as a child. What did the one dinosaur say to the other dinosaur about the new, bright light in the sky? Nothing, because then the asteroid hit and vaporized them both! Likewise, our destruction is coming unless we act now to prevent it.”
Sanjay finally spoke. “I accept Hekima invoking article seven, and welcome Xun Guan and Priscilla as council members.”
Five more council members voiced their acceptance. Only Lucius, Phoenix, and Rolfe refused.
“You go too far selecting vampires whose opinions align with yours,” Lucius hissed.
“Do I?” Hekima said in dangerous tone. “Article seven gives me the power to appoint any vampire I wish. Both Priscilla and Xun Guan have impeccable service records, so if you waste more time that endangers our people, I will appoint this vampire”—her head jerked at Ian, and my mouth fell open—“instead even though I shudder to imagine him as a council member.”
“I withdraw my objection,” Phoenix said at once.
“As do I,” Rolfe chimed in.
Ian swiveled the laptop so that Lucius could see him. “Do it,” he urged. “Object. I’ll wreck your whole bloody life.”
“I withdraw my objection,” Lucius said in one of the most sullen tones I’d ever heard.
“Wise,” Hekima said, and then swore in Priscilla and Xun Guan. Both women looked stunned as they repeated the oath that made them the vampire council’s newest members.
“I now call for an immediate vote on allying with the ghoul nation for the duration of this war against the gods,” Hekima said as soon as she was finished. “All in favor, say aye. All in dissent, say nay.”
Nine “ayes” and two “nays” followed. No surprise, Lucius and Phoenix were the nays.
“I also call for a vote rescinding the illegality of magic,” Hekima said, surprising me. “Magic saved us from the volcano, and magic protects us now. We will need more to ensure our victory against our adversaries, yet we can hardly expect it while simultaneously condemning the vampires who use it.”
“Once more, you go too far,” Lucius growled.
“No, this law did,” Hekima countered. “Continuing to make something illegal simply because it makes vampires like you uncomfortable is nonsense. All in favor, vote aye! All in dissent, vote nay.”
I clenched my fists as the replies came in, thinking of all the vampires I’d helped into hiding because of this law. Far too many more hadn’t lived long enough to hide. They’d been killed or had taken their own lives out of despair. Please, I thought. Please, let this injustice end!
Ian took one of my closed hands, squeezing it. When the voting was finished, I almost burst into tears.
Seven ayes, four nays. Magic was now legal for vampires.
“I now call for a final vote to rescind the illegality of mixed-species persons,” Helena said.
“I will not stand for this!” Lucius shouted.
“Then leave, and forfeit your chance to vote,” Hekima replied in her stoniest voice. “Any others are welcome to forfeit as well. The motion will pass or fail based on those who stay, as per article seven of the emergency powers because a mixed-species person holds the only weapon effective against Ruaumoko and Morana.”
“Lies,” Lucius said in a hiss.
I rolled up the sleeve of my top and showed the council members the cuffs embedded in my skin as if they were thick tattoos.
“When I am near Morana or Ruaumoko, these manifest into restraints that I will use to send them straight to the netherworld.” Then, my voice roughened from thousands of years of unnecessary self-loathing: “But that isn’t why you should decriminalize mixed-species people. Do it because this law never should have been written in the first place since we are worth more than the worst prejudices of people who hated us enough to make our very existence illegal.”
With that, I walked out of the hotel room. I had endured many things, but I couldn’t endure hearing how many council members would vote for the continuation of violent hate under the guise of maintaining the “purity” of our species.
I’d made it all the way to the first floor of the hotel when I heard Ian’s voice.
“Veritas!”
He was in front of me in the next moment. I only had an instant to see his face before he crushed me in his arms, but that single glimpse told me everything.
I didn’t hug him back. I didn’t even move because I felt too numb, but it was a beautiful, shocked kind of numb. It felt so long since I’d been surprised by joy.
“They didn’t,” I choked out.
Ian pulled away enough for me to see his