Page 25 of Beautiful Soul

With that, she walked out of the bathroom while he cursed himself. But he had to let her go. They had just enough time to get ready and get to the park. With luck, the vampire coven and the shifter pack would not have gone to war in the park because the ceremony had been postponed an hour.

Chapter Fourteen

Lena stood beside Kingsley on the side of the stage, as Dickinson read the contract to the unusually silent crowd that was divided into three distinct parts. Livingston and Jefferson stood on either side of the man. The crowd had a clear division of species with a wide aisle down the middle of the front two groups.

The people in front of Livingston were obvious vampires while those in front of Jefferson had a scruffier, more animalistic appearance, marking them shifters. The third group, which was larger than the other two combined, was made up of people of all sizes, shapes, and appearances. Mystic stood in the open space in front of that group as if holding them back.

Once Dickinson finished reading the legal document, he looked across the crowd and asked, “Does anyone dispute this contract between vampires and shifters?”

While no response came from the two groups in the front, the third group roared with anger.

Lena frowned at the uproar and stepped close enough to Kingsley that she was pressed to his side. He held up a hand and waved it slowly back and forth when the crowd surged forward two steps. They stopped there, as if they had hit an invisible wall.

Dickinson walked over and looked at her, his expression concerned. “Angel, you need to calm the crowd.”

Lena blinked and then looked to Kingsley. “How do I do that? They won’t listen to me.”

“Whatever you did when you came to the conference room the other night to calm Jefferson and Livingston, do that,” Dickinson said.

Lena frowned and thought back to that night. She remembered other times in her life when she had entered a room where the air had felt full of anger or distrust or negativity, and how the energy soon calmed. She had never been certain what had happened, but people had always claimed she was able to calm tense situations. She had also been told her massaging someone’s shoulders could ease pain throughout their body.

Looking out into the crowd, she knew she had to do something before the crowd of other supernatural creatures figured a way around Kingsley’s energetic wall. At the same time, she had to also calm the vampires and shifters who were picking up on the negative energy of the other species.

Taking a deep breath, she lifted the front of her skirt and headed to the side of the stage where three steps led down to the grass. She walked around to the front of the stage and hesitated a few seconds there. Looking around, she pasted a smile on her face and focused on sending calm and happy thoughts to all she passed. She met the gazes of those in the crowd and could feel their moods shifting into a happier space.

By the time she reached the wide space where Mystic stood, the third crowd had grown silent at the effect she had had over the more powerful species.

The crowd in the back of the clearing then began to ask the questions she did not have answers to. “Who is she? What is she? What did she do to the fur faces and bloodsuckers?”

Lena looked at Mystic. The old mysterious woman looked calm, almost serene as she met Lena’s gaze.

“You’re doing fine, Angel. Walk around the crowd and cool the tempers. Maybe then Dickinson and the others will be ready to listen to our concerns.”

Lena nodded. Turning left, she walked the perimeter of the group of mixed species supernaturals. She tried to meet each person’s gaze as they watched her, sending a wave of relaxed, loving energy to each one as well as to the group as a whole. By the time she reached Mystic again, the crowd had quieted and were blinking as if waking from a long, restful sleep.

“Frances, please join us,” Mystic said, addressing the group of much larger than normal men gathered on one side of the crowd.

The biggest man in the group stepped forward, moving slowly as if he was walking through sludge.

“Angel, this is Frances, the leader of the city’s gargoyle union. He has been chosen to speak for the other supernaturals in negotiations. Please escort him to meet Dickinson and the others,” Mystic said.

“Angel,” the big stonelike creature rumbled as he gave her a deep bow.

“Frances,” Lena gave him a small curtsey of acknowledgement.

Her action sent a whispered wave of astonishment through all three groups who were watching her with an intensity that had Lena shivering with nerves. She wasn’t sure what was going on, but she knew she could not freak out at being faced with what she suspected was every supernatural creature in the city.

When Frances offered her his arm, she laid her hand and forearm on it, trying to hide her astonishment at the stony feeling. Together, they made their way toward the stage.

When they reached it, she looked up and met the stunned gazes of the four men who stood at the front edge of the stage. The dark glower of Kingsley’s expression had her taking two steps away from Frances.

“Gentlemen, I would like to present Frances, spokesman for the collective of other supernatural creatures of the city.”

The four men nodded before Dickinson said, “Frances, you have concerns about this peace to keep the vampires and shifters from going to war?”

Frances nodded. “While the vampires and shifters have been here the longest, since the last treaty was signed, there are now nearly a dozen species of supernaturals living in the city. And while few of us are as violent as they are, we feel we should be included and not have our concerns dismissed without even being heard by the council.”

Kingsley took a half step forward. “Frances, I told you and the others when you came to see me yesterday that the council will be happy to discuss this, once we finalize and ratify this contract.”

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