Sabin laughs as we walk through the garage door into the kitchen.

“I like when you pout, it does great things for this," he tells me and runs his finger down my bottom lip. “Keep it up.”

“I will pout. I thought you were going to teach me what to do when they run.”

“And I will, just not today.”

I narrow my eyes and poke out my full bottom lip even more.

“You look more like a flirty Disney princess than the brooding badass you’re going for right now," Sabin tells me on a laugh.

I swat his shoulder incredulously, and he lunges toward me playfully. I dodge his attempt to manhandle me, and sprint around the corner to escape. I come to a screeching halt when I find a group of familiar and unfamiliar faces rising to their feet in the living room.

Sabin rounds the corner, not expecting me to be standing right there and slams into me from behind. He curses and grabs my hips to keep me from tumbling forward. He starts to ask me what I’m doing, but he follows my questioning gaze and takes in the same scene I’m staring at. He straightens stiffly, as he drops his hands away from my body.

“Elders. Paladin,” he nods and greets our new audience.

“Sabin, the boys are upstairs," Lachlan tells him in dismissal.

Sabin walks past me, and I catch his nervous glance. I see the same questions in his eyes that are currently in mine.

“What’s going on?” I ask no one in particular.

Keegan is on the opposite end of the couch from Lachlan. Aydin and Evrin are standing in front of armchairs, and Silva is leaning casually against the fireplace. I quickly observe how tense they all are and it puts me on edge.

Lachlan motions for me to come to him, and it’s not lost on me that no one has bothered to answer my question. I walk toward him, but I find myself stopping next to Aydin instead. Lachlan gives me an unidentifiable look, but it quickly disappears from his face as Aydin gestures for me to sit in his chair.

The paladin rearrange themselves, and I observe the strangers still standing in front of the other couch. Two of them have blank looks on their face, but the one in the middle has an odd look, something akin to satisfaction. I’m not sure what to make of that, so I turn my attention to the men standing guard behind the couch.

“Vinna I’d like to introduce you to the Elders Council.” Lachlan gestures to the short, stout man on the left. “This is Elder Balfour.”

The Elder dips his chin to me, and I mirror the movement in greeting. He’s short and balding, and kind of reminds me of the monopoly man, minus the mustache.

“This is Elder Cleary.”

Lachlan indicates the tall man in the middle. He has short white-blonde hair and an all-black suit. He looks like a solid contender for the Malfoy family, and I want to search his arm for the death eater mark. He gives me a smile and a quick once over but doesn’t offer any greeting beyond that.

“And this is Elder Nypan.”

Elder Nypan steps forward and offers me his hand. He looks younger than the other two, with smooth dark skin, a bald head, and a significantly less intense vibe than his companions. I shake his hand hoping that my magic behaves itself, and I mentally pet it when I pull my hand away, and nothing weird happens.

“Elder Albrecht and Elder Kowka couldn’t be here this evening, but I’m sure you’ll meet them at a later time," Elder Nypan tells me, and I nod in acknowledgment.

Lachlan doesn’t introduce the other four men standing behind the couch, and I’m guessing it’s because they’re some kind of security. I fidget a little when each of them watches me with intense interest.

The elders take their seats prompting everyone else--except the bodyguards and Silva-- to do the same.

“The Elders accompanied Reader Tearson here," Aydin offers, finally answering my question.

“He’s here?”

“He’s preparing for the reading as we speak," Lachlan tells me, a stiff smile on his face.

My heart starts an epic assault on my chest. I work hard to keep my poker face intact and to not show any outward indication of how unsettled I suddenly feel. “Holy shit, it’s actually happening?” I say astonished. Nice Vinna, poker face intact, but filter clearly is broken.

Aydin and Silva both laugh and then cough to cover it up. I look over to the Elders to find Elder Balfour scowling at me and my unladylike words. When I don’t apologize--which is what it seems like he’s expecting me to do--his frown deepens.

“We were just discussing the preparations for your reading. It’s been many years since we’ve witnessed Reader Tearson in his element, it will be a delight to see him again,” he tells me.

Lachlan glowers at Elder Balfour. I don’t know what exactly is going on here, but it doesn’t seem friendly, and I feel like I’m missing something.

“We were just discussing with the elders that their presence is unnecessary, and we’ll be sure to update them as soon as the reading is concluded,” Lachlan explains with a saccharine tone.

“Why wouldn’t she want us there? It’s an honor that we’re offering our support and witness, one not bestowed often," Elder Cleary challenges Lachlan.

Lachlan visibly bites his tongue and stays quiet. His eyes quickly flick to me, as the tension swells in the room. It’s evident that he really doesn’t want the elders in my reading. I just wish I knew why.

“Well, I don’t know you, so there’s that," I offer Elder Cleary.

Elder Balfour sputters seemingly surprised that I’ve spoken and inserted myself in whatever the hell is going on here.

A calculating smile appears on Elder Cleary’s face. “We are your Elders, child, your leaders. What more do you need to know?”

His eyes are fixed on mine, and I don’t dare to look away.

“Why do you want to be there? Like you said, it’s an honor you don’t bestow on many. What makes me worthy?”

Elder Nypan interjects before Elder Cleary can speak.

“I’m sure you’re aware of how unusual your circumstances are. It’s safe to say; we’re all curious about your reading and what it will show.”

“We will, of course, share any pertinent information with the Elders Council, as is expected with all readings," Keegan tells them, trying and failing to ease the strain in the room.

I quietly debate what I should do. If we’re going to tell the elders what happens in the reading anyway, wouldn’t it be wise to play nice and let them do what they want? I look at each of the elders trying to intuit what the best move is.

Elder Balfour seems haughty, but I suppose that’s to be expected in his position. He’s an Elder, and apparently, they’re super powerful. I’d probably have a big head, too. Elder Cleary, however, is harder to get a read on. There’s hostility in his presence, but I’m not sure if it’s aimed at me. It’s possible it could have something to do with what happened between his son’s friends and me, but I’m not sure.

What’s even more confusing about Elder Cleary is that aside from the veiled undertone of aggression, he seems incredibly eager about something too. He’s trying to mask that eagerness with the apathetic look on his face, but the gleam that occasionally sneaks out of his gaze is giving him away.

Elder Nypan seems nice enough. Of the three Elders here, he’s probably the most likely to respect my decision either way, but something about this whole situation is off. Why is there so much strain and rancor between the coven and the elders?

“Elder Nypan, I get the intrigue, but I respectfully decline your request to witness my reading.”

I try to sound diplomatic, but I can’t help throwing in a not so veiled dig at the Elders. None of these fuckers have even bothered to ask me if I’d want them there. They talked to me like it was a done deal, and then Lachlan kept shutting them down, but no one has spoken to me like I have any say in any of it. Elder Nypan watches me for a second and then gives me an accepting nod before he stands up.

“We look forward to hearing the results of your reading.”

Elder Nypan smiles at me, and then promptly moves toward the front door. Well, that was anticlimactic. I kind of expected more of a fight. I watch the other two elders cautiously, wondering if will they follow Elder Nypan’s easy and accepting lead, or bitch and whine about his acceptance.

Elder Balfour is the first to concede, and he quickly exits the room while being shadowed by two of the bodyguards. Elder Cleary, however, watches me. The cunning light in his eyes is like a lighthouse that’s warning me of danger, but I don’t know if he’s the danger or if something else is.

“My son mentioned that he had the privilege of meeting you,” he tells me, his smooth cadence piercing the silence. “It seems you left quite the impression on him."

“The encounter was enlightening," I monotone.

He stares at me seemingly in no hurry to leave. “Yes, I can see what all the fuss is about," Elder Cleary muses, and a cool mask of satisfaction slides over his face.

The whole exchange is odd and unnerving, but before I can analyze it more, or ask him what the hell is going on, he leaves and joins the other elders in the foyer. Silva is at the front door, holding it open and thanking them for their visit, and they all shuffle out into the evening. When the door finally clicks shut, and it’s just the paladin and me, a collective sigh of relief permeates the group.

“What the hell was that all about?” I ask, looking around at all of them.

“They were here assessing a threat," Silva offers me, still staring at the door like he’s anticipating someone is going to come crashing back through it.

“A threat? They’re a little late if they’re looking into what happened the other night."

“They were here to assess you, Vinna," Lachlan tells me, looking at me like I’m an idiot.

“Me? How am I threat?”

“You’re a powerful unknown. That in itself can be threatening," Keegan explains.

That’s why they wanted in on my reading. They didn’t merely want answers; they wanted secrets. If they know what my magic can do, then they’ll also get a good idea of what it can’t do. Irritation and mistrust seep into me as things start to click together.

But why the hell would the paladin have a problem with them having that information? It’s not like Lachlan would be loyal to me over them.

“So why were you all so against them witnessing my reading?”

“Because we have no idea what’s going to happen. We didn’t want to risk it.”

It takes a second for Lachlan’s words and tone to sink in.

“You didn’t want to risk them, or you didn’t want to risk me?” I ask.

Lachlan’s silence is deafening.

“You think I’m a threat, too?” I clarify, not sure why his doubt stings so much.

Of course, he thinks I’m a fucking threat. It’s not like he’s treated me as anything but from the beginning.

“We’ve never seen anything like what you can do. We have no idea what that means for any of us," Lachlan justifies coldly.

I look around at the others, but none of them look back at me.

“Wow, good to know. Not that any of you fucking care, but this is bullshit.”

“Little Badass, don’t be mad...”

“Aydin, look me in my eyes and tell me I’m misunderstanding what you all are saying.”

Silva steps forward. “I don’t think you’d do anything to hurt us on purpose, but your magic is dangerous. Look at what you’ve done to the boys. You’re only in your quickening right now. Who knows what your magic will be like after your awakening.”

“We have to be realistic about what all of this means. We don’t know where you come from or how you ended up here. You seem to have been designed as a perfect weapon, and we’d be stupid not to recognize that, and prepare against it.”

I flinch, as Silva and Lachlan’s words hit me like a brutal slap across the face.

“Why am I here?” I growl.

Lachlan stares at me as confusion flashes on his face at my question.

“Did you rip me away from the life I built because I’m your blood and I deserve a life filled with family, magic, and love? Or am I fucking here to become whatever weapon you seem to think I am? To be used if possible, and put down if not?”

Once again Lachlan doesn’t answer, and that’s answer enough for me. Any hope I ever had that we could develop any kind of familial relationship shrivels into nothing.

“You’re right Silva. We don’t know what my magic will be like after I come into my full power, but you fail to realize that it will still be my magic. If any of you would pull your head out of your asses long enough to know anything about me, you’d know that I’m not some heartless, bloodthirsty monster.”

No one says anything, and it stings like the betrayal it is. I scoff at my stupidity. I’m here because they wanted to keep their potential enemy close. It was never about me finding my place as a caster or being wanted. Rage sears my insides as I look at each of them. I would have been better off not being found.

“Fuck you guys.”

I start up the stairs, and someone calls my name and moves to follow me. I call on a throwing knife and fling it at the feet of whichever asshole is behind me. It thunks into the wood and someone yelps in surprise.

“Just trying to live up to my hype," I seethe over my shoulder.