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“Perhaps at the beginning? That’s generally the easiest, most direct route.” She folded her hands, patiently waiting. I could feel a slight hum of energy surrounding her.
Magic…she’s using some sort of magic. Ulean swept by.
Can she sense you?
I don’t know. She is a powerful witch, but I cannot fathom where her powers lie.
I glanced at the others, then steeled my courage and dove in, telling her—as briefly as I could—how I’d been called back here to find Marta dead at the hands of the Indigo Court, the Thirteen Moons Society defunct, my aunt turned into a vampire, the Summer Court rousted from their woodlands, Myst taking over the Golden Wood, myself embroiled in a lopsided deal with Geoffrey and the vampires, Lannan’s hold on me, and the burning of the Veil House. She remained silent as I continued to lay out the fallout from the whole mess.
“When you showed up the other day, we were afraid—we didn’t know what to tell you and I’d been ordered to keep my mouth shut by Geoffrey. We panicked and Kaylin thought we’d appear more stable if we told you we were married. The truth is, we’re not and we have no plans to be.”
I sat back, shutting my mouth as abruptly as I’d opened it. I’d kept a few things from her. I did not tell her about the heartstones. I wasn’t ready to, not until we found Lainule’s gem and returned it to her.
Ysandra’s expression remained calm as the waitress set out our drinks, but I could feel the wheels turning at a furious pace. After a moment, she withdrew a sheaf of papers from a briefcase sitting by her side. Pushing them across the table, to me, she handed me a pen.
“Fill these out. Now. I’m authorized to offer a special dispensation and induct you directly into the Consortium in case of an emergency. And I think we’ve long passed that state. We’ve known about some of this for a long time but haven’t had the chance to investigate it. Had we realized how bad it’s gotten, we’d have already been into New Forest. With the town under siege, and since you are Marta’s heir, that makes you the magical authority for New Forest. We need to seal this officially and bring you and your Society into the Consortium. Have you picked a name for yourselves?”
I nodded. “The Moon Spinners. We’ve held a couple of brief rituals to bind ourselves, but that’s all we’ve had time for.”
“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.”
