1
Magma
The large wooden door creaks open. “We’re ready for you now,” Councilor Thorne says before going back inside.
I pull in a breath and enter the silent room. Twelve pairs of eyes find me the moment I cross the threshold.
Thorne moves to his seat and sits.
The chamber has high, arched ceilings that rise above a long, curved table where the council members are sitting.
“You may sit.” Councilor Vector’s voice comes from the center of the half-moon-shaped table.
Vector has led this Council for longer than I’ve been in my current role, though there are a few new faces among them. They all watch me as I sit in a single chair positioned across from them.
I force myself to breathe.
“I’m sure you’re wondering why you’re here,” Vector says. His eyes are a flat, cool gray.
“I am, sir.” I keep my voice level, forcing myself to say nothing more.
I have an inkling that it’s about all the changes taking place on the island currently. I hope I still have a job when I leave here today. That all of my staff will still be employed. They would be crazy to make any drastic changes just yet.
A few of the members exchange glances. Councilor Reed, seated to Vector’s left, leans forward slightly. She and I have had our run-ins, but I like her, and we get along. I hope it stays that way.
There is so much talk of peace, but I have this horrible feeling that things are about to get worse before they get better.
It can’t be over.
It just can’t. There’s too much water under the bridge.
Councilor Thorne sifts through some papers in front of him. Arrow and Rynn sit quiet and watchful on Vector’s right. Another council member, whose name I can’t remember, clasps her hands on the table and watches me with an unreadable stare.
I’ve faced war and death, so it doesn’t faze me.
“As you must know, the peace treaty has been signed.” Vector smiles.
And there it is.
“I had heard,” I say. “It’s remarkable news. The war has cost us all greatly.” My mind moves to my own loss. It still hurts just thinking about her. “It’s long overdue.”
“It is.” Reed gives a small nod, also smiling.
My mind quickly returns to my staff…to Security Central. I clasp my hands in my lap, pulling in a deep breath and willing my heart to slow.
“The treaty takes effect at midnight tonight, but as far as the leadership of both islands are concerned, we are already at peace,” Vector goes on. “Residents of Mistveil and Draig will be permitted to travel freely between the islands. Mistveil dragons in their dragon form and, with the appropriate permits and documentation, Draig citizens too. They will, of course, need tohave permits showing that they are outside of the vaccination window and that they have command of their animals. You are about to undergo the tests in order to secure a permit for yourself. I’m assuming you know what it entails.”
“I do indeed. Roughly twenty-five percent of my frontline team now operates without a rider. They are able to shift in and out of their dragon forms at will. This number will increase over the coming months.” I sigh softly. “I understand that we want peace and integration of the two islands, but perhaps this should be done in stages. We can’t just open our borders,” I say carefully. “Perhaps we need to limit the numbers that cross the borders in either direction…and then slowly increase them over time.”
“We ruled against this. We want and need peace between the islands. We are all dragon shifters. We are the same at the end of the day,” Vector says. “Is it really a peace treaty if there are sanctions in place?”
“The thing is, Head Councilor, old prejudices die hard. We’ve literally been raised to hate one another. We’ve lost loved ones in this war. There will be animosity and?—”
“I’m going to stop you there.” Reed raises a hand. “It has already been agreed. When the borders open at midnight, they open fully.”
Fuck!
“Understood.” At least it will mean serious work for my team. My job isn’t going away. I guess it’s transforming, which is more than I had hoped for. “There will more than likely be significant security challenges. I would have liked more time to brief my team and to come up with strategies on how to tackle these challenges. We need to be prepared for any eventuality.”
