Page 212 of Heartless Legacy

He hands out another sheet of paper. I read the names labeled one through twelve. “Fifth?” My voice raises in pitch. “The Cox’s are technically fifth in line?”

“If what my grandfather says is true, they are, but they get the fourth spot because the families that tied for fourth moved away.”

Alexz asks, “Caius Adrianakis was a top donor?”

I ask, “You’ve heard that name before?” When I look up at him, he looks like he’s seen a ghost.

“Caius Adrianakis is my maternal great-great-great-grandfather.”

Wolfe says, “He’s also the person that started the component of The League of the Daggered Raven that became The Guardian lines.”

My stomach drops. “Oh great. So I was always destined to be enslaved to The League as a bullet catcher.” Alexz gets up to fix himself a drink, and I say, “Make me a double.”

His eyes crinkle, a bit of vibrancy returns to his face when he points out, “You’re not old enough to drink.”

“I’m in Europe and can reach the bar, so hook me up.” He makes three glasses, setting them down in front of each of us. We all take a sip, then Alexz says, “Sounds like your grandfather gave you quite the history lesson? Please tell us what else he had to say.”

Glancing over at Alexz, I ask, “You haven’t heard any of this before?”

“No, Thea. I haven’t.”

Wolfe continues, “The Guardians were never supposed to be a lesser status than the league members. They were supposed to be equal branches of the same organization. Their purpose was to protect all the members. That protection was physical and emotional. The doctors, lawyers, body guards, psychologists, psychiatrists; they were all supposed to fall under the guardian tier.”

Protectors of mind and body. “And The League?” I ask.

“Their chosen career paths were always in finance. They were the money guys and politicians. The network and face of it all.”

Alexz asks the next question. “What was the third branch?”

“The Historians. They kept the records and validated contracts. Authenticated artwork, jewelry, basically anything of value. They were newspaper reporters, authors, journalists. They worked with museums to help curate collections and created charitable endowments. The purpose of The League was to build a sustainable community, networking on a global level.”

“That’snot happening.” I say, rolling my eyes. I wish it was. That would have been nice to be a part of.

“I’m aware.” Wolfe sasses back. “In this current iteration of The League of the Daggered Raven, the Wrens are untouchable, and the historians and guardians are workhorses made up of lower legacy family members, who are all but ignored or considered expendable. My grandfather says the families are supposed to have a choice about which tier of The Trium they want to join.”

None of this was covered in my indoctrination classes or in the league handbook. “Are each of the Triu,m supposed to be under a separate tier?”

“Yes.” Wolfe answers. “They should be, to keep the power dynamic fair.”

“And the fourth bloodline. How did they fit in when they were allowed to join?”

Wolfe smiles. It’s cold. Callous. All teeth. “The fourth line were companions. Mediators, agents, public facing individuals. PR people, if you will.”

I snort out a laugh. “The Cox’s were supposed to do PR? Seriously?”

“Not necessarily them.” Wolfe says, “But yes, they were supposed to be the governing body for scouting, recruiting, and managing individuals in that career field.”

Flipping another page, I ask, “As my mentor, did they brief you on any of this?”

He shakes his head. “If the information my grandfather shared is true, it’s no wonder there’s no record of it. He didn’t even want me to write any of this down, but I promised him I’d be able to keep it secure.”

Now I understand why he wanted a face-to-face with Alexz. “If this got out, The League won’t be able to continue operating the way they do. Families in Canyon Falls would be challenging the current enrollment criteria and leadership. And the twofamilies that should have been the fourth line; if they’re back in town, they’d have a legitimate claim to the title.”

Alexz's voice is quiet, his face somber, when he says, “They’re not the only ones, Anotèa.”

Chapter 116

Pax

---