Page 11 of Home Is Where the Witch Is
“After he came here to compete for an already vacant chair under seemingly false pretenses,” Chaoxiang added.
“You have a point there,” Dracula agreed.
An election to the Council of Witches was one thing, Rosie thought. But everything was getting more complicated by the second, and she wasn’t sure that allowing this to snowball any further was a good idea.
“If we were to say yes,” she asked, “would that mean two more elections?”
Emperia gave a single, solemn nod. “Yes, according to our laws. An election for the Australian seat and an election for the New Zealand one. We can’t just give the seats to Tya and Aata. It wouldn’t be democratic.”
“Saints above, this is complicated.”
“This is why I’m against.” Chaoxiang crossed his arms over his chest. “He came here knowing there was one seat. If we choose to expand the seats later—if—then we do it properly. We also expand by at least two—to keep the odd numbers.”
Dracula nodded. “Good point. Let’s vote. All in favor of giving New Zealand their own Council Line?”
Not a single Council Member raised their hand.
“There’s our answer.” Emperia declared. “Let’s take the chance to have a bathroom break ourselves before we reconvene. ”
“Sounds like a great idea to me,” Rosie agreed with a hand on her belly, ready to empty her bladder again already.
Suitably toileted and on their way back to the election area, Rosie jumped when a dark shadow melted into existence beside her.
“Are you crazy!” she scolded Dracula, her heat beating fast. “You scared thehelloutta me—do you want me to have a baby right here and now!”
“Preferably not,” the immortal smirked, before his dark eyes dipped to her swollen baby bump. “Although you’re not far off.”
“No thanks to you!” Rosie retorted, before pulling a face. “I don’t want to know how you know that by the way.” As they got closer to the stage, Rosie met the gaze of the Greek candidate. The proud-looking woman looked between Rosie and Dracula, scowled, and then glanced away. “How are you?” Rosie asked her friend, lowering her voice. “That speech by Medea was pretty uncalled for.”
“Oh her,” Dracula shrugged. “She’s been vocally campaigning in Europe for years about ‘ridding witchkind of the scourge’ of magical creatures. Her vitriol is nothing new to me.”
“Still doesn’t make it okay.” Rosie frowned. “I think she’s repulsive, between you and I. Hopefully Alain is voted in.”
“You and me both,” Dracula smirked. They resumed their positions in front of the crowd, Chaoxiang once again stepping up to be the voice for the Council.
“Ladies and gentlemen, we are ready to resume.” A small buzz ran through the crowd before it died down in anticipation. Both Tya and Aata were staring at him as though they thought they could predict the Council’s answer, if they only stared hard enough.
“At this time, the Council have decidednotto allow New Zealand to have its own Line. However,” Chaoxiang lifted his hands to placate he crowd, who had immediately all started talking amongst themselves. “However… we will discuss this in great detail with a view to potentially making amendments in the future.”
Aata’s shoulders had slumped. Clearly disappointed with the decision, he did his best to put on a brave face while the witches standing nearest him gave him commiserating claps on the back. But beyond his apparent ability to move on from the blow, Rosie could see the intention in the young man’s eyes—and it was purely murderous.
“I think we’re going to have to watch that one throughout the trials,” Rosie said quietly to Declan from the corner of her mouth so as not to be overheard.
A frown flickered across Declan’s face as he glanced in Rosie’s direction. “Why? He seems to have taken it well.”
Rosie raised a brow. “Look again.”
Declan really looked this time, taking in the now stubborn setting of the young witch’s shoulders and the dark way he had turned to look over at the Council before his heated gaze landed back on Medea. “You may be right,” Declan agreed, keeping his expression light as though he was talking about something else. “We need to warn the others. The last thing we need is some kind of political sabotage on our hands.”
And yet,Rosie thought,that looks like exactly what we’re gonna get.
CHAPTER FIVE
“He hadto have known that it’d play out this way,” Gabe scoffed as they family settled in for dinner later that evening. He placed the knives and forks down as he finished setting the table. “It doesn’t look good for him to have expected the Council to make such a huge decision on the fly like that.”
“Can’t blame a bloke for tryin’,” Declan said with a shrug.
“He’s either really strategic or really stupid,” Gabe added, heading back into the kitchen for the condiment bottles. “And I can’t figure out which.”
