Fordham, Audria, and Mistress Corinna dropped off their dragons and fell into step beside her. Almost a team—at least united in their cause.
Kerrigan was nervous, but she couldn’t show it. She came to a stop before Lorian and Helly and Bastian and the fourteen other members who sat on the high council.
“Before you begin,” Mistress Corinna said, “I would like to speak freely, if that is all right.”
“Go ahead, Corinna,” Helly said.
“Most of the Society members responded to the call for aid by flying to put out the fires rampaging the streets. My guards were in the streets, rescuing others from the burning buildings and trying to put down the riot, which had been engineered by a group of Red Masks. Unfortunately, most of them escaped. But Kerrigan entered the riot ring and went up against their leader, unprompted. She could have been injured or even killed, but she showed determination and fearlessness in the face of adversity. She stopped the leader, recovered the illegal magical artifact he had been using to generate lightning-bolt levels of destruction, and apprehended him. We are taking him to the dungeons, currently as a war criminal, and it is thanks to Kerrigan that we are able to do this,” Corinna said, point-blank. “She proved herself today, and I would be proud to call her a Society member.”
The council members began to whisper back and forth to each other, and Lorian coughed.
“Great. She knows how to disobey orders and enter a war zone that could have gotten many others killed. Just what we need.”
“We need free thinkers,” Corinna interjected. “People who will jump into action and not stay behind and let others fight their battles.”
Lorian reared back at the words, but they weren’t wrong. Lorian had a lot of bark but not much bite.
“Kerrigan, do you have anything to add?” Helly asked. “About the incident or your admittance into the competition.”
“I think everyone here knows that I belong in the Society at this point,” Kerrigan said boldly. “I went through testing with Gelryn. He passed me through. I was accepted into the room. I have a dragon. And now, I’m defending the city like any Society member should. But not just that, I was doing it long before any of you knew about it. My friend Lyam was killed in the Dregs, and everyone was content to say that it was just an accident—wrong place, wrong time, a senseless robbery. That the Dregs are bad, and it was no surprise, just tragic. But why should it have to be? The Dregs don’t have to be like that. We can fix them, make people’s lives better. Worse than that, Lyam wasn’t just killed; he was murdered by Basem Nix.”
A gasp went through the crowd. Helly nodded. Lorian pursed his lips.
“I discovered that he had been plotting to kill me as well. I rescued a hostage from his clutches, and the Society was supposed to bring him in on murder charges. Instead, he escaped and just tried to burn down the Artisan Village as the leader of the Red Masks! Now, he’s in Guard custody, thanks to me, and we can finally question him and put an end to this systemic problem.” Kerrigan held her hands out before her. “I don’t see why it’s even a question as to whether or not I should join unless some of you are just prejudiced against half-Fae.” She let the words linger. “And that’s not good enough.”
Her friends burst into applause, and more applause rang out in the arena. She hadn’t realized how easily her voice carried. That so many had been listening to her. But she saw more people nodding along in agreement than looking like they had just sucked on a lemon, like Lorian.
Corinna put her hand on her shoulder. “Bravo.”
Fordham stepped up to her side and then Audria, surprisingly followed by Roake and Noda. They might have argued against her in the cave, but they were one now. She could feel Tieran’s presence heavy behind her. And she no longer felt alone.
“We still need to convene a council meeting to discuss this,” Lorian grumbled.
“I believe we have a majority present,” Helly said with a coy smile.
“That is not decorum.”
“Neither are the circumstances,” Bastian said, striding to Helly’s side. “I call for a vote on the matter of Kerrigan’s entrance into the Society.”
“All in favor?” Helly said.
Kerrigan’s heart caught in her throat as she counted the hands raised in the air. Half. It was at least half. She kept counting—nine, ten, eleven, twelve. Oh gods! Almost everyone.
“Those opposed?” Helly called out.
Lorian shot his hand up, and four others slowly raised their hands as well. Kerrigan memorized their faces. The council members—Masters Roldan and Dowde and Mistresses Freya and Kopeli—who, for whatever reason, wanted to deny her her future. She wouldn’t forget a single one.
“The motion is passed,” Bastian commanded. “Kerrigan is our fifth champion.”
More applause rang out, and the council joined in with it.
“You all have two weeks off before Society training commences. Go home and visit your family. When you return, a year of training will begin.”
Kerrigan looked to the other four people who would be in her training class. They were all from such different worlds, but for the next year, Fordham, Audria, Roake, and Noda would be her constant companions.
“Take a moment, and then the parade will begin,” Bastian announced. “Five years ago, we didn’t have it, but this year, I believe we have cause to celebrate our victors.”
Helly stepped forward, pulling Kerrigan into a hug. “My dear girl, I’m so proud of
