Page 84 of Crown of Wings and Whispers

The judge in the center stepped forward. “Your creations, sire?”

“My prisoners. The witches.”

Suddenly none of them wanted eye contact.

“Explain yourselves.”

The same man inclined his head. “The prisoners were taken, sire. Your creations destroyed.”

A fresh wave of rage began to build. The powers of War, Destruction, and Death fought their way to his fingertips, but he held them in check. They would have to wait.

“By whom?”

“One with a Naming Power.”

“Show me.”

With a wave of his hand, the ancient summoned an image in the air. A woman. Orion recognized the mass of red curls on her head. She’d been at the Wedding, in Inverness, when Wickham Muir and his barbarian friends had destroyed most of Orion’s army.

Of course! Her power had to be that of Light and Darkness. She’d been able to veil herself from everyone but him, and then, only because he’d already taken the power of Beauty from the king’s lifeless body. If the young bride hadn’t distracted him, he might have sensed this woman’s Naming Power that day. It could have been his from the start!

He added the bride and the redhead to the list of witches and Fae who would suffer at his hands. He’d have no need of an army now, considering what waited in his own fingertips.

“Show me the door.”

The ancient waved his hand again, and behind Orion, the air rent itself apart, showing a dark road in the country. Along the sides, piles of leaves lay half-buried by snow.

Orion gathered his robes and stepped through.

* * *

He rememberedthe taste of Oxford.

This was the stomping grounds of Griffon Carew, the protector of The Covenant, brother of the DeNoy hunter, and brother of Archer Carew. But the biting tang of magic in the air had nothing to do with Fae. Was it a coincidence that the red-headed witch and Carew moved in such close proximity?

No doubt Wickham Muir and the DeNoy were the link between them.

Carew was such a fool to have so much happening right beneath his nose. Or was it Orion who had been deceived? If the Fae wished to prevent what Moire saw, he should have killed Lennon Todd long ago. Was the Oxford Professor protecting her only to thwart him? Or did he truly care for her?

Orion hoped the latter was true. The slow slaughter of the Carew family would be sweeter if the Winged One were so foolishly sentimental. But it couldn’t begin until the DeNoy woman was brought to heel.

Orion walked up and down the road for a long while before he stopped searching. Powerful wards had been erected here. He tasted the magic of many, which was encouraging. A single witch with that much power would be a great threat.

He reminded himself that it was he who had the upper hand. Only two Naming Powers eluded him. Two more and the world was his to do with as he pleased. But even with six…

No! He wanted them all. And he would take Light and Darkness next. He had a sudden “hankering” for some red curls…

He lifted his hands, summoned Destruction, and directed it toward the wards he sensed before him. The illusion of a wooded countryside peeled back to reveal a high wall. The earth shook and the wall crumbled. Beyond, the rear of an impressive but silent estate sat exposed. And between himself and the estate stood an enclosed Bridge of Sighs that spanned across a manmade pond.

Incongruous with the elaborately designed grounds, a small wooden structure caught his attention. Crudely made, a painted sign hung on the door. “No girls allowed.”

Children. These witches had children. The weak, romantic fools had fled to protect the children! They’d stole into Moire’s Embrace to rescue the Muir children. So what more would they be willing to do for them?

Such a large number of refugee witches couldn’t be hidden easily, especially with a contingent of noisy bairns who could be ransomed for what he wanted most.

Orion chuckled as he wandered through the abandoned mansion. His enemies were on the run. The war was nearing its inevitable, prophesied conclusion. He upended the corner of a chess board whose game had been interrupted. “The winner need capture three more pieces.”

Light, Hope, and The DeNoy.

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