I nodded.
Tavlor stepped forward, in a surreal move of strength and courage. Evil, deathly magic was still being thrown at us, blistering the wall created by my father’s strength, bolstered by Horlow’s.
The Wolf shifters stood next to Tavlor as he walked closer, flanking him and growling in outrage.
How disgusting a thing to have to face. They came here in peace. To talk. And they were met with a classic move of the bullying, narcissistic, overbearing Council.
I was embarrassed to say I wanted to be at the head of them all.
Tavlor and the two wolf shifters together faced off against the Council, standing shoulder to shoulder. A wall of male fierceness.
Slowly, the attacks began to slow as they realized my father’s protective magic was holding. Then the Councilors groaned and shouted in frustration, then completely stopped. I almost wished they hadn’t. I wanted to see how long it would take before they sent spells so powerful, they deflected off the wall and hit the bearer.
Tavlor then stepped right up to the shield, the shifters growling at his back.
“We have not told the communities of shifters and Fae about the original Council,” he continued slowly, his eyes going to each Council member. Before, he would not have deigned to look them in the eye due to what he was. Now, it was different. Now, he believed in himself. “I have only informed these four people, and they have sworn to keep it to themselves. However, there is a price for their secrecy.”
“What do they want, then?” a Council member called out.
I almost rolled my eyes. The Council was not doing itself any favors if it was going to continue to be suspicious of everything.
King Ankor stepped up, magic rippling off him in a visible silver fountain. He was an impressive sight to behold.
“We will support Ava in her bid to be the rightful heir to her father,” Ankor said, commanding everyone’s attention. “And if you allow her the contract she requires, we will stand down.”
My mouth dropped open and I stared at Tavlor, who didn’t look at me. But I could see his
mouth twitching and knew he wanted to.
How had he managed to convince the Fae king to stand up on my behalf? My mind swam. I winced, the pain from the attack still twinging, but I couldn’t help but smile either.
A member of the Council stepped forward.
“You will relinquish all claim to the Council if we support Ava in this way?” he asked tentatively, as though he couldn’t believe it.
King Ankor’s back tightened and I yelled out to him, “You don’t need to do this. We can find another way.”
And I could. I was sure I could. Maybe... I didn’t have any examples of how we would pull it off just yet, but I was sure I could think of something.
Ankor turned back and looked at me, his eyes burning with an intensity I didn’t understand. Did he know how much I wanted to help his people?
I wanted to tell him. I wanted to explain.
But I didn’t want him giving up the one thing that could put him back in the place he should be. On the Council with the others.
But I couldn’t tell him everything I wanted to tell him, and he turned away without speaking to me. “Yes, we will.”
“Us, too.” the Alpha wolf shifter barked out, stepping up next to the Fae King.
King Ankor didn’t flinch though I knew he wanted to. His cloak was lined with a once alive wolf’s fur, and yet as they stood together, I knew the Fae and the Shifter had found something bigger to stand against than each other. I had no idea how Tavlor was able to pull it off, but I was glad he did.
The Council was the enemy today. As they should have been all along.
“Give us a moment.”
The members of the Council congregated together at the back of the room. I stood straighter, the pain in my belly now receding as did the fatigue and exhaustion that had come from being hit with such magic. Instead of leaning against the chair, I collapsed into it. Tavlor gave me a cursory glance, concern in his eyes, but he was careful not to let his gaze linger on me for too long.
I didn’t want anyone to know about my tattoo, so I didn’t touch it or check on it, but I was dying to see if it had changed in anyway.