Page 78 of Merciless Is My Crown

I straightened up, Dane’s hand slipping from my wrist. “No,” I said slowly. “I don’t think I will.” I dipped my head to Tristan. “Do with her as you see fit.”

Then the wyvern painted the ancient stones of Stormfall black.

Dane and Raziel assembled the coven in front of the fortress, cutting winter wind be damned.

Tristan was still in wyvern form, perched on the arches, and every time he paced back and forth more rock crumbled beneath his talons. I didn’t know if he couldn’t change back or didn’t want to change, his chest and face still splashed with Raven’s now-dried blood.

Raziel had us wrapped in a shield of magic, both to keep us warm and protect us from anyone else who decided I should be splattered across the valley. I was angry. Angrier than I should be, but fuck…I’d offered them a deal, and in exchange they’d tried to kill me.

Adele emerged from the crowd pulling a young witch forward, a girl with pale reddish-gold curls. The same girl who’d brought me back my clothes yesterday. “Tell my daughter what you told me.” I stiffened at my mother’s demanding, imperious tone, the poor girl—not much older than me—looking terrified.

“Raven does not speak for all of us, and we have no wish to see you dead,” she said quietly. “My name is Belladonna, and some of us…most of us would like to accept your offer.” The girl swallowed, trembling so badly I thought she might collapse.

Behind her, an older witch with a hardened face and straight black hair crept forward, her right arm hidden within her heavy cloak. From the position of her hand, she looked like she was reaching for a weapon.

I didn’t bother calling out. Raz had already seen the threat.

So had Dane as he swept in to cut her off. The scuffle was over in seconds, the closest witches stepping back to give them a wide berth. When Dane pulled her up, there was a dark smear of blood across the would-be attacker’s mouth.

“We protect our allies,” I said loudly for the assembled crowd to hear, pointing at the spent arrow.

“And we protect those who stand with us,” I told Belladonna quietly, searching her pale brown eyes. “I take it there are those who aren’t taking kindly to outdated traditions not being followed to the fucking letter?”

Her lips quirked, her expression changing from fear to cautious curiosity. “You could say that. But now that you’ve defeated Vireena…now we wonder if things could, indeed, be different. Some of us would like to find out what change might bring.”

“And the assassination attempt?” Raziel growled. “Who was behind that?”

Belladonna tipped her head higher. “Two witches in the prison coordinated the attack along with four others on the outside…Now there would only be three since Raven is dead, but…”

The arrow came out of nowhere, straight toward the girl’s head.

A perfect shot…until it struck the shield Raziel had erected around the girl the second he’d seen the threat creeping up behind her. The arrow bounced harmlessly away, Belladonna’s wide, frightened gaze meeting mine.

Dane, the older witch on her knees before him, scanned the front of Stormfall.

“The arrow came from there.” Bella pointed to the turrets. “That window right there. They’ll have to take the stairs down; you might intercept them if you hurry.”

“I’ve got the archer,” Tavion muttered and then was gone, shouldering through the crowd and vanishing into the building.

“There is a short list of who might have made that shot,” Belladonna mused. “Most likely it was Nebula, Raven’s sister.” Her eyes scanned the crowd. “Especially since I don’t see her here.”

“Well, Bella, it’s a shame a few bad apples would doom your entire coven to certain death, but there you are.” I crossed to the young witch, Raz nervously hovering inches away. “Fear is a powerful thing when it’s wielded by the corrupt, and I expect Vireena and her ilk knew how to use it.”

“Believe me, they did.” She hugged her arms around herself as she scanned the gathered witches. “Most of us only want to live, you know,” she said quietly, more to herself than to me. “But under Vireena…we barely did that.”

“Why is it,” I mused, “the people in charge always seem to lose their way?”

“Covens were once governed by committees. We could elect a leader, along with a strong, wise council of elders, thirteen or some odd number. I would have to check the library and see what the old records lay out as guidelines.”

Curiosity sparked, and before I could stop myself I asked, “You have a library here?”

“Stormfall has always housed our sacred library. This fortress was built a millennium ago, far enough north to keep our ancient records and texts out of enemy hands.”

Gods, there was a library here. Not only that, a library with vastly different information—older information, from the sounds of it—than any I’d seen before.

“I thought this place was an outpost in case of war?” I peered at the battlements, the thick stone walls. “I’ve never seen a place that looks more ready to withstand a siege than this one. Even the Keep wasn’t this sturdily built.”

Bella pulled her cloak tighter. “Just so, but only to safeguard what’s inside. We have many secrets, and we’ve made many enemies. But true strength doesn’t come from might.” Her eyes lifted to mine; her soft smile made hope well up inside me. “Our true strength is, and always has been, the wisdom we pass down from generation to generation.”

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