The event has more security than I expected, and we have our own personal security guards provided for us. The summit has been opened to anyone among the paranormal specieswho wants to attend. In the past, only the species leaders and their entourages have attended the confirmation summits, but Felix conveyed to the organizers that we needed a change of location in order to invite people to attend live, and they also set up a livestream for anyone who couldn’t attend. It took some technological and magical miracles to make the livestream happen with the current oaths of secrecy, but with Felix’s help, the organizers managed it and every other change to this summit.
So far, we’ve made it through the introductions, and now it’s time for the initiation oaths that the species leaders take with each other. It’s the way they enforce the oath of secrecy among themselves.
Felix isn’t in charge of the oath ceremony, but yesterday he counseled Gael on how to proceed for the next steps. He’s a sorcerer, and my mental image of him from his voice almost perfectly matches his actual presentation. He has long snowy white hair that hangs down in a straight line to his mid back and a pointed white beard that reaches below his waist. He wears black robes in contrast to his white hair and a vibrant azure pointy wizard hat on his head. He’s quite the sight from afar, but up close, his smooth skin is so translucent that his every blue vein is visible, but there isn’t a single wrinkle around his eyes, nor laugh lines on his cheeks. He’s not young at all, but his age doesn’t show in his skin.
The master of ceremonies for the summit takes her place at a microphone facing the crowded arena. She’s a giant, taller than Phineas, with two braids hanging in front of her shoulders that reach her knees. She’s wearing a golden crown with spokes that stand up at least half a foot, a chainmail sleeveless top, and what looks like a leather kilt with two swords hanging from her belt.
Behind where her chair is, a large group of giants dressed similarly to her shout a raucous welcome to her. With a glarebehind her and a raised fist, her people settle down, and she invokes the rite. “I, Forge Moresteel of the Dwarven Enclave, have been elected to administer the oaths to the new leaders of species here today. Anja Basa of the Oleander Clan and Gael Fuin of the Laurel Clan, please rise.”
Gael stands with Anja, and Forge raises both of her hands. A string of magic dances to life between Forge’s hands as she looks down at the two new leaders, turning her significant and intimidating gaze on Gael. “Gael Fuin, as the leader of the mares, do you swear to uphold the oath of secrecy that protects all species from humans?”
Gael takes a deep breath, and speaks clearly so that the microphone attached to his suit will pick it up clearly. “I refuse to take and I refuse to administer an oath of secrecy that limits my people from speaking to each other about themselves, their species, and other species. I refuse to limit my people from finding their mates among other species, including humans. I am mare, yet one of my mates is a shifter and the other is human. I refuse to take an oath that would make it impossible for us to love, honor, cherish, and, most importantly, communicate with each other.”
Suddenly the full attention of every person in the arena is on me and Phin, and for a full ten seconds the entire place is silent until Forge opens her mouth to speak.
Felix stands, cutting off whatever Forge had thought to say. “As the leader of the sorcerers, I support the proposal of opening the oath of secrecy up to allow for interspecies mating and dating, including humans. I have with me a new oath that Gael and his mates have drafted. I will read it out, if the summit leaders allow it.”
Another beat of silence causes my nerves to fire with anxiety until the demon leader waves him on with a barked order. “Read it!”
The other species leaders slowly nod as well—I think we’ve surprised them more than we intended, but hopefully this will end with a necessary and progressive change for the magical species.
Felix pulls out a scroll from the inner lining of his black robes. I’m both not at all surprised and in utter disbelief that he’s reading from a scroll, considering I emailed him the proposed oath. “Do you swear to uphold the safety, security, and secrecy of magic and magical species? Do you swear not to reveal in any way to any human the existence of magic or magical species, except in cases where the magic deems it necessary and safe to do so?”
“I will swear that oath,” Gael announces as soon as Felix finishes reading it.
Anja speaks up before anyone else can offer an opinion. “That oath would allow for our people to intermingle, and it does cover the secrecy needed to keep us safe from humans. I would rather take that oath.”
Another species leader, this one from the fairies, adds, “It leaves the burden of consequences on the magic. Are you sure you want something that impartial and merciless making those judgment calls? What if a shifter finds a mate who the magic deems unworthy of knowing about magic and magical beings?”
Gael answers the fairy’s catastrophizing with a firm set to his determined face and a surge in his magic that causes both me and Phin to brace ourselves against each other to avoid wrapping ourselves around him. His allure makes me want to do anything for him, especially now that I know what it is and I’ve surrendered to it, but right now what he needs is our steadfast support. “Allowing for magical matings to humans will have consequences. I think we all know that. There may be human mates who are worthy of knowing about magic but whose children are not. It is possible that some matings may neverhappen as much as a magical being might want them to because the human is unworthy. Those possibilities are not going to stop me giving my people a chance at finding their fates outside of their own species like I have.”
“This is a welcome change, and the sorcerers support it, and if I’m counting correctly, that is four species in favor of the change,” Felix says, looking at Forge.
I lean in close to Gael’s microphone, deciding that someone needs to represent the humans. “Five species. As I am the only human present, I represent them and I speak for them. I am also in favor of the new oath.”
Forge narrows her gaze at me. “If you are taking the role of leader for humans at this summit, then you will become responsible for all humans the magic deems worthy of knowing our secrets. Are you prepared to be the leader of the humans among the magical species?”
That wasn’t on my bingo card for this summit, but fuck it. “I will take on that role until it becomes clear that a new leader should be elected.”
Forge nods, and looks around the summit. “Leaders in favor of the new oath, please rise.”
All the leaders except the fairy leader stand.
Forge maintains a neutral expression. “The majority speaks. I will administer the end of the old oaths and the taking of the new oaths. After the leaders take their oaths, we will allow each to speak to their people here and administer the new oath.”
The leaders assent to this, and the string of magic from before appears between Forge’s raised hands again. Felix’s scroll floats through the air, stopping before Forge so she can read it. “Under the witness of the leaders of all species here in this arena, I, Forge Moresteel, unswear my previous oath and swear to uphold the safety, security, and secrecy of magic and magical species. I swear not to reveal in any way to any human theexistence of magic or magical species, except in cases where the magic deems it necessary and safe to do so.”
As soon as the oath is sworn, the magic between her hands binds her to her words by twisting around her like a rope and sinking into her skin, then she turns to the rest of us, weaving the magic between her fingers again.
“Leaders, do you unswear any previous oath of secrecy you’ve taken and swear to uphold the safety, security, and secrecy of magic and magical species?”
An echo of agreement rises from all of us, and I feel the magic of the binding begin to wind around me even if the string of magic remains between Forge’s hands.
“Do you swear not to reveal in any way to any human the existence of magic or magical species, except in cases where the magic deems it necessary and safe to do so?”
“I swear.” As soon as those words leave my mouth, the magic swoops down and ties itself around me. The knot of the magical oath wraps itself around me, and for a moment I am paralyzed by it, unable to move. Then it sinks in below my skin to the same place where my bond with Phineas and Gael exists. It coils around my bond and simply becomes a part of who I am now. Bound to my oath, I will never be able to speak about magic to anyone who doesn’t already know about it, unless the magic makes an exception.
It’s not as difficult as I expected it would be. The reality of it simply slides into existence as if it’s always been in me, the same way the mating bond did when Gael bit me. I suddenly understand this oath and the importance of it like I suddenly understood the intimacy of being a mate.
