Page 6 of Sophie's Ruin
A curt nod was the witch’s only reply as she scanned all the vampires in the foyer, her lips pressed in a thin line. She appeared uneasy about being here, and I didn’t blame her—she was outnumbered.
“Great, now that we are all here, shall we?” Camilla snapped, turning on her heels toward the study.
Henry’s jaws clenched as his hand tightened around mine again. We exchanged a glance and a silent message: the Lady of the North was acting like she was in charge. We needed to take back control and quickly if we still hoped to convince the clans to agree with our line of thinking. Henry gave a small nod to let me know that we were on the same page before the two of us strode after Camilla. Everyone else followed, and soon, the ten of us filled the brightly lit study. I immediately wished we had remained in the foyer because no one sat down. Everyone was still standing, now in closer proximity to each other, as palpable tension saturated the air.
Henry and I stood by the credenza, flanked by Isabelle and Celeste. The witch stood by my side, her expression stoic, while Isabelle had picked a spot by Henry, looking wary. My gaze stretched to the painting of the battle of New Haven on the wall behind the oversized desk. I hoped that the bloody violence depicted on the canvas would not spill from it, unfolding right here in this room. Silence reigned for a few minutes until Henry rolled his shoulders, preparing for a difficult conversation.
“We are gathered here tonight to discuss the future of this country,” he began speaking, his deep voice carrying through the room. “With Dark Witches no longer a threat, humans do not need the clans for protection.”
“How do we know that Dark Witches are no longer a threat?” Yvonne asked, the glow of the lamps dancing in her golden eyes.
“I destroyed them,” I spoke up. “You were all on the border when it happened. You witnessed it.”
“We saw you wipe out the forces closing in on New Haven,” Lena interjected. “How do we know that there aren’t any of them left in the Black Forest and beyond?” she asked, concern pinching her delicate features.
My brows flew up in shock. I couldn’t believe the clan leaders were doubting that Dark Witches were no more.
“I erased Dark Witches from existence. They’re all gone. I’m sure of it,” I said, keeping my voice steady. I refused to let my emotions rise to the surface and sweep me under.
“But what guarantee do we have?” Emeric chimed in.
I couldn’t help but feel like this was a planned interrogation. The clan leaders must have worked together to prepare for this meeting. It quickly became clear that it was Henry and I versus them. I wasn’t even sure Isabelle was on our side as she stood there, her big brown eyes darting between us and the clan leaders.
“Celeste, you live in the Black Forest. Have you seen any signs that any of the Dark Witches remained?” I turned to the White Witch. The possibility that not all of the Dark Witches had been eradicated had not occurred to me until now. A niggle of doubt crept in, but I quickly squashed it. My mother’s note about the Tear had claimed it could destroy all supernatural forces, and I had to believe that. A moment later, Celeste confirmed what I already knew in my heart.
“No, the Dark Witches are gone. There is no doubt about it,” she gave a curt response.
“Provided you did destroy them all…How did you do it exactly?” Camilla asked, scanning me from head to toe. Her sharp gaze was too inquisitive, too perceptive. She knew I had a weapon in my possession and was trying to learn how powerful it truly was.
“It doesn’t matter,” Henry interjected, his tone final to curb further questions. “What matters is that the Dark Witches are gone, whether you like it or not. We cannot hold the threat of them over the humans any longer. We need to spread the good news and bring back home those we sent up north for safety. The human governors can take over running their respective regions until people hold an election to decide how they want this country to be ruled.”
Henry’s words ricocheted off the study walls, sounding loud as if he’d shouted them. They’d made the new world without the Dark Witches a reality—one the clan leaders were not prepared to accept.
A heavy silence settled over the room, oppressive and foreboding. The tiny hairs on my arms rose as if the air itself became charged. Something was brewing in the quiet that stretched. I could see it in the taut faces and hard eyes, in the jaw muscles that flexed, and lips that quivered as if trying not to curl in a snarl to reveal gleaming sharp fangs. My own lips twitched, and my fingertips burned where I was trying to prevent my nails from elongating into deadly sharp claws.
I couldn’t take a breath in as I stood there, waiting…hoping, my chest tight. Henry had laid out the plan before the clan leaders. Now, it was up to them if they would go along with it.
4
My breathing quickened as my anxiety climbed. When I’d found my mother’s note about the Tear, I’d known that had been a moment of great significance. I had the same feeling now. Whatever happened here tonight would determine the future of this country—mine and Henry’s future. Just when my anxiety was about to reach its peak, Camilla broke the tense silence, and with one word, she shattered my heart and crushed any scraps of hope I’d managed to gather.
“No,” was all she said in the otherwise quiet room.
My gaze shot to Henry, and I found him looking appalled. He blinked slowly as if he couldn’t quite believe this was happening.
“No?” he asked low.
“The humans will never learn that the Dark Witches were defeated. We will tell them that when the Dark Witches attacked, we were able to push them out past the border and drive them back to the Black Forest. People will return to their regions, but they will return to the same life they knew before—one of subservience to us, the superior species,” Camilla declared as bile rose in my throat, threatening to choke me. She was speaking with a level of authority that only meant one thing…the other clan leaders were all in on the plan; she had their full support.
I glanced at Celeste and found impossible sadness carved into her weathered features. She didn’t look shocked, though, as if she hadn’t expected anything different from the entitled monsters crowding this room.
Turning back to Camilla, I somehow found my voice, but it came out broken and defeated. “But the human guards who stayed behind…they know the truth.” As soon as I’d uttered the words, I regretted them, fighting the urge to clamp my hand over my mouth. Camilla’s crimson lips stretched in a sinister smile—I hadn’t said anything she hadn’t already considered. My stomach knotted with dread.
“We will take care of them,” she said without hesitation. “Just like we will take care of anyone who stands in our way.” She gave me a pointed look.
Henry and I—we stood in their way.
No, no, no!A cry of despair sounded in my head. This was not what I had fought for; sacrificed for. What Josephine, Celine, and my mother had lost their lives for.
