“Nate Walker, frence creative copywriter,” he returned. He shook Sigrid’s hand and nodded to thewyer who was holding herself back a little as she looked to Nate.
Cam locked the door and activated the privacy rune once more.
“Exin,” was all Mahati said as she looked to Cam.
The CEO sighed then began. She exined how Siobhan Whn had discovered Nate had been unaware of his true nature until the previous October. At that time Oletha Thanemark had tried to abduct him. She’d attempted multiple times since the first. Siobhan invited him to visit yesterday, but Oletha managed to capture him. She was almost sessful in kidnapping him, but they found her location and retrieved him from the yacht when she attacked Cam.
“How does this make him like Henry?” Mahati asked with a frown. “Aside from hisck of knowledge of his true nature?”
“The easiest way to prove it would be a demonstration. Nate, we wouldn’t normally ask you to do this but could you show Mahati your true self?” Cam sighed as she pressed the button to close her blinds.
He looked into her eyes and saw she was serious, so he stood. He moved to the open space before the couch and smiled at the group. All eyes were on him. He closed his eyes and triggered his mor to drop.
Roy gave a frustrated growl as he turned to Cam. “Dammit! Could ya not tell thed to wear something underneath th’ mor! Between him and Henry!”
Nate looked down, and there it was. His Incubus junk. Big, jet ck, ridged, red and exposed for all to see. He spun to turn his back towards them and opened his wings.
“Wings!” Mahati gasped, struggling to recover from the peep show.
“Yes. Incubi haven’t had wings for thousands of years. Before you ask, there has never been a case of a random activation of the dormant genes. He’s been pulled from that era, as Henry was,” Cam said and looked to Nate. “Thank you. You can switch back.”
He looked at her nervously over his shoulder. “I- uh, need the picture.”
“Sorry.” She stood and walked over with the page and held it up before him as he concentrated. This time it took four attempts as he was nervous. “You’ll get the hang of it,” she said gently as he gave her an apologetic look.
Mahati had recovered some of her haughtiness and stared down her nose at Nate. “While startling, this doesn’t prove he was involved with the witch. Did she raise him too?”
Cam looked to Nate to answer that, and he turned to thewyer. “I have regr parents- human parents… I was adopted. I think I met the woman you’re talking about once. She showed up the night I discovered what I was. She walked right up to look me in the eye. She looked disappointed and pissed off then walked away. That’s the only time I recall seeing her.”
“Your mor has a non-standard transition which means it wasn’t given to you by the Fae. Did you ever try to trigger your mor before that night?” Mahati asked.
He shook his head. “I didn’t know I had a mor. When Oletha tried to get me to trigger it, I felt this terrible feeling of fear and panic. She said someone had ced a strongpulsion spell on me to resist using or even looking for it.”
Cam shared a look with Roy whose face held a frustrated scowl. Mahati noticed. “You two have experienced this?”
“Aye, tis th’ witch,” Roy grumbled, his agitation bringing out his ent.
“It’s one of her trademarks. Using fear topel people to do, or in this case, not do something,” Cam stated with a grim expression. “It’s not pleasant to experience.”
“We must inform the Hidden Races Council immediately! You should have notified me-” Mahati began to raise her voice.
“We just did! We only just rescued Nate from the Marquisest night!” Sigrid stated.
“And I called youst night on my way to the marina,” Roy stated, holding her eyes with his.
Nate shifted uneasily in his chair. “Is there some danger involved in not immediately calling them? Are they going to send assassins after me?”
Everyone began to speak, trying to ease his fears until Mahati raised her hand for silence.
“No, you are not in any danger, and they will not assassinate you. I apologize if I gave you that impression. Iamconcerned that these three take on too much authority in issues that should be managed by powers greater than them.” She raised her hand again to stop the protests. “When dealing with entities such as Baba Yaga and Queen Mab, two of the most powerful witches in existence, one leaves the decision making to the authorities-”
“Sometimes those authorities don’t make decisions, but instead, react, following practices which are short-sighted and cruel when viable alternatives exist!” Cam insisted. When Mahati opened her mouth to argue, Cam raised her hand to stop her. “Let me finish.” Thewyer red at her but nodded stiffly. “If we hadn’t intervened in Stanley’s case, tell me, what course of action do you think the Council would have taken? What oue do they typically utilize? Would they have shownpassion to a young man whose whole world was turned upside down? Who discovered his grandmother wasn’t rted to him and he had no real family? A young man who just wanted to work onputers and have some friends? A young man who wasn’t a threat to anyone! A young man like Nate.”
Mahati sat with arms crossed, breathing hard and nostrils ring with her frustration.
“Think about it, please,” Sigrid asked gently and intense brown eyes locked on the blonde’s earnest blue eyes.
Nate nced back and forth between Mahati and Cam. He was confused, so he caught Mahati’s attention. “Pardon me if this sounds rude, I don’t mean to be, but I’m truly confused here. As awyer, who’s your client? The Council or VRL?”
Cam’s eyes showed her pleased surprise while Mahati’s narrowed with anger.
“It looks like you took that as criticism. I’m sorry. You’re talking about my continued existence, so I thought maybe I should ensure I had fair representation… if that’s even allowed,” Nate continued.
Mahati huffed as she realized his question was honest and she was in a spot.
Cam took the opportunity of that moment of silence tounch her second attack. “The Council appointed your firm to us. We didn’t choose your firm. Nor have we signed any contracts, yet, so legally we aren’t your client. I didn’t refuse as I generally support their efforts to keep us all safe. However, I don’t agree with all of their decisions or practices. Frankly, I would wee some intelligent oversight and review on those policies. I also wanted to see if you would be a good fit. That said, I believe we would all be morefortable if our external legal counsel was inourcorner.
Mahati blinked in surprise. “Are you firing me?”
“Just the opposite. I’d like to offeryouthe job of VRL’s external legal counsel. I’ve done my research. Your mother’s firm is highly respected, and your certifications are excellent. As you said, you don’t have ‘in the field’ experience, but I believe you would be a quick study. You can call on our Mr. De Hann for any questions you may have as well. I’ll offer you the same terms I gave Walter Zhao. I have a contract you may take with you and review. Ites with just one condition.” She slid arge sealed envelope across her desk to thewyer.
Mahati’s eyes narrowed once more. “What is this… condition?”
“I’d like you to shake Marisa’s hand.”
Mahati frowned. “Why?”
“She’s a seer, untrained but powerful. She sees potentials. Her read from you will tell me if I should trust you. I already feel good about this decision but as this affects more than just me, a second opinion is required.”
“I don’t want to know my future!” Mahati gasped in outrage.
Cam shook her head. “From what she’d told me, her talent doesn’t work that way. I’m only looking for her overall impression of you. I’m just going to ask her to answer one question. Should I ept you as VRL’s legal counsel, yes or no?” Cam exined.
Mahati was looking very defensive. She plucked the envelope from the desk. “Let me read the contract. I don’t know if I’m even interested. You seem to be a focal point of chaotic events.”
“May you live in interesting times,” Nate murmured to himself, but Roy heard and smiled.
“Aye, it has its ups and downs,” the big man agreed.
Cam leaned forward and caught Mahati’s eye. “Can we agree to hold off on reporting Nate’s existence to the Council until you’ve decided on the contract? I’ll need time to find alternate counsel should you reject the contract. I should inform you that otherw firmsareapproaching us with offers to use their services.”
Shaken by the direction the conversation had taken but struggling not to show it, Mahati nodded stiffly to Cam. “I’ll let you know tomorrow. Until then Mr. Walker’s- special circumstance can remain unreported.”
She stood, nodded to the group and left.
Once the door was closed and locked once more, everyone let out a sigh of relief and smiled at each other.
Except for Nate who still looked worried.
“Why does it feel like I’m jumping from the frying pan into the fire?” he said.
Sigrid smiled at him. “It only seems that way because to you the council seems like a great big unknown. We got Henry through this. We’ll help you with this as will he.”
Nate nodded to her, feeling a little better. “How is he doing?”From N?velDrama.Org.
“He’s a little weak from blood loss, but I have someone watching over him. He’ll be back to full health in a couple of days. I’ll take him back to his condo tomorrow.” There was a buzz at her hip, and she lifted her cell to see a text. “Ah! Speak of the devil. One sec.” She typed out a quick reply and smiled at them when she put the phone away. “Henry woke up hurting from the beating he tookst night. I told her to give him some pain meds.”
“I think I should set him up with some self-defense training,” Roy said with a frown.
“Maybe Nate would like that training too?” Cam asked.
Nate held up his hands. “Hey, I’m a lover, not a fighter.”
Roy rolled his eyes while Cam chuckled.
“Ok, Mr. Lover. What do you do for a living when you’re not wooing thedies?” the CEO asked.
Nate smiled. “I’m a frence creative copywriter.”
“Frence by choice?” Sigrid asked with a raised eyebrow.