Page 96 of The Princess of Portals

“You’re saying the Government caused the Curse?”

That question came from Skye, the Dreamweavers’ Knight Commander.

The commando looked at her and nodded. “Of course. Didn’t you know that already?”

The crowd grew restless—and louder. The news that our Government—or at least the predecessor to our Government—had caused the Curse had hit them hard. They were shocked and angry and frustrated. Knights were agents of action. They fixed problems. They wanted to fix this too, but there was nothing to fix. It had happened long ago, before many of us had even been born. The Knights were growing more agitated and more restless with every passing moment.

Skye saw that too. “Take them away. We will deal with them later.”

Six Knights grabbed hold of Melanie Meyer and the commandos. I released the vines, and they returned to the gardens outside. The Knights escorted the prisoners out of the room. The six Knight Commanders drew into a tight cluster to discuss the problem. Based on their clipped words and agitated faces, they did not all agree on the solution.

Dante came up to me. “Did those guys hurt you?”

“No. I’m fine.”

Somewhere behind me, Orion spoke. “Kato isn’t standing there with the other Knight Commanders. Where is he?”

I turned around and saw Angel there, right next to Orion.

The Rebel’s gaze panned back and forth across the ballroom. “And where’s Conner?”

I didn’t know what to tell them, but the looks on their faces told me silence wasn’t an option. I was about to speak, not really even knowing what I was going to say, when Kylie shouted out:

“There’s news from the Summit!”

She turned up the volume on the news report. Everyone gathered around the television.

A voiceover played over shots of the Magic Emporium and the Conference Center. “Breaking news. The Court has come to a consensus on the matter of Gaia joining the Many Realms.”

Princess Lyssa, the Vampire Queen’s teenage daughter, stood before the press. She wore a crimson dress. Her blonde hair was tied back. A black lace veil covered all of her hair and part of her face.

“First of all, the Vampire Kingdom wishes to express our deepest gratitude to Savannah Winters for freeing the spirits and for her efforts to save our dear Queen, my mother.”

Everyone in the ballroom looked at me. I yearned for the power to turn myself invisible. If only Conner had taught me the spell before… Before.

“Savannah rescued the Apprentices from my wicked brother and thwarted his devilish schemes,” Lyssa continued. “Because of her, the Court will see to it that Fenris pays for his terrible crimes. She is a shining example of everything a Knight should be. If all Gaians were like Savannah Winters, we would most certainly vote in favor of Gaia joining the Many Realms Court.”

I sensed a but coming. Sure enough…

“But the Vampire Kingdom cannot in good conscience vote in favor of Gaia joining the Many Realms Court. It is our firm belief that the Gaian Government is corrupt. They have a lot to learn about handling their own world’s problems before they are ready to deal with all the realms’ issues. They need to clean house, purging all the bad players. They also need to give their Knights greater autonomy rather than continuously standing in their way.”

We all waited with bated breath. The vampires were very influential in the Court, but they did not speak for everyone. The Court might still vote in Gaia’s favor.

“The Court agrees with us,” Lyssa said. “We have voted not to admit Gaia.”

CHAPTER 5

ALLIES AND ENEMIES

On TV, the reporters at the press conference exploded with questions. One voice rose above the rest, louder and more persistent.

“Why reject Gaia’s application? Have they not proven themselves? After all, they captured Prince Fenris. They exposed his crimes.”

Lyssa folded her hands together, resting them atop the podium. “It was the Knights who did that, not the Gaian Government.”

“The Knights are agents of the Government.”

Lyssa gave the reporter a small, gracious smile. “The Knights captured Fenris in spite of the Government, not because of it. The Government sold their own Apprentices, the most valuable assets they have. They betrayed their own people. That is not the sort of institution we would ever call allies. We wish to deal with the Knights directly, without the Government’s oversight or involvement.”