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“Your reign is coming to an end, High Priestess Serena.”
Those words had been echoing in my brain since the second they first hit my eardrums after someone whispered into my ear as they walked past me while Maya and I were on our way to the town square.
Those words weren’t true, though and they would be true. Not if I had anything to say about it.
The energy on the streets was vastly different from what was typical for about this time of day. I knew what was wrong. These people all really thought they were going to get rid of me in one way or another - that they had the power to do that. I didn’t know how they all got that idea, but they were incredibly foolish if they really thought that there was any way that they could get rid of me.
However, even Maya seemed to think that the end was drawing near and, once we were finally safe within the walls of our home, she let her concerns be heard.
“Serena, are you sure that this will end the way you want it to? Everyone certainly seems to think the end of your role as High Priestess is coming and everyone keeps talking about Priamos and Tempest - I thought you kicked them out of Wolf’s Hollow?”
“They would be out of Wolf’s Hollow if they knew what was good for them,” I replied, “The boyys might be stupid, but I doubt they’re that stupid.”
I hadn’t told Maya yet (and wasn’t planning to tell her at all), but one of the boys that were working for me (they were all a part of some local gang, but I didn’t care. They were working for me and that was all I cared about) told me that he’d caught sight of them when we were burying that Angelina Brodeur person. I didn’t know why they cared to show up to her burial, but it didn’t matter to me.
“But still, I’m not so sure the playing field is as even as you want it to be anymore,” Maya argued.
“We’ll be just fine, Maya,” I replied coolly, “They only think that because I’ve been High Priestess for so long, but they needn’t get their hopes up. I won’t let that happen.”
Not if what I was planning went like I was hoping it would.
☆☆☆
Priamos just thought that he had put me and Maya in our places when he so viciously attacked us that day behind that pathetic little shelter I created.
He didn’t.
Tempest was my son and I was going to do what I wanted to him. Not even Priamos was going to stop me from doing what I wanted.
I waited until late into the night before I made my way back to Angelina’s house with a few of my assistants (including Bruce). I knew that was where they all were before and I hoped they were still there.
We stood underneath one of the windows, around the corner of the house and started playing some music that I knew would lure Tempest or, rather, prompt him to investigate when it started to bother Priamos. It was “Amazing Grace” and that song had always bothered Priamos a great deal.
Just a few moments later, he was outside and within the next hour, I had at least one of my sons in the basement of my house - never to escape again.