Negotiation

There is no man who has no secrets. Nobody plays with their cards in the open. An informant lives off of these secrets, which is why he knows how carefully he must guard his own.

Negotiation

We all woke up early in the morning. Breakfast passed without a word being spoken. When we finished, we looked each other in the eye. Our eyes were like mirror images of each other - we were both determined.

"Alex," I began, but I didn't take my eyes off Rolo.

"Yes?"

"Stay here in case Livius is looking for us, or if he has news for you," I said, and out of the corner of my eye I saw him nod in agreement.

He knew it was our fight.

"Shall we go?" I asked, now to the kid.

"Yes," he said and we both stood up.

The two cats were waiting for us at the gate. They opened the car door for us and we got in. The car windows were black and I couldn't see through them at all, and the back seats were carefully separated from the drivers so I couldn't tell where we were going.

I knew I really should mention it to Rolo now, but I didn't. The ride passed in silence.

Suddenly the car stopped - we had arrived. When we got out, I sniffed the air but nothing was familiar. Opposite was an old villa.

The two cats walked closely beside us, watching our every move. The double doors opened soundlessly in front of us and we entered a huge room. On either side of the hall were stairs leading upstairs, but we were instead ushered towards the elevator. We stepped into the cramped box, a barrier closed around us, then one of our attendants pressed a button and the lift began to rise at dizzying speed. When it stopped, I looked up at the display: the forty-first floor.

I now knew where we were, although I only knew the place from what others had told me. The Shifters' Legislative, Judicial and Executive Office.

"Forty-first floor," a bored female voice announced, "Conference rooms."

We stepped out of the elevator and found ourselves in a corridor lined with double doors on all sides. We stopped at the fourth meeting room. The door opened automatically and the two cats, standing on either side, beckoned us gracefully to enter.

I glanced at Rolo, who was stiff with nervousness - he'd figured out where we were. I stepped closer to him and he, sensing my presence, slowly raised his eyes to me. Although he still looked nervous, he was not as nervous as he had been a moment before.

I gave him a calming glance and his shoulders relaxed immediately. His eyes widened a little, he must not have thought that someone could do such a thing with his presence - I didn't know until lately, I had only realized it during my encounters with Aleshio.

He nodded slowly and we finally entered.

The room was divided into three parts. On one side, on a platform with a balcony, stood three people, all wearing unusual headgear, their faces covered by a veil - though I could tell by the smell that Leo was in the middle. The three prominent figures of the cats: the chief magistrate, the chief judge and the leader, who oversees the work of these two and makes the laws.

In the center was a semicircular open space with just two chairs. On the other side of the room, the judges sat on stepped platforms. Their identities were also veiled, and there were only a dozen of them.

We were led to the two chairs and seated. Rolo's hand trembled, barely perceptible. When we sat down, Rolo looked up at me, the unspoken question in his eyes:

'How can you bear such pressure?'

Practicing with Aleshio had indeed paid off: I had strengthened the protective walls of my mind, hiding all the tension, worry and doubt behind them. I was able to keep my composure. The judges' stares were almost burning, the whispering that rose and added to the tension, and the disgust they radiated toward us seemed almost unbearable.

I sent an encouraging glance towards the kid and let my gaze give him strength.

"The trial of Roland Hollósi is now officially opened," Leo announced.

"Roland Hollósi, the aforementioned, has applied for an early coming-of-age ritual," announced the cat to Leo's right, who I assumed was the Chief of Justice.

There was a murmur among the judges. The Chief of Justice waited until they noticed themselves and calmed down.

"But first we must vote on the pending indictment of Roland Hollósi," he continued.

"Indictment?" repeated Rolo in exasperation.

He was now confronted by what a mess he had got himself into.

"With all due respect, Your Honour," I began in a low, calm voice, "I am not fully aware of the charges and as Roland's defender and representative, I believe I am entitled to ask for clarification."

With all due respect... I love this phrase. How do you know how much respect is due? Sometimes none.

Rolo's eyes immediately flashed at me, understanding gleaming in his eyes.

"Of course, Mr...", the Chief of Justice began.

"Shaytan," I nodded. "My name is Shaytan, nice to meet you."

The room fell deadly silent, you could have heard a fly buzzing. Then chaos broke out again at the judges' platform. Leo raised his hand, and with that gesture alone, he managed to silence the mob.

"Honourable Mr. Shaytan," began the Chief Magistrate, and there was no emotion in his voice, "The charge is clear: forty-eight counts of theft and seven counts of burglary. But the most heinous crime of all is the theft that lead to war. Roland is a menace to the feline community."

"Would you care to explain?", I asked.

"Roland had robbed the Fifth King for his own self-interest. In the wake of his actions, dozens of our kin were killed by vampires searching for him," he replied.

Rolo's eyes widened in shock. He hadn't known how many had died, and now he was devastated.

"Roland Hollósi," the Chief of Justice began, now addressing Rolo, "do you admit that you committed the theft?"

Rolo spoke in a hoarse voice. "Yes."

"Do you admit that you were fully aware of the possible consequences of your actions?" asked the Chief of Justice.

Rolo opened his mouth to speak. He knew what he should have said, but he closed it. He was no stupid child, he knew exactly what he was getting into when he started.

"Yes," he said, finally broken.

He knew that some might die because of his scheme, but to be faced with the death of dozens of his kind on his conscience was different.

"In this case the verdict is clear," said the Chief of Justice.

"Your Honour," I began again, taking attention away from Rolo, "I think there are mitigating circumstances."

Rolo stared at his knees, broken. Perhaps he no longer cared if he was convicted. He felt the accusing eyes on him, and it made him feel guiltier than ever.

"What mitigating circumstances?" questioned the Chief Magistrate.

"Roland played a key role in the battle I led against the Fifth King - and yes, I did lead the battle," I declared.

The room erupted in whispers again.

"Honourable Mr. Shaytan," the Chief Bishop began, "I appreciate your words, but that alone is not enough to change the verdict..."

"I am aware of that," I nodded.

"Are there any other... how do you put it, mitigating circumstances?" the Chief of Justice interjected.

I took a document neatly folded from my pocket and beckoned one of the cats to come and get it.

"Here are the results of my investigation into the deaths of the shapeshifters," I explained. "A closer examination of the official investigations would lead anyone to conclude that the victims' deaths were clearly motivated by life-sustaining. The brutal speed of death, the amount of blood loss, all indicate that they were killed for food rather than to obtain information about Roland. This is simply a case of trying to pin flimsy charges on an innocent child in order to delay or even prevent the coming-of-age ceremony. With all due respect, this is a feeble attempt."

"None of this is exculpatory," the Chief Justice retorted.

"Really?", I asked lightly, "Your Honour, show me one piece of irrefutable evidence that the murders had something to do with the boy!"

The Chief was silent.

"Your Honour," I began, softer now, "I am aware that the boy acted recklessly, for his own self-interest, in a way that determined the situation of the whole country. At the same time, I am certain that the Fifth King would soon have sought to destroy the country without Roland's actions. I am not, of course, saying that what he did was right, but being punished for it is not right either. I can assure you that from now on, as a shifter in my famiglia, I will take full responsibility for his actions."

This immediately made it clear that whoever is the enemy of the kid is also mine. The three figures on the platform began a quiet discussion.

"The decision is put to the vote," Leo announced, "All those in favour of convicting the accused, please show your hands."

Three hands immediately went up.

"All those in favour of acquitting the accused, please indicate by a show of hands."

This time, nine have indicated their support.

"The accused is hereby acquitted," Leo announced, and I could hear a smile in his voice, "If there are no further questions, the hearing is completed."

"Your Honour," I heard an all too familiar voice. "I don't think it's wise to take a murderer at his word. This monster has killed and even hunted down our kin and wounded several of them..."

The noise that rose again in the room drowned out the last words of the woman. Leo waved and silenced the crowd.

"That case is under my individual jurisdiction and has nothing to do with the current Council meeting," he said.

"But..."

"The first part of the hearing is completed."

The room was filled with Leo's harsh voice and no one objected anymore. Despite this, Sera got what she wanted. Rolo looked up at me in disbelief. I saw the question in his eyes and I nodded slowly. He jumped up and stepped out of the room. I got up and followed him, although my steps were only a little faster than usual.

When I stepped out, I saw him waiting against the wall with his hands folded in front of his chest. This alone surprised me, I thought I would have to chase him for a while to explain the situation and calm him down.

Rolo sighed.

"I know you don't like my kind. It's no surprise."

"Right."

"I don't care why you did it," he declared. "What pissed me off is that you thought it would change anything."

"It doesn't?"

"No," he said quietly. "You think my loyalty is that weak? Have a little more faith in me and in yourself, Shay."

For some reason, I felt my chest tighten.

"Remember something," he continued, looking deep into my eyes. "You are the only one who can command me. That must mean something, right?"

I smiled and this smile turned to a relieved sigh.

"Only barely," I added.

He chuckled a few times at that. The tension between us disappeared. He did not need any explanations to trust me. Maybe that was why I felt compelled to explain.

"They were assassins," I explained.

My fingers glided softly caressing from her cheek to her neck.

"Who sent you?" I asked in a sweet voice.

Her eyes sparkled with determination and loyalty. This loyalty persisted even as the grip of my fingers tightened to an uncomfortable tightness and her breath began to grow fatally thin. She had one hand on mine, but I would not let go. Her nails dug into my skin, but I didn't bother. There was no pleading or doubt in her eyes - only loyalty. I knew she would not say the name I already knew, and that was enough for me.

I love loyal people, I respect them for their sacrifice. That is why, as a sign of respect, I did not strangle her as I had planned, but snapped her neck in one swift motion. I simply couldn't let her live.

My gaze was drawn to the wound in my side. My only thought was to get out of the room. I pulled my shirt up over my shoulders and dragged the two bodies into one of the stalls, then almost escaped the restroom and even the nightclub building.

I grabbed my jacket on the way to hide the obvious blood stains. I closed the door and leaned against the cool wall. Just being away from the cats helped and my wound began to heal - albeit at an unnervingly slow pace compared to usual. However, the crescents left by the cat's claws showed no improvement at all. I wanted to laugh mockingly. This is why I hate cats.

At the boy's look of shocked disbelief, I shrugged.

Just as fae fear iron, wizards have the limitations of their magic, shifters have the pain paid for transformation, and vampires die of their own venom.

"I have a kind of allergy," I continued, "At least that's what I call it. My advanced self-healing abilities give up against cats."

If I'm wounded with, let's say, a knife, I heal faster than a normal monster, but if I'm attacked with their own claws, the wounds they inflict heal normally, as if my ability didn't exist - who knows why. I call it a cat allergy.

"It's my closely guarded, dirty little secret, and I wanted it to stay a secret. Even if I had to kill all the cats to keep it," I added and pursed my lips at the thought of how much work that would actually be.

Rolo watched, frozen. At first, I thought he was shocked that my ability's limit was so ridiculous, but then I thought maybe he'd realized that I really would be prepared to murder anyone to cover up this weakness. Finally, he spoke.

"You really..." he began, and his voice trailed off.

Really, huh? I really think you believe that? I really am a murderer? A despicable worm?

"You really trust me," he continued in stunned disbelief.

I was surprised by his finish. Of course, he was a cat, and I had just told him that cats were the only ones who could be a weakness to me. I almost grimaced at how highly he was thinking of himself, for weakness here and weakness there, he couldn't beat me in a fight. But as I looked into his eyes, I realized that he knew that too.

He thought how easy it would be to tell anyone, how much the information would be worth, and how much my enemies would want it. He thought I trusted him, but I just knew he wouldn't betray me. He owed me, and I knew he would never be able to betray such a secret to anyone.

"Leo knows this?" he asked.

I shook my head. "I was just stopping by to make it clear that he really didn't want to be my enemy, and then we settled for a draw."

"Alex?" he asked, more uncertain.

"Do you think if he knew, he would have been adamant about bringing a cat home?" I asked back, "He just knows I can't stand them."

Rolo looked touched, annoyed, and incredulous all at once.

"So, can we go back?" I asked, "The hard part is still to come, and this time it's your turn."

By the time we returned to the room, things had calmed down inside. Rolo had stood up, and argued; for every doubt, he had an answer, for every law that restricted him a loophole. I wasn't the only one who came prepared.

He spoke so firmly and confidently that it seemed no one would be able to dissuade him from his goal, despite Sera's determined attempts. After three-quarters of an hour of heated argument and debate, eight people finally voted for Rolo' favour. The next day, at eleven o'clock sharp, he was summoned and told to come alone. Such ceremonial things belong only to cats.

We were in the elevator when I said.

"You did a great job."

He blushed a little. "Well, you weren't so bad yourself."

I grinned. He seemed to be dying to ask me something, but he couldn't bring himself to do it. After a few minutes, he finally pulled himself together.

"Why did Leo want to kill you?" he asked.

"Hm, it's a complex issue," I said thoughtfully, "First of all, I know too much. Secondly, he wanted my job. He's also an informant, so it's no wonder he was trying to move up the ranks."

"Just for that?" he questioned me, incredulous.

"Well, I might have fucked his girlfriend," I added innocently.

"Weren't you supposed to hate cats?" Rolo questioned.

"She wasn't a cat," I replied.

"And how did you finally reconcile him?" he inquired.

"Well, first I gave him the exact spot where I buried his assassins," I began.

"You buried them?" he was shocked.

I shrugged. That's the least that loyal monsters deserve.

"And of course, I sent him the bank statement of his ex. And explained nicely that the woman had been tapping into his account a few times a week without his knowledge. As a bonus, I added all the details of her bank account with her passwords and all the trivia."

"Of course, he never forgave himself or me for the death of those assassins, but you know it could have been worse," I added, "When I broke into his headquarters, I could have killed his cats, but I didn't. I think that was what really convinced him."

"We didn't become friends or anything like that," I said, "We don't like each other, he just knows he can't win against me and I don't want to go to war with him."

"So, is that how you say we're allies?" asked Leo mischievously.

I merely gave him a scornful look and stepped out of the elevator. He laughed and playfully punched me in the shoulder - his way of showing his fondness, although, if you ask me, it's a rather violent and primitive way of making friends.

I rolled my eyes. I could feel Rolo's gaze on me, and when I glanced towards him, I saw sparks explode in his eyes. It was the look he gave me when he realized something. When I raised my eyebrows, he shook his head, so I let it go.