"Your Majesty, even I cannot make sense of this," the Witch said in a quiet voice, her head bowed in defeat. "This is the first time, in all the years I have read the skies, that I have encountered something of this nature. I do not even know how to frame it in words. The stars are... they are simply not aligning. Their courses are breaking away from the patterns they should hold, twisting into forms that should not exist. And I cannot help but wonder..."
"If something is wrong?" Crown Prince Lance asked softly, his eyes fixed on the great witch, as he completed her sentence. One did not have to be a mind reader to understand that either the stars were saying something very wrong or the grand witch did not know how to read them. And, considering the fact, that she was the second most powerful witch known to their kind, Lance knew it was the reading that was wrong.
The Witch lowered her gaze even further and shook her head, "I dare not say that, Your Majesty. To declare such a thing without certainty would be reckless, and I will not give false omens. But the truth remains that I have no answers for you today. The ways of fate are too deep, too mysterious for me to judge at this time."
Lance almost scoffed at that, though he restrained the sound. Instead, he tapped a hand against the file on the table, as if to ground himself. "Then we shall leave the matter of my mate and the non-aligning stars untouched for now. This stays between you and me alone. Am I clear?"
The Witch’s head snapped up, her eyes wide, and she nodded hurriedly, as if the very idea of disobedience to the Supreme Alpha’s was unthinkable.
Satisfied with her reaction, Lance leaned back slightly. "Good. Then let us move to the other matter. What about the Ruins? Have you no answers for that as well?"
The wolf-witch hesitated, her lips pressing into a thin line before she slowly shook her head. "I don’t. The kind of magic you described... and this soil that Prince Kael brought back... they reek of a darkness that should have long been erased. Ancient black magic, the sort once practised by the Witch clan of the Sleet House."
But that clan was wiped out in the witch hunts, every last member burned or scattered to the winds. In fact, their magic was sealed by the blood of the White With House. By all rights, their black craft should have died with them. How such a force could still be here, I cannot understand..."
Lance gave a single slow nod, his thoughts drifting to Kael’s words about the place. The oppression they had encountered in the Ruins had been too overwhelming, too ancient, that it had even shaken Kael.
His jaw tightened and Lance pressed further. "And your teacher? She has seen more than any of us. Would she not be able to interpret this?"
The Witch’s shoulders stiffened. She hesitated for a long breath before giving a small, reluctant nod. "She might. If anyone could read such signs, it would be her. But she does not come down from her mountain, Your Majesty."
"You know this. For decades, she has remained apart from the world. Seeking her out would not be easy. The path to her dwelling is long and dangerous, a trial in itself. Even the strongest have faltered there. In truth, it is as good as impossible."
Her fingers tightened around the staff she carried and her knuckles whitened as she drew a deep breath. When she spoke again, her voice was more grave than before. "Your Majesty... I must warn you. Whatever this is, it is no small matter. Since Prince Kael said the place is sealed, why not leave it untouched? This kind of black magic... it clings, it corrupts, and it leaves its mark even on those who attempt to destroy it. Look at the Whites, they had to sacrifice their entire generations to finish it off..."
Her gaze flickered and she said in a low tone, "The two Princes, and the others who stood with them-they were fortunate beyond measure. To have stepped away from the Ruins at all is nothing less than a miracle. I daresay they would not have survived had it not been for Prince Kael’s strength and his gifts."
Lance rubbed his forehead slowly at that. The great witch had told him nothing he did not already know. He gave her a short nod but said nothing. He had no intention of leaving the Ruins alone. Some things could not be ignored, no matter how dire the warnings. And this was one of them. He did not like unknown dangers brewing about his people.
"Then tell me- how can a person approach your teacher?"
The Grand Witch frowned deeply at his insistence. "You are intent on this course..." she began, but the hard resolve on the Prince’s face silenced further argument. She lowered her head at last, conceding.
"Very well, Your Majesty. I will go. It is impossible to reach her without magic, and even for me the journey will take time. I will need fifteen days at least, if the paths remain clear. If I succeed in meeting her, I will send word to you immediately. But I must advise you, again- this pursuit may cost far more than you expect."
Lance inclined his head in acknowledgment, though in truth he wished to press her for more. Before he could, however, a soft knock on the door broke the stillness. He turned, and a moment later Zen stepped inside.
Lance gave his brother a single nod, already knowing the reason for his visit.
Zen’s eyes shifted briefly toward the Witch before he addressed her. "Miss Green... if I may trouble you. We intend to welcome a new member into the pack. Would you be so kind as to preside over the ceremony?"
The Great Witch’s expression changed at once. She inclined her head in recognition, her eyes glinting with curiosity. She had already heard whispers of this event.
In fact, she had been eager to see the one who had been spoken about. She had looked forward to meeting the Omega... who had dared to invoke the ancient magic of slave bonding. But the events had turned differently last night with the Omega having to be hospitalized before she could meet her.
She tightened her grip on her staff and allowed herself a faint smile. "Of course, your highness. I would be honoured..."
At her nod, Prince Zen stepped aside, and a frail-looking woman followed him... However, the moment the great witch saw her, she could not hide her shock...