It's all the answer that Atlas needs as he steps up beside North and gives him a nod. Gryphon flanks my other side and talks to Gabe quietly as they figure out exactly where best to position themselves. If anything happens, Gabe will need the room to shift into a dragon if the Draconis takes over.
Gryphon has a good point of view from where he's standing, able to not only reach out with his mind to see where everyone is but also to check for any discrepancies within the crowd.
As I prepare myself just in case we require Soul-Rending today, though I sincerely hope that isn't going to be the case, Nox’s fingers wrap around my wrist like a bracelet, holding me as though he thinks I'm going to attempt to run away from him. Or maybe he thinks I’ll run head-first towards any danger that might appear. I'm not sure, but I don't attempt to pull away or move from him even as the room begins to fill up around us.
I hate the feeling of all of their eyes on me.
I never did enjoy being the center of attention like this, and my sarcastic nature wants to kick in, to deflect away from the situation. Unfortunately, I promised North I'd be on my best behavior.
Something I kind of regret now.
Sage’s Bonded Group comes to stand at the front with us where Kieran can watch over his Bonded as much as he watches over the room, and Sawyer’s Bonded Group comes in shortly after, having waited outside until their parents had arrived. The Bensons stand close to their children, looking well-dressed and confident as they throw their support behind us as well. Vivian, Unser, and Adella shepherd in their own children as they join us.
North had taken a very calculated risk when he called the meeting, and he and the others had spent quite a lot of time making sure that security was in place, knowing we were all going to be in one spot for however long this takes.
I don't feel as concerned about it.
Not with my Gift cast out like a net over the entire building and knowing that Gryphon is doing the same, our eyes both glowing black with the use of our power. I'm sure it's making some people here uncomfortable, but I'd rather be sure we're all safe.
Nox’s fingers tighten around my wrist, and I glance up at him, but his eyes are fixed on the end of the room as more people fill the space.
What is it?I send to him, and he doesn't react as he answers me.
I recognize some of the newcomers from Draven. I don't like them, and North should have warned me.
I nod and flex my fingers but there's nothing I can do to fix that situation, something for the brothers to work out amongst themselves. Instead, I stand there with my void eyes surrounded by my beloved Bonded Group as the entire town watches us. I stand there with my back straight in the beautiful dress North had picked for me, my white, ghostly hair curled to perfection, makeup on, kitten heels, and red lips stretched into a smile as though I’m not a monster in disguise.
I stand there and hope that they all believe me, because it's true.
Then North starts the meeting, carefully stepping up to the microphone as he smooths a hand down his tie and buttoned jacket. Atlas shadows him the whole way with his own void eyes as he calls on his Gift to ensure that our Bonded Group is safe.
“Thank you for joining us here tonight. I know that this is unexpected, but there have been a lot of changes here in the Sanctuary over the last few days that we need to discuss. I am happy to be the one to go over it all with you and keep you up to date. Please save all questions until the end.”
* * *
The meetingwith the entire town goes about as well as we were expecting.
Half of the room can't believe that North would want to give up control of the place, and the other half feel as though they're being thrown out to sea without a life raft, though we do everything we can to reassure them that this isn't the case.
“The council cannot continue. It is an outdated form of control, and as a community, we have moved past it. Ranking everybody's Gifts into Top Tier and Lower Tier is a sign of elitism, and it only serves those in power,” North says, and I hear the ripple of disgruntled voices at the front of the group.
I'm quick to look over at them, using the haunting sight of my void eyes on each of them as a deterrent for the grumbling, and it works swiftly.
I see members of the now-defunct council swallow roughly and shift uncomfortably on their feet. Unhappy as they might be with no longer being at the top of the food chain, they aren't willing to take me on to get their status back.
“It's been a breeding ground for Resistance recruiters, and we all know it. Look around. There are only four families from the council here in the Sanctuary, only four families could make it through the vetting process. It's unacceptable. We can't continue that way. We know this already; only a madman would continue trying the same thing over and over again and expect a different result.”
I feel my bond’s pleasure inside of my chest, and I'm careful not to let the smile show on my face. We were those ‘mad men’, of course. The bonds chose to live over and over and over again until this time, finally, we all live together, but there's no need to be fussy over the way that North is wording things right now.
We're here to show our support of him and his decisions, to show a united Bonded Group, along with our friends, as we attempt to make things better.
“You really think this is going to work as a democracy?” someone calls out. Although North had asked for the questions to be held off until he finished, he's happy to answer.
“I think that's exactly what we need. I think that a voice needs to be given to members of many different Bonded Groups, from all upbringings and experiences. Then we can come together to make decisions that serve us all, not just those who have always held power.”
“That's easy for you to say, Draven,” someone else calls out, and I tug a little at the net I've cast out to figure out exactly who it was. Unsurprisingly, it's a family member of one of the councilmen; a son who had hoped to someday hold the chair his father currently sits on. North is a lot more kind than I feel when he addresses the kid.
“I have made it very clear to every member of the council over the years and every person who has come into this town that they are more than welcome to question my stances on things, but to question my integrity over something like this comes with only one answer. You show me where you have funneled all of your resources, your wealth, your privilege, the things that you were given by birth and not just worked for yourself; you show me that you have funneled them into something that is purely for your community, without any payment or expectations. Then you can speak to me on such issues. I built this town for my community. I have fed this town. I have provided utilities and supplies, and I have done it all without ever asking for a single thing in return. I did so with my father's money, my grandfather's money, and my great-grandfather's money. I did so with the seat on the council that was given to me by birth and by blood. I did so without ever expecting so much as a ‘thank you’, which is a good thing, because most people haven't thought to thank me for a damn thing.”
