“Sir,” he said, nodding, and allowed him to pass.
He crept forward, moving toward the wall to avoid the crush of the crowd, and heard someone speaking.
“. . . I represent the International Shifter Rights Organization . . .”
A buzzing sounded in Oliver’s ear until he felt faint, and the closer he moved to the arched entrance, the farther away it seemed. He finally reached it and, hugging the wall, peered inside.
She was alive, and whole, and speaking. She was a vision of loveliness that stole the breath from his lungs, and his knees buckled. He clutched the shoe in his hand as he leaned against the wall for support. After a moment, he quietly skirted around the entrance and crept to the shadows in the back.
Emme.
Her image blurred through his tears, the ice-blue of her dress glowing, and he blinked, bringing into focus her black hair, beautifully accented with a tiny band of jewels that twinkled with movement.
His heart turned over when he realized the smudges along her collarbone, her jaw, and her forehead were bruises. She smoothly lifted her hands to emphasize a point, and he noted long scratches and bruising around one wrist. What on earth had she been through?
She wove a spell in the courtyard that seemed to isolate it from the world, filling it with words that carried with them her sense of love and justice for those she represented. An energy threaded from person to person, spreading a shared sense of grief and outrage at the personal examples she shared. She discounted the crimes erroneously attributed to the shifter community by the Committee, and by her and Oliver’s individual families.
She held the assembly riveted, spellbound, and while he’d experienced pieces of that enthrallment over the past several days with her, to hear her present a cohesive, protracted yet concise argument for a cause that affected real lives was unimaginably powerful. He understood her power, the reason her enemies feared her. Her compassion and sense of justice were formidable, and because she possessed a gift that allowed her to share it with hundreds at one time, she was truly a force.
So much love in a tiny frame. He watched as she delivered a powerful appeal for an affirmative vote. Her eyes swept those gathered, and she made eye contact with each one. When her gaze finally fell upon him, he could see that her breath caught. He smiled and put his hand on his heart, his vision blurring behind tears. She smiled back, and he heard a few audible sighs as she finished her speech with respect and gratitude for those gathered. She inclined her head and stepped back from the podium.
Applause was instantaneous, with those assembled coming to their feet. She seemed stunned and put her hand to her midsection. Giancarlo joined her at the podium, as did the Summit president, who thanked her profusely and presented her with a huge bouquet of irises and lilies.
Oliver glanced to the side, gratified to see their friends gathered, all except Miles, and realized they must have entered just before he had. He hadn’t seen them because he’d only had eyes for Emme.
He released a deep breath as the crowd settled, and a member of the international body announced that they would vote immediately, which was met with another round of applause. Once the excitement settled, the dignitaries seated at the front of the courtyard began a roll-call vote. There were twelve representatives, and each one voted in the affirmative, pledging that their countries would protect the rights of shifters within their borders and continue to work for the betterment of all beings worldwide.
The applause was deafening, and Oliver leaned against the wall for support, clutching one small, fancy shoe. Emme stood close to Carlo, who was propping her up, and her tears flowed unchecked, along with her laughter. She had done it. Against all odds, she had delivered her heart and bright mind to the world, and they would all be better for it. Suddenly all of the protests, rallies, unrest, and disruption that had marked his early association with the woman took on a beautifully sentimental hue.
He loved her more than life. He would endure every last battle with her for an eternity if it meant staying by her side.
Word spread like wildfire down the castle stairs and into the lower courtyard and then into streets beyond. Cheers could be heard for miles, and as the clock struck midnight and the dignitaries signed their names to a ceremonial document with large, plumed pens, fireworks exploded in the sky. The moment was magical, a miracle, and as people moved and embraced and laughed and cried, he caught glimpses of Emme. She looked so incredibly small, and her bruises attested to treatment at Lysette’s hands he did not want to contemplate just yet, but she stood straight, hands occasionally clenching against pain, and he realized she was probably the strongest person he knew.
She moved into the crowd and was swarmed by her sobbing mother, friends, and several foreign visitors who awaited an introduction. He smiled. He was weary and sore from head to toe, but as he watched Emmeline, he’d never been happier.
Gus joined him, smiling ear to ear.
Oliver put a grateful arm around the man’s shoulders and thanked him profusely. “We could not have done this without you. We all owe this success to you.”
Gus shrugged, modest to the core. “We have all played a vital part in this week’s success. I am honored to have helped.”
“You should know, my Chief-Inspector may offer you a job. I hope you would consider it.”
Gus chuckled, his eyes lighting up behind his round spectacles. “I will. I have work to do here first, though. There are people living in the underground who are ready to leave the shadows. I imagine the Cadre’s supply of Vampirical Aid will make plenty of options available for those who choose
