One Broken Legacy

Chapter 35: My Garden on the Moon

"Thank you, Daniel. While I was dealing with matters, I noticed that there is a division between humans and coth, one that can be exploited. If we work with humans, we have the potential to help the species that trust us. By appointing a human representative, we are showing we are open to working with them, not against them."

"Do you have someone in mind?" Michael asked, his tone blunt.

"Actually, I do." I hadn't talked to anyone about this, not even Kiri, but as I pushed back my chair and opened the door, I knew the person I was looking at had good intention, if questionable understanding. "Lana, I would like you to meet the other representative."

As Morill head, I had the right to nominate council members, but then I was excluded from the vote. This choice was purely personal, not political. Lana knew very little about our world, but she wanted to learn, wanted to help. I trusted that.

"I must admit, when you said you had a nomination, I thought you meant Officer Reese," Aunt Bea said, her eyebrows near her hairline.

"Officer Reese has agreed to help us connect with law enforcement and humans outside. He was better spent as an officer, not a seat-holder."

Lana waved at the council, her hair bouncing against her white shirt: the symbol of human's lack of power, their plainness. The torch blazing on her breast pocket. The symbol of human survival, stubbornness. Prometheus's gift, their gift.

I didn't want a human representative because they had the same view as me, I wanted one who understood what it was like to live separately. The unique perspective that no coth could understand.

"I want her to act as the potential placeholder. Let her listen, interact and decide if she is a good match. At the end of the meeting, we will vote."

That wasn't a question and Lana took her seat next to Kiri who regarded her with a skeptical look. It would take a while for anyone to warm up to someone they had long considered an enemy, Kiri especially.

"Now that that had been addressed, I want to focus on the future of the council, is anyone adamantly against working with humans?"

No one raised their hands, even Michael, but having a human in the room might have been one of the biggest reasons.

"What do you mean by that, Alexis?" Alpha Daniel asked. "Not that I don't agree, but what do you expect us to be able to do?"

"Nothing extreme, not yet. For now, I want to make the council a resource for the human government. Who better to handle a supernatural threat than a coth?"

"And who would be handling this?" Izzy asked. "You can't help everyone?"

"No," I agreed, "but I plan to open the Morill Academy to humans and teach the students how to do more than help their personal species. I want to make them officers for humans and supernatural alike, a force to help unite us."

"Do you really think that would work?"

"Izzy, you live in a human city. Do you think they would be open to help in these instances?"

Izzy's cheeks flushed red. "Maybe, I'm not sure."

"Exactly. We should at least offer them a chance to find out." I hadn't taken my seat, the heigh making me feel like I had some semblance of control. "Look," I pinched my brow, "I know this isn't easy, but we have to adapt, get better. I'm asking you all to trust me."

"Alexis," Kiri finally spoke, her words calming the pounding of my heart. "I think you are right, but do you have a plan? What do you plan to actually do?"