Page 8 of Last Gift: Supernatural Battle

Except one.

Sage was the first to slip her council pendant over her head and place it on the stone table. She bowed her head in my direction, then left the room. The other four council members followed her actions, leaving with a gesture of respect in my direction.

Frond stood last, tossing his pendant on the table. He regarded me through cold, calculating eyes.

I wanted to laugh in his stupid face. But appearances and all. “I meant what I said, Frond. This coven needs what you have to offer. No matter your personal feelings toward me, we face an external threat that will require you to do the best for those in this cave.”

Without a nod, bow, or any response, he left the chamber.

The door was slammed shut. I quite liked slamming doors when angry, so I couldn’t be too mad.

“Good riddance,” Wild said.

I didn’t reply, but there was a nod from Winona.

“Welcome to my advisory team,” I said to them. “We have a lot of work to do.”

Delta raised her dagger. “Who are the remaining two members?”

“Huxley and Ruby.” Fertim and Vero. I looked forward to the day when I didn’t need to think of people in terms of what team they’d been on.

She hummed. “I expected your cousin and Corentin.”

My cousin had value elsewhere—though I was worried my decision may hurt her feelings. As for Corentin, he had the ingredients to hold a seat here but not the drive. Even now, as Positive Patrick, his focus was elsewhere. He should be exploring his new power, and was, which didn’t leave space for what I needed from him. “Huxley will dedicate himself fully to this role, and I trust he won’t hold back in regard for my feelings.”

Opal laughed. “No, not Huxley.”

As for Sven, he was my incognito whisper guy. Like Rooke, he’d operate behind the scenes.

I said, “Ruby is respected by old and young coven members alike. Her insight and skill set her apart. I’d like to foster her into a position she has ample potential for. I’ll speak to them today, and we’ll meet after breakfast tomorrow. You can expect daily meetings until a plan is in place for the defense of our coven.”

Winona cleared her throat, meeting my gaze. “Something to consider…”

I arched a brow. “You were chosen for your ability not to hold back, Winona.”

Her eyes twinkled, but then she grew serious. “The coven has many questions. Questions they’ve relayed to us in the last week. We, of course, have been unable to answer.” Her gaze slid to Varden, then to me again. “They wish to know how you gained an affinity or if this was concealed from the coven. They want to know why the relics didn’t immediately choose you, and—” She paused. “—how you knew so much about demons—where they would come from, and how to kill them. Why the demons seemed afraid of the dagger you carried. Not Ryzika’s dagger, the one you held before that.”

My stomach dropped. Fuck. This was the stuff Sven’s magic had struggled to contain. How many coven members had ventured to ask them? A few or a torrent? The answers to those questions either led to the mating ritual or my heritage.

Wild answered, “I agree that a response to some of these questions is warranted. As for others, High Esteemed Tempest herself may not have them either.”

An out. I latched on with both hands. “I’ll answer what I can, and I’m happy to profess my ignorance in the matters I am ignorant in.”

Winona didn’t say anything further. I couldn’t tell if she’d heard the bullshit in that reply.

“Let’s end things there today,” I said, my heart beating hard.

My advisors filed out. Varden squeezed my shoulder and whispered, “Well done” as he did so.

Wild circled the table. “That went as well as could be expected. Power is hard to relinquish.”

I tapped my bottom lip. “Is it? I’ll enjoy taking it from you then.”

Wild’s drowning eyes darkened further. “But you so love giving yours to me, my queen. Can you be satisfied any other way?”

I smirked and rested a hand on his chest, trailing my finger down until encountering his pendants. I wrapped them tightly in my grip to pull his head lower. “How can I know if I don’t try it out for size?”

In the next instant, I found myself wedged between the stone table and his body. He brushed his lips against my ear. “My love, you’ve already tried out my size. As memory serves, you fit like a glove.”

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