Awakening - The Last Science #1

Chapter 10 - The First Summit of the End of the World - II

  "Julian's pissed, but that's not new."

  "No, I suppose not."

  "You closed the Market?" Rachel asked. She'd requested as such to help drive attendance. If the only safe place to buy and sell magic was shut down for the afternoon, their flock of awakened could feel more secure in attending a meeting like this without fear of being undercut or losing business entirely.

  "I made it clear to all merchants that this meeting took precedence. I doubt many will attend, but they'll be well aware of the results nonetheless," Kendra answered, a note of irritation in her voice. "Some were... obstinate."

  "Thank you."

  "So what's your plan? You haven't explained yet."

  Rachel turned back to the entryway, still watching the ingress as it trickled through. There were a few faces she didn't recognize, which she made a mental note to learn as they were most likely from the fringes of town. Rachel wanted to have every member of town in her mental dossier, just in case.

  Cinza arrived, with only two of her cult in tow. To Rachel's dismay, they wore the full regalia as usual, hoods drawn and cloaks just short of trailing the floor. Cinza's hair was back to its silvery-gray, and the charms and symbols clattered on her chest and wrists as she strode through the hall with an intense expression, daring anyone to confront her. Rachel was surprised so few had accompanied her, but she supposed that the rest of the pack were keeping poor, burned Yusuf company.

  Of the two, Rachel recognized the girl Ruby from the day before, and a young Asian man whom she didn't know, with short cropped dark hair and a serene expression on his handsome face. They took a seat in the same row as Rachel and Kendra, in the right half of the hall. Cinza gave her a knowing smile before turning to face the front.

  Ryan Walker and his friend Seth Merrill made an entrance, arguing loudly about a basketball team. Seth's father Gordon looked up surprised at his son's attendance, but Seth ignored the journalist. Rachel was amused. His son, obviously thoroughly disinterested in the town, had only shown up because of her—in a roundabout way. Not that it was likely to inspire him to actually get involved, but she was at least doing some little bit of outreach with the town indirectly.

  A few more notable arrivals rolled in, including Oscar McKinney, who ran a handyman service for everything from plumbing to electrical and tow service. Collins McCreary walked in with Boris Morozov, the odd book store owner, chatting quietly. Boris took a seat while Collins stood by the entrance, with a silent nod to his employer Kendra. Rachel long suspected he did much more than simply groundswork for the Laushires, and his appearance here seemed to confirm it.

  Finally, the Mayor himself arrived. Rowan Rhistler was a middle-aged but vigorous man. He was well-educated but still native to the area, and sensitive to the needs of both the college and the legacy of the logging union, making him the perfect negotiator for most disputes at the upper level of the town's politics—but quite detached from the rest of the town, which was where Rachel had found her niche. He didn't give his nephew Mason a second glance as he strode through the center of the hall, taking his place at the front of the room and pulling out a pocketwatch. It was only a few minutes to noon.

  Hailey Winscombe arrived. The former social queen of Rallsburg University seemed very much out of place without her gaggle of bees following her every move. Instead, she looked—as she always did of late—reserved and cautious. Where once there had been a daring, explosive personality with a heart as big as the town itself, now sat haunted girl with trauma they could only guess at. While she still tried to act like the carefree party queen she'd once been crowned, there was a clear divide between the authentic Hailey Winscombe and the mask she now hid behind.