"The damage is our people being murdered, Meryn," the queen reminded her softly.
Meryn nodded. "And back in November, it was pregnant shifters. In February, it was the citizens of Noctem Falls. At each turn, we have thwarted them in some way, shape, or form. They didn't get Lycaonia, Keelan saw to that. They didn't destroy Noctem Falls, Vivi, Ellie and the healers blocked them there. Yes, they have killed fae, but we surprised them tonight. We're one step closer to figuring out what the grand scheme is." She grinned. "We'll be even closer when we figure out how to open Kincaid's dirt box."
"Porcelain," both Kendrick and Thane corrected in unison.
Meryn shrugged. "So they've used some crazy mind stuff to install this Committee. Paranoia is a powerful thing. Just start rumors that the Committee is trying to secure property in each pillar city for an elite neighborhood or something. The demand for housing in the pillar cities is at an all-time high due to all the murders. If people suspect, for even a second, that the Committee is acting out of greed, they won't listen to a word they say."
Magnus looked at Meryn as if he was seeing her for the first time. "That is brilliant." His eyes narrowed. "You are actually a born leader, are you not?"
"Yeah, fuck that. I was born to eat pudding and watch Netflix." Meryn dug into her treat again.
Brie mulled over what she said. "It's basic human nature."
Meryn licked her spoon. "Yup. Their stupid Committee is rendered useless if no one listens to them. Even if that was the 'add on' to the mate spell, it doesn't matter. We haven't lost a warrior mate yet; we're all too kick ass. Especially Brie. So like, if they counted on this being a huge power play, we kinda got it covered."
Kendrick growled. "I don't like it."
Anne kissed his arm. "That's because you don't like anyone telling you what to do, much less what to think."
"That's it exactly. It makes me doubt my own mind, because before Meryn's cavalier statement, I never even noticed I was being influenced," Kendrick ranted.
Magnus looked to Meryn. "I wonder why it did not affect her?"
Ryuu smirked. "Meryn, stand up," he ordered.
Meryn scowled up at him. "Why?"
Ryuu pointed down at his charge. "Meryn loves me and trusts me to provide even the most basic necessities for her. But the very fabric of who she is questions everything. If someone told her to do something, her knee jerk reaction is to do the opposite."
Meryn nodded emphatically. "Yeah. What he said."
Brie looked at Ryuu and understood what he was saying. "We're not from here."
He nodded once sagely. "Exactly. From day one, Meryn has questioned why we, as paranormals, do certain things, because it was all foreign to her. I would imagine the same would extend to you, but to a lesser degree."
"Why to a lesser degree?" she asked.
"Because of your profession. You're used to a system that has a hierarchy that issues orders. You're trained to follow orders, and unless something crosses a hard line for you, you'd obey." He eyed Meryn, who was trying to ensure the same amount of pudding was on each spoon. "She was kept mostly to herself growing up, so she doesn't know or care about even the most basic social norms that act as the building blocks of rules and decorum in the human world. Her brain is constantly asking, 'why'."
Ryuu pointed to the others in the room. "Paranormals are raised following many rules and traditions. Some date back so far that even the queen would be hard pressed to answer the question, 'why' about many of our forms of etiquette."
The queen nodded. "It's true. I may have known the 'whys' at some point, but since I didn't have to think of it, routinely, I've forgotten much."
"I believe Meryn has said this before, but the spell to bring the warriors their mates may be their eventual downfall." He turned to Kendrick. "Heika, I know that this especially upsets someone like you, who has depended on their own mind and abilities for so long, but you have to remember that it only takes one person pointing out the truth for an illusion to fail." He nodded down at his charge.
Kendrick slumped back. "I don't like it, but you're right. There's not much we can do about it now except foul up their efforts."
Neil leaned in closer to Meryn. "Couldn't we let something slip on the message boards under a fake account? I don't think the Committee is tech savvy enough to figure that out."
Meryn nodded slowly before handing Neil her spoons and Nigel her bowl. She reached beside her to her ever-present bag and pulled out her laptop. "I can create a person in two seconds flat, hold on."
Ari frowned. "Isn't she already doing that?" He pointed to her distended belly.
Brie laughed. "No, she's creating a person online. When she's done, I bet they'll be real enough to owe taxes."
Meryn beamed at her. "You got it." She tapped away. "Let's see. The person shouldn't be from Éire Danu, too close to us at the moment. I'll make them from that other wolf pack where Eva's from. They haven't been accepted to a pillar city yet. We'll have her work in real estate, and she'll share that a packet came across her desk to secure land very close to Lycaonia. I would say Noctem Falls, but they have that national preserve." She licked her lips. "We'll have the name be something close to Adalwin Dulse; dude is dead so he'd make the perfect dummy account for this kind of thing. In fact, let me create a dummy account for him really quick."
"I have his financials up, Meryn," Neil said from his laptop. "No one has touched his accounts since last year. Looks like everything is still open."