roam free, the humans will be terrified of us. Then they will get in line, and learn their place. Humans are a lower life form. Their purpose in life, as deemed by the gods, is to serve us.”
The potion wasn’t working. But her position was an unpopular one. Revealing ourselves to the humans was risky, even for the bravest among us. Lord Radcliffe’s voice was nervous as he said, “This is quite a radical idea. Are you sure this is the point you want to make your case on?”
“I have to, Lord Tremaine. I have to make a stand, for the good of my country and the good of the world,” Gabby crooned, with all the virtuous pleading of a martyr. “All life is connected in a web, and each of us is responsible for every strand. Humans are destroying the earth, and driving it to extinction. Before too long, there won’t be anything left. It is the job of the supernatural community to protect the earth, and use our magic to defend it. If we continue to let the humans ravage without consequences, there will be nothing remaining for our descendants. Humans must learn there are penalties for their actions, and if they’re going to, we must police them. They won’t understand unless a higher power comes in to teach them, and Lord Tremaine, the gods have deemed that higher power is us.”
Gabby’s case was tough to argue. I got that humans were destroying everything, and agreed we had to do something about it, but enslaving them all wasn’t the way to handle the situation.
But that didn’t appear to be the view of the council. Lord Morgane grunted with approval. “Now this sounds like a cause I can get behind. Please, tell us more.”
Slow, impending dread grew over me as Gabby answered the questions with clarity, speaking her case by insisting that humans were expendable and fae, our own, had to come first. Lady Magdalina objected several times, and Lord Lucien spoke up, but they were ignored. Lady Iris, who had all but given up hope, sat there quietly and watched Gabby rant with a stony expression.
Gabby’s eyes grew dark and malevolent as she voiced all the ways fae deserved to be lording over the humans. Elijah watched her proudly, but honestly, I considered him an idiot standing next to her. There was stuff she was planning she hadn’t even told him. I was sure of it.
The vote was called. Gabby was approved by the council, and Elijah and Gabby passed their trials of competency.
Misery welled over my spirit and drowned out its light. We had tried to stop them. And yet, we’d horribly failed. And now Malovia wasn’t the only country at risk from their madness.
It was the entire world.
Emma, Delmare, Stefan, Theo and Odette were waiting for me in the abandoned classroom. Their faces fell when they saw my darkened expression. Emma’s mouth dropped open, and the look in her eyes was enough to break my heart.
“They passed,” I announced. “The Circle voted them in. They’ll be crowned before the semester is out.”
Odette gasped. She flung herself onto Theo, and he held her. Emma stared at the ground— Delmare observed me in disbelief.
“But— you enchanted the amulet,” Stefan said. “Eli had to tell the truth about what he was planning.”
“He did speak his mind. And the Circle loved every word he had to say.” I summarized the meeting, and spoke as much as I remembered from Elijah and Gabby’s speeches. The expressions of my friends grew more horrified with every sentence.
Emma was close to hyperventilating. I knew she was worried about losing her healthcare, but didn’t want to talk about it in front of the others, as they didn’t know she was sick yet.
I heard her voice in my head as she said, I’m fucked without my medicine. I need it to survive. If Eli takes it away, I’ll die.
I sent a telepathic message back to her. You’re going to be fine, Emma. I’m still prince regent. I’ll take care of you no matter what happens.
If I had to, I’d pay outright for her medicine. My treasury funds and vast inheritance wasn’t going anywhere. My bastard cousin couldn’t touch those.
But what about all the other disabled people in Malovia? The ones who aren’t lucky enough to be mated to a prince? Emma replied.
I couldn’t reply, because the answer would be they’d have to die.
“Dude, they can’t just kill off all the old people,” Stefan objected.