Page 138 of The Demon's Spell

“If that’s your boyfriend, tell him to stay home,” Margaret said. “This is an Imperium Council matter alone. We will discuss it when you arrive.”

Margaret didn’t let me get a word in before she hung up on me. My heart hammered as I got out of bed and threw some clothes on. Whatever this was must be super important if they wanted my help with it. Priestess Margaret had almost sounded… scared. Were people revolting?

I wouldn’t put it past them. The priestesses had been downright evil with the changes they’d been implementing, all in the name of improving the coven. They’d shut down two nursing homes, insisting there was enough room at the others. It was an attempt to save money, but really, all it had done was forced our elderly to live in closer quarters. They caught illnesses quicker than ever before, and for many of them, their last days were spent in bed trying to get over a cold.

The priestesses had shut down all funding for public parks and had cut funds to the utilities and water departments. They’d approved the funds to build a new community center, but they were sourcing all their lumber from out of state because it was cheaper, instead of hiring the main lumber company in the Miriamic Coven. I argued that would take money out of the coven, and they’d actually lose money through taxes. The priestesses didn’t see it that way and just kept arguing about how much money they’d save doing it their way.

I pulled my cloak tightly around me and hurried to my car. Isa followed closely. The other priestesses were already at the Imperium headquarters when I arrived, but they weren’t seated at their meeting table like normal. Instead, they were all standing. Margaret paced around the room, looking frantic.

“This has to work. It’s our only option!” Margaret insisted. “The fae must know they can’t get away with this.”

I felt all the blood drain from my face. “What’s going on?”

Lilian pursed her lips. She wore a permanent expression of dissatisfaction, but this was worse. Claudia had her hands on her hips, and Charlotte crossed her arms. They tried to hide it, but everyone looked very scared. I could tell something was seriously wrong.

“Take a seat,” Margaret said. “We have much to discuss.”

My guts twisted as I sat around the table with them. What could possibly make them so scared?

Was it possible the fae had launched some sort of attack? Had the priestesses discovered information that pointed to the fae as the culprits of the Waning? There were so many possibilities. I tried to calm myself until I knew what was truly going on.

Margaret’s voice shook as she spoke. “Here’s what we know. A Miriamic family visited Paris this week for a baking competition their daughter had entered. As you know, France is not far from Malovia. The family went missing yesterday, and our spies were unable to locate them until it was too late. Several hours ago, the fae king Elijah Zlodia hung the family in the main square of the capital city in a very public execution.”

My whole body froze. “Kenna Farlane’s dead?”

I could see her sweet face in my mind. I’d only met her a few times. She worked at the Cat-fé on campus and made the most beautiful cupcakes. I remembered her talking about how excited she was for the baking competition. I didn’t understand how the fae could do this. I’d met a group of fae outside the boundaries of Octavia Falls last semester. They’d been kind to us, and we helped them. How could their society be so ruthless?

Margaret nodded, and her voice filled with anger. “Kenna, as well as her parents Alden and Rumina Farlane were kidnapped and hanged by the fae. Their crime? Belonging to the Miriamic Coven.”

She pointed a remote at the TV above the fireplace, and a recording played across the screen. A large crowd gathered in a town square much bigger than ours. In the center of the square stood a gallows, and three people were already standing there with nooses around their necks. They were surrounded by dozens of guards, as if these witches were dangerous criminals. I knew Kenna! She wouldn’t hurt a fly. My stomach hollowed as I witnessed tears stream down Kenna’s face.

A man stepped in front of them and began reading off a scroll. “Alden, Rumina, and Kenna Farlane, you have been judged. By order of the king, you have been sentenced to death, for the crime of having witch blood. Your sentence will be carried out immediately.”

Kenna’s whole body shook. “We were just taking a vacation to Paris! We weren’t anywhere near Malovia!”

“Silence!” the fae man screamed. “There is nothing that can save you now, abomination.”

Rumina somehow remained calm for her daughter, despite the noose around her neck. “It’s all right, Kenna. We’ll be in Alora soon enough.”

“Mother Miriam! Goddess!” Kenna sobbed. “Help u—”

I flinched away from the screen, but it was too late. The fae pulled a lever, and Kenna’s voice was silenced by the noose. Their necks snapped all at once, and their feet dangled above the ground.

This had happened hours ago, but it felt like I was witnessing it in real-time. A gaping hole opened in my chest, and I felt the loss permeate my body. Isa curled into my arms, like she couldn’t watch it, either.

Claudia slammed her fist down on the table. “This is an act of war! We must retaliate immediately.”

“With what troops?” Lilian demanded. “Please, Claudia. Use your head.”

“We have the magic to beat them,” Claudia argued.

“Without the Oaken Wands or more Curse Breakers, we cannot stand up to the fae,” Charlotte cut in.

“I’m afraid I agree,” Margaret said. “The power of their monarchy has recently shifted, and we’ve already lost our opportunity to form alliances with the winners of the King’s Contest.”

“What’s the King’s Contest?” I asked.

“It’s a fae tradition,” Margaret explained. “When it is time to pass the monarchy down, the fae hold a deadly competition in which eligible couples battle for the crown. The winners this time are young and impulsive. Elijah Zlodia, and his mate Gabriella Ciar, are ruthless leaders with no experience or understanding on how to run a nation. Coven spies report they are growing an army, despite political upheaval in their own nation. Their numbers are greater than ours. There are enough fae to cover an entire European nation. Our town may be large, but we’re no country. If we retaliate, we will surely doom our people.”

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