“What do you mean that Reina was missing?” I asked in confusion. “The bodies were burnt weren’t


    they? How would you have been able to identify her?”


    “The witches wore different robes to signify their positions. There were three levels in the coven. There


    were the ser vants who ran errands for the others, they wore simple robes that were burnt to a crisp in


    the fire. The next level was the coven priestesses. They were involved in the rituals and the sacrifices.


    They were bright red robes with some embellishments on them. You could make out the designs, even


    in the fire. It wasn’t hard to seeing as they were etched into the fabric.”


    “And Reina?” I asked. Her name felt like ash on my tongue and simply mentioning it had the air in the


    room growing colder. I remembered L’s words about the souls of the other witches and I couldn’t


    help but wonder if they were feeling angry about the fact that we were openly speaking about her.


    I tried to put myself in their shoes. I would be furious, beyond a reasonable doubt. She not only led


    them down the wrong path, but she betrayed and killed them all- for power. It was disappointing but it


    was the way of life. Cruel people did whatever they could to remain in power- it was their way. I blinked


    away all thoughts of them realizing I was getting swarmed by it and turned back to Briggs.


    “Her robe was pure silver as if it had been spun from moonlight. My father said it was embellished with


    precious stones and it looked like it was worth a fortune. Around her neck, she wore a talisman shaped


    in a crescent moon that she used tomunicate directly with the goddess. After the fire, people


    stormed the coven grounds in search of her body so they would steal the stones but she and her robes


    were gone.”


    “She set the fire and escaped,” I deduced and he nodded. “So there is a possibility that she is the one


    doing this to us.”


    He shook his head. “It isn’t a possibility, your majesty, it is a fact. If there is anyone who has the power


    to do this to a person- it is her. Besides, I saw her.”


    My eyes widened in shock and I stared at Briggs with my jaw ck. It wasforting to know that I


    wasn’t the only one who was stunned by his admission. Ryker and L were staring at him with


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    degrees of shock on their faces. I would never have expected to hear that. No one in the past had ever


    mentioned seeing her, not even Riley. Why would she choose now to appear to Briggs? What was she


    ying at?


    “What did she look like?” I asked and he opened his mouth to respond but I cut him off with more


    questions. “What did she want? Why did she appear to you? Did she say what her n was? Did she


    say why she was attacking us?”


    “One question at a time, please,” Briggs held out his hand to stop me but I was too agitated. There was


    so much that I needed to know. “I was walking in the gardens trying to get some herbs when I


    wandered into the forest. I came across a young woman, I immediately knew she wasn’t meant to be


    there. She was beautiful with silver hair and eyes so dark they looked unnatural but there was


    something about her aura that was off. It was almost dead. It felt like she was radiating death.”


    because it aldr


    many


    “I tried to leave but she called out my name and told me that she had a message that she needed me


    to. deliver. I offered to take her in but she refused. She said that she couldn’t set foot on those grounds


    bad memories for her. I hadn’t even put two and two together when she grabbed me. It felt like I was


    dying, I could almost feel the life seeping out of me and before my eyes, she grew younger. She told


    me to pray that you came this way because you were the only one who could save me. Then she said


    to tell you congrattions on passing her test because you are now ready for the endgame.”


    “What does she mean by endgame?” Ryker asked but no one answered.


    I could tell that Briggs didn’t know and neither did I but L knew. Something dark passed through her


    eyes and she had to turn away from us. Ryker took a step forward but I stepped in front of him. She


    already told us a million times over that she couldn’t talk to us about the future. She could risk her life


    and I wasn’t going to demand that of her. She had already been a great help to us and that was more


    invaluable than knowing how this was going to end.


    We had already fought so many enemies, maybe not on the same scale as Reina but that didn’t mean


    we couldn’t defeat her. I trusted that we would, it was just going to take some time and nning.


    “Thank you, Briggs,” I ced a hand on his shoulder. “You have been an amazing help to us. You


    should go back to rest. We will be leaving tomorrow but I wille to see you before I go.”


    I turned to leave when he grabbed my arm. “Wait, I think there is something that might be able to help


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    you in your uing war. I would get it for you but I don’t want to give the people a scare. Is it alright if


    I describe it for you?”


    “Of course,” I said immediately. “What is it?”


    “I don’t know what it is per say, I never opened the box. It is in the attic, there is arge carved box in


    the center of the room. It was the prized possession of the witches. My father saw it and stole it. There


    were some writings on it but it was in Latin. He was too terrified to open it for fear of incurring the wrath


    of the goddess. You might want to check it out.”


    I thanked him once more before rushing towards the attic with the other. A part of me was already


    braced for disappointment but the other part of me hoped for a better oue. We needed all the help


    we could get and if this could help us then it was going to be a relief.


    We found the attic and the box very easily. It wasrger than I imagined, reaching above my knees. It


    was burnt around the edges but otherwise unchanged. It was carved from wood and oveid with gold.


    I could understand why Briggs’ father stole it- it looked expensive. I ran my fingers over the words on


    the box and turned to L.


    “Latin is thenguage of witches, is it not?” I asked and she nodded slowly.


    She looked hesitant and unsure as she made her way over. She went to her knees beside me and


    trailed her hand over the writing. She exhaled deeply before speaking. “For every beginning, there is an


    end and for every start there is a finish, to the goddess we are born and to her we shall return. That is


    what is written there.”


    “What do you think it is?” I asked Ryker. “It talks about beginning and end, life and death, do you will


    tell us how we can kill Reina?”


    think it


    “I don’t know,” he admitted running his hand down his jaw. “There is only one way to find out.” He stood


    in front of the box and turned to me. “I need you to take a step back. I don’t know what is inside this box


    and I will not risk your life.”


    “Are you insane?”


    “Now, Cami!”


    Before I could protest, Lyly grabbed my arm and pulled me away. She shook her head slowly telling me


    that it wasn’t worth it. I crossed my arms over my chest and watched. The box was apparently locked


    and there was no obvious key. I watched Ryker try to pick the lock but it wouldn’t budge. The longer I


    stared at the box, the more I realized that there was something different about it. It was almost pulsing


    with… life?


    “This is going to sound absolutely insane,” I began making Ryker turn to me. “But could you cut your


    thumb and put it in the keyhole?” he looked at me like I had grown five heads. I knew how absurd I


    sounded but something told me it would work. “Just try it, please.”


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    He muttered something about witches under his breath before doing as I asked. The moment his


    thumb came in contact with the keyhole, the lid flew open. I couldn’t stop my smile as it grew on my


    lips. Ryker stared in shock and confusion as I rushed towards the box. There weren’t many things in


    the box, in fact, there were just two. There was a piece of parchment paper with some writing on it and


    a smaller box.


    I picked up the small box and opened it feeling grateful that I didn’t have to cut myself for it. Sitting


    inside was a single dagger. It was simple with a golden hilt and a de that glistened under the sun.


    There were writings on the de but it was too tiny to make out. I closed the lid and turned to Ryker


    who was holding the piece of paper in his hands. His eyes moved over it fast as he tried to digest the


    words as quickly as possible.


    “Does it say anything?” I asked but he held out a hand to stop me. I waited two minutes for him to be


    done.


    “Apparently you are holding the only known weapon that can kill the priestess of the goddess,” he said


    simply and my eyes widened. “It cannot be wielded by another witch. That dagger is the only thing that


    can kill Reina.”