Chapter 211 - Blue Stone

Chapter 211 - Blue Stone
Roland's POV
"Why do the rogues look so uneasy?" Barrett mindlink.
"They sense something is off," I replied, scanning the area for any signs of danger. My instincts were on high alert, and I couldn't shake the feeling that our presence had stirred a deeper tension among them. We've been watching them closely. They were acting a bit differently from their normal behavior. It was almost as if they were waiting for a verdict from inside the cottage.
What was going on? The atmosphere seemed to change even more. It was charged with some kind of energy. The air felt thick, and every rustle of leaves or distant sound heightened my anxiety. I exchanged worried glances with Barrett, each of us silently questioning what we should do next as the weight of uncertainty pressed heavily upon us.
"Something must be happening inside," Fenrir said. "I've never seen rogues behave like that..."
A blinding white light suddenly consumed everything in its way. The brilliance was so intense that I instinctively shielded my eyes, my heart racing as I struggled to comprehend what was unfolding.
The moment the light dimmed, a chilling silence enveloped us, leaving a sense of dread hanging in the air.
As I lowered my hands, an unnatural cry—of something in so much pain—came from the cottage. It sent a shiver down my spine and settled in the pit of my stomach.
I tried to step forward, but it was as if the light had fused my feet in place. Just then, a wind swept past, rattling the foundations of the cottage, followed by a long and intense, angry, and loud howl.
"What the..." Fenrir gasped. "That… that sounds like Rieka!"
Could it be?
"Are you sure?" I muttered in disbelief.
"Yes!" he exclaimed. "Amaia must have found a way for her to return!"
"She sounds pissed," Barrett commented.
"I told you she wasn't dead," Fenrir yapped excitedly. "She is still alive!"
The white light slowly subsided, and the rogues gradually lowered their heads. They were whimpering and quivering in fear.
"Goddess," I muttered. "What the fuck is going on?"
The next thing we saw were little colorful things escaping from the cottage that flickered and slowly moved through the air.
"What the hell is that?" "I heard Hugo ask, startled by what we were seeing.
"That's not normal," Barrett whispered, astonished, letting his gaze follow where the things were moving to.
I could feel their energy—some were strong, some old, some just floating through the sky... They all floated toward Aradia and the group of witches.
Small gasps filled our surroundings as the energies swayed among the witches. The witches seemed to welcome them.
"I don't understand," Barrett said. "Where did they come from?"
"The amulet," Fenrir said, a smile following on his lips as he dreamily looked at them. "They are magical pockets containing the souls of the deceased coven members. Amaia must have freed them when she released Rieka..."
"Amazing," I muttered.
"Why are they different colors?" Hugo mindlinked, sounding uncomfortable. He's never been fond of witches, but this seemed a bit too much for him to chew.
"Covens," I chirped, wide-eyed. I have never seen anything this magical before. "Each color must belong to a coven. It's probably to differentiate between their different magic abilities..."
Before he could continue or say anything more, the door of the cottage slammed against the wall, and someone stumbled outside.
"Help me!" She called out. "She's going to kill me!" Her eyes were big and wild, as if she had seen the worst creature ever.
The rogues stepped aside, avoiding any eye contact with her.
"Serena," Barrett muttered, taking a step forward, but Fenrir cut him off.
"You will not go to her," I mindlinked him. "She is not your friend. She is an enemy. She took Rieka from Amaia."
For a moment, Barrett just stared at me.
"You made a promise to your Luna to protect her," I reminded him.
Without arguing, Barrett nodded, dropped his head, and stepped back.
"Why are you all standing like this!" she yelled. "You are supposed to protect me! I am your queen..."
A rumbling sound filled the air, forcing Serena to move further back. She tried to hide behind someone, but it was no use.
A huge white wolf slowly emerges from the cottage door. Power radiated from her fur. She threw her head back and howled—long and loud.
A moment later, her guard answered her with the same intensity. The step passed us, as if she had summoned them.
"Don't come any closer!" Serena cried out, using one of the rogues as a shield.
The guard formed a circle around Serena, making sure she wouldn't move. Every time she stepped too close to one of them, they would growl at her, forcing her to go back to the center.
"Goddess," I muttered as my gaze followed the white wolf stepping off the porch. The guard made way for her to enter the circle.
"Serena," Rieka's voice chimed in my head. "You are hereby stripped of your goddess-given magic...."
"Did she just mindlink everyone?" Barrett gasped, bewildered.
"Seems so!" I replied.
Serena shook her head. She must have heard her voice too.
"You can't do this!" she sneered. "You are not my goddess. You have no right to take my magic!"
"Oh, I can, and I will!" Rieka challenged. "You see, as soon as you were marked as Harrison's mate, you fell under the protection of the Moon Goddess... which means, as the daughter of the Moon Goddess, I can and will decide your fate."
Rieka turned and pointed her snout in the direction of the witches. She nodded to Aradia, and the coven stepped closer.
The guard moved away and gave the witches entry to the circle.
Two guards grabbed Serena's arms and forced her before Rieka onto her knees.
"Serena," Rieka said, her voice crystal clear. "For your crimes against witches and werewolves, you are hereby stripped of your magic."
"You can't do this!" Serena yelled. "I will not let you!"
"Your remaining years will be spent as a human slave," Rieka went on. "In the pack of Alpha Lennox."
Rieka turned to Aradia and gestured for her to come closer.
"I need you to remove the mate mark from her nape," she ordered. "She does not deserve a mate..."
"As you wish, your majesty," Aradia replied, and bowed her head out of respect.
Barrett dropped his gaze and shook his head. His wolf's face contorted in agony.
"It's all my fault," he muttered next to me. "If I didn't..."
"No, it's not," Rieka's voice chimed in our heads, as if she had heard Barrett's thoughts. "Serena brought this onto herself. Do not blame yourself, Beta."
Aradia gave the signal, and an older witch stepped forward. She was carrying a small wooden chest.
Aradia carefully opened the box and retrieved a medallion from it. A huge blue stone shimmered under the moon. She nodded toward the rest of the witches and started chanting something sounding like a melody. The rest of the witches joined in.
Serena's face twisted in agony. She cried out, silencing the forest.
"You can't do this to me!" She yelled through the tears. "I must become queen! I must punish those who have betrayed me!"