Chapter 45

45

“We are ready for you,” Winona said from the open doorway.

I was sitting in my original esteemed quarters where Varden had moved to in the weeks before his death. “Did you have any idea what he’d planned?”

Varden entered the battle with the demons with an agenda. I’d strung together a series of his past comments that may have hinted at his intention, but that he’d sacrifice his life had never once crossed my mind.

“No, none of us did.” Winona took a breath. “He was keeping a secret from us all.”

I placed the gold magnifying glass back on his desk. “He was?”

“He’d sworn Serene to secrecy.” Winona’s voice softened. “Varden was dying. He lingered too close to the demon gate for too long. The injuries he’d sustained were irreversible.”

Oh, Varden. Why didn’t you tell me? Had he intended to? Spyne had interrupted him during one of our last conversations. Did Varden mean to tell me then?

“I don’t know if that makes what he did better,” Winona remarked. “But I, for one, am happy he chose his end and protected those he loved. That sits better with me.”

I nodded. “Me too.” Then I sighed. “Let’s go.”

We walked toward the eating chamber, and I felt the weight of my relics on me. Their weight was calming in a storm that was anything but. The fallout of the battle had proven a harrowing and confronting and grieving process.

We’d lost forty-seven magus in the battle. A huge number of our coven that I could barely fathom. Everyone had lost someone dear to them, and our mourning would extend far into the future for those murdered souls.

The foreign covens, the Vissimo, and Luthers had all lost loved ones too. My heart ached as surely for them as for my own coven, and nausea filled me whenever I contemplated how much of a coven we would have had without their help. The price of keeping our caves and territory seemed so steep but could have been so much greater.

And if the weakness of a coven was that one blow was felt by all, then the strength of a coven was that one blow was distributed across many. Any fallen would be picked up by the ten magus around them too.

We’d get through our grief and the memories of battle together.

I’d woken today, a week later, feeling a return of normalcy for the first time. Despite that my demon nephew now lived in the coven with us. Despite that my sister was alive and mated to the demon king that she intended to deal with. Despite any number of future problems.

So of course that was when the coven had decided to hold a vote.

“Whatever happens,” Winona told me just before we entered, “you are my leader.”

I murmured my thanks and entered ahead of her.

Large vials, much like the affinity test vials, sat upon the stage. Instead of four tubes, there were two.

“The blue vial will fill with votes for your leadership,” Barrow announced as I stood before the stage. “The red vial will fill with votes against your leadership.”

Today, the coven decided to vote whether I would lead them.

“If the majority vote against,” Barrow boomed, “then the coven agrees to pick another suitable leader in the timeframe of one month.”

We’d beat the demons back. We’d hurt them and the king badly. I didn’t feel the same pressure as I had to fix everything as only I could see how. The path was clearer now, and I felt confident that any number of magus could rise to the role of high esteemed.

Winona was still my pick.

“Please cast your votes now,” Barrow said, glancing at me.

Smiling, he lifted a finger that glowed blue. The blue magic parted from his fingertip to fly into the vial rapidly filling with blue.

I didn’t take my eyes off the vial, but oddly, believing what I saw proved hard. The blue vial was nearly full, and only a handful of red filled the vial opposing my leadership.

The magic filling both vials slowed.

I looked at Barrow for confirmation, and he bowed. “High Esteemed Tempest, the coven has voted. Will you accept our invitation to take up the authority yet again?”

He swept aside, and I peered at the authority that had been behind him.

Will you accept our invitation to take up the authority yet again?

The issue with that question was that I never accepted this throne in the first place. I’d sat there for show. Because I had to. But I never accepted the seat due to not accepting myself or that I deserved to sit there.

Did I accept this seat?

I summoned a cushion. Purple. Filled with beans—a mini version of the bean bag I liked to use from the divination center. The cushion landed on the authority, and I climbed the steps, then sat.

Did I accept their invitation?

“I accept this authority and all that comes with it. I will not fail you.”

Barrow bowed low again. “You never have failed us, High Esteemed. May we deserve you as leader in return for your vow.”

The coven bowed to me, and a hum of magic built in the chamber as their acceptance washed over the stone and up on the stage to meet me. There was far less fanfare than the first time I’d sat on the authority, and yet this instance felt right. There were no lies between us. No barriers to fester or limit.

They were my coven.

I was their leader. But more importantly, I was a coven member myself and I finally, finally felt the truth of that on every level.

Wild’s arrival caressed me like a finger down the spine. I shuddered in bliss, then glanced to the entrance where he’d appeared with guests.

I stood and walked from the authority to greet them.

“King Kyros and Queen Basilia.” I dipped my head.

“High Esteemed Tempest,” Basilia murmured, returning my gesture.

“Magus Queen,” Kyros said.

Their week had likely been as chaotic and ever-changing as mine. Maybe more so. Kyros had inherited his father’s throne and stepped into leadership himself. “How is your mother, King Kyros?”

His gaze darkened. “She has her children, and for them, she is determined to live.”

To live without her mate. I couldn’t imagine the pain of such a choice. “When she is ready, I would like to personally thank her.”

Queen Titania was the unsung hero. In many ways, she’d died at the same time as King Julius. She’d sacrificed herself as surely as Varden. And she’d done all that without lifting a finger. My heart ached for her.

The worst fate was to be left behind when all your loved ones were torn away.

Trust me. I know.

“She will look forward to seeing you,” Kyros answered. “I have also considered your request for one of your grimoires to spend time in my clan. I see no reason this won’t be possible after some finer details are negotiated.”

Spyne would be happy with that news. Or partially happy. Huxley might feel relief on some level too. They didn’t want to part ways for a time, and also knew they had to. “Thank you, King Kyros. Please send through your stipulations whenever the timing is convenient.”

Andie moved forward to hug me. “Congrats on the throne. Love the cushion. Always thought that thing looked fucking hard.”

I grinned. “I can confirm that was the case.”

Sascha leaned in to kiss my cheek, and it said a lot that Wild had little response to the action.

He trusted the Luther leader. The Vissimo leader almost as much—but there was something about Kyros that warned a person never to fully relax their guard.

His father had possessed that something too.

I led the rulers to a nearby empty table and helped Wild to summon trays of food, not that two of our number would have appetite for food as such.

“How are your injured?” I asked Andie.

We fell into conversation about the states of our peoples, and Basilia soon joined in. A bizarre feeling crept in as the time whittled away and our conversation flowed with ease.

How were we all here?

How had we survived to enjoy a relative peace? How had we earned more time in this world?

So much could’ve been different.

“High Esteemed?”

I turned to find Ruby behind me with a stack of books in her arms. “Yes, Ruby?”

“You know that thing we spoke of? I decided to get a jump on it.” She grunted in the act of balancing the books in one arm and extended a roll of parchment to me. “I just need your signature on this to start the process.”

I stared at the books in her arms, thinking of our conversation a few days prior. The conversation I hadn’t thought anything more of since. “You’ve spent the last few days doing this? How did you know the next high esteemed would go for it?” There’d been no guarantee the coven would vote me back to the authority.

She quirked a brow. “We all knew you were the only one for the job.”

That she’d believed in that to the extent of spending several days on what could’ve been a thankless task warmed my heart. “We have a strong claim then?”

“Yes, High Esteemed. I’ve run it past Chistyr and some of the more powerful grimoires to be sure.”

I flattened the parchment and ran my eyes over the document that would set a trial in motion and force a council of coven leaders to form and pass a verdict.

Basilia peered over my shoulder. “Who is the original coven?”

“My parents’ coven,” Wild answered. He didn’t need to see the document. He was reading it through my eyes.

I summoned a quill. “They failed to uphold their contractual alliance with us. We plan to make sure they’re held accountable.”

Even if we didn’t win the trial, the show of resistance and open challenge might make the original coven think twice about fucking with us again—or another coven for that matter.

I signed the document and passed it back to Ruby. “Go for it.”

She smirked. “With relish.”

Andie took a sip of water that was at complete odds with how she’d… well, wolfed down her tower of food. “I heard magus talking about playing Caves on the way in. I thought the game was done. You changed your mind?”

Caves. The game I hated to love and loved to hate. “The coven has decided we’ll play Caves once a year. The game was part of our culture for a long time, and I can understand that some magus don’t wish to let go of what they perceive as a tradition and part of their identity. Once a year is less than some want, but there’s still a threat against us, and the coven agreed a yearly game wouldn’t be too distracting. Now Caves will be more of an event, perhaps a festival, and an opportunity to invite other covens along.”

“I wouldn’t mind coming to watch,” the Luther replied.

“If there’s a VIP tent, then I’m there,” Basilia added.

I grinned. “For you, I’ll set one up.” A dose of foreign supernatural would be good for magus in general.

Wild took my hand after. “How about a dusk stroll on the knolls?”

“When you rhyme like that, how can I say no?” I replied.

His answering chuckle warmed me.

“That sounds lovely,” Andie stated. “No offense, but being underground gives me chills.”

Sascha kissed her temple. “Mind company?”

“Never yours,” she answered him, sending a soft smile with her words.

Wild and I took the lead, and the other couples trailed behind us.

Fresh air broke over me, with the tiniest amount of chill from the change in season. Summer was officially behind us, as was the immediate fear of attack and death.

The knolls appeared as it ever had, but I wasn’t sure I’d ever forget the sight of it as a bloodbath.

“I haven’t paid homage to the new high esteemed,” Wild murmured against the back of my hand.

I arched a brow. “Does your back bend that way?”

“I only seem to recollect the way your back can bend. How the rest of your body can bend, too, for that matter.”

“I wonder if it will still bend for you… considering you haven’t paid homage and all.”

Wild stepped close, humming low. “I had an idea that I could pay homage directly. In the flesh, so to speak.” He brought his lips to my ear. “With these lips between your legs and your hands in my hair.”

“I see,” I managed to reply.

“No you don’t,” he answered.

I gasped as a vision of me held upside down and naked, my pelvis to Wild’s face, hit me square in the forehead. His erection was in my mouth, muffling my screams as he feasted between my thighs.

Wild stroked his thumb over my nipple, and I moaned.

“Now you see,” he half growled.

His nostrils flared, and if not for the current company, I’d be portaling to the scene of our carnal activities right this fucking second.

“Are we interrupting something?” Sascha asked as he exited the knolls ahead of Andie.

“Yes,” Wild said, earning a smirk from the Luther.

Andie blew out a breath as she came to join me. “Hard to forget what happened.”

“Sure is.”

“And all that’s yet to come.”

Sure was.

“Has your nephew said anything more?” she asked.

Basilia joined us on Wild’s other side. The six of us stood in a line facing the battleground that claimed the lives of too many of our peoples. If my sister was to be believed, then more would be lost stopping the demons for good.

“No,” I replied. “My sister worked hard to keep him in the dark. I can’t gather that he’s even met his father. Syera has been in hiding with Adeuto since his birth. Other than that, he has nothing to add to her warning to be ready.”

“Even if your dagger kills the demon king, there is more to come,” King Kyros said in the silence after. “I feel it, as do we all.”

There was no disagreement. I still believed there was no escape for the demon king from my trap. If he managed to survive, then he wouldn’t survive my sister in his weakened state.

But a new king would rise to fill the space.

Discussion wasn’t needed for the six of us to agree that we’d all fight to the bitter end in this war. As unlikely a force as we were—two magus, two Luthers, two Vissimo, and a bit of demon—we’d banded together. We’d seen the demon king and what a future with him ruling all supernaturals would look like.

For myself, I could literally see it. With our resolve and with Adeuto’s appearance, the threads had woven into a clear path, one that confirmed Syera’s warning.

If he is not defeated, then all supernaturals will fall.

Soon. Not too soon, but sooner than any of us would prefer, another fight would come. In this one, the winner really would take all.

I linked hands with Wild. “We’ll be ready.”

Andie cracked her knuckles.

Basilia replied, “This time for good.”

There was no other option.

Because winning Ingenium and Grids and Caves wouldn’t mean a damn thing unless the demon king—and all concept of future demon kings—died.

If not, we’d lose the most important game of all.