Chapter 5 Jesper
jesper
. . .
Koa went dark, so we had to assume his cover was blown.
It’d been four days since our mate was taken, and the last thing I wanted to do was stand behind Sabine at a fucking Supernatural Council meeting because Rune’s framing had been broadcasted on the News Sector by Aura—no, Allison—parading around as Aura, an imp.
She’d gone live with a reporter under her imp disguise, and they bought it. She cried about her friend betraying her and the supernaturals of Kalista, pointing the finger at Sabine, Lake, and Gavin. She also name-dropped myself and Drecken as her mates since we both worked for the council.
Of course, the supernaturals of Kalista were enraged, calling for Drecken, myself, and Sabine to be dismissed from the council. They are also petitioning for Lake to be stripped of being the headmaster and for Gavin to be dropped as a professor.
“Slater was right to blame her,” I muttered, anger surging through my veins.
“She wasss our only lead,” Sabine hissed, rubbing her temples. “The watchers were supposed to keep watch over her.”
“But they didn’t watch closely enough, and she ran to the media and fed them lies,” Drecken snapped, magic exploding off him as he stood in the corner of the room in a protection bubble so he wouldn’t accidentally kill anyone.
“When the Demon Council was a thing, they just killed people,” Bram, Slater’s brother and the chaos demon representative, muttered.
“True,” Pandora, his mate and the soul eater representative, hummed. “But since we’ve joined the Supernatural Council, we have to follow their protocol.”
Bram huffed, pouting.
I agreed with him.
“Besides,” Pandora continued, her blood-red eyes scanning over us. “We all know Rune would never do that.”
“We know,” Rowan sighed. “But the public is pissed. We need to provide the media with our side of the story without compromising our mission of infiltrating the humans.”
“Koa’sss cover isss already blown,” Sabine hissed pointedly.
The doors to the meeting room banged open as Slater rushed in, his chaos snake slithering behind him, standing as tall as he did. He wore a satisfied smirk as he waved the tablet in the air.
“Did you do it?” Drecken asked him.
I frowned because I’d clearly been left out of the loop. “Do what?”
“Yeah. I leaked the surveillance of Rune’s kidnapping with audio so they can see the way Aura walked in at just the right moment.
I’ve also found surveillance of Aura planting that evidence in Rune’s tablet way back in year one when Rune left it in the common area one night. The News Sector is covering it.”
“Since year one?” I let out a breath.
“We still can’t find Aura anywhere,” Slater growled, his demonic form present just as it had been since Rune was taken.
“As much of a benefit what you did had,” Rowan started, narrowing his flaming eyes at Slater, “Rune’s mates and parents are not to meddle in this investigation anymore. We will find her, but you need to let us take it over.”
Sabine hissed. “You expect me to do that?”
“If you care about Rune’s public image and her future as an agent, then yes.”
“I can’t teach anymore.” More explosions of magic burst from Drecken. “This needs my full attention.”
“My daughter will take over the position of House of Arcane’s professor,” Rowan stated, glancing at Sabine. “She’s a necromancer, but her strength in the arcane is immense. Is that acceptable?”
“Fine. Lake will agree. We need Drecken more than the academy doesss, anyway.” Sabine nodded.
“It’s settled, then.” Rowan blew plumes of smoke out. “How was testing the current agents-in-training at the academy?”
“Lake had each professor test their students to rule out humans. We found at least one human in each house and three in the first-year group. They’ve been exterminated, and their bodies were sent to the Human Council,” Sabine answered.
“Good. That will be their notice of us responding to their breaking of the treaty,” Rowan stated. “They have reached out to coordinate a meeting with our council because they don’t believe that humans were responsible for Rune’s kidnapping.”
“Bullshit,” I muttered.
“Meeting adjourned,” Rowan stated, waving us out.
Sabine motioned for Drecken, Slater, and me.
We followed her out of the meeting room and into her office.
She strolled over to her desk and slammed her hand on it. “I understand what Rowan is doing, but we’re not following his orders. I’ve contacted the mercenary guild in Blezen to get Rune out of that damned facility.”
“Thank Fates.” Slater groaned, his tail swishing behind him as Snakey flashed his fangs. “I miss my venom baby more than anything. Zuko and Dimitri have been following up on every fucking lead to Aura and the other humans, but we have nothing so far.”
“Who are they sending?” I asked.
“Aspen Drakonus,” she said in a clipped tone.
Relief poured over me.
If anyone supernatural could get in and out with no one noticing, it was her.