45. Forty-five

forty-five

The Society council building stood just outside downtown. I was surprised they met in Damruck instead of a bigger city, but Zeus explained that Damruck sat on a ley line, which attracted supernaturals, so it made sense for the council to meet here.

They met in similar buildings placed on the rivers of magic around the world.

It was three stories of nondescript gray cinder blocks with few windows. Zeus navigated the rental van to an underground parking garage.

Drym helped me from the back and the rest of the ‘fangs fell out with deadly precision. It struck me again the way they moved, the way they held themselves, the way their awareness swept every inch of their surroundings. It marked them as what they were. Monsters who specialized in killing.

And yet, surrounded by them, I felt safer than I ever had.

Zeus led the way into the council chambers. The large space spanned the entire top floor. A chunky round table stood in the center, its textured surface reflecting the overhead lights.

The lone person in the room—a woman in a pantsuit—recovered from her initial shock and came forward, holding out her hand to me. I shook it as she introduced herself.

"Hello, I'm Corantine Bellanger. I'm the human representative."

I returned her smile. "Hi Corantine. I'm Kendal McPherson, and these are the wyrfangs." I pointed to each one. "Drym, Kragen, Roul, Thurl, Quin, and Cavi."

She went to shake Drym's hand but I stopped her with a hand on her forearm. "Their claws are like diamond and sharp as razors. Best not to shake."

Her eyes went wide and she nodded quickly.

"Right. I'm sorry, and please, call me Cora."

Kragen's deep voice rumbled behind me. "Where are the others?"

"I'll summon portals for them as they're ready. We thought not to overwhelm the wyrfangs," she chuckled, "but I see now we should have been worried for ourselves. Y'all are impressive."

I smiled up at Drym. "They are, aren't they?"

Her head tilted and the smile dropped from her face. "I'll bring them through now. Would you like to sit?"

She waved a hand at the chairs around the table. Unlike the ones at Superhuman Security, these were one piece, with no space between the back and the seat.

I shook my head. "I'll sit, but these chairs won't accommodate their tails."

Her eyes swung to the offending seating and she frowned. "I'm sorry. We should have thought of that."

Kragen spoke again. "We prefer to stand."

Cora nodded, but she still looked upset about the oversight. I liked her. Her deep southern accent was familiar, and she was quick to smile. The fact that it seemed she was genuinely upset that the ‘fangs couldn't sit sealed it for me. Anyone who cared about their comfort like that was okay in my book.

She spoke in a language I didn't know while holding her palms toward the long side wall of the room. Six bright blue circles appeared, evenly spaced down the length. They grew wider and taller until they were ovals spanning from the ceiling to the floor. Embers of white sparked from the swirling edges.

I'd never seen anything like it.

One by one, individuals stepped through the portals. Each of them scanned the room, and they all stopped in their tracks when they saw Drym and his brothers. As they recovered from their initial surprise, they moved toward the table.

The portals winked out behind them, and Cora turned her glowing hands toward the table. It stretched and opened like a clam, going from round to a half circle, the chairs lined up on the other side.

The council members took their seats and faced us. I knew the ‘fangs spread out behind me. I could feel their tension. My chair, which was neatly tucked under the round table, now stood in the center of the room.

I felt a little exposed. The way they were all staring at us made me feel like we were facing an inquisition.

Cora broke the silence. "Fellow council members, let me introduce the wyrfangs.

She started at one end of the line and moved to the other.

"Kragen, Roul, Thurl, Drym, Quin, and Cavi."

I was impressed she remembered their names and who was who since they'd shifted so Drym could stand behind me when I took my seat.

Cora turned and faced the council. "Society is represented on this council by Ikram, the dragon representative..."

The large man at the center of the table inclined his head.

I mumbled, "Damn it."

I heard Drym chuckle behind me and knew that he'd guessed that I was pouting because I was being denied seeing a dragon. Again.

She pointed to our far left. "By Tyree Greene, the shifter representative…"

The gorgeous dark-skinned man nodded before Cora shifted her hand to the woman next to him.

"By Khuc, the undead representative," Cora's hand shifted down the line as she introduced the others. "By Cesetrios, the cryptid representative, by Osharus, the mer representative, and by Nindrol Zinvaris, representative of the fae."

My eyes narrowed on the thin man at the end of the table. His slicked-back, jet black hair exposed the tips of his pointed ears. The ‘fangs erupted into growls behind me, and I saw the fae's lips tip up at the corners.

He wouldn't find it so amusing when they ripped his heart from his chest.

While we were staring at the fae who'd authorized Willis' experiments, Ikram spoke.

Broad chested and smartly dressed in a dark suit, you could imagine he was the CEO of a powerful company. Until his voice rolled over me like sharp gravel. I changed my mind. He was more mafia don than upper management.

"Who is the woman?"

Drym's heavy hand landed on my shoulder.

"My mate."

His tone made it clear that was the end of the discussion.