Chapter forty-one
Elianna
After a very aggressiveargument between the eight of us, we all agreed it would be best to discuss this newly offered alliance and its terms in the war chamber. Shielding the twin witches’ predatory gazes within the confines of their cloaks, we escorted them to the center of our city, being sure that no wary passerby looked too carefully at them as we stalked up the stone steps of our courthouse.
Once inside, everyone took a seat at our tabled map of the realm. Our gazes roamed over one another, waiting to see who would speak first and see what these two previously wicked witches had to offer us.
“Why are all of our station markers knocked over and on the floor?” Gage asked with a laugh as he looked at Jace with a raised brow.
Jace rolled his eyes at him.
“Brother, you dirty bastard, you,” he said, and I noticed Avery’s cheeks flush as she sat at his side.
“Accidents happen, Gage,” I said with a wink.
“We are here on business, you fools,” Veli hissed, bringing all of our attentions back to the situation at hand.
Two blazing stares bore into us as they sat side by side at the opposite end of the table from Jace and me.
“Tell them what you spoke of to me. Also, how you have this knowledge and why you are risking treason against your own High Witch for us.”
And they did. They told my court everything they had spoken to me out in the fields.
Jace’s concern flared, slamming into my own, and I placed my hand on his knee beneath the cover of the table.
“There are still many reservations that I possess regarding your declared allegiance to Lia,” he stated sternly as he glared at them.
“What are your concerns, mortal?” Empri asked.
“Let’s start with why you slaughtered all my men aboard our ship, potentially leaving us stranded at your forbidden isles, and trying to capture our greatest asset.”
His eyes narrowed in on them, and as he spoke, authority radiating off of him in waves—the voice of the commander protecting his people—the voice of a king.
“Apologies for your men,” she answered, tone uncaring. “As for your wyvern, we wanted it for ourselves. There are many things you can do with both its desired flame and blood. It is an undeniable, powerful asset to have.”
“What makes you think it would have responded to your orders?” Zaela cut in, every bit of her calculating, cold mask apparent.
“There are spells to incite cooperation, blonde one.”
A chill ran up my spine as fury flooded me. My hand balled into a fist on Jace’s lap right before I lifted itand slammed it down on the table, bringing everyone’s attention to me.
“You will not touch him with your sorcery. Nox has been through enough, just as we all have. You. Will. Not.Touch. Him.” My lip curled back, exposing my canines.
“Yes, yes, Elianna Valderre. We have agreed to no casting of spells upon members of your side of this rebellion. Your wyvern is included in that,” Madalae interjected.
“Why now?” Veli interjected. “Why has it taken you centuries to state your true stance. I had never considered you cowards, yet you let me remain a one-witch rebellion all this time. An outcast and traitor.” Her voice was a mix of aggravation and hurt, which was rare for the sorceress.
“We have regrets,” they answered together. “Things may have turned out differently if we followed your lead all those years ago, but to go against the High Witch is to go against your monarch and maker—always resulting in execution.”
“I remain here before you now.”
“Aye,” Madalae said. “And you have been in hiding. What is a witch without her magic? Or the full potential of it.”
My aide swallowed. “Together, we could have possessed the power to overthrow her.”
“It likely would have been a battle lost, with her possessing greater use and access to the dark magic.”
My eyes flared then. “The crone.”
