"What do you think of our Miss Evans?" Derek asked the Circle. They were gathered in a plush sunroom at the back of the plantation house.

Lith shrugged. "She seemed vapid but genuine. As in, she understands and identifies with the Nephilim cause, but only in a distant way."

"I think that's very well put," Kwanten said.

Derek said, "Then the question becomes whether she is intelligent enough and strong-willed enough to join us, or whether we merely list her as part of the general militia."

"I think it would be worth it to give her a chance," Izzy said. "See how she does in the trials. Test her loyalty."

"There's nothing to lose in testing her," Lith agreed.

"Then we'll test her," Derek decided. "Izzy, start making the necessary arrangements. Edward, have you heard anything from the Elders?"

"The Watchers and the other ancients all think our plans are rash and our cause foolish," Edward reported. "They ask us to reconsider, but will not hamper us if we do not."

"Probably they think we need to learn a lesson from this." Lith shrugged. "My mother always says things like that."

"Lorabel's arrogance knows no bounds," Derek muttered.

"It does not," Lith said. "But as it remains, she is my mother, and I will expect all of you to treat our matriarch with respect."

"Fair enough," Derek replied. "I will treat her with begrudging respect. Caliota, have you heard from those humans again?"

"Yes," Cali said. "They claim to have found what we're seeking."

"Really? That's interesting. They're only humans." Derek leaned back in his lounge chair.

"They are powerful," Caliota returned. "And they say that we will soon have proof of what they found."

"Excellent," Derek said. "I admit, I'm fairly suspicious about how these humans were able to find an unfallen Naphil before we were. We have resources in Heaven and Hell."

"So do they, probably," Kwanten pointed out. "Angels and fallen alike would look twice at a Naphil asking for an unfallen kinsman. Humans, though, no one takes them seriously."

"You may be right," Derek said. "At the very least, this reduces our workload significantly, if they truly have found one. When will they tell us?"

"By Christmas," Cali said.

Derek grinned. "I think I like their sense of humor."

---

"Welcome to the New Council Meet and Greet," Avian Morrison said, leaning back in her tilted chair as though wishing to take a nap.

Of the Shadow Councillors, only Avian and Melisma were present. Astaire Kenton and Blair Winters each had business elsewhere. All seven of the new councillors were present, though, as was the new mayor.

"As you all know," Avian began, "the greatest threat to this city and its people as we speak is the Human Restoration League. For years, HRL infested our local government. They controlled our police force. They enforced their dangerous, anti-nonhuman laws. But in order for all of us to succeed, we should all be able to live together in peace and tolerance.

"That's why you're here. Now that we're aware of the existence of our nonhuman neighbors, it's up to us to make this city livable for us and for them. Equally; equitably. You will be our legislative line of defense, passing laws and approving policies that will make this a welcome city for anyone to live in. You were elected by the people--"

Someone snorted very loudly.

"--human and nonhuman alike, for this very purpose. Do you have a concern to raise, Councillor Melancon?"

"We weren't elected by the people," Remy said. "We were placed here by the Eccentrics. Let's not pretend here."

Avian frowned. "The election was closely monitored, and there was no sign of tampering, whether from the Eccentrics or anyone else. Please don't entertain ridiculous rumors."

"Actually," Nero said, "Remy is right."

Avian's glare settled on the mayor. "Do I need to send a clarification to your office as well, Demedici?"

"Why not, Chief? Send us the official party line so we can toe it." Nero offered the woman a sneer.

Behind Avian, a chair scraped against the floor. Melisma Ramijozana rose.

All eyes fell on her as she stepped around the table and stopped in front of the New Council. For a time, the room contained no sound.

"You are no child," she said in her faint but sure voice. "You are a public servant."

"I'm the mayor," Nero corrected.

"Yes," she demurred. "Foremost among the public servants."

With a few more quiet steps, she stopped before Remy. "Miss Melancon," she said.

"Empress," Remy replied. "I bet you're going to tell me something super wise because you're a hotshot from the other side of the world."

Melisma gave the young woman a stern look. "And?"

"And we don't wanna hear it," Lila Clarington-Walker interrupted, also standing up. "What do you care about us, anyway? What do you know? When's the last time you helped an overworked tourism worker? What's your view of our housing crisis? Just because you were born into a crown doesn't mean you get anything about American politics."

"Stop," Avian warned Lila.

Melisma's smile had already curdled into something devoid of any pleasantness. Her gaze settled on Lila and then cut clean through the woman.

"Tell me," Melisma said. "What causes the housing crisis here?"

"Low wages, not enough affordable housing units, too many luxury units," Lila replied.

Melisma asked, "And what causes those?"

Lila twisted her lips. "Unfair governing and lack of opportunities."

Melisma asked, "And who created those?"

Lila frowned.

"Separatist politics did," Avian said, leaning on the table. "Hidden hands pulling us apart, pitting us against each other. Divesting the helpless of their chances to succeed, and building a cycle of further helplessness to entrap them. In short: HRL."

"We see this pattern across the world," Melisma continued. "Sometimes from HRL. Sometimes from others. I fought them on my own ground. Then I fought them here. We won."

Avian folded her arms and nodded. All of the Shadow Council had been with Melisma then, some thirteen years before, unseating and uprooting the human separatists wherever they found them.

"But HRL is not one group," Melisma said. "It's a sentiment. People can be defeated. Ideologies need more specific action."

She stopped because she felt the room shift, and a moment later, the New Councillors' eyes were drawn to the table behind her. A glamour fell, revealing Christian Moynahan at the far corner.

"Step outside," he said.

The direction of the command was unclear, and the young councillors felt confused until Melisma picked up her skirts, turned, and drifted out of the room without once looking at Christian. Avian did glance at the man, and then she followed Melisma out.

The door closed.

"Do you know how to kill an ideology, Lila?" Christian asked. He remained seated, with one leg crossed over the other under the table.

"Teach against it," Lila answered.

"In time," Christian acknowledged. "But when lives are at stake, time is something we don't have. So instead, we stifle it. We starve it out."

Lila began, "You're not exactly one to--"

"Avian and Melisma humored you," he said, standing. "I will not. You are in my house, by my permission. You will show the Shadow Councillors all the respect due to them as they help you, on their own time, transition into your roles."

Remy said, "We're not trying to be rude. We just want to make the point that--"

"That you weren't democratically elected?" Christian whirled to face her. "That the entire election was a sham, despite Chief Morrison's artful attempts to dance around it? Yes. Absolutely. Point well made. I'm well aware of it, because I'm the bastard who installed each and every one of you."

Nero appeared to choke on something. Everyone else opened their mouths to protest.

"No," Christian growled. "Whatever it is you want to say about it, you can take it and get fucked."

Remy insisted, "Christian--"

"No!" Christian roared. "I've fucking had it with your judgments! I've seen the face of this abomination. It tried to kill me. It tried to take everything from me, because of what I am! Because of what my friends are! Because of what this city is! If you think we could have trusted the citizens of this town to not be duped by HRL again, then you don't deserve the seat you're sitting in!"

Melisma drifted into the room.

"So I fixed it," Christian said, his voice dropping to normal decibels. "I arranged the election. With help. I had to choose between honoring my neighbors' freedoms and risking their lives and livelihoods. I hope to your preferred gods that you never have to make that choice."

Remy shifted in her seat.

"I know that look," Christian told her. "I know those thoughts. Christian Moynahan. He was supposed to be a leader of humankind, but he turned out to be just another tricky Fae."

"I don't think that," Remy said.

"Don't you?" Christian scoffed. "Does it matter? You've already decided that I'm the villain of this story. Or, well, you decided it was Blair, because that's the obvious choice, but when it's me, it hits closer to home."

Remy sucked in her lips.

"So watch how you name your enemies," Christian said. "I will unmake you."

The air in the room felt heavy as death.

"Let's take a five-minute break," Melisma said. None of the young councillors had to be invited twice. The room emptied out in seconds.

Melisma laid a hand on Christian's chest.

"You're tired," she said in Almajoyese.

"I'm frustrated," Christian answered in the same language. "And tired."

"I can fix that."

He smirked. "By making me more tired?"

"Perhaps. Later." She took his hand. "Come. There's something I've been wanting to show you."

They left the room, and the nightclub itself, heading for the hotel's expansive gym. Since the hotel was not open to the public yet, they'd had the gym all to themselves, with few interruptions over the past year.

"Then this is for our training," Christian commented as they entered the gym.

Melisma waved her hand, and her dress became a grey workout suit. Christian did the same, changing into a matching set.

"Yes," she replied. "I told you I would find my mother's focus object for teleporting." A golden crystal appeared in her outstretched hand.

Christian took the crystal from her. In his grasp, the crystal turned shades of blue and purple. "You've been hanging on to this for a moment when I would need a distraction."

Her lips curved into a smile. "Maybe."

"I don't think I could use this right now. I mostly want to punch something."

She gestured toward a set of punching bags. "Well, would you look at that foresight."

They punched things for an hour, and then Melisma again introduced the focus crystal. By the time they were done training, the council meeting was long over, so they went upstairs and made love instead.