Wicked Hunt

Chapter Fifteen, Part IV

Victoria: A Gathering Of Witches 

"We have nothing to use," Victoria informed him. "Many of the conduits that we have here are not strong enough for such spells."

Jamal gestured to his staff. "It's birch wood, one of the best elements to use for an expulsion."

Victoria looked around, her eyes finding Jillian hanging back in the corner of the solar. She glanced back at Jamal. "You seek to use your own staff as a channel for the dark magic?" She inched closer. "Is that wise?"

A witch or wizard's staff was a direct part of their soul. They were connected to it and vice versa. It was why only the most powerful had staffs. If they were to be corrupted, it could mean doom for the magic user to whom it belonged to.

"Would you rather I did nothing?" he asked. Victoria opened her mouth but then shut it quickly. She wanted the shadows gone more than anything.

"We need some incense and some herbs," Leona said. Jillian immediately left the room, Faraday following closely behind.

Ronan carefully approached Victoria and cleared his throat. He clasped his hands together and offered her a rueful smile, a flash of white in his dark face.

"Is it my understanding that there is more under the blanket of darkness here than just this Grimoire?"

Victoria nodded once. "Our top floor."

"I thought so." His brown eyes flicked to meet hers sympathetically. "Uncle," he called to Jamal, "you were right."

"About what?" Victoria demanded.

"You can taste the acid darkness as soon as you reach the Green Lake," Jamal answered. He glanced over her head out one of the windows. Victoria knew that the Green Lake could easily be seen from any window in the room. "It's spreading."

"We tried everything we could to contain it," she told him. "You have to know that."

"The Black Stag is growing stronger." Jamal licked his lips. "Soon, he will be ready to ascend and leave the forest. We cannot let that happen."

"The Wolf hasn't been seen for years," Ronan countered.

"We still must try to stop the Stag." Jamal went back to studying the Grimoire, his fingers carefully poking and prodding the pages. "Whatever the cost, it must not get out of the forest," he murmured absently, his mind already lost in thought about how to fix the Grimoire.

Victoria swallowed. How would Jamal react when he found out what Perry intended? Would he stand by and let the Stag come out of the forest only to be destroyed, even though the risk was great? It was hard to say. Jamal had always been the stoic hero type, and Victoria seriously doubted he'd be on board with releasing the Black Stag just to let them all prove their worth to the rest of the kingdom. The idea sounded utterly ridiculous when she thought about it, and yet she'd agreed to support Perry. Victoria shook her head.

You want freedom from their hatred and are willing to do whatever it takes to get it, she reminded herself.

"We have the herbs from Gemma's garden." Jillian reemerged with Faraday, both clutching bundles of various plants and flowers. Gemma sniffed the air intently.

"Did you leave any of the damn plants up there?" she asked sharply. Jillian's face turned crimson, but she ignored her aunt's harshness.