I collected my stones and potions and headed to the bare living room.
I sat in the center of the floor and placed three white sapphire sat three geographical points—south, east, and west—around me. Each rare stone possessed a varying shade of clarity.
The north stone, however, was a deep blue sapphire and would grant me the ability to get and receive knowledge or insight to overcome my current situation. I cradled the stone in my hand and closed my eyes to center my chakras. With a deep sigh, I carefully laid the stone in the north position.
Through its power, I called forth a sanctuary that I had left behind many years ago. One that called to my soul, but burned the blood in my veins. I could never be what the Table of Seven wanted me to be, but I believed in their power, in their pursuit of fighting the rebels, and so, I called them forth. I used the white sapphires to center my chakras with a purity only granted to those who walked among the elders.
White mist wrapped around my soul, calming me. The presence of a spiritual guide whispered to me as she transported me to their realm—a place no mortal could go. A place no magical being could go without an invitation. But I was different. I was once one of them.
Once, I sat at their table.
The Table of Seven.
The fog transporting my magical quintessence faded. I floated peacefully, circling the round wooden table, eyeing each of the seven empty chairs with varying interest. Uriel, Nadia, and now Cassiel's symbols adorned three of the seven chairs. Hopefully soon, the table would be full, and they would restore the magical essence of our kind.
I ran a feather light touch over the chair across from Uriel's. The chiseled etchings carved on it depicted a beautiful red wolf, another rarity. Wolves within the pack were typically brown, black, gray, white or a variation of those colors.
I was a red wolf.
“Well, well, well. Isn't this a surprise?” The deep guttural voice sent shivers down my back.
Slowly, I removed my hand from the chair's wolf and turned toward a man I wanted to kill with my bare hands. I looked into his golden eyes and growled, “What the fuck?”
“Nice to see you again, too.” Mitch took a seat to the left of my former chair.
“You've got to be kidding me. Uriel made you a member!” I pushed him forward to see the mountain lion symbol on the back of his chair. The golden hues contrasted with the dark wooden color of the chair. The painted features blended in well with the natural wood.
“Oh, not all of us walk away from the chance to be immortal.” He laughed and leaned back. “Now, what brings you to the Table of Seven?”
“I didn't come to see you!” I spat. “Where is Uriel? The others? Did you kill them?” I strode around the table, stopping to feel the magic of each chair. They were alive and well.
“Humph, you think so little of me as to suggest that I”—he placed a hand to his chest which he puffed out—“would kill our gods?”
“I can't see our gods granting you access to this room, much less giving you a seat.” I walked to the left edge of the room where the training room was easily accessible.
“Uriel!” I shouted for my mentor.
“Oh, you're no fun.” Mitch rose from the table and sneered. “But it feels good to have someone know my secret.” He winked and vanished.
He had infiltrated the elders. Now what?
“Uriel!” I screeched louder. The sound echoed as though I were in a cave, not a magical realm.
“Child, what is this about?” Uriel flowed into the room, his white gown shifting with his movements. The smell of rain, air, and earth followed him like cologne.
The scent brought back memories of us practicing potions, spells, meditation, mind control, and any other magical class he brought my way. I had conquered them all by the time I was fifteen.
If only Liam had known what he asked of Uriel by enlisting him to train me. I loved learning and controlling my abilities, but the power came at a cost. One day, the elders banned me from the Table. I thought I had done something wrong. That I wasn't smart enough or strong enough.
Glancing at my bond, I wondered if they had known something about me that would help shape the revolution and take down the devil himself, Gabriel.
“Mitch? Really? You kicked me out and replaced me with a man who isn't pure by any means?” I held back a curse and kicked the side of his abandoned chair. My toe throbbed.
“Everyone has a place, a role in this world, child. Some of them are more complex than others.” Uriel spread his arms, waiting to embrace me.
How long had it been since I last saw him? Six, seven years?
I walked toward him, each step lifting another weight off my shoulders. He pulled me into a tight hug, and I fisted the back folds of his gown in my hands. The silk crinkled. A tear slid down my cheek as he patted my back.
“There, there, child.”
I wiped my face and stepped back. “It's gone.” The words were final and shook my entire world.
“Child, nothing is every truly gone.” He waved off my words like flicking a pesky fly. Each word tumbled through the air until even I wasn't sure I believed them.
“I understand nothing.” I sat down in my old chair—the one that had called me to the elders at such an early age. I felt like that same sixteen-year-old girl, wanting to please her mentor and tackle the world. I huffed and swept my fingers through my hair.
“You're not supposed to.” Uriel eased down in his chair across from mine.
