Total pages in book: 123
Estimated words: 115432 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 577(@200wpm)___ 462(@250wpm)___ 385(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 115432 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 577(@200wpm)___ 462(@250wpm)___ 385(@300wpm)
I could feel the anticipation, the willingness, in all of them behind me. Was I the only one who thought this was insane? If we killed the son of the president of the vampires, wouldn’t that mean only more fighting and more witches getting hurt? I thought we wanted peace, and yet we were always destroying. It didn’t feel right.
“Here they come.” Simone stepped up, her hands already sparking with lightning.
“Wait,” I ordered.
“For what, Druella!” Tate gritted through his teeth. “This is what we came for.”
“Answers first!” I snapped back.
He glared at me from the corner of his eye as his jaw clenched hard, but he didn’t say anything.
“Wiccan of the Omeron, we are here as you requested,” called Taelon Swan as he stepped through the tree lines into the clearing on the other side of the river, a kind but fake smile on his face. He was a vampire of Asian descent, dressed in a light-blue suit, shiny shoes, and a golden pendant of twin swans on the collar of his shirt. Four other vampires, two on each side of him, were all dressed as if they had come out of a nineties mafia film.
“We requested the president of the vampires. Last I checked, that was President Waban Swan, isn’t it?” I called out, stepping right to edge the creek.
“My father is otherwise occupied at the moment. But fear not, I’ve been given authority here,” Taelon replied, stepping up to the edge of the creek on his side as well. “What is your concern?”
“My concern is that you all have not been keeping to the treaty. My concern is that your father is otherwise occupied when we made a deal! A deal your vampires keep breaking! Does he think we are stupid? Does he think we are weak and will not do anything!” I snapped.
“Calm down, Ms. Omeron—”
With a flick of my hand, I sent a bolt of lightning down right beside him, scorching the earth and tearing the sleeve of his suit jacket. “Tip, do not tell a pissed-off witch to calm down. It does the opposite!”
Faker, I thought to myself. Maybe I should have been an actress. I was mad. I did want them to adhere to the treaty, but at the same time, I also knew I wanted to put on a show of force for my circle. I wanted them to know I was going to do what I had to do for them.
“It is noted,” Taelon replied, the smile on his face gone as he took off his jacket and tossed it to the vampire beside him. “However, I am still unable to bring Father here. What is it that you want?”
“We want you gone!” Tate sneered at him. “And I want the head of the vampire who hurt my sister!”
“And what are you going to do with a vampire’s head?” Taelon asked, purposefully misunderstanding and annoying Tate more.
“You no good, cursed—” Tate took a step forward, but I put my hand on his shoulder, urging him to come back.
“The vampires who attacked us! All of them! They broke the treaty, and they will be destroyed!” I called out. “Or do you all not care anymore and wish for a war?”
“The same could be asked about all of you, Ms. Omeron,” Taelon shot back. “It is true that some vampires among us have grown…aggravated. We did not order them to attack. We wish to keep the peace. However, your coven pushes the treaty itself!”
“What does that mean?”
“The treaty was not for all the mid-Atlantic! Yet you Omeron Coven witches have claimed lands as far as West Virginia. Killing vampires as you please. Did you think there wouldn’t be pushback?”
I didn’t know that, and I did not let it show on my face.
“The coven is growing, so we—”
“That was not the agreement!” he interrupted. “Washington, DC, to Bymoor, Virginia, that is Omeron land. Nothing more, nothing less.”
“And we were attacked on those lands!” I hollered. “Vampires appeared outside the home of my circle in the heart of Washington! Two witches were killed in Bymoor!”
“The vampires who stepped into Washington have already been punished. The ones who killed your witches were us!”
“You are lying!” I yelled, and lightning filled the afternoon sky.
“I have no reason to lie to your kind! If there is going to be a war, let it be. I have fought in many! But do know it was not our side that started it! It was yours!”
That didn’t make sense.
We didn’t start this. We were defending ourselves.
“Druella,” Simone muttered under her breath, lightning crackling, itching to create a bow.
“What will it be, Ms. Omeron? Is this the end of our agreement? I see your circle is already intending to fight. So are my vampires,” Taelon stated. He stretched his arms out wide, and when they rose, a dozen more vampires came to the edge of the forest behind me.