IN ALL THE COMMOTION and panic, I’d never even heard them approach. The immensity of it was staggering. Male and female witches of all ages and from all five clans sat straight in their saddles, waiting. Even without weapons of steel, it was an army ready for battle. Only a fool would think they were not powerful.
Despite their differences, their faces all shone with the same gritty determination. Their eyes shone with enthusiasm and hope. The hum of the witches and their magic surrounded me with purpose.
“What is this?” I asked. “Why are they here and not with the king?”
“Because they didn’t come for the king,” said Fawkes, shaking his head slightly. “Some still believe in their king, and they left with him and his guard. But not all witches agree with his methods. Most of them think it’s time for a change.”
My pulse raced and I frowned.
“What are you talking about?”
An army of faces looked at me expectantly.
“Fawkes?” I asked and turned around to face him.
Fawkes looked out over the army. “The witches came for you.”
Heat rushed to my face, and I was glad for the semi-darkness because my heart was pummeling my chest as I tried to appear calm. I looked out at the mass of witches. They were waiting for me. It was unnerving.
“Why would they do this?”
“For Elena?” Jon’s expression was grim and I could see that all of his attention was focused on me. I could tell in that moment that I was more important to him than anything else.
Fawkes answered for me. “Yes, for Elena, and because their prince ordered them.”
“But how is this possible? I’m not a queen. I don’t hold any sort of title. They would defy their king and follow me.”
“Yes. Prince Aurion speaks very highly of you,” said Fawkes.
My heart skipped a beat.
“We all saw you perform at the witch trials. We all know what you’re capable of. Your strength, your blood magic, and your actions have made us into believers. And the prince shares our belief. You are the key. Not his father, the king, but you. This battalion of witches is here at the prince’s command. They are here to protect you and to help you get the stone.”
I began to panic. I knew they were wrong. I wasn’t magical. Ada had confiscated my only source of real magic. I didn’t understand why Aurion had placed so much faith in me. I wasn’t what he thought I was.
Nugar whistled. “Good. With these numbers we’ll have a real chance.”
My rebels nodded in agreement. They all looked relieved, except for Lucas. He still looked at me suspiciously.
Nugar was right. One thousand was better than twenty. We might actually stand a chance of defeating the priests and getting the stone. Prince Aurion’s actions never ceased to surprise me. I couldn’t help but think he had an ulterior motive for providing this army. I just hoped he knew what he was doing.
Did the king know about his son’s betrayal? Why had Aurion left with his father if he didn’t believe he was capable of stopping the priests?
“What about the king?” I asked after a moment. “What does he believe?”
“The witch king believes in himself.” Fawkes raised his brow.
My eyes darted back to the two Coven Council witches.
“And you? Did you come on the prince’s orders?”
I knew they had their own agenda. I wanted to see if they were willing to tell us.
Ysmay smiled bitterly at me.
“We may not fully agree with our prince, but others do. And he has encouraged us all to take action, to follow the Goddess’ path, and to protect our world from evil. We have come for that reason alone.”
Bullshit.
“Whatever.”
I knew I had to make things right again, but I didn’t want to be responsible for all these witches. Moreover, I didn’t want to see their faces when they realized they’d been wrong about me.
Ada turned to me. “Go now, Elena,” she said. “You must hurry.”
She read the expression on my face and said, “Don’t worry about me. Celeste has been using her tonics to help with our stamina.”
I smiled at Celeste. I could see how much we meant to her and how much she wanted to help.
“I need to focus my energy on those who are staying behind.” Ada turned to me again. “Trust in yourself, Elena. You have it in you, the power. You don’t need anything else.”
Before I could say anything, Ada had turned around and shuffled towards the castle. Yellow light spilled from its many windows, and I could see the despair on the many faces peering down at us.
“I’ll get the horses.” Fawkes strolled away with Jon and the rebels.
Celeste and Will shared a few words. When she turned away, her cheeks were wet, and Will’s eyes were red. I looked away before I embarrassed them.
Celeste squeezed my hand. “Be safe,” she whispered and followed Ada without another word.
With a final glance at the mist, I made to move. But someone grabbed my arm, and I whirled around.
“When you get the stone, you bring it back to us,” said Ysmay. Her coven partner loomed behind her.
“The prince commands it. He trusts us. We know how to take care of it.”
I yanked my arm from her grip and stiffened with a sudden fury.
“He does, does he?”
“Yes. You can trust us,” continued the coven witch.
Her smile looked false. Her hot, rancid breath in my face made me want to recoil.
“The stone will be in good hands. I promise. We are the only ones who can truly keep it safe.”
She smiled that deceitful smile again, and then her voice turned soft, like a mother cuddling her favorite child.
“The Goddess has chosen you for this task. You alone can get the stone. She knows you will do the right thing and bring the stone back to us. We are just like you, but we have been entrusted by the Goddess to guard the stone. We alone are charged with its safekeeping.”
“Guardians of the stone?” I mocked them.
Their smiles disappeared. They looked back at me with their usual masks of unpleasantness.
I struggled with the urge to slap both of them. They had never intended to help fight against the darkness. They had always intended to serve only themselves. I could see that they felt the same desperate hunger for the stone that I felt for the magecraft.
Power. They wanted it, and they wanted it badly. The Heart of Arcania stone was all they had ever wanted. They’d been manipulating us from the very beginning.
They might not have followed the witch king, but that didn’t make them any more trustworthy. In fact, there was nothing good about them. They reminded me of the high priests. They had already been corrupted, and the stone would only magnify their danger.
I smiled at them. “When I do get the stone, and I assure you I will…”
Their greedy smiles widened, and their skeletal fingers twitched in anticipation.
“...you will never get your hands on it.”
Without another word, I turned and ran after Jon.