“Is no use against a full-blown army,” she cuts in harshly. “The only thing keeping us safe is the new wards I put up. But they will not stand forever. And I cannot remain cut off from the outside world. I’ve spent over six hundred years in this place. I yearn to be free.”
“I… don’t know what to tell you, my Queen.” I am reluctant to step over any boundaries with her. One wrong move, one wrong word, and my entire position here could be compromised.
“Then listen,” she says. “You know the covens in North America. You’ve been inside them. You have relations with their rulers.”
“I—“
“Don’t deny it. You were a wanderer for too long not to have developed friendships, and not to have been privy to information. Besides, before, you were part of that terrible order. What was the name again? It started with a ‘V’.”
“The Vorcellian Order,” I say stiffly. “And I vow, I’ve had no relations with them since being turned.”
“Such a pity,” she muses. “Some of the information they must have archived would be of great help to us. Whatever became of them, do you know?”
“The Order’s powers dwindled until they became a fringe organization,” I lie. “I stopped keeping tabs when it became obvious they lost their influence upon the world.”
“Careful, Smithson,” The Queen purrs. “You wouldn’t want me to catch you trying to deceive me.”
I turn to face her and stare deep into her eyes. “That is the absolute truth.”
“Hmm.” She looks away. “I have a task for you. I want you to leave The Haven and approach the five covens closest to us. Let them know of the attack mounted against us. Warn that the same can happen to them. Remind them how they do not possess even a tenth of the defenses that I maintain. And then… offer them sanctuary.”
I spin on her. “What?”
“Sanctuary. Free passage. We need to increase our numbers. The Haven is strong, but I fear we are not as strong as The Crypts. If war is coming, we must be ready.”
“You haven’t opened The Haven to new vampires for hundreds of years,” I say. “Your subjects will not be happy.”
“You can’t please everyone,” she shrugs. “Besides…” she twists my nipple. “Last I checked, I still rule. And my word is still law.”
Yes, I think. But for how long?
Chapter Forty-Six
RAUL
“Mother is bringing more vampires in!” I exclaim as I storm into Phillip’s room. “She’s opening up The Haven to other covens.”
He jerks up. “What?”
“Smithson went out a week ago as her delegate. No wonder we haven’t seen him for so long. Word just arrived that he is returning in three days.”
“That means Mother will need to lift the wards,” Phillip says. “That will leave us exposed!”
“It’ll be controlled,” I murmur. “But yes.”
“Whoever broke James out… whoever was responsible for the Voice the humans heard… if they’re watching, that’s when they will strike.”
“And with the wards the way they are,” I say, “we are completely blind to what’s happening on the Outside.”
“She could be opening us up for a major attack.”
“Mother claims she’s taking precautions.”
“Oh? And those are?”
I grunt. “Teaching Eleira magic. She wants two full witches to be on display when the other coven arrives.”
“And Eleira’s going along with it?”
“It’s not,” I say darkly, “like she’s been given much of a choice.”
Chapter Forty-Seven
ELEIRA
A row of marble busts stands far in front of me.
“Focus… and… strike!”
The Queen’s command whips through me. I channel the energy gathered in my head, concentrate the flow out to my hands, and will a violent flare of magic forward.
Light bursts from my hands. It’s blinding and comes with an enormous crash. The beam hits the marble bust… and fizzles out completely.
The bust is completely unmarked.
Morgan curses. “Concentrate, Eleira! You’re all theatrics and no substance.”
My arms sag down to my sides. My whole body feels like it’s been through the wringer. This type of training has been exhausting.
We started the day after Morgan deemed me sufficiently healed. She took me down, deep underground, to a cold iron chamber that reminded me of a nuclear hideout. She said the iron would prevent any excess magic from leaking out and also protect me from any spells that might be directed at me from the outside.