Free A Member of the Council by Lynn Cahoon Page A

body but his soul. How’d she stay undetected all these years? For Matilda’s protestations on being a lowly level five, he knew she lied. From what he discerned about Parris’ natural abilities, untrained, both Parris and Matilda might be a level one. He shook his head.
    The Council would have a field day with this if they ever found he’d known and not reported both women.
    Thinking of the repercussions from The Council banished any memories of his afternoon with Parris. He needed to trace her roots, quickly. He didn’t have time to wait for Derek’s report. With a new purpose, he soaped, rinsed clean and grabbed a heated towel off the rack. In his black and white bedroom, he quickly dressed in jeans, pulling on an old Princeton tee shirt.
    Heading down to the study, Ty grabbed his cell to call Derek. Too early to expect anything, Ty wasn’t surprised when his call went directly to voice mail. Looking at the clock, it was after seven. Derek would be at some ritzy party. He almost never carried his phone, especially on a date. He’d told Ty answering calls on a date was rude. Grinning, Ty left his friend a message telling him to call when he got back to his apartment. Or when he was alone.
    He wouldn’t hear from Derek before nine tomorrow. The doorbell rang. Ty’s stomach growled. Food.
    He tipped the delivery girl, taking the food to his study. Waiting for the computer to boot, he took a large bite of Peking duck with orange sauce. Starving. His appetite was always stronger after sex. Especially great sex. Parris’ face filled his thoughts. He remembered her insistence on going hard, fast. The way her face looked falling over the edge. Then, he remembered the blackness he felt, following. There was a definite connection between the two of them. If they were to have any future at all, she needed to be cleared through The Council. Matilda’s cover wouldn’t hold up under the vetting process. Not when The Council vetted a hunter’s possible mate.
    Ty sat back stunned. Mate?
    A small smile formed on his lips. Mate. Yes. A connection. Parris McCall may not know it yet, soon she’d be a large part of his life. If she complained the relationship was going too fast, he’d remind her she came knocking on his door.
    He pushed aside the empty carton, opening a second, smaller container of rice. He’d consume this, then focus on work. Typing his code on The Council’s research website, he hoped he’d get enough time before the sweepers noticed his activity. He needed time to develop his case to protect Parris and Matilda from The Council’s attention. The research site booted up. Ty started his search.
    Three hours later, he sat back, done. He had a theory about where Parris came from and why her latent powers were high even without any training. He couldn’t quite prove it. However, his research led him to believe Parris McCall was a direct decedent of Originals. Her mother and father were Originals or what The Council liked to call, first bloods.
    Originals were the first families. The families who developed The Council. Who wrote the rules. Forbidden to mate outside The Council’s selection, their unauthorized offspring brought The Council to the brink of discovery by the human population too many times. The Council played on the image the human world had of witchcraft being a cult, a play toy of a disturbed few. They cultivated the image. Detractors, like the church, followed the fake trail.
    Except when Originals came into full view. After humans saw Originals, bad things happened. Like the Salem witch trials.
    Matilda had been right to conceal Parris from The Council. After what Ty’d read, he’d have no qualms saying The Council may have staged the accident killing her parents. Thinking they’d killed Parris in the same accident.
    If they found different, Parris wouldn’t be alive long.
    Ty’s heart ached. He pushed his chair away from the desk running his fingers through his hair. No way he’d fix