not to disturb Theo. “Why do you think there’s a problem?”
“My bear says so,” Smokey replied. “How come you have a mind link with me when I haven’t bitten you?”
Shrugging a shoulder, Norm said, “I don’t know…I just do. I have one with Theo also.”
“When did that happen? Was it when Theo got pregnant?”
“I discovered it after waking up and finding us locked in Arald’s prison.”
“Did you bite him before then?”
“No…our parents made sure of that.”
Smokey grunted, his bear once more growling at the mention of Norm’s parents. Unsure of why his bear was reacting that way, he decided it was time to find out. “Do both your parents’ bears have the same color fur as yours?”
Shaking his head, Norm said, “Only my mother…my father’s bear is black.”
“What about Theo’s parents?”
“Both black.”
“Are there more black than white-furred bears in your pack?”
“I can’t really say,” Norm answered. “I haven’t been back there for a while. Why all the questions about white versus black fur?”
“When I was at the agency, I came across a report about certain Alphas’ systematic efforts to rid their packs of any bears with white fur, otherwise known as Ghost Bears.”
“Why would they do that?” asked Norm. “According to the books I read, Ghost Bears are revered among other bears.”
“That’s precisely why the Alphas viewed them as a threat,” Smokey explained. “It’s easy for someone to go from honoring to blindly following a Ghost Bear, especially if they think doing so will bring them approval from the gods.”
“I get that, but going back to the report you read, how did the Alphas plan to get rid of Ghost bears in their packs?” asked Norm, frowning.
“By refusing to let two Ghost bears mate,” Smokey said. “Eventually there wouldn’t be any Ghost bears...or so they thought.”
“This scheme was approved by the High Council?” asked Norm, skeptically.
“I don’t know,” Smokey murmured. “It was part of an internal report…the agency was investigating the possibility of rare shifters being used as hostages.”
“Did that ever happen?” asked Norm. “Do you think that’s the danger your bear is worried about? That someone would take Theo and me and use us for…what exactly? We are nobodies in the scheme of things.”
“Don’t ever say that again,” Smokey growled. “You and Theo are everything to me.”
“I feel the same way about you and Theo.” Norm murmured, blushing at his mate’s possessiveness.
Smiling, Smokey reached over Theo and grabbed Norm’s hand, squeezing it. “You don’t have to worry about any trouble cuz together…you and me…we’ll protect Theo and our cub from anyone who tries to harm either of them.”
His eyes welling up at his mate’s show of camaraderie, Norm blinked several times, before finally keeping his tears from falling. Warmth filled his body and calm filled his soul. Somehow, Smokey had discovered his unspoken and hidden fears about keeping Theo safe and now Norm knew he wasn’t alone anymore. His past fears caused by Arald were finally gone, replaced with a calmness he hadn’t felt for a long while. Swallowing the lump in his throat, Norm said, “Our friend Kieran told us everyone was surprised we were Ghost bear shifters.”
