Page 7 of The Rowan's Stone
“Henry, is the council chamber ready? Did the other members arrive?” she asks without slowing. “Please make sure we have plenty of refreshments for the session today.”
Henry winks at me and replies, “Absolutely, Mrs. Pennington. The room is ready, the council members are waiting, and refreshments will be delivered shortly.” He turns to us. “Do you need me to show you the way?”
“We’re fine, Henry,” I reply. “Please don’t let us keep you.”
He dips his chin and turns to follow behind her.
“Never a dull moment, Arden,” Theron murmurs. “I assume you have something spectacular planned for the council?”
He holds up his arm, and I take it. “There are sure to be a few fireworks,” I muse. I take a couple of deep breaths. Dismantling the status quo isn’t going to be easy, but all witches deserve a voice, and if I don’t do it, there’s a chance no one will.
We walk into the council’s chamber and take a seat while we wait for everyone else to get settled. There’s one big change from the last time we toured this room. The new tapestry is hung on the wall for everyone to see. It’s likely the council, or quite possibly the entire coven, has been obsessively studying it and comparing it to the tree they’ve seen the last few hundred years.
My eyes roam the audience and find Bianca, Reyna, and a few other familiar faces. Several witches stare at Theron and me, wearing frowns or tentative smiles on their faces. Others look at the council, pointedly ignoring us, not wanting to be seen fraternizing with the enemy. The council members themselves display varying reactions to our presence, from Santiago’s smile to Nico Perrone’s contemplative stare.
The council kicks off with minutes and updates from the previous meeting, which takes about thirty minutes. Boredom sets in. For Theron too, I guess, watching his fingers tap restlessly on his thighs. I smile. He’s definitely more comfortable in my presence, but I’m sure he wouldn’t want others to see his “tell.” I slide my fingers through his, stilling and capturing them with one movement.
My fingers graze his muscular thigh encased in the rough denim, and I hear him inhale sharply. Not wanting to make him uncomfortable, I start to slide my hand from his, but his fingers tighten, trapping mine in place. I glance up at him, but he’s staring at me, passion emblazoned on his face.
Licking my lips, I watch his eyes darken before his gaze drops to my mouth. He cocks his eyebrow a millimeter. Leaning forward, I brush his ear with my lips while I whisper, “You might prefer those impeccably styled suits of yours…” I pause and nibble on his ear. “But I want you to know how much I love these new jeans.”
He inhales sharply, and his hand tightens on mine.
A gavel thumping against wood startles me, and I lean back into my chair. Ignoring the witches for another minute, I stare intensely at Theron, wanting him to know I’m serious.
When the gavel pounds a second time, I turn my head to watch the proceedings. The council concludes its recount from the last meeting and opens for new business. Witches turn toward me, but I give them a bland smile in return. One by one, they stand at the podium and air grievances or submit new proposals to the council. Most of them are mundane. A few are worrisome, like witches reporting witches for having relationships with other supernaturals. I frown.
Santiago halts the proceedings. “The council needs to review recent evidence of our mixed heritage before we can assume any rules have been broken. The findings may influence a change to current laws. Until then, we will not hear any new fraternization cases.”
The crowd murmurs and shifts restlessly. I smile and untangle my hand from Theron’s.
“Are there any other open items?” Santiago glances at the crowd, then shifts his eyes to me.
When nobody answers, I stand and walk up to the podium. “Hello, my name is Arden, and I have several open items for the council.” I pause. “First, I’d like to request a seventh seat be added to the council to represent the MacAllister branch. And as the only known surviving MacAllister witch, I demand to sit on that seat.”
Whispers rise into a roar of voices when the witches hear my request. Necks crane to view the MacAllister leaves on the tapestry, while Caro bangs the gavel, mercilessly trying to restore order.
“There’s always been six seats on the council. No more, no less,” Caro states.
“Maybe, maybe not. If the tapestry displays seven bloodlines, the chances of the council having seven seats in the past is pretty high. It might have been lost to time, but now that we know there is a seventh bloodline, shouldn’t we restore the council seat?” I respond confidently.
“We’ll consider adding a seventh seat,” she says dismissively. “Is that all?”
“Actually, I require an answer today,” I reply. “It’s my understanding that the council seats are given to the most powerful witches in the coven. Is that correct?”
Santiago’s voice booms. “That’s correct. If the witch has an affinity for the council seat’s bloodline, the witch can challenge for the seat.”
Smiling at him in thanks, I reply, “Thank you, Santiago. If the seventh seat is not established, then I’ll have to challenge a council member for their current seat. Given my affinity with all six bloodlines, as proven by the council’s own tests, I have the right to challenge for any seat on the council. What do you think, Caro? Should I challenge for your seat?”
This time, silence reigns supreme. Every witch holds their breath, waiting for Caro to answer my question.
An expression of pure rage covers her face. She opens her mouth, no doubt to deliver a blistering response, but Nico lays a hand on her arm, halting her intent. He leans over, whispering furiously in her ear. She shakes her head no several times. He keeps whispering. Closing her eyes, she finally gives him a jerky nod and agrees.
“I, Nico, motion to add a seventh seat to the council.” His voice rings out, stating his intentions. “Is there a second motion?”
Katarina Ivanov declares, “I second the motion.”
“Motion carries to add the seventh seat,” Caro responds, her voice strained. “But before we assign you to the seat, we would like to know if you have proof of your MacAllister heritage?”
