Page 6
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DIANA
W hy did that name sound so familiar? I racked my brain, trying to remember where I heard the words before… Princeps Council …
Bash’s words from our very first magical lesson at the mountain home flooded my mind.
“The Princeps…a magical council…You need to remember three laws until we can educate you on them properly. One, do not let the human population discover the magical community. We stay hidden because as history proves time and time again, they can’t handle us. Two, do not out another person’s magical ability. That’s punishable by death. And three, the magical council is corrupt. The laws are applied and enforced at a whim. It’s very wild west in our world. Be careful and always watch your back.”
I had a feeling which law was broken, but I asked my father anyway. “What law are they accusing us of violating? And what evidence do they have?”
“Spoken like a true pre-law student. The council does not have to provide proof. When they arrive, they’ll ask to meet with representatives from our leadership and will give us a trial of sorts. Then they decide.” Lucifer’s expression was unreadable.
“It’s not a fair system by far, but we will have a chance to argue our case,” Desmond added. I do remember Bash saying he served on the council at some point.
Judas stood. He didn’t wear his normal leather pants and mesh shirt today. No fur coat or boa feathers or jewelry, just jeans and a plain tee shirt. He was a muted, tired version of himself.
“I think I have an idea of why they are coming. Quelier, can you please play the footage my security team sent you?” His sigh echoed through the room as he ran his hands through his chin length hair.
The image of the card was replaced by footage of people on a city street—possibly in New York City—being chased by werewolves in broad daylight past skyscrapers. The sheer terror on their faces was palpable. Then it panned to moon people abducting bystanders off suburban streets and forcing them into sewer drains. The third clip was of a vampire biting a woman in the middle of a department store, right in front of the shoe section. Something was wrong with his eyes–they were wide and bloodshot, with red pupils. A fourth clip showed some kind of water creatures sinking a fishing boat. The amount of blood in the water made me nauseous. The final six clips were of news anchors from outlets all over the country reporting how people were claiming that paranormal monsters were real and the culprits behind attacks all over the country.
“The team researched these blatant attacks, and they’re all plants by Red to out the paranormal world,” Judas continued. “Since the council can’t track him down, they may be coming to us so we can do their dirty work…”
Ares, Desmond, and Mal locked eyes, most likely having a silent conversation. Oisín leaned back in his chair, a frown on his face. My fathers looked murderous, as if they were going to strangle someone. By outing the existence of paranormal beings, Red put a giant target on all of our backs. The world was no longer safe for any of us.
How could we fight him if we were too busy protecting ourselves from what was sure to be a mob of angry citizens who thought we were dangerous killers?
“I take it this isn’t going to be a partnership, but an ultimatum?” I asked, despite already knowing the answer.
“Yes. Even though we didn’t actually break the law, we’ll most likely get tasked with finding Red and taking him out. Or else we’ll meet that fate. They’re not fair, and they have no qualm about punishing those they see as a threat. I think it’s safe to assume they see us—our rebellion—as a threat because they think it disrupts the status quo.” Desmond explained. “The Princeps Council is not a joke, Diana.”
“Do you hear me laughing?” I deadpanned. Michael and my mom snickered. “How long do we have until they get here?”
“Probably tonight. They do most of their business in darkness,” Bain rasped from the other side of the room, his expression as stark as his white blond hair. He stood behind Angie, his hands on the back of her chair as if he was guarding her. I didn’t notice him come in, and from the surprised look on Apollo and Judas’ face, neither had they.
We had no clue where Red was, and failed our invasion of Pandemonium City. We had what was sure to be an international crisis on our hands. Unless someone made a plan while we were gone, we didn’t even know what our next steps were.
The need to take action coursed through me. No longer able to sit, I stood and walked over to my fathers’ chairs. “Okay. So we have time to figure out our next move. Let’s make a plan.”
“ We won’t be doing anything. You have training,” Desmond said in a clear dismissal. His attitude hurt, but I didn’t have time to rip him a new asshole.
Before I could verbally shred him, Quelier said, “Her training has been postponed.” He swiped at his tablet, then smiled at me. “Your morning and afternoon are clear. I also set up a mobile lunch for you, Angie, Nonna, Charlie, and Marilyn, so that wherever you end up, you can spend some time with family and destress.”
“What a sweetheart. Thank you, Quelier.” My mom’s smile cut through the tension in the room.
“I can’t wait,” Angie said. Quelier winked at her, and I thought she was going to melt on the spot.
“As lovely a sentiment as that is, Diana doesn’t have time for strategy meetings, society lunches, and gossip. She needs to train. War isn’t a far off eventuality—it’s already here. We were attacked on the compound again . The world is free-falling into chaos.” Desmond swung his glowing golden eyes to me. “You needed to hone your magic yesterday.”
Was he for fucking real? How dare he try to micromanage my life and speak for me.
“Diana withstood her own trauma and torture. She freed us from an inescapable pit of Hell that holds the worst beings to walk the Earth. She fought a T-rex and lived. Then she timehopped us thousands of years in time—backward and forward—and has more than proven she can practice magic at a high level. Don’t tell my sister what she needs to improve on, when you can’t even begin to do the kind of magic she can,” Oisín growled.
I could always depend on O to defend me. My brother’s face was a darker shade of red than his ginger hair. Steam bellowed out of his ears as he white knuckled the table. Desmond bared his teeth, his horns springing free from his head as he leaned forward in his seat.
“We don’t have time for another installment of Paranormal Ginger Fight Time. The Princeps Council will most likely be here when the sun sets. We have to be ready for them,” Ares growled, aiming a disappointed frown at Desmond.
“Well said, General. Diana stays. Anyone who wants to help us make a plan can stay. Anyone who will get in the way, please see yourself out,” Lucifer ordered.
Some of the vampires in the room gathered around Judas to take orders before fading out. Mom kissed my Dads on the cheek, then joined my family on their way back to their suite on the other side of the compound. That left my fathers, brother, boyfriends, Quelier, Judas, Bain, and Apollo.
“For those of you who haven’t been harassed by the Council before, this is what you can expect: three out of eight of their representatives will arrive, they’ll formally charge us, then they will usually convict, even if they have proof of no wrongdoing. It’s a fucking joke,” Lucifer flippantly groused.
If they didn’t play fair, then maybe we shouldn’t either…
“Does anyone know who serves on the Council?” I asked.
Desmond sighed. Not one of tiredness or stress. It was heavy with annoyance and condescension that tore through me. “No. They make it a point to remain secret. You wouldn’t know until after someone’s term was over.”
“That was a good question though,” Zaz added. “Knowing the enemy helps when trying to bring them down.”
“Have we thought about calling in some backup from our friend upstairs?” Oisín pointedly asked Michael as he gestured to the ceiling.
“Absolutely not. God doesn’t get involved in the happenings of Earth, even in Council matters.” He answered as if it was a finality. Something that never changed, despite the circumstances.
“I think they would want to get involved if the world was ending!” Oisín exclaimed.
“We are not calling God for backup,” Lucifer snapped, giving the final word and closing the book on that plot.
The room fell silent. No one was keen to get on my father’s bad side when he was in this type of mood. He felt defeated—we all did. Our grand plan to sneak into Hell like a Trojan Horse and decimate Red’s forces was a complete failure. We had no clue where he was, or how he’d attack us next. But we had to regroup. We had no choice but to come back stronger, and better than before. The world’s fate rested on our shoulders.
“If we can’t use the Council members as leverage, and we won’t call in backup, then the only thing we can do is make a war plan and hope it’s enough to prove we have the situation in hand,” I pointed out.
“I do love a good war plan,” Ares agreed. “The troops are training daily, itching for a fight.”
“Easier said than done. We don’t even know where Red is, or who keeps letting him in the compound,” Desmond replied. He gestured to Judas, who sat toward the other end of the table. “Your coven rat is still alive and well, my friend.”
“It’s the only option that tracks. We changed our security strategies, and August rotated out the entire guard team. The rat feeding Red more information is the only way he and his troops could enter the compound,” Judas said, his voice heavy. “After tonight’s meeting, we may want to think about moving our operations base.”
“It’s not going to matter if the location leaks again…” Michael rubbed the back of his neck, sighing.
“I hate to play the Morningstar card, but can’t you, Oisín, and Diana lay down the law? Even in my realm, the last name Morningstar is synonymous with power,” Quelier said to Lucifer.
“Diana isn’t going anywhere near that meeting,” Desmond snapped as steam billowed out of his ears.
My mouth almost hit the table. Everyone was silent, bouncing their glances between Desmond and I, waiting for one of us to erupt. His sighs and discouraging words were little knives slicing into the scar he left on my heart, slowly reopening a wound I thought was long healed. After I left them, he still didn’t understand how his high-handed, overbearing bullshit was suffocating me. How could he not realize he was making the same mistakes all over again?
I refuse to deal with this anymore. He had no right to tell me what I could do, or where I could go. My seat at the decision making table wasn’t his to give me. It was mine for the taking. Fuck him. I took a few calming breaths, because he wasn’t worth my emotional energy anymore. He would always be a moody, controlling bastard, and I just about had it with him.
“My attendance at that meeting isn’t up to you, Desmond. Please keep your opinions to yourself unless directly asked,” I said in an even tone of voice, trying to sound as unbothered as possible. I turned my attention to Lucifer. “Quelier has a point. We can totally strong-arm them into submission if you want.”
I heard Desmond take a sharp inhale of breath but muted him before he could argue with me. My anger was simmering inside me, threatening to come to a boil, and if I had to hear one more word come out of his mouth, I’d tear him apart.
Unfortunately, it only lasted for a few seconds before he removed it.
“Do you understand how the council works at all? They may be coming here about a breach of secrecy, but don’t think for a moment they won’t target you,” he shouted.
“What does Diana have to do with any of this?” Mal asked.
“The Council doesn’t maintain order over the magical community…they keep it in status quo. Diana’s immense, unchecked power combined with her last name puts a target on her back—they’ll see her as a threat.”
Lucifer cracked his neck, leaning back in his chair before locking eyes with Michael. My fathers shared so much history. I had wondered a few times whether they’d be able to read each other’s minds, even without their bond.
“It’s reasonable to assume that if Red has spies in our camp, the Princeps Council does as well. They could very well know how powerful Diana is,” Michael weighed his words carefully. “But I agree with Lucifer that she needs to be there.”
Lucifer smiled at me, and for the first time, I thanked Heaven and Hell that he was there for me. He would understand how I feel.
I’ll never take away your chance to defend yourself, he linked me.
His confidence in me was the support I desperately needed. I stood from my chair, as straight and regal as a queen, like I owned the fucking room…because I did . I was Diana fucking Morningstar, and Desmond could either bend the knee or fuck off.
I gave him a cold, emotionless glare before I made my decree. “I refuse to hide away from the Council. If they’re going to discuss me at this meeting, then I will be there to defend myself. The matter is closed.”
The look of disappointment on Desmond’s face momentarily threw me, but I emotionally righted myself again. He had to learn that he couldn’t manipulate or control me.
My time of sitting in the backseat while someone else drove was over.
The emergency meeting had run all the way to lunch, and the only thing we decided was to create a rough war plan to convince the Princeps Council that we had everything in hand. We couldn’t finalize any of it because we still had no clue where Red was hiding. Or who served as his point of entry inside the compound. Michael had a point—moving would only be a short lived solution because eventually, our new secret location would be blown. We had to find out who the rat was. And none of this would matter if the Council put us down.
My anxiety over the Princeps Council’s imminent arrival was slightly dampened by the special lunch Quelier set up for me. Marilyn, Angie, Nonna and Charlie made me feel like a normal person for once. I ate a fancy sandwich, drank a cocktail, and gossiped with my favorite people. I was a regular woman who could relax and enjoy the company of her family, not the prophesied daughter of Lucifer Morningstar tasked with saving the world from magical annihilation.
We all sat at a specialty decorated table in a private section of the dining hall, finishing the last bites of our chocolate mousse dessert. Draining the last of my mimosa, I watched the seconds tick away on the clock. In three minutes, someone would show up to escort me to training. I had just gotten Mom back in my life, and no amount of time would ever be enough to catch up or convince myself that she was really here and not a figment of my imagination.
“What’s wrong, Diana?” she asked, breaking me from my thoughts.
“I’m sorry, I spaced out,” I replied, choosing to leave out my dark thoughts.
“I can only imagine how stressed you must feel…” she carefully said. “If you ever need someone to talk to, or someone to help you forget about it all, we’re here for you.”
Everyone at the table nodded in agreement.
“I probably only know a fraction of what’s happening, but from what Judas told me, things will get worse before they get better,” Angie said.
She held my gaze, and I knew it was in solidarity, but it only reminded me of how I almost lost her when the casino was attacked. How we both lost Nonna. How everything could have changed had we not found her in the fourth realm in time.
If we didn’t do something to stop him soon, Red would destroy everyone I loved until there was nothing left. I refused to let that happen.
“It’s in hard times we find ourselves and rediscover our strengths,” both my Momma and Nonna said together. I had heard them say those words so many times as I grew up, and never needed to hear them more than I did today.
“That’s the honest truth,” Quelier said from behind me, startling me. None of us had heard him come in. “I’m sorry to interrupt, but I need to take Diana to training.”
I said goodbye to everyone with a hug and kiss, promising to make more time for each other. I meant it. There was no way I could push myself this hard if I didn’t take time for myself. When I hugged Charlie, he held on, squeezing me tightly.
“I’m so glad your craziest boyfriend kidnapped me in the middle of the night, tied me to a chair, and gave me to you as an apology present. It was the best way to find out my bestie wasn’t dead,” he whispered in my ear in a deadpan tone. “Don’t worry, this will all work out.”
“Don’t get mushy on me,” I replied with a laugh. Charlie was not a sappy guy, and his words were basically his version of ‘I love you’. Unfortunately, Oisín hasn’t learned how to deal with how emotionally unavailable Charlie can be.
On the way out, Quelier said, “Let me guess, Ares?”
“Yeah. One of many unique, unusual gifts he’s given me,” I replied.
“You wouldn’t happen to know what kinds of gifts Angela likes…” he hedged. He tried to play the question off as casual, but I saw the way he stared at her while he was waiting for us all to finish our drawn out goodbyes.
I sighed, because I had no clue how to answer that, or if she would even be interested in him with the insane amount of male attention she got between Judas, Apollo, and Hades…and whatever her and Bain had going on. I still wasn’t sure if he even tolerated my aunt. The stares he gave her were a three way toss up between ‘Possessive over the top stalker’, ‘I fucking hate you’ and ‘I’m constipated’.
“You know she already has at least three suitors after her heart,” I teased him.
“Good. I’ll either come home with one partner or four, the more the merrier,” he said in a serious tone. Well in that case, it couldn’t hurt to give him some help.
“Cook something fancy, but not Italian food. We can make that ourselves. Then take her out to do something fun. Not a movie, because she’ll talk through the whole thing. She’s sarcastic and loves to laugh.”
“Noted.” I practically heard the wheels turning in his head.
When we finally made it to the training facility, a disappointed Desmond stood at the door. He hadn’t said a word to me after the meeting, choosing to storm out the door and ignore his problems.
Totally saw that coming.
His arms were crossed, and he glanced at the pretentious watch on his wrist. His frown was enough to make me regret coming here in the first place.
“You’re eight minutes late.” No hello, or question about my lunch. No hug or kiss. He didn’t even wait for me before he strode into the training facility, like I was a dog who’d follow him wherever he’d go.
Part of me was tempted to morph into Feta’s twin and bite his ass. I’d rip a whole fucking cheek clean off if he didn’t stop being an asshole to me.
“What are my fathers doing right now?” I asked Q.
He unlocked his tablet and swiped through some menus. “Michael is occupied, but Lucifer is free.”
“Good, I’d rather have a private training lesson with him. Please inform Desmond our training is cancelled.”
“With pleasure.” His grin was confirmation enough for me that my decision was warranted. I didn’t have the emotional energy to deal with Desmond right now.
I faded to my fathers’ barrack, and spent the rest of the afternoon learning about nonverbal magic, misdirection tactics, and how to put moody boyfriends in their place.