We followed him into an office that reeked of cigar smoke.
The President sat behind his desk. His face was ash white as if he hadn’t taken a breath in a few minutes. He blinked ever so gradually as he noticed the four of us standing inside the room. As he stood, a half-hysterical laugh erupted past his lips. “I’ll be with you four in a second.” He lifted a small, red velvet bag from his desk and placed it in a safe behind his desk. He sat heavily on his chair then waved a hand. “Have the Mys Kings and Queens come to shoot me?”
I shook my head. “No, we only came to talk with you. Though someone did render all of your guards unconscious. Not us, by the way.” I eyed him, the color coming back to his cheeks. “Any clue who did that?”
He laughed again, this time more calmly. “I didn’t catch their name if they did.”Truth.
Ezra hummed softly. “You know the Coms are losing this war.”
The President sat quiet for a full minute. He rubbed his forehead. Nodded. “I do.”
Jack rolled his finger in the air. “We’re here to tell you what the Mysticals’ next step will be if the Com leaders of the world don’t back down and sign a new peace treaty.” Blue liquid rose from his hand, hovering. “The Com’s water supply? It will be gone.” The water burst and disappeared.
Pearl shrugged a shoulder. “Your crops will begin to die.”
Ezra chuckled quietly. “Your innocent people will find themselves insane.”
I smiled. “Your livestock will suddenly stop eating, and die.” I lifted a brow. “This war is done and you’re the man to make it happen with the Com leaders.”
Once more, the President didn’t speak, staying silent. He turned his attention to the window, staring out for long minutes. He lifted a cigar from his desk and lit it. “The Beasts…”
“The last farm was eliminated,” Ezra stated easily.
“What’s to stop it from happening again?”
This was…painful. But the Elders had agreed upon it yesterday through spelled letters, even after Antonio’s four had explained in truth that hybrids could perform an Awakening — not giving theircontactaway. The world just wasn’t ready for them after the Beasts. “The Executioner will stay.” I swallowed heavily. “Also, to make sure that no pregnancies occur, the Law forbidding mixed faction sexual relationships will continue.” Even with the four of our votes, it hadn’t been enough to change the ruling. “The Mystical community is taking every precaution to keep this from ever happening again.”
When the President stayed silent, Ezra explained, “We need you to back this treaty.”
Finally, the President nodded. He puffed on his cigar, then he stated, “I’ll do it.”
Chapter Twenty
Jack, Pearl, Ezra, and I stood on the lawn of King Hall. I held Isa in my arms. Our Vizoacs were lounging in the sun, their presence seen even less now because the violence had stopped.
MCWWII was officially over. It had taken six months after our private meeting with the President, but a new treaty had been signed. The world was still wary, but new strict laws had been established against Com violence against Mys, and vice versa. It was safe to say that if you were now going to pick on someone not of your kind…you should do it in private.
And bury the body so no one would find it. It was a good thing we excelled at that.
Though I had not buried Elly’s head.
I had held true to my word and let the rats munch on it. While I watched.
Now the four of us stood side by side, gazing at the rubble that was left of our school.
Ezra sniffed. “We can do this.”
Jack snorted. “We made the Elders understand that the four Rulers under one roof made sense for a more united front.
Our first new home was now under construction. We were going to call it the Manor. There would be four of them worldwide, each of us picking a location. I had picked Choep, New York — where we had first met. We would all be living together, traveling every so often to the other locations, but Choep was going to be our home base.
Jack waved a hand at the administration building. Specifically, the departed Mrs Jonas’s office. “Some of it’s still standing.”
I laughed outright. “It’s theonlything standing.”
Pearl shrugged, putting her hair up into a ponytail. “King Hall will live again.”
The four of us nodded. We were going to rebuild our school.Together.
