Gael’s phone rings as the two shifters and he talk at length about the injustices Arden forced on their clan and about the problem with the loss of fated mates among the shifter population in general. I hardly notice the ringing from the living room—it’s not at full volume, and Gael’s phone so rarely rings when the three of us are together that it doesn’t sink in for a few moments that that’s what’s happening. Phin ignores it, focused as he is on feeding his beautiful body. Felicity glances toward the living room, but she ultimately continues telling us about her work trying to mix the population of shifter clans to maybe bring back the instances of fated mates. Gael so completely ignores it that I doubt he hears it at all.
Normally I let him deal with his own messages and missed calls because they have nothing to do with me, but the ring tone isn’t his generic one, and it isn’t the one he assigned to me and Phineas. There’s something about it that makes me think, “Thisis urgent,” so I quietly stand, slipping past the others to find Gael’s phone.
His messenger bag is sitting on the coffee table, and I reach in it, grabbing Gael’s phone as the call cuts off. It immediately begins ringing again.
Felix Quinn.
I don’t know who that is, but I answer the call. “Hello, you’re speaking to Caysin Ingan, may I help you?”
Silence greets me for a full five seconds before a light, tenor voice asks, “Did Gael change his number or are you answering a phone that doesn’t belong to you?”
“I answer the phones I have the right and permission to answer.”
“And Gael gave you permission to answer his phone, did he? Rather reckless of him.” The comment makes it sound like my answering Gael’s phone is intriguing in the same way I find the development of protolanguages interesting to study—I like learning about them, but they’re more of a hobby than a passion.
“Who’s on the phone?” Gael calls, pulling my eyes back to him.
I’ve always thought he was beautiful,I think to myself. It’s a wonder that I didn’t know I could love him as his boyfriend as loyally as I love him as his best friend.
“Felix Quinn,” I reply, and Gael immediately lights up like this is the second best gift he’s gotten today.
“Oh, you know who I am, then? How interesting. Just what has Gael been up to besides killing species leaders?”
“I don’t know you; I read the caller ID before I answered the phone,” I explain as Gael stalks over to me, pulling the phone away from my ear and hitting the speaker button.
“Felix,” he says in that way of his that means “I’m so happy to hear from you. Tell me everything I’ve missed.”
Felix sighs, and suddenly he sounds older than he did before—old enough that I’m suddenly picturing him with snowy white hair. “Oh Gael, you’ve stuck your foot in it this time, my boy.”
“Arden Mathan challenged me. I asked for a favor because I love a shifter, and I refuse to allow secrets to drive a wedge between me and my mates. He chose violence, and if he had known anything about the mare he never would have. We’ve crippled ourselves and the other species with these secrecy oaths, and it’s time to stop this nonsense. My mates are a shifter and a human, and we must be able to talk to each other about our needs.”
“Ah, yes. That does explain quite a lot. A human, you say? Is that Caysin Ingan?” Felix asks, intrigued again.
“Yes,” I respond as Gael wraps a possessive arm around my waist.
“He goes by Sin,” Gael corrects firmly. “What are we going to do about this, Felix? I don’t care what it takes. Even if I have to go to every species leader to have a heart to heart, we are going to make sure that this stupid secrecy stops hindering us from growing together as species.”
“I hear what you’re saying, my boy, but tell me what your solution is?” Felix doesn’t sound opposed, more curious.
Gael glances at me, and even though I know he can say it himself, because a lot of what we’ve talked about in the past twenty four hours were my ideas, I’m the one who answers. “The problem isn’t an oath of secrecy. The problem is that it excludes all other species and thus makes intimate and committed interpersonal relationships impossible to maintain unless you’re only interacting with people who share everything with you. It makes you all insular in ways that are unhealthy for homogenous communities. The oaths should be amended to be inclusive rather than exclusive. We can draft an oath that wouldmaintain secrecy while allowing people to seek out friendships and romance with people who aren’t of their species.”
“What would you include in this oath?” Felix asks curiously.
“I think it would be important to address the challenges of the age we’re in. I understand the parameters of the oaths my mates have been under and that magic itself enforces the oaths, so I would include a commitment to secrecy and silence in the presence of humans and surveillance that humans have access to with the exception of humans that a person is in a committed relationship with, i.e. spouses, mates, adopted children, etc. There might be a clause that the magic has to agree that revealing the existence of the magical species would be safe.” That addition I just thought of, though I’m not sure if magic is capable of that kind of discernment.
Felix is silent for a few seconds. “Yes, I am beginning to see the picture. Draft an oath and send it to me. If it works, I will propose it at the summit for Gael’s swear in.”
Gael takes the phone back, sounding more stressed than I’ve heard him since… He sounds like he did back before we went off to college. “There’s a problem, Felix. The leader of the shifters is the person who kills the previous leader. I’ve already unintentionally invoked that authority to undo some of the damage that Arden Mathan had done during his time.”
“Your people voted to honor Vernon’s will.”
Gael sighs, leaning into me. “This might get awkward. You know I never wanted this.”
“I know, my dear, but sometimes fate takes things out of our hands.” Felix’s words weigh on Gael as I wrap my arms around him, offering him my silent and unconditional support.
“I’m bringing my mates to the summit. Both of them.”
Felix chuckles softly. “If nothing else, you’ll make it less boring. Please have a care, my boy, and I’ll look forward to seeing you in Geneva.”
