The chamber buzzed with tension as Pax faced the council members. Every eye focused on him and Jules, some filled either hope or skepticism, others with outright hostility. Jules did her best to stand tall at his side, her small fingers clenched into fists. At just ten years old, she faced her detractors more bravely than Pax thought he would have at her age.

  And he needed her here. There wasn’t time to waste trying to convince his detractors when Jules and a simple Identify spell provided incontrovertible proof. Besides, her presence underscored everything Pax had been trying to prove. The rebellion’s survival depended on embracing the new magic he had rediscovered. The old ways would not be enough.

  General Draven’s sharp voice cut through the murmurs. “Quiet! Everyone, quiet! We have pressing matters to address.” She banged a fist against the table, her expression brooking no argument.

  Pax glanced around, measuring the mood. The leaders of the rebellion were a mixed lot, seasoned soldiers, cunning merchants and a sprinkling of mages. Each had carved out a position of influence through merit or sheer force of will, but few had the imagination to see beyond their current strategies. He’d quickly figured out that he needed to win this battle first before they could move, united, against the empire.

  “Before we address this issue,” Draven said, softening as her gaze landed on Jules, “Congratulations, young Jules. I know this is very new to you, but would you mind if I and Mage Lysander take a moment to use our Identify skills on you?”

  Jules looked to Pax first and only answered the general once he gave her an encouraging nod. “All right. But just you and the mage. I think you’re all a bunch of dunders to keep questioning what Pax can do. It’s like you don’t want to beat the empire or something.”

  The general looked taken aback by the bold words while more than one person in Pax’s group laughed out loud. That response didn’t endear them to the committee members.

  Lysander, however, flushed and gave her a sheepish nod. “I know how it can look that way. It’s just that managing something the size of the rebellion isn’t as simple as you might think. You ran with Pax’s street crew, right?”

  Jules nodded, still aiming a suspicious look at him.

  “Well, imagine being in charge of over a hundred crews spread out across all the cities in the empire and figuring out how to get food, weapons and other supplies out to all of them without the guards noticing or attacking. And then you need to slip them all out of their cities to come here to train before you have to sneak them back in.” He gave her a shrug. “It gets complicated and takes time.”

  Jules gave him a slow nod. “Fine. Identify me then so we can get things moving. It’ll all go faster and better with Pax helping.”

  “From your mouth to Vitur’s ears.” Pax heard Eldan mutter beside him.

  Draven and Lysander fell silent for a single long second. Then Draven blinked in surprise while Lysander’s smile spread so wide it seemed to reach both ears.

  He turned to look at his fellow committee members. “She’s an earth mage. Mage Vipersworn has not only awakened a little without an artifact, he’s helped her unlock her element without a Crucible.”

  “This changes everything.” General Draven’s words came out in a soft, amazed tone, and she looked at Pax with new eyes.

  As the room erupted with voices, Pax kept his gaze focused on the two in charge. Draven leaned over and had an intense discussion with Lysander for most of a minute. Pax wanted to yell over the noise and ask for answers, but his Charisma urged him to wait.

  Finally, General Draven stood and held up one imperious hand for quiet. It took a few seconds, but the rest of the committee members and their assistants simmered down. When the voices were still again, she turned back to Pax, who stood patiently, still holding his notebook in his hands.

  “We’re making you an honorary committee head along with myself and Mage Lysander.” She held up her hand again as voices threatened to object. “Honorary, because you will have limited but important powers. In any decision having to do with the new gifts you bring to the rebellion, you will have a full vote with the ability to be the swing vote if I and Lysander disagree. On other topics that are out of your purview, the majority vote of the rest of the committee will decide tie votes, as we have done in the past. Is this acceptable to you?”

  A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

  “Give me a moment to discuss this with my people.”

  Draven seemed taken aback at his response before a touch of surprised respect flickered across her face.

  What? Did she think Pax was arrogant enough to make decisions without consulting his mentor and friends. He wasn’t a dunder like most of them were acting like. Keeping his thoughts from showing on his face, Pax turned to his friends. “What do you all think?”

  They all took a few moments to organize their thoughts and advise him on the best way to move forward. Pax thought they were much better behaved than the committee members as they brainstormed various ideas for the next few minutes. Incedis, Eldan and Titus all offered invaluable input grounded in the decades of experience they had.

  When Pax turned back to the committee, he had a new list written on a fresh page in his notebook. “My advisors have suggested a few small clarifications of what you offered. If you’re agreeable, then we’ll have an understanding.”

  Draven wasn’t the only one giving him a narrowed gaze.

  “I don’t think you know how amazing and generous of an offer our leaders have given you.” Nightblade just couldn’t keep quiet.

  Pax didn’t even look at him, waiting for someone else to take care of it. He didn’t need to wait long.

  “Hold your tongue if you don’t want to be dismissed from this meeting.” Draven didn’t bother looking at Nightblade, either.

  Pax almost felt bad for the sharp putdown. Almost.

  “What clarifications?” Lysander asked, as if there hadn’t been an interruption.

  “I’ll gladly take part in decisions having to do with Taming and the new magic I’m bringing to the rebellion. I also need the authority on the best methods to implement it into training here in the base. My friends and I know the most effective ways to train with it and implement it in battle. I’m done having people who know less on the subject bossing me around.”

  “So, you just want to take over everything?” Draven asked, brows raised.

  “I kind of already have, remember?” Pax waited a beat for her to think about how much control he actually had over the base before he relented. “But no. I don’t want complete control, especially not over logistics, which Mage Acker and Merchant Nightblade are so skilled at. But when it comes to my new magics, no one knows better how to teach and use them. Understand?”

  Draven’s face flushed at the blatant challenge to her power. Pax waited calmly for her to decide what to do. She took a few long moments, looking around at the other committee members before meeting Lysander’s gaze.

  Then she looked back at Pax and let out a weary sigh. “Alright. When it comes to your new magics, you have full authority. But”—she held up a finger—“we still reserve the right to step in and put a stop to anything that a majority of us feel would harm the rebellion and our chances of victory. Agreed?”

  Pax nodded, unable to stifle the victorious grin that wanted to burst out. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

  His concession seemed to soothe a few ruffled feathers, and Pax decided he could afford one more request. “Last item, I promise. I’d like to address the situation of Captain Langley and his crew currently being held in our cell block. We absolutely need to recruit them, especially if the finale of this war ends up in the capital as expected. Their aid will be critical for any actions we take there.”

  Nightblade huffed, but gave Draven a cautious look and kept his lips pursed without speaking.

  “And how exactly do you plan to keep him and his elite crew from turning on us as soon as they’re free and equipped again?” At least Draven’s question had real curiosity in it instead of the derision Pax saw in the expressions of some of the other committee members.

  “We use the same Interrogate process we do for new recruits. But we’ll speak to Langley and his people about opening themselves up as much as possible to allow their true motivations to be easily seen.” Pax held up a hand when Draven opened her mouth to object. “I’ve also developed some advanced mana skills that allow me to do something similar to the Interrogate skill, so I can verify that they’ve truly joined us.”

  Lysander let out a huff of amazement. “Is there anything you can’t do?”

  Amil laughed in delight. “Stick with Pax and this rebellion will have a real chance of actually working.”

  Pax kept his expression confident. “If both your mage and I agree after checking each of Langley’s crew, can we release them and get them involved in planning how best to defeat the empire? Their advice will be invaluable.”

  Draven looked at Lysander and they both looked around, taking note of the mood of the committee.

  “Any objections, please raise your hand.” Draven’s tone was clipped. She obviously didn’t like being rushed into making important decisions, but understood the necessity.

  Nightblade’s hand shot up immediately. But then his expression turned to disbelief and he looked suddenly unsure when no one else joined him.

  Draven turned back to Pax. “Agreed. Now, if you don’t mind, we have a lot of planning to finish.”

  Pax gave her a respectful nod and turned to his friends. “Mages Incedis and Eldan?”

  Eldan narrowed her eyes and Incedis looked unhappy at the hint of what Pax would say next.

  “I know it’s a big ask, but would you mind attending the rest of this committee meeting on my behalf and then update the rest of us on the current status of the war and any ideas for how we can help?”

  Incedis nodded, looking resigned, while Eldan leaned over to whack Pax on the shoulder.

  “You should be glad I like you, boy, because a boring meeting is at the top of my list of nasty tortures.” She turned back in her chair before glancing around at the other committee members. “But I’m sure Whisper and I can hurry things along if they get too slow.”

  That prompted a few worried glances at the ceiling, along with flinches from those who had briefly forgotten what loomed over them.

  Pax barely kept a straight face before he looked over the others with him. “Then it’s time for the rest of us to get to work. We’ve got a war to win.”

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