No one dared to speak first. Each one of them knew what would happen if they did. However, they also knew what would happen if none dared to open their mouth and give Margo the explanation she desired. Her thin fingers drummed on the edge of the altar, while her violet eyes moved to the witches and warlocks that were her Council – her Raven’s Wing. Without exception, they were strong, cunning, ruthless and most important of all loyal to her. Not out of foolish notions such as honour or respect. The very thought was enough to put a smile on her lips. Their loyalty was due to the fear of what might happen should they fail her. And they had failed her miserably.

“Well?” Margo asked, growing tired of the silence. “Why was I not informed that Alice had left her seclusion? It is a simple question.”

She stooped her drumming and borrowed the sight of the thing feeding on her soul. Pax Irgo was a parasite, but the gifts it offered were enough to make a tolerable. Thanks to its keen eyes, Margo could see the monsters that dwelled inside her Council. Apart from Felicity’s Axat Fen and Otto’s Lor Nemrat, the others were mediocre at best. Perhaps an exception could be made for Julia von Pesch because she was the newest member of the Raven’s Wing, and because she currently had two contracted demons inside her – Behl Gra and Raq Eres. Although rare, it wasn’t that uncommon for a witch to hold two or more contracts. However, from experience, Margo could tell that only one would remain by the end of the year. Since it was the stronger of the pair, Raq Eres would devour the smaller demon. Slowly at first, in a way that would go unnoticed by Julia, the Raven could see the signs.

Margo wanted to direct her anger at the young witch, alas any argument she could use was baseless. After all, Mistress von Pesch had joined on the day of the ceremony, as a last-minute substitute for the late Ermak Trist who had gone and killed himself in one of his outrageous experiments. A most unfortunate turn of events since the old bastard was the only one who could be called Margo’s equal. The Black Snake, as he used to be more commonly known, was Alice’s second and last living student, after the Raven. A fact that not even the Matron of the Covenant of Shadow could ignore. Well, what was done, was done. Now that idiot’s soul was in the hands of Xal Ata, and the master of pain was the worst of the Infernal Lords to take possession of a witch’s soul. The nightmares he sends to his followers when they pledge themselves to him, although but a fraction of the tortures Xal Ata had planned for them, had broken the minds of many a young witch.

“What does it matter, my sweetheart? The Infernal Ones are equally vile when it comes time for your kind to pay the price for the gifts, they have loaned you.” Pax Irgo’s slimy voice spread inside Margo’s mind like puss.

“Be silent,” she commanded, feeling dirty that she had to address the repulsive thing. The Raven then turned her attention back to the men and women who were trying to avoid her gaze. “If I don’t get an answer soon, you will suffer greatly.”

That put some life back into them as all six began to speak over one another. Of course, they blamed everything for this failure. From the positions of the stars to some unnamed apprentice who was too slow to inform them in turn. However, Morgo noticed that Felicity was the only one who kept her mouth shut. The witch had plenty to say, that much was obvious from the hatred burning in her eyes. Still, she was the only one who recognised the trap Margo had set for them.

“That broom of a woman is a cunning one,” she felt Pax Irgo salivate as it stated the obvious.

As an afterthought, Margo locked the demon inside the cage she had carefully crafted in her mind.

“You will pay for this, delicious! One violation of the Contract is all I need to end your miserable life!” It screamed, tainting her thoughts like an infection.

This was the final straw. Originally, she planned to keep it there for a few days, starving it, as a punishment for disobeying her. But now Margo was convinced that the demon had outlived its usefulness. Such was the fate of the children of Kai Nem. They suited her needs perfectly, sadly, the parasites were all bark and no bite. She required something more potent for what was to come.

“I am Margo the Raven, the Great Witch. Favoured of Asmodai Val. Make yourself known and if I judge you worthy, I’ll allow you to challenge Pax Irgo for the right to form a new Contract with me.” The proclamation was made without hesitation.

Although the six members of the Raven’s Wing couldn’t hear it, they sensed the stir in the shadows, as lesser and greater demons gathered around Margo. Everyone knew that the rules of a Contract were absolute. It was the first thing they were taught. However, there were ways around it, and the Great Witch had changed her contracted demons more times than she could count. If asked, Margo would fail to recall all the names of the Infernal Beasts she had within her through the years. It was a terrible abuse of her position, powers and reputation, but that was the very reason she stood at the top. The Lords of the Infernal Realm didn’t care about such trivial things. Besides, being condemned to an eternity of bondage for making one deal or a hundred made no bloody difference.

“Enough,” Margo said flatly silencing the idiotic excuses of her Council. “Incompetence is incompetence, no matter how you try to dress it. But admitting to it makes me wonder if your place is in this room?”

She looked at each of the six people, feeling her irritation rise as soon as they averted their eyes. The fear she expected to see on their face was gone, replaced by annoyance that they had to play this game of cat and mouse with her. They knew she couldn’t do anything drastic without turning the entire Council against her. And even as powerful as Margo was, she wasn’t sure she could win such a fight. It was one more reason to curse Ermak for getting himself killed. Despite all his faults, she could count on him to always take her side. Sure, she had to sleep with him in exchange and satisfied all his twisted perversion, but it was an exchange Margo was willing to make. After all, they were both Alice’s students, as such their tastes and view weren’t all that different.

“Severny years. Seventy damn years,” Margo barked slamming her fist on the altar. “And when Alice breaks her self-imposed seclusion, after so bloody long, no one takes notice!”

“Honestly Margo, what’s the big deal?” Felicity broke her silence, taking pleasure in using that enchanted voice of hers. It was capable of seducing the weak-willed, alas, there were no such people in the private ritual chamber they used for the gathering. “You got what you wanted, didn’t you? Or is there something else you haven’t shared with us, which is the cause of your displeasure?”

“So, it was you, you fucking whore,” Margo screamed internally, finding it difficult to reign in her anger. Of course, she was hiding things from her closest servants.

First and foremost, was the fact that it was Alice’s secretive research that was the source of the Raven’s powers. The new spells contained in the grimoires she received from her teacher every year, were pathetic little things, barely worth notice. However, they made the ideal stepping stones for far more advanced and potent spells and curses. Yet, Margo wasn’t delusional to think that someone like Alice was doing this out of the kindness of her heart. She was gloating, making fun of her former student while keeping anything with actual power a secret. The Raven’s teacher’s obsession with the basics of witchcraft was one of the reasons for the rift that had formed between them.

Sure, Alice was a witch without equal with her absurd capacity to spill curses and hexes as if it was as simple as breathing. However, she was a relic of the past, long outclassed by her students. By the Infernal Lords, even the current generation of novices could use far more destructive spells than the First Witch. It was why Margo had taken control of the Covenants as soon as Alice lost interest in them. But that woman’s shadow had always hung over her, like a dagger aimed at her heart. And since no one was willing to face the wrath of the First Witch, the other leaders of the Covenants had kept their distance from the position of Great Witch. Now, however, all manner of pests would be crawling out of the woodwork, after Alice’s announcement.

“The Covenants are yours and you no longer need pretend to be our equal,” Felicity continued with a smug smirk on her plain pinkish face. Removing a locket of her silvery hair, the woman continued digging her cold calculating grey eyes into Margo. “With Mistress Tetradon out of the picture, you are now truly the Great Witch.”

“If you think that bitch has lost interest in us, you are an idiot, Felicity,” Margo hissed as she dismantled the truth hex directed at her with a wave of her hand. “She’s plotting something. Why else would she take a promising initiate with her?”

“Oh, please!” Otto laughed in his seat, the burn marks on either side of his round face oozing thin droplets of blood. “You can’t even recall the name of that girl. That’s how promising she was.”

“It is true,” Felicity flashed a charming smile at the dark-skinned man, expertly hiding her irritation of having been interrupted. “The only thing the little brat is good for is cleaning the dorms.” She then turned her attention back to Margo, her confidence wavering for the first time. “Most likely, Mistress Tetradon was simply looking for a more presentable servant.”

The witch looked at everyone in turn as she spoke the next words, getting a nod of agreement from every member of the Raven’s Wing. “Her eccentric behaviour placed much shame on all of us. It’s a small wonder that Letum Mors, forever be cursed his name, removed her from his favour.”

“So now you know the thoughts of the ruler of the Jagged Throne?” Margo cocked an eyebrow at the bold statement. She knew that Felicity was trying to bate her into revealing her plans, but her choice of words was a mistake that needed to be exploited. “Last I checked, you had pledged yourself to Kai Nem, or has that changed, my dear Lissy?”

Many amongst their kind believed that what followed the names of their Infernal Masters were titles, but the members of the Raven’s Wing knew the truth. Things like master torment, harbinger of pleasure, and devourer of emotions, were what described the Six and their individual personalities. Not even the First Witch had dared to claim to know the mind of Letum Mors, and she was rumoured to have been chosen to be his bride. If the words of demons could be trusted. And Margo reminded her Council of this.

“Just as the Infernal Lords don’t trust the Ruler of the Jagged Throne, so should we never trust a word that comes out of Alice’s cursed mouth.” The Raven concluded the unplanned lecture.

“Because you’re such a well of honesty!” Virginia Skizz chuckled in a show of courage that was missing a few moments ago. Her remark got her a wave of nods from the other five, while Margo imagined tearing the smirk off the plump woman’s face with her bare hands.

“What Felicity said is correct. You’ve won, Mistress. Or are you afraid that Mistress Tetradon is no longer standing behind you to catch you should you make a mistake?” Sahra Almadel chimed in, hidden behind her many-layered black dress and a thick veil.

It was hard to say what the witch was thinking since everything about her appearance was designed to hide her. Even the colour of her eyes changed with each minute. Like a spider, the woman spun webs everywhere she went. And just like those insignificant insects, she was delusional that she remained unseen by the true predators of the world such as Margo. Ever the timid one, it was unusual for Sahra to be this direct with her words, not realising that she had revealed her intentions in that single statement.

“They are testing me. Those idiots think that I rule over them by borrowing Alice’s strength!” There was some truth in that, but they were fundamentally mistaken. In that case, Margo would have to remind them she created the covenants, despite her former teacher’s misgivings.

“Five centuries I’ve had to hone my crafts,” the Raven stated flatly, draining the heat from the ritual chamber with each word. Draining the life of the lesser demons waiting for scraps in her shadow, she made her fingers move faster than the eyes of the Council members could track. Esoteric sigils formed in the air, while she constructed her spell.

“I’m twice as old as any of you. The forces I wield are beyond your limited comprehension.”

A blatant lie of course, since all of them, had learned all there was to learn about witchcraft decades ago. The only difference between them was the raw power contained within their souls. And where those of the Raven’s Wing were comparable to that of a pond, Morgo’s was that of a lake. In the blink of an eye, the colour drained from the world around her, revealing the multitude of greater demons murdering themselves inside her shadow and the tendrils of her black soul, which she used to whip them in a frenzy. With unrestrained satisfaction, Margo watched as the smirks were wiped off the faces of her Council, and the fear returned to their eyes. Snapping her fingers, the Raven put an end to the spell which was going to give corporal form to these monsters.

“Now,” she said calmly, as she sat back in her seat, wincing slightly at the pain which followed the disrupted spell. “Why was I not informed that Alice was coming to the Night of Gwastraff ritual?”

Like jackals, the Raven’s Wing fell upon the last member. “It’s Luther’s fault! Yes! Master Terzian was the one responsible!”

Intentionally slow, Margo turned her head to look at the stern-faced man. Her soft smile promised suffering as she cast her voice into the Infernal Realm. “A feast has been prepared for the Maggots of Ruin. Its name is Luther Terzian. Two days shall they have to gorge themselves on mortal flesh.”

“Consider yourself fortunate, Luther. The next time you fail me will be your last.” She finished, as the warlock’s face twisted in pain.

Two days wasn’t enough to outright kill the man, but he was going to lose a limb at the least to the infernal beasts. Hopefully, it would be his head, since Margo had a promising replacement in mind. Not as well-versed in the craft as Luther, but a significantly more obedient one.

“Now,” Margo returned her attention to the remaining five members of the Raven’s Wing, “that that is taken care of, we should move on to the next matter.”

Curling her hand into a fist as if she was pulling on an invisible string, the Great Witch silenced poor Master Terzian’s screams. Although the sounds of anguish resonated as a sweet lullaby in her ears, they were far too distracting.

“Alice Tetradon cannot be allowed to act freely,” Margo stated, allowing a little too much of her disdain to filter into her voice.

Until now, she had always made sure to hide her true feelings regarding her former teacher, going as far as disguising them as a reluctant show of respect. The Raven examined the five available members of her Council, evaluating their skills and trustworthiness. In the time it took them to partake in this farce of a meeting, she had devised a plan that should potentially deal with Alice and her nasty habit of ruining Margo’s plans. The only issue was that there was a very high likelihood that the pawn she used was going to die or worse, tell her former teacher everything.

Her obvious choice was going to be Virginia. The witch was easy to coerce and could be relied on to keep her mouth shut. However, her remark from a moment ago was all it took to convince Margo that the Spider was going to turn sides as soon as she was outside of the Great Witch’s control. Her eyes shifted toward Otto and dismissed him immediately. The Outcast’s burned looks were superior to his use of words in every way. Sending him would be no different to sending a plump rat to a hungry cat. As for Virginia and Julia, the first was too timid and the second was too young and too naïve. Neither stood a chance of keeping with Alice’s twisted games and lies.

“Felicity,” Margo gave the witch a charming smile. The beautiful creature sitting on the chair across the ritual chamber flinched, sensing that she was going to become an unwilling sacrifice. Her talents were best suited to what the Raven had in mind. And although her loyalty was questionable, there were

ways to ensure that she would do as instructed. “I have a task for you.”

“The Mistress will have her morning tea. In the garden.” Arthur stated as soon as he opened the door to Reina’s room.

In complete disregard for even the basest of social norms, the knight stood inside the frame, arms folded over his chest. His very posture screamed impatience, and yet he remained unmoving. Squatting over the tin chamber pot Reina was astonished and at a complete loss at what to do. He couldn’t possibly expect her to jump at the command like a well-trained dog. With her skirt folded in her hands, all Reina could do was shout a single word.

“Out!”

In the three days she had spent in this house, the girl had suffered indignity after indignity. She was treated like a common servant and all her attempts to speak with Lady Alice had been met with failure. Being dismissed before she could open her mouth was the usual outcome. But Reina was persistent if anything else. Of course, that had only led to her being forcefully removed from the dinner table by the large werewolf who was always following Alice. One would think that the savage beast was going to be the young witch’s worst nightmare, however, it was painfully obvious that Arthur had made it his personal mission to make her life as miserable as possible.

“Tea. Garden. Now.” The words came out in a series of rasps as the armoured man stood unperturbed at the door. There was no memory of the aggressive, yet surprisingly civil behaviour he had shown when she first met him.

“Are you fucking blind?!” Reina screamed feeling the blood flood her head as her anger reached heights she had previously thought impossible. “Can’t you see I’m taking a fucking piss?! You perverted, small dick, sack of rotten shit! I told you to get out!”

With those words, the young witch reached her breaking point. Dropping her skirt, she moved her fingers in haste, drawing sigils as quickly as possible. She stuck to the bare minimum when creating the curse, she wished to unleash. Ignoring complexity in favour of speed. Pouring all her hatred, Reina finished the spell in a fraction of the time it would have usually taken. Under normal circumstances, the target’s skin would be covered by painful boils for a few hours. However, without a demon to aid her, and without proper preparation, all the girl could do was rely on brute force to achieve the desired effect.

“Flesh cursed by pestilence, oozing and burning. A plague for thee!”

Reina finished the incantation and a wave of pressure descended on her. It made her knees buckle, and her vision blurred. Too late, the inexperienced witch realised that she had used too much energy to fuel the curse. As the world around her turned into darkness, all she could do was curse herself for being an idiot and allow her anger to blind her. Reina’s hearing and sense of smell were gone a heartbeat later. Finally, she lost all feeling in her body, before her mind slipped into the abyss.

A second later, the girl was shocked back into consciousness by an unpleasantly bitter liquid sliding down her throat. Her eyes opened wide and she took large gulps of air, choking on the drink feeling her mouth. Like a startled animal, the young witch wanted to dart for safety, alas her body refused to obey her. She flailed for a good second or two before a strong hand pinned her hands to her chest.

“Do not move. Swallow as much as you can.” Arthur commanded and Reina could sense the genuine worry in his tortured voice.

Having regained some semblance of control, she forced a few awful mouthfuls of the liquid. Each one felt like someone was hammering her limbs and muscles with a dull cleaver. A moment later, the unpleasant sensation passed and she felt strong enough to try to sit up, only for Arthur to pick her up and place her on to wide bed.

“The tincture has forced your body in a. State of alert. It won’t heal you. It won’t replace the power. You used.” The way the knight recited what he had done to her, made it clear that this wasn’t the first time he had used the medicine.

“You must rest.” He continued as he placed a clean sheet over Reina’s body. “When you’ve recovered. Clean yourself and come to the. Garden.”

Arthur pointed at the bucket of water and set of clean clothes placed on the dresser next to the door. At that moment, the girl realised that she had been unconscious for longer than a second. Unable to do anything else, she watched the knight exit her room. Only several hours later, Reina felt confident enough to approach the bucket. Another hour and she was refreshed and walking without the need to lean against the nearest wall if a little dizzy. Every instinct in her body told her that she should return to the comfort of the bed. However, her curiosity demanded answers. The sudden shift in Arthur’s mood, along with the odd demands and orders he gave, formed too many questions in Reina’s head. Enough that she was certain that there was more to it than met the eye.

Stepping through the side door was like entering an entirely different world. A spacious clearing nested between the house and the impassable forest around it, covered by ankle-high green grass and wildflowers. An unnatural soft breeze, brushed against Reina’s face, carrying with it the pleasant aroma of morning dew. While the afternoon sun hung above the canopy of the trees separating the First Witch’s adobe from the Wilds. And in the middle of this unreal paradise was a plane oak table with two chairs.

“Two days.” The woman occupying one of the chairs spoke in annoyance, while her attention remained fixed on the thick book in her slender hands. “It took Arthur only two days to make you lose control.”

Absentmindedly, Alice waved for Reina to take the free chair. The way her right elbow rested on the table, with the hint of a bored smile on her face, made the First Witch appear quite approachable. Her almost see-through gown which stopped at her hips, diverting attention to the pale skin of her naked legs, only complemented the illusion. Reina caught herself that she had stared at the legs resting one on top of the other a little longer than was needed, let alone accepted.

“What are Margo and her cronies teaching you in those Covenants of theirs?” Alice’s tone made it clear that she was the one who was going to be speaking and that interrupting her wasn’t going to be tolerated. “The sheltered life they allow to live there…” The First Witch shook her head in a show of disappointment. “I’ve seen spoiled merchant daughters with sturdier nerves than you.”

Alice lifted her eyes from the pages of the book that she was reading. The golden orbs reflected the setting sun like exquisite jewels as she made space for Arthur to place the tray he was carrying. The knight had appeared without warning – no doubt summoned by Lady Tetradon’s demon – to deliver two cups of that disgusting swivel he dared to call tea along with some toasted bread and a jar of honey. Once his cargo was safely placed on the table, the man removed the gauntlet covering his left wrist and forearm. Reina’s hands immediately jumped to cover her mouth and the shocked gasp which escaped her lips.

The limb was a terrifying sight to behold. All of the skin was gone and dark blood bubbled over the exposed muscles and sinew. The young witch instinctively knew that she had caused this. She watched in with awe and guilt as Arthur held the arm steady in front of Lady Tetradon’s face. A remarkable show of willpower and endurance, despite the excruciating pain he was most certainly experiencing.

“It reached my shoulder before. The wards activated.” His rasping words were surprisingly calm while Alice poked at the exposed knuckles of his wrist with the tip of her nail. “The curse she used. Tome seven, chapter thirteen.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes.” Arthur turned his head to look at Reina before speaking again. “The spirit sacrificed itself while. Healing her.”

“Is that so?” Alice closed the book she had left on her lap and gently placed it on the table. Taking a sip of the disgusting tea, she smiled and focused her full attention on the young witch. “I suppose we should fix those shaky nerves of yours first.”