Page 112 of Moon Kissed

“You don’t have to worry about if I’m qualified or not. And you’re not sending the secret police here. They’re too busy preparing for the incoming fae attack to worry about the deaths of a teacher and a lunch lady. We both know that.

“The changes stand,” I stated. “Because I’ve got a lot ofencouragementto make sure they stand.”

“Those changes will not stand,” she gritted. “You had no authority to make those decisions in the first place.”

“Luame gave me the authority.”

“I have told—!” She caught hold of her tongue and took a deep breath. “High Priestess, I appreciate the heavy burden you bear as Luame’s chosen, but it is not a weight you carry alone. Tell us the details of the vision, and we will determine what she meant. You are young and idealistic. You’re being overzealousin your interpretation of a free and equal society,” she said, dripping condescension through the phone. “Let wiser, cooler, older heads step in now.”

“Wow. I’ve never been mansplained by a woman before. I’ve got to say, it felt gross.”

“I mean it, Volana. This nonsense ends now!”

I stifled a sigh, rolling my eyes to the ceiling.Dammit, she’s going to make me do it.

“Don’t do it,” Edric called back.

“Stay out of my head!”

Annoyed, my blasé tone disappeared fast. “How about this? Let’s make a deal. Last night, I bonded with one of my fates.”

“What?” she rasped. “You did what?”

“We bonded. I’ll save you the dirty details, but the first generation of wind-moon wolves is locked up. I can’t begin to guess what kind of power they’ll have, but I have no doubt they’ll be as powerful as our bond.”

“Your bond is powerful? Truly?”

“Physically, emotionally, and mentally. As powerful as it gets.”

Sunella joyously cried out. I heard an odd thumping noise that I realized was her jumping up and down. “But this is great news. It’s wonderful! We knew it, High Priestess. We knew these bonds were blessed by fate and fortune itself.”

“Yeah, it’s wonderful,” I drawled, rolling my eyes. “So here’s the deal. If the alpha council agrees to turn the running of the academy over to me while my fates and I are going here, I will bond with one at the end of every term.

“That way, by the time we’re all finished, not only will the bonds be complete and the new generation assured, but we’ll have given the changes a proper test run with an entire graduating class. If the test run fails and we haven’t achieved what Luame wishes, then you can put everything back. I won’tstand in the way. I won’t use my encouragement to stop you. But if it works out and everyone is happy, then the academy can continue on in a new tradition.

“What do you say?” I asked. “Fair deal?”

“Well, I... I mean, I couldn’t possibly speak for the entire council, but...” She was frumphering hard. Stuck between getting me to smash the rest of my fates and giving omegas equal treatment—Sunella was being torn in two. “We can’t force this on the students—”

“I haven’t forced anyone out of classes that they want to take,” I reminded. “Most of the alphas are still taking alpha classes. They’re still being taught the same things by the same teachers. No different than if I wasn’t here.”

“Hmm. That is a good point,” she murmured, mostly to herself. “And you will complete one bond at the end of every term under witness of the council?”

I heaved a sigh. “Yes.”

“Well, then, as long as you promise not to harm any of the students or staff, I believe we have a deal.”

“What?!” Edric shouted over my agreement. “Is there no end to what this bitch will let you get away with!?”

“You can call me Queen Daciana now. Let your tongue get used to it.”

“Don’t get cocky. You and I have our own deal. You don’t make a move until you’ve given me a chance to come up with another way of stopping Destiny.”

“—have a few caveats,” Sunella said, cutting into my mental conversation. “We will be sending the secret police to conduct our own investigation. That is nonnegotiable.”

“You will sendoneofficer to investigate. That is nonnegotiable.”

“Very well,” she said. “And, we will appoint your vice headmistress or vice headmaster to aid you in the running of the school.”

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