Page 58 of Evergreen

Around the perimeter of the chamber, seated in high-backed chairs like thrones arranged in a circle, were the members of the Elder Council. There were thirteen in total if I recalled my classwork correctly. They were a diverse group representing the paranormal world. Witches, fae, a vampire, and other creatures that filled out our world. All of them were watching us with varying degrees of interest and skepticism from beneath their hoods. Only a handful had drawn back their hoods to reveal their faces. One of them was a middle-aged witch with a soft expression. Teddy had shown me pictures of her. She was Elder Voss, his aunt, and a very gifted healer.

Despite the looks of skepticism, there was one elder in the center, an ancient man with a deeply lined face, that held nothing but kindness in his eyes. I knew his name immediately. Elder Thaddeus. While each member of the Council was equal, it was an unspoken face that he was their leader. Probably because he wasn’t a human, though he wore that form now, but a gold dragon, far more ancient and wise than any other member of the Elder Council.

And standing near the center of the chamber, his black suit immaculate despite the early hour, was Jackson Rose.

My stomach twisted at the sight of him. He looked even more confident than he had in that moment after the machines were destroyed. There was a smugness to his posture, a certainty that told me he believed this was already won. It made my hands clench into fists at my sides.

“Ah, here comes the defendant and his counsel,” a woman’s voice rang out from somewhere above us. I looked up to see a white dragon with piercing blue eyes regarding us coolly from her elevated seat. “Elder Briar Hall, Elias Thorne, I trust you’re prepared to present your case?”

“We are, Elder Brina,” Elder Briar Hall said smoothly, stepping forward with the kind of confidence that made me wonder if maybe he actually did know what he was doing or if it was just some fae trick. “We’re here today to contest the legal acquisition of Linden’s grove by Rose Development.”

I watched as Jackson Rose’s expression shifted slightly, a flicker of annoyance crossing his features before he smoothed it back into that infuriating smirk. He stepped forward, his polished shoes clicking against the silver and gold floor.

“Elder Brina, members of the Council,” he said, his voice smooth as oil. “I appreciate the formality, but this should be a straightforward matter. My company purchased the property legally at a government auction three years ago. All documentation is in order. The previous owners failed to pay their taxes, the land was seized, and we acquired it through proper channels. There is nothing to contest here.”

“Actually,” Elder Briar Hall interjected, “there is quite a bit to contest. You see, the property in question isn’t just land. It’s the sacred grove of a dryad family whose lineage dates back centuries. Linden has maintained that grove, cared for it, nurtured it, and lived in harmony with it his entire life.”

“Irrelevant,” Jackson Rose said coldly. “Sentimental attachment doesn’t supersede property law.”

I felt Cass’s hand find mine again, squeezing gently. I was grateful for the anchor. My magic was already beginning to roil beneath my skin, responding to my anxiety and anger. I forced myself to take a deep breath, to center myself.

Elder Thaddeus leaned forward slightly, his ancient eyes fixed on Jackson Rose. “You may continue with your argument, Elder Briar Hall. We would like to hear the full case before rendering judgment.”

“Thank you, Elder Thaddeus,” Wild said, and I could see the relief flash across his face. “The crux of our argument is simple. While Rose Development may own the land legally according to human law, Linden has made meaningful contributions to the property. He has cultivated it, protected it, and sustained it. More importantly, the heartwood of his family line is rooted in that grove. It is not merely a physical manifestation of his power. But is also the living embodiment of his family’s legacy and connection to the dryad bloodline.”

“The heartwood?” One of the hooded elders spoke up, a silver-haired vampire by the pallor of his skin. “Explain.”

Elias stepped forward this time, his reserved demeanor somehow making his words carry more weight. “A dryad’s heartwood is the ancient tree at the center of their grove. It contains generations of dryads, all bonded to the wood itself. When a dryad dies, their essence merges with the heartwood rather than passing on. They become part of the eternal cycle of the grove. To destroy the heartwood is not merely to destroy a tree. It is to commit genocide against an entire family line that is still very much alive, though they share one consciousness.”

The chamber went very quiet at that. I watched as several of the Council members exchanged glances, saw the way Elder Voss’s hand went to her chest, her brows knitted together.

“Again,” Jackson said without missing a beat. “That is irrelevant.”

Elder Briar Hall raised his brows. “Killing an entire family of dryads is irrelevant to you, Mr. Rose? You wouldn’t happen to be a member of the Purity Front, would you?”

The chamber erupted into outcries at that, some of them on Elder Briar’s Hall’s side and some of them coming to Jackson Rose’s defense. The chamber was entrenched in chaos for only a few seconds before Elder Thaddeus rose to his feet, his human form melting away. In an instant he went from being a delicate old man with kind eyes to a seven-foot tall golden dragon with dark horns spiraling off his head and smoke rising from his nostrils.

“Enough!” he shouted, banging his staff on the floor.

Everyone, including the other elders, went silent.

“Order!” Elder Thaddeus commanded, his massive dragon form radiating pure authority. The golden scales caught the light as he settled back into his chair, though he remained in his true form. The message was clear. This was serious business now.

I felt my heart hammering in my chest. The accusation from Elder Briar Hall hung in the air like smoke. The Purity Front. Everyone knew what they were. What they’d done. And if Jackson Rose was connected to them, it would destroy his credibility entirely.

“That’s a serious allegation,” Elder Brina said coldly, her blue eyes fixed on Elder Briar Hall. “Do you have proof?”

“Not yet,” Wild admitted, and my stomach dropped slightly. “But I intend to have my people look into it.”

“Meritless accusations aside,” Jackson said, butting in. “I think it’s time we looked at the facts.”

Elder Thaddeus nodded. “Please. Present your case.”

Jackson nodded in return. “The fact is that this council does not protect trees. There are hundreds, if not thousands of trees in this world that contain some sort of spirit, whether it be a dryad, fae, fairy, or otherwise. Those trees get cut down every day and not a single Elder Council has ever been called to protect one of them.” He glanced our way before turning back to the chamber. “Nor does this council protect rocks, which could be the long petrified body of a troll. Or you could start protecting sea foam, because some of it might be from a siren⁠—”

“You have made your point, Mr. Rose,” Elder Thaddeus interrupted.

“I’m just saying,” Jackson continued, unperturbed. “The Elder Council is already stretched thin managing the paranormal world. If you set the precedent that you’re going to protect every tree, rock, and bush that someone claims is sacred, you will find your entire organization overrun with petty complaints. The fact remains that Rose Development bought the land according to human law, which the Elder Council has decreed is binding for decades now. There is no foul play, no malicious intent, and I have already been gracious enough to forgive the extensive property damage illegally done to my equipment.”