I walked into the chamber filled with my most trusted allies, every single one of them already on their feet a tradition I had long insisted was unnecessary, but one Ileus had stubbornly refused to abolish. The moment I took my seat, they followed suit, sitting in unison, the scrape of stone against stone echoing briefly through the hall.
Xavier entered seconds later, taking the seat beside Lucas. His expression was carefully neutral despite our earlier clash. Two men remained stationed behind him at the doors, silent and unmoving, guarding the entrance.
I let my gaze travel slowly across the table. These were the people who had stood beside me through the most brutal chapter of my existence. Each of them had lost someone irreplaceable, some more than others. I owed my continued existence to their loyalty.
"I gathered you here today because of a grave matter," I said, leaning back into my chair. "It is not something we hoped for but it is something we expected.
"Michael is coming back."
The air in the room thickened instantly as the words settled.
"This has been inevitable since our return," I continued. "The same force that shattered the curse of the beast placed upon us has done the same for him. You've all felt it the creeping cold, the restless wind, the rise in rebels, the madmen screaming prophecy in the streets."
"We stopped him once," I said, my voice hardening. "And now, with how much we have changed, we will stop him again. Permanently. We have to."
I paused before continuing.
"The girl, Serena. She is the only reincarnation born within the twenty-one years since our return. She is also the only one whose encounter resulted in the deaths of several of our scouts and the forging of an alliance with Martha Elwood."
"I have already set a plan in motion. Tisha will observe the girl closely, without raising suspicion, while we continue investigating her past, particularly her family, who have vanished without a trace."
I folded my hands.
"Questions?"
"Well, since you asked," Ileus said, one of his familiar cruel smiles stretching across his face. "There have been increased sightings of rebels within the town and beyond Eldermere's borders. They are recruiting openly drawing the world's attention here. I need to know how you intend we handle them before the situation escalates."
His smile widened. He already knew my answer.
"Anyone who supports Michael is an enemy of Eldermere," I replied calmly. "They are to be executed on sight no mercy, regardless of age or gender. The more followers he gains, the stronger he becomes, and the less time we have to prepare."
Ileus inclined his head slowly, satisfaction gleaming in his eyes.
"Bring in the general," I said.
One of the guards opened the doors.
"General Edmund of Eldermere," he announced.
The renowned general stepped inside, a face I had not seen in years, yet one I still held in high regard. He looked far older than I remembered, which was ironic coming from a thousand-year-old tribrid trapped in the body of a man in his twenties.
Though he held the least power of anyone present, Edmund carried himself with quiet dignity. He had been indispensable during the Great War, though, like everyone in this room, Olivia's death had carved something irreparable into him.
"Lord Simon. White Wolves. Elders of the Council of Eldermere," he said. "You summoned me."
His eyes were cold when they settled on me, resentment I had long grown used to.
"Edmund," I said evenly, "the prisoner, Martha. You shared some form of relationship with her in the past."
A single nod was his only response.
"I have tried force. I have tried mercy. Both have yielded nothing," I continued. "Time is critical, and my patience is thin."
I fixed my gaze on him. His red eyes refused to meet mine, staring just above my shoulder.
"I need you to see her. I still need her alive," I said. "Persuade her to reveal the secret she is so willing to die for. I suspect a threat against the girl's life coming from you will be far more convincing."
"Yes, Lord Simon," he replied curtly. "Any other request, my lord?"
A faint smile touched my lips. Such defiance from a man with so little power.
"No, General. That will be all. You are dismissed."
He bowed slightly before exiting the chamber.
"Elana," I said, turning back to the council, "you will take up one of the classes Serena attends. The rest of us will continue posing as regular students."
There was no hesitation in me. Elana had never failed.
"Yes, Lord Simon."
Her crystal-blue eyes reflected nothing,no warmth, no doubt. A faint hollow smile curved her lips, as though she were already imagining the end of this path.
"I don't think it's wise to leave Tisha alone with the girl," Rebecca interjected, her voice tight with unease. She inclined her head once, resolute. "If Serena is hiding something, I should be assigned alongside her. As a precaution."
I turned slowly, fixing Rebecca with a look that silenced the room.
"Trisha is one of the First White Wolves," I said flatly. "She was tearing throats before you learned to stand. If it came to combat, she could rip your head from your shoulders without breaking stride."
Rebecca stiffened, but said nothing.
"There is nothing you could offer her," I continued, my voice low, deliberate, "that would amount to more than a distraction."
The truth settled heavily between us.
"But Simon," Rebecca pressed, carefully this time, "the girl might be dangerous. We don't know what she's capable of. Just let me—"
"No," I cut in.
The word was quiet, but final.
"There is nothing Serena could attempt that Trisha cannot contain. Nothing you could add would change the outcome." I paused, letting the weight of my authority sink in. "That decision stands."
Rebecca bowed her head at once, a sign of loyalty and obedience. Loyalty, not agreement.
"According to Rebecca's findings," I went on, "Serena is searching for something. She doesn't yet understand what it is or what it will cost her to find it."
My gaze darkened.
"And whatever she is searching for" I said quietly, "we will uncover it first."