Page 59 of Witch Queen

“Looks like it made the news,” Jared said darkly.

“What made the news?” Roman asked in a frustrated voice.

It wasn’t until they were inside the study and the doors were closed that the Immortal finally spoke. “Vedran is attacking covens around the world.”

A buzzing sound filled Bryony’s head. She grasped the back of a chair, her legs weak. “What?!”

The Immortal took the remote from the coffee table and switched on the flatscreen TV on the wall.

It took a couple of seconds for Bryony to grasp what they were looking at. Isabelle covered her mouth, horror draining her face of color. Simon swore.

Abraham fisted his hands. “Shit!”

“Is that the London coven?!” Marlena asked hoarsely.

Dread curdled Bryony’s blood. There was no mistaking the pale, domed building on the display. It was the headquarters of the biggest coven in Europe. And it was burning with flames that the local fire force was struggling to douse.

Roman sat heavily on the edge of a couch.

“That’s Hellfire Magic,” he mumbled. “They’re not going to be able to put that out!”

Bryony finally registered the female newscaster’s voice.

“—sources have informed us that there were more than two hundred people inside the building at the time the blaze broke out. Though it is yet to be confirmed, the authorities suspect no one managed to escape. Some witnesses report hearing screams moments before?—”

Jared switched channels. “It’s not just England.”

Karin recoiled. “Oh God.”

Ephra clasped the witch’s hand tightly while they watched live feeds of the destruction that had been wrought on several other cities. All the buildings depicted were major coven headquarters.

“The same thing has happened in France, Germany, Italy, Poland,” Jared said coldly as he flicked the button. “And not just there. The biggest covens in the Middle East, North Africa, and Asia were hit at the same time.”

Nadia drew a sharp breath. She took out her cellphone and speed-dialed a number. Relief had her squeezing her eyes shut when it connected.

“Are they okay?” Roman asked in a strained voice.

“Yes.”

The High Priestess rose and went over to the window, her voice low and urgent as she ordered her coven to evacuate their headquarters in Cairo.

Marlena was already on the phone to Prague, her knuckles white where she gripped her cell.

Raven’s gaze switched from the anxious witches to the TV. She narrowed her eyes. “It looks like that asshole is attacking covens that don’t have Mae’s direct protection.”

Jared frowned. “What do you mean?”

Bryony swallowed past the lump in her throat. “Mae putSoul Shieldinside all New York coven members, as well as the covens of all the High Council priests and priestesses in the city right now. It was a safeguard in case something happened in her absence.”

“It looks like she was right to be paranoid,” Abraham said darkly.

“What is Vedran trying to do?” A muscle jumped in Derrick’s cheek. “For what purpose is he?—?”

“He’s killing them to absorb their cores,” Violet said flatly.

Bryony looked at the young witch, her heart pounding.

Wrath lit Violet’s eyes with the purple blaze of her magic. “We can only presume he’s run out of Dark Council members to slaughter.”

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