Ares

My anger simmered the next morning as Cole and I got ready for our day. I made breakfast for everyone - simple scrambled eggs, sausages, and a light mandarin orange and kale salad. Cole didn't seem to notice that I was being quieter than usual. He was quieter, too.

Shane seemed too wrapped up in his own worries to pick up on the tension in the room. Was Shane's worry - his reunion with his father and grandmother - the reason Cole was so quiet? No, that was unlikely. Cole had been pensive and upset ever since our talk last night. He felt for the Darong faction. Curse them for bringing him into this and burdening him needlessly.

I frowned as realization struck. I pulled out my phone and accessed the file my intelligence team maintained on the Darong demons. It included names, photos, and basic profile information for each of them. I scrolled through the list quickly and confirmed what I already knew: there was no one named Gabriel.

"Cole," I said. My tone came out too harsh, and I made an effort to soften it when I continued, "Which of these is Gabriel?"

I slid my phone across the table and Cole scrolled through the list. I had left it on the bottom, so he scrolled upward. He didn't stop until he hit the top. He pointed at the photo of a demon I knew well. Too well.

Dorian Darong.

I hadn't recognized him from the photos my team had taken of him. He had dyed his hair blond and cut it short, and his face lost a lot of fullness. While my mind raced, I watched Cole read Dorian's bio.

"He really does like pottery," Cole said softly. There was a small furrow in his brow. Cole scrolled through the list again. The crease between his brows deepened as he scrolled.

"What is it?" I demanded. If something he saw while looking at this list was upsetting to him, that implied Dorian had not been the only point of contact.

"Everyone from the pottery workshop yesterday is on this list. The owner and the attendees."

I pressed my lips together. That was hardly surprising. What had the workshop been but an attempt to build comradery with my mate and get him alone? They wouldn't have wanted to risk bringing in the general public when part of their plan hinged on getting Cole alone afterward.

I realized Shane was looking between us with obvious confusion and put on a small smile for him. "Apologies. Cole is helping me with something for my job."

He nodded politely and asked, "What do you do?"

Cole replied, "He works in security." His lips were tipped upward, though he was likely too upset to fully smile. I hoped he understood now why that was the half-truth I had told him when we first met. My job was security: the security of my people and of the Hinterlands.

"Ah, neat," Shane said just before eating the last bite off his plate. He stood and said, "Let me handle the dishes."

Shane started washing while Cole and I finished up.

"How are you feeling about your meeting today?" Cole asked.

There were two truths, and I debated which one to give him. Only, it wasn't much of a debate. I didn't want to hold things back from Cole. Not anymore. "My heart is heavy," I admitted. "I am not satisfied with where things stand. On the other hand, I'm furious that they brought you into this situation. Mates are sacred; they should know better. There's a part of myself that will enjoy holding firm against them today. It was foolish to think your involvement could do anything other than anger me."

"They're just trying to live the lives they choose," Cole said. "It's not fair that the only way to regain their power and health is to follow a leader they don't want."

"It's not about fairness," I said. But I understood his point. "Anyway, it will be a relief to have these talks concluded until next year."

"How many will die before then?"

The words in my mind were not my own, and I could see from Cole's guilty expression that he hadn't meant to send them to me. Still, it was a fair question.

Cole glanced over at Shane and spoke into my mind again. "Can you do something for me?"

"What is it, little wolf?"

"Try to find out why they're so determined to have their own faction that they're risking their health." Cole looked worried; he needn't have. Of course I would not deny him such a small request.

I nodded, and he instantly relaxed. "I'd like to know the answer to that, myself. This is the first year of negotiations since this illness became known to me. I expected it to change their minds. Maybe they still will."

Cole smiled at that. "I hope so," he answered aloud.

Cole asked one of several questions I had. Another was: why now? Why were the Darong demons sickening now after generations of separation? I had a couple of scientists trying to learn more about the connection between our people and the Hinterlands. Perhaps there was a solution there, or at least the opportunity for understanding. My working hypothesis was that the earlier generations must have retained some of the magic and passed it to their children, with the effect lessening through the generations. That, or perhaps there was a catalyst that caused a bigger drain on the Darong's magic than their bodies could sustain.

I glanced at the clock and saw that it was time to get to the office. Cole looked at the clock, too, and his expression tightened. I took my plate to the dishwasher and when I straightened back up, Cole hugged me tightly.

"I don't like this, but I trust you," he said. "I know you'll do what's best for everyone."

I nodded curtly. The words caused an ache in my chest that I did not anticipate. It meant a lot to hear them from Cole when I knew he empathized with my adversaries. "I'll let you know how it goes. Be extremely careful today. Keep Blaze by your side. He might not be grown, but he has a venomous bite."

"Okay," Cole replied in a small voice.

I kissed him and reached out a hand for Shane, dropping him off at his home before teleporting to my office. I already knew which traditional clothes I would wear today: my most formal robes. They were ivory colored with trim and a sash the exact color of my skin in my demonic form. I shifted before donning them. Once I was dressed, I put on the pewter diadem I rarely wore. It was studded with rubies the color of blood and included a thorn motif that made it look savage.

Evie knocked on my door just as I was finishing up. "Enter," I called.

She did, shutting the door behind herself. "Leila and Kris are in the conference room," she reported.

Interesting. After observing the potential misalignment between their priorities in our last session, I had expected Kris not to bring her now. It could be a favorable sign that she was here.

"I'm ready. Are you?" I asked her.

Evie nodded and held the door open for me or precede her. I froze in place when Cole's voice sounded in my head. "Wait!"

"Yes, little wolf?"

"I want to go to the meeting with you."

I frowned. Evie started asking me a question, but I held up one finger signifying wait, and she shut the door. "Why?"

"They already know about me, right? And I know you have a ton of security there. I'd probably be safer with you than alone right now."

"Nowhere is safer than the Hinterlands," I refuted him. But I knew safety wasn't Cole's motivation.

"I think our best chance at having a candid, honest interaction with the Darong would be for me and Gabriel both to attend. Or, Dorian. Whatever we're calling him."

"You've met him twice, and both were likely a manipulation on his part to play on your sympathies. Do you really think he'll be more willing to share than his parents are just because you're in the room?"

It wasn't meant disparagingly. If Cole said yes, I would trust his judgment. I just wanted to make sure he had really thought this through.

"Yes. Please, Ares. I want to help."

I sighed. "Fine. Tell him to expect me shortly."

Evie was watching me curiously. When I focused on her again, she asked, "Cole?" with a small smile.

"Yes. Change of plans. I'm going to fetch him and Dorian Darong. I will return shortly, and we will all go into the conference room."

Evie's brow furrowed, but she nodded. "See you soon, then."

I nodded and teleported to Cole's side. He yelped in surprise, but quickly recovered and smiled at me. "Thanks for going along with this," he said, and lifted himself onto his tip toes so he could kiss my cheek.

I smiled at the easy affection he shared. "It's no trouble, Cole. I'll admit I don't relish the idea of you being more exposed to the Darong, but you must know I respect your power to choose. We are partners."

Cole's smile widened and he ran his hands down my chest, fingering the lapel. His eyes grew heated and he said, "You should wear this around the house sometime." I snorted and was about to take advantage of his mood when Cole's phone buzzed

After a cursory look at the screen, he said, "Gabriel's ready. He's in the penthouse here." Cole showed me the place on a map and I nodded. I was familiar with this building.

I laced my fingers through Cole's and took us to Dorian's apartment.

"Hey, Dorian," Cole said. While his tone was friendly, he gave Dorian a look that showed what he thought of Dorian using a false name.

Dorian scratched his cheek, looking sheepish. "Yeah, sorry about that. I didn't think Ares would be okay with us making contact with you."

"I'm not," I said.

Cole shot me a look of irritated amusement. "I understand," he told Dorian. "No more lies, okay?"

Dorian nodded and looked to me. "Cole said he wanted me to attend the meeting with you this morning?"

"Yes, and your parents are already there. We should not keep them waiting overly long."

Dorian nodded and held out a hand. It was odd that he wasn't transporting himself there, but I didn't argue. He did look rather sickly. Was it affecting his magic? Once I had hold of both Dorian and Cole, I took us to the hall just outside the conference room. Evie had been leaning against the wall, but stood at attention when she saw us. She bowed deeply to Cole and greeted, "Kahlen."

Cole waved at her, which made me smile. He was charmingly uncomfortable with formalities. Evie offered a nod of respect to Dorian, then opened the door for us.

"What's this about?" Kris demanded when he laid eyes on his son.

"I invited him," Cole said. I was surprised he would speak up, but he held his head high as he entered the room, copying the same nod Evie had offered to Dorian as he greeted both Kris and Leila.

"Kahlen," Leila greeted, returning the nod. Kris pressed his lips together but did the same.

Good. If they had disrespected my mate, I would not have tolerated it.

I exchanged greetings with the two Darong leaders and settled at the head of the table, where Evie had pulled a second chair over for Cole to sit in.

"Why have you brought Dorian?" Kris asked. It was clear he didn't trust me.

"Cole - excuse me, the Kahlen - invited me. I accepted," Dorian said. His father settled some, but the tension in the room was palpable.

"Have you given any thought to my terms?" I asked. There was no point in spending much time on formalities.

I watched as Kris and Leila exchanged a long look. Her eyes were pleading on his, but it was clear he would not bend on this.

"We will not resign ourselves to your rule," Kris said, his tone absolute.

I watched Leila, observing how her eyes filled and she looked down at her hands. "It's not all or nothing," I said. "Individuals may make their own choice."

This wasn't something I had offered before. It wasn't something I had cause to offer. But now, knowing that her son was ailing and sensing her disagreement with Kris...

Kris glared at me with enough heat that I felt my magic flare. I tamped it down for now, though much more disrespect from him would not be tolerated.

Leila opened her mouth and Kris said, "No, Leila."

She turned pleading eyes on Dorian, who closed his in response.

"I have a question," Cole spoke up. He reached over and squeezed my thigh under the table. His nerves blared through our bond and I did my best to send reassurance to him.

Kris didn't respond, but Leila offered Cole a small smile and nodded for him to go on.

"My question is: why? Why are you so determined not to accept Ares as your leader that you'll sacrifice the lives of your people and your child?" Cole's questions were asked compassionately. I hoped they could see that he was trying to help them.

"It's him. I bet your mate never told you he has the power to control those who serve under him. He can make them do anything he wants, including remembering things that never happened and forgetting things that did. We would jeopardize our freedom and our very selves by accepting his rule. It's an unacceptable trade. Death first."

I straightened, staring Kris down. He should not have known that. It was a closely-guarded secret of my line, and a power I had used only a handful of times in all my years. I had been raised with my parents emphasizing how this power must never be used for myself; it was only for the protection of others.

"What, don't you know the terms of our secession? My grandfather learned of your heinous power and made a deal with your grandmother. We were allowed to go free so long as we never revealed what we had learned to others. And none of our faction ever has, so our freedom persists."

That was certainly new information. I fixed a pointed stare at him and said, "Doesn't the fact you were allowed to separate from us prove that it was unnecessary? My grandmother could easily have wiped everyone's memory of her power. She did not."

Kris nodded. "Aye. But we cannot trust that future rulers will follow her moral code. It is a risk we will not take."

I inhaled deeply and slowly exhaled as my mind worked through this information. The issue went deeper than I had believed - I always thought they were power-hungry. Instead, they were afraid and trying to assure they didn't fall under the dominion of someone with - I could admit it - an unsavory power.

There would be no overcoming this. I could see that now. Kris could not be swayed when the source of their fear was valid and outside of my control. So, they would maintain their stubborn independence and over time, they would sicken and die.

It was over.