The Gathering was my favorite thing as a kid; a congregation of all the people and stories that I was too young to understand. My favorite group was the three witches who shared a vote. My mom held the Mother seat, the one my aunt now sat in, with the Crone and Maiden supporting her. I had a little stool behind them where I could listen. It was fine because everyone assumed I would one day sit there.

Since my mom died, leaving me the only heir, there was still the question of whether I would take over the Morill seat from my uncle on my eighteenth birthday or wait for Esmeralda, the Maiden, to step into the Mother role. I knew I wasn't qualified for the Maiden seat, but the Morill one was my birthright. I just needed to prove myself.

The eyes of everyone zeroed in on me and Kiri as we entered the room and stood behind the Morill chair, while the other members did the same. Alpha Daniel stood a few spots down, opposite my Aunt Beatrix. Marella, the mermaid who lived at the manor since her appointment to the merperson seat, rested her head on the table, her unnaturally green hair spread out like vegetation.

Uncle Finn entered the room, his eyes sweeping over everyone. They stopped on me, or rather Kiri, and his pupils went wide, black overtaking brown as he strode forward with slow, deliberate steps.

"Kiri, you'll have to wait outside. This isn't the place for you."

"I was asked here by Alexis, so I would like to stay." Kiri was taking a stance. I recognized that stony voice. This wasn't a fight Uncle was going to win. She didn't want to be in this house, but damned was she going to leave this meeting.

"Alexis is here as a future member. You don't have a seat here. I have to ask you to leave as the chief mediator."

He was wrong, actually. Tucked away at the opposite end of the table stood two identical chairs representing the siren and torch of the human. The unused, forgotten positions.

"Kiri could occupy the Siren chair," I said. "We need a representative, and no one has been willing to fill it for years. Treat her as the potential placeholder."

Uncle and Kiri shared shocked expressions, one as cold as ice and the other shooting lasers.

"I'll take it." Kiri agreed before Uncle could say anything. She would soon realize what she had committed to, but for now, it served as a way to one-up my uncle.

Kiri pulled the chair up to the table, the neglected seat not as polished as the others. She looked larger in it, her loose posture like Marella next to her.

"We should probably get to work," I said, taking my spot next to Uncle. "Daniel and I have some interesting information that I think everyone would like to hear. Kiri knows enough to hold her own here."

Uncle didn't reply but took his seat, which indicated the start of the meeting. Chairs scraped the floor as members sat, and we went around the circle, reading off complaints and updates since last month. Most of it was basic stuff, little protests or fights, and most had been handled within the Coth groups themselves.

There was one problem in the witch community. A witch had summoned a demon like the one I had faced, but she wasn't as lucky as me. The coven in her area had handled the problem and the Crone witch had gone to help, only just returning.

As she recalled the spell and how the demon had torn through the girl on its rampage, I found my hands tightening. I understood that witch's motivation, but she had been naïve. Her greed had pushed her past her limits and exposed her community to the power the demon held. There was nothing to be gained from a demon deal. It was an outstanding power, but the cost was always too much.

"And the follow-up?" Uncle said. "Will it affect other species, or do we need to send more representatives down to help?"

"The coven had it under control when I left." The drooping eyes of the Crone stared down Uncle. "The witches handle their own."

"Then, unless anyone else has something to say, I would like to invite Alpha Daniel to speak."

No one spoke up. Marella was still half out of it, her eyes lazily following the sound of voices. Like sirens, merpeople handled their own problems because no other species could reach their territory.

Daniel stood, folding the corners of his blazer over the sky-blue undershirt. "Thank you, Finn. Alexis, I would like your help with this."

He pulled out his laptop, handing it to me. We had discussed showing the reports from the attacks, but I had been adamant about keeping the documents confidential. I did have respect for Officer Reese, and he was breaking enough laws for me. I didn't need to add more to his pile of wrongdoings.

The pictures came up, and I scrolled down so names were hidden. There were a few, nonlethal attacks above, with the latest at the bottom.

"Pass the computer around," Daniel said. "Everyone look at the pictures while Alexis and I explain. Over the past two months, there have been five attacks on humans in Shroder Park. Until recently, there have been no witnesses and no leads as to the culprit or species."

"Sunday night changed all that," I began. "There was a death, and I became involved. This time, someone witnessed the attack. The testimony given claims that a man approached a woman and used physical force unparalleled to that of a human. It leads me to believe that the attacker had to be supernatural. However, they used a knife, which makes it hard to identify the species."

A few hands went in the air, and Alpha Daniel called on Kiri to speak. Her participation hadn't been discussed. Hell, I hadn't noticed her hand until Alpha Daniel pointed it out.

"You're forgetting some important background information. The town isn't friendly to outsiders. The humans hate the Coth. There's a group that drives around looking for Coth. I wouldn't put it past them to attack a woman just to blame it on us."

"You're living there?" My uncle asked. "I was under the impression you had gone back to the sea."

"Your impression was wrong."

"We're getting off the case," Daniel interjected, his tone sharp. "While I appreciate your input, my wolves have already determined it couldn't be the Children of Man. They weren't in the area at the time of the attack and don't appear to be organized enough for an attack this thought out."

"I have a contact at the police station who agrees with Daniel's statement. He promised to watch them and help eliminate them as a suspect."

"You're working with the humans who Kiri just claimed are our enemies?" Uncle said. "Should I be worried that your judgment is impaired?"

"Alexis has been working wisely, making greater progress than I have. I trust her decisons. Do you?" Daniel's words held the room in a state of shock. Two of the most powerful seat members were debating, and my competence was the topic of debate.

"I trust Alexis, but I still worry about her. If you feel this is for the best, I will trust you." Uncle's eyes met mine, and I nodded. "Please, just trust us. I know what I'm doing."

"As Alexis said, based on what we've gathered, this is not a human killer. We would like everyone to pay attention to their species around my territory and report any strange happenings or inconsistencies. That concludes the werewolf update."

Daniel's laptop was returned to him, and we waited for someone to say something. It took a long minute, but Izzy, the banshee, proceeded with her report, followed by Michael, a wrinkled old shapeshifter.

After everyone had said their piece, the members stood and left one by one. Marella was the last to go, her eyes still fluttering as she trudged forward, leaving me and my uncle alone.

"Do I need to explain why I am worried about you?" Uncle's eyes were fixed on the opposite end of the room, his hands fastened securely under his chin.

"I don't see a reason to be. I have everything under control, better than I'd hoped."

"You said the same thing last time, and if you hadn't called your aunt, that demon would have killed you before going on to slaughter the entire town."

"I know, Uncle, but I'm smarter. This time I asked for help, and I made sure not to rush into anything without thinking it over first. You would be proud."

"Proud?" He chuckled darkly. "I will be proud when you're strong enough to take my seat. If you can't do it alone, that makes me worry."

"What's so wrong with asking for help? Isn't that what The Gatherings were built to do? Help each other when we're able to."

"That doesn't apply to you, to us." He stood suddenly, his chair teetering and threatening to fall. "We need to be different. You can't use magic. What will they think of a leader who can't perform without help?"

"Maybe they'll understand that I can accomplish just as much. Kiri and Alpha Daniel do!"

"Alpha Daniel does not know of your weakness. And Kiri is not an example you should follow. She's a siren for goodness sake. She can't even follow her own traditions."

"Have an arranged mate and produce children or hunt? Who would want to make that decision?"

"Someone who understands that traditions keep us safe. Your mother didn't understand that and neither it seems do you."

There were very few times I could remember turning my back on my uncle, and as the door slammed behind me, I knew this was the right time. If I had stayed, there would have been no controlling my mouth, and I would have regretted it later. Fortunately, he let me have my moment.

I was right and I knew it. There was nothing I could do waiting and fearing. My job was to keep people safe, my own safety be damned. I would not die without having fought for something. If it was a trade, my life for peace, I would gladly make it. My only regret would be leaving my friends, Kiri, and my family.