"If we're going to talk about unexpected revelations..." She touched the pendant at her throat. "I met Jacinth in the ER, where I'd landed because of back pain. She gave me this pendant - which turned out to be a magical Wish vessel belonging to a Djinn named Kieran. Apparently she felt like he needed to get out more, so she stole it from his home, and gave it to me."
Dean choked on his beer, spraying a fine mist across the coffee table. Lena's eyes went wide as saucers, her mouth dropping open.
"Wait," Dean's booming voice had dropped to a shocked whisper. His massive frame leaned forward, green eyes intense. "Jacinthstolehis Wish vessel?"
"She didn't exactly steal it," Mandy protested weakly, though she wasn't entirely sure that was true. "Technically, she just... borrowed it? I mean, eventually he's going to get it back, right?"
Lena giggled again. "How did he take it when he was summoned the first time?"
"Well, when he first appeared in my living room, he was definitely furious," Mandy admitted. "The air practically crackled with his anger. My cats bolted for cover, and I swear, I kind of wanted to join them!"
She took another sip of beer, remembering that first startling encounter. "But when Jacinth showed up... it was strange. The moment she appeared, all that rage just... deflated. Like he wasn't really surprised she'd done something this outrageous." She chuckled as she recalled the interaction. "He seemed more resigned than anything else, like this was just Jacinth beingJacinth. Which," she added, having gotten to know Jacinth pretty well by now, "is very likely true."
"You know," Dean's deep voice rumbled thoughtfully, "it's still wild to think you've actually met him. Most folks in the magical community never even catch a glimpse of Kieran. He's this legendary figure - the Djinn representative on the High Council and all that - but he's as elusive as smoke in the wind." He shook his massive head, clearly impressed.
Lena nodded in agreement. "Dean's told me that even Djinn may go their entire lives without catching so much as a glimpse of him."
Mandy set her beer down on the side table, her mind spinning with this new revelation about Kieran's importance. But something else nagged at her.
"So, go back a minute. High Council of Others? "
Dean and Lena exchanged glances before Dean spoke, his deep voice thoughtful. "Others is what we call ourselves - both non-human beings as well as those not entirely human. It's kind of an umbrella term for anyone magical or supernatural."
"So that includes shifters like Dean, Djinn like Kieran and Jacinth..." Lena counted off on her fingers. "And, well, other beings."
Mandy noticed how carefully Lena avoided specifying what those other beings might be. Her writer's imagination immediately began spinning possibilities, but she focused on the matter at hand.
"And each group has their own Council?" she asked, remembering mentions of the Djinn Council.
"Exactly," Dean nodded, his massive frame shifting as he leaned forward. "The shifters have our Council, the Djinn have theirs, and so on. Each Council handles their own community's affairs."
"But sometimes issues affect multiple communities," Lena added. "That's where the High Council comes in. Each group sends representatives to address matters that concern everyone. Like what happened the other day," and her hand waved towards the television.
The structure suddenly clicked in Mandy's mind. "Oh! So it's like the United Nations?"
"Yes!" Dean's booming laugh filled the room. "That's actually a perfect comparison. Each group is like a different country, sending delegates to work together on bigger issues."
"Though the High Council's meetings are probably a lot more interesting than the UN's," Lena added with a mischievous smile.
Mandy chuckled, shaking her head as she imagined supernatural delegates arguing over magical policies. "Oh, to be a fly on the wall at one of those sessions!"
Dean's deep laugh rumbled through the room. "Trust me, it can get pretty wild. Though lately, with everything that's happened... "Speaking of which," he continued, his massive frame settling more comfortably on her couch, one arm slinging around Lena's shoulders, "shifters are actually the largest group of Others living among humans. We're everywhere, really - your neighbors, coworkers, the guy who fixes your car..."
Mandy's eyes widened. "Really? That many?"
"Oh yeah. See, shifters tend to have multiple births - twins, triplets, sometimes more. And since we're basically human with just a little something extra added on, it's easy for us to blend in."
"So when you say 'something extra added on'..." she began.
"Wearehuman," he emphasized, "just with the ability to shift forms. We eat regular food, live normal lives, hold down jobs. Well, except for the occasional midnight run through the forest."
Lena's eyes twinkled with amusement. "Or raids on camping coolers full of potato salad. You know you're never going to live that down, right?"
"I wouldn't have it any other way," he said with a wide grin, pulling her close and dropping a kiss on her hair. "That potato salad changed my life."
Dean's gaze drifted to the clock on her wall, and he straightened with a regretful sigh. "Ah, we need to get going. My shop opens in an hour."
"Oh?" Mandy's curiosity peaked. "What kind of work do you do?"
