“And I love you, sweet ruby.” He pulled back, and we continued our trek into the cave.
“The relic… What does it mean for the war?”
His body tensed as he faltered his step. “Since both teams that the Supernatural Council sent to retrieve the relic have come up empty, I’m afraid it’s not looking to be in our favor.”
“The council is sending a team again today to check it out,” I murmured, wanting to provide some hope. But dread settled heavily in my gut.
I thought once the dragons caught wind, they’d be all over the area. The human specimens are strong, especially in numbers. But the dragons and few drakes on their side would wipe them out if it came to it. Yet, the dragons hadn’t made a move yet.
“According to my mother, there isn't a lot of hope for a supernatural to get close enough to retrieve it without losing their magic. The fact that we were able to withstand being in its presence and maintain our magic is still a mystery to her.” He swept a hand through his hair with a sigh.
“What if the relic’s power weakened from being underground for so long?” I nibbled my bottom lip in contemplative thought.
“Maybe, but with the magical energy it did siphon off of us, it's probably charged up enough to be just as powerful as we were warned.”
I blew out an air of frustration.
The agents of the Supernatural Council hadn't been able to get near the relic since it was still covered in the remnants of the collapsed structure. Every time the teams went to the site, human specimens attacked them. An entire army of them. It’d been like this for the past three weeks. The only positive was that the humans hadn’t recovered it yet either.
“It’s going to be okay,” he promised, but worry swirled in his eyes and thrummed down the bond.
“Yeah, it will.” I moved my hand and shifted my attention to the crystals glowing with magical energy surrounding us. “On a positive note, I'm happy the council decided to abolish the hierarchy.”
“I hate that list,” he muttered bitterly. “It just further divides us.”
Scrunching my nose, I shook my head. “There's too much divide among us. Every single one of us are different, sure. But the majority are focused on our different powers and abilities. I just don't understand why Kalista can't just get along the way they do in the Bizarre.”
“It is remarkable how well they get along for being different supernaturals.” He hummed.
“All of my other mates, you, and I are different supernaturals, and we get along just fine.”
“Yes. If only everyone had the same mindset. They're signing the contract today with the Bizarre council members to bind them into abolishing it publicly.”
“Good.”
“Just… prepare yourself for an uproar, even at the academy.”
“I know.” My voice dropped lower. “I had heard how divided Kalista was when I lived in the Arctic Wolf village. But to see it firsthand is unsettling.”
Fate Hollow was a place they deemed habitable for every species of supernatural. It was a goal the entire Supernatural Council fought for. It was something Rowan strived for after having the cult views of the dragon’s shoved down his throat.
The discrimination between species made me wildly uncomfortable and sick to my stomach. We were sentient beings, deserving of the same amount of respect, no matter what we were.
Something I learned by seeing the prejudice between other students was that we didn't need people who just believed we all deserved the same treatment. We needed people who would stand up for equal treatment and be against discrimination loudly, viciously, and passionately. It was the only way we would see a real change.
The humans and the dragons of Blezen had one glaringly obvious similarity: they wanted to destroy all of the other species so they would be the last ones standing.
“Sweet ruby…” Alister reached behind his neck and unclasped a locket I hadn't noticed he was wearing and held it up in his palm to show me.
The glows of the crystals reflected off the silver.
“My mother gave me this after the meeting when she first showed up.”
“How has it only been three weeks?” I ran my fingers over the cool metal, and magic erupted.
Electricity zapped my finger, making me jerk my hand back as an image of Rebeka and a man that looked just like Alister became visible from the locket.
“We know that you’ll understand when you're older, but we're still sorry that this had to happen,” the man said in a gruff voice.
