Those who could find a place to sit did; the rest of us stood around and waited for the information.
"A few months ago we signed a treaty with the president of the united states," Louis started, and we finally had our confirmation that this was about that bastard. "He found out our secret from when I was not in my sound mind, and threatened to expose us if we didn't form an agreement with him."
Energy rose in the room, draping across us like a second skin. Louis was literally shedding his power in his rage, and I hoped that he didn't lose control.
We'd all be in trouble then.
"I know most of you are aware of the agreement reached with the president," he continued when he pulled himself together, his power less palpable. "He requested fifty supes, from a variety of supernatural races, so that he might use them to help him govern his people. Stop wars. Control the famine issue. And multiple other humanitarian ventures he mentioned. We did not want to comply, as we've never worked with humans in this manner, and they've generally proven to be untrustworthy, but his evidence forced our hand."
Justice was practically bristling at my side, making angry little hissing sounds as she huffed air in and out. She’d known from the start. I should have listened to her and killed him before any of this even began.
"We underestimated President Caine," Louis said, his voice filled with rage. Heat engulfed the room and it was only when Tee put her hand on his arm that it faded. "I underestimated him. I've been distracted. A lot is happening all over the world, and I let this slide when I should have been keeping a closer eye on the humans. I should have been one of the fifty so that I could make sure no advantage had been taken."
He was so angry, and I felt deep in my energy, that whatever had happened was going to change everything. I wasn’t sure I’d ever seen Louis like this, and truth be told, it chilled me to my core.
"The president was using us all along," he rumbled. "He had a plan that we didn't know about, and when he had everything in place, he executed it."
The word executed sent a shiver of power across the room.
The sorcerer gritted his teeth, sucking in a few deep breaths. "He used the energy and magic of the fifty supernaturals that were part of the treaty," he spat. "Sacrificed them one by one, to assist a being that has forsaken everything its kind stand for.”
Noise erupted in the room, fury spilling over at the news that fifty of our people had been murdered by a fucking human. How? How was it even possible that he would get one up on supernaturals like that.
"He knew about us," Justice said, and no one should have been able to hear her over the ruckus, but somehow they grew quiet, staring at her. "Even though he pretended to be afraid of us, he was watching us. I felt his stare. His creepy stare was there every day and night."
She looked at Louis. "How did he kill them? How could he overpower fifty supes?"
Louis's face was back to expressionless as he attempted to hold his shit together.
"He had help. A rogue dragon. A rogue, wild dragon. They shared the power, and the beast used his half to cast a spell that will destroy the ley line between the worlds.”
This time when the noise exploded, it almost blew the roof off the cabin. I met Braxton's gaze from across the room and he nodded.
Fuck. A dragon would be strong enough to do this, but why would it help a human?
30
Justice Winter
I should have done more to warn them. I should have! My years of being intimately acquainted with evil had prepared me to recognize it. I’d felt that from President Caine, known that the festering rot in his core was a huge worry, but I’d been too distracted by everything else happening.
By Jacob especially.
"You're not to blame for this," Jacob said, tuning in to my thoughts. "I was there too, and I know this world much better than you. I was, as you always said, arrogant, believing a human couldn’t do much more than be an annoyance. Figured we’d indulge him for a few months or a year, until we either found the evidence and destroyed it or killed him in his