Page 36 of Deadly Alliances

Jackson waved a hand at me, flashing that sexy grin that hadbeen hiding under the new regime. He had been my first pick. After our little talk the other day, I knew he was someone I could trust. And considering his father was sorta the godfather of the shifter mafia, I knew he held tremendous sway over the other were families.

Petra Adder gave me a chin nod, her face a mask of indifference and black eyeliner. She was my recruit as well. Yesterday, I watched her stand up to a guard who had worked one of her nagas into collapse despite the fact that she was little more than half his size, then lit a cigarette right in front of him only to have him snatch it and stomp on it. I didn’t know much about her family, but she was hands-down the leader of the nagas at this school, and I had to assume she at least had connections beyond these walls.

When my eyes next fell on Letti, my smile fell. Niko had told me he was going to approach the mermaid, and though I trusted his judgment in considering her, I was surprised to see she’d actually come. But I was grateful. We needed a mer on our side, and Letti’s parents were nobility. I managed a small smile of appreciation at her, and she returned it with one that said she felt as out-of-place as she looked.

Then there was Leya, whose knees were bouncing nervously as she sat crossed-legged. I had my reservations about her, too. She was a notorious gossip, but for whatever reason, Niko insisted on bringing her in. Something about her parents being respected healers. And at this early stage, any support was good support.

“Thank you for meeting with us,” I began. “I know it couldn’t have been easy to sneak out, and I appreciate every single one of you taking the risk.”

They all nodded, and having all their eyes on me made me feel suddenly self-conscious. I’d never been one for public speaking,never viewed myself as a potential leader of anything. Hell, even in group assignments, I always just floated along, letting someone else run the show. Yet here I was, hosting a secret meeting where the stakes were much higher than my grades.

I cleared my throat. “I think we’re in agreement that what’s happened to our school since General Dracul took over is a nightmare.”

Petra scoffed. “No joke. They raided my cigarette stash.”

Jackson elbowed her with a wry smirk. “Don’t worry. I got you covered. My stash of paraphernalia is well hidden.”

“Sweet,” she said with a nod of appreciation.

Leya rolled her eyes. “That’s really all you care about? One of the guards forced me to do a sim after I spent all morning healing other students who failed. I was so exhausted, I nearly got my wing ripped completely off. Harpy healing can do a lot of things, but it can’t reconnect tissue. I was almost mutilated for life.”

Petra bristled, narrowing her eyes at the harpy who was being entirely too loud. “No, that’s not all I care about, but defending my nagas constantly is exhausting, and being denied of nicotine only makes it worse.”

“Maybe it’s a sign that you should stop,” Leya commented. “It’s a nasty habit.”

“So is talking as much as you do,” Petra countered. “Maybeyoushould stop.”

“Hey, we didn’t bring you guys here to fight each other,” Niko said, his voice quiet but commanding. “We brought you here to stand up against the tyranny that you’re all suffering from.”

Leya and Petra both shrank slightly, sufficiently humbled. I was glad Niko was here. He was so much more patient than I was,and I needed someone with his level-head to balance my hot temper.

Letti raised her hand. “And how do you propose we do that?”

“By forming an official shifter council,” I replied.

She gave a derisive laugh, proving she was still the same old Letti. “You want the six of us to be a council? How is that going to change anything? We’re powerless against the general.”

“Not us,” Niko corrected. “Adults. Hopefully one from each shifter species. Each of you have parents that either hold positions of power and respect or have connections to those who do. If you can get them to agree to forming such a council, they can reclaim the school and put it in the hands of someone more appropriate to lead it.”

Everyone sat in silence for a moment, letting that sink in.

“I’ll talk to my dad,” Jackson spoke up first. “He’s not really one for conventional authority, but seeing as he already runs the hound families, he might be inclined to accept such a position. And with his connections to mao and ursa families, he’d probably know the right people to talk to.”

“Perfect,” I said, looking hopefully from one face to the next.

“The obvious choice for the mers is Queen Anali,” Letti volunteered.

“Wait, isn’t that Kendall’s grandma?” Brett asked. “Do you think she’d actually agree after her grandson defected to the vampires? And even if she would, how would we even get a hold of her?”

“My mother is one of her administrators,” Letti said matter-of-factly, flipping a lock of hair over her shoulder. “I can easily relay the suggestion to her, and I have no doubt she’d be thrilled bythe idea. She’s deeply ashamed of Kendall’s choice. Her loyalty is and always will be to the mer, and I’m certain she will see as easily as I do that a council of shifters is what’s best for the mer.”

My brows flickered with surprise. Maybe not quite the same old Letti after all. Niko made the right choice in trusting her.

“I got someone in mind for the nagas,” Petra said. “I’ll make some calls and get back to you.”

“Okay,” I said slowly, hoping she would elaborate further. But she didn’t.

Brett shifted where he sat on the floor, accidentally bumping into a mop that was propped up behind him, and it fell and hit Leya on the head.

---