Page 40 of Alan

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Alan

“She may need to rest for a spell,” Selene decided before patting Emelie’s hand.

We stood on either side of the wide bed, with several witches at the foot. Ainsley, Tamhas, Keira, and Klaus lingered around the room.

“Do you feel it is safe to move her?” I asked, glancing down at where a still pale, still weak Emelie rested. She hadn’t eaten decently since the morning she left her hotel, and was sipping hot broth and munching on toast as we discussed her.

Iris cleared her throat. “Are you going to say something, or shall I?” The question was clearly directed at Selene, who cast a doleful look in Iris’s direction.

“Is there something you wish to say?” I asked, remembering my position as head of the clan. It was a bit of a mental leap, in essence, going from concern over the woman I intended to make my mate and concern for the clan.

“Indeed. I’d wished to bring it up during our meeting,” Selene murmured.

“Accuse, more like,” Iris hissed. “For it is your fault.”

“Silence.” Selene’s gaze never left my face, though her tone was sharp. It led me to wonder how many times per day she had to deal with Iris’s temper. “I will make no accusations, for now I understand we have both been ill-used. For in light of what you shared with us, Alan, I believe the Order of Gwydion may have been behind your misfortune. It certainly was not our coven.”

Yet another name I had not heard in decades, and one which brought a tight feeling to my chest.

“The Gwydions? I thought for certain they died off ages ago,” Ainsley muttered.

“I assure you, they have not, and without the relationship which our coven and your clan once shared, they see us as vulnerable.”

“Which is why we’ve spent ages keeping close to our cave,” Iris explained. “We cannot take the chance of showing our faces outside the area of protection which we have created for ourselves.”

“Even so,” Selene added, “they have tried many times to infiltrate our home. I suppose their desire to wipe us from existence has not waned with time.”

“Why do you suppose they are the ones at fault for our being attacked?” Tamhas asked.

Selene blinked as though unsure if she’d heard him correctly. “They are the only others with even the tiniest idea of where you might be located. They know very well the special nature of your blood. And they must have assumed you would blame us for your misfortune. After all, it was our charms and enchantments which rendered your mountain unnavigable for eons.”

“The strength of the enchantments has faded over time,” I mused.

“That is so. I’m sure Gavin knew this would be a natural side-effect of our fractured relationship…” She shrugged slightly.

“Aye, he must have.”

He had taken a massive risk and had walked into it with open eyes. Our leader had fully understood the consequences of denying the witches what they considered to be justice.

He had chosen to put all of us at risk further down the line.

I wished I knew what to make of all of it.

Keira spoke up. “Let me get this straight. These Gwydions, whoever they are—”

“An ancient order of sorcerers,” Selene interjected. It was impossible to ignore the softness which entered her voice when she spoke to her granddaughter.

Keira merely nodded. “Right. Okay. So, they don’t like you.” She pointed to Selene, to the other witches. “And now you’re unprotected because you’re no longer affiliated with these guys?” She pointed to me, to Ainsley and Tamhas.

“Correct. The Gwydions knew they did not stand a chance against us when we had the dragons on our side. It was enough to keep them away from us for centuries, although, it would appear as though their resentment merely grew during that time. Perhaps knowing we were untouchable, in essence, made us an even more desirable target.”

I sighed, shaking my head in regret for all of the lost time. “I cannot adequately express my sorrow for the confusion, the increased danger to all of us.”

“I feel like this is partly my fault,” Keira whispered.

I turned to her in surprise; she had never sounded so uncertain of herself in my presence.

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