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“Then the Moon Spinners it will be. And all you need is the consent of all members. Their names, please? List them on that field there. And also, you need to list the person whom you would choose to lead the group should something happen to you. Do not select your cousin. Do not ask why.” She pointed to several blank lines on the form.
As I stared at the form, my mind reeling, Kaylin cleared his throat.
“It does not bother you that we aren’t all of the magic-born? Peyton’s half-werepuma. Grieve is…well…Cambyra Fae and Indigo Court. Chatter is Cambyra Fae. Even Cicely here…”
“Yummanii, magic-born, Were, contrary to rumor, we do not care about heritage as long as the applicant wields magic in some form and is willing to abide by the Consortium’s rules.” She let out a long sigh. “This will also protect your lover from being targeted by our members. Because the moment you sign that form, the Indigo Court becomes the enemy of the Consortium.”
“You don’t need to check out our story?”
“Oh, trust me, I know you are telling the truth.” A sly smile fluttered across her face.
Deciding not to press the matter—I wasn’t sure I wanted to know the answer anyway—I paused, my pen hovering over the form. “The vampires already own me. Can I legally sign this contract as well as the one with them?”
“Unfortunately, Geoffrey’s contract will not be nullified by the tricks he attempted to pull. However, your contract with the Consortium does not conflict with your connection to the vampires, and we are not claiming you as an employee. We are requiring you to swear an oath not to betray us, but that should not conflict with your servitude to the Vampire Nation.” She grimaced even as she said the words.
I hung my head. “I did what I had to.”
“I never said you made the wrong choice. We all do what we have to when duty calls. That is one of the hardest lessons in life. Sometimes we are required to do what we do not wish to do. Sometimes we sacrifice our own happiness for the good of the whole.”
We fell silent as the waitress brought our food. The smell was tantalizing—it had been a while since we’d had a decent meal, but I still felt awkward, as if I’d confessed dirty secrets to Ysandra. As the waitress spread out our food, I toyed with my burger.
“Eat. You need the strength. I am not judging you, Cicely.” Ysandra’s voice was gentle and the look on her face, concerned.
She speaks the truth. Give her a chance. This one’s energy is helpful and powerful. She speaks only when she’s thought through her words. She says what she means. As Ulean gusted around me, Ysandra shivered.
“Cicely, would you tell your Elemental to hold off on the breeze? It’s cold enough outside without bringing the storm in here.” Ysandra winked at me.
I jumped. “You know I have a Wind Elemental? How did you find out?”
“I think the question is more how can I not know?” She spooned her soup, properly and with a sense of authority. “Eat. Then finish the paperwork and we’ll be off. The sooner I get back to the Consortium, the quicker we can discuss how we can help you.”
I bit into my sandwich, holding it with my right hand as I finished filling out the forms with my left. I had a feeling some of the horror stories I’d heard of the Consortium had been exacerbated by those who had been rejected by the organization.
Rhiannon swigged down her drink, then opened the pamphlet that Ysandra handed her. “Rules and bylaws?”
Ysandra nodded. “There is an expected level of decorum. Once a member, during any time when you officially represent the Consortium, you must abide by certain regulations. This means that any function the Moon Spinners attend as a group, you are attending as members of the Consortium. It also plays into your magical business, Cicely, and that of Peyton’s. There are ethical standards you will be expected to abide by.”
“Somehow I doubt we’ll be needing those rules, since both our businesses went up in smoke when the Veil House burned.” I smiled ruefully. “We can rebuild, but it’s going to take money, which we don’t have. And we have to eliminate Myst first. If we went back now, she’d just send her Shadow Hunters after us again.”
Ysandra dabbed the side of her lips with her napkin. “Money is not necessarily an issue. The Consortium has its own worldwide financial institutions for our members. We issue our own credit cards, make loans, offer complete banking services—everything you could possibly need. Open only to members, of course, and their immediate families.”
Startled, I laughed. The sudden turn in the discussion seemed so alien from what we’d been discussing. “Do you offer a free toaster with every new account?”
Ysandra chuckled as she tucked the papers into her briefcase and handed me a certificate, already prepared, with the Moon Spinners name, and my own, on it. “No, but we offer a free prosperity charm or a dozen green enchanted candles. Will that suffice?” And with that the tension seemed to break and we all relaxed and finished our meals.
Kaylin glanced at his watch. “We’d better get moving. It’s growing dark, the roads are treacherous, and the danger increases after dark.”
As Ysandra began to stand, I stopped her. “You had the certificate already prepared. And you seem…I don’t know…when we told you about Myst you were quiet, but you didn’t seem terribly surprised.”
Her gaze flickered from my face to Rhiannon’s, then to Kaylin’s. “The Consortium makes it our business to know everything we need to know. I knew that I’d be giving you that certificate today. One of our seers told the Council that it would be necessary. And…as to Myst…as I said, we’ve always known about the Indigo Fae.”
I must have looked startled because she laughed lightly and touched my arm. A tingle raced through my body like a jolt of lightning—not painful but not exactly pleasant. But it was strong enough to leave me jarred.
“The vampires think they have an exclusive hold on that knowledge, but they are mistaken. The Vein Lords have long considered themselves to be the top of the food chain, but they have never crossed the Consortium. They have no real clue about the power our Society wields. And we intend to keep it that way until the day they choose to waken the sleeping dragon.”
Her lips stopped moving, but I could still hear her inside my head. Cicely, know this: If push comes to shove, the vampires could never win against us. And we should prove a sturdy force against Myst. We have an elite task force with whom I will discuss this situation. That is all I can tell you for now. Keep the knowledge to yourselves, and do not tell Lannan Altos or any of the vampires. But look for us to send help shortly.
I glanced at Kaylin and Rhiannon. They, too, wore surprised looks and I had the feeling they’d heard everything I had. We all nodded.
