Page 81 of Live To Tell

“You do!” I blurt again. “Look at how the trouble between you and the town has gotten worse.”

Deacon shifts to whisper something to Roderick, and the pair look at each other, something passing between them.

“You want to help?” asks Roderick, re-focusing on us. “Find the other deeds.”

Ethan slants his head. “What other deeds?”

“The ones signed by the four original elders and witches hundreds of years ago. The deeds that prove we own this land and aren’t tenants.”

“I’m not aware of any deeds, Roderick,” says Ethan.

“Because they’re missing. Years ago, our people had no concept of ‘owning’ but along come witches who claim they owned the whole area, including our land. To keep the peace, the elders and witches agreed this part of the land could remain ours and created a deed.”

“Then the land does belong to you?” I ask. “I’m confused.”

“No. When the witches sold to the Sawyers, they added our land to their land’s deeds. The original documents were supposed to be held by the Confederacy, but nobody could find them. How convenient because without those deeds, we had no claim to our land. The greedy bastard witches sold the whole lot and pocketed the money.”

Ethan frowns, listening intently as he raps his fingers on the table. “The humans didn’t take your land? The witches did?”

“They both have! We were forced to negotiate with the humans to allow us to stay on land we’d lived on for hundreds of years. Before humans and witches even settled here. Sawyer’s grandfather and then father agreed, and we signed a contract. Then this Sawyer changed the contract—we pay rent on the land or leave, which we do because we have no choice. The whole area technically belongs to the Sawyers, and we have no rights.”

“That’s wrong,” I interrupt. “How can this all happen?”

“There’s a lot bloody wrong here, girl.” Roderick jerks his chin at Ethan. “We’re not the only packs forced to pay rent on land that was originally ours because we had no understanding of legal shit.”

“And we’ve said that Dorian’s council will recognize any original contracts from before the Reveal. That includes the one where the land belongs to you.”

“Yeah, like I said, find the deeds with our names on, if they still exist. Because the only ones in existence claim Sawyer owns the land, and we’re tenants.”

I’ve no real understanding how contracts work, but I’m sure ones involving supes aren’t as straightforward as human deeds of land. Dorian ensured that all shifters who had a claim on land anywhere could keep it if they cooperated with the accords between supes and humans. Begrudgingly, shifters do, in return for the council leaving them alone to govern themselves.

But Dorian can’t interfere as easily in a situation between humans and shifters. He’s no right to take land off Sawyer if human documents prove he owns it.

“And there’re contracts drawn up for this agreement between you and Sawyer?” asks Ethan.

“Yes. Legally binding under human law. And a huge fucking problem. One, if Sawyer sells the land, the sale will be with ‘vacant possession’, and we’re out. Two, if the shifter bloodlines who live here end we’re out anyway, as the rights to the land are for our packs only.”

“That is the most ridiculous agreement I have ever heard,” I say.

Ethan clears his throat. “Violet.”

Roderick sneers. “Witches help Sawyer. We know that now. They don’t help humans unless there’s something in it for them. What’s Sawyer’s ‘payment’ for protecting the family? They’re sneaky bastards and Sawyer’s an idiot. If witches are involved—there’s something about this land they want, and they’ve orchestrated all this to get the land back.”

“Wrong,” says Ethan gently. “The witches threatened Kai. Why would Sawyer work with witches who’d do that?”

“Are you stupid?” sneers Roderick and I tense, side-glancing my father. Ethan controls his temper but doesn’t take well to insults. “If a shifter killed Kai, that’d help the witches’ plans to get us out. How could we stay on Sawyer’s land if one of us killed his son?”

“You’re stupid,” I retort. “Why would Sawyer put his son at risk?”

“The witches have a hold over him. Best you find out what before the kid dies,” says Deacon. “Probably want to end his family line,” says Roderick. “And like I said, if shifters kill Kai of course he’d bloody evict us straightaway.”

“What’s so special about the land that witches want it?” I ask.

Roderick’s face blackens. “The witches want to wipe out our society—they tried once before, you know that.”

“That’s rather dramatic and paranoid,” I say. “The witches want the land, it seems. Getting rid of shifters is a side-effect.”

“Excuse me?” snarls Deacon.

---