Powers, along with Marlon Hayes and the people at Humans First, has been working with the same mages who were helping the Magister. They’re trying to bring it back, thinking that they can either control it or wipe the rest of us out.”
Total silence engulfed the room and nausea rose in a wave through Tosh. If what she was saying was true, Senator Hayes was taking part in a plot that could end in genocide.
Worse, he had no reason to think Helena would lie about it.
“Owen found a leak toward the time we defeated the Magister. This is how we uncovered a network of Others giving PURITY and the mages intelligence on how we operate, who our leadership is. And some of what went down with the Magister.” She paused and took a deep breath. “Our people are working with the rest of the COO enforcement ranks to investigate the leaks in their groups as well. The information seems to have come from several places and we haven’t uncovered anything we believe could actually bring the Magister back. But it boils down to this. We’ve got traitors in our midst and they’re helping our enemies to attempt to bring the Magister back.”
Then chaos erupted once again.
Cade stood and all the wolves instantly got quiet. Max de La Vega stood and all the cats shut up. Another man Tosh had never seen stood and the rest quieted. Then the three sat again.
Helena spoke again. “Here is what we know. The mages have been working with the anti-Other groups for some time. An outclan witch, turned witch, and her human husband were working with one of the de La Vega jamboree members. The cats took care of this issue, though the turned witch is still at large, whereabouts unknown. The mages have been working with the turned witches. Turned witches are junkies. They’ve used stolen magic to boost their own. Each time they do, they eat away at their connection to their natural magick. Until there’s nothing left of that. Their ability to pull magick and use it in any type of spellcraft is destroyed. They have no ability to use the Font of their home clan because it won’t recognize them as witches. They sort of lose who they were before. It changes them into something else. Most of the time a turned witch dies within six months or so of that complete termination with their magick. Some seem to have found a way to live sometimes three or five years after that.
“But they’ve been working with these mages. Just recall, mages are humans who have enough natural ability to steal magick from Others to use to work spells. They don’t die like turned witches do, but they’re crazy and violent . . . and addicted, just the same. So the turned witches and the mages worked together to kidnap witches and Others to steal their magick. It’s how they first got the attention of the Helper, the being who procured for the Magister.”
“How is it they didn’t get used by the Magister then? How many of them are there that they could lose numbers like we did and still be enough to be a threat?” Gibson de La Vega, one of the cats, asked.
“Because neither the mages nor the turned witches have their own magick. We have magick, you know, with a
None of this was anything Tosh knew.
“When we overcame the Magister, we also eradicated all those who were on the scene helping. We were able to kill the Helper. But their operation was worldwide. They had a network who stalked, kidnapped and transported Others to be drained. We figured they’d fallen apart after the Magister. The disappearances had stopped and in the face of the rising attacks by humans, we had to put our efforts on keeping our members alive.”
One of the people at the table shouted at Helena. “How could you let this threat go unchallenged? It was a mistake to let the witches head this up!”
Faine growled. Helena gave him a look.
Cade stood, gaze narrowed as he addressed the wolves. “We knew about this issue. The leadership of every Pack knew about this. And we all made the same decision based on the information we had. The disappearances had stopped. We had bigger threats to deal with. If you have problems with those decisions, look to me and the heads of your clans. It was the witches who saved us by getting rid of the Magister to start with. Don’t forget that.”
The wolf who’d been so angry was just afraid. Tosh could see it. Hell, he understood it because if these people were afraid, things were far worse than he’d ever understood.
“What’s our next step then? What do we do?”
Helena took a deep breath. “Our informant tells us the mages have let Carlo Powers know about some arcane magickal texts that might help bring the Magister back. We’ll let him continue to think that, but I’ve seen those books and they didn’t have anything like that in them. However, those books contain other things we don’t need PURITY or Hayes and their ilk knowing. We’ve worked with the leadership of the rest of the Others here and they’re already investigating their own leaks. We need to plug up that information immediately.”
Meriel stood, putting a hand on Helena’s shoulder. “There is a reason we remained secretive for so long. The powers we have come with responsibility. We don’t know what the mages know, nor do we have the total extent of the information that’s been shared with Hayes. We do know it has to be addressed before any more damage can be done.”
Meriel turned her gaze to Tosh. “Senator Sato, we’ve revealed things totally unknown to humans. Well, or so we thought. But we’re heading into some more controversial territory in a moment and I need you to make a choice. You can leave now and we’ll escort you back to the airport and be sure you’re protected until you get home. Or you can stay and help us.”
“That’s not a fair choice if I don’t even know what you’re going to say.”
“Life isn’t fair, Toshio.” Molly finally spoke. “Meriel’s mother was murdered after she’d helped send the Magister out of our world. We all lost people close to us. We continue to because of monsters like Powers. He is hell-bent on our genocide. He is colluding with the same people who preyed on us before the Magister and who worked with it to bring our end. We are done with peaceful attempts at problem solving when it comes to these groups.”
A chill worked through Tosh at that. “I understand. I do. And in your place I might very well make the same choices. But the fact remains that I’m an elected official. I can’t be here while you discuss illegal things. I’ll continue to support you all through the legislative process. You know I believe in your right to exist safely. I am dedicated to helping you. But I can’t break the law. Or know about it. I’m sorry.”
“I’ll stay.” Delilah remained in her chair.
“May I speak with you before I go?” he asked Delilah.
She nodded.
Meriel turned her attention back to the group. “Let’s open this to a question-and-answer session while they’re talking.”
“We can’t just let him leave here knowing this,” one of the wolves at the table spoke up.
“If Carlo Powers and Senator Hayes know this, Senator Sato can know it. He is under protection. No one is to harm him or impede him in any way.” Cade Warden spoke and his tone shut all the wolves in the room up immediately.
“Thank you all for the opportunity you’ve extended to me. My door is always open to you and I’ll keep Molly apprised on the legislative developments.”
He and Delilah left the room.
Molly and Helena caught up with him just outside.
“Tosh! Before you go I wanted to say thank you. Your help has been immeasurable to us and our cause. I’m sorry it has to end this way.”
Tosh took Molly’s hands, squeezing them. “I’m sorry too. But I understand why you’re reacting the way you are. And I respect it.” He hugged her and then Helena.
“My people will get you back to the hotel or the airport. Whichever you choose.” Helena kissed his cheek and she and Molly were gone, leaving him alone with Delilah, who frowned.
“I’m sorry I can’t stay.”
“I’m frowning because you smell like another female now.”
