“So what’s your grand plan?” Marion asked, hissing the words out from behind her yellowed teeth.
Agatha smirked wickedly. “We attack the wolves.”
The gathered elders erupted in to a cacophony of sound.
“What? Attack the wolves ourselves?” they cried.
“That would be foolish!”
“The wolves will kill us all!”
“You saw what one wolf did to our village,” an angry warlock seethed, displeased with Agatha’s plan of attack. “We were decimated. We can’t sacrifice more lives in the pursuit of vengeance.”
Agatha continued to smile, shaking her head against their misgivings.
“We attack with the element of surprise, same as the wolf. We use magic to bind the wretched creatures forever in their human form, and then we slay them. We slay them with the same malice they enacted upon us.”
“Does such a spell even exist?” Marion wondered.
“There is a spell called the darkness of the moon. The ancestors told me of it whilst I meditated. Once cast, it momentarily severs the bond between beast and moon, making a werewolf merely a main and easily slain.”
“But how long do the effects last?” a warlock challenged. “We’d still need a considerable amount of time to kill them all, human or not.”
“The spell lasts one night. More than enough time to conduct our attack, especially if we have the element of surprise on our side.”
The elders thought this over. It certainly sounded plausible.
“But such a spell,” the warlock wondered, “can it even be done? To disrupt the power of the moon like that?”
“It will take all of our strength.” Agatha glanced around at the elders who circled her. “We will have to call upon every witch and warlock of our coven. We will all have to fight, to untie our magic to cast the spell and turn the werewolves into men.”
Some of the elders bristled at this. Having younger members of the coven fight wasn’t standard practice. It was always just the elders who protected the coven. The younger members were kept pure and naïve, held beneath the illusion that the witches all practiced safe, white magic.
“How will we convince them to fight?” Marion fretted.
“We won’t,” Agatha explained. “We’ll cast a dream walker spell upon them. They will follow us into battle as blind and oblivious as those who sleep walk. The next day they awaken back in their beds, none the wiser about the night’s events.”
“It would take a great deal of magic to cast the dream walker spell upon so many people at one time,” another warlock explained.
“Indeed it would.” Agatha remained unfazed by their hesitations. “That is why I’ve been channeling the power of our ancestors. I am a vessel for their power, which makes us unstoppable. We will rid the Vale of those wretched wolves once and for all.”
“And what about any witches who might be dwelling with the wolves?” Marion asked.
“They’ve chosen their side,” Agatha spat, her eyes narrowing with spite. “We kill them all.”
***
Allegra was exhausted when she returned to Caspian’s house by the gray light of dawn. She pulled herself into his bed, and her eyes instantly closed. She was fast asleep when he came and lay down beside her, equally drained from his night running through the forest in wolf form.
He wrapped her up in his arms and side by side they enjoyed a deep, dreamless sleep.
***
“Get up!”
Caspian groaned at being abruptly woken by the cry within the room.
“Get up! Both of you!”
Wearily, he rubbed his eyes and opened them, scanning the space around the bed. His Uncle Theo was standing at the base of it, looking down at the young couple. He appeared displeased.
“Uncle.” Caspian shielded his eyes from the sharp winter sun that was flooding into the room. Beside him, Allegra began to stir, moaning sleepily as she untangled herself from his arms and sat up.
When she spotted Theo watching them, her cheeks immediately became as red as her hair.
“Uncle, what’s the meaning of this?” Caspian sighed. “We were resting.”
“You can rest later after you explain what’s going on in my village!” Theo cried haughtily.
“What do you mean?” Caspian squinted at the older man, confused.
“Take a look for yourself!” Theo gestured to the window.
Still aching, Caspian got up. Thankfully, he was dressed from the waist down. He wandered over to the window and looked out upon the main village square.
To his surprise, he saw a group of a dozen or so young women nervously gathered around the well. None of them were familiar to him.
“Who are they?” He turned to his uncle, who raised his shoulders.
“I don’t know, why don’t you ask her?” Theo pointed accusingly at Allegra.
“What?” Allegra got up from the bed, careful to wrap the sheets around her body. She didn’t want to risk exposing herself to Caspian’s angry uncle.
She joined Caspian by the window and looked at the gathered group. “I don’t know who they are,” she concluded. “I’ve never seen any of them before.”
“Well, you should know them,” Theo told her tersely. “Because they are witches. And they are asking for you!”
“For me?” Allegra’s eyes widened in shock. “But I’ve no idea who they are or why they are here!”
“I do.” Uma appeared in the doorway.
“What is going on?” Theo turned his anger on to her but she remained calm and unflinching in the face of it.
“You should try being more polite,” she told him calmly, “since the reason they are here is to help you.”
***
As Allegra dressed, Uma quickly explained what was happening. Exiled witches from across the vale had been drawn out of hiding by recent events. They’d seen the Shadow Lord burst through the forest, heard the spells that Allegra and Iris had practiced late into the night. The drums of war had been sounded and these exiled witches had heeded the call.
“Do you mean they are all from our coven?” Allegra asked in disbelief as she glanced out furtively at the gathered group.
“Most of them, yes.” Uma nodded. “But you won’t remember them. You’re still under a veil spell, thanks to the elders. It robs you of your memories.”
“But they remember me?” Allegra asked unsurely.
“Yes,” Uma replied. “They heard about how the elders wanted to burn you at the stake. About how Caspian saved you. And now they want to help.”
“They’re not much older than us,” Iris noted as she joined her friend by the window.
“No, they’re not,” Uma agreed. “Most of them fled prior to their own choosing. Some were not so lucky.”
“Did they burn others?” Allegra asked, feeling her stomach knot at the thought of it.
“Yes,” Uma replied grimly. “They burnt many innocent witches, you just don’t remember.”
“And you do?”
“When you leave the coven and your own magic grows stronger, their power over you wanes and slowly, your memories start to return. I warn you, it’s not pleasant. They’ve done some despicable things.”
“So now they want to help?” Iris looked at the gathered witches. They looked both fragile and strong. Their clothes were torn, and they were pale from existing on the fringes of society for so long but they were strong. They were survivors.
“It looks that way.”
“Where have they been for so long?” Allegra wondered.
“Hiding. Same as me,” Uma explained. “The coven are powerful and feared. None of us wanted to risk being caught by them. But now the wolves are standing up to them. They defeated the Shadow Lord, which means the tide is turning.”
“So what do we do?” Allegra held a hand up on the cold glass window pane, looking out at the exiled witches. She could easily have been one. Drifting from place to place without anywhere to settle and call home.
“We talk to them,” Uma announced assertively.
***
The gathered witches instantly turned to look at the trio who emerged from Caspian’s home. There was a reverence within their gaze that made Allegra uncomfortable.
“We know why you are here,” Uma addressed the group, raising her voice slightly. Behind them, members of the pack began to gather, eager to hear what was about to be said.
Theo and Caspian remained in the doorway of the home, looking on and listening intently.
“Many of you I already know.” Uma smiled fondly at a couple of the witches. They all had Iris’ white blonde hair and pale, almost translucent, skin.
“This is my sister, Allegra.” Uma pointed to Allegra. “And her friend, Iris. Like you, we are exiled from the coven for crimes that don’t exist. We chose to follow our heart, to live our own lives and they wanted to kill us for it.”
“Is it true that you have the wolves’ protection?” one witch called out from the center of the group.
Allegra glanced around uncertainly, aware that the question had been directed at her.
“We heard that a wolf saved you from the coven. That he killed many witches for you,” another witch explained.
“Yes.” Allegra wrung her hands together nervously as she spoke. “That’s true.”
“And now the coven calls for war!” the first witch cried. “And we heed that call. Only we do not want to fight for the coven that yearned for our blood. We’ve come to offer our allegiance to the wolves, to Allegra, who united our kinds!”
All of the gathered witches bowed their heads in servitude as Allegra felt numb. It felt surreal to have people want to fight for you, to willingly follow you into battle.
Uma nudged her sister, prompting her to speak and address the witches.
“Thank you for coming here.” Allegra raised her voice, struggling to appear confident whilst inside she was trembling. “Thank you for offering to stand by us. Together, we can defeat the wicked witches of our coven, I know we can!”
“And the wolves will protect you all,” Theo announced in his deep, resonate voice, stepping forward and joining Allegra, Uma and Iris before the crowd. “We will fight side by side, wolves and witches together. For too long our kinds have been at odds because of the corruption of the coven. We will destroy them and restore peace and order to the Vale of Glendora!”
The witches began applauding and chattering with excitement. Allegra glanced gratefully at Theo. He was a born leader, it was easy to see why he was the alpha within the pack.
“Let us practice our magic, unite our powers and become strong!” Uma cried. There was more applauding as the air around them tingled with anticipation. The wolves were going to war, but they were not alone. They now had witches and magic on their side.
***
The gathered witches in the wolf village spoke heatedly of revenge. Each of them had been wronged by the elders of the coven; each of them had a score that needed settling.
They practiced their magic diligently, sending sparks out into the night as they all became stronger, more powerful.
Allegra practiced with them. She strengthened her protection spell, making her glittering shield almost impenetrable. The sparks that flew from her fingers hissed with electricity, hinting at the power the magic held.
“You’re growing stronger,” Uma commented encouragingly. But whilst Allegra grew in strength, she became more and more drained. Each spell she cast left her feeling weak and fatigued.
As the other witches prepared to spend an entire night dedicated to the practice of their magic, Allegra slunk away, back to Caspian’s home in desperate need of some respite.
***
“You look exhausted,” Caspian commented as he came in and found Allegra resting by the fire. She jolted when she heard his voice, having involuntarily fallen asleep before the warm flames.
“I am.” She yawned. Her body felt as though it were wrapped in tar. Every movement felt heavy and awkward.
“You should just stay here and rest,” Caspian advised tenderly.
“But the witches want to practice their magic,” Allegra sighed. “They want me there with them.”
Caspian sat down beside her and studied her beautiful features. “You’re not as hungry for revenge as they are, are you?” he asked, sensing her misgivings.
“I’m not,” Allegra admitted sadly. “I mean, I want to defend your village. But, I don’t want to kill my own mother in the process.” She lowered her head guiltily, wishing she possessed the same conviction for the cause as her fellow witches.
“That’s perfectly understandable.” Caspian gently stroked her back as he spoke. “You shouldn’t feel shame about not having blood lust. And it isn’t my village that you’re defending, it’s our village. You need to start realizing that this is your home now.”
Allegra looked around the small house. It felt familiar but it didn’t yet feel like home.
“There you are!” The door opened and Uma burst in, letting the warmth of the room escape behind her. “I’ve been looking all over for you! We’re about to practice formation spells.”
Allegra’s shoulders slumped. She was so very tired.
“She needs to rest,” Caspian told her sister sharply.
“No,” Uma instantly disagreed. “She needs to strengthen her spells. The witches could attack us any day. We need to be prepared.”
“Uma, I’m exhausted.” Allegra turned and gazed sadly at her sister.
Uma pursed her lips.
“I want to practice my magic, truly I do, but right now all I want to do is sleep. I’m sorry.”
Uma folded her arms across her chest and continued to watch her younger sister. “Fine,” she ultimately concluded. “Rest tonight. But first thing tomorrow, I want you back out with us, okay?”
“Okay.”
Uma stormed out of the house, the door shuddering in its frame in her wake.
“Just rest.” Caspian fondly stroked Allegra’s cheek, which was soft to the touch. He loved how soft her skin was.
Allegra nodded and repositioned herself before the fire, placing her head upon a cushion and letting her eyes close.
***
The dreams that accompanied her nap were far from pleasant. She dreamt of the coven, of her old home. Only now her old home was burning, the walls being ripped up by angry, urgent flames.
Panicked cries filled the air as witches desperately tried to cast water spells but they were all in vain, the fire was too strong for them.
A sharp, anguished scream pierced the air. It came from within the burning house. Allegra was looking on, her lungs choked beneath the developing smoke and her eyes smarting. The scream shot through her soul and made her whole body turn to ice.
“Mother!” Allegra instantly knew that it was her mother who had screamed, her mother who was trapped within the house.
“Mother!” she called again, struggling to find her voice. She dared to approach the house, the heat from the fire instantly holding her at bay like an invisible wall.
“Let her burn!” a nearby voice declared venomously. Allegra turned and saw Uma watching the fire with a wicked smile upon her face. “Let her burn!” she announced again. “It’s what she deserves.”
“Uma, we must help Mother.” Allegra tried to pull her sister toward the house but she remained firmly rooted to the spot, the fire reflected in her dark eyes as she watched its endless destruction.
“No, we must leave her. She must burn.”
“Uma, please.” Allegra was now sobbing as her mother screamed again, this time more wildly as though she were about to experience her last moments on earth.
“Why would you want to save her when you did this?” Uma turned and looked at her accusingly. “You cast the fire spell, you wanted to see mother burn and now here, getting your wish.”
“No!” Allegra sobbed. “This isn’t what I want! We must save her!”
“She has to burn!�
��
“No!”
***
Allegra woke up with a jolt as she released the last utterance of her cry. The dream had been so vividly real that she expected her lungs to still be clogged with smoke but her breathing was now easy. The fire beside her crackled quietly. But the image of the burning house and her mother’s desperate cries were fresh in her mind. She couldn’t just stand by and let a horde of despondent witches kill her mother. She had to warn her. She had to give her the chance to break free, to get away from the coven.
***
With as much stealth as her weary body could muster, Allegra ventured out from the house and into the forest. Before she left, she cast a quick location spell. The other witches were all on the west side of the village, so if she remained on the east side, she should be out of sight.
Quickly, she ventured deep into the forest, away from prying eyes. She found a secluded spot where a fallen tree had become covered with moss and sat atop of it. She had to wait a moment for her body to relax. Though the walk into the woods had been brief, it had exhausted her. She already felt like she once more needed to rest. Pulling her shawl around her, she closed her eyes and recalled the spell she wanted to cast.
As she uttered the incantation, the air around her began to build up, pulling at her long red hair and making it dance like flames.
Allegra continued to whisper the words of the spell. She felt energy surge through her body as the magic came alive.
The wind suddenly stilled, waiting patiently for the message it was due to carry. Allegra took a swift intake of breath and then told the wind the message. “Mother, it is me, Allegra. I know I don’t owe you this courtesy, but I’m kinder than you. Mother, it is time to run. Run as far and as fast from the coven as you can. War is upon us, and I don’t want you to die by my hand. So run away and be safe.”
Wolf Tainted Union: The Complete Collection - 6-Book Bundle (Books 1-6) - A Paranormal Werewolf Shifter Romance Page 12