Chapter 12

Richard stood next to Markus, looking out of the window which overlooked the enclosed courtyard. While the two female Witches sparred in the courtyard, they watched. He found it funny how they fought, their familial bond showing through their fighting. Markus was less so amused, watching in that cold and calculating way he always did. He was intrigued by the occurrence, an enchantment coming over him.

Richard knew it was dangerous to get Markus's attention in any way.

Having the attention of any Vampire was dangerous. It meant they would do a lot to make sure they got what they wanted.

With Kore, he had no idea what Markus had in plan for her.

She was a wild card, untamed and unknown in the grand scheme of things. She was attending Iscariot Institute for her own good and reasons, but she wasn't under the same vow as the rest of the Arcanes. She had no obligation in keeping peace at the school but she did it because it would be easier for her.

Ever since she came, she brought bits of trouble with her.

Markus wasn't affected at first, ignoring her for the week until she hurt her hand when she found out that Orion knew about her. It seemed after that, Kore Greylight had the undivided attention of Markus Alastair.

Even Richard knew what a power couple they could be, with unrivalled strength and social power due to their stations in life.

He just worried about what it meant for the future of the Witch and Arcane kinds.

)()()(

Kore was a peaceful woman... And her sparring with another woman did not change that.

It was the weekend after the triplets arrived, and she was itching for a good spar practice with her old sparring partner. They were in the enclosed courtyard of the Key House, both dressed in sports outfits.

It was too hot to wear anything more than that, nearing the end of May.

Both of them were barefooted on the raised platform, having plenty of space for at least two pairs of people sparring.

She was hot, sweating, and aching, and she felt alive as she drew back her bandaged fists and swung them into the opposite Witch's face. Cera dodged before it reached her, sending a punch back which Kore had to also dodge.

With a kick to her ribs, Cera lost her breath and quickly tapped out for the moment.

"You good, Cer'?"

"Yeah," The eldest Sallow Witch heaved her words out. "You've still got a wicked round kick, cousin. Even without shoes."

"I try to keep up with working out but I don't really have the time anymore." Kore wiped her forehead with her hand. She had black hand wraps around her hands, wrists, ankles and feet. They were there for protection just as Cera was also wearing the same ones.

"I doubt those claws you call nails helped," Cera humoured, grabbing a water bottle from the side. "You still hold off with your punches, Kore. You need to send them out fully or you'll hurt your shoulder, especially with your left one."

"I know, I know," Kore sat on the ground with Cera. Her hair was tightly braided into two dutch braids, while Cera had her brown and turquoise hair tucked into a tight bun on the top of her head.

Tsar lay on the ground, dozing off as he watched them.

She crossed her ankles. "Want to go again?"

"Hell yeah!"

)()()(

After a week of avoiding Markus, Kore appeared at his door.

"We need the library," Kore said, jutting a thumb in the vague direction of the library. "Is that alright?"

"Of course. May I ask why you need it?"

"I want to have a quick conference with the other Crowns and their heirs," she said. "I want to finetune some facts with them before I start making solid plans. Oh, and I'm gonna be taking some of Ruel's blood soon. Just thought of warning you."

"Why?"

"To see how Davina's blood is actually influencing him,"

"Thank you for warning me," he said.

She had a theory.

Ruel was doing fine. Her protection was doing enough to keep him safe but she would find out when she tested his blood.

She strode to the library.

The plans were made and set.

The Crowns were projecting themselves into the library with Magic, letting something like a hologram show in there with their Heirs and Advisors. She sat with her cousins in there, Ruel sitting next to her.

A private plane would be sent for the Witches and Ruel in early June, letting them settle in before the Summer Solstice as Kore and the Crowns settled whatever unpleasantness they had for each other. Their squabbles would be put aside until after the Summer Solstice, until after the Witch who claimed to be a Redwater had been proven or not.

What she didn't expect was to find out that what she knew about her mother and her goals were completely false.

The other Crowns forced their own Heirs and advisors out of the room before they advised her to do the same.

"We need to discuss your mother," Crown Blackwood said. "In private."

"Get out."

Cera tried to stay. "But Kore—"

"I said. GET. OUT." Kore's voice rumbled with her Magic, enforcing the demand in their heads. The triplets left along with Ruel when she nodded for him to leave too. When the door snapped shut, she looked back at the Crowns. "What about my mother? What could you want to discuss about her after everything you've done?"

"What we've done is what was needed,"

"And why was Challenging my mother needed?"

"Kore, you have to believe us when we say your mother was using Black Magic,"

She froze, a set of chills coming over her.

Black Magic was forbidden and had been for several centuries.

Dark and Black Magic was not the same. Dark meant the intentions were greater than what was needed to make a spell work, and Black Magic was just evil.

Dark just meant that Magic needed was negative and dark, it was what the Blackwoods were famous for. But Dark Magic was still part of the White and Grey range of Magic, everything that was allowed. Dark Magic could be dangerous but never as dangerous as Black Magic.

Black Magic was pure evil with the steps creating more harm than the solution could afford. It was selfish and dangerous.

"What do you mean my mother was using Black Magic?"

"Exactly as it sounds," Whitestone said.

Blackwood gave her a look. "Your mother was trying to get the whole Order under her thumb. She was using her Blood Magic to influence us into giving up our power."

"You can't be serious," Kore laughed. "You can't be telling me this and expect me to believe you when you killed my mum."

"We didn't kill her," Blackwood said, a serious look appearing on his face. "The Flame of Magic did. Even you know that the use of the Flame is limited, it can only find the worthiness of Magic in a person who has been Challenged. She Challenged us privately and we passed, and when it was her turn, she decided to make it a public event to show us that she was worthy."

They told her what her mother had been doing to them, the small amounts of mind control over the lower lords with Magic that wasn't strong enough to fend it off. The deceptions and gaslighting she did with her Magic. The damages she had done to parts of the biological Magic in Europe and England, upsetting balance in places.

No.

They couldn't be telling the truth, could they?

They were the ones to kill her mum.

They were stopping her from taking her rightful place as Crown.

They Challenged her.

Her eyes glowed silver for a split second, trying to find the lies and deceptions in their Magic.

There was none.

They told the truth.

She swallowed her pride, her anger, her pure disbelief. "And you're scared I'm going to turn out like her."

"Your Magic is volatile because your mother gave you hers," Whitestone stated, tapping a finger against the wood of the table. "It's unstable and prone to being unpredictable. We can't afford to let you take your title as Crown until we know if you're truly worthy of your Magic and your Magic has settled."

"And if I'm not worthy?" She hated to think this but she had to know.

The other Crowns looked at each other for a second before turning back to her.

"You don't have to die for your Magic, Kore," Whitestone continued. "You will not be Crown or Heir for the Greylight, but you would be able to advise your successor even without your Magic."

"And the supposed Redwater?"

"If they're proven to have Blood Magic, they'll be stripped of it," Blackwood said. "Your mother having it was dangerous enough. Even if you are stripped of your Magic, they wouldn't be allowed to keep their gift because of the possibilities of their corruption."

"Who even is the person?" she scowled, looking at her nails and changing the topic a little.

"Minthe Vallie, she's a very distant cousin of yours. She's related to the fourth Crown Greylight after the Massacre of the Redwaters."

Kore would have been the sixteenth Crown Greylight after the Massacre, her mother being the fifteenth.

"Kore," Blackwood said, his gaze softening as he watched her. "You're not your mother. We've known you since you were born. You're not her so you don't have anything to worry about. We just want to sort the situation out with Minthe Vallie and make sure we don't have a repeat of what your mother tried to do."

Kore blinked back moisture from her eyes, a corner of her lip curling up in a forced smile. "Of course. I know. I'll, uh, see you in a couple of weeks."

"Alright, take care of yourself,"

"Yeah, thanks."

The projections of the other Crowns disappeared, leaving her by herself as she sat.

While she was staying still, her Magic was not.

The sky darkened outside with the Magical crackle of fresh and violent lightning, brightening the sky with bolts and thunder until a storm surrounded the school and nearby towns.

The clouds were thick and black, creating a darkness over the once-clear night sky. Magic crackled in each molecule of the clouds, vibrating and creating lighting so loud and dangerous that it flashed across miles before the thunderclaps shook the ground.

While it was storming, there was no rain. Not even a drop in this dry storm of Magical magnitude as her emotions began to turmoil within her without a release.

Shocks of lightning struck outside, never damaging the ground but still leaving the dangerous presence of Magic that many creatures hid away in their homes. She wouldn't allow her Magic to touch the animals or humans, they'd be safe if they were caught out in the dry storm, safe but scared.

"Kore?"

She turned her gaze from the table to the door, seeing Markus standing there.

"What?"

Markus didn't express emotions at her snappy tone. "You're brewing a dry storm again."

"And?" She looked at him with an expression devoid of any emotion that would reveal her state. "Nothing wrong with a little Magic in a storm."

"But when your emotions are causing it, there is," He said, walking over to stand next to her chair. "What happened to cause you to lose control?"

"I've not lost control!"

He gave her a levelled look to which she sighed, dropping her shoulders before laying her crossed arms on the table and resting her head on them.

"I just got told that everything I've been fighting for is a lie," she muttered. "My mum is a traitor to Magic and thus she lost her Magic. She's been trying to overtake the Order so she could rule as a single monarch under a single Crown."

"Your mother betrayed Magic and got what she deserved," Markus said.

"I still have to go through the Challenge," she said, an ache in her voice. "And I don't know if I'd get to keep my Magic or not. If I don't, I can still advise my successor but I don't want to do that. I want to rule. I want the best for my people and me being only an advisor will not bring it."

Markus cautiously placed his hand on her shoulder in comfort, and for once, she accepted it by placing her hand on top of his.

"You'll get what you deserve, Kore,"

"But I don't know what I deserve."

"Realistically, none of us know what we deserve but we get what is due," Markus frowned, giving a final squeeze to her shoulder before stalking out of the library.