“See, they don’t want the lines of witches diluted, and if witches were to begin mating with other factions, they worried it would dampen our magic and therefore, corrupt the perceived hold we currently have over the other supernaturals.”
I glance at my mother. “It’s why they killed you. Why they’ve assassinated hundreds of supernaturals who have stepped out of line. To protect that one single fact.”
Her cheeks redden, showing a shred of the woman she’d been before. But quickly, it’s gone. “If these accusations are true, it undoes everything we’ve ever known.”
“I know it does.” I turn back to the crowd. “I know that I’m asking you to believe someone the councils have deemed a traitor; that I’m asking you to go against everything you’ve been taught, but if we don’t do this—if we don’t stand up now—we’re done for. They are going to come after every single one of us at one point or another. No one will be safe unless the councils fall.”
A man with long brown hair stands and places a hand on the shoulder of a young girl with wide brown eyes. “You’re asking us to go to war.”
“I am.”
A woman stands now. “We’re already at war. We’ve just been losing.”
Pride surges in my chest. “We need your help. We need every single supernatural who can stand and fight to do just that.”
“And when the councils fall? If this is successful, what is your plan, then?”
“We rebuild,” I tell them. “One massive council where every supernatural faction will have a voice.”
“One to speak for the masses?”
I shake my head at the man’s question. “No, one major council to govern every continent. A separate sustainable system where leaders are chosen by their own faction. Hunters, witches, shifters, fae, sirens, humans.”
“Humans? You want to put a human on a supernatural council?”
“Yes. The day we were imprisoned by the councils, we were rescued by three humans.”
No one speaks. I’m pretty sure they’re all too shocked to even breathe. “Humans?” my mother asks.
I turn to her. “Yes. Two who had no prior knowledge of supernaturals, and one who is married to a shifter.”
She nods.
“We will win this,” I tell them. “I’m simply asking you to be on the right side when we do.” My phone buzzes in my pocket, so I pull it out, my stomach dropping at the sight of Rainey’s name on my screen. “Hello?”
“We’ve got a problem,” she sighs into the phone.
“Tarnley?”
“He’s fine, for now. But we need you and Bella to meet us at the address I’m about to text you.”
“What the hell do you mean he’s fine for now?”
“I’ll explain everything. Just get here. Now.” She ends the call, and I stare down at it.
“Is everything all right?” my mother questions.
“No.” I turn to Bella. “We have to go.”
She pales, but nods and turns toward the exit.
“Wait.”
“What?”
“I will come with you.” My mother moves down the stairs toward me.
“What? No. Why?”