Chapter 16

Reed strode into his office. The morning sun had barely crested the horizon, but his deputy team was already assembled, their faces grim with the weight of recent events.

"All right, everyone," Reed began, his voice carrying the authority of his position. "As you all know, the new moon is approaching, and with it, the potential for increased cult activity. We need to be on high alert, ready for anything."

He paced the room, his amber eyes meeting each deputy's gaze. "Double patrols, tighten security around key locations. If you see anything suspicious, anything at all, report it immediately."

The deputies nodded, their stances straightening with resolve. Reed dismissed them with a nod, watching as they filed out of the office, ready to face the day's challenges.

But Reed knew that human tactics alone wouldn't be enough.

In the battle against Damien and his coven, each member had magic powers to fight with.

The coven was an organized, trained group of those who knew what they were doing.

With these cultists, he doubted they really knew what they were doing. They wanted to unleash an evil power that was in this town so they could worship it. Really? Didn't these people have a life? Just think what they could've done if they set their minds to doing good instead of stupid shit like this.

Even if he was up against novices, he couldn't underestimate them.

With that thought in mind, he headed to Town Hall, seeking the wisdom of Mayor Cedric Fernwood.

Cedric greeted him with a solemn nod, his golden eyes glinting with understanding. "Reed. I take it this isn't a social call."

Reed shook his head, settling into the chair across from Cedric's desk. "I need your advice, Cedric. Your knowledge of magical warfare. We're up against something we've never dealt with. The cult, it seems, is not a new threat. The man we captured spoke of the past not repeating itself. It sounded like an ancient feud, a darkness that had plagued our town for generations. And now, they want to finish what their ancestors had started."

Cedric steepled his fingers, his brow furrowed in thought. "They don't just want to unleash the dark force," Cedric whispered. "They want to merge with it, to become it. If they succeed..."

"They won't," Reed said firmly. "We won't let them."

Cedric sighed. "In times of old when dark forces threatened, our ancestors employed a variety of tactics. Warding stones placed at key points around the town, enchanted weapons forged with protective spells?—"

"We already have all that," Reed said, "After the battle against Damien's coven, we strengthened the wards and put protective spells around vital structures. Is there anything more we can do?"

"I'll do more research," Cedric replied, wiping a hand over a weary expression. "I haven't found anything yet. Maybe there's something that's been forgotten with time."

Reed absorbed the information. "Thank you, Cedric. Anything you can come up with will help."