Inheritor Of Magic: The Magi King

”If we’re not here to propose amendments, then why were we summoned?” One of the Family Leaders asked in a challenging tone.

“As a courtesy so that you could be the first to learn when the deal was reached. You are not the Coven Leader, nor are you even on the Council. A position of Advisor does not grant the authority to do as you please, not anymore.” Reiko insisted.

[I will send for bodyguards for her. Would you like to make wagers on the number of assassination attempts this week?] The Fae Advisor’s voice sounded in Wolfe’s mind.

He discretely raised four fingers and then flicked them open and closed, pretending to scratch at the stubble of his beard, which he forgot to shave this morning.

[Eight it is. I was thinking three, so we will do closest.] The advisor replied.

Only two of the gathered advisors noticed the silent interaction between Wolfe and the Fae, and none of them noticed the surge of Nature Magic as she called for more of her friends to come join them.

The pair that she called were Rock Trolls. Like the bridge trolls, they liked to guard places, but Rock Trolls guarded caves. In the Advisor’s mind, that made them a good choice for the Fortress City, which was a massive stone edifice the size of a mountain.

They could guard the Coven Leader from the shadows, as they could meld with stone the way that the Bridge Trolls melded with trees to move about. It would let them be anywhere in the city in seconds, and they were already on their way here, Wolfe could sense the two Rank Four Fae approaching at extremely high speed.

Compared to his own bodyguards, they were much more mobile, but less impressive in power. In size, they could definitely compete with anyone, though. Rock Trolls would bulk up their body like a puffer fish, but using the surrounding stone for mass to make themselves huge.

They didn’t get much stronger, but the visual was impressive.

One of the Coven Family Elders glared back at Reiko. “So, you have just unilaterally decided on what course the Coven is going to take? Or did you ask your Demonic Lover?”

Wolfe smiled, but Mary looked indignant. “I am not a Demon.”

That made Wolfe and the others laugh.

“I think she was talking about me.” He reminded the indignant little witch.

“Oh, yeah. That makes much more sense.” Mary agreed, calming down again in seconds.

“The Council agreed to the terms of the agreement, and gave me a list of proposed amendments already. The ones that were rejected at the start were the only ones rejected, and the deal is being verified by the experts of both sides this morning.

Barring an issue with the wording, it should proceed as planned and be ready for public signing this evening.” Reiko informed the group.

The Council members smiled. They had proposed all the things that they really wanted right at the start, and they were willing to let their families fight for a slice of the action once everything was signed.

Their Families had not been on board with that, and the old arrogance was creeping back in, now that the attacks from the Rebels were ending, and the food supplies were coming back into the city more regularly.

The fact that it was all coming from the farms outside the walls and not the villages didn’t concern them, their power was inside the city, not outside.

[I’m starting to wonder who actually won the rebellion. It looks like it’s the same thing all over again, and it never really ended, just ousted the ones who got caught and a few families who supported them too openly.] Priya informed Wolfe and the others from the Pentacle.

[You might not be wrong. Let me shake things up a bit.]

Wolfe smiled at the witches around him. “I have one more proposal, separate from the main agreement. With the change in the bloodline curse, many more powerful witches will be rising in the next few years, all from the younger generations. Keeping the Council as an inherited position within the Families will inevitably lead to an excess of bloodshed, as the powerful refuse to be suppressed by the weak.

We already know that if it is a righteous grievance, even the Kind Intentions spell will allow violence, and that there are a number of spells that can isolate an area from its effects short term.

So what I am proposing, in order to keep the Coven as a functional unit, is to separate the roles of city administration from the Coven Council duties. To put them as paid positions within the city’s bureaucracy under the Coven Leader, and to have the Coven Council pick their successors from among the most powerful and qualified witches in the city.

With that caveat, that the Coven will always be led by the most qualified, I believe that we can eliminate almost all the scheming against the Council Members, as it will no longer be feasible to kill one to take their place.”

“You’re proposing that Commoners should be eligible for the Coven Council?” One of the Family Heads asked, clearly confused at Wolfe’s intentions.

Wolfe shook his head. “If they’re the most powerful of their generation, they would hardly be commoners, right? I am proposing that the Family they are born in should not grant them automatic status on the Council if they are too weak to deserve the spot. That the Council Members should pick the most suitable successor for their position.

Not just from the vetted successors chosen by their Family, but from within their own staff and their personally favoured witches with great potential and the skills to maintain the Coven.”

A few of the Family heads turned pale as they realized the implication. They had picked their own children as the next head. But like Coven Leader Reiko, there were cousins, younger children and distant relatives with great potential who had just joined the Academy and who would be much better options.

With the rate of growth disparity between old generation and new, the Council could well skip over the vetted successors in their forties and fifties, and pass directly to witches who were barely thirty years old, but who had gained the favour of the current Council.

It was no secret that there were conflicts between the Council and their Families, as many of the successors were power – hungry spoiled brats. If the Council got to choose their own favourites, it would be a disaster for the social climbers.

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