Myrra POV

After Kaya and Elias walked into my office yesterday, I chose to keep Athyra away from them. Kaya had her protective mama wolf attitude about her, so I knew there was no reasoning with her. I had to have June lock Athyra up in my suite with Eriz to keep everyone from prying into her business. Elias tried to calm his sister, but Kaya was volatile with emotion. It took a whole night of venting and drinking to get Kaya to back off and wait for the trial in a few days.

Sitting at my desk, I felt my head become dizzy from lack of sleep. I didn’t have much choice in missing a night of sleep between playing peacekeeper and handling preparations for the council’s arrival. Buster Knalls, my event coordinator, was busy getting rooms for the seven council members' arrival. Each council member had specific needs that had to be met while they were staying in town. Carter Wells of the Kingdom of Solis (Human) needs to be far away from Marta Black of Black Rock Hills (Orc). Jonah Gigas of Jontunuvar (Giants) wanted to stay somewhere giant-friendly because of his height. Farah Galin of the Kingdom of Galin (Dwarf) refused to talk to Mylor Anifya of the Kingdom of Desfyra (Elf) due to some insult at a banquet six years ago. Grand Fairy Flora of Mauve’s Forest (Fairy) needed a place to fly in peace without people staring at her. Titan Mordue of the Northern Mountains (Beast Folk) required the coolest room I could find in this summer heat. It would be a rowdy crowd when the council members arrived.

A knock on my door caused me to shutter. I didn’t want to see anyone for a bit. All I desired was a painkiller and a nap. Before I could get up to answer the door. A familiar blonde elf strolled his way into my office. His expression was flooded with concern. He had returned from hunting the dark elf who started this mess with Rory, and he was greeted with news his only nephew had been injured by the very dragon after Rory. I wasn’t sure what to say at this point. Kaya and I had it out yesterday as we yelled until we were blue in the face. I felt like this whole thing was my fault for not keeping a leash on the young dragon.

“Myrra,” Elias called to me, making me look up at him. He stood on the other side of my desk as he studied me. I wanted to comfort my friend, to have him comfort me in return. We have always been there for each other since he joined my little guild years ago. He trusted me with his real identity and greatest secrets, and I held him as my greatest council and comfort. “You look awful.” He chuckled.

That’s the Elias I expected. “I feel awful. I would almost trade it for one of these massive hangovers I get after your impromptu parties.” I rubbed my temples trying to will away the exhaustion and stress from my mind.

Elias came around the desk and took my hands in his. Part of me wanted to pull him into a hug, but a sudden chill of fear filled me. A flash of memory caused me to shut my eyes in the hopes it would disappear as quickly as it came. Elias pulled me out of my chair into a tight squeeze letting his presence overwhelm me.

“Myrra, focus on me. Feel my warmth around you. Take in the smell of spicewood and whiskey on my clothes. Let my voice drown out the shadows of the past.” Elias whispered.

My cheeks became beet red as I followed his instructions. This was the first time Elias tried to drown out my fear by anchoring me to the present. The horrid memory faded back to the depths of my mind as I relaxed in my friend’s arms. I hadn’t been this close to him in years. Not since the heaven-forsaken night when that monster ruined me. It was a relief to have Elias next to me without jerking away from him in fear. I feared we wouldn’t ever make it this far, but with our girls in danger and the stress of the gravity of this mess growing, I needed Elias next to me.

Stolen novel; please report.

Elias loosened his grip on me and tightened my grip on him. “Don’t let go yet. I haven’t been able to hug you in years, and I am not sure when I will get to again.”

“You make it sound like I was gone forever, My,” He wrapped his arms around me again.

My grip on him tightened. “When you are trapped in your own personal hell because of trauma like that, it’s like those you love are gone forever.” We stayed like that in blissful silence until a knock sounded on the door. Elias stepped away like a gentleman to allow me to preserve my fearless guildmaster facade.

Opening the door, Eriz pulled Athyra into my office toward one of the long couches. Elias growled lowly at the sight of Athyra, but I held up my hand to warn him against doing anything. Shutting the door, Elias followed me toward the long couch where Athyra sat looking pissed off and bored. She was the perfect persona of a spoiled teenager in trouble. Elias stood behind me as I sat across from Eriz and Athyra. Eriz looked worn out. I knew he was having to constantly try to tame Athyra's emotions for her benefit, but the young man needed a break.

“Elias, can you take Eriz to get a drink in the mess hall? I think he needs a few minutes of breathing room.” I asked, curtly.

Elias looked at me with an ‘Are you crazy Myrra’ look. I just nodded my head toward Eriz and Elias huffed. He agreed and forced Eriz to follow him out of my office. When the door shut behind them, I used terrain magic to spring up boulders from the ground to block all the exits. I wasn’t going to let Athyra escape or give anyone a chance to interrupt us. We needed to have a serious conversation about her and my girls.

Athyra growled at the sight of the boulders, but she didn’t move from her spot on the couch. “Tell me, Athyra. Why did you ignore me the night before you stabbed Emera?” I questioned Athyra. “We could have avoided all of this if you talked to me.” Her face didn’t change at my words. She was determined to keep up the ice dragon act.

Athyra sat there giving me a frosty glare, unwilling to say a word.

“Okay, since you don’t want to talk, just listen. I need you to agree not to reveal information on the wolf or monkey girl, all right? If you do, they will make accusations that could cost Eriz his freedom to stay here in the guild with you.”

Her face hardened. “What do you mean?”

“As I told you, I plan to remain in guild custody to do community service in reparations for the damage and deaths that you have caused. I plan to have the council appoint Eriz as a caretaker for you, but my word will mean nothing if they think I let the ‘suspected wolf hybrid’ go when I captured you.”

Athyra faltered slightly in her uncaring gaze. “Why would that matter? You brought them a dragon.”

I leaned back against the couch now that I had her attention. “You are worth a lot to them, yes. However, they see a hybrid of a beast folk as an abomination. They were considered overpowered and unstable at best. They will rip apart this country to find the gruesome hybrid and execute the hybrid along with anyone connected to the hybrid. Any race that mixes with beast folk creates a dangerous offspring that causes harm to everyone.”

“Are you saying that a red mutt is more dangerous than a dragon?” Athyra accused angrily.

“To the Gleaca Council, yes. It’s only here that a beast folk hybrid has been forbidden.” I sighed. Maybe we should have sent Rory out of Gleaca years ago. She would have been safer if we had, but Rory always refused when we brought up the possibility. She had insisted that there was a reason she needed to stay here although whatever the reason was it doesn’t seem worth it now.

Athyra grumbled. “A little hybrid has little worth compared to the power of a freaking dragon.”

“Right, so if I go down, my plans to help you and Eriz are finished before they’ve started.”

“This is a load of shit, Myrra. Dragons aren’t meant to be caged or forced into anything, yet you are sitting there doing both to me. I wish this damn country would burn to the ground!” She roared.

“I agree, Athyra, but there are too many innocents who would get killed in the crossfire. Some slaves need freedom and liberties needed for children of all races, but it won’t come from a wildfire consuming everything. True freedom must be fought for in Gleaca or nothing will change.” I took a breath. “I am on a mission to change this place, but I can’t do it if I am dead, so Athyra, will you protect the wolf and monkey girls?”

Athyra’s eyes burned with malice for Gleaca, and I didn’t blame her for it. “Fine, but I will tear this country down the moment I get a chance, Myrra. It will either burn anew or face an eternal ice age.”

A grin plastered my face. I managed to convince her, but the hard part was yet to come. I let the boulders crumble back into the floor. “I will help you fan the flames of change.”