Chapter 43 CHAPTER FORTY-THREE
MOIRA
I didn’t lie to the she-wolf. I’ve not started my investigation on the rogues. At first I was waiting for the Beta to bring everything I needed but after that, every time I tried to open them up, I got weaker. That’s not information I want the werewolf to know before the high priestess.
I had been pouring over everything I know for a way to get out of a blood pact but nothing is coming to mind. I eventually gave up and requested to see Maeva instead. The visit helped me forget for a bit but now I’m back with the bodies and I still have the same problems I had before I left.
I take a deep breath and head for the frail rogue. Werewolves and rogues usually go back to human form when they die but three of the rogues here are in half shift while four are in full wolf form. This is a mystery. I shouldn’t be doing this alone but the werewolf would never let another witch into his pack without a blood pact and no one can ever find out how far I’ve gone.
I was told to do all it takes to keep the werewolf calm to allow us access to the rogues and eventually our dark sisters. All it takes, to my fellow witches does not include blood pacts that let the werewolf have information before the high priestess.
I take the huge knife I requested and the closer I get to the rogues heart, the weaker I get. It’s almost like the dead rogue is feeding on my life force.
This is pointless. I have to involve the werewolf. I don’t know how long the bodies will remain viable for so I need this to be done now. I concentrate and listen for the Alphas beating heart. I find it in no time and as I try to enter his mind so I can talk to him, I meet a barrier. I try again but his mental block is strong. I groan in frustration and find his beta instead.
“Beta. Tell your Alpha that he is needed in the cell.”
I laugh at the panic he must feel. Oh, I wish he were here. I would’ve loved to see it in person. I wait a few minutes before the door opens and the Alpha walks into the cell.
“Don’t get into my Beta’s head again.” He says.
“How am I supposed to communicate?”
“We’ll find a way. What do you want?”
Well, I guess it’s right into it we go.
“I need you to cut into the hearts of the rogues so I can study them.”
“Why? Surely, you know how to wield the knife you asked for.”
This is it. If only Caius was a dumber Alpha, I wouldn’t be in this situation but he’s smart and will call bullshit on anyway I try to spin this.
“I can’t get close to them. Every time I try to open them up, it feels like they’re feeding from me.”
His stance changes from relaxed and bored to alert.
“This is why you requested to see Maeva before you start.”
When I nod, he turns and walks out of the room. I follow after him and bump into his back when I turn to the other cell. I take a step back and look into the cell to see what made him stop and my eyes widen. The rogues are moving. They were feeding from my life force! I stumble from the shock and clutch my heart. This is too much.
Caius swings into action, moving swiftly through the room and ripping their hearts out. When all seven hearts are ripped out, he looks up at me.
“I think I can guess why they wanted to take you.”
“I have to go. I have to report this immediately. If our life force is what drives them, and they have successfully drained very old dark witches and are looking for me, other witches are not safe.”
“What about the hearts? They won’t survive long now that they’re out of the body.”
I shake myself out of my shock and think. Preserving them with magic might work but my spells might get mixed up in whatever spell they’re on and ruin everything. The werewolf sighs.
“Go. Tell your people. The rogues will come back when you do and we’ll have more than enough.”
“Thank you.” I whisper softly.
He nods and starts walking away.
“Caius.” I call, making him stop. “I can’t do this alone. You have to let me return with one of my sisters.”
He looks back at the bodies before meeting my eyes. “If she will agree to the same terms you agreed to, then it’s fine.”
The high priestess stands up from her chair when I walk in to the great hall. She’s alone which is a rare sight. She always has other council members with her or witches like myself who are learning from the council.
“Moira,” she says. “You’re back so soon.”
“I bring grave news, priestess. We must call for a council meeting immediately.”
“Nonsense. If the news is that important, then I should hear it before the others return.”
I bow in apology. “Of course. I was called to the werewolves’ territory for a personal matter concerning Alpha Caius’ mate.”
She looks disgusted but lets me continue.
“While I was there, the rogues attacked so he had to leave to fight them at the pack borders. Four rogues left the fight and came looking for me.”
“Rogues left a fight to come and look for you?” she asks in bewilderment.
“I was as surprised as you are priestess but that’s not the worst of it. My powers didn’t work on the rogues. I was defenseless and the Alpha saved me.”
She sits back on her chair and rubs her pearls. It’s what she always does whenever she gets uncomfortable.
“This is graver than I thought.” She says.
“It gets worst. After they were killed, the Alpha and his people brought them for me to look at and I couldn’t get to their hearts. Whenever I tried, I got weak. It was almost like they were feeding on my life force.”
She gasps. “That’s unheard of Moira.”
“I then called the Alpha to help and when he came, the dead rogues were stirring.”
“No.” the priestess says, standing once again.
“No!” she screams. “Those dark witches have once again brought trouble to our kind!”
“What does it mean?” I ask even though I have an idea.
“It means the dark witches we are looking for are dead and rogues we cannot fight are going to come after us soon. They probably felt your power and came for you. I must assemble a meeting with all the coven heads. We must have a plan. You need to go back immediately before the hearts are no longer useful.”
“Yes priestess. Can I take Elaine with me? I cannot do it alone.”
She eyes me suspiciously before she nods. Good, she’s the only one I trust enough to agree to the blood pact with the werewolf.