Would I get more than one life if it saved me multiple times? Or would it be gone now, having saved me once? I didn’t know, and Bella had never explained it to me. I wondered if I could get another one if I needed.
The Fae King and the shifters walked over to me, frowning.
“Ava, you don’t look well.” King Ankor said.
I grimaced out a smile. “Oh, I’m okay. One of the witches tried to kill me, but I made it through.”
I didn’t tell them how close it had been. I simply forced a smile to my lips.
I swallowed hard against the emotions rising up, making my chest tight.
“I can’t believe you all came to support me in this,” I continued. “It’s so... unexpected.”
The Shifters growled softly as they shook themselves and transformed back to their human selves. I assumed they could do that so they could speak to me properly.
“We...” The Alpha cleared his throat. “We believe you are the best chance we have of improving our place in this world. There’s been enough wars. It’s time to do something differently.” He cocked his head at me. “Unless we were wrong about you and your intentions?”
No. Never.
I rushed to reassure him. I needed to, before it was too late.
Chapter 21.
I REACHED FORWARD AND grabbed onto Robert’s arm. I needed him to listen.
“Oh, no,” I said, shaking my head. “Not at all. The only reason I’m standing here today, fighting to be the stupid High Warlock, is because I want to have the power to help you. To change what the council has done.”
The Fae King looked at me. His icy stare coiled its tendrils around me and made me shudder inwardly. The last thing I wanted to do was cross him. “You feel the same way about my realm? Tavlor said you did.”
“Oh, yes,” I said, nodding rapidly. “Your people need help, King Ankor. And I’m going to make sure they get it.”
His world needed magic; they needed food, they needed safety and comfort. To live forever in such a state was simply tragic. Especially for a people that were born with incredible magic.
He smiled and lifted his chin. “Then we made the right choice here today.”
Tavlor stepped up and took my hand. “You have. Ava is worth putting your trust in.”
I glanced over at my father and Horlow, who were still standing with their hands outstretched, their magic protecting us all. Judging by the beads of sweat that accumulated on my father’s forehead, however, we needed to act fast before their magic was depleted.
Regardless, it was a perfect combination of powerful Warlock and Fae magic. A brilliant combination that was indeed underestimated.
Pride blossomed in my chest. My father was protecting me. It was a great feeling to know he could, and would, do so regardless of his role as High Warlock. That I was important to him.
I glanced back to the space between us. The magic that forced the Council to behave. To stop them from killing us.
Killing us... I still couldn’t believe they were willing to wipe us out in order to get what they wanted. The ‘right’ man at the top. In the role of High Warlock.
And the very fact they were wanting to do so gave me hope that perhaps the role would have more power than I’d anticipated. More than my father had ever used or even realized.
The Councilors moved back to the invisible wall between us and I glanced at Tavlor.
He stared at me for a moment, then, reading my look correctly, got up and walked across to the man who’d come to give us their verdict. His shoulders were rolled back, his eyes narrowed in front of him. He looked confident, not perturbed in any way.
“If,” Thomas said, loudly and succinctly. “If everyone hears signs a binding contract not to spread the lies in that book...”
He pointed to Tavlor’s copy.
I rolled my eyes. “Lies. Yeah right.”