“Trait? Not an ability.” Reverie wrinkled that cute little nose in confusion.
“Yes, trait. From everything I’ve read, most Aurathions consider Amalgamation a myth. I, on the other hand, was able to get my hands on one very ancient scroll that mentioned Queen Lilibet-”
“Who was that?” I interrupted, “Our people have never had a queen.” I played around a lot, but I’d taken my studies seriously, and I’d never heard of a queen.
“That’s where you’re wrong. The Council has been around for millennia, but our people were once ruled by a monarchy, and the title was passed down through the female line.” Oren smiled smugly.
And that was why nobody liked him, he was a know-it-all. He flipped me off. We really needed to get a handle on this mind-reading thing.
“We were once a matriarchal society?” Reverie looked as stunned as I was by all this.
“Yes. But I’m talking millions of years ago. Back before most recorded records.” Oren tucked a long piece of Reverie’s midnight hair behind her ear.
The smug bastard was eating this up, having Reverie’s attention trained solely on him. The corners of his mouth turned up, clearly amused at my thoughts.
“How can this be unknown when we are so long-lived?” Zeke questioned.
“How can it not be? Do you think the Council wants any of our people to be aware of this? They don’t want their power questioned,” Oren stated.
“But there are females who have been Council members throughout the years. I’ve never thought that our culture had a problem with women being in power.” Reverie snuggled back deeper into Jet’s chest, unaware of her actions.
"The issue wasn’t about that. It was about the same families retaining control. Over the years, we’ve experienced both effective and ineffective Councils, yet the same seven families have maintained their influence." Oren leaned in closer, “I’ve always thought it odd that the Hawthornes, despite their strong abilities, have never been on the Council.”
“I find all of this completely fascinating, but back to the topic of Amalgamate. What is it, and how does it work?” Reverie asked.
“The trait lets you mark your potential faction when they’ve earned your trust and affection. The exact definition is: to combine or unite to form one structure.” Oren was in his element. Reverie looked horrified.
“So, I could just start marking people willy-nilly if I like and trust themagainst their will?”
Oren held her hand and said, “No, my love. While it's true, the queen marked many individuals,mostwere outside her Faction. Those became trusted court members and loyal guards.” He leaned in for a kiss and continued, “None of those positions were romantic. The mark was different from the one given to her Faction. I need to seek out additional sources, but I’m sure the candidate also had to be willing to make the mark possible. Let’s focus on what’s in front of us and avoid worrying about things beyond our control.”
Reverie sighed in relief, “Okay, the truth is I can’t really handle any of that right now. I trust you to find any information you think might be relevant to our situation.”
Oren’s chest puffed out, and he looked ready to slay a dragon for our queen. I knew he was on to something; Reverie had seemed likemoreright from the beginning. Nathan walked over and tugged Reverie to her feet.
“Let’s all get some rest. Tomorrow will be a long and demanding day, and we all need to regroup.” Jet started to protest, but Nathan interrupted.
“I’m not suggesting anyone leave. Let’s clear the living room and pull both of our mattresses in here. I don’t think my Nexi is eager to leave you, and none of us wants to leave her.”
“I agree. I can ward the room so no one can enter without our permission.” Oren stood and walked toward the door.
“You’re just full of surprises, old friend.” I narrowed my eyes at him.
“That’s true, but now you benefit from the many abilities I’ve kept secret.” He held his hand palm up and followed the seam of the door all the way around, and for just a moment, I could see a red light emanating from the door before it was abruptly sucked into the wood.
“What if Pantar wants to come back?” Reverie walked to the door, running her hand over it in amazement.
If the asshole's head got any bigger, his neck wouldn’t be able to hold it up.
Oren grinned at me as he pulled Reverie into his arms. “Anyone you’ve bonded can enter at will. I’d never keep Pantar away from you. He’d kill me. Literally.” Oren actually shuddered.
Reverie smiled, “Well, let’s get this slumber party started.”
That’s what I’m talking about. I wonder if Reverie would be willing to pillow fight in the nude?
“NO!” She laughed, surprising me with her sudden shout.
“The first order of business is finding out how to shield our thoughts.” I narrowed my eyes.
