Page 63 of The Powerless Witch

I had to say it properly or it could cause more damage than the witches that had attacked us a few days ago. We had always been a tight-knit community, looking after each other and showing only healthy respect to other packs. However, the people here had all joined because they were chased, hurt, or threatened by others. Since we settled here, I had not turned away anyone. And now, I'd be asking them to put aside those grievances.

“Things are bad,” I said quietly, meeting each of their eyes. “And my gut is telling me they are going to get a whole lot worse before they get better. But they will get better. Do you know why? Because we’ll persevere. We’ll find a way to survive andprotect our own, just like we did before, just like we always will.” Their expressions remained hard and thoughtful, but open, as if they were hearing me, but they couldn’t quite believe it yet. I was more confident than I had been for the last eighty years because finally, I could leave the past in the past and move on.

Pushing myself up because I couldn’t bear to sit still, I watched while they all straightened.

“You chose me as your Alpha after Jonathan died,” I said, looking at Allison, Peter, and the other members who had come from the old pack. “And when I accepted that honor, I promised to do everything in my power to lead you well. All I asked in return was for you to trust me. Well…I’m asking you to trust me now more than ever.”

A few of them exchanged uneasy glances, but Allison’s eyes never wavered from mine, as if she already knew what I was going to say. And she probably did; she could read me like an open book most of the time.

“We cannot win against the witches as we are. Not by ourselves, and not even if we combined forces with the other packs here. They got us good. They really did.” I licked my lips, pushing down the roaring anger that tried to rise to the surface. “But we are not dead. And as long as we live, we are going to fight for this pack. Even if it means that we need to search for allies outside of our own.”

I let the silence settle in the room, giving them time to weigh the words and reach a conclusion on their own. I saw it when it happened—those open expressions closed, their eyes filled with anger when they shone with hope before.

“What exactly are you suggesting?” Oliver asked, his upper lip curling. “That we beg the vampires for help? Offer them our blood in exchange? Or go to the Fae who abandoned us back at the Order’s headquarters?”

A few of the others murmured in agreement, but I stood firm, letting their frustration fill the room. Allison remained relaxed, her head leaning on the back of the sofa as if telling me,‘You got this!’

“I would never ask you to beganyonefor help,” I replied softly, but when I met Oliver’s eyes, I let him see all the anger and frustration hidden behind my mask of calm. “And I would never let any of them lick even a drop of your blood if you are not giving it willingly. All I am saying is that our situation is bad, but we are not alone. The vampire nest in the city was also targeted, and so were several other supernatural groups I reached out to. The witches are out to get all of us, so it only makes sense that we work on this together, like we did in the headquarters—”

“Butthe Fae betrayed us there! They didn’t even come to collect their people!” One of the others snarled, waving his hands in irritation. “And the vampires—”

“The vampires came to our aid that night and died beside us without asking for anything!” I snapped, surprising even myself. Everyone quieted, staring at me with wide eyes. “I’m not saying go and make friends with them. Hell, I’m not even telling you to like them! But they helped us get our people back and because of them, we knew where to find them. We successfully infiltrated a goddamn Order sanctuary, and we got every single child out. They didn’t ask us for reparations or to return the favor. They might have had their own agenda, but they still pulled through.” I licked my lips, straightening my shoulders. “A vampire is also the reason why my sister was able to save so many of our people in the last few days. He gave her the herbs she needed without asking for anything in return.” There were more murmurs this time, their eyes now locked on me instead of darting to the others. “What I’m asking you is simple. Trust me. Follow me. Believe in me. And should I fail you, then replace me.”

The silence that followed was so heavy that I fought the urge to make a noise just to break it. Even Allison’s relaxed posture had vanished, her eyes burning as if she was holding back an earful. I hadn’t planned on putting my position in question, but it had felt right. I was asking them to risk so much that it was only fair I took an equal gamble.

“I’ll follow where you lead, Alpha.”

To my surprise, Allison wasn’t the first to speak—she was too busy staring at me. Peter rose to his feet and inclined his head in respect. Pulled out of her stupor, my Beta jumped, echoing his words.

“I’ll follow where you lead, Alpha.” Everyone else joined in, and to my relief, none of them sounded reluctant. Meeting each of their eyes, I allowed myself a small smile.

“Good,” I said, rubbing my hands together. “Now, hear me out…”

Chapter 28

Celeste

“Can I open my eyes now, or do you want me to break my leg before you’re happy?” I grumbled as I tripped on another root, fighting the urge to yank the satin blindfold off my head.

Malakai had knocked on my door just shortly before sunset, holding out a hand and demanding I trust him yet again. And like the fool I was, I did. That was how I got a throbbing toe because the slippers I wore in the palace weren’t exactly adequate for striding through the forest.

“We’ll be having none of that, thank you,” Malakai said with a note of amusement. His hold around my fingers disappeared and before I could ask if we were there again, my feet left the ground as he picked me up. He chuckled when I semi-successfully stifled a yelp, then we were moving again. “Just a bit further.”

“Is this another one of your healing mystery places where you plan to hold a lecture about how I’m the only one standing in my way to recovery?” I grimaced. His breath tickled my face, his scent—a mix of earth, flowers, and something musky—enveloping me in a way that had grown so familiar that I got irritated and uneasy when it was gone.

“I don’t believe in what humans callnagging,” Malakai said before he stopped. “And you already know the truth in my words, considering that the spark inside ofyou hasn’t gone off for the past few days.” He set me down gently, turning me around until I was facing away from him. I waited for him to reach for the blindfold, but his fingers tightened on my shoulders. Leaning down, he brushed his soft cheek against mine. “You are already on the path of healing, Celeste, and how fast you go depends entirely on you. But for tonight, I want you to forget about that and just enjoy it.”

“Enjoy wh—” Before I could finish, he yanked the blindfold off my head, sending my hair into my mouth. I spit it out, pushing it aside to see where he had taken me. A small part of me thought he might have escorted me out of Fae territory, sending me back to the human world to figure out the rest of my ‘healing’ alone; another part expected this to be some kind of trial for him to push me to unlock another pathway that I had buried deep down. What I did not expect to see was a beautiful meadow overflowing with purple and red flowers that the last rays of the sun reflected on as it slowly descended behind the trees. Fireflies flickered in the bushes and as I watched the light disappear behind the horizon, the tiny bugs shot around, filling the meadow with their gentle light.

I realized my mouth was hanging open, so I quickly closed it before he laughed at me.

In the center of the valley, right under the cloudless sky, somebody had spread a blanket, with a big basket set on one end. Malakai headed toward it, leaving me to follow at my own behest. When I finally managed to tear my eyes away from the heart-stopping beauty around us, he was already sitting down and pouring something into a pair of crystal glasses. I lowered myself to the edge of the blanket, giving him a suspicious look.

“What is this?” I asked, studying his serene face. Something in my stomach fluttered as a smile tugged on his lips and his purple eyes flickered to mine. He handed me one of the glasses.

“The best wine humans can offer, or so I’ve been told. Everything here is perfectly safe.” He opened the basket and started taking out all kinds of food—cheeses and fruits, cut neatly into crescents, dry meat that smelled very salty, small boxes with salads and sides, and even a pair of cheeseburgers. I almost laughed at the latter, but then Malakai spoke again. “I hope this is enough for a date. I’m rather unused to these human rituals.”

I scoffed this time, picking up a slice of apple and giving him a bemused look.

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