Nikolai, despite being a powerful earth magik, had perished from Orina’s fire attack. She was saddened by his sacrifice, as was Reuben, the magik’s truest friend.

As for the Council and the Center it was all a little chaotic. After what she had done on the battlefield even Benedict was politer to her, although the fear she saw in his eyes made her uncomfortable. She didn’t want anyone to be afraid of her. As for the rest of the Council they were awed and gratified; Vanne had bet her she would be on the Council in no time. It had worried her a little, thinking perhaps Lucien would be upset by the notion. Not just Lucien but the entire pack.

She couldn’t have been more wrong.

“Caia, great things are about to happen and you need to be at the center of that,” Jae had predicted.

To Caia’s surprise her words were greeted with nods of agreement as the pack lounged in the dining hall of the Center. “Really?” she looked to Lucien.

He grinned at her, looking a lot healthier these days. “We need to stick around, sweetheart.”

“So you guys don’t mind staying here for a while?”

“Are you kidding?” Alexa snorted. “We’re in Paris. I am going shopping first chance I get. Oh, that reminds me.” She smiled sweetly at Lucien. “Can I borrow four hundred euros?”

“Where are you going shopping?” Jae asked dryly. “Chanel?”

“Duh, of course not… you would be lucky to get a scarf for four hundred euros from Chanel.”

They were all surprised when Lucien agreed to part with the money. All except Caia. Alexa had been through a lot and she had fought like a wildcat in that battle. She deserved to feel eighteen years old for a day. But only one day. Otherwise, she’d bankrupt the pack.”

Caia strolled into Alfred’s suite with more ease than she had ever felt in the last year. The war was almost over but there was much to do… yet she couldn’t help the pure happiness that thrummed in her veins every morning she woke up. She greeted the Council, who all shot to their feet in deference to her with a wide smile. Huffing she tried to cover her laugh at their expressions. Caia really wished she had seen what they had seen her do on the battlefield. People at the Center were acting a little crazy. It had somehow convinced them that Caia was the purest child of Gaia in their existence… they actually believed Caia herself was god-like. Which was just crazy, she scoffed. Some blanched when they saw her coming down the corridors and pressed themselves up against the wall to let her pass. She tried to smile softly to ease their anxiety but it never worked. Others were different… they bounded up to her with enthusiasm and hero-worship which was equally exhausting. The Council were over the top polite and Caia unhappily noticed the twinge of fear in some of their eyes. She didn’t want to frighten people for Gaia’s sakes!

Caia was glad to see Marion and Vanne in the room with Reuben and Saffron. The four of them treated her as they always had.

Caia grinned at Marion. A few days before she had had some quiet time with her mentor for the first time in a long time. She asked how Marion was coping with the loss of her sister and her position at the Center. It was difficult, she had said, but not impossible. And Vanne was helping, she had blushed. Caia had laughed. Marion was usually so cool and together but Vanne had reduced her to a blushing teenager. She told Caia how she had been crushed at first when Vanne stopped courting her to court her sister, how over the years she had felt their connection had never died, how she had felt guilty for feeling that way. Marion had never known Vanne was still in love with her, however, or the real reason he had left her for Marita. So, they were trying out a relationship… a very tentative attempt. It was strange for them both with Marita between them. But Caia thought they should turn that into a positive. No one else but each other could understand the helplessness one felt when betrayed by someone that close to you.

Reuben grinned wickedly at Caia, making a face at the way the Council deferred to her. Caia, rolled her eyes. For an old guy he could be really immature. She threw a quick smile at Saffron. As for those two… Caia didn’t know what was going on. Maybe they were both too darn gosh old to have any kind of meaningful relationship between them. But there were feelings there and Caia couldn’t wait to watch that particular show unfold.

Not that she didn’t have anything better to do.

Laughing at herself, Caia took a seat before them all. “You wished to see me?” She asked politely.

Alfred cleared his throat and nodded. “We wanted you to be the first to know that peace negotiations with a community of Midnight magiks in Paris are going well.”

Exuberant elation shot through her. “Really?” she gasped.

Penelope smiled sweetly at her excitement. “Really.”

“What next then?”

The Council shared wary glances. “The negotiations are complex. As you might understand the Midnights are not happy to exist peacefully with us if we have a controlling council in power.”

She frowned. “You mean you guys?”

“Exactly.”

OK. Fair enough, she nodded thoughtfully. They would just have to come up with a solution.

“We should begin negotiations with other Midnights and see if that’s going to be a recurring theme,” Caia suggested.

The Council nodded, but Reuben sighed, “It’s not that easy, Caia. This could take a while.”

A slow smile spread across her face. “I can be patient.”

35 – Something New

Three years later

Caia shook her hands out wishing her palms weren’t so sweaty. She exhaled and then began the breathing exercises that Marion had taught her.

“Caia.” Lucien soothed, putting a hand on her shoulder. He stood behind her with Jaeden as they stared at the massive double doors to the court room at the Center. Despite all the other changes, the Center was still called the Center, but now by those who had once been Daylights and Midnights alike. Those terms were one of the first laws she was going to insist upon – no use of Daylight or Midnight. It would be considered a racial slur. They were all the same now. She trembled a little.

“You can do this, Caia,” Jae encouraged.

Magnus’ words from this morning came back to her in a rush of comforting warmth.

“Your father would have been so proud of you, Caia.” He had hugged her close, and she had choked back the tears at the thought of Rafe, of the picture she had of the two of them that she kept tucked under her pillow. Magnus pulled back, his eyes glittering suspiciously. “I know because I’m so proud I can barely contain it sometimes.”

The people who loved her believed in her. I can do this. Caia threw back her shoulders and threw open the doors. The high wall before them was covered with plaques with lists of names of the supernaturals that had fought with them and died during the Great Battle for Concord, as it was now called. In the center was the largest plaque with Nikolai’s name scrawled across it in beautiful calligraphy. Below it Caia had had the inscription from Oscar Wilde’s own tomb carved into the stone for Nikolai. It read:

And alien tears will fill for him

Pity’s long broken urn

For his mourners will be outcast men

And outcasts always mourn

Caia smiled as she passed it, knowing Nikolai would have loved it, an opinion shared by Reuben. She strode up the stairs and into the court, Lucien and Jae at her back, acting as her second and third in command. The benches of the court were empty, but set up in the middle of the room was a huge round table, and seated in beautifully carved chairs that Lucien and his apprentice had worked on for months (each chair depicted a moment in the Great Battle for Concord) were supernaturals of influence and power. There were ten of them. Four magiks, two faeries, two vampyres, two lykans and of course, Caia… their Chairwoman. She strode to the largest chair at the northern most point of the circle and Lucien pulled it out for her. She stepped between it and the table and lowered herself upon the comfortable cushion. Reuben, Saffron and Alfred stared back at her among less familiar faces. Faces of people she knew she would come to know very well over the years as she led them in the new world.

It had been a grueling and exhaustive endeavor to bring them all together, among them three magiks and a faerie who had once been Midnight. But after the battle, and months of hard work, Caia’s wishes had come true. The war had ended and in its place sprung something new. These people before her, their actions and decisions were only the beginning… for there was much work to be done.

She smiled at them in joy that this moment was finally here. “Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the first meeting of the United Council of Supernaturals.”

Epilogue – The Gods

Mount Olympus

“I’m a little sad that it’s over,” Hemera sighed.

Artemis shrugged. “The war is over, but there’s still going to be plenty of action. We won’t be bored, I promise.”

Hemera sniffed, feeling a little put out. “I bet it only lasts a century.”

Artemis grabbed her hand. “I’ll take that bet.”

Gaia, who was dozing on the giant-sized cloudy bed with all its gold trimming that used to belong to Hera and Zeus, groaned, “Ladies, please, can we not just enjoy this moment.”

The two goddess’ snorted at their mother. “New age wench,” Hemera muttered.

“You know if the war starts up again, she’ll,” Artemis gestured to Gaia, “Just find another way to bring about peace.”

Hemera nodded. “That’s what I said… new age wench.”

“I heard that,” Gaia murmured but didn’t move from the bed.

Artemis grunted and flopped down onto the floor. “I never thought I would say this but I actually envy Hades. At least he’s got company in the Underworld.”

“And drama,” Hemera agreed.

“And sex… not for me of course, ‘cause I don’t do that sort of thing, but it does spice the viewing pleasure up a bit.”

“Not to mention he has torture down there.”