Crybaby | Michael Langdon

14 - Strangers - 14

Three months later...

Baldwin Pennypacker, Behold Chablis, John Henry Moore all stood beside the Grand Chancellor Ariel Augustus.

"Of course those bitches are late." Baldwin hissed under his breath, and Ariel stifled a laugh while John Henry threw him a disapproving look.

"They're only two minutes late, Ariel." John Henry grumbled.

Ariel was about to retort when they heard the elevator doors open, and three pairs of heels rang inside the corridor. The men straightened up and watched like hawks the women enter the circular room flanked by their albinos bodyguard.

They recognized instantly Cordelia, the supreme accompanied by her council comprised of Myrtle Snow and Zoe Benson.

"Cordelia." Ariel greeted the woman in a clipped tone, and the woman smiled politely.

"Good evening." She said, and John Henry was the only one that smiled back.

"Let's not waste anymore time." Myrtle quipped in with a bored look. "Can we know the reason why you've called for an emergency meeting with the council?"

Ariel's glare switched to the readhead witch. "We believe one of our student to be the Alpha."

Myrtle pursed her lips to conceal her scoff while Cordelia furrowed her brows. "So... you want him to-"

"Pass the seven wonders." Behold interrupted her with a lopsided smirk. "That is correct."

Cordelia sighed. "That's madness, you'll be risking the boy's life. One of my girls couldn't leave her personal hell and remained there for years. I don't want him to go through that."

Ariel gritted his teeth. "That's assuming he's going to lose, but I can assure you the boy is powerful. Perhaps you're scared of losing your title like Fiona."

Cordelia's eyes hardened once he had mentioned her mother's name, but she concealed it behind a polite smile. "Of course not, I have a girl of my own that is going to pass the seven wonders soon. I hope she's going to be my successor one day."

"What?" The men all asked simultaneously, taken aback.

"Your.... Girl." Baldwin almost spat the word like it was venomous. "Is not as powerful as our student. I can assure you."

"Oh, really?" Myrtle asked, her voice dripping with contempt. "Then I guess a competition between them is in order, don't you think?"

The men exchanged a perplexed look, but suddenly John Moore spoke up.

"That's a wonderful idea. We could organize a competition between Hawthorne and Miss Robichaux's. It's time we prove to you witches that we warlocks are not to be underestimated."

Ariel opened his mouth to berate John Henry for speaking on behalf of the whole Warlock council, but he shut it once he actually considered the idea.

A competition was the perfect opportunity to humiliate the witches and show them the superiority of men. Ariel would commit murder just to see Cordelia's face collapse when she will realise that a man was going to drain her of her life force and take her place as supreme. But to see her entire coven realise how much more powerful warlocks were compared to them... He would sell his soul to the devil for that.

"Yes." Ariel said. "Let's do that."

Cordelia gave a brief nod without even consulting Zoe and Myrtle. "Very well. In a week both schools will meet in New Orleans. You are invited to Miss Robichaux's academy during the whole competition. Until then, we will discuss the terms and different trials our students will go through."