Chapter XIX — Barren

There was a very long stretch of silence in the room. It was uncertain whether it was because Bryan was given time to collect himself after that dreadful recount or Dylan and Jayden themselves found a hard time processing what they just heard and knew not what to say next to the young boy.

"What was the next phase? After obtaining the confession and proofs, what then?"

"...Then, Beta Dylan, it is to expose everything the Elder Council had done to the entire werewolf community during the Quinquennial Summer Decathlon."

The straightforwardness and simplicity of what the boy had declared caused Dylan's eyes to widen. But it was expected.

"Lycanthropy. What do you know about it?"

"No more than you, Alpha. Other than the bedtime tales and myths — invincibility, immortality, immunity, superior senses that none of us could never even begin to imagine. Indestructible. That even descendants of the most pureblooded of the Clans whom trained for centuries and other supernatural species will struggle to take on. Lycans, they whom were once protectors of us all. Pity, they've gone into hiding aeons ago." Bryan shrugged with an air of indifference as he fully regained himself and continued, "Some even say their disappearance and the decline of the werewolf race were synonymous — that they were the reason we were on equal footings with the other supernatural species but now sit at the bottom of it in terms of power hierarchy. Those greedy bastards on the Elder Council most likely desired to bring back those glory days — it doesn't take a genius to figure out what went down in those labs after encountering that monster— but they also wanted to keep it to themselves. They were very tight lipped about the inner ongoings that happened in those disgusting labs of theirs, especially the how. The rogue unit leader captured knew nothing more than the end goal. Not that it was unexpected of those fools who would believe the empty words of promise made by a Council that treats them as expendable tools ready to be disposed once their usefulness is over.-"

"-And I reckon you haven't gleaned much from those either." The young boy jutted his chin towards the stack of books piled in a corner of Jayden's wooden desk.

Jayden pursed his lips and studied the young boy. He was exceptionally sharp and possessed a brazenness that could be neither faulted as disrespectful nor arrogant. Jayden suppose it was fitting for his upbringing.

"Your father was Gamma Wesley Grace. Was that how you were privy to what you know?"

"In a way, yes, I was present during the interrogation." Bryan confirmed, without so much as flinching at the name of his missing and likely deceased father. Had nerves of steel too, Jayden grudgingly admired.

.....................................

A knock resounded interrupting the occupants inside.

"Grand High Priestess Nerissa, Grand High Priestess Eleanōr, I, Cassandra di Nox and High Priestess Valérie LeBlanc, greets you."

The two whom entered, curtsied in synchrony before their Grand High Priestesses.

"Cassandra, Valérie, you have done well."

She wore a stylish dark purple-blue fascinator hat that had a matching feather and a cloth-netted veil. Under it, midnight blue hair was tied in a neat intricate braid. She held an indigo fan. It was decorous. Nerissa di Nox, one of the Coven's two Grand High Priestess and Head of the di Nox Family. The hint of warmth towards her niece was hidden behind words of commendation that was spoken clinically.

"Have you chosen a guardian for them?"

"Yes." Cassandra affirmative answer earned her a surprised expression from Valérie and raised eyebrows from her aunt. While her mother's passive expression remained unchanged, behind the emotionless mask revealed a hint a curiosity as she stared at her daughter. But Cassandra continued.

"Grand High Priestess Nerissa, as a member of the di Nox Family, I humbly put forth the request to you, the Head of the House, to take Amira Asghar and Irfan Asghar, under your wing and the House of di Nox."

Throughout, the aunt and niece pair maintained their stare-off, not once blinking or having any emotion cross their expressions. Nerissa di Nox did not provide her immediate reply as she simply continued to stare at her niece. Cassandra met her aunt's meaningful gaze head-on.

The silence stretched and nothing was said for a long time.

Valérie's initial minor surprise at her fellow Coven sister's request had worn off and now she simply waited with baited breath, while Eleanōr di Nox continued to study her daughter with a passive expression on the side. Until finally, Nerissa di Nox felt her lips twitch ever so slightly and she gave her reply.

"Very well. I, Nerissa Germãine di Nox, ascent to your request. From this moment forth, Amira Asghar and Irfan Asghar will be recognised as children under the care of the House of di Nox. They will be raised by my hand and I will personally see to Amira Ashgar's upbringing and training as a witch of the Coven."

Receiving her aunt's reply, still without a change in her emotionlessly blank expression, Cassandra nodded and curtsied her acknowledgement and gratitude, before taking her leave of the room, Valérie following suit.

"Dear cousin, even you wouldn't have expected that of your daughter." Nerissa shook her head as she addressed her cousin and mother of her dear niece whom had exited the office.

"You did always wanted children of your own, Germãine." Eleanōr di Nox pointed out.

And Nerissa did. Even before her cousin had birthed her twins, she had longed to raise children of her own but Nerissa di Nox had been diagnosed as infertile.

So, she had buried that desire and channeled the entirety of her focus into fulfilling her role as Grand High Priestess to her sisters and leading both the Coven and the House of di Nox. She had also been relieved and contented when her cousin had given birth to twins. Then, she and Eleanōr had poured their focus into Cassandra's and Catherine's growth and training, to be an aunt to them. And she was exceptionally proud and delighted — although she didn't show it often — of her two nieces whom were each outstanding and had surpassed both herself and Eleanōr in their own ways. She couldn't have asked for more befitting successors to lead the next generation of witches. Hence, buried deep that desire was over time.

But how had her beloved niece had known? Once the request was put forth on her niece's part, Nerissa saw the latter's intention almost instantaneously. Her niece had given her an opportunity to be something she never once thought she could be but always longed to be — a mother.

......................................

Outside the office where the leaders of the Coven remained, Cassandra di Nox swept down the familiar halls of the Samhain Institute of Magic and Witchcraft, her crimson red cloak fluttering in the direction the arid, chilly morning air blew. Valérie broke the silence between them.

"You had intended for them to be adopted by your aun- Grand High Priestess Nerissa all along, didn't you?" She too had her own guesses of the significance behind Cassandra's request.

Romania's daybreak was not very far off. There was a yellow hued, warm light glow mixed into the lightening dark blue surroundings as the dawn haze lifted. These quiet, desolate halls would soon be filled with witches of all ages whom had arrived a week ahead of the start of the Spring term at the Institute.

"Mmmm, and so what if I did?" Cassandra hummed in nonchalance and this was as close to her admittance to the light accusatory jab that Valérie was going to get. The latter sighed under her breath but then switched subjects.

"It's the Ostara celebrations, and following that, the opening ceremony for the new batch of witchlings to join the Institute." Valérie commented offhandedly. "Would Aika make it back in time for the opening address? She chairs Samhain's Witches Guild as Head Witch, doesn't she?"

"Mmm, she won her Duellum Maleficarum battle against Priestess Odette. Her raw score for the High Priestess mock exams were indeed exceptional, excelling particularly at casting shadow conversion." Cassandra hummed and answered.

"Am I supposed to be more impressed with the fact that you are kept up-to-date with the latest ongoings of the Institute or that you even remember you took in an acolyte, especially after going AWOL on us for five years?"

Cassandra gave Valérie a dry look.

"And you know it wouldn't kill you to say that to your acolyte, right? While you've been out there running around, your acolyte has been torturing herself to match up to your footsteps and earn your seal of approval." Valérie said and Cassandra hid her wince and shot back.

"Should I be more impressed that you kept tabs on my acolyte in my absence or that it is done through an ex whom you are surprisingly still on cordial terms with?"

"And you assumed I heard about this through Akabane Hajime because?"

Cassandra returned her a look as if to ask, So, you didn't?

"I did." Valérie sighed, admitting.

Cassandra stopped at the massive yet intricately carved, double stone door entrance, beyond which lies a colassal-sized, open-air arena. And with glowing purple eyes, the sealed double doors responded to her magic and opened, groaning lowly as it did.

It was not just any witch whom could enter the Grand Arena. It was the largest battle arena in the Institute with four others being indoor spherical domes, and the seal to it was one imbued with an old magic that only unlocked if a certain level and potency of magic was detected.

Both witches felt the rush of concentrated magic both in the air and surrounding as they stepped into the arena together, it's concentration highest and thickest as they moved towards the centre of the battle ground. Countless magic battles had occurred within this colossal structure over the centuries and it's walls, the seats and ground had absorbed the latent impact of it all.

They were both in-sync as the summoned broom from the outer-rings of the ground arena left the rack and flew into Cassandra's hand at her summoning spell, followed by another entering Valérie's two seconds after.

The latter had already foresaw the former's invitation without her having verbally extending it, having worked with her for years on the Witch's Guild as her Witch Clerk.

Cassandra weighed the broom in her hand. It was a typical standard broom used for training and other assessments in the Wiccan Exam. It had been ages since she last used one. She had her own, of course.

"What are the rules?" Valérie asked as she began to make her way to her own starting position on the other side of the arena grounds.

"Free-reign. No shadow tendrils."

Valérie nodded, hiding a smile as she mounted her own broom and faced her opponent.

"Începe."

And at the signalled start, magical circles of purple and blue bloomed in quick successions, and both black witches, on enchanted brooms, were airborne forty feet in the air.

There was a brief pause as they stared at each other in the air. Both their cloaks billowing because of their high altitude.

Then, Cassandra zipped towards Valérie, eyes glowing. Purple magic circles appeared behind the latter and black balls of energy that formed, exploded one after another, causing Valérie drop vertically downwards to avoid the linear explosion sequence that was now set off above her. And she would have glared upwards at Cassandra hovering diagonally above her but she noticed another round of purple magic circles taking shape around her and she cursed, and veered to the right immediately, but the line of purple magic circles with black energy balls forming followed her. And they were set off at close shaves, just barely missing enough to knock her off her broom completely, her speed the only thing outpacing it, leaving a trial of smoke in her wake.

The explosions rocked the arena, and the impact was absorbed by both the grounds and the magical barrier cast to protect the audience.

Cassandra whom had deviated her course towards the left the moment the magic she cast exploded the first round and had already cast her next sequence of spell. From her higher elevated position, she had an aerial view of Valérie's trajectory.

Valérie scowled as her mind raced to cast her counter-attack while simultaneously evading Cassandra's offensive, blue eyes already glowing. She had to breakout of this disadvantageous position.

And with multiple blue magic circles activated overhead, black arrow-like spears rained downwards on Cassandra from various angles, causing her to evade them by navigating out of its casting range and throwing up a shadow shield around herself. And even as the black shield cracked, and proceeded to shatter under the onslaught of shadow arrows, Cassandra remained unfazed as she began chanting her next incantation.

Meanwhile, Valérie had successfully gotten rid of Cassandra's black ball of explosives that had been tailing her but when she threw a glance behind her, it was just in time to catch Cassandra incoming pursuit, she cursed again, picking up her speed to put more distance between them as she saw the next attack aimed at her just as the spell's calculation was complete and the purple magic circle in Cassandra's right hand was activated.

A condensed yet packed lightning bolt of dark energy shot towards the end of Valérie's broom. However, the latter had swiftly skidded and spun a hundred and eighty and with her own blue circle activated which shot out a black energy bolt of its own, it clashed with Cassandra's, causing sparks to fly and the air crackled from the ramifications of the collision.

The two black witches now faced each other again, as the wisp of smoke from the lightning clash cleared, there was no more than five meters of distance between them.

"The classic set your opponent's broom end on fire trick? Really, Cass?"

Cassandra shrugged nonchalantly and when her eyes opened, they flashed purple.

"Damn it!" Valérie cursed as she saw multiple sequences of magic cast by Cassandra activate. And another barrage of tiny bullet-like shadow spheres shot out of the multiple purple magic circles conjured.

Valérie had always known Cassandra's speed for spells calculation was absolutely terrifying and it's been long since she was in the face of it. She had to admit it was absolutely refreshing as well, to be able to relive their days at the Institute. The thrill of the chase, of the battle coursed through her.

But something was amiss.

She's stalling. Valérie realised. Why?

None of Cassandra's spells were battle decisive except the attempt to light her broom on fire was even counted as one. But Valérie knew it wasn't, that it was simply a jest — an impetuous whim on Cassandra's part. As she deftly evaded Cassandra's magic spells one after another at close shaves, her mind raced to identify the reason behind the ominous feeling looming over her while not hesitating to launch her own offense against her opponent.

Despite lacking the usual depth and breadth that Valérie was familiar with, the spells Cassandra cast were calculated with pinpoint precision and executed with ruthless magic efficiency and no room for hesitation.

By now, the early morning sun had risen and bathed the entire arena in a warm yellow-golden light.

"Tempus." Valérie whispered the incantation that activated the spell for several large blue magic circles to bloom throughout the entire arena. Instantly, the speed of the surrounding air changed as swirls of vortex gathered, forming tornadoes as tall as fifty feet within seconds. The violent gusts of wind mixed with sharp droplets of rain, stirred and kicked up the dirt from the arena ground.

Cassandra pulled back and manoeuvred to avoid being sucked in by the masses of cyclone whirlwinds closing in on her at high speeds from all directions. Freed from her opponent's pursuit, Valérie caught her breath. She hovered on the edge, a safe distance from the cyclone zone she had drawn for the spell. And she finally caught sight of Cassandra in the middle of it, but what had her attention was the wisps of shadow accumulating and thickening, before finally solidifying in Cassandra's left hand that had glowing violet magic rings.

Valérie frowned in confusion and when her eyes snapped up to meet the pair of violet ones that shined with a discernable exhilaration that the former rarely ever saw, the solidified objects flew out of Cassandra's hands towards Valérie with a flick of the former's wrist.

And reacting completely on instinct, Valérie nosedived to her right, however she couldn't make it far before she was jerked back by an unknown force. Her cloak snagged on her neck, almost giving her a whiplash.

What the-?!?

Embedded at a forty-five angle on the dust covered arena grounds were three daggers coated in dark matter that pinned Valérie's shadow silhouette in place.