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“Yes. But they are usually lower-level demons. And then you have vampires. They only care about hierarchy and consider humans as a food source only. So, to move forward, they grew their numbers by turning humans. Then, once they had those numbers, they attacked the council.”
“What happened?” I asked, needing to know but hating to ask. The way Brian told the story sounded like common knowledge, something I should already know.
“They attacked, and a lot of supernaturals died. But after a long and bloody battle, the council barely managed to defeat them. They then realized a need to keep others in check, so history did not repeat itself. Thus, The Agency was formed.”
“Hold up,” Kelly interrupted. “How many people are on the council?”
“Twenty, last I heard.”
Kelly twisted her face in concentration. I already knew what she was thinking because I was thinking the same thing. “How did the council defeat the elves and vampires if there were only twenty of them?”
Brian’s lips twitched. “The council comprises of the most powerful shifters, vampires, elves, fey, witches, angels, and demons. They are each protected by personal bodyguards, which always include mages. And they have their clans and packs to call upon so they’re not as defenseless as it sounds.”
Kelly held up a hand. “Wait a minute. If elves, demons, and vampires worked together on the council, wouldn’t that go against what the vampires were trying to do?”
I didn’t quite follow, but Brian did. “All humans are not all good or all bad. It’s the same with supernaturals and in this case, the vampires and other species on the council were not interested in losing their power to anyone, even their own kind.”
Now that made more sense. “So basically, you have a few power-hungry vampires who want to start a supernatural war.” My mind shifted into overtime, connecting the dots. “And if they are killing different species, they are likely hoping to cause unrest against The Agency.”
Brian was already nodding. “Especially the agents.”
My heart thumped in my ears as I thought of the consequences of a civil war. Could you even call it a civil war if it was between other species? I had half a mind to text Curt and tell him that I quit to avoid getting mixed up with the council or risk being discovered. But instead, the power hummed inside my chest and my entire body rebelled against walking away. This overpowering drive to hunt vampires—destroy anyone who aligned with them—or bring them to justice. Either one would suffice.
But where to start first? I knew almost nothing and would need to quickly be brought up to speed. Side-eyeing Brian, I tried to casually ask, “Are there any records of this incursion? Somewhere to learn about the events that took place?”
Brian’s eyebrows pulled down; a bit of confusion showed in his eyes. I didn’t like the look on his face as he studied me a beat too long. The Agency considered me one of the best agents, but I was beginning to realize that policing supernaturals didn’t equal knowledge. I did what I was told, end of story. I had a lot of catching up to do.
Brian finally answered, “The Oakway Library. It’s on the east side of Brighten City and borders my territory.”
“Your territory. Does that mean you’re the Alpha?” I asked.
“Yes, it does.” His eyes slid to Kelly, and I wondered why he was spending time with my best friend. What could he possibly gain from fraternizing with a human? Call me overprotective, but Kelly was family, and there was no way I’d let her get caught up in shifter bullshit. Not without good reason. I would never interfere with who she chose to date, but if Brian hadn’t told her that he was a shifter, she likely had no clue what she was getting herself into when she agreed to go out with him. And war could be brewing.
“Kelly, could you give us a minute? I need to talk to Brian.”
She chewed the inside of her jaw while staring at me and then pointed a finger. “No giving him the third degree, Ivy. I kind of like this one,” she smiled.
“Noted. Just give us a few minutes.”
Her eyes narrowed slightly. “Shifter stuff?”
“Yeah,” I tried to smile but my heart was in my throat, making me painfully aware of the lump there.
“Fine, I need to use the bathroom anyway.”
As Kelly disappeared down the hall, I faced Brian with crossed arms. “Kelly isn’t a shifter. So, why are you hanging around her? Shouldn’t you be with your own kind?”
“My own kind?” One incredulous eyebrow shot skyward. “Are you one of those?” He asked defensively, crossing his arms and mirroring my stance.
“One of what?” What on earth was he talking about?
“One of those backward-thinking supernaturals.” He glared down at me. “I respect that this is your place, and that Kelly is your friend, but she’s my mate, and I don’t have any plans on giving her up. If you have a problem with that, then say your peace now.”
“Your mate?” How was that even possible? “Kelly is human!”
“Human or not, my bear chose his mate, and he wants Kelly. So do I.”
“But the council….”
