One of the male fae gasped. “Enchanted? We aretheshifter council—”
“Because, you see,” Nix started. “If you were unknowingly enchanted and allowing these horrible things to happen toyourpeople, then maybe you can stay.”
The room of men went deadly quiet. They glanced around at each other, some most likely wondering if this was a prank.
“Stay?” the griffin echoed.
“If youweren’tenchanted, then you let him erase entire species of shifters—actual living, breathing people—and you just…watched. Year after year. You didn’t step in. You didn’t speak up. You let him cage phoenix shifters, erase their histories,and butcher their bodies in the name of ‘order.’ Did you pretend not to hear their screams? Did you think the gods would not punish you?”
Nix’s fingers flexed, and little flames emerged between her knuckles. “You are meant to be the protectors of peace, the guardians of balance. Yet, you watched while entire communities vanished, while female alpha shifters mysteriously ‘disappeared.’ You let the academy teach girls like me to be soft, silent, and obedient. You let him shape our females into thinking submission is survival. And now you want to pretend you ‘didn’t know’—unfucking likely.”
Nix lifted her chin, her eyes blazing. “You are either enchanted, or you are a coward.” Her fiery eyes narrowed onto the small circle of men. “I didn’t summon you all to politely request change. I came here to tell you that your rule, your power—it’s over. The shifters you hunted—are returning and hungry for revenge.”
Nix focused entirely on Kellan as she said, “And the future you tried to control? She’s standing right in front of you.”
“What do you plan to do?” Kellan asked, still sounding so confident. “Kill me? Are you so sure that I am not one of you? Maybe Lemmuns got me enough phoenix feathers in the future. Maybe the gods granted my wish. Maybe I amjust like you, Nix.”
“You’re not,” she replied.
“No? You are my daughter.”
“No,I’m not.”
Kellan reached into his pocket and pulled out a long red feather, one that matched Nix’s. “I could use this, go back in time one hour, and change all of this.”
Nix stopped breathing. He had a phoenix feather. From where?Her?
Kellan was not a phoenix. She felt it in her bones. The little flame beneath her chest flared at his lie.
That was one of Nix’s feathers.
Her rage spiked, and the familiar flames licked up her arms. The other council members shouted in fear when they realized she really was a phoenix.
Nix gritted between her teeth, her eyes narrowed onto the feather, “You think…you can use a piece ofmybody…that youtookwithout permission…to hurt me?”
Nix felt her inner flame, felt the connection between herself and that feather he gripped, exhaled, and…listened.
Look, a voice whispered in her head.
A previously invisible red thread floated in the air, linking her power to the plucked feather.
Nix raised a hand and gave a quick pull on the invisible thread. The feather ignited in Kellan’s hand, burning him as he squealed in pain. Because he was not a phoenix. He was a swan. A prey.
A man with a broken, fragile ego who claimed power by taking it from others.
With the feather no longer in Kellan’s possession, Nix spoke coldly, “Your time is done. Step down or be pulled down.”
“I can always send everyone to Hell,” Bael offered. “If you don’t belong there, you’d pop right back here, so you have nothing to fear. Right?”
Nix smiled softly. “After tonight, there will be a new council. A real one. One that actually protects people. One that values shifters, alphas and prey, male and female, all of us—equally.” She stated, “Your era of power ends here.”
And when Bael took Kellan to Hell, Kellan never came back.
CHAPTER 45
Two Weeks Later
“Istill can’t believe how many people the Oadesses enchanted,” Persius said, shaking his head.
