“A lot, I hope,” Mystia said. “He’s committed to ending the policy of servitude for low level witches and forcing their owners to pay them compensation for the years each was forced to serve.”
“Oh my goodness, that’s guaranteed to piss off everyone on the council, not to mention almost every first and second level witch.” Taking another sip of his tea, he savored it before swallowing. The last batch of roses he used to make it were the best so far. Picking up another cookie, he smiled with delight; the Witches’ Governing Council was going to get their comeuppance and all at the hands of a…wait a minute!Scowling at Mystia, Brady clenched his jaw, finally figuring out why she paid him a visit. “Iwon’tdo it and you should be ashamed of yourself for even thinking of asking me.”
“Won’t do what?” Mystia asked innocently, keeping her eyes on the tea tray.
“Help the Ruler…that’s why you’re here, right?” demanded Brady. “Don’t take me for a fool, Mystia. I deserve better than that.”
Heaving a heavy sigh, Mystia finally looked at her friend. “I’m sorry, but there wasn’t anyone else I could turn to. Remy’s parents home schooled him, never giving him the lessons he’d need to become the Ruler of the Mystic Realm.”
“Did they know who he was?” asked Brady.
“I believe so…otherwise why would they file the fake death certificate?”
“Did you ask them why they didn’t prepare him if they knew who he was?” huffed Brady, angry now about parents knowingly exposing their child to danger by failing to give him the tools needed for his position in the magic world.
“I can’t…they’re dead. Remy took custody of his three brothers, refusing to allow them to be placed in an orphanage,” Mystia said. “Now do you understand why I came to you? Remy’s heart and soul are pure, evil will not find a home there and the wicked ploys of the Governing Council members will be in vain.”
“They will target the brothers…try to corrupt them,” mused Brady.
“Yes. The only way I can see a successful path forward is if Remy can move swiftly to root out the rot infecting our world. But without knowledge of the laws and precedents, he will most certainly fail…and then so will the magic world,” Mystia said, her voice filled with sorrow.
“Hmm…” Staring out the window at his precious rose garden, Brady hated himself for even considering the idea. After everything that happened to him in the past, he’d turned his back on the magic world—a world that viewed him as defective—vowing never to be part of it again. Now, here he was, contemplating reentering it. Shifting his gaze to his beloved books, the ones he could not bring himself to throw out, he could almost feel the parchment paper under his fingertips. Fighting this battle again was something he could do, but losing it for a second time…Brady wasn’t sure he’d survive. Burying his face in his hands, he thought for a moment, then looking at Mystia said, “I don’t have any credentials. If youremember the Governing Council stripped them from me.”
“Remy can issue new ones.”
“I haven’t kept up with the laws the Council enacted after I left.”
“I can have them delivered to you this afternoon.”
Shaking his head, Brady muttered, “I’m not the one you need…there are others who can help the Ruler of the Mystic Realm with legal matters…ones who are still practicing today.”
“No…it must be you,” insisted Mystia.
“Why? Why do you believe that?” Brady asked, sharply, growing frustrated over his friend’s persistence.
“Because you are untouchable…no one on the Witches’ Governing Council, or any of their assistants, followers, minions, or for that matter, any witch in our world can use their magic on or against you. That…and your knowledge of our laws makes you a person Remy can trust unequivocally, knowing the advice you offer is truly untarnished,” Mystia answered.
“Brady, I know what the Witches’ Governing Council did to you…and I wouldn’t blame you for turning down my request…but I beg you, please help Remy…he’s our only hope in saving thousands of low level witches, righting the many wrongs the Council has forced on witches and freeing our world from the poison seeping through it.”
“You know, it’s not going to be pretty,” Brady muttered.
“No it won’t, but it needs to be done.”
Drumming his fingers again, Brady considered what he’d learned, before asking, “Tell me more about the Mystic Guardian…he’s a member of the Blackwood Pack? I want to know more about it. What kind of Alpha does it have because that’ll tell me a lot about what kind of person the Guardian is. And will they come to his aid if needed? When I say it won’t be pretty, I mean it…the Ruler and Guardian can’t do it alone…even with my help.”
“I will vouch for the Blackwood Pack; Jackson, their Alpha and his brothers, including Carson, have all been blessed with gifts from the Fates and gods, given to them because of their purity of soul.”
Brady’s eyes bugged out. “All of them received gifts?”
“Yes…and whatever help Carson requires, they will be by his side…you can count on it,” Mystia assured him.
Scrutinizing Mystia’s face, Brady looked for signs of deception, not that he expected to find them, knowing her. But still, he was hard pressed to accept her claim regarding the Fates’ actions—and for good reason. Everyone knew the Fates rarely gave gifts because once given, they had no way of controlling how they would be used. The lure of using them for personal gain…or worse yet…to gain power over fellow paranormals was always a real possibility, especially with evil making inroads everywhere.What in the world are the gods and Fates thinking! Don’t they realize by doing so there’s a real possibility of the destruction of all paranormals?
Then a thought hit him. Narrowing his eyes, he stared at Mystia, not wanting to miss her reaction to his question. “They each got gifts…so what are they?”
“Raphael’s Power, Ghost Walker, Shadow Voice, White Knight…oh, and the most recent was Darkness Master…those are the ones with names you would know. There are others, such as, invisibility and shape shifting.”
Brady’s jaw dropped.It’s impossible. Not in one pack!
