~~
Trinity
~~
My first impression of Crawford was not a good one, but I can admit that I wouldn't trust anyone that I knew was associated with Edmond either. Though it seems like we did finally convince him that I truly am the new Luna Queen and Goddess Incarnate. I was just glad we were finally able to get down to business.
We were taken to a large meeting room. It resembled the sitting rooms back home only larger. There were countless chairs, love seats, and sofas all around the room. There was either a set of side tables or a coffee near every seat. It was a room meant for a large, comfortable meeting.
Once we were all seated, mates with mates and those without their other half sitting alone, we got straight to the point.
"I gather that there is something that you need from us." Crawford said with no suspicion or animosity. "What do you need help with?"
"Like you Crawford, we are looking for Edmond. We want help finding him as well as the children he has taken."
"How many children?" He asked me concerned.
"So far, we only know of eight, and they were all taken from our city. I don't know for certain if there are any others."
"Do you know what he could be planning to do with the children?" Reece was angry and worried anytime the children were mentioned.
"Depending on the total number of children he takes and the time of the year, it could be a number of things."
"What does the time of year have to do with it?" I didn't like the direction he was taking this. I knew that Edmond didn't have any pure intentions, but I had an extremely ominous feeling now.
"Given the time of year it is, if he has gathered a dozen children, he might be planning on summoning Hektate, the Goddess of Witchcraft. She is especially known for magic, doorways, and hellhounds. If this is the path he has taken, then he is planning an all out war on the world." Crawford's words turned my blood to ice and left me feeling like a weight was sitting on my chest.
I heard the collective gasps from everyone in the room. It seemed that even Eldrige and his travelling group hadn't known the full meaning behind Edmond's actions.
"What kind of time frame are we looking at if that is his end goal?" Dietrich asked in his dignified voice.
"If that is his goal, then we have eight days."
"The night of the full moon?" I asked him, causing him to nod his head in agreement.
"Indeed, Queen Trinity, we will need to find the children before the night of the full moon."
"Why this full moon?" I asked him. "They've been missing for the last two full moons, why this one?"
"Do you know the names of the full moon in March?" He knew I did, all wolves learn them.
"The Worm Moon, Crow Moon, Sugar Moon, and Windy Moon."
"Those are all correct, but you are missing one." Crawford didn't sound chastising or upset, it was like he knew I wouldn't know the last name he had in mind.
"What is the name she forgot?" Vincent asked curiously.
"The Chaste Moon." It was a simple name and I didn't understand the meaning around it.
"What does that have to do with anything?" Shane asked brusquely.
"The Chaste Moon is when those who practice magical arts are supposed to sow seeds of new thoughts, mentally as well as in their gardens, but it is also the moon that signifies innocence."
"Innocence?" Shawn looked scared as he said that, like he expected the next line that would be coming out of the warlock's mouth.
"What better represents innocence than children? Children are inherently pure and innocent, as long as they are not yet teenagers. The younger the better in this case. And with the blood of children he will be able to entice the Goddess to return to the world. If he is strong enough and casts the right spell, then he can control Hektate and bend her to his whims."
"He plans to bring destruction to everyone who opposes him?" My voice was steady but it felt like my world was trembling.
"It seems so."
I feared just what he might be planning to do. Did he truly want this to happen? Was this what he really had planned? I couldn't chance it, we needed to hurry and find the children. But while I thought these things, and while I listened to Crawford speak, there was an explosion from outside the building.
The explosion was big enough that it shook the building around us.
"What the devil was that?" Crawford seemed shocked beyond words. I heard a maniacal laughter respond to the question.
"So glad you're all in one place. I did not think that my ungrateful bitch of a daughter would be here with the worms from the magic council." Edmond's voice rang through the entire building.
"What do you want, Edmond? Have you decided to turn yourself in?" Crawford's face was twisted in rage. I immediately thought that Crawford had double crossed us.
"Vincent." I called out to him quietly.
"Yes?" He ran to my side to see what it was I needed amid the chaos of the room.
"Have you looked at these people with your ability? Are they against us?"
"No, Luna, they appear to be fully on our side and against Edmond. There is no malice in their hearts toward us. He has spoken only the truth, despite his initial anger."
"When did you scan him?" Reece asked.
"Both in the yard and just after the explosion." He was as efficient as ever, that was for sure.
"Good, then we don't have to worry that this was a set up." Reece nodded to him. "Trinity, you stay out of the way while I handle this."
"I can help too, Reece." I tried to argue with him.
"NO!" He nearly shouted the words. "I will not risk you or our baby. Please, stay out of the fight." He was begging me and I couldn't argue against protecting my baby as well.
"Fine, I will stay out of the way."
"Thank you." He kissed my head and called David, Rawlynne, Jackson, and Shane over to me. "Protect her, don't let anything happen to her." His order was received by everyone, including Jackson, as they all nodded their heads in agreement. "Juniper, Griffin, come here and stay with them." He was meaning to protect everyone that hadn't been trained to fight, but he also knew that if it came down to it, Griffin and Juniper would fight for me.
I watched on in horror as half the building around me exploded. We had not been paying attention to what the warlocks were saying around us. But apparently, talks between Crawford and Edmond were not going well.
"You will be the first to die as my days of ruling this pathetic world comes to fruition." Edmond sounded insane, more so than usual.
"We will not let this slide." Crawford snapped at him. "This is not how we are to use our magic."
"You know nothing." Edmond bellowed as the debris from the destroyed building began to swirl around the room amid the purple smoke that was beginning to fill it. "You may now face the first wave of my army." There was laughter in his voice as a horde of misshapen beasts flooded into the room.
The monstrosities looked like a cross among different species of super naturals. There was one that was a bear and bird combined. I saw a merman and feline combination among several others that I simply couldn't describe. They were somewhere in between their human and animal forms, more beast like in appearance but human enough to walk and throw punches. And the sounds coming from them were the most pitiful, painful screeches I had ever heard. Immediately I was sickened and saddened at the same time. What did he do to these people?
I watched as the fighting started. Monsters leaping toward the warlocks and wolves alike. The guards and warriors were responding with fierce determination and a desire to protect us all. There were nearly five dozen monsters in total, there were nine among our party that were not busy protecting me and the others. On top of them, there were at least three dozen warlocks swarming around the room. We were still outnumbered, but not by as much as we could have been. I wasn't worried at all.
That was, until I saw another dozen monsters break through the side of the house, and they were lumbering straight toward me. I saw a look of shock wash over Juniper's face. It was matched by the look on Griffin's face, he was a healer not a fighter. The guards around us readied themselves, knowing just what they needed to do. Any moment now, there would be a full out battle in our secluded little corner. I had tried to stay away from the fight, but the fight literally came to me. Reece might be mad, but I had no choice now.
