Roman slumped down in the leather chair next to Isabella. “Yesterday you talked about the Elusti, and we agreed—this fanatical group has over the centuries captured many of our kind. The head of this organization, the Padre, is the current leader and our target, but he’s a mere human. Today, you tell us a demon entered this fortress and killed one of us right under our noses. That puts a different slant on the face of our enemy. Demons do not work for mortals. They despise them. The face of our real enemy is therefore unclear to me, and I, too, wonder if we would be better on our own.”
Isabella swiveled her chair. “What Drayton says makes sense. If you all leave and fight this unknown darkness alone, you will die. This vision my sister predicts shows this power growing. Is that what you want?”
“My wife, Ella, has more power in her little finger than I will ever possess. I have learned the hard way, when she tells me something is important, I need to listen, because it usually is. Last night, she experienced something I believe sheds light on what we are facing. She talked about a goddess called the queen of darkness. Zayn, as the leader of the Fae, what do you know about this woman the Morrigan, and a king called Dagda?”
Observing Zayn, he saw the giant of a man dip his head and curse before answering.
“Yes—I’ve heard tales of the Morrigan. She’s a shape-shifting goddess of war, and bringer of death. An enemy of Goddess Danu. She murdered the disgraced King Dagda, who sat on the throne centuries ago, after he spurned her advances. Her abilities allow her to manifest in several forms—one being the crow. But I would need to speak to our goddess to know more of her involvement in this as no one has heard anything from her in years.”
“So you knew the significance of the crows all along?” Marcus yelled.
Zayn studied him hard, as if weighing up his words carefully before lowering his head. “Yes—but I wasn’t certain they were connected until now,” said Zayn quietly.
A gasp sounded out around the room.
Lady Tenille rose and spoke. “The Morrigan is the leader of the Dark Fae. She feeds off anger, and the desires of men for power and greed. If she killed Dagda, that would account for her extraordinary power. The whispered stories I’ve heard show her to be a vindictive and devious woman, with an evil soul filled with hatred and vengeance. But I do not believe in hearsay. From what I gather, this goddess wasn’t always this way, and if that is the case, we have a chance to change her heart.”
Marcus examined the beautiful woman’s intense, guarded face.
Lady Tenille smiled and walked around, staring at all the others. “As for the significance of crows, her legions can assume this form. The crows do her bidding; they spy, convey messages, and kill. The Morrigan can adapt her victims to resemble whatever she wishes. She’s a parasite, using people to carry out her will. Crows also signify death and the coming war. The more crows one sees, the greater her power has grown. The Morrigan is the true face of our enemy. She is behind all of this. The rest are merely her puppets.”
The room grew quiet. No one was willing to acknowledge nor dismiss what the great lady and Zayn admitted. If what they said was true, how could they defeat a goddess of war? Marcus knew they needed more numbers than were at the table. Even if they amassed an army of thousands, would it be enough?
“Robert Marsh came here to help, and sacrificed his life. We know from the autopsy results that an unknown poison stopped his heart. The doctor is working hard on creating an antidote as we speak, but this isn’t going to end when you return home. You came wanting answers—well, we have unearthed some, but they only lead to more questions. The gathering hasn’t been a complete disaster. I’m begging you to continue with the alliance. This Morrigan is a threat to everyone. I suggest we reconvene at a place of the Assembly’s choosing to make plans to destroy this queen of darkness. What do you say?”
His heart thumped inside his chest. If it came down to it, he would stand alone with his team from Orion and the Watchmen. He also knew that the Lockhearts and Lady Tenille would assist him. But in order to put up a fight, they needed everyone’s cooperation.
“I agree.”
Multiple voices chanted the same mantra and he sighed. Now to decide where to meet.
Lady Tenille smiled and nodded, as if reading his thoughts. “You would be welcome guests in my home in the Veil of Shadows, Arandell. You would be guaranteed safe entry through the portal, provided you surrender your weapons as you enter. My lands are shielded by magic and hidden to the eyes of mortals. It has been that way for centuries. You must respect our wishes in this, and in return, I can assure you no one will be harmed,” Lady Tenille said.
“We were told that last time, but to surrender our weapons—that would leave us defenseless,” Trent Le Var said.
The lady tilted her head to the side. “What weapons would have saved poor Robert?”
Murmurs rolled around the room, but most nodded in agreement. No gun or sword would have stopped the man being poisoned.
Alexander from the Watchmen sat forward, leaning his arms on the table. “One other issue that we need to address is how we put pressure on the Padre. Before Steel was rendered incapacitated, we discussed
