Glass Souls

36

"If you are that old than you are strong. No wonder you were able to take out the lowest level of hell's demons." Terry's voice holds reverence.

Lance laughs a bitter laugh. "No, not even I would have held out very long against those demons. Their deaths and my survival come from Leann. She holds a level of magic I haven't seen since the first witch was born. The knowledge of magic is as innate in her as it was for the first one as well. If I didn't know better I'd swear that it was Serena reborn."

Marina jerks at the name, "Serena?"

"Yes, that is the name of the first witch. She was almost as beautiful as Leann and very kind."

"How do you know that it isn't her?" Marina demands.

Lance smiles, "I was there when she was betrayed by her daughter. A daughter that shares your name Marina. Marina thrust the anthaeme into her. I was the one to take her soul. And before you get upset, she gave it to me. She smiled and told me to take it. She had no desire to live again. Especially after knowing the betrayal of one she loved so greatly."

Marina turns chalk white and falls back into her chair.

"Are you alright, Marina?" Leann asks the witch that looks like she's going to faint.

"Mother always said that grandmother was killed by the vamps. I believed her and hated the vampires ever since, I loved Grandmother Serena." Marina starts crying. "I had no idea mother had killed her."

"Just how old are you Marina?" Verruca demands.

"Old enough to have participated in some of the fights from the wars Lance mentioned. There is a reason I'm on the council. The witches don't have a monarchy or ruling forum like the other races. I made sure of that when we set up the communities. When a leader falls, no matter how short a time the people become weaker. This way if a leader falls only a small section of the witches will become weaker and the rest of us can support until they become strong once more." Marina holds her head, "I'm getting too old for this Lance. Just why did you call us here? Was it just for the history lesson or is there something else?"

"There's more." Lance says thoughtfully. He'd known that Marina was old, but he doesn't remember her being that much older.

When Lance doesn't continue Marina looks up at him and smiles through her pain. "Ah, even witches get bored with their looks from time to time." She smiles as she removes the spell on herself.

Lance blinks rapidly. This witch he remembers. "Your spell is very good Marina, I had absolutely no idea as to who you really are."

"It seems this get together has been about secrets. What more do you have Lance? There are things to be done."

"The council itself is under attack." This time it's Drummond that speaks.

He turns to Terry, "Someone or something is going to an awful lot of trouble to point the blame onto the werewolves."

"You called a council meeting without me?" the King of Hell says interrupting Drummond. He has Judith with him.

"Your Mightiness," Lance says sourly. He doesn't like it when people just invite themselves into his home like this.

"No, actually, I brought these idiots here after Terry decided to come visit this morning. Drummond needed to have a history lesson and I thought it better if I gave it to all of them at once." Lance's tone had changed from sour to bitingly sarcastic.

"You told them? The first of their kind begged us to not tell them. I was bound to that promise Lance." The King wasn't happy.

Lance shrugs, "You were bound, I wasn't. I was tired of the untruth and distrust it was causing. The council is under attack. Judith if you don't remove the invisibility glamour you're invited to leave. There are too many secrets, things that need to come to light that have been hidden for far too long."

Judith gives a small shudder and releases the invisibility shield she had gotten used to using. She looks nervously around the room at all the strong and important people surrounding her.

"For those of you that don't know, this is Judith. She also sits on the council representing the Fey." Lance says shortly into the stunned silence of the audience.

"Thanks a lot Lance." Judith's tone could cut glass it's so sharp.

"Hiding and secrets caused a lot of problems that we are now trying to figure out. Although I'm not sure how I came to be the center of the answer."

All the witches in the room and Jim look at him like he's an idiot. It's Jim that dares voice it, "Don't you?" His voice is full of humor.

Lance looks at him hard with narrowed eyes. Looks at all of them with narrowed eyes then in anger makes to leave.

"You will not leave now Lance." The words are soft spoken but there is power behind them. Leann might still be angry with him but she's not going to let him leave this mess on her.

"Don't stop me Leann, things will not go well if you do," Lance growls.

"Go ahead, but don't expect me to be here when you decide to come back." Leann has had enough. There are gasps around the room. Her leaving would be extremely painful for them both.

"You're bluffing," Lance states.

"Am I? Are you truly willing to test me to find out? I can handle a hell of a lot of pain. Been there, done that. Can and will do it again if I have to. You are over three thousand years old, don't you think it's time you grew up?" Leann says derisively and dismissively. Then she disappears from the room.

The room erupts in chaos. She hadn't walked out, she was there and then wasn't. Jim hadn't taken his eyes off of Lance. Lance turns white and falls to his knees. It hadn't been willing on Leann's part then.

For that much pain she must be far away and sealed from the bond. There's nothing they can do for Leann just now. They have no idea where she is. Jim hurries over to his brother, him he can at least try to help.

"She's gone?" Lance turns confused and pain dazed eyes onto his brother. "How?" Jim helps him back to his feet.

Lance turns and faces the council and the other guest. "How! how was she taken from me?" He roars at them.

"It has to be a spell," Marina says after swallowing several times to wet her throat. "But, it's not one I've heard of."

"The Fey have such a spell," Judith says white faced and trembling. "But if this council fails then the Fey will be the first to fall as well. We just don't have the strength or numbers the rest of you do. I don't understand." She turns her frightened face towards Lance. "I'll do everything I can to find her."