Strained

Chapter Twenty-One

"Are we seriously suggesting that the Highest Coven in the Witch World is conspiring against us and partnering up with the Cursed Ones? It seems a little--

"Accurate? Think about it Ivelyn," Kate cut her off. Her paranoia was getting to the best of her, but she did have a point. "Why wouldn't they partner with them? The Cursed Ones are powerful, resourceful, and easily swayed to their side by one simple thing." Kate smiled proudly of herself.

I looked at Mir and Erik to see if they were following her logic. It looked like everyone was confused. We were standing in Ivelyn's yard, which was huge, so we were mostly in private. 

"What's that?" Ivelyn asked as she crossed her arms over her chest. Her Valentino's dug deep into the frozen ground, which was mostly grass and mud. 

"The H.C.C. tells them they'll make sure we don't break the Curse. If we don't break the Curse they get to keep their partners and it's such a smart idea because it helps them keep their hands clean. They need something done? They'll send Maverick and her pack of wild--

"Hey, some of them aren't so bad!" I found myself quick to defend Daniel and those of his family that wanted the Curse broken. 

"Sure, Daniel isn't wild at all," Kate rolled her eyes. I let it slid since a lot had happened to her lately. "My point is, the Cursed Ones are a great asset to have. Why wouldn't the H.C.C. try and get them on their side?" I hated to admit it but it made sense. Especially, the part about the H.C.C. wanting them to do their dirty work. 

It was a perfect cover.

Was it true?

I couldn't be sure either way. 

"How do we find out the truth?" Mir asked from in between Kate and Ivelyn. She looked so small standing there, her stomach growing a small bump. It was barely noticeable. You had to look to notice she was pregnant, but the very beginning stages of her pregnancy were starting to show. Her face appeared a little more round and her lips were fuller. 

"That's the million-dollar question," Erik sighed next to me. 

"That and the more important question: what do we do if they are working together?" Kate added as she adjusted her glasses. I shivered at the thought. It was one thing to try and sneak around on the H.C.C. by breaking the Curse against their warning, but it was a whole other animal for them to be working with the Cursed Ones. 

I exhaled.

"The bottom line is, neither groups want the Curse broken, so I say we work even harder to ensure we break it. Not only are we going to break the Curse, but we're also going to put an end to this corruptness. Why should we listen to this 'High Council Coven' who stands for power, revenge, lies, and trying to intimidate a bunch of teenagers with some psychopath," I referred to Maverick. Out of the corner of my eyes, I saw Erik flinch at the mention of her. His arm was no longer in the sling, but it should have been. 

"That sounds like an uprising," Erik was quick to note.

"That's exactly what it is," a slow grin spread across my face. I finally understood why everything had happened in the very order it had. "That's the point. We can't let them get in the way of us doing something great. It isn't going to be easy, but it hasn't been easy. In a little over a month, we'll break the Curse, which will inevitably start a Civil War." As I spoke, I felt the power in my veins. I became drunk off the adrenaline pumping into my blood. 

It was contagious. I saw Ivelyn smile, along with Mir and Erik. Kate was always pessimistic, so it wasn't surprising that she was frowning. It wasn't a frown of disagreement, it was one of realism. She probably was thinking about every variable and option for us. Her mind worked faster than most.