My notes seemed heavy in my hands as I paced in front of the door, footsteps dulled by the worn carpet. I was being foolish, putting this off, but I knew the moment I stepped into The Gathering I would never be able to go back. This was the first and last time I would be just Alexis, not the Morill head, not a woman working in the public eye.

I squared my shoulders, tucking the binder under my arm, and opened the door. This was it, what you've been working toward.

Every eye was on me as I nodded to the table and sat, the chair I had been working for was finally mine. For as much as I pictured it, the reverence that came with sitting in it didn't exist. The unyielding wood, towering back and rough scratches weren't what I imagined.

"Welcome everyone to the October meeting and my first meeting with me as the Morill head," I addressed. "I'm sure you all have heard the rumors regarding my predecessor's arrest, and I promise to address any questions I am able to. This is going to be a much longer meeting and I hope everyone is prepared."

A round of nodded was shared, a particularly long one from Kiri who sat opposite me next to the newly polished human seat. Her hair was coiled at the sides of her face, painted lips reassuring. This was her first meeting as well.

"I want to start by apologizing to everyone," I said, taking a deep breath. "Under direction from my uncle, I have kept a secret from you. My lineage is mixed. My father was human, a fact which I recently discovered, and I take after him. I am not, in fact, a witch."

The Crone witched looked to Aunt Bea who was grinning like nothing was the matter. "I think we all suspected," the croaky voice agreed. "No one wanted to offend Finnigan."

Well, that was a relief. I thought this was going to be a huge scandal. "I thank you for your understanding."

"Mrs. Morill, I think we should focus on the matter at hand, what to do in light of Finnigan's actions. Do we believe the rumors?"

I still didn't know where the rumors had come from, but with how many people had heard about what happened at The Twin Trees and my uncle's imprisonment, there was likely to be a rush of news through the supernatural channels.

"I am not supposed to discuss what happened until the trial this weekend. After that, I will be sure to email you transcripts of the trial and the verdict."

The prison had its own judgment system: two from each species represented by the council would be chosen and decided the verdict with the help of the accused representative. Maximus, the vampire seat-holder who was looking paler than usual, sat in his seat, eyes adverted. He would be busy for weeks.

"That being said, I can say that problems in our system have come to light after what happened," I paused, making sure everyone's attention was on me. "I think we need to fill the human seat."

"After so long?" Michael asked. "Do you really think that's best?"

"I think it's necessary," I stressed, facing the old shifter down. "Especially if we come out of hiding and make ourselves known to humans."

The room erupted in chaos. A few, more outspoken voices rose over the other concerned mumbles. I was thankful that some of the other members who I considered friends kept silent. Kiri, of course, was right in there yelling as well, but in my defense. She would fit in here.

"Alexis," Alpha Daniel's voice boomed above the others, the respect he had earned coming into play now. "Would you like to explain what you mean by that?"

He glared at Izzy and Michael, two of the louder protesters who took their seats, stewing in their anger. They would come around or be outvoted. Either way, I only needed majority of support.

"Thank you, Daniel. While I was dealing with matters, I noticed that there is a division between humans and coth, one that can be exploited. If we work with humans, we have the potential to help the species that trust us. By appointing a human representative, we are showing we are open to working with them, not against them."

"Do you have someone in mind?" Michael asked, his tone blunt.

"Actually, I do." I hadn't talked to anyone about this, not even Kiri, but as I pushed back my chair and opened the door, I knew the person I was looking at had good intention, if questionable understanding. "Lana, I would like you to meet the other representative."

As Morill head, I had the right to nominate council members, but then I was excluded from the vote. This choice was purely personal, not political. Lana knew very little about our world, but she wanted to learn, wanted to help. I trusted that.

"I must admit, when you said you had a nomination, I thought you meant Officer Reese," Aunt Bea said, her eyebrows near her hairline.

"Officer Reese has agreed to help us connect with law enforcement and humans outside. He was better spent as an officer, not a seat-holder."

Lana waved at the council, her hair bouncing against her white shirt: the symbol of human's lack of power, their plainness. The torch blazing on her breast pocket. The symbol of human survival, stubbornness. Prometheus's gift, their gift.

I didn't want a human representative because they had the same view as me, I wanted one who understood what it was like to live separately. The unique perspective that no coth could understand.

"I want her to act as the potential placeholder. Let her listen, interact and decide if she is a good match. At the end of the meeting, we will vote."

That wasn't a question and Lana took her seat next to Kiri who regarded her with a skeptical look. It would take a while for anyone to warm up to someone they had long considered an enemy, Kiri especially.

"Now that that had been addressed, I want to focus on the future of the council, is anyone adamantly against working with humans?"

No one raised their hands, even Michael, but having a human in the room might have been one of the biggest reasons.

"What do you mean by that, Alexis?" Alpha Daniel asked. "Not that I don't agree, but what do you expect us to be able to do?"

"Nothing extreme, not yet. For now, I want to make the council a resource for the human government. Who better to handle a supernatural threat than a coth?"

"And who would be handling this?" Izzy asked. "You can't help everyone?"

"No," I agreed, "but I plan to open the Morill Academy to humans and teach the students how to do more than help their personal species. I want to make them officers for humans and supernatural alike, a force to help unite us."

"Do you really think that would work?"

"Izzy, you live in a human city. Do you think they would be open to help in these instances?"

Izzy's cheeks flushed red. "Maybe, I'm not sure."

"Exactly. We should at least offer them a chance to find out." I hadn't taken my seat, the heigh making me feel like I had some semblance of control. "Look," I pinched my brow, "I know this isn't easy, but we have to adapt, get better. I'm asking you all to trust me."

"Alexis," Kiri finally spoke, her words calming the pounding of my heart. "I think you are right, but do you have a plan? What do you plan to actually do?"

"I want to contact the government, tell them we are here. We don't have to tell them where or who we are, but we can offer them our help. An olive branch."

Lana raised her hand, glancing around the room as eyes turned to her. We really didn't raise hands, but she was new. If anything, it made her appear timid. Not a bad thing given the situation.

"Lana?" I offered, pleasantly surprised she was speaking already.

"Would that be my job? To talk to them?"

"You would work with me," I agreed. "You won't be alone."

Lana nodded. "I will do my very best, I promise." She balled her hand into a fist, her face contorted into a determined scrunch.

I returned the look, knowing she would at least try her best. With my guidance, we could both learn how to do our jobs. She would be alright, we both would.

"Then with that settled, I want to show you something I think could help us." I opened my binder to pass out a flyer. "This is something I came across on Alpha Daniel's territory and I think it is a brilliant idea."

His nose scrunched when he saw what was on the paper. "The Club? It's really not much?"

A few others seemed to share their sentiments. Almost like the shared question flew through the room. Is this teenager really going to be a good leader? They would have to get used to my policies, my ideas. Uncle was very different, I was well aware, and I had changed a lot in the last month.

"This club isn't for fun or stress relief, not really," I beamed. "If we can open safe spaces for humans and the supernatural to interact, we can show adolescents on both sides there is nothing to fear. The sooner they learn this, the more likely it is to affect them."

"I have to agree," the maiden spoke up. "If we could also incorporate magic into it, to ensure safety, it could work."

"Any ideas help," I agreed. "I think that would definitely help liability."

Slowly, the seat-holders began opening up. It was no longer a fight between humans and coth. Now it was business as usual.

My uncle was wrong. He was right to fear humans, if history taught me anything, they can rarely be trusted, but he was wrong to completely right off an alliance. There would never be complete understanding, but if we didn't extend an olive branch, they wouldn't be able to accept peace. That was obvious in the way Lana sat, her shoulder touching Marella's as they spoke.

I made the right choice.

It would take years, but if I gave my life to make things better it was possible. I couldn't do it alone, but I was in a position of power and I would do something with it. Uncle was the old generation, I would lead the new.

The Gathering would make itself public, not with location or names, but with its workings. We would slowly let them out, our secrets, until we could step into the light.

If working from the shadows was how we needed to operate, at least we would have tried to show ourselves in my lifetime. I had witnessed what happens when people let fear lead their lives, I won't be one of them.

I looked to the moon peeking through the skylight.

It was the center of wolves, witches, and vampires' lives. It was the same moon humans had walked on, planting their flags and left their mark. Mine wouldn't be so noticeable in history, another person with power, but if I could lead, others might follow. My legacy would not be a failure. That was not something I could accept. My mother died before she could do more, my uncle failed in his, my entire family's legacy was centered around hiding, surviving. I would not accept this fate, not be consigned to another name in history. If I was forgotten, that was fine, but I would not let what I believe die with me. After all, that's all it takes to change the world: hope and a cause to rally behind. I had my hope in the reason I would fight; for Kiri, my friends, Officer Reese, the people who we'd lost, and the future I could imagine.

I found my mind going back to him. I no longer had the energy to be angry at him, not the burning anger I had when I first woke up, but I would never forgive or forget. It was fuel now. He was the old world while I was building the new. One day I would stand openly with sirens, wolves, humans, vampires, and every manner of creature. That image would be my Garden of Eden, and I would do everything in my power to make it possible.

The future was coming, slowly, but that distance glow was stronger than ever. I was leaving my mark, re-writing the rules, and making the world into something I could be proud of.