All the Devils are Here

The Mayor

5 years feels like a lifetime when your job is to oversee a city built totally on half-truths, personal vendettas, and insatiety. Byron Francis knew what he was getting into when he ran for office. The truth about Northview was no secret - to most people it was just an unconfirmed situation. Just like how the existence of witches has been normalized, most people would say witches don’t exist while another group would say they do but, generally there is no one conclusion on the matter.

Any doubts Byron may have had about the status of the supernatural presence in the city was wiped away when he assumed office 5 years ago. The first time he had seen a werewolf with his own two eyes was during his first council meeting but, long before he saw one, he had seen the damage that they could do. His predecessor before him had been in power for 18 long years before he hung his boots and retired.Before he left, he had given Byron some advise out of his own experience - ‘Never ever take sides but, if you have to pick a side, pick the werewolves. They understand loyalty’ and he had also let Byron understand that he had to play the role of mediator between both parties at all time else, a war could break loose at anytime.

Byron had taken the advise close to his heart and occasionally when he was conflicted, he would pay the old man a visit or write to him for advise. Unfortunately, the old man had passed and the only place he could look towards for advise was within. Or from his beautiful wife, Leticia.

Even now as he lay flat on his belly on the bed and received one of her renowned back rubs from her, he wanted to ask her for some advise. It was only two days ago that the young wolf by the name Samael Chase had all but, threatened to m******e a group of people if the council did not disclose his father’s killer. Or killers. Even though the rest of the council had proceeded with business as usual after that unusual display, that was the only thing that Byron could think about. Immediatley after the three day ordeal, he had headed back to his home in Uptown where he knew he was safe and he could think of the best way to go about things.

“What is on your mind, my love”, Leticia asks him as her hands work their way expertly across all the regions of his back, bringing his muscles great relief.

Byron and Leticia had an understanding. Their were so many parts of work that he couldn’t bring home. For her own good and also for the good of the integrity of the city. It was of paramount importance that the city maintained it’s reputation as a thriving cosmopolitan built on culture and with a fascinating history. The former helped to attract the young people and businesses into the city while, the later helped to attract the tourists which served a big role in growing the city’s revenue. Only people that absolutely had to know the whole truths had to know. And Leticia was not one of those people.

“Considering an early retirement”, he replies her but, only half serious. She chuckles and slaps his back playfully;

“Be serious”, she says.

He truly considers confiding in her. It won’t be the first time. He usually found cryptic ways to tell her about what was going on or ask for her opinion on a matter but, this case was much different. Xavier Chase had been murdered apparently. Although by design, they weren;t supposed to know each other’s names, after a few years one or tewo names slip out. He didn’t know if it was deliberate but, he knew the persons responsible for that hotel explosion. They swore they didn’t know that Xavier was in the building and it was not an attack on him. They swore that it was an accident, they didn’t mean for the explosion to get out of hand and take the other innocent lives. Samael on the other hand, Xavier’s son, had asked for their identity to be revealed or other innocent people would pay for it.

Byron had considered putting Samael in his place. Afterall, he had his name and is he gave that name to a skillled Sentinel, they could find him in no time and show him why it’s a bad idea to threaten the city council. But he had two major concerns with that tactic. One - would that be the fair thing to do? The wolf’s father had already been murdered, how cruel would it be to then kill the son or take him captive. Byron considered himself many things but, a cruel man was not one of them. Two - the words of his predecessor rang freshly in his head. If he went after the young wolf who undeniably represented the opinion of the rest of the werewolf community, how would the rest of the werewolves retaliate? It’s already bad enough that their leader was killed. Playing by Samael’s rules might be the only way to appease the werewolves.

He didn’t want t come off as a weakling by simply giving Samael what he wanted. He saw Samael’s presence in the council as an opportunity to start afresh with the city’s relationship with werewolves. By the time Byron became Mayor, Xavier had been on the council for years and he had never quiet been able to foster a proper relationship with the stone faced man. Maybe this was a chance to show that he was interested in having a heealthy relationship with the werewolves by presenting them with the persons truly responsible for the explosion.

But, he has to do it the right way. He has to take over the situation and play it off to demonstrate he is not doing this out of fear or intimidation but, out of fairness and interest.

“I need to make a phone call”, Byron says to Leticia urging her to put an end to the back rub. On the phone, Byron consults one of the quickest and most trusted Sentinels he has interacted with - Emily Dos Santos. He gives her Samael’s name and gives him a simple message to deliver -

Let us talk. Meet me at the same location of the last meeting. There will be no guards or other reps. Come with back up if it will make you feel better. 2 PM tommorrow.

As proof that the message was from him, he had stamped it with his stamp which was known to only be accessible by him.