“Zohar Stone.”
Frowning, Remy zeroed in on the gunman’s life force, grimacing at what he found. “Whose body are you in?”
“Derwin Keeling.”
“When did you kill him?”
“Five years ago.”
Shifting his attention to the other council members who were staring at the new light sphere, Remy said, “This is the second demon I have found in our world. Gerard Vonner was the first. The Fates will take control of this one as they have already done with Vonner. But I can assure you that this will not be the last one in our world.”
Pausing, Remy waited until each member of the council was focused on him before continuing. “The demon who inhabited Gerard Vonner’s body killed ten witches and warlocks, absorbing the magic of each one. During that time, he helped other magic users summon more demons. His ultimate goal was for demons to take over our world, enslaving all of us.
“This is what happens when we fail to object to proposed laws we know are wrong… when we turn away when we see others’ rights removed…when we stop caring about our fellow magic users, no matter how little magic they have.
“Even though evil has been allowed to invade our world, it will not succeed. Today, standing before the entire magic world, I vow to root out and hold accountable every magic user who was part of this attempted coup.”
A shimmer announced the arrival of Oracle, accompanied by Mystia. “Your Majesty,” Oracle said softly, bending her head briefly, “I am here to collect the demon Kozros who was responsible for the death of Derwin Keeling, a first level magic user.”
“Many thanks, Oracle,” Remy replied. “Please tell the Fates I appreciate their help to purge Black Magic from our world.”
“I shall gladly carry your message to them,” said Oracle, “but now we must be on our way.”
After Oracle, Mystia, and the demon disappeared, Remy glanced at Carson and murmured, “Are you ready?”
“I am.”
“Right,” Remy said, making the spheres clear again before raising his voice to address the four magic users confined. “As Ruler of the Mystic Realm, it is my right and duty to enforce our laws. There is no justification that can be used to mitigate the seriousness of your actions.” Then turning to Carson, he commanded, “Mystic Guardian, remove their magic.”
Ignoring the cacophony of pleas and cries coming from the magic users in the light spheres, Carson raised his arm and, pointing his finger at the four disgraced council members, uttered the words given to him by the Fates. Screams of agony filled the room as their bodies contorted and writhed in pain. Flames enveloped them as their magic was exorcised, ricocheting off the light spheres’ inner surfaces before merging into a fiery ball. Then, passing through the physical constraints of each sphere, the balls of fire engulfed the Keeper of All Magic, and were absorbed by his body, leaving the now-impotent council members devastated by the loss of their powers.
Turning away, Remy shifted his eyes to the rest of the magic users in the council room. “Though some of you might think this is punishment enough, unfortunately it is not…not when treason is involved. Our world was a gift from the gods and they trusted us to do everything in our power to safeguard it from harm. Kadin Fadington, Thayer White, Niam Graves, and Zohar Stone made their choice to ignore what the gods bequeathed to us and now must pay for that choice with their lives.”
Silently mouthing the words passed down through the ages from Ruler to Ruler Remy raised his arm, and a bolt of lightning shot from his hand, encapsulating each light sphere with a fiery glow. With a flick of his wrist, the flames grew hotter, incinerating each traitor inside until only four small piles of ash remained.
Lowering his arm, Remy faced the shocked magic users in the room. “The actions taken by the Witches’ Governing Council have proved that, at this time, there are no options left other than to disband the council. Along with that step, I have removed all judges from their positions for failing to uphold the laws of the Mystic Realm. However, do not think this action gives you a carte blanche to ignore our laws because it does not! Punishment for all magic users who disobey our laws will be swift and severe during this time when my advisors and I strive to reorganize the government of our world.”
Resuming his seat, Remy continued. “The new council will be made up of all levels of magic users, the number of seats for each will be based on the proportion of them in our world. For instance, low-level magic users will have more seats than the next tier up and so on, to have the council truly reflect the makeup of the entire magic world and not just a few. And this will also pertain to judicial seats. I urge everyone who is interested in rebuilding our world to apply for these openings…excluding past council members and judges.”
Bending down, Carson whispered, “Don’t forget to make the announcement regarding the families of low-level magic users.”
Smiling, Remy nodded briefly. “All low-level magic users will be returned to their families as soon as possible. I have also issued an order suspending all laws enacted by the council that apply to low-level magic users including registering their births and the requirement that they report here when they become of age.”
Bowing his head for a moment, Remy fought back the anger that had been so much a part of his life until he became the new Ruler. That he had achieved that position was in itself, a miracle, and he knew without a doubt, his parents were responsible for it. As one emotion faded, a new one took its place—pride that the Fates had given him such amazing parents and he made a silent vow to be worthy of their love.
Looking up, Remy said, “Our world of magic is worth fighting for…never forget that. It is up to us to make sure we leave it in a better shape for our children so they might also enjoy what the gods have blessed us with. I ask every magic user to please join me in ridding our world of the darkness looming over it so all of us may enjoy a brighter future.”
After removing his spell preventing the use of any magic in the Council room, Remy dismissed the former council members, sending them on their way. Then, turning to Brady, he muttered, “It’s a start but I fear the road ahead will not be smooth…at least as much as I’d hoped it would be.”
“Rome wasn’t built in a day,” Brady murmured, smiling. “But, I daresay, you’ve come close to it. I spent years trying to do what you’ve accomplished in a day.”
“I couldn’t have done it without you,” Remy said softly. “Thank you. There’s still a lot to do, and I’d like you by my side. Can I count on you to help rebuild the trust in our world?”
“Before I can answer that, I must speak to my mate,” Brady replied. “He still isn’t out of danger.”
“Of course…if there is anything you need my help with, just let me know.”
“Thank you, Remy…I shall.”
