A Crown Of Fire And Wrath (The Shadow Walkers Saga #5) - Sloane Murphy Page 0,50
sigh of Lizzie, or her coven,” one of the witches says, snagging my attention.
“How is that even possible?” Colt asks, his frustration obvious from how he speaks through clench teeth.
“Lizzie is a very powerful witch,” the witch huffs. “She has more than enough power and talent to shield herself and her coven.”
“You sound like you look up to her,” Nasari chimes in, eyeing the heir.
“This isn’t going to get us anywhere,” I say, loudly enough to be heard above the bickering. “Fighting amongst ourselves makes us weaker. If you can’t give yourself to this new treaty and all it means fully, then leave. We’ll be better off without you. A chain is only as strong as its weakest link.” I am so sick of this constant bickering between the factions. “I know that centuries of resentment aren’t going to be fixed overnight, but fucking hell. We’re not children, it’s not hard to be civil. So either buck up or fuck off.”
I cross my arms, watching everyone in the circle. My brother smirks at me, and I restrain from rolling my eyes at him. I wait a full minute before nodding my head when no one leaves.
“Okay then, that’s that. Can we not bicker like children, and just try to think of productive ways to pool our resources to find these people? We are four factions. Surely they can’t hide from all of us.” It’s on the tip of my tongue to say I could bring in the Four Horsemen, but Colt is right, people would shit their pants on the spot. These people don’t even know about my relationship with the Shadow Realm, let alone the rulers of it. There’s going to be a whole lot of revelations today.
“In the spirit of being open and honest, there is also something you should all know,” I say, with my head held high. I look to Fallon who nods, and I move to the center of the circle. I look back at my guys who all smile at me, except for Levi, who looks like he’s ready to smite anyone who so much as looks at me wrong. I contain the laughter that threatens and roll my neck, stretching out. While I’m aware that these people lack the tools to kill me, they could still hurt me, so I cross my arms again and eye each of them seriously. “Do not freak out.”
I take a deep breath and unfurl my wings. The gasps that usher across the meadow feel loud as thunder, but I know in reality they’re not.
“How is this possible?” Nasari asks. The wonder in his voice is evident. “You did not die?”
“Actually, I did. In the Shadow Realm. This was the result,” I tell him, giving them just enough information, but no details. They don’t need to know the details.
Chatter starts up from almost everyone around us. Questions are thrown at me, but everyone’s talking over each other and it’s essentially chaos, which I was prepared for, but fuck. I literally just said about not freaking out.
A whistle screeches through the air, and I look to Fallon who has her fingers in her mouth, making the noise. “People! Get a hold of yourselves. This is nothing but an advantage for us, against an unknown enemy.”
Her words make me smile. I knew deep down that she had no issues with what I am now, but it makes me feel better to hear her say it out loud. I catch Colt watching her, a proud smile on his face before I look at my guys, each looking as fierce as the next, ready to throw down if it’s needed, but Fallon’s words cause a silence from the people around us. I can’t even begin to imagine how they’ll react when they find out about Creek. But that’s a revelation for another day, and goes firmly in the, they don’t need to know, column.
I walk back over to my guys, and Fallon and Marie both smile at me warmly.
Marie steps forward and clears her throat, taking the meeting back under control. “Now then, back to finding Lizzie.”
Before the meeting finishes, we have a new plan of attack for Lizzie and her coven, some damaged relationships have been fixed, and thanks to me keeping my wings out, people seem to be coming to terms with the fact that I’ve changed. Again.
I have no doubt that when they get the chance, the Hunters will pepper me with questions about how it was possible, without