Page 4 of Magic & Secrets (Twisted Magic #1)
The sounding horn severed my thoughts of Roque.
I walked with my sisters and Vica toward the Citadel’s main meeting hall.
Hundreds of other Armgard left their training and followed the sound.
Though the horn’s melody was no different than usual, I sensed the world had changed.
In my mind, I saw the Bane Shifters rallying for war.
Gregory stood upon a stage in front of several other members of the Gathering.
The Warlock’s presence was always quiet yet commanding.
His silver hair flowed past his shoulders in silken waves.
His face bore the fine lines of age, but his fair gray eyes remained strikingly youthful.
He wore an indigo robe marked with the symbols of his coven.
“An alliance of blood and barbarity has been forged,” Gregory announced.
“A new coalition of Shifters, Vampyres, and magic wielders has attacked the peaceful Haven Junction in Hallehian Territory. These monsters left none of the failed experiments alive. The Bane Shifters will soon leave their mountain seeking vengeance. War is coming to the Territories. We will commune with the Sagesse before selecting our next action. The New Armgard should prepare for battle.”
Standing between my sisters, I recalled the sorrow behind the Bane Shifters’ howls. Never had they waged war for their own sake. They were simply weapons controlled by others, much like my kind.
As the Gathering spoke to each other on the stage, I felt Roque’s presence again. Would the beautiful creature leave his mountain to face war?
“We must go,” Enya insisted, tugging me toward the door as my mind clung to the Shifter meant to destroy me. My sister’s green eyes shone with worry. “It’s not safe here.”
“No, stay,” Severine whispered as the Wraith circled us. Her icy fingers tugged at my golden hair, seeking entry into my thoughts. “You three hold secrets.”
Wavering between this world and the next, Severine owned a cold aura and unnaturally white hair. Her eyes were shiny black and haunted as if she had witnessed unspeakable horrors and enjoyed the view.
The Wraith dismissed the other New Armgard warriors from the hall.
As they filed past us outside, I felt their concern.
Our kind had already shown signs of rebellion.
Several had gone missing. The Gathering claimed the warriors were killed on missions.
Yet, their surviving sisters would whisper of the missing warriors visiting them in their dreams and begging them to rebel against the Gathering.
“Always my kind,” Mina had muttered only weeks ago. “Always the bearers of dusk and night rebel. They give us too much power.”
As I knelt between my sisters, I considered the lies so easily told by the Gathering. Were our overseers true to their lofty goals of freedom for all?
“Show me what you’ve seen,” Severine insisted as several members of the Gathering approached us.
My mind opened for the Wraith, revealing the attack on Haven Junction and the Bane Shifters’ call for war. However, I refused to offer anything about Roque. Severine hissed when she felt me shove her out of my mind. I nearly smiled at her anger before lowering my gaze submissively.
“What can the Bane Shifters do without their master?” Digne Vampyre Hassel asked dismissively while hiding under an onyx cloak in the shadows.
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 us pack 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.