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“We’re organizing as we speak. None of our efforts will matter if Nikki isn’t okay.”
Angela squeezed Tristan’s knee. “What’s wrong with Nikki?”
“She’s missing too. They think she and a member of Lincoln’s team were captured with Blake. She’s the only one who can summon the empousai,” Tristan said.
Angela’s eyes opened wider. “The what?”
Tristan sighed. “Um, I forgot you aren’t one of us.”
Angela clicked her tongue.
“Okay, let me see if I can give you a quick history lesson. Shortly after the beginning of man, there was the first vampire, Ambrogio. All supernatural creatures are connected to him in one way or another. He wasn’t the nicest guy and went all over the world killing women. One night, the goddess Selene called on the goddess Hecate to help her create a tribe of women who could stand against him and any other supernatural creatures. Two sisters were the leaders, Elspeth and Isabeau. I’m not sure what happened, but they both fell in love with the same dragon, fought over him, and went their separate ways when he chose one over the other. The Tribe are immortal witches who can only be killed by the empousai. Alicorns are the only ones who can summon the empousai. That’s why they were hunted and killed. We believe Nikki is the last of her kind.”
“What does this have to do with this hunting retreat?” Angela said.
“It’s protected by Tribe magic. The empousai are the only ones who can bring it down.”
Angela needed a minute to process everything Tristan had told her. She knew someone was hunting shifters but didn’t know the other stuff. A serious thought settled in her brain. It was the first time she ever fully understood that there were evil supernaturals, just like there were evil humans. If her bill passed, all supernaturals would have rights as citizens, all of them.
She turned to Tristan. “Right now, what happens to supernaturals who commit crimes?”
“Our law enforcement agencies and courts do their best to take care of them.”
“Is it handled in a systematic way or just willy-nilly?”
Tristan scrunched his forehead. “Willy nilly?”
Giselle laughed. “In a haphazard way.”
Doyle interrupted them, saying, “Sometimes, Madam President, it’s like the Wild West. Whoever shoots the straightest wins.”
Angela had forgotten about him and was surprised to see him sitting at her desk with his feet crossed on top.
She arched an eyebrow. “Comfy?”
He smirked. “Yes, very. I could get used to sitting in this chair.”
“Giving supernaturals rights would protect them and make them accountable based on our laws,” Angela said.
“I’m not sure what you’re thinking regarding this bill. Sometimes I think it would be nice not to have to hide from the world, but there will be a lot of old supernaturals who won’t like it at all,” Tristan said.
Giselle said, “I think it’s a very good thing. It will go a long way toward decreasing humans' fear of us.”
Angela looked at the three supernaturals sitting around her. She felt as comfortable with them as she would be sitting with Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman, had they been real. But would everyone else? Could exposing supernaturals to the world do more harm than good?
The door opened, and Penny walked in. “Excuse the interruption, Madam President, but you need to see this.” She handed Angela her tablet.
“What am I looking at?” Angela asked.
“Two schools in Tennessee were bombed,” Penny said.
“Bombed?” Angela’s voice rose two octaves. Her chest tightened, and her heart raced. Benji was in Tennessee. He wasn’t in school, but he could have been.
As she held the tablet and watched the live updates, her hands trembled, and it felt like all the blood drained from her head. She was lightheaded. She reached out and held Tristan’s knee for support.
“Reports are still coming in,” the reporter said. “What we’ve come to understand so far is both schools were the target of an unprecedented violent attack. Approximately two hours ago, a teacher from each school went into the cafeteria and revealed a suicide bomb vest. They ignited the bombs strapped to them and shouted, “Death to all devils and monsters.”
The camera showed a split screen, and an obviously upset news anchor struggled to maintain control as the on-site camera showed emergency personnel attending to victims.
