Chapter Two

The next morning after breakfast, Mada and I go see my aunt in her office.

“Aunt Serena, why can’t I go with you to this meeting?”

“Adina, you sound like a whiny child, not a Queen. Stop being so insolent. And you know why you can’t. It is an opportunity to see just how much information is being spread, and by whom. We don’t know if there are spies amongst our friends.”

Walking over I lean into give her a hug, and instantly I am transported to the meeting that will take place. My aunt is seated at the head of the table in this long dining room. Kings and Queens of other species also are seated around the table. There seems to be some kind of argument going on, I can’t make out what is being said. Then suddenly, the doors to the dining room are broken down and soldiers are being flung thru the air into the room. Those who can disappear from the room instantly.

“Well, well, well… If it isn’t Queen of the Witches, Serena.” Augustus sneers.

Without flinching, Serena rises from her chair. “What can I help you with Prince Augustus?” she calmly asks.

“Don’t be coy, Serena. I want your realm!”

As an outsider looking in there was nothing I could do to help. I was so lost in my vision it felt real. Only when Serena broke the hug did I return to the present.

“Adina?”

“Serena, you can’t go to that meeting. Augustus will be there; he wants your realm.”

“Are you sure of this?” Serena asks.

“Yes. Just as Selene said I would have the ability to see the future in a touch, I just saw yours.”

“Well now, this is something.” Serena says. Thinking about how this could be my suspicions have just been confirmed. Our allies can not be trusted completely. I will have to change the location for everyone. That doesn’t give me a lot of time to get the information out. I will have to video conference this meeting and the one whom Augustus shows up in will be the one who is in league with the Prince. I will have to speak with them separately after our meeting is disrupted. They would not be so quick to betray me.

“Jade, can you come here please?” Serena says to no one in particular.

In just a blink suddenly one of the other witches appears beside my aunt and gives a small curtsey.

“Yes, my queen?” Jade says.

“Jade, please let our allies know that the location for our meeting has changed. Do not give any two alliance members the same location. We need to do a video link. Get the word out fast. I will need to setup a more secure location for myself to broadcast from. It seems we have a rat in our midst.”

“Yes, my queen.”

“Wait…” I say, “come here Jade.”

I reach my hand out to touch her. Our hands touch and I am again teleported to the future. This time seeing Jade’s point of view. “The queen knows what is going on my Prince. However, she does not realize it is me who is giving you the information. I can’t wait to be by your side my Prince as your Luna and witch Queen.”

“What’s going on my Queen? Why are her eyes like that and why is she glowing?” Jade asks.

“Give it a moment Jade, I don’t think you’ve had the pleasure to meet my niece. The rightful Queen to the Moon Kingdom werewolves of the earth realm, Adina.”

Yanking her hand back, her eyes go wide in fear. Pulling me from my trance and back to the present. I am taken a back in shock.

“Stop her!” I scream out.

In an instance she’s frozen in a pillar of ice, with only her head left free. All her abilities have been dampened so she can not blink out of the ice or communicate with anyone.

“Adina, what’s wrong?” Mada asks.

“It’s her. She’s the one who is feeding information to Augustus from your realm. She is the reason why Augustus will be there.” I tell everyone.

“Jade?”

“Yes, my queen. It is true that I have been giving Prince Augustus information. But it’s not why you think. He has my family.” Jade says.

I roll my eyes at her. Just as I am about to speak, Serena holds her hand out at me. Signaling me to stay quiet.

“Jade, before you continue, there is something else you are not yet aware of, regarding my niece. She is descendant to the moon goddess Selene, half breed witch, and divinely pronounced Oracle. Do you wish to keep your statement in this matter about why you were helping Augustus?”

Narrowing her eyes at me Jade spats her answer, “Yes.”

“Adina, is what you saw in your vision true?” Serena asks me.

“She wants to take Augustus offered position of Witch Queen and Luna. She wants your throne.”

Looking back to Jade, Serena offers a duel to her to the death for position of Queen of the Coven.

“If you have what it takes to kill me Jade you may have my throne. But if you can not defeat me on your own merits then my throne is not yours for the taking. Luther, take her to the great hall.”

Luther appears in a blink and in another her frozen body is transported away.

“My dear this little gift has come in handy. Let’s go take care of this traitor.” Serena says as she links her arm into mine, choosing to walk the hallway past the tapestries that hang in the long hallway. Talking as we walk; Serena goes on to tell me about the various witches that are represented and that each one had a unique gift bestowed upon them by their previous Queen. This one was given the ability to talk to animals, that one had the gift of elemental attack, the next had the ability to teleport thru time. The list went on until we got to the last one. She looked just like my mother, but different. This one Serena stopped at.

“Adina, this is your grandmother. She had so many gifts she couldn’t use them all. She would have been so proud of you out of all of us. She too was visited by Selene. She had the gift of foresight just like you. But she was not a werewolf. Only a Coven Queen. When she was on her deathbed she spoke to your mother and I together and separately. When it came time for me to speak with her, she told me of your greatness. What I needed to do to help you and that I would have my own trials along the way which would inspire and encourage you on your own quest to restore your kingdom. She told me that without my help you would not be able to endure and that hope for hybrids would be lost and many lives would be lost. I am here to help you with your blessings and your curses. We are family. There is something I wish you to know before this matter with Jade transpires, encase I am overthrown as queen. Your grandmother’s abilities will be bestowed upon you with the rise of the full moon tonight as well. She gifted her endless abilities and knowledge to her grandchildren, not knowing which of us would have children, her curse to not see her own future. She gifted it so that both your mother and I would be able to have strong children as half-breeds to survive in both realms. Well, here we are dear.”

Stopping before a large door, Serena takes a deep breath in as the doors open on their own. As Serena steps through the door, she is magically transformed into her Queens regalia. As she walks down the great hall those within her coven court blink into appear and bow before her as she walks the carpet to her throne. Mada and I are following her as she walks. Heads held high as we approached the steps up to her throne.

Turning back to face the court, we can see that chairs have appear out of this foggy purple smoke that had emitted from Serena’s aubergine off the shoulder gown as we walked.

Those in attendance took their seats, waiting to hear why they were summoned.

“A challenge for Queen has taken place.” Serena says.

Murmurs can be heard in the audience.

The echo of the Queen’s staff reverberating off the marble floor, thru the marble walls, quiets those who are speaking.

“Bring the challenger forth!”

Luther, then pushes forth a still half frozen Jade from the end of the great hall for all the audience to see.

“Jade, of the Coven of Elemental Blood, daughters of the Blood Wraiths has challenged me for my role as Queen. She has also conspired with Prince Augustus Lycan ruler of earth. It will be a duel to the death.”

Gasps can be heard as the Queen releases Jade from her frozen prison of ice.

Stepping down from her raised position on her throne, Serena advances to level the playing field. The one rule that always is enforced is not holding higher ground by the coven.

Kicking off her shoes Jade advances, throwing elemental attacks at Serena. Everything that Jade throws is absorbed by Serena. Almost as if these elemental attacks were wind, ruffling Serena’s hair. Jade is merely a few feet away from Serena when Serena opens a portal beneath Jade’s next advancing step. Only to close it trapping her foot in a different realm. Jade struggles to get her foot free while throwing fire balls at Serena. Almost as if just realizing it for the first time I see my Aunt has started to emit a red glow. As if the fire balls are burning from within my Aunt as she walks towards Jade. Touching Jade with her hands Serena’s eyes are aglow from within in flame.

“Ignis impes, ignis impes, ignis impes.” Serena recites over and over and over again.

All those within the room can feel it slowly becoming hotter with each repetition. A gust of wind swirls gathering the heat from the air. Then Serena points at Jade and the heat bursts into flame at the base of her skirt.

Trying to douse the flames at her feet Jade starts her own incantation not in Latin though, but in Greek.

“Vepό, Vepό, Vepό.”

Nothing happens. There’s no water to douse the flames as the make the ascent up her dress. Serena’s incantation is stronger than ever. The flames engulf Jade completely. Only when she realizes in the last moments her efforts were futile, she lets out a pitiful scream, as she is reduced to ash.

Serena returns to her throne and speaks to those who are in attendance.

“I will not tolerate treason in our coven and our realm. Those who wish to leave will do so now or be punished with death. I will not be forced out by this Lycan. I might be a half-breed witch Queen, but I am still your Queen!” Serena sneers at those in her court.

In a resounding show of support the court speak in unison “My Queen.”

“Augustus is after my niece, my throne and our realm to rule as he sees fit. I will not let that happen. The moon goddess has seen fit to grant Adina the same powers and more that my mother your former Queen had and more. This realm will protect her from all of Augustus’ treachery and help Adina restore the balance that he has destroyed in her Earth realm. She is the Uniter!”

After a moment of silence within the court, 4 rather intimidating men approach Serena’s thrown from within those present in the court. They look very regal in their militant stances as they stand before Serena.

“Your majesty, if we may have a word with you.” General Tirchi speaks first.

“Yes Generals, what is on your mind?”

“We need to discuss strategy here. How best to go about these matters that are in the earth’s realm since we do not live there, but rather here, within the plane of time and space.” Says General Tenshi fraternal twin brother to Tirchi.

Literally yin and yang by their appearance. Tirchi has cropped short jet-black hair and a dusky brown muscular toned body, with a nasty eye scar, no doubt from after many years of training for and engaging in war. General Tenshi has ethereal angelically white long flowing hair with a samurai’s top knot tied. Trying not to stare it is not hard to figure out he is an albino. Undoubtably why his name means angel, in Japanese. He is definitely as close to perfect in every sense of the word. Physically he does not come across as a gym rat or anyone who spent a significant amount of time training for battle. But being a witch or a hybrid doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to look like you can snap someone’s neck like it was a toothpick.

“Yes, this is why we must speak with those of the other species. They will help us in our quest to rid us all of this Lycan and his quest for bloodthirsty power.” Serena says. “Now that those amongst us who wish to destroy us from within are gone, we can set this meeting up. I still want it done covertly and remotely. We have access to many places where we can hold these meetings on neutral ground. I think that would give us the best advantage since many species have kept to themselves and are not on speaking terms. Adina is the reason why we all unite. It is because of her they will come together. But that does not mean that Augustus has not infiltrated and placed other moles like Jade. Send the message forth for one week from the new moon tomorrow regarding the meeting. This will give Adina time to come into her powers and her wolf.”

“Yes, your majesty.” They say in unison.

Rising from her throne Serena and I make our way out of the great hall. After shutting the door, Serena turns to me and says, “Time to get ready for your coronation my dear from Princess to Queen.”

“Shopping!” says a giddy Mada.

“Let’s go then.” I tell them.

“Lunch first at this adorable café just down the street. They have the most divine pastries. Then we’ll head to the jeweler, or do you want to pick out your dress first then get your crown to match your dress, Adina?” asks Serena.

“Let me decide after lunch. If this place has such amazing pastries, I may want to try something on that isn’t going to make me feel like a stuffed sausage right away.” I giggle.

“Very true, your majesty, she can really pack away pastries.” Mada says.

“Mada, you may call me Serena. We are family here. And since we’re having a girl’s day as well definitely no reason to be so formal.”

“As you command.”

“Now that that is settled, lunch!”

Linked hand in hand we walk to the car like best friends. After getting settled we are off to the Bakery Café. However, there’s no drivers, there’s only bodyguards with us and no one does any driving really. Sitting back, I watch in amazement that in a blink of an eye and flick of my Aunt’s wrist, we are in Paris.

“Voila! Here we are my dear, Bakery Café. Finest pastries in all of Paris.”

“It never ceases to amaze me how you do all of this Serena. I can only hope that I am able to manage these abilities Selena has blessed me with after tomorrow.”

“My child, you have many gifts. This will seem like child’s play to you with the unlimited power you will be receiving tomorrow. But the hard part will be to not become evil and power hungry like Augustus. That has been his downfall. He does not know what he will be facing because of his ego and greed.”

A waitress comes just after having been seated to take our order.

“I would like the chicken couscous and some macaron’s please.”

“Café, chocolate tarte and a chicken tandoori wrap please.” Mada says

“I think I would like to try one of your pizzas, a chocolate croissant and cranberry juice, please.” Serena says.

“Oui madam”

“What kind of dress and crown do you want Adina?”

Taking a moment before answering Serena, “I guess I don’t really know. I think it will hit me when I get there.”