Total pages in book: 123
Estimated words: 115432 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 577(@200wpm)___ 462(@250wpm)___ 385(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 115432 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 577(@200wpm)___ 462(@250wpm)___ 385(@300wpm)
“Druella, we can take them,” Tate said beside me. “We are the nine of nine.”
“From what I can see, it looks as though you are the seven of nine,” Taelon scoffed. “Do you all truly think so highly of yourselves? That you could destroy all of us with ease…with only seven. Even if your circle were complete, many of you would die here.”
“If you think we need all nine of us, you don’t know who our circle leader is.” Fiona stepped forward with her chest puffed up and head high. “You stand before Druella Zirie Omeron! The daughter of Circe!”
Dammit, Fiona! I wanted to scream!
“The daughter of Circe?” Taelon repeated, looking from her and to me before a wide smile spread on his face that then turned to laughter. That made the other vampires also laugh. “Little witch, in the hundreds of years I’ve been alive, do you know how many times a coven of witches has used that old prophecy—far too many. And they are all gone. Because it is nothing but a fairy tale that you Wiccan tell yourselves.”
“We look forward to proving you wrong!” Rue replied, for the first time ever agreeing and backing up Fiona.
Why did it have to be on this topic, though?
“Well, aren’t you all serious,” Taelon mused, once again looking at me. “You are the daughter of Circe? I have heard you are the strongest of your coven, Druella, but I did not know you were a goddess.”
“I want the vampires who killed the Allsbrooks,” I replied instead.
“And as I said, it was not us.”
Really? Fine. “Then give me the three vampires who arrived in our lands that you admitted to.”
“They are being punished, as I also said. Stay in your lands, and we will stay away. Any who do not adhere, we will punish, don’t worry. You have my word, Goddess,” he mocked, and the vampires beside him chuckled again.
My eyes narrowed, and I felt the anger rising in me. We had lost people, and while we were trying to keep the peace, they lied and mocked us.
“Stop,” I whispered, and the world froze around me once again. I walked over the creek’s surface to reach his side, then stood right in front of his face. I looked to the left and the right of him to the vampires who stood protecting. “Burn.”
Nothing happened, not yet.
However, when I said go, and the world restarted again, Taelon’s eyes widened as I was in front of him, and neither he nor another vampire had noticed me move. Seconds later, one by one, the vampires on each side of him lit on fire like torches, their screams the only sound any of us could hear. And I smiled in his face as if I did not hear them.
“Since you will not give me the vampires I asked for, I will take these four,” I said to his face. “And I will continue to take until you all understand something—you do not own these lands. You do not tell us what to do or where to stay. Let one more vampire test the Omeron Coven again, and your father will not need to come here. I will go to him, and none of you will ever see it coming. I promise. So, have a good day, Mr. Swan, and thank you for coming to see us.” I patted his chest before turning away and returning to my coven, where Fiona grinned alongside Rue.
Tate, for the first time, calmed down, and Simone carefully watched me, the bow that had been forming in her hand now gone.
“Is anyone in the mood for barbecue?” I asked them as I walked right back across the creek, this time, my boots splashing in the water.
“Can’t we do something more vegan-friendly?” Jericho asked as he petted the white snake around his neck.
“When did you become a vegan?” Faye asked.
We talked as if we didn’t see them, and soon the vampires all left. The only proof they were there was the scorch marks on the earth.
“Druella, that was awesome!” Fiona exclaimed, running right into me with her shoulder.
“You can move faster than vampires?”
“I’m going to have to ask you to stop going around telling them I am a freaking goddess!” I hollered at her and pushed her away. “What is wrong with you!”
“Is that what you did during the last coven meeting?” Simone asked.
“Let’s not talk here. We need to check on Tala and Adelaide,” Tate said to us, still looking around carefully from the rear of our group as we walked.
I nodded, though I didn’t want to go, not because I didn’t care about Tala or Adelaide but because I didn’t want to face my uncle or any of the elders.
Maybe it won’t be that bad.
It was that bad.
When we got back to the cliffs, my uncle had everyone else leave. It was only him and me, and the anger rolling off him made the hair on the back of my neck rise. For five full minutes, he said nothing, just stared out into the horizon.