The Best and the Pest

Chapter 33

On the next day, all but the three Coven Heads were still in the Rebellion hideout. Hunter didn't quite understand why it was across from the prison and he didn't really dare to go out on the balcony because of the fear that he or the others might be seen, he even complained to the others if they wanted to go out on the balcony.

It was just stupid! Of course no one would probably suspect a rebellion that close, but it was so dangerous!! They could be seen anytime!!!

Luz was talking to Eda, King and Lilith while Hunter sat at the small table with Flapjack in front of him, who he was gently stroking.
When would Darius be back...? He's been gone for a while now...

•

Meanwhile, Darius, Eberwolf and Raine were on their way to a coven meeting that was suddenly convened. The three assumed that Hunter's disappearance would be discussed again. What else should it be about?

Arriving in the Meeting room, the other Coven Heads entered short after them too or where already there. Adrian looked...VERY upset with the world. And this time not because someone forgot their lines on stage.
His hair was tousled, he had dark circles under his eyes and he generally looked like he had spent the last few hours trying to rip his head off, of course not really otherwise he wouldn't be here anymore, Darius thought as he eyed him.

The other Coven Heads had noticed it too, but no one said anything about it. Maybe they already did before they arrived...

Terra kept glancing over at Darius and grinning at him evily. "Hey Raine, you've know that crazy witch longer than I have, what does she want to tell me...." Darius hissed calmly at the younger one. Raine looked questioningly at Darius before they looked at Terra and swallowed, her gaze didn't mean anything good... something wasn't right here...

•

Did Belos only know about the rebellion because of the girl and the letter?? Haha definitely not! He was the leader of the island. He knew everything, after all he could talk to the Titan!

Okay no he couldn't and actually almost everything else he told these bird brains was a lie too.

Belos was on his way to the coven meeting, a shadow followed him, which was only visible when they were alone.

No, of course he couldn't talk to the Titan. How could he? The titan had been dead for centuries, nothing more than bony remains upon which they all miraculously still survived, a miracle that displeased him.

No, he had other ways. On the one hand, of course, there would be the shadow that was just following him. The Collector, a child with seemingly endless power, also called the child of the stars, who apparently must have fallen from the sky a few thousand years ago, well at least Belos couldn't explain it to himself in any other way. He didn't understand where that Kid must have come from.

To his luck the Collector now lived locked up in a small prison in another world. The child was careless, thought they were friends and helped him with whatever he wanted, well as much as the trapped child could.

And in return the child thought he would set them free, what an idiot. Why should he free someone who knew his only weaknesses and was even stronger then himself.

It had taken some time to learn so much from the child, but now he only needed to ask to get answers, the trust was perfect after these almost 400 years. Of course it was nice for him sometimes too, to not be so alone and to know someone who felt just as trapped and alone as he did....but of course he would never admit that!

But...

On the other hand, there was of course another way to get information besides the Collector. However, he did not use this path very often....
He still had an other portal, he build it some years ago while he searched for a way to build the real door....it was a Portal to the in-between world however it was more unstable than anything else and it could close again at practically any time.

That's why he didn't like to use this path...however, he had already learned about the rebellion and their oh so great plan to stop him. Really ridiculous if they thought he would fall for something like that.

With his magic, which he had received through Collectors help and also the Draining Spell, which he got also from the child, he would not be easy to bring down. And then of course there were the witches who followed him, the witches which followed him like a bunch of blind, hopeless worms, clinging to everything he said. Paradise, that's what they believed in.

If only they knew that the paradise would be for him when those witches were finally all dead and he could go back home. He missed the green trees, the not boiling rain... Hunter had heard these stories many times, the Collector even more often, it seemed like the kid always listened with interest, it didn't care if he was talking about killing witches or another Grimwalker. But he himself had to listen to everything the Collector said often enough too.

The child was really annoying and sometimes what they were talking about was annoying too.
He was happy to finally get rid of them. But he couldn't do that until after the Draining Spell was activated, not that anything went wrong.

After all, only the Collector knew how it worked, Belos didn't find it that pleasant, but he hadn't managed to get the child to explain it to him in more detail at the time, maybe the child didn't have a more precise explanation for it either, on the other hand who else should have invented the Spell if not the Collector...what was it originally intended for anyway?

Belos adjusted the mask on his face. "Hide," he hissed and immediately the shadow disappeared completely, then he finally opened the door he had reached which led him into the meeting room. He looked around briefly. Good, so the three leaders of the rebellion were there too. To be honest, all three were no surprise from him.

Darius the former student of his dead grimwalker? Did he really think he wasn't already under very close scrutiny? In addition, his friend Eberwolf, who was always at his side from the start. And then Raine, who had founded a rebellion themself.

Yeah he was briefly surprised when he noticed that Raine only played brainwashed, but it wasn't really a surprise that Darius and Eberwolf searched their support. Really ridiculous.

He had already instructed Terra to keep a closer eye on Raine and she had already told him that she had stopped mixing something under Raine's drink for some time, but that Raine was still showing the same reactions. Really ridiculous, did they think he was that stupid?

But now the three of them were here, with him and the other coven heads in one room. Most of them knew what would happen today....

Raine, Darius and Eberwolf...three traitors who wanted to overthrow the Emperor...
Of course that shouldn't happen.

They were all here, no escape. They wouldn't stand a chance against his plans anyway, but he didn't need any worms swimming against the tide so shortly before his victory, good thing they all wore coven sigils and were therefore under his influence. "Welcome," he greeted his Coven Heads who were standing around the long table. "Sit down please.", he grinned slightly under his mask.

The game could begin...