Life After Death

Juliet: trying to have a meeting here

{Juliet}

I was glad to have my own place, even if it meant the additional expense of transport spells to get to Vercyne. There, in my home away from Donlin and Vercyne, I could relax. Until, of course, it was time for work. I liked my study at Vercyne all right; I got a lot accomplished here, but I knew this next meeting would not be a pleasant one.

Mikaela rapped on my study door in passing and I gathered up my papers and my wits. Both would be needed.

Dimitri and Llaraine were already there, as were Quinn and Mikaela. I slipped in next and we waited for the others.

Mikaela glanced at Quinn and then turned to me.

"Gawain summoned Corryn last night," she said. "Corryn's going to teach him necromancy."

"Only you would think that is good news," I replied. "Corryn's a mass-murdering sociopath."

"He was a wizard," Quinn added, backing up his wife. "Gawain nearly killed Lionel and himself last week. I don't know anyone else who could possibly be helpful."

"And Nick said he'll watch them," Mikaela assured me.

"Once again, only you would think that the avatar of your house is a suitable babysitter," I said. "I thought I would stop being surprised by you people."

"Oh, nothing harmful comes from Corryn as a ghost," Dimitri told me. "He is good for Gawain."

"What about Corryn?" Adele came in and sat, looking harried.

"Guinevere and Nimue are fighting again," she explained. "I recall the pleasant solitude of being an only child."

She sighed heavily and looked down at her notes, distastefully.

"Your parents were murdered; that's hardly fair," Llaraine said. "Where's Westley?"

"He left last night," she said. "Some embassy in Feremain is in legal trouble. But the time difference is in our favor; he should return soon. You said something about Corryn?"

"Gawain summoned him," Quinn answered. "He wanted someone to teach him necromancy."

Adele considered this. "I supposed a man able to dismiss a live faery to Hell ought to be able to be good at something," she reasoned. "But I trust measures are being taken?"

"Yes," Mikaela replied.

"Good. Where are the others?"

But Gwen and Eldreial came in with Blaise just as she spoke. They took seats around the table and Adele gestured at me to begin.

"Thank you three for coming," I told Gwen, Eldreial, and Blaise. "We are reviewing some of the last bit of the bill before the Court of Nobles approves it next week. You have more experience with the Court than we do and we're looking for a rudimentary second opinion."

This was the nice way to say it. Blaise didn't know that the document I held nominated him as the Prime Minster, liaison between the Cabinet and the Court. He would not be pleased if he did know.

"We'll help as we can," Gwen promised. "What is the bill?"

I laughed. "We've restructured the Court of Nobles, altered the Speaker of the House and, if I get my way, a fully functioning government system that Corryn can't hack through. Our new government will have checks and balances, not that you faeries have ever worried about such things."

"You are faery too," Blaise remarked. "But I understand your point. So, explain."

Instead, I opened up my folder pulling out my flow chart of power. At least, that's what Mikaela called it. Carefully I showed them that the Crown would recede into the position of Head of State, rather than chief executor.