“We have a few tricks they don’t know about,” Edith said, clearly enjoying herself now. “The High Sister mentioned we had an ally at the summit. You remember?”
Dani nodded slowly, “She said we weren’t alone. That a…sympathetic power would stand with us.” A thought had been circling her brain since. “You mean Dominic and Layla. Volkhov.”
Edith snorted. “Dominic likes us well enough, but his wolves are stretched thin. And Layla’s plate is full, keeping him from murdering Leonid and you know, being pregnant. No. The High Sister wasn’t talking about them.”
“Then…who?” Dani demanded.
Edith’s eyes gleamed. “The Severney.”
Dani blinked. “Rory?”
“Rory,” Edith confirmed, “And more importantly, Kiara.”
The last puzzle piece slid into place.
“They’ve been working quietly with us for years,” Edith said, keeping her voice low. “North of here. Past the glacier. Severney territory touches three little witch settlements and one vampire court. Which meant they had a choice: face constant turf wars, or work out a truce.”
“They made peace,” Dani said.
“They did more than that,” Edith replied. “Kiara showed up at a border battle with the hybrids with nothing but a borrowed grimoire and a death wish. A few well-placed sigilsand one hastily summoned ward later, Rory’s wolves walked away from something that should’ve wiped them out. He’s not stupid. He started inviting witches to his table after that. Quietly. Under the High Sister’s eye.”
“I thought the Severneys were isolationists,” Dani said. “Mountain ghosts with closed borders.”
“They are,” Edith said, “publicly. Privately, they’ve been integrating witches into their pack structure the way things used to be. Old grudges don’t feed you when hybrids crack your border. It’s been…an interesting experiment.”
Dani thought of Kiara’s easy contempt in The Anchor, the way she’d played cards with wolves like she’d grown up at their table. The way she’d handled Dani’s wild magic without flinching.
“So, if something goes wrong today,” Dani said slowly, “if the wolves turn on us—”
“Rory’s fighters will stand between us and whoever’s charging first,” Edith said, “On Kiara’s signal. They’ll pretend it’s about pack politics, about keeping the peace. But we’ll know.”
Warmth and unease warred in Dani’s chest.
“Can we trust her?” she asked, “Kiara.”
Edith’s expression flickered. “I think so,” she said, “she’s shifty, yes. But she’s very in love with her alpha. That tends to focus a girl.” Her mouth twisted. “Unfortunately, the feelings aren’t returned. Not the way she’d like.”
“You’re sure?” Dani asked.
Edith gave her a look, “Dani. I watched them in The Anchor. She orbits him. He uses her power and conveniently forgets her heart exists. It’s a pattern.”
Dani’s stomach turned as she remembered her teenage self, hopelessly pining for Arthur and giving him every scrap of herself, even when all he wanted was friendship and she wantedso much more. “I can relate. ”
“Try not to see yourself in every tragic witch,” Edith said gently. “My point is, whatever else she is, Kiara will put Rory’s safety first. And right now, Rory’s safety is tied up in making sure this summit doesn’t end in a witch slaughter. Our deaths are bad optics for his continued…experiment.”
“You’re saying we’re protected because dead witches are bad PR,” Dani said.
“Welcome to international relations,” Edith replied.
Dani glanced around the room. Salem sisters knotting cloaks. Two nomad stragglers whispering together. Juneau’s Drusilla watching it all with hooded eyes.
Lavinia clapped her hands once.
“Sisters,” she called. “It’s time.”
The witches moved as one.
***
