The Council Meeting (2)

      When Marwen decided that Jocelyn would 'take the stand,' as it were, Claire felt a bubble of hope flutter around her chest. She would have to tell the truth. She would admit that everything she said about Elias was a lie, and that Claire wasn't really a witch with any powers, and that everything could go back to the way it had been those few minutes that she felt freedom. 

      But the cruel smirk gracing her grandmother's face quickly popped anything she felt. She wore that smile as the High Priestess created the same blood spell, pressing it against the Priestess of The Yew Coven's forehead. 

      The dryad faced the old witch with a glare; they did not care for her cocky attitude, nor the fear that she struck into the hybrid. No matter what was happening, it was obvious that the girl was just being used. "You were listening closely to what was said, I assume?" they asked, skipping any pleasantries. 

      Jocelyn nodded. "The child did not mention something important: that she is my grandchild." 

      Marwen's lip twitched as they turned to face Circe, who showed no surprise. They hated witches. Fae had the reputation for dishonesty and trickery, but that only applied to some fae beings. To the dryad, all witches were fraught with fraud. 

      "She does not seem so certain of that," Marwen snapped, visibly irritated. 

      Jocelyn only shrugged, "Her mother stole her away when she was a young child and sealed her memories and magic. It is only within the past day that I managed to unlock the memories, at least. It makes sense that she would be uncertain." 

      The only noise audible over the crackling of the flames was Claire's cry in protest. "You're lying!" she sobbed into her hands. "She has to be lying." 

      No one paid any attention to the sobbing hybrid save Elias, who tried to reach his abilities through the barrier to calm her. It did not work. Marwen looked back to Claire, not a trace of pity on their bark-covered face as they continued questioning her, "Now that you have confirmation of your memories. I have a few more questions for you." 

      Claire only shook her head. "She's lying somehow. She has to be." 

      "And what makes you so certain of that?" Marwen pressed, intrigued. "Drusus cannot lie." 

      Claire swallowed back tears and shook her head again. "That can't be true. It can't be true." 

      "What?" 

      "That would mean what she said about Elias is true," Claire whispered and then covered her mouth with shock; she had not meant to say that, only think it. 

      "What did she tell you about Elhassan?" 

      "That he's the reason that I got sick." She stared at the broken table as she spoke, voice shaking. Looking up through the flames, she repeated, "But he wouldn't do that." 

      Marwen was no longer interested. For a moment, they had thought maybe this would be more than just another boring power struggle. 'It has been a long time Elhassan did anything of the like, though,' Marwen thought to themself. 'And he does seem to care for the hybrid.'

      With a lazy flick of the wrist, Marwen casted a silencing spell around the hybrid and the witch. Turning back to the other Council Members, they said, "This is enough information for me. I do not see why we cannot just execute the two and get this over with."

      Ife shook his head, "We do not even know if the child has magic! There are no laws against turning a witch if she loses her connections." 

      The other Members agreed, but Marwen did not. "That sounds like nothing more than an attempt to skirt the rules. If the girl does not have magic, Elhassan should still pay the price for attempting to break the law!" 

      Everyone expected Ife to disagree; after all, he was old friends with Elias Elhassan. But the Vampire King only frowned. "I suppose you make a fair point."

      Alpha Riann rolled his green eyes. "You cannot think that we are this stupid, Ife." 

      The Vampire King raised a brow momentarily before laughing loudly and patting the werewolf on his back. He tensed up at the motion but did nothing else besides glare at the vampire. "Whatever do you mean, my good friend?" Ife asked, letting his thick Algerian accent pull his words together. 

      "I mean that you want this girl for yourself. And if you must stab your own brother in the throat to do it, you will."

      The air was tense, even beyond the flaming circle. The wolves felt their King's anger and indignation, and the vampires fed off that. But Ife, ever the master of diplomacy, chuckled and waved his hand. "If you think so little of me, why should I not think so little of you?" 

      "Enough of this nonsense!" Marwen interjected. "We will finish talking to the girl and the witch, and then move onto the vampire. From there, you can argue about your ridiculous power struggles with all the information available." 

      They removed the spell preventing Claire and Jocelyn from hearing the conversation and approached the hybrid, who was still reeling. 

      'Elias would never hurt me. He wouldn't do that. Elias cares about people. He wouldn't just do this to me,' she repeated over and over in her head. 

      "What are you thinking about?" Marwen interrupted her fervent prayers. When she told him, they only rolled their eyes. The sire bond was ridiculous. "So, Miss Green, have you displayed any magical connections or abilities since you were turned?" 

      Immediately, Claire shook her head. Ife clicked his tongue, somewhat disappointed. 'No matter,' he thought to himself. 'She is still powerful enough.' 

      The dryad turned next to the Priestess, who looked nearly bored. "Explain what you did to unlock the hybrid's memories. And why." They did not bother with any form of compassion with the old woman. 

      "Why? She is my granddaughter," Jocelyn began. 

As soon as she finished speaking the first sentence, she made a strangled noise. She began to cough up small droplets of a thick, black, liquid. Claire looked on in horror, slowly touching her own forehead. The High Priestess's spell made Jocelyn do that. For lying. After the fit was done, Marwen glared down the witch and repeated their questions. 

Jocelyn sighed and cleared her throat. Her voice was hoarse. "She displayed many connections as a child, and I knew that if she had maintained them through her transformation, she would be exceptionally powerful. Enough to help move my ranking if I had her under control." 

No one was particularly surprised by Jocelyn's confession. 

"And how did you do it?" 

"Bloodroot to suppress her vampiric abilities, and blood magic to remove the spell her mother left on her." 

Marwen looked back at Circe, the High Priestess. She nodded in confirmation, having witnessed the ends of the spell breaking. That was sufficient for Marwen. "If you wanted her connections, why did you report her to The Council?"

Jocelyn sighed dramatically, "Because I realized who she was after I reported a hybrid."

      Claire was watching Jocelyn closely. She had noticed that the witch kept twitching her ring finger whenever she spoke. The motion was hidden from others in her lap, but Claire saw. The only time she did not snap her finger was when she had been coughing up the black blood. 

Jocelyn only smiled and continued, "Had I known that my first grandchild has spent the past many years so close to me all this time, I would have called upon The Council sooner." 

      Marwen nodded curtly. "And yet you never did? Your coven has held a deal with Elias Elhassan for many generations regarding this land; I am aware that part of this deal includes that he informs you when he plans to take up its residence." 

      Jocelyn frowned momentarily. "He said that he was coming to stay here with his newly created progeny. Other than ensuring that my people would be safe from a new vampire's thirst, I made no further inquiries." 

      "So, you were not working with Elhassan to create a hybrid?" 

      Jocelyn flashed the shaking vampiress her widest smile to date and replied, "No. In fact, seeing my blood in that state horrifies me. I believe that The Council should have her killed."