“If death is confirmed, then there should no longer be any deliberation over who will be next,” Hilde said.
The problem was finding the bastard. Snoe hadn’t used one credit card or electronic device for over a month and a half now. That spoiled brat should be clinging to the wealth he’d grown up with. There was no way in hell he could survive on his own. Either someone was helping him, or he was already dead. But Hilde wasn’t so stupid as to believe the latter. She needed confirmation, otherwise assuming he would come back and bite her in the ass.
Hilde had already looked into each elder, and none of them were moving money around or sneaking about to help a runaway. Even Parkins was moving as usual. He may have helped Snoe escape, but he wasn’t helping Snoe now. Hilde needed to move faster. Other coven families were becoming restless, and if that continued, they would have more problems on their hands.
Finding the lost prince was like looking for an ant in a garden. It didn’t help that Snoe’s lack of magic made it highly unlikely to track him that way. No matter how many times she performed the tracking ritual, it was nearly impossible to pinpoint him. But it solidified that he was very much alive. She should have killed him before he’d had the chance to run, but with eyes constantly on her, she couldn’t have afforded a slipup.
Dash, ever the pleaser, volunteered, “Don’t worry, Mother, I will call some—”
Hilde waved her hand. “No need, I will take care of it.”
She could no longer afford to leave it up to chance. If she wanted something done right, she needed to do it herself. It was the only way anything was going to get done.
“But I am more than capable of handling it. Do you not trust me?” Dash whined.
Hilde held back the retort at the tip of her tongue. If she could have trusted him to complete any task, they would already be ruling and not sitting around waiting for a group of idiots to decide their fate. Instead, she smiled at her son. She knew he tried. A little too hard for her taste, but he meant well.
“Of course, I trust you, dear. I want you to focus on the task at hand. This minor bump in the plan is nothing for you to worry over. You’re above it. Let your mother handle it, hmm?” Hilde said.
Dash grinned. Such a simpleton. A few sweet words and he was so easily swayed. Hilde would have been angry that she was given such idiotic children, but it benefited her. They were much easier to manipulate.
Hilde snapped her fingers, and a servant was by her side in seconds. She stood as her chair was pulled back. She smiled at each of her children; Hina and Chase had kept their heads down through it all. They were more watchful than Dash.
“I expect the best results today,” Hilde warned.
“Yes, Mother,” both Chase and Dash said in unison.
Hina stayed silent, but she nodded. If Hilde held out any hope for her children, it was Hina. She observed and held a calculated look in her eyes.
Hilde left her children to their breakfast and made her way to her chambers. She locked her door as she went across her bedroom to the furthest wall in the room. She wrote out a symbol on the wall and pushed magic into her fingers. The surrounding air buzzed as a door appeared on the wall. It was her secret room, one she’d had to make sure no one knew about. Not even her children.
Hilde walked down the winding stairs, the dim light only letting her see the next step and nothing more. But Hilde didn’t need the light; she’d traveled down to the secret room many times for one thing or another. She finally reached the last step, flicking the light on and lighting up the room.
Shelves filled with books about magic and poison lined the walls, along with ingredients for her potions. Her table, which held bottles of the most potent poisons, sat neatly. Her hands itched to make a deadly potion in her cauldron, but she didn’t have the time. Every second she spent in the room she was unaccounted for. Hilde never knew who may have eyes on her, and she couldn’t risk anyone finding the room.
Hilde made her way over to the most prized possession, one she’d risked her very life to get. She’d killed many and nearly died herself retrieving the magical item. There weren’t many of them in the world, but the few that were out there were worth the risk. Many said the magical items were gifts from demons, but Hilde didn’t care. She’d sacrifice everything to get what she wanted.
Hilde pulled the silk drapes back, and there mounted on the wall was the magic mirror. The gold frame with its intricate design held a mirror that radiated with so much magic it made Hilde’s teeth tingle.
Hilde pricked her finger to gather a droplet of blood and placed it in the middle of the mirror. Magic rushed over her as goosebumps rose up her arms, causing her to shudder.
“Oh, great mystical mirror, grant me the answer to my question,” Hilde said.
The mirror rippled like water. Hilde’s reflection disappeared, and magic was pulled from her at a dizzying rate. A mask with a single blood droplet on it where an eye hole should be, no mouth, and two thick horns curled backward appeared.
“What is your question?” the mirror’s voice boomed in the small room.
Fear was like pinpricks throughout Hilde’s body, but she ignored her natural instincts to run. It happened every time she used the mirror, and every time Hilde had to remind herself that her question was more important than her life.
The mirror’s power was to tell the future. Nothing was ever set in stone, and the answers could always be vague, but Hilde had made sure to always use it to the best of her ability. There was one other flaw: the mirror could only answer the question pertaining to the caster asking the question.
“Will I rule the Blake coven?”
The mirror didn’t answer right away, and Hilde was tempted to ask her question a second time. Every time she’d asked, she’d gotten a no, that someone else was more worthy.
“The one who will claim the throne is not you,” the mirror answered.
“Then I will rule through one of my children?” Hilde asked, pushing more magic into the mirror.
Her legs wobbled under her as they threatened to cave. Darkness crowded her vision, but she continued to push. She had to know the answer.
A line appeared on the mask in the mirror. It opened ever so slowly and sharp teeth appeared.
“Someone else is more worthy of the position.” The mirror laughed, a deep menacing laugh that made Hilde’s stomach drop with dread. “The one they call Snoe will be the end to you and yours.”
She yanked her finger away, dropping the connection with the mirror. It rippled, and once again her reflection was back. Hilde dropped down to her knees, sucking in air as sweat dripped down her face. Her hands trembled, and she felt drained. The answer had to change sometime soon. She would force it to. She’d be damned if Snoe would be the cause of her downfall. He was nothing more than a weak, spineless witch.
Strength slowly crept into Hilde, and she pushed herself back onto her feet. It took a second for the room to become steady as she stood there. Her phone dinged, and she found Jero’s message.
Jero: We are taking a break until Snoe is found dead or alive. Nothing will change. There are too many who believe he should be next regardless of his refusal.
Hilde squeezed her eyes shut. Those fools. Couldn’t they see that he wasn’t worthy, and she was a much better fit? In the past twelve years Hilde was married to Alister Blake, she’d increased revenue and made their name even more formidable, yet they wanted a spineless boy in the seat. All because of his name. She threw her phone, and the loud crash filled her with a slight moment of victory. Hilde made her way back upstairs and to her room, making sure to hide the door once more.