Caleb’s smile sharpened.“Then we follow the contingency.The Druid Stone.”
He motioned toward the small chest resting on the altar.Within it, hidden beneath layers of protective seals, was a map and the faint hum of something ancient.“Tomorrow night, we take it back.The witches don’t yet know what they have.It’s the heart of their power, and they left it guarded by arrogance.”
The youngest councilman swallowed hard.“And if we cannot use it?”
“Then we go back,” Caleb said simply, voice turning almost gentle.“Back to the beginning.The Stone carries the echoes of what was.We’ll find the first circle again and reset the timeline.If the Goddess won’t grant me power in this world, I’ll take it in another.”
The air in the cathedral grew colder.Even the shadows seemed to recoil.
Caleb turned back toward the sigil and pressed his bleeding palm against it.The power flared bright and red, then sank into the carvings like blood soaking into flesh.The candles guttered out, leaving only the glow of his eyes in the dark.
“In two nights,” he whispered.“Two nights, and the world will kneel.”
Chapter Ten
The last rays of eveningpainted the rooftop in deep gold and violet.The glow from the city below shimmered off the buildings, and fairy lights strung along the railing flickered in the breeze.The scent of sage, candle wax, and city air mingled with the faint aroma of dinner drifting up from below.The coven had gathered close together on the roof—too many tempers, too many feelings, and too little peace.They needed each other more than ever.
Brielle sat cross-legged on the couch with Ursula beside her, both of them clutching glasses of red wine like lifelines.The tension that had been coiled tight in her chest all day began to loosen.“You’re quiet tonight,” Brielle said softly.“You’re not still mad at me, are you?”
Ursula’s eyes were distant, her expression unreadable for a beat.Then she let out a low, throaty laugh that was half sigh.“Mad at you?No, my dear.I’m mad at the Fates, at the Goddess, at ...life itself, maybe.The whole damn cosmic joke.”She raised her glass and took a long sip.“Maybe the Fates thought it would be funny to throw lions into my path.Maybe the Moon Goddess just doesn’t like me.She’s never made anything simple.”
Brielle grinned faintly and lifted her own glass.“Men and gods both, huh?Equal opportunity chaos.”
Willow let out a snort from across the table.“Add witches, wolves, and possibly bartenders to that list, and you’ve covered the week.”
Saffie groaned, rubbing her temples.“Don’t jinx it, please.”
The room dissolved into laughter.Nolan and Isaac—self-appointed bartenders for the evening—stood behind the counter pretending to polish glasses like they were tending bar in some magical speakeasy.Liam and Jacob were in the back, making noise with pans, arguing about whether real food or greasy fries counted as ‘recovery fuel.’
“Men argue about anything,” Ursula muttered, shaking her head.“Give them tongs and they’ll fight to the death over seasoning.”
“Spoken like a woman who’s lived through centuries of male nonsense,” Willow teased.
“Centuries?”Ursula smirked.“Feels like millennia, darling.”
By the time dinner was ready, the table looked like an enchanted feast—cheese, olives, toasted bread, fruit, and three bottles of wine lined up like soldiers awaiting orders.The conversation quickly turned into a full-blown roast of every man they’d ever met.