“Yes, I've had assurances from your ambassador already,” Raza shot me a look that I couldn't interpret.
“We are just waiting... ah, here he is,” Greer waved towards the door and we all turned to see the Chief Councilman Lorcan come walking in. “Councilman Lorcan, I was just offering our apologies to Lord Raza.”
“Yes, well, I think we've all behaved badly today,” Lorcan took his seat and gave Raza a measuring look.
I chuckled and slid a smirk in Raza's direction. I knew the look on Lorcan's face. It was the expression of a father facing off with an unsuitable suitor for his daughter. Raza was the bad boy in leather and Lorcan was the redneck daddy with a shotgun. Raza gave me an annoyed grimace.
“If we could get to the business at hand?” Tiernan asked and several council members muttered in agreement.
“Of course,” Lorcan sighed. “Princess Seren, what did the witches have to say?”
“They agree that there must be a third party at work and would like to conduct separate investigations to discover the truth,” I began. “They would also like to offer us an exchange of people, some witches for some hunters. So that the investigation cannot be compromised.”
“I think we should call the Human High Council and alert them to the situation,” Lorcan mused. “I believe they'll want to be included as well.”
“I'm sure the Coven would be fine with that,” I agreed.
“Good,” Lorcan looked down the table and the other council members nodded. “I shall contact the Human High Council immediately. Please wait here for my return,” he stood up and turned to exit the room through a small door to the left.
While we waited, refreshments were brought in and I downed two glasses before I even realized that I was drinking wine. I was so exhausted, my hands were starting to shake. I just wanted to get this settled and then sleep for two days straight. But I knew that wasn't going to happen.
“They're sending a team of extinguishers over now,” Lorcan said as he walked back in. “Princess Seren, please notify the Coven that we'll have ten people to exchange with them.”
“Yes, Councilman,” I stood up.
“And, Princess,” Lorcan added. “Please don't kick my daughter's ass all over the courtyard.”
“No, Chief Councilman, I won't,” I agreed but then muttered beneath my breath, “As long as she doesn't piss me off again.”
Chapter Thirty-Nine
The exchange went smoothly. I personally delivered our ten people; five hunters and five extinguishers, into the Coven's keeping. Lord Eadan Gale was among the hunters and Extinguisher Kate Teagan had flown in to be one of the extinguishers. Her father and the Kavanaugh twins had come with her but they would be assisting us on our end.
It wasn't like I had to deliver them far, the Coven had set up camp right outside the castle walls. So I basically walked them outside and then walked the ten chosen witches back in with me. Among the witches was Alpha Aidan and Prime Elder Jennifer Wasutke. Ms. Wasutke evidently felt the need to keep a close eye on us but Aidan just wanted to add to my already monumental male drama.
Other than the two I already knew, there were representatives from each of the remaining clans and an extra one from Flight and Beckoning. All I could think was; great, two necromancers running loose in a fairy castle, that's not asking for trouble at all.
As soon as I had everyone settled into their quarters, I set up a meeting for all of us within one of the libraries (fairies liked their books and there were three libraries in the High Council Castle). The High Councils were leaving the grunt work to my team, which included my Star's Guard, Raza, Councilman Teagan, the telepath twins, a few extinguishers, a handful of hunters, and the ten witches. It was a pretty big team but this was a weighty matter and even though the Councils were giving us free rein, they'd be expecting frequent reports.
The Coven was already packing up and heading to the airport, to follow whatever leads they could find. We would have to find our own angle. You may think I'd leap right into something magical to help us or even try some psychic means but sometimes the best investigative work is done through the simplest ways. Or maybe I just couldn't think of any helpful magic at the moment.
“Councilman Teagan,” I said after we'd all settled at one of the study tables in the library. “Did you or any of your group happen to bring a laptop with you?”
“Of course,” Teagan pulled a little laptop out of his briefcase and placed it on the table. “What do you need to look up?”
“Do we have access to the US Air Traffic Control's record of the flight of our missing plane?” I asked.
“I can get access,” Teagan nodded and started tapping away at the keys. After a few minutes he declared, “I have it,” and spun the laptop to face me. “As you can see, the plane made it all the way to New Mexico before it simply disappeared.”
“New Mexico,” I mused. “Can you get an exact location?”
“Ummm,” he turned the laptop back around and frowned at the screen.”
“Sir?” One of the extinguishers leaned in and tapped a few things. “There you go.”
“Thank you,” Teagan smiled at the man and then looked up at me. “It was... um,” he cleared his throat.
“What?” I frowned and everyone else went still, focused on the fumbling councilman.
