'He doesn't recognize you!? How is that possible?' 'Sadie must have strong mojo?'

There are four other alphas there too, Kane, and presumably the other three principals seated with Chris off to the left. The eight Councilors were to the right. 

"Elder Guardian, thank you for meeting with us on such short notice," the Councilman in the center greets.

"Councilmembers, Alpha's " Garrick greets stiffly.

"As you know we have a long and colourful history, and we are here to address a few key points-"

"Silas, get to the point," Garrick growled. "This is a secret meeting between Guardians and Council as witnessed by the principal five for validity, or am I mistaken?"

The shift in energy was nauseating. For their part the five alphas were neutral, but the Council and Guardians were having a cock off and my head was paying the price.

"Very well. The heir, it's been eight years and still you have not brought one forth," Silas accused.

"The heir will be produced when it is old enough, and when the time is right, not a moment sooner," Garrick grits out.

"You expect us to live this endless charade?" A beautiful blond Councilwoman asks. She's tall and thin, maybe 50s but aged very well with blue eyes.

"Sylvia, with all due respect-"

"You have shared no information, we don't even know if we are preparing for a king or queen? What branch of the lineage, anything? We are supposed to just take your word that there is an heir," she snaps.

"The Guardians are linked to the blood, if there was no heir, the Guardians would cease, you know this. What are you really getting at?" Garrick asks suspiciously.

"There is growing concern that there is no heir. The community is growing restless and impatient, the Council has been approached to assume-"

"Proceed carefully," Garrick growled.

"No one wants another Civil war, Garrick," Silas conceded. "If we continue to put them off without producing the heir, then we may end up with one anyways."

I was really regretting agreeing to this. My head felt like it was going to split in half, the topic was over my pay grade and I had no idea what I was supposed to be looking for.

"The heir exists, we are not working on their schedule," he retorts, defiant.

"Be that as it may, we thought it prudent to bring it to your attention," the youngest Councilman offered. 

"The Council has been after the power since day one-"

"We abide by the people's will as the Guardians do," Silas interjected as Garrick scoffed.

I felt unsteady on my feet as Damon stepped in. I've never had to deal with this level of energy before and god I hope not to again. I felt his hand on my wrist as he let the familiar warmth loose.

It only helped a smidge but it scrambled everything so I pulled free. By now they were talking generalities, so I tuned out their words. The cock off had largely subsided so the energy was more static but still overwhelming.

I worked on pushing layers away. Guardians first then Garrick. Chris was easy to separate and Kane I could pick out from our brief encounter. I was only able to pick out one more, the Councilwoman from before.

All that digging and separating has left my head pounding and vision blurry. I'm sure I've triggered a full out migraine as the nausea and dizziness are now swamping me in waves.

I can't separate the remaining three alphas and seven Councilmembers. There are five over the top energies and five controlled. Unfortunately all are sitting within feet of each other in a flooded room.

I feel like I'm trying to pick out a voice in a room where everyone is screaming at the top of their lungs with the sound bouncing off the walls.

Both Damon and Sadie stepped into me, steadying me as I wavered again. I closed my eyes relying on them to keep me up as I sorted through the remaining energy.

Nothing was separate, there was power for power's sake, dominance, duty, stocic, anger, unease, you name it at least one of them had it. My knees buckled as I dug for the under-current.

"Stop," Damon whispered as he tried to flood me again but I broke the contact. I opened my eyes briefly to see the meeting was breaking up. 

There it was! Hunger, malace and dark ambition, just hiding in the shadows. A door slammed and I opened my eyes as the energy withdrew.

I broke free and beelined for the nearest garbage, crashing into the wall as I retched. I barely had time to get the face shield down as the room spun and I heaved.

"Jezus Jess," I heard Mack say as she came to my side. Her hand wrapped around my wrist as I felt the snap of her push. This time was different though, I felt it but nothing changed. I really could have used the oblivion right about now as my head pounded.

"It didn't work," I rasped out. "I need my migraine meds, Jude knows, tell him it's bad."

"Can you stand?" Garrick asks, tight-lipped. I nod, regretting it instantly as a new wave of nausea hits. "We'll get out as quick as we can but you have to play the part or it's blown."

He hands me a fresh face shield as I wipe my face and see the blood from my nose. Great. I clean up as best as I can and cover back up. Derek helps me back up and holds me up until the room stops spinning.

Sadie steps in beside me as we make our way out. I don't know how I'm staying upright, my legs are shaking so bad and I can barely see. I can't remember the last time I've had such a bad migraine.

As soon as it was safe Derek scooped me up and took off to the Guardian house. The motion was terrible, kicking my nausea up to the next level. I pushed off of him as he slowed by the house, falling to the ground and retching painfully.

"Hang on princess, we're almost there," Derek said softly as he picked me up again and took me in to the house. He brought me directly to a bedroom where Jude was waiting with my little black case of meds.

He took one look at me and drew a syringe, a moment later I felt a prick then burn as the meds made it into my system. I felt his warm hand on my forehead as he swept my hair back before replacing it with something cool.

"Come on," he said to Derek. "We have to give it time to work, the more noise and light the worse it will be for her."

On the edge of consciousness I heard the door open and felt Chris slip in. The bed slowly dipped as he carefully climbed in before gathering me to him. 

"Here," he whispered. A glass of water was at my lips; I took a quick sip before he gave me two tabs and another sip. "Sleep baby, I've got you." Like a light I was out, snuggled tight to him.

-----

I woke up alone to raised voices in the hallway; angry whispers that I couldn't make out. The sun streamed through the cracks in the curtains. I was grateful to find sunglasses on the nightstand for me.

'Bless Jude, he needs a raise.' 'Lets not do that again ok?'

The voices stopped as I got up and made my way to the door. When I opened it Chris and Garrick were nose to nose and various shades of red. Their anger hit me like a slap in the face and I winced.

"Are you ok baby?" Chris asks, instantly wrapping me up in his arms.

"Yeah, just in the post migraine hangover, and your energies are screaming at me." Anger was replaced by guilt as they both worked to reel it in.

"Hungry?" Garrick asked.

"No, but I should eat something before the meds rot my gut," I admit with a frown.

We walked into the kitchen and without a word it cleared leaving only us and Jude. I sat at the counter and a moment later Jude set a powerade, peanut butter toast and two tabs in front of me. 

"Thanks Jude," I said with a smile. He smiled back as he grabbed coffee for the guys.

"How did you end up in such bad shape and why are you dressed like a Guardian?" He asked, pouring coffee around.

"She was training with us when the summons came, so she went along to get a feel for the room-"

"Are you insane!?" Chris shouted at him. I winced and grabbed his arm to try and simmer him down. "What the fuck were you thinking exposing her to that?"

"I was thinking something was off and I was out for all the help I could get," Garrick grits out, ticking his jaw.

"Can we take this down a notch," I complain.

"Sorry baby, but why did you do this?" He asks me, concern clear in his eyes.

"Well it happened pretty quick, it wasn't till we were in there that it became a problem," I admitted.

"What did you feel?" Garrick asks.

"Too much if I'm being honest. There was way too much energy and everyone was too close together for me to pinpoint anything," I say with a sigh.

"So it was all for nothing?" Jude asks, dumbfounded.

"Not for nothing, there's something there, just as they left I felt it, there's someone or multiples that are not on the up and up. I don't know who though, the ten strangers all blended together," I trailed off trying to remember the feel.

"What was it?" Garrick asked.

"Not sure. Felt their hunger, greed, satisfaction and like a dark ambition. What they want I don't know. The royal? Civil war? I can't even tell you who at this point or how many people." I close my eyes and pinch the bridge of my nose trying to push the stress away.

"That's enough," Chris cut in. His hands were on my neck and shoulders trying to alleviate some of the pent up stress and tension. My head nodded forward to let his hands work their magic.

"Baby I don't want you messing around in the middle of this anymore," he says sternly.

"But-"

"No buts Jess! This is between the Guardians and the Council," he cuts in.

"Thats-"

"Is that why you were there?" I cut Garrick off. I spin and face Chris who is clearly annoyed and frowns at me. I sigh knowing what I'm about to say is going to piss him off.

"Listen, I have no intentions of getting involved any more then I have to, but whether you like it or not we are. You weren't just there to validate the meeting, they were testing the waters," I replied, surprising both men.

"Don't look so surprised," I chided. "I know nothing of the civil war, but clearly the topic wasn't new. It felt like it was a show. They know they can't strong arm you into producing the heir, and you're not about to accept their rule. So what was the point?" 

"To inform the alphas of the stalemate and to plant doubt that the community as a whole is set to rebel," Chris finally answered.

"So what does it mean?" I ask. "I can see the moves but not the outcome?"

"It means the Council is getting ready to make a move," Garrick said lowly. "Maybe not this year, but they are testing the waters."

"Fuck, I'm really beginning to hate your world," I grumble. "It's bloody exhausting, and there's always something."

"I know baby, I'm sorry," Chris apologizes, wrapping me up in a big hug. I sigh and wrap my arms around his waist and lay my head on his chest. 

"I don't blame you Chris, you're the best thing that's happened to me. I just wish sometimes things were quieter. I just want to run away to a cabin on the lake and hide for a while." Wrapped in his arms I always feel safe and relaxed, but the world is never far away.

A knock on the door way brings my attention up as Damon enters. He locks eyes with Garrick a moment before he nods.

"Good to see you back up and about Jess, " he says warmly. "I've got something that may help," he says passing me a black velvet pouch.

Inside is a simple silver chain with a triple gemstone pendant. It radiated a calm like him but different. A teal, white and blue gem, the second was gold, amber and warm brown the third was black, silver and white. Each stone was twisted around the other and inlaid with silver.

"It's beautiful," I mumbled in amazement as I studied the stones. Chris took the chain and did it up on me. Instantly I felt my head lighten.

"But how?" I asked, confused.

"No one knows how it works or how it was made. It's yours for conference though if you want it," Garrick offers. I quickly nod at the offer and relish in the relief.

"Why didn't you give it to her last night?" Jude asks annoyed.

"It just arrived," Garrick snapped at Judes insolence.

"So what now?" I ask, changing the subject.

"Nothing changes. Go through conference like nothing happened and just pay attention. If you notice anything of note let me know, but otherwise," Garrick trails off with a shrug.

"Great," I say with a frown.