Page 6 of Magic & Secrets
Wearing his Elven warrior gear, Mali reminded the others, “It wasn’t the Murade that devised the plan to end Von Ehlinger. The Bane Shifter’s pack leader is wise.”
“Why not allow him to deal with this new uprising?” Gregory asked. “They will hunt the perpetrators and solve our problem.”
“Will they return to their mountain after they gain a taste of power?” Severine replied. “Tempe's pack could rule us all.”
Gregory glanced in my direction. His gray eyes warmed. The harsh angles of his pale face softened. He offered a small smile.
“The Bane Shifters have been away from war for too long. They cannot survive in this new world. Or stand against the New Armgard.”
His words betrayed his former statements. How could we be more powerful than the Old Armgard while also being weaker? I had begun to suspect the Gathering changed their views depending on their purpose.
Warlock Gregory ordered my sisters and me outside of the meeting room while the Gathering spoke to the Sagesse who lived behind the veil between life and death.
Once standing with the other New Armgard, I sniffed the air and recognized the magic of Solme Divige. She was stirring quite a lot lately. I loathed to imagine such a powerful entity trapped in the darkness, watching lesser beings live freely.
“I’m glad you were the one to see,” Mina whispered to me. Her raven hair had fallen loose from her tight braids during the earlier battle, leaving her green eyes shadowed as she pondered our fate. “Those who wield the power of dawn are considered most trustworthy. If it had been me, I suspect I might have been locked away as a rebellious threat.”
“This mission will be our doom,” I told my sisters.
Frowning, Enya asked, “Have they decided?”
“They will send us because the Bane Shifters have chosen to send the one who will end me. Our future has already been set.”
Soon, Gregory transformed my dire words into cold fact. He would send my bevy to hunt those involved in the attack on Haven Junction.
“Why only us?” Enya asked, knowing our enemy numbered several dozen.
“Are you wiser than the Sagesse who live beyond the veil and see the past, present, and future?” he asked, tilting his head and forcing eye contact with Enya. “Can you see the future, youngling?”
A scolded Enya shook her head and lowered her chin submissively.
I wondered if the Gathering knew my sisters and I were meant to die at the hands of the Bane Shifters.Did the Sagesse view our sacrifice as beneficial to Lavinia?
Rather than inquire, I held my tongue and followed my sisters to our barracks. The New Armgard warriors watched uspack our weapons and supplies. Word of our mission spread quickly through the ranks.
They stood in a line outside our barracks, waiting to bid us good luck. Many held the shadowed gazes of friends telling us farewell forever.
Until now, the New Armgard’s battles had mostly been short, stealthy, and supervised. Now, our overseers ordered a single bevy to parts unknown to hunt a powerful alliance of magic folk and likely face off with the one species capable of wiping out our bloodline.
To say the least, our departure proved to be a morose occasion.
Roque
TEMPE’S BLOODLUST NEARLYsent the entire pack searching for vengeance in the Territories. As I was known to do, I kept my cool and offered to lead a fire team to seek out the attackers.
Tempe agreed with my concern that the Haven Junction massacre might have been meant to lure the rest of us away from the mountain, where magic folk wouldn’t succumb to the toxic land.
“If we don’t return within two weeks or send word in some way,” I told Tempe and my packmates, “you can assume this attack was part of a greater plan.”
Tempe’s guilt over our fallen friends had temporarily blinded him to reason. His gaze sharpened when I took the lead. He could think like a leader again. If we were under attack by an alliance from the new epoch, the pack should force a battle at the mountain where our enemies would be at a disadvantage.
“Who should hunt at your side?” Tempe asked me.
Koda quickly stepped forward. The young, golden-haired Bane Shifter was one of the last of our kind designed before the war against the Armgard. I had taken Koda under my wing, keeping him alive against a powerful enemy.
Since arriving at Mt. Elysium, Koda had found his own way. He remained close to Haven Junction and spent more time in human form. While staring at our dead friends, he wore the loss on his face. Unlike Tempe, who clung to rage to push through his pain, Koda wrapped himself in grief.
Despite his brokenhearted expression, Koda refused to be hampered by emotion. His bright blue eyes shone like a Shifter ready to hunt.
