“If I had a penis, would you have time for me?” Nix shot back.
The council member sputtered in shock.
“You dare speak to us so?” another council member asked.
“I will ask once more. Did—you—know?”
“The council has no ruling over the academy,” Kellan replied. “If students went missing, then we were not told, and that is for the dean of the academy to tell us.”
“But you were the one who disappeared them, who stole them in the night,” Nix stated to Kellan. “You used your children—Elle and Adar—to enchant students of certain ‘unappealing’ species, get them alone, and then drug them so you could drag them to a hidden location under the campus grounds, where your puppet scientist performed experiments and provided you with rare ingredients. Like dragon scales or phoenix feathers.”
“Phoenix?” the griffin council member repeated, aghast. “Kellan, what is she speaking about?”
Nix informed them, “Your precious president killed my phoenix parents, but kept me, to be able to use me for his own benefit in the future. He wanted my feathers—whether to travel through time or ask the gods to make him into aphoenix himself, I’m not sure. I don’t care. I am here, only, for retribution.”
Adar scowled at Nix. “So ungrateful. Father, should I—”
Bael appeared right beside Adar, grabbed him, and disappeared.
Shock slammed over Kellan’s expression, and he gaped. “Wha-What did he do with him?”
Bael reappeared, without Adar.
Nix held her breath and exhaled it on a dry laugh when Adar remained out of sight. “He took him to Hell.”
“Not to worry,” Thierry remarked. “The incubus can only take people to Hell if they were going to end up there anyway.”
“Since your misogynistic son didn’t pop right back…he belongs there.” Bael shrugged and smiled.
“You dare send my son—”
Bael grabbed Elle by her hair and disappeared again.
“Damn it,” Kellan shouted at the gust of wind that blew over him when the incubus transported.
Bael returned, empty-handed again. “Welp.” He dusted off his hands. “Guess you had two bad apples, Pres.”
“You let the demon take away your brother and sister?” Kellan asked Nix, aghast.
“You took away my parents.”
“Everything I did, I did for the betterment of others,” Kellan replied sharply.
A shocked laugh rose from Nix’s chest. Was he really so delusional?
Kellan narrowed his bright blue eyes on her. “There was a time when our species was ruled by the power-hungry phoenix shifters and dragons. Using flames to keep us under their wings. I rose to offer equality and liberation from the violent shifters.”
“Equality? Have you seen the difference in classes offered to the female prey students?”
“You should be grateful you can even attend any classes at this academy,” Kellan remarked. “There was a time when Alatus taught predator shifters the best ways tohunt us. Prey shifters were not allowed in these halls to take classes,” he said it as if the notion were preposterous. “I made all of this happen. For my people. My daughters. Plural.”
Nix shook her head. “Because things ‘used to be worse,’ I should be grateful for how things are now? No. You are the president of the council. Make things better. Make new rules and regulations to punish the alphas who abuse prey shifters. Show prey shifters how to defend themselves. Make arealdifference.”
“You think it is that easy? What made phoenix shifters so dangerous was their incorrect belief that they could do whatever they wanted—serve justice and leave destruction in their wake. You believe you can play god.”
“Kellan, is she really a phoenix shifter?” the griffin asked. “Tell us she is lying.”
“You would like to keep not believing women, huh?” Nix smirked and crossed her arms. “I am not here to get you to believe me. I am here to know who here might be unknowingly enchanted by Kellan.”
