“Thea, this is insane,” Keeran said, his voice tight. Ebby had pretended to be his friend too, and then she turned on both of us. “I get it that you don’t want to kill her, but let’s just leave her here.”
“Leave her here and let’s go, or we’ll be late,” Luana said.
I stepped closer to the group. “Even if she’s lying to us, I think we can use her to our advantage. We can pretend to trust her, or let her know we trust her with reservations. She’ll try to prove herself by providing us information about Morda and DuMoir Castle.”
“It could be lies,” Drake said.
“I know, but maybe her information will be half-lies,” I said. “We can catch her with a truth spell or something.” I glanced at Keeran. It was a hard spell with rare ingredients, but I thought he was strong enough to do it.
“You’re suggesting we take her to the meeting?” Keeran asked. “That’s too risky.”
“I know, but then she’ll see we’re not kidding. If she tricks us in any way, she’s dead. Besides, meeting the other witches might scare her to the point where she doesn’t lie to us.”
“I don’t like this,” Luana said.
“Me neither, but for once, I want to be ahead of Morda,” I said. “For once, I want to beat her at her own game. If she sent Ebby here to trick us, then let’s pretend we were tricked, and then use her to trick Morda instead.”
Keeran frowned. “That makes sense, actually.”
Drake shook his head. “I’m against it.”
“I still don’t like it,” Luana said. “But I think it’s worth a try.”
I stared at Drake. “Please?”
He groaned. It was his away of reluctantly agreeing. I smiled at him for a quick second, before turning to Ebby with a serious expression. “After all you’ve done to us, we should kill you, or leave you here to rot alone. But that’s exactly what we’re trying to change in this world. We want more compassion and peace, so we’re taking you with us, but know this: You’ll have to prove yourself to us.”
Ebby wiped her eyes again. “You can trust me, I swear.” I extended my hand to her. Eager, Ebby took my hand and I helped her up. “I’ll prove to you all I’m telling the truth.”
That was fine with me, but for now, we had to keep going. “Keeran, can you heal her wounds a little bit so we can continue?”
Without a word, Keeran knelt in front of Ebby. He hovered his hands over her legs, closing the worst of the wounds and healing her enough so she could walk with us. Then, he stood and did the same with her hands.
“Thank you,” she whispered, looking up at him.
Keeran didn’t reply and Luana let out a low growl.
“We’re wasting time,” Drake snapped. “Let’s go.”
Like he had done before, Keeran spelled the both of us and Ebby so we could run almost as fast as Drake and Luana. After disappearing behind a bush, Luana threw the leather jacket back to Keeran and shifted back to her wolf skin.
And we ran.
But even with the spell, I was starting to feel the ache in my bones, the tiredness in my muscles. I tried to control my breathing and heartbeat as much as I could, because I knew the moment Drake or Luana could hear how tired I was, this trip would be over.
Almost an hour later, we slowed down. Luana appeared by our side in her human body and with the clothes Keeran had brought.
“I can feel it,” Keeran said, frowning. “We’re near.”
“Yes,” I said. Even in my state, I also felt the magic pulsing toward us, stronger and stronger each step we took. “We’re almost there.”
Drake took my hand and gave me the thermal bottle. “Drink.”
Of course he knew I was fighting against the pain and exhaustion. With his senses, how wouldn’t he? “Thank you.” I took the bottle and drank several gulps. To be honest, the tonic only helped a little these days, but every little bit counted.
Still tense, Drake turned to Keeran and Luana, who flanked Ebby. “You two stay back with this one. Keep your eye on her. If she tries anything, kill her.”
Ebby’s face paled.
I opened my mouth to tell him he didn’t need to scare her so much, not yet, but with fast, jerky movements, Drake grabbed my hand and pulled me toward the meeting place.
The closer we got, the stronger the magic was.
“Can you feel it?” I asked Drake. Since he was a vampire, I wasn’t sure he felt the same as a witch or a warlock would.
“A little. I feel more tension in the air than magic.” He squeezed my hand. “Sorry for being in a bad mood.”
I squeezed his hand back. “I understand. And I appreciate you trusting me.”
Drake gave a long side glance with those brilliant green eyes. I smiled at him. Damn, he was so handsome. Sometimes I forgot how lucky I was.
I placed my other hand on my belly. Even if I wasn’t here to see her grow, our daughter was lucky because she had an awesome father who would take good care of her.
The trees cleared into a tall rock formation with a large opening like a cave.
“The Undying Well is inside?” Drake asked, skeptical.
I shrugged. “It must be. I’ve never been to this place, but I’ve heard lots about it.”
Supposedly, the magic that witches now possessed had come from the well hidden in here. The well per se didn’t possess magic to give anymore, but the ground was a sacred place, and no harm could come to a witch while she was in here.
Drake and I entered the narrow and dark tunnel of the cave. It went on for a couple of minutes, then it started widening until finally it opened to a huge cavern. I halted at the edge of the stone stairs carved out of the rock and gaped at the sacred place—and the many witches waiting for us.
The stairs led to a stream of bright white water that spread like a long snake throughout the place. It sometimes disappeared under the stone walls. In the center of the room, the stream widened, creating a pool where a round stone well rose from the middle of the water. Dormant magic pulsed from inside the stone well.
Around the center pool and well stood Queen Rosilla, Queen Sarah, and a dozen of other witches—their inner circles.
“Thea Harrington,” Queen Rosilla said, her loud voice echoing through the cavern.
With Drake by my side, I approached the queens. Like I was taught to do, I bowed my head. “Hello, Queen Rosilla, Queen Sarah. Thank you for coming.”
Hiding her burnt hand behind her, Queen Sarah wrinkled her nose at me. Then, she shifted her gaze to Drake. “Who is this?”
Drake also bowed his head to the queens. “I’m Drake, former prince of DuMoir Castle.”
“A vampire?” Rosilla asked, frowning.
“A vampire is the father of the Queen of All Witches?” Sarah asked, her tone dubious. Untrusting.
“Yes, Drake is the father of the Queen of All Witches.” I rested my hand on my belly. “I see you have talked to your council.” I gestured to the witches behind the queens.
Queen Rosilla nodded. “I have and I must say, my coven isn’t happy about uniting with another coven, but I convinced them it was our only choice.”
“Good,” I said. “And you, Queen Sarah?”
“I’ve also talked to them.” The tightness of her tone didn’t bode well.
“And?”
“They want proof.”
My brows curled down. “I thought I had proven to you when we first talked. You know I’m carrying the Queen of All Witches.”
“I do,” Queen Sarah said. “But they want to know it too. To feel it.”
What kind of queen was she? Couldn’t she order them to believe her, and they had to do it? But if she was that cruel and uncaring, then we were back to square one. We needed leaders, but we needed good leaders, who heard their people and improved their lives.
Karyn, Queen Sarah’s second, stepped closer. “You have to understand, most of us never thought the Queen of All Witches was a real thing.” I knew what she meant. “As much as we respect and obe
y Queen Sarah, our queen knows how important it is for us to have proof of such declaration.”
Another witch approached us. If I remembered correctly, her name was Tallie and she was part of Queen Sarah’s council. “This is a huge moment for us. We would like proof.”
I dropped Drake’s hand and also placed it on my bump. I closed my eyes and focused—not in calling my magic, but talking to my daughter.
Emotion choked me when I realized I had never really talked to her, not directly. I talked about her, I mentioned her all the time, but despite the fact she was right here with me, I hadn’t talked to her.
Hi, baby, I thought. How is it going in there? I hope you’re okay. I’m sorry I’m weak and tired all the time. I’m trying to keep up my strength for your sake, but I can’t seem to hold on for long lately. Please, hang in there. Your father and I love you, and you’ll make sure you’re okay, all right? My eyes misted. But I have a request right now. Can you show your power to these witches, please? We need their help, and if we don’t prove your destiny to them, they won’t help us.
As if she had been waiting for this moment, my daughter acted. Power exploded from me, pushing everyone back, including Drake. Like it had happened before, the witches’ eyes glowed blue as my daughter poured her magic into them.
Then they blinked, but the awe didn’t leave their expression.
“Incredible,” one witch said.
“It’s true,” another whispered.
“This is amazing,” a third one muttered.
Queen Rosilla smiled. “This is the second time I felt that, and I can honestly say that it was as powerful and emotional as the first time.”
“That’s one hell of a Queen of All Witches,” Queen Sarah said with a smirk.
Thank you, baby.
“I’m glad you’re satisfied,” I said. Even though it hadn’t been my magic, I suddenly felt drained. Black dots appeared at the corner of my vision. Sensing me, Drake pulled me closer so I could discretely lean on him. “Are you going to help us?”
Queen Sarah and Queen Rosilla exchanged a look. Then, they said in unison, “Yes.”
Relief course through me.
“But on one condition,” Queen Sarah said.
My stomach dropped. What now? She would ask for a sacrifice, for gold, for what? Dread filled my chest. “What is it?”
“We launch an attack on the next full moon,” she said.
That was it? I mean, it wasn’t the ideal time as I would probably be even weaker by then, but it could have been worse. At least that should be enough time for us to prepare and interrogate Ebby to find out which of her lies would be useful or not.
“What do you think?” I asked Drake.
He nodded. “I’m okay with that.”
“Then it’s settled,” I said. “Next full moon we take Morda down.”
17
Thea
I rolled from the left to the right, trying to find a position that didn’t hurt, but now, at seven and a half months, everything hurt. It hurt even when I didn’t move. It hurt when I breathed.
But in a couple of hours, everyone was leaving for the final battle, and I had to endure it. I had to because I wanted to go, too. I wanted to squeeze Morda’s neck with my own hands.
I sat up, determined to go, but a stab of pain cut down my back and I swallowed a cry.
“Lie back down.” Drake rested his hands on my shoulders and pushed me down on the mattress.
“I need to get up.” I rose on my elbows and looked at him. “I need to get ready.”
His jaw ticked. “We already talked about this, Thea. You can’t go.”
“I have to!” I snapped. “This is my fight too.”
“My love,” he said with an exhale. “I know it’s your fight too, but I promise you, I’ll fight for me, for you, and for our daughter.” He leaned over me and kissed my forehead. “In the last month, you’ve barely been able to get up. I don’t think you can do it now. Please, just stay down.”
“How can you ask me that when you’ll be marching to battle soon? Do you really think I can just lie here and relax?”
“Nobody said anything about relaxing, though you should.” He rested his hand on my big bump. At the same time that seven months seemed like an eternity, it had gone by too damn fast. Soon this child would be here—and I would die. “Think of her.”
“I am thinking of her, and I need to fight for her.”
It was pathetic how I had done nothing this past month. Ever since the meeting with Queen Rosilla and Queen Sarah, I had been practically bedridden. I had been a little skeptical when Queen Sarah had offered to take Ebby and interrogate her, but I gave in because I thought my past with Ebby would interfere with it. I wouldn’t want to hurt her, because she had been my friend—or at least pretended to be my friend. However, I had made Queen Sarah swear she wouldn’t torture Ebby. That was one of the reasons Drake and I were fighting now: to make a better world for all supernaturals. Torture wasn’t a part of that world.
Hopefully, Queen Sarah had reformed Ebby by now, and she was now a faithful member of the Blackmarsh coven.
“Thea, please, listen to reason,” Drake whispered. “I won’t be able to fight if you go. I’ll worry about you and we’ll all end up hurt.”
Like a spoiled child, I pouted. Because there was nothing else I could do. I couldn’t stomp away, I couldn’t hit him, and I couldn’t cast a simple spell to show him I had it in me. I didn’t.
In the end, I knew he was right.
I let out a long sigh. “I know, I know. I just feel so useless staying behind.”
One corner of Drake’s lips curled up. “You, useless?” He leaned over me and brushed his lips on mine. “You’re more important than air, Thea. You’ll never be useless.” I wound my arms around his neck, pulling him to me, but the moment his lips closed around mine, his body stiffened. He pulled back and glanced to the window. The sun was finally setting, which meant it was almost time. “The witches are here.”
As if I weighed nothing, Drake lifted me up and took me to the living room downstairs. He sat me in one of the armchairs and placed a throw blanket over my legs. I smiled at him, always touched by how caring he was.
Luana and Keeran were in the kitchen, eating dinner. I turned my nose up at the sour smell coming from their food. Lately, I had to shove food down my throat because even things I had loved before, now tasted sour and bitter.
Luana turned her head to the door. “The witches are here,” she said.
I smiled. It must be nice to be able to hear things far away.
Not five minutes later, Drake opened the door to Queen Rosilla, Queen Sarah, their council, and Ebby. They marched in wearing battle clothes—leather gowns and pants, and with their hair tied out of the way. A chill ran down my spine. How I wished I was well enough to join them.
Dressed in similar fashion, Ebby looked around, as if analyzing our house. What? Was she plotting how she would escape our clutches?
Beside me, Drake put a hand on the back of my chair. “Is everything set?”
“Yes,” Queen Rosilla said.
“And you?” Queen Sarah asked. “Ready?”
“Yes,” Drake said. “I’ll be leaving in a minute and will meet you at the castle.” Drake had told me he had several parts to put into action for their attack plan. I didn’t like it, but that wouldn’t change anything. He leaned over me and pressed his lips on mine. “Please, take care of yourself. I’ll be back soon.” He kissed me again. “I love you.”
I held on to his hand. “Please, be careful.”
One corner of his lips tugged up. “Always.”
Right.
I blinked and then he was gone. My heart stopped for a moment, then sped up in agony. He was gone. He was going to fight in what we hoped was the last battle in this war. Anything could happen. What if he got hurt? What if he didn’t come back?
“Deep breaths,” Luana said from the kitchen. She probably had picked up my rapid heartbea
t and breathing.
I inhaled deeply, then faced Queen Sarah. “Found anything useful?”
Queen Sarah glanced at Ebby before returning her gaze to me. “Not much. Apparently Morda didn’t tell her much.”
“Or she’s hiding it.”
“With the methods I used, only if she’s an extremely powerful witch,” Queen Sarah said.
I cringed thinking of the methods she could have used, but at least Ebby was here, still standing and looking healthy. Whatever it was, it didn’t leave a permanent mark. Moreover, Ebby wasn’t a powerful witch, so she couldn’t have resisted.
Queen Rosilla narrowed her eyes at me. “Are you staying here alone?”
“No, I’m staying with her,” Keeran said from the kitchen. Last night, Luana had told me she was torn. She wanted to stay with me, but she also wanted to go and have her revenge on Ulric. I told her to go. I had also told Keeran to go, but he wasn’t having it.
The queens turned their noses to him. I knew what they were thinking. A warlock right beside them. They were eager to kill him. I would like to see them try.
Thankfully, it wouldn’t come to that.
“I already told you, I would rather you go and make sure Drake and Luana are fine,” I told him. He shook his head. “Keeran, don’t make me use my magic to force you to go.”
He snickered. What? He didn’t think I could do it? Truth was, unless my daughter lent me her magic, I probably couldn’t.
“I can leave a couple of my witches here to guard you,” Queen Sarah offered.
“I-I’ll stay,” Ebby muttered. She raised her timid eyes to me. “I would like to stay and watch over Thea.”
Did she really think I would let her be alone with me?
“By all that’s sacred.” Queen Sarah tsked. “As if I would trust you with this. You’re coming with me so I can keep an eye on you!”
I liked that plan. I sighed, already too exhausted from talking—and worrying. The battle hadn’t even begun, and I was already dying of worry.
“I’m fine,” I said, my tone firm. “I’ll be fine by myself. Nobody knows where this house is, and we need everyone able to fight at the battle. Please, don’t worry about me.”
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