He turned back to that Nephilim. Jacqueline had an equally stony gleam in her eyes. I suspected I wasn’t the first one to work out that the Council themselves were the weak link in the contract.
“We cannot start a civil war over this,” Megan said. She turned to me as though imploring me to see sense. “There’s always the possibility of producing one heir with Chanelle and then –”
The walls began to glow an incandescent blue. She did not just make the suggestion that Kai pop out kids with Chanelle and still be with me at the same time.
“It’s not a terrible alternative,” Walter said.
“Why don’t you suggest it to Chloe and see how she reacts?” Jacqueline said. Chloe was Astrid’s mother. Walter was from Ariel’s line, but Chloe was all Michael. I’d seen her throw a knife and pin a fly to the wall. I imagined she wouldn’t take kindly to being betrayed either.
“I’m not the last of Raphael’s line,” Walter shot back. “There has to be some give and take.”
“There will be,” Kai snapped. “I am going to give them my opinion and if they don’t take it, they should start getting their affairs in order.”
“Malachi,” Megan exhaled his name. “Please be reasonable.”
Why was I standing here listening to them try and convince Kai he shouldn’t be with me? Megan seemed to sense the same. “I apologise, Alessia. I know this is difficult for you. Under different circumstances, there wouldn’t be such an issue.”
“There is no issue,” Kai told her.
“You can’t just walk away,” Chanelle’s voice said from behind me. The hedge magic I hadn’t retracted went haywire. It condensed into a sharp circle that began to rotate.
“Lex,” Jacqueline said. She reached out and grabbed my arm. My jaw was clamped down hard. Shards of white-hot rage speared through my chest when I watched Chanelle walking across the floor of Jacqueline’s office. She was wearing an honest-to-God ballgown. It was in a rich cherry colour that accentuated her dark features. Behind her, six Nephilim guards trotted. Salt-and-Pepper Nephilim walked alongside her.
“Headmistress,” Salt-and-Pepper Nephilim said.
“Tiberius,” Jacqueline acknowledged.
“Your presence isn’t really required here.”
Jacqueline gave him a brittle smile. I was beginning to get ideas about my demon blade and his scrawny little neck.
“Lex,” Jacqueline shook me. Her hold wasn’t tight, but I got the message all the same. Slowly, with a force of will that I barely knew I had, I retracted the magic inside of me. The pool of magic was undulating as though it was being battered by a storm. And then I caught sight of the necklace around her throat. I had to lock down my emotions like I did when I was living on the streets.
Kai saw where my gaze was focused. He took a step toward Chanelle. “Forget it,” I snapped. “I don’t want it now.”
I pressed my nails into my palms until I heard something cracking. Astrid stepped up beside me. Her shoulders were bunched. Jacqueline let go of my arm at the same time Astrid wrapped me in hers.
Chanelle had no interest in me whatsoever. She kept blinking at Kai like he would suddenly come to his senses and fall at her feet. I didn’t blame her. Everyone else seemed to be doing just that.
My understanding of their leadership constructs was hazy. I did know that there was the Council of Supernaturals who made decisions about the interplay between species and over the population as a whole. And then there was the Nephilim Council. Their own brand of snotty jerks who decided what was best for the Nephilim in the same way Durin governed his shifters. Megan and Walter weren’t on the Nephilim Council. They had a group of Elders for that and I would bet my life Tiberius was one of them.
Several other portals opened and spat out more supernaturals. I glanced at the unknown on the other side of the portal and gulped. Something heavy thumped against my chest. I took a shuddering breath as my heart kicked.
“Blue?” Kai was suddenly in front of me. I wasn’t sure when I’d dropped into the Ley dimension, but now I could see thin strings of blue trying to reach out to the portals. I consciously retracted them. My breath evened out.
I reverted back to this dimension to see the room was full to the brim. On my right were the members of the Supernatural Council. Victoria and Orin stood at the front of the group. Mani elbowed Orin out of the way. Nora trailed behind him as they came up to me.
“Are you okay, sweetheart?” Nora asked me. Mani hugged me against his side. Ambling behind then was Matilda. She tossed a knife in the air and caught it without even watching what she was doing. She raised a brow at me but didn’t say a word as she plonked herself down into an armchair.
To my left were a group of Nephilim who must have been old because I could actually see the lines on their faces. Some Nephilim who had reproduced with non-immortal species still aged. Kai had human blood in his line so he would age too. Just at a very slow speed once he reached the peak of his power. For these Nephilim to show signs of the weathering of time spoke volumes. I just didn’t care to hear any of it.
I expected both sides to pile on and try to convince Kai to toss me aside. What I got terrified me.
“You have no right to be here,” Tiberius said to Victoria.
She made a sound like she was gargling mouthwash. I wouldn’t be surprised if she spat on the carpet. “We have every right to be here. Malachi is a Council member. How he chooses will have ramifications for all of us. Not just the Nephilim.”
Maybe I had wax in my ears. Did she really just say something semi-supportive?
“And you would choose against our candidate?” a wide-faced Nephilim woman asked.
