Page 116 of Last Gift: Supernatural Battle

I sat at our usual table next to Rooke. No one reached out to squeeze my hand or murmur a few words of sympathy. Because they knew me.

I lifted my gaze to Huxley’s. Did I need to warn him about Spyne’s transfer?

“I know,” he said simply. “Good riddance.”

My chest tightened like a vise. Spyne had hurt him. And Spyne was hurt. Everyone was hurt.

I didn’t tell Huxley I was sorry. I didn’t hug him.

Because I knew him too.

“Want anything to eat?” Wild asked hopefully.

“I ate an apple.” I couldn’t eat more until I had a few things off my chest. I felt sick to my stomach.

Just get it over with.

Rising, I added battle to my voice. “Your attention, please.”

The coven quietened; perhaps they could hear my sadness.

“I apologize for the interruption to your meal,” I continued. “I need to make you aware of an incident that occurred in this coven, and in my quarters, last night.”

Demons. I could see the fear on their faces. They knew a gate was in my room.

“There have been no further attacks from the demons; let me make that clear first and foremost. This attack occurred within the cave from one of our own.”

For the first time, I let my gaze settle on the two tables occupied by Frond’s group. There were fewer members there since the coven learned of my mating ritual, but the same original members all remained—Bedwyr included.

“Last night, during the sentry change and shortly after we’d completed our group healing at esbat, a coven member—or several of them—entered my quarters and set my quipu on fire.”

A wave of gasps filled the room. I saw horror. I saw confusion. I saw denial. The faces of Frond’s group ranged from smooth to defiant to smirking. I steeled myself against them, dreaming of their demise in my heart of hearts.

“That quipu was the work of many months. As you know by now, the quipu is the form my magic chooses to take. And when I say my magic, of course I mean the Mother’s magic. Like you, like all magus, I simply hold her gift for the timeframe she chooses.”

My words were too wooden. Anger vibrated in them for the coven to hear. They could hear that my heart had cracks in it after last night, and that, while a demon battle didn’t manage to hurt me, someone in this coven did.

I took a breath. “That quipu was close to providing this coven with a clearer plan on how to approach the threat of demons facing us. While I feel the loss of the quipu sorely for myself—and feel as though part of me burned with it—I feel the new uncertainty in our future just as sorely.” My voice cut off, and I sucked in the courage Wild was sending my way against the sea of sympathetic faces watching me.

“I never expected an attack from one of our own,” I admitted. “I can’t lie and say that I’m not filled with doubt in the wake of this hate-filled action.”

I glimpsed the jubilation on Frond’s face at the admission.

“With doubt comes reflection,” I told them. “I have reflected that, unlike the last woman to wear this cloak and hold these relics, this coven never chose to have me here. On top of that, I never wanted to wear the relics in the first place. I will wear them for as long as this coven chooses to have me here. However, I want to hear from you now… What do you wish had been different about the last two weeks?”

Maybe I was opening a gigantic can of demon worms with the question. My question was born of despair, I knew. I was at a loss within myself.

“There will be no reprimand for those who speak,” I said in the silence. “Clearly someone in this coven loathes me enough to attack the Mother herself through me. While I am well aware of the external influences on some inside these walls, I would like to know if there’s anything else that eats at you—regrets or grudges or fears, or even a belief that I slipped into this position without your permission.”

The silence extended for so long that I nearly walked back to my seat.

“Caves just ended,” Serene said. She glanced at those who surrounded her. “Our way of life stopped.” She snapped her fingers.

Another Fertim player spoke, “We never know what to expect now. With caves, we always knew.”

Monday, mission announcement.

Tuesday and Wednesday, meetings.

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