they have created some things worth experiencing.” She noticed him eyeing her cotton candy. Myanin uncrossed her arms and rested her hand on the unseen dagger at her hip. If he even moved slightly in the direction of her treasure, she would cut off his hand. Yes, she was that serious about her fluffy goodness. A woman scorned needed her vices while she plotted revenge schemes.
“I can agree with that,” Ludcarab said, nodding. “But they are still inferior to us in so many ways that it is ridiculous we walk in the shadows as if we should fear them.”
“The human realm is not ours,” Myanin pointed out. “We don’t have to live in the shadows in our own realms.”
“And the wolves, vampires, trolls?” he challenged. “Should they live in the shadows in this realm?”
“They are where they were created to be, and if that is in the shadows, then perhaps there is a reason for that.” Why am I arguing with him? It’s not like I care for humans. The ones I’ve encountered have been annoying and ignorant. They have no self-preservation instincts, and they place dumb names on all of their things. That alone is reason enough to put them beneath the supernaturals.
“And what about the weakening magic?” Ludcarab countered.
He’s got me there. Most of the supernaturals believed the magic drain had something to do with them being in the human realm, but it was actually the opposite. The magic in the other realms was leaking into the human realm. While this weakened the supernatural realms, it strengthened the power in the human realm. No one seemed to know why this was happening. Even the djinn had noticed the magic in their own realm weakening, but the elders, no matter how much they searched in their history, could not come up with an answer as to why. And like most of the other supernaturals, regardless of the fact that their magic was weakening, they didn’t want to leave their homeland.
“Evolution?” Myanin suggested. “Perhaps it’s time for the supernaturals to slowly die out. Maybe we have served our purpose, and now nature is simply trying to do away with us.”
The look of horror on Ludcarab’s face was so comical she had to cough back a laugh. Apparently, the elf king did not like the idea of his own mortality.
“We can stand here and disagree for decades,” he said, apparently deciding to ignore her comment. “What I want to know is if you will join The Order of the Burning Claw?”
“Why should I? It would be foolish to blindly follow a man who obviously cares little for anyone other than himself.”
“You would be foolish not to look out for your own best interests,” he corrected. “Never make a decision that won’t somehow benefit you and, if possible, benefit you above the others with whom you might be entering into an agreement.”
“Do you want to be my mentor or something?” Amusement filled her voice because she found that idea to be ridiculous.
Ludcarab’s eyes narrowed. “I want to know if you will join us. If you do, you will not have to live in hiding. You won’t have to worry about returning to your realm and living in a place where you will eventually become as weak as a human. You will be able to live in the human realm and be what you were created to be. It will no longer be necessary to hide your powers here. And you won’t have to be subject to your elders.”
She shifted slightly, her hand still resting on the blade at her hip. “But I would be subject to you?”
He shrugged. “There has to be some leadership or chaos would reign. Chaos amongst supernatural beings could get messy quite quickly.”
“Who else is in this Order of the Burning Claw?”
“We have representation from almost every supernatural race. There are three other leaders who have helped run it over the decades. Alston, the high fae, Sincaro, the vampire king, and one of his powerful coven leaders, Cain. Though it is I who has been the official leader for centuries.”
Myanin watched his chest puff out at this declaration. Super humble. “And everyone is on the same page?” she asked. Regardless of his answer, she would know the truth once she saw them all together. The dynamic would reveal itself, and she could determine who was truly in charge and who was simply waiting to be picked off.
“We all want the same thing,” Ludcarab confirmed. “And we all are