Chapter 21 Chapter 20
Finding the hidden witch coven took two days of following leads that went nowhere and sleeping in abandoned buildings while dodging patrols from both vampire and demon forces.
By the time Azrael's contacts finally pointed us toward the underground sanctuary, I was exhausted, filthy, and running on pure stubbornness. We had two days left until the Council's deadline, and I still had no real plan for repairing the Veil.
"It's here," Azrael said, stopping in front of what looked like an ordinary subway entrance that had been closed for renovation. "The entrance is warded. They'll know we're coming."
"Good." I stepped forward. "Then they can decide whether to help us or turn us away. Either way, we're running out of time for subtlety."
I reached out with my power, feeling for the wards Azrael had mentioned. They were there, subtle but strong, woven with a type of magic that felt familiar. Witch magic. Not Shadow Witch, but something older, more primal.
I let my shadows brush against the wards, not attacking, just announcing my presence. For a moment, nothing happened. Then the wards parted like a curtain, and a voice echoed from below.
"Enter, Shadow Witch. But know that we are armed and prepared to defend ourselves."
"Not exactly a warm welcome," Kael muttered.
"Can you blame them?" I descended the stairs, my companions flanking me. "Vampires and demons hunted them to near extinction. They have every reason to be paranoid."
The stairs led down into a warren of tunnels that had been transformed into a living space. Electric lights strung along the ceiling. Makeshift rooms carved into the walls. And everywhere, the hum of magic. Protective spells, concealment charms, and wards layered so thick I could barely breathe through them.
At the end of the main tunnel stood a group of five women, all wearing expressions that ranged from suspicious to openly hostile. The one in front was older, maybe sixty, with silver hair and eyes that glowed faintly with power.
"I am Vera," she said. "Elder of this coven and protector of what remains of our kind. You bring vampires and demons to our sanctuary. Explain yourself quickly, or leave. Permanently."
"My name is Seraphine Blackwood," I said. "I'm the last Shadow Witch. And I need your help to save all of us before the Veil collapses completely."
Murmurs rippled through the assembled witches. Some looked skeptical. Others looked afraid. One younger witch, maybe my age with dark skin and sharp eyes, stepped forward.
"Shadow Witches were extinct," she said. "Hunted and killed by those very creatures you travel with. Why should we believe you're who you claim to be?"
"Because I can do this." I summoned my shadows, let them pour from my hands in ways no regular witch could manage. Shaped them into creatures that prowled the tunnel, into weapons that gleamed with darkness, into forms that defied natural law. "Shadow magic is my birthright. And right now, it might be the only thing that can fix what's breaking."
The displays faded, and silence fell. Finally, Vera spoke.
"Even if you are a Shadow Witch, why come to us? We're survivors, not warriors. We hide and endure. That's how we've lasted this long."
"Because hiding won't save you when the Veil falls," Kael said, his voice firm but respectful. "When demons flood this world unchecked, there will be nowhere left to hide. They'll tear apart every sanctuary, every safe haven, until nothing remains."
"The vampire speaks of demons as a threat," one of the older witches said coldly. "But it was vampires who killed most of us. Forgive us if we don't trust your concern for our wellbeing."
"I'm not asking you to trust us," I said. "I'm asking you to trust that you want to survive. The original Shadow Witches created the Veil using a seven-witch ritual. I'm one person trying to repair what they built. I can't do it alone. I need power, knowledge, anything you can offer. In exchange, I'm offering you the chance to matter again. To be more than survivors. To be the witches who helped save the world."
Vera studied me for a long moment, and I felt her magic reaching out, testing mine. Probing to see if I was genuine or some elaborate trap.
"You carry vampire blood," she said finally. "I can feel it in your veins. A blood bond."
"Not by choice," I admitted. "But yes. Kael and I are bonded. It saved both our lives."
"And the demon?" Vera's eyes shifted to Azrael. "Why does the son of the Demon King travel with a Shadow Witch and a vampire?"
"Because my father's plan will destroy both realms," Azrael said. "And because I'm tired of being the monster he wants me to be. I'm choosing to stand against him. Even if it costs me everything."
The younger witch who'd spoken earlier moved closer, studying the three of us with intense focus. "This is insane. A blood-bonded vampire and witch traveling with a demon prince. It's like something from a prophecy."
"Maybe it is," I said. "Maybe that's what the prophecy was really about. Not one witch choosing which species survives, but all of us choosing to work together instead of tearing each other apart."
"Pretty words," Vera said. "But words don't repair reality. What exactly do you need from us?"
"Knowledge about the anchor points," Kael said. "Power to supplement Seraphine's when she attempts the repair. And time. We have two days before the vampire Council executes her for failing to fix the Veil on their timeline."
"Two days." Vera's laugh was bitter. "The original ritual took months to prepare and execute. You want us to accomplish the same thing in two days?"
"I want us to try," I said. "Because the alternative is giving up. And I don't know about you, but I didn't survive everything I've survived just to give up now."
Something in my words seemed to reach her. Vera exchanged glances with the other witches, a silent conversation passing between them. Finally, she nodded.
"We'll help. Not because we trust you or your companions. But because you're right. Hiding won't save us this time. We need to fight." She gestured to the younger witch. "This is Celeste. She's our best scholar of ancient magic. She'll work with you on understanding the ritual. The rest of us will begin gathering what power we can spare."
"Thank you," I said, relief flooding through me.
"Don't thank us yet," Vera said grimly. "You're asking us to accomplish the impossible. Success is far from guaranteed. But we'll do what we can."
Celeste led us deeper into the warren to a room filled with books, scrolls, and artifacts. She moved with purpose, pulling specific texts and spreading them across a makeshift table.
"The seven anchor points," she said without preamble. "They're located at sites of significant magical convergence around the world. The original witches chose them because the natural magic there would reinforce the Veil they were creating."
She unrolled a map marked with seven locations. I recognized some. Others were in places I'd never heard of.
"Traveling to all seven is impossible in two days," Kael said.
"Which is why we don't travel to them," Celeste said. "We create a sympathetic resonance. Use Seraphine's connection to the original magic to send pulses of power through the existing network. Like Kael suggested earlier. It's risky and has never been attempted, but theoretically possible."
"What are the risks?" I asked.
"Death, mostly." Celeste's tone was matter-of-fact. "The amount of power required to resonate across seven global anchor points could burn you out completely. Or the network could be too degraded to carry the signal, in which case you'd just waste energy with no result. Or you could succeed in strengthening the Veil but damage yourself permanently in the process."
"Those are terrible options," Azrael said.
"They're the only options we have," Celeste countered. She looked at me. "The ritual requires you to anchor yourself here, at the heart of our sanctuary where the natural magic is strongest. We'll form a circle around you, lending our power to amplify yours. You'll reach out to the anchor points through your blood connection to the original magic and will them to strengthen."
"Will them," I repeated. "Like closing the rift."
"Exactly. But exponentially harder. You're not closing a tear in one location. You're reinforcing a global network while fighting against the decay of three centuries." Celeste's expression was grave. "I won't lie to you, Seraphine. The chances of survival are maybe fifty-fifty. And even if you survive, you might lose your power entirely."
Through the bond, I felt Kael's immediate rejection of this plan. His fear for my life. His desperate desire to find another way.
"There isn't another way," I said aloud, answering his unspoken protest. "This is it. Our last chance."
"Then we make sure it works," Azrael said firmly. "Whatever you need from me, demon essence, power, blood, it's yours."
"And from me," Kael added, though I could feel his terror through the bond.
I looked at both of them. The vampire I'd been forced to bond with and had fallen for despite myself. The demon who'd betrayed everything he knew to help me. Both willing to risk everything for this impossible plan.
"We do this tomorrow," I said. "Tonight, we prepare. We rest. And tomorrow, we either save the world or die trying."
Vera appeared in the doorway. "The coven is gathering. We'll perform the ritual at dawn. That gives us tonight to prepare and you to rest. I suggest you use the time wisely."
She left, and the weight of what we were about to attempt settled over us like a shroud.
Tomorrow, everything would change.
One way or another.