CHAPTER 87
THIRD PERSON’S POV
The lady dressed in a hood, walked past the bushy path, wondering how much more further she had to walk, before her mother showed up. Nonetheless, she continued walking until she heard her name.
“Dianah!”
She looked forward and saw the tall beautiful woman standing there. She had missed her so much.
“Mother!” She ran into her arms, giving her a bone crushing hug.
“Oh, my sweetheart. I’ve missed you.” Annabelle said, caressing Diana’s face.
“I missed you too mama.” She sighed, a small frown on her face.
“Heyyy… It would all be over soon. Just give it a little time, okay?”
“What if all these doesn’t go as planned?” Dianah asked, a look of worry on her face.
“That’s because you haven’t been working like we asked you to.” Her mother softly chastised. “We haven’t received any information from you in a while now. What going on?”
“I don’t know.” Diana sighed. “I really do not know. Lately, we haven’t really been getting as much information after they have their council meetings.”
“Their meetings are now secretive?” Annabelle asked, chuckling humourlessly.
“That’s what it seems to be.” Dianah sighed. “I just want to be with you, mother.”
“That would happen when we rogues, conquer these kingdoms, and take over the reins of leadership. You just have to be very useful, and the rest is a cupcake. I cannot help but feel like you’re beginning to slack and go soft. I know they are your kind, but they are not good people! They killed your father, remember? And made you homeless for years. Made your poor mother a rogue. I was supposed to be a coven leader!” Annabelle yelled in anger.This belongs © NôvelDra/ma.Org.
It was so obvious that even after 28 years, the woman was yet to get over it all. Her sister had been given her position as the coven’s leader, when it was never even her birthright! She was going to come back for her, and when she did, Isobel was going to die like dog.
“Do you see your Auntie?” Annabelle asked, and Diana released a sigh.
“I do see her once in a while. Looking at her face is so hard, because it feels like I’m looking at you, when in reality, that isn’t the case.”
“Do not worry, my love. I would be united with you soon, and we would never have to stay apart from each other again.”
“Yes, mother.” Dianah nodded, hoping everything would go as planned.
“So did you come with it?” Her mother asked, and she nodded slightly, putting her hand into her bosom and bringing out a small transparent vial, with some hair strands in it.
“Are you certain this is hers?” Annabelle asked, and she nodded in certainty.
“It is definitely hers, mother. I got it myself. Why do you even need it?”
“Do not worry.” Annabelle gave a wry smile. “You would know in time. It’s all for the right cause. Off you go now.” She shooed Dianah away, and she turned to leave.
“Leaving so early?!” Dianah heard his voice and turned back.
“Sebastian.” She called.
“I see your mother comes to meet you secretly, huh?” He gave an ugly smile. “I thought you were supposed to fill us in, with every information we need?”
“I’m trying my best!” She glared at him. “Their meetings are a lot more secretive these days. I’m just a soldier. Asking questions around could become quite suspicious.”
“Fine then. We are definitely going to win the war with or without these informations of yours, anyways.” He shrugged.
“Great!” She rolled her eyes. “I would be on my way then.”
“Not so fast.” He stopped her. What did he want now? “There is something your mother didn’t tell you. And I wonder why she didn’t, knowing you would want to be something like thaaaat….” He dragged, making her roll her eyes.
“My mother tells me all the necessary things I need to know. If she didn’t tell me whatever it is you are talking about, then it is probably not necessary.”
“Ahhh…” Sebastian groaned comically. “Don’t be silly now. We both know how much you’ve always wanted to be a stronger version of yourself.”
“Well, she is a soldier Sebastian. She is strong enough.” Annabelle retorted, throwing the annoying man a glare.
“Ohhh, stop that Annabelle. You are a rogue today, because you didn’t live up to expectations. You didn’t have enough powers to be better than your sister. You weren’t good enough.” He taunted. “You want the same for your daughter? Poor Dianah has suffered enough. Too much, if you ask me. She has suffered too much to be stuck as an ordinary wolf. No abilities, nothing to make her superior to others?”
“She is fine Sebastian!” Annabelle yelled in annoyance.
“Until she hears what I can offer heeeerrr…” Sebastian sang. “Do you want to hear what I can offer you?” He asked Dianah, who slowly nodded, regardless of how badly she glared at him.
“I am going to raise a hybrid army.” He grinned, making her eyes widen in shock.
“What?” She whispered.
“You heard me!” He chuckled. “A hybrid army. Our dearest rogue hybrid; Mark, has agreed to sire them.”
“Mother, is this true?” Dianah asked Annabelle, who shut her eyes in annoyance.
“It’s true, can’t you tell?!” Sebastian yelled out. “And I knew you would be soooo delighted to be a part of it all. Wouldn’t you? I mean, you would be stronger, faster, much better than this.” He waved at her.
“You can’t want that, Dianah!” Annabelle rushed out, but Dianah remained convinced by Sebastian’s words. “Most of the trials are ending in errors! The wolves are dying!” Annabelle explained.
“Is that true?” Dianah turned to Sebastian, who brushed his fingers through his hair.
“That’s because your mother and the other silly witches cannot perform a simple siring spell!”
“I told you a siring spell is done with pure magic! Not black magic.”
“Did I not provide those two witches for you to use their magic?” He queried.
“Their magic isn’t strong enough. They are just normal witches! What did you expect?! And I can’t believe you’re trying to convince my daughter into her death!”
“Dianah, look at me.” Sebastian called, ignoring Annabelle’s tantrums. “I would not ask you to die, you know that. I can probably ask the others to die, but not you. We’ve all come a long way, haven’t we?” He asked, but got no response from her. That didn’t discourage him though.
“Why are you telling me about this, when it doesn’t even have a headway?” She asked.
“Because you can provide a solution, my darling. A lot of solutionssss….” He chuckled.
“How do you mean?”
“Your mother insists the magic to activate the sire bond, can only be done with pure magic, right?” He asked, and Dianah found herself nodding. “She also insists it has to be drawn from a very powerful witch, and it turns out that all the powerful witches are currently in the palace with you.”
“What?” Annabelle gasped. “I wouldn’t endanger my daughter’s life in that manner….” Annabelle continued to yelled in disagreement, whilst Diana remained quiet in thoughts. Truly, his offer seemed really tempting, but it was just as dangerous as her mother thought.
“How would I bring any of them to you?” She found herself asking. “They definitely wouldn’t follow me willingly.”
“Nice question.” Sebastian nodded. “That is where your mother comes in. Definitely, all witches can create a magic portal. Rogue or not.”
“Yes?” Annabelle nodded, not sure where this was all headed.
“Good.” Sebastian grinned. “She would create a portal, through an object. Does that work?” He squinted his eyes in confusion.
“Yes.” Annabelle reluctantly replied. “We can create portals through necklaces, beads…”
“That’s all I need to hear.” Sebastian cut her off. “You would create a portal through a necklace or whatever works for you. And Dianah here, would lure the witch into it.”
“Lure?” Diana asked, half irritated. “They are not babies.”
“Fine then! Do you have any potion that could incapacitate a witch for some time?” He turned to Annabelle.
“Not really.” She muttered.
“Not really doesn’t sound like ‘no’.” He shot back. “I’m all ears.” He dramatically bent his ear to the level of her mouth.
“I don’t know!” She enunciated each word.
“Well, then I’m sorry. Dianah would have to find a way to get the witch through that portal.”
“Why do you need something else, when we can sedate her like we did the other witches?” Annabelle muttered in annoyance.
“Because it has to be more interesting. You know, struggling and all of that…” Sebastian grinned like a crazed man. He was a crazy man.
“I can hit her into unconsciousness, then push her into the portal, can’t I?” Dianah asked, and Sebastian looked at her in evil admiration.
“That works too.” He nodded. “You sound like you have someone in mind.” He noted.
“Yes, I certainly do.” Dianah responded with a smirk.
***
***
LOGAN’S POV
“Chief, the girls are here.” Isobel informed, and the next minute, the two witches walked into the council room. One was a blonde, and the other, a brunette.
“Good afternoon, Chief.” They bowed in respect, and I nodded at them.
“Please have a seat.” I pointed at the two empty seats that were specially reserved for them. After taking their seats beside Audrey, they turned to me.
“Thank you, Chief. Your blood helped us recover quickly.”
“Thank you for saving our lives, Luna.” They both turned to Audrey, giving a bow of appreciation.
“It is my duty. I’m glad I could be of help.” Audrey flashed a small smile.
“So, we have been trying to gather as much information as we can, regarding the looming war, and we need both your help.” I said, and they turned to me.
“But how could we possibly help? We would do anything within our power.” The brunette responded.
“Okay.” I nodded. “I want you to tell us all, what really transpired while you both were taken by the rogues.”
She released a sigh, and shared a fretful look with the blonde, probably recalling the horror they had most certainly been put through. I didn’t want to open their sore wounds, but everything they tell us, could be useful in one way or another.
“Okay.” She released another sigh. “We were taken from the woods, when we went to get some herbs for a spell.”
“Okayyy…” I urged her on.
“The woods are a bit close to our territorial boundary, and we truly had no idea the enemies were lurking around. All so suddenly, I felt something sting my neck, and I guess Maggie did too.” She pointed at the blonde, who just remained calm. “The next thing I know, I was falling to the ground and losing consciousness.”
Point one; They had sedated them.
“When I woke up, I was in a very enclosed and dark space, but when I focused properly, I could hear the voices of others. I looked beside me to see Maggie still unconscious on the floor. And to the other side, I saw the Fae princess curled up in a ball. Apparently, they had sapped her strength with something I’m not really sure of…”
“They have gotten their hands on that plant somehow!” The Fae king hit the table in annoyance. He was right. For them to have been able to capture his daughter, she was definitely incapacitated.
“I thought the plant was locked away in a special green house?” I asked. “How come they have their hands on it?”
“I honestly do not know.” He sighed, deep in thoughts.
“This only goes to show that there are some rebels amongst us. Indeed, they are. We all have to be careful.” I muttered, before turning to the witch. “Sorry for interrupting, please go on.” I urged.
“So, when it was quite dark in the night, a rogue guard came and pulled Maggie and I out of the guardroom. We were still quite weak from whatever they shot us earlier, so we couldn’t really fight back.”
“He dragged us to a courtyard, and there sat a very huge man. He seemed like a hybrid, because he had both fangs and furs.” She explained, confirming Dante’s story.
“He is a hybrid.” I nodded in confirmation.
“There was a bonfire in the middle of the courtyard, and a couple of wolves around. And then, we saw a woman…. She was Isobel, but they called her….”
“Annabelle.” I completed, and she nodded in agreement, probably wondering how I knew. “She is Isobel’s twin sister.” I explained, and she nodded.
“We later found out. She mentioned it.” She nodded.
“What more did she say?” Isobel asked, and the girl simply shrugged.
“A couple of things about having her birthright stolen from her….” She trailed off. “I was honestly too scared for my life, to pay attention to whatever she was saying. It looked like they were about to sacrifice us.”
“I heard something else.” Maggie spoke up, making our attention fall on her.
“Pray tell.” I said.
“She mentioned something about her daughter, who was going to help her get revenge….”
“Annabelle has a daughter?” Mother asked in shock.
“It appears so.” I said, deep in thoughts. “She would help her get revenge.” I repeated, trying to put two and two together. How?
“So,” The other girl continued. “They brought us to this bonfire, and slit our palms above it, letting our blood drip in. Afterwards, the hybrid came forward, and they did the same to him.”
“Annabelle made some enchantments, and then suddenly stopped. She yelled angrily, saying our energy wasn’t strong enough, and we didn’t possess enough magic.”
“The sire bond spell.” Isobel said. “They really did try to use them to activate the sire bond, but their energies weren’t strong enough. This only means one thing….”
“They’d try to get someone with a stronger and pure energy.” Mother said.
“And the people with such criteria, are all here in the palace.” Audrey completed.