Bug Magic: The Paranormals of Ahl Book 2, page 20
“That’s the working theory.”
“And what does Mat say?”
“He agrees. They call themselves the Sentinels now, but we’re still going to call them Bellicose because older paranormals recognize the name from their previous attempts to take over. Our sources say they rebranded to make themselves seem more noble and modern.”
“And what are we discussing at the council meeting?” Linda asked. “If this is a shifter problem, then we should handle it.”
I knew they’d make that argument. The individual leaders handled their own problems, and we only stepped in if the factions clashed or if a problem affected multiple groups. “It’s not just a shifter problem. It’s a Coalition problem. Shifters are the primary target, but several types of paranormals have been infected. If the magic takes over the pockets, it could be disastrous. That’s why we’re having a council meeting.”
Gabe rubbed his face. “I doubt they’ll agree on a course of action.”
Since there were over a hundred leaders with varying cultures, we never got them to agree unanimously on anything. The last time I attended a meeting, it took over an hour for them to approve an agreement that had already been signed between mages and witches to improve public building wards. “We don’t have time for their posturing, so I’m going to step in if they can’t agree.”
When Gabe and Linda left, I drifted back to my desk. I needed to figure out the best way to handle the situation. Technically, Mat still ruled as my regent. I could override his decisions, but I didn’t want to do that for many reasons. What I needed to do was to make a statement big enough they understood I wouldn’t play their games without alienating them. I hated politics.
Mat and I stood shoulder to shoulder behind a spelled wall that allowed us to see out, but no one could see in or sense us through it. Verity and her staff settled members of the council into their seats and set up communication spells for those who couldn’t attend in person. Mat’s assistant, Pablo, set up the oversized desk at the front where Mat and I would sit. Two smaller desks were on the side of it for him and Verity.
The leaders took their seats in the stadium-like rows, shaped in a half circle in front of our desks. Some popped into their seats as holograms. The front rows were reserved for the most influential, while the leaders of the smaller groups sat in the back. A few royal blue plush seats were empty.
I turned my attention to the entrance in the back where Titus, the Crown Juror and Verity’s match, stood at the door, reading each person who came through. From the scowls on the faces of the leaders, they didn’t like that. My shoulders were relaxed, and I didn’t feel even a tinge of anxiety. While I was extremely awkward when dealing with regular paranormals, I was calm and in control in the council chamber among the various leaders. Only Verity and Titus knew about my plan for the meeting. I glanced at Mat, wondering if I should update him, then dismissed it. I didn’t want to argue.
Mat leaned forward as the Snow Elf King entered. “Your assistant is perhaps the most organized individual I have ever seen.”
“She’s amazing, and she doesn’t put up with any bullshit.”
“Especially yours.”
“It’s a relief. I have enough people willing to kiss my ass.”
“It will be worse when you let your magic show. They’ll be drawn like moths to flame. What is Titus doing?”
His job was to determine truth in legal matters at the crown’s discretion. Reading the Council wasn’t part of that, but he agreed to help with my plan. “He’s checking them for involvement with the Bellicose.”
“The Council members are under magical contract to work in the best interest of the Coalition.”
“Yes. And every voluntary member of the Bellicose is sure they would be great for the Coalition.”
“What do you plan to do with this information?” he growled.
My shoulders tensed. So much for my confidence. “Expel and arrest them. Publicly.”
“Oh?”
“Yep.” I watched Deva saunter in, Drake on one side and Bastien on the other. “Good. I was worried Deva wouldn’t attend. At the end of the meeting, I’m going to announce the first members of my advisory committee.”
“I don’t hate this idea, but you better make sure taking the throne isn’t an impulsive decision because I won’t be able to hold it for you after this. You also might consider changing your ascension mandate today.” He tried to keep the concern out of his voice and failed.
“I already changed it and sent you a copy. It’s not an impulsive decision. We have a lot of problems that stem from the death of our parents. I plan to fix them before the Coalition implodes.” Titus closed the doors and strolled toward the front to take his seat. I took a deep breath. “We need to work together for once, instead of a bunch of individual groups that coexist. I’m going to act swiftly and decisively to accomplish that.” My chest grew tight, and I clenched my hands to keep them from shaking. “I hope.”
Mat’s eyes glowed with pride, though the worry and doubt radiated from him in waves. “Very well. I’ll start the meeting and let you take the lead.”
My stomach churned, and I swallowed. Both the meeting and starting my ascension were my idea, but I still hated being queen. Handling the Council in the way I planned meant taking responsibility for the consequences. Another imaginary bar snapped into place around me. “Right.”
Mat squeezed my shoulder. “Don’t worry. You have a lot of support and I’ll help you in any way I can.”
“It’s not the lack of support that bothers me.”
“It’s not a cage.”
I swallowed. “It is, but at least it’s my choice this time.” I motioned toward the chamber with its thick marble columns and blue and gold accents. It was a giant, domed auditorium in the back corner of our property outside the castle walls. The Council floor held about three hundred seats. The visitor seats surrounding the entire top floor of the circular room sat empty except for the support staff some members brought.
Mat dropped his hand from my shoulder as Verity burst into the room. “We’re ready for you. Let me know when to run the presentation. Titus is off to your left with his list.”
I glanced down at the floor where Mat’s assistant, Pablo, and Titus stood waiting for us to enter. “Let’s do this.” I squared my shoulders and marched into the room.
Mat cranked up his intimidating magic as we walked. It helped calm me down enough to unwrap the massive ruling magic that I kept concealed. By the time we took our seats, my power was on full display.
Mat eyed the crowd as they bowed. “We have called you here to discuss a dire problem. I trust you will take this matter seriously. I turn the floor over to the Queen.”
Golf claps ensued as I activated the voice projection spell on the table. I clasped my hands to hide the shaking and switched into queen mode. “As you know, we recently discovered that the Bellicose are active. They’re currently going by the name Sentinels and use this symbol to show their presence.” I waited for Verity to project the symbol I’d found on my first case over the chamber. “Their primary goal is to divide and conquer. We believe they are responsible for creating hatred for hybrids. They also have labs where they’re combining demon magic with ours to experiment using vile magic on abducted paranormals. Last year, they tried to take over the dragons and failed.”
The ruling magic purred, and I fought not to jump. That was new. “We recently discovered one of their magics and it’s unlike anything we’ve ever seen. It looks like black ants and feels and smells like a disease. No one is immune. Anyone who touches the magic becomes infected and spreads it to others. Once infected, the person becomes lethargic and then violent. That violence is easily pointed at a target. Meaning the Bellicose leadership can herd the violence in any direction they want. Yesterday, they almost destroyed Pyron. If not for the intervention of the dragons and my team, they would have succeeded. Make no mistake, we are all targets.” The leaders all started talking at once, and I held up a hand. “Please let me finish.”
They ignored me. I pulled out my phone and added notes to my to-do list. It didn’t take long for them to quiet, but I kept my eyes on my phone.
Mat cleared his throat. “Your Grace?”
I glanced up. “Oh, am I allowed to speak now? How generous.” I set my phone down. “King Olwen of the Snow Elves, in your opinion, what are the top three problems with the Coalition?”
“I’d say lack of cohesion, growing distrust between races, and failure of leadership.”
“Thank you. Queen Lidia of the Fairies, in your opinion, what are the top three problems?”
I went around the room with the same question for each leader, saving the leaders of the most powerful races for last. Meaning the shifters, witches, vampires, dragons, and mages. Although the desk designated for the mages was empty. I planned to move Mat to it when he stepped down from his regent position. It would give him something to control other than my life.
The elves would be in the front row if they hadn’t split up into separate factions after Razazia went to sleep. Their customs varied so much that they didn’t have much cohesion without her. So they compromised and formed independent groups that worked together. They sent representatives from three different factions to the council meetings on a rotating basis. After encouraging them to choose a leader for nearly two years, Mat agreed to the rotation and placed them in the second row with the agreement that should they choose one representative, their status would be restored. I didn’t see the problem with them rotating. In my opinion, it was a great compromise until Razazia returned.
I asked the powerful leaders the question last because I wanted to see their reactions to the other answers. As expected, none of them reacted other than the President of Covens, who ruled the witches and hated me because I protected Tracy. She held a sour expression and would occasionally roll her eyes. The Vice President of Covens, Tracy’s dad, listened with interest.
“Queen Ara of Umbra, same question.” Ara’s official title was the Queen of Umbra. Umbra being what vampires were called for centuries until humans renamed them. She kept her original title, though she didn’t mind being called the Vampire Queen.
She came out of her weird vampire stupor. “The Bellicose, the hybrid issues that stem from the Bellicose, and unrest also caused by the Bellicose.”
Ara knew what I was doing and had my back. I inclined my head to show my gratitude before moving on. “President Claudia of The Witches?”
“You are the problem.”
I stared at her for ten heartbeats and then raised an eyebrow.
She folded her arms.
I turned my attention to Tracy’s dad. “Vice President Calvin, since your president doesn’t know how to count, what are two more problems the witches find with the Coalition?”
Calvin cleared his throat.
The President of Covens shot out of her chair and began a long tirade. I folded my hands under my chin and waited for her to stop. When she started weaving a spell, Calvin put a hand on her shoulder, pushed her into her chair, and said something I couldn’t hear. He tugged at the cuffs of his dress shirt. “I agree with the Vampire Queen. The Bellicose and the power vacuum created by the lack of a leader with ruling magic.”
“Thank you. Alpha Gabriel of the Shifters, same question.”
Gabe and Deva both agreed with Ara, broadcasting to the rest of the leaders that many of our problems stemmed from the Bellicose. “Regent Mathias. As leader of the mages, what are the top three problems?”
“The Bellicose, the lack of a ruler with strong ruling magic, and lack of cohesion are our top problems.”
“Thank you. Juror Titus, you have the floor.”
Titus stood and pulled out his list. “If I call your name, please step forward.” He called out the names of five leaders and fifteen of their support staff. They came forward willingly, then got nervous when palace guards started closing around them. Titus placed a stack of papers in front of me, bowed, and took his seat.
I picked up the first paper and read it, then eyed the first victim. The ruling magic reached out and wrapped around the group, causing some of them to jump. I didn’t expect that and hoped it didn’t kill them all. “Queen Delaney of the Dwarfs, please step forward.”
“Yes, Your Grace.”
The ruling magic squeezed her tighter. “The Crown finds you guilty of conspiring against the Coalition by willingly joining the Bellicose, a declared enemy. You have broken the magical contract to work in the best interest of the Coalition, and you are no longer fit to serve on the Council. You will be detained until I decide on a suitable punishment.” I leaned forward. “I suggest you consider your actions as you wait.” She screamed as the magic from the contract exacted its price for breaking it. The ruling magic released her as a guard slapped spelled handcuffs on her and led her away.
I read the names and expelled them individually. By the tenth person, the Council started getting restless. The ruling magic quieted them when I got annoyed. Beside me, Mat shifted in his seat but said nothing. The only sign that he didn’t like how I handled things. When I expelled the last person, I eyed the remaining leaders. “I will not tolerate oath-breakers, schemers, or traitors on my Council. I called this meeting to coordinate a coalition-wide movement to combat the diseased magic and disband the Bellicose. Expelling the traitors among us is the first step.”
The floor erupted with chatter. I watched the leaders and noted their reactions. The ruling magic swirled around the chamber, giving me information. Another new ability. But then, I never unraveled it and let it roam, so maybe it wasn’t new. I avoided looking at Drake because I could feel his amusement and pride and my stomach was already doing somersaults. I shifted in my seat to calm it.
When the chatter settled down, the President of Covens stood. “This farce does nothing but show your incompetence.”
“Sit down, dear,” Ara drawled.
“We are here to talk about how to combat the Bellicose,” Mat growled. “You will sit down and remain silent unless you have something constructive to say.”
She sat down and shut up.
When the rest of the crowd quieted, I explained our neutralizing spell, emphasizing that Tracy created it, and agreed to make the recipe public for anyone to access. When I opened the floor for questions, the Kelpie Queen stood. “What are the non-magic using species supposed to do?”
“Excellent question. If your people cannot use neutralizing magic, rely on people that can. That means that we, as leaders, need to put aside our petty differences and pull together. If we don’t, the coalition won’t survive.” I pointed at the door where the guards dragged the traitors. “They have already infiltrated this Council, caused mistrust, convinced us to discard members of our families, including children, and are torturing hundreds of paranormals. Either we band together, or we fall. Your choice.” I sat back and folded my arms.
The vote to band together to eliminate the Bellicose was 121-2 in favor, with the President of Covens and the Kelpie Queen being the only ‘nay’ votes. I understood. The President of Covens hated me and the Kelpie Queen voted ‘no’ on everything, even motions she brought to the floor.
They spent the next hour arguing about what to do. I finally had enough and silenced everyone again. “It’s no wonder the Bellicose is on the verge of a coup. We can’t even come up with a simple communication strategy.” I visibly sighed. “I guess that’s my fault for trusting you to hold it together until I got my feet under me. Since you can’t come up with a viable strategy on your own, the crown will provide you with one. All leaders will investigate their people to identify who works for the Bellicose and educate them on this new magic. Every accused individual will undergo examination by our jurors prior to prosecution.” I hoped the Juror examination would stop them from using the mandate to get rid of their rivals, but I wouldn’t hold my breath. “If you don’t follow these directives, the Regent will step in.” Most people were terrified of Mat because of his murder spree as we fled for our lives, so the threat of him showing up was enough for them to get on board. I hoped.
“Now, to move on to other matters. I have chosen some members of my advisory committee. Tracinia Cordalia of the Witches has already agreed to a position. The rest of the chosen people have three days to accept or reject the offer.”
As expected, the President of Covens started another rant.
I tapped the desk. “Titus?”
“Yes, Your Grace.”
“The President seems to think she has a say in who I pick as advisors. Will you please take her to a meeting room and explain how the advisory committee is chosen?”
His jaw ticked. “Of course, Your Grace.”
Two griffins dragged her to a meeting room at the side of the auditorium, Titus trailing behind. When the door shut, I focused on the remaining leaders. “As I was saying, the following people have three days to decide if they want an advisory position. Consort Tarquin of Umbra, Queen Deva of the Dragons, The First Drake, The First Jonas, The Sorceress Ann Marie, Alpha Linda of the Shifters, King Olwen of the Snow Elves, Thaddeus of the Leprechauns, and Regent Mathias of the Mages.”
“You’ve chosen two commoners.” The Kelpie Queen’s voice dripped with disdain.
“Yes. There will be no repercussions for those who don’t want to serve. We will meet at a later date to discuss progress against the Bellicose. If any of you need help to combat the new magic, contact my office.”
I gathered my papers and sailed out the door. I kept my head up and my magic exposed as I strode down the trail toward the castle, even though my knees wanted to buckle and my heart wanted to explode out of my chest. Mat followed me, but he didn’t comment. I was grateful for that minor miracle.
When I reached my office, I set the papers on the conference table, melted into a chair, and took a few deep breaths. “That was tough.”
Mat lowered himself into the chair next to me. “That was bloody brilliant.”
I leaned back and closed my eyes. “Yeah? I wanted to make a statement without alienating everyone.”
