My father’s face softened. It seemed he enjoyed hearing about us, hearing about the two daughters he hadn’t met yet. He opened his mouth and I could tell he wanted to know more. However, he stopped himself and cleared his throat.
“Tell me what you found,” he said, and I could hear the excitement in his voice. He tapped his knee.
“You explain,” I said to Tavlor, pulling my hessian bag into my lap, opening it up, and handing him the ancient book Bella had found. It was strange to see something that had been magicked so small reclaim its normal girth.
Tavlor took it and put it on the table in front of us. “This is an ancient book on the history and the beginnings of the Council,” he explained. “It was in their library, kept safely away by their mother. I’ve studied it myself. It explains that not only was the Council originally made up of Fae, Shifters, and Warlocks...”
My father’s eyes bugged out of his head. “What?”
I suppressed a small grin. The High Warlock didn’t know everything.
“The original High Warlock was elected to make decisions when the Council was conflicted,” Tavlor continued. He didn’t seem to notice that I was trying to contain the range of emotions flickering across my face. “He was elected every ten years, and there were no stipulations on heir, or marriage, or anything that was brought in later once the Warlocks took over the whole Council.”
Matlock’s reached over and picked up the book.
His brow furrowed. But by the time he reached the correct page, his face lit up.
“So, you think we can apply to get the re-instatement of those original laws that have been over written?” he asked, his eyes narrowed at Tavlor.
“It’s the only chance we have at the moment,” Tavlor said. I couldn’t tell if he was hopeful if it would work or not.
A though occurred to me. “You can always use it as leverage to blackmail them. Tell the truth about how, once upon a time, the Fae and the Shifters were considered equal members of society. That everyone actually lived together and worked together and socialized together.”
I looked between the two men, who were both staring at me blankly.
“What’s wrong?” I asked.
My father turned to me. “That could work... incredibly well.”
Tavlor nodded, though he sat ramrod straight. I knew he wasn’t sure how Matlock was going to handle this new type of information. Tavlor’s entire life, as a hybrid, he had been subjected to discrimination and prejudice. But now, this information about how important the Fae had been in the past would say otherwise.
The Fae were not lesser than Warlocks—quite the opposite in fact—so how they’d allowed the Warlocks to overrun them and kick them out of the Council, I would never know.
“So, the plan is to get the Council to accept me as your heir?” I asked, making sure I understood where we were all going with this.
“Yes. And appealing to the laws is the only way to beat them,” Tavlor said. He turned to Matlock. “We may need some help.”
“Do you think you could get some of your Fae brethren to stand beside us?” my father asked.
“Hang on.” I put both hands out, sliding to the front of the couch. “You mean, in case there’s a war?”
They couldn’t possibly think this was going to turn into another fight, could they?
“Yes, that’s exactly what I mean, Ava,” my father said, focusing his attention on me. “The Council are under the impression that they can conduct business as they always have. Without consulting anyone. Not in our community, nor in any others. But now they want to execute my only child...”
I opened my mouth to correct him, but he put his hand up to stop me.
“As far as they are concerned, you are my only child, and I will not allow them such autonomy any longer. Irrespective of what happens to me.”
I narrowed my gaze at him. “What do you mean by that?”
“I mean...” He glanced at Tavlor with a helpless expression.
Tavlor turned towards me. “Your father means that when he steps forward to defend you, it is possible that the Council will turn their attack on him. If he can’t prove that he didn’t know about you, that he willfully committed treason against the Council, then he could be hung for the same crimes they tried to pin on you.”
“But... there’s no reason!” I cried, throwing my arms out. “It’s bloody ridiculous that they think they have the right to choose who you marry... who you breed with... it’s...”
Tavlor smiled. “Yes, I agree. But this is how it’s been done for hundreds of years and the Council will not just roll over and accept an illegitimate, and as far as they are concerned, volatile heir as their queen. And without the Council’s backing, the people might not want to change anyway.”