Cherry Young wasted no time in beginning her testimony. “On June 15th, Antoni Barros’ chain of command marked him in the Northeastern Chapter of the North American Coven branch. Three months later, after walking out of a monthly meeting with RLK’s Rowan Dahl—or as she is now know, Queen Consort Rowan Dahl of the Draconian Thunder—I fell into a dropped phase, a spell thought to be exclusive to Faerie denizens untilI ran into the one created by Antoni Barro. He kept me inside a nulling cage for roughly two weeks. In that time, he used methods of torture to accumulate more power than he’d already had. Under the impression that I had already taken command as Elder of the Coven, he tried experimental and deranged forms of magic to retrieve the gifted magic the position brings. He grew more and more frustrated with each failure. Compounded with the interference of his plans for the shifters, he began losing control. Rowan Dahl seemed to become the focus of his rage and I became the outlet, each beating a further unraveling of the man who’d brought me there. During one round of mana extraction, he talked to himself. His motivations for the attacks became crystal clear.”
The rustle of clothes and chairs was sharp, as everyone seemed to lean in to make sure they heard Cherry’s next words clearly.
“About four years ago, a lynx shifter suffering from an uncommon condition known as rage lust killed his fiance, Tali Jessum. He told me this as he dug a needle into my vein and pumped me full of a potion that was supposed to make my magic easier to syphon off.”
Her arms shook and her head bowed as she took a moment to compose herself.
Alessandro could smell the salt in the air as his mate was once again crying at his side. He brought her closer.
Across the room, he caught sight of Dae Kang at the table she’d left. His eyes were closed, arms and legs crossed as an attempt to stop himself from getting up, clearly so angry that if he did anything else, he would make his way to the platform and run a knife through Barros.
“That was the night Rowan Dahl popped up in that second cage. If you’ve had the unfortunate experience of trying to get Rowan Dahl to behave a certain way, you would know that it’s impossible. But to cow her into obedience and fear, Antoni Barros used the information he’d gathered through my beatings and targeted her greatest weakness—her everlasting need to help others. He nearly beat me to death. I had already accepted my fate until I woke up in the care of the Eastern Elven Kingdom’s best physician team. I was under surgery for two days as they tried to undo everything Barros had done to me. They had me as close to the condition that I’d been in before I fell into that trap. The only evidence remaining are these scars on my face and my vow as the new Coven Elder to denounce this witch and his actions. There is no room in our organization for those who do not prioritize helping those who cannot help themselves. It is the core of the Coven and I vow to refocus our attention on that idea during my time in the role of Elder.”
“She didn’t mention the rise in rage lust cases.”
“No. She didn’t. You made the right call, Stone.”
“I could have made the wrong one. She could have made us look like we were hiding something.”
“Then we would have dealt with it. We just have to get through Barros’ confession and hope he’s as close to a breakdown as he sounds. Don’t focus on what could have been. Stay in the present moment.”
“Right. One step at a time.” Stone’s use of the words Alessandro had always repeated to him brought him a calm he couldn’t have imagined.
One step at a time. If Stone decided he didn’t want to be king, Alessandro would hear him out and one step at a time, they would figure everything out.
Gently, he squeezed Rowan’s hand.
“I agree.”He said to Rowan. “She should be the one to do it, if she wishes.”
Dae Kang didn’t make eye contact with Antoni Barros as he took the podium. His story was brief and factual, as if it was a waste of his time to be away from Cherry’s side. The only new piece of information he gave was a recounting of his realization that Barros had set an illusion over the entire Coven and that while the wolves lost control, he’d interfere with a few close calls when the others weren’t looking.
Hye Kang got through with his testimony, shining a light on how Barros ordered him to replace the fake nemes headdress that the Sphinx Lair had been using for centuries with the real one. Antoni Barros retrieved the genuine article from the pit at the base of the lair, retrieved by Antoni Barros himself. Hye admitted that Abanoub’s wife had been unaware the trade had occurred. That she was the first victim without ever realizing she’d been instrumental in her own demise.
The mixture of sorrow and relief in the Sphinx Alpha was palpable in the air.
Tensions were high when the guards moved Antoni Barros from the platform to the podium. His gaze rested on Rowan and Rowan alone.
She was still curled into Alessandro’s side, giving the impression that his glowering look had no effect on her.
It infuriated the man, and he took the momentary opportunity of when the minotaurs were about to attach the shackles to the podium to run towards her, emerald eyes wild.
Alessandro, Kyron, Naseem and Stone all reacted reflexively, all shooting to their feet. Rowan was faster than them all. From her seat, she threw a spell of gravity that had him pinned to the floor.
“You ruined everything, you fucking bitch!” He screamed as the minotaurs retook his chains and dragged him back to the podium.
Alessandro shook his head as he retook his seat. “You couldn’t afford to let us look heroic for even a second?”
“You looked heroic.” Rowan promised, giving him a small kiss on the chin. “But as your woman, I can’t afford to look weak, can I?”
She really did just know what to say, didn’t she?
Antoni let out a roar of frustration as the minotaurs finished chaining him in. “Want to hear my side of the story? Fine! I’ll tell you. I lost the only good thing that happened to me because of these monsters. Four years ago, their true state of being known as rage lust was spreading like wildfire in between these shifters. They knew it, but they hushed up anyone who threatened to spill the truth. The cowardice and greed of the Coven cost me my fiance. She’d barely said yes before she got in the way of an infected jaguar shifter attacking a helpless kid. It slashed her to ribbons in front of me.” He sobbed.
Rowan recalled the witch’s words before he attacked Cherry, and her jaw clenched.
I knew a woman like you once, and she had a glaring weakness. I wonder if you have it too.
How could he have seen a trace of the “only good thing” that had happened to him in her and still have hurt her?
