by Cara E Holt
The mix of two races leads to mental instability and they are more susceptible to violent outbursts. In view of the recent incidents the council have had to make some tough decisions.” The high councillor pauses and looks out at the screen. “The council has decreed today that we are at war with the HDS. A reward will be offered to anyone who has information on any hybrids or the HDS. We fear that there are more infiltrating our society than we had ever imagined and with this in mind all witches will undergo testing and anyone identified as a hybrid will be arrested and executed. Aiding or abetting of the HDS by any non-hybrid witches will also be a punishable offence of imprisonment. We want our communities to feel safe and the hybrids are a threat to this safety and even our existence. Supernatural beings of different species are not supposed to breed. It is unnatural, and it breeds unstable and psychotic monsters that we need to eradicate from our society.” The high councillor takes a breath and looks up at the camera with a tight smile. “Thank you for your time today, the new laws come into effect immediately.”
The screen goes blank and for a few moments everyone is silent. I was still trying to process what I had just heard. There is a large bang as Rocco stands and knocks his chair to the ground.
“They want a war, we’ll give them one!”
“Let’s take the fuckers down,” shouts another male and others gather around them and start beating their fists in the air and shouting. “War, War, War!”
Merrick, who has until now been sitting quietly staring at the screen, stands to his feet. “Quiet!” he bellows at the top of his voice, making the boisterous group fall immediately silent. “No one takes any action without my order. We will defend ourselves, but we will not be the instigators. They want to paint us as the ones in the wrong here. We can’t give them what they want.” Merrick frowns in warning at the group, daring any of them to dare question him, but no one does. Rocco glares at him before storming out of the room and a few of the guys that had been chanting follow behind him. Around the mess hall, people are shouting and arguing and chaos and fear erupts.
“All right, all right!” Merrick shouts as he steps up onto one of the tables. “Everyone just calm down. We have been safe down here for years and we will continue to be safe. We are strong together and unified, we will get through this. The truth will out. We must remain steadfast in our beliefs. I promise you I will protect you and lead you. Now for now, everyone needs to remain calm. I’ll do a briefing session later today and explain our next steps. For now, go about your day as normal, life here will carry on, as it always has.”
Merrick jumps back down and he gestures to my parents and his key advisors and they all leave the room together. No doubt to discuss our next steps.
“You okay?” Drayce asks me. He reaches over and plucks me from my seat next to him and onto his lap.
I wrap my arms around his neck and nod, frowning.
“They will never let us live in peace, will they? Why are they doing this?”
Drayce’s shakes his head as he brushes my hair off my face. “They fear you and fear makes people do terrible things raven. We’ll get through this, I promise you.”
“I love you,” I tell him, placing my lips against his, needing his contact to soothe and calm me.
“I love you too. I love you so much that I want you to be mine for always,” he replies in between our kisses.
“I’ll marry you,” I sigh, attempting to hide the smile I’m fighting.
Drayce leans back so he can look into my eyes. “Did you just say you’d marry me?”
I nod, chewing on my lip. I was going to marry this guy before me.
Drayce reaches into his pocket and grinning, he pulls out his grandmother’s ring. The one he’d given me on that night months ago.
“The ring. You had it on you?”
He shrugs with a sly smile. “I had to keep it with me in case you finally caved.” He takes my hand and slides the ring onto my finger before leaning down and kissing it.
If there was one thing this last six months had taught me, it was that the things we think we want don’t always make us complete. I had joined Thorne Shadow academy, determined to prove to myself worthy and to fight for a place in the elite society, but none of that mattered to me anymore. What mattered was that I and all my fellow hybrids were free to live their lives, as equals, with no judgement. I wasn’t fighting for myself anymore; I was fighting for all of my kind and it was a fight we had to win, because without freedom and equality what kind of life could we truly live.
The Hexborn series book three is coming in 2021. Follow my facebook page to see teasers and information on the release date.
Did you enjoy this book? Please leave a review on Amazon or Goodreads.
Other books by Cara E. Holt.
The Soul Mark series.
Soul Matched
Soul Bound
Soul Surrender
Endgame series
Endgame
Grayson’s Endgame
Playing Games
The Boy I Once Loved
(Standalone college romance)
Coming December 2020.
Contents
INTO THE DRAGON’S DEN
AN ELITE PARTY
A UNEXPECTED INVITATION
A VISITOR IN THE NIGHT
FAMILIAR TERRITORY
GRIFFIN SALIVA
THE MIRACLE OF MAKE-UP
THE SWEET TASTE OF REVENGE
NOWHERE TO RUN
A NEW NORMAL
SAYING GOODBYE
A CLOSE CALL
A PLACE TO CALL HOME
SUGAR AND CHERRIES
BREAKING THE RULES
OLD FRIENDS
A SECRET MISSION
HEARTBREAK AND GIN
UNEXPECTED VISITORS
FORGIVE AND FORGET
A SURPRISE DATE
INTO THE UNKNOWN
BLOOD TIES
ON BORROWED TIME
THE RITUAL
WHILE I WAS SLEEPING
A NEW THREAT