Shit. This was real. This was really happening.
I gulped and walked down the long dimly lit hall. As we neared, I heard screaming voices. Well, one screaming voice. My fiancé.
“Do I look like I fucking care about money right now? Just do it! I don’t care what it costs,” Sawyer growled.
Roland opened the door after a light knock, and I stepped inside.
Whoa.
The room was large and completely bare but for a huge desk made of glass that looked like it was a giant tablet. Around it stood five men. Eugene, Brandon, Quan, some big dude I didn’t know with black dreadlocks, and a scrawny secretary dude I’d seen follow his dad around.
“Demi.” Sawyer rushed forward and pulled me into his arms. “You okay?” He looked down at me as if assessing me for any wounds he might have missed before. “Shit, our engagement party was ruined, I’m so sorry.”
I shook my head. “I don’t care.”
He nodded. “I know but… I wanted it to be special for you.”
His freaking dad died! The last thing on my mind was a special engagement party, but I knew he was a romantic and just wanted me to feel like a queen, and was probably still in shock.
He pulled out a folded piece of paper and slipped it into my back pocket. I frowned.
“I might be up late. Read that later when you’re alone,” he whispered in my ear.
I just nodded, confused as to why he would write me a note.
“Sir…” Eugene cleared his throat. “With the witches on the blood sucker’s side, our technology will be no match. Tankers, guns, helicopters, they can all be disabled with the flick of the wrist.”
Sawyer sighed and I’d never seen him look so old and worn down.
He turned to face Eugene. “I know that.”
“Are all of the witches against us, or just some?” I asked, assuming Sawyer wanted me in here to share ideas and not just look pretty. Not that I looked very pretty right now covered in blood and ashes.
“Reports are that the large majority wants to side with the vampires. We border Witch Lands, and Queen Drake has promised them our land if they help defeat us in the war,” the shrimpy secretary dude said. “And our army is holding the wall at our northern gate for now, but it won’t keep. There are more of them than there are us.”
Sawyer sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose.
I raised my hand and everyone looked at me. “Why not offer the witches who want to defect a place to live here? Surely we have extra land and housing we could offer to witches willing to fight on our side? Raven said it’s pretty bad over there. Everyone can’t love it.”
Raven’s family had been cast out for speaking ill of the high priestess and calling for a public vote of new leadership. The high priestess had been alive for over a thousand years, and so she stayed in power indefinably. Some of the people were ready for change.
If you spoke ill of the high priestess, your electricity would get shut off or your food rationed. They were very controlling of their people.
“Witches come live here? In Werewolf City. Permanently?” Brandon asked, scrunching up his face.
I looked to Sawyer, who was stroking his chin. He was covered in blood; his hair had flecks of soot in it, and the entire room smelled of smoke. Shit was dire but here he was war planning, trying to save his people from harm. I loved him so much in this moment.
“If we can put aside our… obsession … with having a certain territory…” Sawyer nodded. “That could work. Pull up the map. Where could we put them?”
The secretary looked like he’d been smacked in the face. “You want me to find an area in Werewolf City to move inwitches?”
Mr. Dreadlocks growled. “Yes, are you deaf? Your alpha gave you an order, now make it happen.”
Sawyer placed a hand on Dreadlocks’ shoulder. “It’s alright, Commander, it’s going to take some getting used to.”
Then he looked at me. “Is there a leader of their opposition? Can we get Raven over here to consult with us?”
Holy shit.He was actually listening to my idea. I nodded.
