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“You’re forgetting that every war has consequences,” he said. “In 1962, Samuel proved himself as a powerful and ruthless leader who was more than capable of dealing with the most dangerous threat in our world. We haven’t had another void in Edinburgh since his victory. If there are any other voids left, they don’t dare to come here.”
“Until Nick.”
“Until Nick.”
“Is that why the only supernatural groups in Edinburgh are witches and vampires?”
“We’re the only large groups, yes. The others were driven out or killed by the voids, but even after the threat was gone, they chose not to return. They didn’t want to live under Samuel’s rule.”
“But we don’t live under him.”
“We have a truce,” he said. “A peace treaty, of sorts. The elders negotiated it when they helped Samuel defeat the voids, all those years ago, and we have an understanding. We stay out of their way, they stay out of ours.”
“And they don’t kill anyone,” Cara said. “What did we give them in exchange?”
“The coven doesn’t move against Samuel. No spells, no plots, no alliances with groups outside Edinburgh. It isolates us, but it’s worth it.”
“What if we kill vampires?” she asked.
“It happens. Apparently, Samuel understands that his followers can be impulsive. He doesn’t care. At least, not enough to break the truce with our coven.”
“Why are you telling me all this?” she asked. “I thought you wanted to protect me from the world.”
“You’re in it, now, and I can’t protect you from everything. You need to know what’s going on.”
“Well, thanks for telling me. What happens now? The elders decide whether it’s worth fighting him?”
“Realistically, they’ll wait as long as possible. They want to avoid a war if they can, so they won’t act until they have no other choice.”
“So we just have to wait. That’s annoying.”
“I agree. Samuel is an evil, twisted man, but at least he’s making decisions.”
“I thought you hated him.”
“He’s a shark, and he scares away the smaller fish. My feelings don’t matter. We need to understand him if we’re going to win, and right now, everything is pointing in his favour.”
“He’s starting a war,” she said. “You’d think the elders would understand that.”
“They do, but they’re being cautious. A war with Samuel changes everything. If we lose, he will destroy everything we’ve built and erase our families from existence. And it won’t be quick or painless. His vampires will tear through us without mercy.”
“We could win.”
“If we win, and he dies, we no longer have a deterrent against voids, wolves, sirens, and all the other supernatural dangers that fill our world.”
“So, either way, we lose,” Cara said.
“Yes.”
“Is there a way to win?”
“Avoid the war,” Eric said.
“I don’t think that’s an option anymore,” she said.
“The elders don’t agree. Until they’re sure, they won’t risk it.”
She sighed. “I guess I can’t argue with that.”
