“Why not Delphine?” It was Ivy who spoke this time. “You had no problem consorting with one.” She called upon her wind, a small force, enough to carry her words. “Speak,” she said. “Speak the truth or suffer for every lie.”
“I don’t know—” Delphine fell to the ground, her knees banging loudly on the ground before she even had the chance to finish her lie, her fall involuntary due to the immense pain coursing through her legs.
“Spells work in English?” Theo asked.
Ivy let out a small giggle. “Of course. They work in every language.”
“Then why bother with the Latin.”
“Mostly, it’s tradition.” She shrugged. “Plus, it sounds cooler in Latin. Then there’s the fact most people don’t understand what you’re saying,” she added with a wink. In this case, it was important for the members of the Council to understand every word, so they knew Ivy wasn’t casting a spell for Delphine to lie.
Delphine tried several more times to claim her innocence, and Ivy knew her pain was only getting worse. Finally, the truth spilled out of her.
“Raina approached me when she learned Ivy was in town. She told me she had a way to solve both our problems. She gave me the poison.”
“That’s a lie,” Raina shouted.
Too bad invoking truth didn’t work on other witches. Battle of the elements was one thing, but a simple spell like invoking truth did not use much elemental power and was easy for another witch to counteract.
“She’s incapable of lying right now.” Ivy smiled at her. “As a witch, you should know that.” Addressing the Council, Ivy said, “I also have proof Raina Hill murdered her true mate.”
Gasps rang out around the room at hearing the atrocity. Raina’s face contorted with rage. Ivy hoped she would try to attack her but knew Raina was too smart for that. Theo would rip her to shreds before she even made it halfway across the room.
Ivy and Kim presented their evidence, which was irrefutable with Delphine’s admission.
“She has also been dealing with the Russian mob,” Kim added. “Supplying them with dark magic potions.”
Ivy had already been looking into the connection with Kim’s help. Konstantin Petrov’s sister had been one of their victims.
There would be no trial for Raina. Ivy closed her eyes, knowing she finally got justice for Ben, though it would never bring him back.
As for the other three, according to shifter law, Theo was well within his rights to cut them down right then and there for attempting to murder his mate. He gave them a choice—plead guilty to all charges, or he would end them. They chose wisely.
“If you ever so much as breathe Ivy’s name, Delphine, I will kill you,” Theo warned. “And I will make it hurt.”
She and Theo were about to take their leave when one of the bear shifter representatives asked her to stay a moment longer.
“Ms. Spencer, I am aware your customs differ from ours, that you practice your familial magic, but witches and shifters,”—she jutted her chin, indicating Ivy and Theo’s clasped hands—“are not so different, and we could stand to learn from one another. What’s more, I think you could be a voice here, one that would represent the voices of other witches with respect to their own practiced magic.”
Ivy turned to Theo. “Is she asking me what I think she’s asking me?”
Theo cupped her face. “I believe so.”
Kim must have spoken about her to the Council.
“Think about it, Ms. Spencer.”
“I will.” Maybe it was time to bridge that gap since she was now part of the shifter world. She could never have asked for a better mate than the one who proudly stood next to her.
She had called out to her destiny, her destiny had called out to her, and she found him—her lawful mate.
EPILOGUE
Two weeks later…
* * *
Theo pressed Ivy further back into the wall, caging her with his arms. He kissed her, frantically trying to divest her and himself of their clothes. Every day since he claimed her, they tried to find moments between work and their other obligations.
