Chapter 1 #2
“Tonight, as the stars align and the eternal fire of our ancestors’ wisdom flickers in the darkness, we renew our pact.
We stand together, united by an unseen force, each of us a thread woven into the grand tapestry of the world.
Let the world believe what it will, let the kings and queens, the rich and powerful, continue to believe they rule unchallenged—but we know the truth: we are the ones who shape the fate of empires.
“We are the unseen power that stands between order and chaos, between light and dark, between those who would seize all and those who would seek peace. And we, the Keepers of the Balance, are entrusted with the ancient power to decide when the scales tip, and when they must be restored.
“This book, dear Nine, is the record of our covenant.
The words within it are etched not upon paper, but upon the very fabric of the world itself.
They are the whispers of those who walked before us and those who shall walk after us.
The ink is the blood of the first, the binding is the eternal chain that will never break.
“In this hour, you are sworn to the ancient task. You shall wear the veil of secrecy, and within you shall burn the flame of eternal vigilance. The Balance shall remain, for you are its guardians, its stewards, its heirs.
“May the shadows guide your steps, may the unseen hand steady your course, and may the Balance never falter beneath your watch.
“We are the Balance. We are the Watchers. We are the Fear.”
“We are the fear,” the group said in unison.
Sean stood next. “As balance is our ultimate goal we, as a collective, have agreed to reward those that keep it. We understand that our place is impermanent. Being a member of the Nine alone does not guarantee your place at the table. Members are subject to the same forces and tides as the rest of the world. No one is untouchable. That is why our ancestors created the Triune.”
Adria forced her hands to stay relaxed. Around her, the table took a collective breath.
This was the moment when the Triune named if a family head would move up or down at the table.
The impermanence was meant to protect, but it better served as a way to divide.
A cautionary tale not to align oneself too closely to another family lest they take your place at the table.
“Mr. Zuma, would you please stand,” Sean said.
The Zuma family from South Africa had sat on the ninth seat for the past five years.
There was no tenth seat. If they were demoted today, both Andres and their heir would be killed.
It was a harsh reality that hung over every Mars opposition.
The brutal whip that moved each of them forward every year.
Bring something to the table or die.
“Mrs. Lovetts, please stand,” Sean said next.
Adria didn’t look at the two family heads; instead, her gaze alternated between their heirs. Ayden and Luan, both respectable children. Each of them too young, too protected, to hold the amount of fear that should be placed upon their faces. Adria couldn’t decide if that was a good or bad thing.
As she herself had never been shielded as a child, Adria wondered what that amount of na?vety felt like.
“After very careful deliberation, we have decided that it is time for the Zumas to take their place on the eighth seat,” Sean said, motioning for Andres Zuma to move.
To her credit, Finley didn’t show a flicker of fear. Instead, she placed a hand on her daughter’s shoulder, guiding her to leave her seat, and the two of them took a step away from the table.
The gentle sound of water dripping in the background contrasted harshly with the reality in front of her. Such tranquil ambiance had no place as the backdrop of this scene. Visions of Ayden being ripped from Finley’s arms as a knife slashed against her throat filled Adria’s mind.
She knew Finley would not go quietly.
Adria wondered if the woman had come with a plan. Or if being in the eighth chair had caused her to feel shielded from this possibility.
She could see it in the mother’s eyes. The first person to come near Ayden would die.
Finley didn’t have a weapon to speak of, but Adria knew well that didn’t mean safety. Finley’s expression caused a deep-seated feeling to stir in Adria’s middle. That fierce, protective motherly instinct. A family ready to die for each other. It was as beautiful as it was unsettling.
Sean’s voice was calm, seeming to pretend he didn’t feel the monumental shift in the room. “Mrs. Lovetts, you have displeased the Triune with your inability to finish your tithes.”
“You mean my refusal to slaughter children in their sleep,” Finley said, her voice calm, and yet it carried a weight that caused murmurs to break out throughout the table.
It wasn’t often that they learned of the other family tasks or tithes. Had the Triune really requested her to murder children in their beds?
Alessandro stood. “The task you were assigned would have put the spotlight on a high-level official. Your failure to act has pushed this individual further out of reach.”
Finley squared her shoulders, shooting daggers at Alessandro. “Killing innocents for the greater good is an excellent cover for ineptitude. Has the Nine lost so much of their power that it now takes killing children to maintain balance?”
Adria watched Alessandro’s calm expression crack, a shadow crossing over his friendly demeanor, and Kaydon’s words came into her mind. “I don’t trust that guy.”
Helen stood, her shoulder brushing against Sean’s.
“The Triune has agreed to look into other avenues to bring this individual out of his current post. We agree that the task was distasteful; however, there must be a reaction to an outright tithe refusal. There was a vote. A removal from the Nine takes a three to nil vote. A chair demotion only takes two to one. The votes cast were for the latter punishment.”
Adria tried to hide the surprise on her face. One person on the Triune had stuck their neck out for Finley, and by the way Helen was looking at Finley, it was no surprise who.
There was no relief on Finley’s face. The woman was a trained professional. The only clue that she felt anything at all was in the subtle relaxation of her grip on Ayden’s shoulder as the two made their way to the ninth seat.
Sean clasped both hands together, his sour expression calming. “Which brings us to another announcement. It is a great honor to invite Mr. Winters to ascend at the table.”
Adria could hardly contain her shock. Her gaze immediately focused on Helen, who was still standing next to Sean, her face tight.
Callen’s chair scraped against the floor next to her as he stood and moved gracefully to accept Alessandro’s outstretched hand. Helen shifted toward Adria.
She was being demoted. And Callen was being promoted.
What has he done to deserve a promotion?
Everyone at the table turned their gaze on her, and Adria was embarrassed to realize she had said the words out loud.
“Mr. Winters has provided the Triune with valuable intel that is need to know,” Sean said, eyeing her. “Helen understands.”
Helen, taking her seat, squeezed Adria’s thigh under the table. A warning.
“I am thrilled for Mr. Winters. His ascension is well deserved,” Helen said.
The meeting continued, but Adria felt herself slipping in and out of a daze.
Her heartbeat thundered in her ears, drowning out the voices around the table.
She had entered this meeting, sure of her position.
The boys had been trained and sold, giving her the gift of two Oppositions without a tithe.
Except now there was a new complication.
Callen was a member of the Triune.