Incendiaries

Bambi

“You went behind my back, in my own home, to consort with a ~convicted~ enemy of the pack?!”

Alpha Vladimir scolded me loudly to Ekon’s and Leonardo’s disapproving nods as the limo curved around the mountain ridges to the Leopold House.

All traces of the dignified diplomat’s gentlemanly disposition were gone. He acted as if I’d betrayed his trust.

Out of respect for the elder statesman, I kept my mouth shut.

But boy, did I have a lot of things to say!

It was pretty self-centered to think that what I had done was out of spite for him or his hospitality.

A girl’s life was on the line. One who just might be the key in the ultimate defeat of Devina and Matthias. One whose very fate he’d influenced ten years earlier.

But Alpha Vladimir’s conduct wasn’t the only disappointment I met from my fellow werewolves that day.

Neither Leonardo nor Ekon had spoken their minds on Tyler’s extradition into the vengeful hands of Chair Fakari.

Ekon clearly had similar doubts about Tyler’s guilt after speaking to her one-on-one at Granny’s House. That was really saying something from a warrior who fought against her in many battles of the Great War.

And as for Alpha Leonardo, he had clearly done some thorough research on the young witch’s sordid past. The profile on Tyler in his book on controversial figures of the Great War had been the primary inspiration for the burning questions I asked her.

Yet, when I brought them up at the hour of her fate, he didn’t seem to stir.

Between Alpha Vladimir’s scolding, Ekon’s sulking, and Leonardo’s dismissiveness, the car ride to the Leopold House felt like an eternity. I was relieved when our town car pulled up in front of the law-making house.

I needed to share the events of this morning with Ela. If anyone knew how to talk to me in high-stakes, high-stress times like this, it was her. I darted out of the car and sprinted inside the large atrium.

I scanned the room for my friend. Sure enough, I found her standing with Alpha Hunter just outside the door leading to the Ministry of War.

If I hadn’t been so out of my head with worry, I might have taken the time to be surprised that the two were holding hands for the first time.

I ran up and embraced my friend.

“How did the hand-off go?” she asked attentively.

“Well… it happened. Not without fireworks, though.”

“Oh no.” She rolled her eyes. “What kind of fireworks?”

Before I could answer her question, the rest of the Alphas walked up to join us.

“So the deed is done then, is it?” Alpha Hunter asked Vladimir.

“That it is,” he nodded proudly. “Chair Fakari has given his word to support our proposal now. Once the War Council has agreed to sponsor our aid request, we’re going to put it before the entire Parliament to vote this afternoon.”

“The sooner the better,” Hunter said apprehensively. “We don’t have much time. It’s already been five days. If we don’t have some more visible strides made by Monday, we’ll all be going back home to a full-on occupation.”

Alpha Leonardo stepped forward and addressed Hunter with atypical geniality. “Fear not. By the end of the day, I think we will be on track to get exactly where we need to be.”

“We’d best get to the War Council and get our proposal approved as quickly as possible,” Alpha Vladimir suggested.

As we all turned to head down the hallway to the Ministry of War, Alpha Vladimir grabbed Ekon and me by the shoulder and took us brusquely aside.

“Bambi, I’m going to be blunt,” he said with stoic resolve.

“I don’t want you in that chamber this morning. I’m not denying that your brash negotiation tactics have helped us get to where we are today, but the comments you made to Chair Fakari this morning prove to me that you are in no state to do any talking today. Do you agree, Alpha?”

I looked up at Ekon. The conflict in his face was evident. He didn’t want to hurt my feelings, but he also didn’t want to risk derailing the hard work we had all put in to securing aid for our pack.

“Maybe…” Ekon sighed. “Maybe Alpha Vladimir is right. After what you said to that old witch doctor earlier this morning, I doubt he’d be too thrilled to see you there, and even less so to hear you talk.”

“And at this point, we can’t risk upsetting him again,” Alpha Vladimir interjected. “He already has our only bargaining chip.”

This was the last straw.

Not only had everyone failed to offer anything in the way of support when I warned Chair Fakarai of the mistake he was making that morning, but now they were trying to remove me from the whole process.

If that’s what they wanted, then fine!

I would have to take matters into my own hands again when the plan made it to the floor of parliament this afternoon. And I would be ready.

***

Members of the supernatural congress began to file in to the main chamber of Leopold House as the bells of the castle clock tower tolled two-forty-five in the afternoon.

I sat in the empty werewolf box looking over a stack of papers.

Since I was ‘excused’ from the morning’s meeting with the War Council, I spent the morning preparing exactly what I was going to say on the parliament floor that day.

I was ready to reveal all. The backdoor deal with Fakari, Tyler’s off-the-record extradition from Granny’s House, and Fakari’s plan to try her back in South Africa.

Additionally, I’d prepared a proposal for a reexamination of Tyler’s case and outlined my plans to put a stop to Devina and Matthias with her help.

While the fire burned within me to reveal these truths to the parliament, I felt like I was playing a game of dirty politics.

For my arguments to gain any traction, I would have to dig up details of private meetings and behind-the-scenes dealings that might very well be viewed as a breach of trust.

I took little delight in doing this, particularly because most of the parties involved I considered to be my friends.

But now wasn’t the time to play nice. In less than forty-eight hours, the U.S. government would place all American werewolf packs under lockdown.

The Rogue wolves were still at large. And Devina was in the process of reaching out to witches all across the world.

Now was the time for action.

And if my friends and family weren’t going to support that, then I sure as hell wasn’t going to let it stop me from doing what I knew was right.

As the clock drew nearer and nearer to the three o’clock start time, the main chamber filled up with every type of magical creature imaginable.

My people-watching was soon interrupted as I was joined by Vladimir, Leonardo, Hunter, Ekon, and Ela in the box.

They all sat down quietly, without so much as a word.

The air was thick with tension.

I could tell that they all had mixed feelings about these latest goings-on.

But personal sentiments would have to wait. It was time to begin.

The Parliamentary Speaker, a verbose old Goblin, pounded his gavel as the bells tolled three p.m.

Across the room on the opposite balcony, I saw Chair Fakari take a seat in the middle of a sizeable group of witch doctors, warlocks, and wizards.

His expression was as emotionless as ever. Almost unsettlingly so.

But I couldn’t let his presence intimidate me.

I had to be ready to beat him to the punch when the Speaker called for new motions. If I didn’t get mine in before he did, I’d never get my proper say.

The Speaker called the roll for all those in attendance and then perfunctorily informed everyone of the agenda.

Fortunately for me, the proposal of new bills was the first order of business for the day.

I cocked my arm, ready to shoot it up in the air as soon as the Speaker was ready.

“At this time, we will hear the proposal for new bills. Those who wish to make a motion may signify with their hands.”

My hand shot up into the air before Chair Fakari’s even left his side.

“The floor recognizes Representative Fakari of South Africa.”

~What? But my hand was up first!~

I waved my hand frantically, hoping to call the Speaker’s attention to her mistake.

Ela leaned over and whispered in my ear. “You have to be an elected member of Parliament to make a motion.”

I’d totally forgotten!

I spent all that time preparing for a speech I’d never give instead of figuring out another way out of this mess.

And now, all I could do was sit and watch my fellow werewolves throw away the best chance at true peace we’d ever have.

Across the room, Chair Fakari rose regally to take the floor. All at once, the whole room felt solemn.

“Ladies and Gentlemen,” the imperious old wizard began. “I make a motion to discuss the provision of military aid to the North American Werew—”

WHOOSH!

All of a sudden, Chair Fakari burst into a raging ball of fire.

Every inch of skin was consumed with flames.

Screams filled the room as flesh melted from the old witch doctor’s bones.

I couldn’t believe what I was seeing.

One of the parliament’s most venerated senators assassinated before my very eyes.

And by fire, nonetheless.

~By fire?~

Oh, God…