Chapter 25
Finally, Carson was about to get some answers. When Oracle appeared after leaving Lucius’ room, he began peppering her with his questions about why the Witches’ Council regarded Remy’s orders as threats. But before Oracle could answer, she was called away by the Fates, leaving Carson’s anxiety to grow until he was a mental wreck. His mate and the boys—the ones he loved as if they were of his blood—were in danger, all because of some assholes who believed they were better than everyone else.Well, you better be prepared to suffer the consequences of your actions once I find out who you are.
When Oracle returned, Carson drew Remy over to the sofa, tucking his mate against his side when they sat down. The sense of unease that had roiled his gut wouldn’t be quelled until the danger threatening his family was gone. And considering it was coming from magic users, he’d have preferred to talk to Mystia first, but since she wasn’t available, Oracle would have to do—not that he had anything against her; it was just that she was only permitted to disclose what the Fates allowed.
After claiming a comfortable chair by the fireplace, Oracle waited until Kieran and Logan took their places opposite her. Then she began. “The Fates selected Brady in response to a request for an assistant.”
“Why him?” asked Carson.
“For several reasons, but primarily because he knows the Mystic Realm laws…and not only recent ones, but all the way back to the beginning. Remy will discover how useful this will be since many of his orders will most likely be challenged by members of the Council themselves.”
“I can see why someone with that wealth of information can be useful,” Remy said. “But doesn’t it also make him a target…especially since he doesn’t possess any magic? How will he defend himself if one of the magic users feels threatened by his knowledge?”
“Maybe,” said Logan, “you should tell us a little more about who Brady is…like, if he’s a magic user, why doesn’t he have any magic?”
“Yeah…that would help,” Carson agreed.
Pausing for a moment, Oracle tilted her head, listening to the instructions the Fates were giving her. After a short nod, she said, “Brady was a tier one magic user…a very powerful one…but lost his magic when he caught an unknown virus at the age of ten. His parents consulted every doctor they could find to see if there was a cure for it, but none of them had ever seen it before. Left with no options, his parents spent all their time caring for their son, never losing hope he would recover.
“For a time, it was touch-and-go, but in the end, he survived, although he lost his magic…a side effect of his illness. It was not discovered right away but eventually his mother figured it out.”
“Wasn’t there any treatment that could give him back at least some of it?” asked Remy.
“Unfortunately, not,” Oracle said, sadly.
“Did anyone else get the virus?” asked Kieran.
“Only Brady’s father…and he died from it.”
“I can’t imagine how the loss of his magic felt,” Remy murmured. “Especially for a first level magic user.”
“Yes…well, he is a remarkable person,” Oracle continued. “Eventually, he accepted it, decided not to let it defeat him and graduated with top honors.”
“Why did he choose law to study?” asked Carson.
“His first year roommate was from an important magic family and once he found out Brady’s story, he proceeded to treat him as a servant. When Brady objected, his roommate kicked him out of their room, then spread lies about him. After that no one would agree to share a room with him so, in the end, the Headmaster assigned him to the dormitory reserved for low level magic users. There he found his true calling.
“After experiencing prejudice first hand, and then listening to similar stories from his new roommate, Brady decided to be a lawyer and dedicated himself to fight for the rights of the low level magic users.”
“Well, that’s all well and good,” said Carson, “but according to my mate, nothing has really changed, so exactly what has Brady achieved?”
“Brady kept the Witches’ Council from enacting unfair laws against low level magic users for many years. You see, every time the Council attempted to take action, Brady challenged them on everything from procedural errors to violations for not complying with the Laws of the Universal Paranormal High Council. His brilliant mind kept the Council’s legal advisors tied up in knots for years fighting his lawsuits which resulted in defeat after defeat for the Council.
“Eventually, someone on the Council figured out a way around Brady’s efforts which resulted in the current laws about low level magic users being passed. When Brady finally figured out what was going on, he did what he had always done…file a lawsuit to stop the Council, but this time, Brady was not successful. Instead, a judge declared him persona non grata, forbidding him from filing any more lawsuits. Then, to add insult to injury, the Ruler of the Mystic Realm banned him from all Witches’ Governing Council property.”
“The Ruler was involved with the Council’s actions to remove low level magic users’ rights?” asked Remy in disbelief.
“No…not knowingly anyway. The head of the Council slipped the order in among other documents requiring the Ruler’s signature,” replied Oracle. “Brady was devastated. It took him a long time to recover from what he viewed as his failure to help the low level magic users. Eventually he found a measure of peace, but deep within him, it still festers like a sore. His need to help the weak and powerless is ingrained in Brady, because of it, there is not anyone else in the Mystic Realm whose soul and heart are as pure as his. Darkness will never find a foothold in him, so you, Remy, can trust his advice implicitly.”
Logan then asked Oracle, “Given Brady’s history with the Council, they are aware of his lack of magic, so won’t that place him in greater danger? Once the Council finds out he’s helping the Ruler, they might kidnap him and hold him hostage as a means to bring Remy to his knees. Don’t you think if that happens, Remy would be forced to do whatever he was ordered to do, just to save Brady?”
“While it is true Brady no longer possesses magic, he will not be defenseless,” Oracle replied.
“Care to explain further?” asked Carson.
“Unfortunately, at this time, I cannot,” Oracle answered.
“How does Lucius fit into this?” asked Kieran.
