A/N: I only got two reviews last chapter! Come on, guys! Anywhom, this chapter is mostly gonna center on the political cconsequences of Aya Chi's death and what it means for Galen and the gang.

Chapter Song: I Follow Rivers by Lykke Li

Chapter 20: You're My River Running High

"What we must know now is who will take her place. Aya Chi was the only known phoenix in the world. The High Council is not complete without all twelve of its representatives." Niall Brigant announced.

Accalia sat at the very back of the room dressed in a black satin dress. It had a sweetheart neckline and capped sleeves that stopped at her shoulder. There were matching gloves that came up to her elbows and the dress reached her ankles.

Underneath were limited edition black satin Louboutin heels. Her painfully beautiful face was shrouded with a black lace veil and ruby red tears came from her eyes as she stared off in another direction.

Niall studied her quietly, his bright sea foam green eyes acting as an x-ray. His long, white blonde hair was tied in a glorious ponytail at the nape of his neck. His deeply tanned skin was a large contrast to his eyes and hair, making him startlingly beautiful.

"Yes, and as Accalia is not...at her best at the moment, perhaps the High Council should simply disband for the moment-" Frances Bairn said quickly. Accalia glared at him from under her veil and he was certain that if she could have, she would have murdered him.

"That will not be neccessary." a soft yet stern voice said. "The High Council can and will opperate without its twelfth member." It was Olina Deveaux, the witch rep who had spoken.

"But any and all matters upon which we attempt to vote-"

"They will operate under the same conditions and terms as if we had a twelfth member. The majority will win the vote." Olina spoke with great authority in her voice and the other eleven members could not help but respect her, Accalia included.

Silence rang through the room. Suddenly, Frances Bairn spoke again. "If Aya Chi is truly dead-"

"She is." Accalia spit out viciously, as if the name itself were trash.

Frances raised an eyebrow at the mourning vampire and continued on. "If she is truly dead then she'll have passed her powers on to another. The issue now is to find out who that person is."

~~~~~~~~~~~EBWDWH~~~~~~~~~~~~~EBWDWH~~~~~~~~~~~~~EBWDWH~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"So, what you're saying, Leo, is that the High Council will be after me any day now?" Galen asked as she settled into Godric's lap in the library. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close to him.

"They have more than likely learned that since Aya Chi is really dead, she had to have passed her powers on to another. They will want to find that person so they can have a full, even, and complete council." Leo answered as he sat down in an armchair with a glass of whiskey in his hand.

"They will force her into the council." Godric said quietly, as more of a statement than a question.

"They could," Leo said. "But they don't know Galen even exists or that she was even there the day Russell and Aya were killed."

Isabel watched the exchange observantly. She was preparing to leave back to Dallas to take up Godric's vacant position as sheriff of Area 9. "But now that Galen is...a child of the sun-"

"What does that mean?" Galen cut her off sounding confused and concerned.

Godric suddenly grew uncomfortable. He knew that Galen's newfound phoenix powers would cause some issues with their relationship being that he was a moonchild and she a sunchild. He knew there had to be some old ancient laws against the two of them being together.

"There has never been a phoenix that has mated with a vampire in the way that you have, Galen, but since you were a human and a vampire previously, I'm sure you are an exception to that." Isabel answered as she leaned against the doorframe.

Galen began playing with her hands. Why had Aya Chi made her a phoenix instead of someone else? Why had she been given something she had no idea how to use or control? Obviously, phoenixes had to do with fire which in turn had to do with the sun, but just what would that mean for her and Godric?

"Yeah." Galen replied wistfully.

Leo sighed and smiled. "Well, I do believe this is enough thinking and theorizing for the night. Besides, I have been invited to the Queen of Delaware's palace tomorrow night for the Royal Ball. I'm sure you two would like to join me?" he asked Godric and Galen. Isabel would be leaving later that night which was why Leo hadn't asked her.

"Royal Ball? That has got to be the biggest pile of shit I ever heard. You vampires take this royalty thing seriously, huh?" Galen asked, chuckling to herself.

"Yes," Godric replied. "We do, which is why we're going. You included."

Galen rolled her eyes. "I'm not going to that! I refuse to be surrounded by rude, pompous, arrogant assholes all night! I'd rather stay here, thanks."

"As your maker, I-"

"Ah ah ah!" Galen teased, wagging her finger in front of Godric's face. "You can't use that shit on me anymore, love. I'm a phoenix now." And with that, she gave him a quick peck on the lips, bade goodnight to Leo and Isabel, and left the room.

Isabel laughed at Godric's stunned expression. "She's got your balls in the palm of her hand!"

A loud, roaring sound came from Leo's lips: the loudest laugh they'd ever heard. He was holding his stomach and his eyes watered, or bloodied, just a bit. "That is the funniest yet most accurate thing I've heard in nearly fifty years!"

For two more hours, Leo and Isabel teased Godric for being whipped but let him leave the room in peace. To say he was pleasantly embarassed was an understatement. When he got to the room he and Galen shared, he found her brushing her dark, thick hair in the mirror.

She was wearing a black silk minirobe and Godric could see the strap of a midnight blue lace bra peeking out slightly on her shoulders. He walked behind her and watched her in slight awe. There wasn't a day that went by where he didn't wonder what he'd done to deserve Galen's love.

Her smile made his heart flutter.

Her eyes made proverbial butterflies appear in his stomach.

Her voice...her voice did something else entirely to him.

"How long have you been brushing your hair?" he asked softly.

She smiled softly and him but continued brushing. "About an hour and half now. I took a shower after I left the library."

Godric took the brush from her hands and set it down on the dresser. "I think your hair is beautifull whether its brushed or not. Now, if I'm not mistaken, the sun comes up in five hours."

He picked her up and in a flash they were on the bed. She smiled up at him and wrapped her arms around him, pulling him to her. THey sat there just like that until Godric asked her why.

"I just...I wanted to make sure you were real, Godric." Galen replied quietly.

He looked up at her puzzled and in the blink of an eye they'd switched positions so that she was lying on top of him. "Why wouldn't I be real?"

Galen shrugged and held Godric tighter. "I don't know. They way you love me...it feels too good to be true sometimes, like a dream."

Godric kissed her deeply and leaned his forehead against hers. "I assure you, Galen, the love I have for you is no lie, nor is it a dream. It is I who feels that your love is too good to be true."

A soft melodic laugh filled the room then. "Well, I guess we're both too good to be true for each other then, aren't we?"

"It appears that way."

A/N: I know you guys hate short chapters but with school about to start Monday for me I wanted to at least get something out to you guys with NO cliffhangers that way you guys wouldn't be waiting so long. Starting Monday I will try my best to write chapters when I have the time but they may come slower. I've just moved schools and since this is my junior year I gotta buckle down. Maybe I'll try to update every Friday night. Deal?

Also if you guys have any questions you can always follow me on Twitter at neiathelibra or just inbox me on here. I need a beta too so if any of yall are betas or you one, let me know :)

Until next time...