The Councilor glared at me and I glared right back. “If that is done, then we will accept Ava as the heir apparent, with the removal of her arranged marriage.”
My breath caught in my throat. I couldn’t believe it.
Oh. My. God. We did it.
My knees went weak but I forced some strength into them. Now was not the time to look like a wilting lily. I had to look like this was part of the plan, and it had been all along.
Tavlor inclined his head. “Give me a moment.”
He strode back to us, a smile growing on his face. He was happy with this turn of events, and to be honest, so was I. But it would take a sacrifice from people who had already suffered too much.
He stepped into our huddle and I glanced towards the Alpha wolf and King Ankor. I didn’t want to let them have to suffer even more because I found a way to twist the Council’s arm and allowed me to be selfish.
“You two do not need to agree to this,” I said, looking between the two of them. I hoped they understood that I wasn’t kidding. “It’s asking too much.”
The Alpha growled and shook his head. “No. I believe you are our best chance of getting out from under the iron fist of the Council. I’m happy to stand by you, even without the message from the book.”
King Ankor nodded. “I do also. We’ll do as they ask, Ava.”
I blinked back the tears that threatened to fall. The last thing I wanted was to look like a blubbering fool in front of my most powerful allies “Thank you for your trust. I swear, I will not betray it.”
We turned back and my father and the Council set to work tweaking the contract. They bickered over verbiage.
I chose to stay where I was, trying not to pace. I didn’t want to reveal my weakness, my anxiousness, in any way. My eyes kept going to my father. Every now and then he would reach up and touch his necklace casually, buried under the clothing. No one even noticed what it was.
When it was finished, the contract was presented to both the s
hifter and the Fae and everyone else who needed to sign it.
The Fae King, Horlow, and the Alpha wolf shifter signed their agreements, and I took my new contract to my father, who looked it over for me.
While everyone else was distracted and the room was full of people talking, my father whispered to me, “How did you survive that bolt of magic from Melody, Ava? I know that was not meant to merely wound but kill. I know you have a few tricks up your sleeve, but that... I don’t know how you managed that.”
My hand strayed to my belly, to my secret weapon.
“It’s like you said, Dad,” I said, giving him a wink. “I have a few tricks up my sleeve.”
He glanced up at me, his eyebrows furrowed. I couldn’t speak of my sisters here, nor should I reveal everything all at once.
So, I simply smiled and said, “It was a gift from Bella.”
He nodded, accepting what I said as truth, and glanced down again, continuing to paw over the contract until he was satisfied with it.
“You can sign this,” he said as he handed it back to me, then stood up and addressed the people still standing on the other side of the magical wall that Horlow was holding up.
Horlow sagged a little with exhaustion, but the wall remained strong.
“I’m going to ask the Fae mage to drop the protective shield, but if I see a single person cast a spell to hurt anyone on this side of the divide, I will kill every single Council member in this room,” my father said.
I blinked. I knew why he said it, but he could have been talking about the weather, not death and murder.
There was a horrified gasp as my father whirled his hand in the air, creating a fiery red magic.
“There has been enough secrets. Enough lies. Enough betrayal. I will not see my child, nor anyone who came here today to protect her, be harmed. I am the High Warlock, and it’s time that many of you realized that.”
He flicked his hand and Horlow allowed the shield to come down.
I held my breath.