Page 7 of Last Gift: Supernatural Battle

Yet.

I summoned the authority from the eating chamber and set the huge throne between Winona and Delta, noting Delta’s slight grin at the move. She enjoyed shows of arrogance—most battle affinities did.

Wild’s intrigue floated through our tether. He wondered what the hell I was about to do.

I smiled at the council. “We’re in a position none of us expected two weeks ago.”

Some murmured their agreement at that.

“Caves is over,” I continued. “Ryzika’s relics chose me. The coven has accepted my accession, and there’s no longer a need for this council.”

A few shifted in their seats at that. Varden grinned. Then again, grimoires enjoyed direct conveyance of information.

“There can’t be any confusion on leadership,” I said. “I’ve only seen problems arise from that.” Could I base that off my time in the circus? Why not. A circus community was probably as close to a coven as you could get.

I set my hand on the stone table and felt it warm to my touch. The magic in the caves already recognized me as leader—an unsettling thought for another time, which also made my next move easier. I pushed magic through my four affinities and pulled the thirteen channels within the table to me. I tied the thirteen channels together to form one massive channel.

The table was now coded to my decisions.

I ignored the shuffling of council members on their seats. I didn’t need to explain what I’d done. They’d watched it, and the meaning was clear. “You’ve expected this, and I can see uncertainty. You’ve dedicated hours and hours of your time to nurturing this coven. You climbed into this position and, rightly so, take great pride in it. In my time in these caves, I’ve had the pleasure of watching how this council operates, and how each of you operate too. It would be beyond foolish to move forward without utilizing that experience and skill.”

Sage and Opal exchanged a look. Surprise?

One of them would be surprised.

“I’m forming a team of advisors,” I announced. “Most will be pulled from this group.”

“What power will advisors have?” Varden asked with a glance around the table.

I nodded. “I have veto power always. However, on many issues, I’ll ask for a voting show before making any decision. Open discussion will be a constant. I want all opinions and feedback and criticisms spoken in this room. There’s a threat on our doorstep, and that will require many viewpoints to evaluate the best approach.”

“What status will advisors have?” Barrow asked.

With Barrow, position did mean something. That mentality wasn’t me, and yet I’d seen status was important to him and others. If position made him happy, then whatever. He’d shown me his ambition was in regulation. “You’ll retain your black robes and council pendant. You’ll retain your standing in the coven. I consider advisors as ranked above esteemed.”

I scanned their midst, noting the slight uptick of Wild’s lips. There was a purr down our purple and green tethers, a promise of later. He liked me in charge.

Maybe I’d play around with that.

Now for the hard part. “The following will move forward with me as advisors; Varden, Wild, Winona, Delta, Opal, and Barrow. Two coven members outside of the council will receive an invitation to join us. The rest of you will return to esteemed status, aside from Sage.”

Her eyes widened. “You’re changing my power status?”

Sage proved difficult to decide on. She was beloved by the coven, but I’d seen that she operated within policies and procedures always, at the cost of exploring new avenues that may work better. We were no longer playing Caves, and I perceived she was the most uncertain council member with the recent upheaval. We didn’t have clear policies and procedures about battling demons, and I needed those who could look outside the norm. But she was beloved. That I’d selected even numbers of Vero and Fertim members to become advisors may not matter. Insulting Sage was like insulting a person’s mother. She had to be repurposed and distinguished. “Your power status, no. You’ll remain esteemed, of course. I would like to invite you to the position of lead strategist in addition to that. We have a lot of work to do against the demons, and I believe you have the most to offer in this area.”

Sage wasn’t great at selecting strategies. She was great at gathering them from our coven members and sparking discussion. My advisors and myself could then select the strategies from her lists.

She paused. “Similar to what I did as a team leader?”

“The exact same, with a change of direction to a real enemy.”

Sage paled. Many did when remembering the army of demons. If there was any reason to feel fear, then demons were a pretty good one.

“Can I take time to consider it?” she asked.

“Yes, until the end of the day. The sooner our leadership is clear, the clearer our coven is on where they stand.”

At the accession today, I’d witnessed how discomfort trickled down the ranks. “The rest of you… as said, you’ve given so much to this coven. That your position as a council member may have ended at any moment along with the game is poor consolation. This coven needs you as much as ever, and your legacy as the last council of Caves will never be taken away. That legacy is something to be proud of, and though I realize this is a change that demands grace and humility, I believe each of you capable of that.”

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