Chapter 51

We all gathered at the corner of the meeting room. Whispers and grunts rose from the witches but we ignored them as there was nothing they could do anymore. Lisa thought she could win but she failed, horribly and it bought me great pleasure watching her loose. We were one step closer to being equal.

My eyes turned to Cordelia with care and I went closer to her before asking, "Why? Why would do this for me? I know I asked for you to come but this isn't what I expected." It was beyond my expectations.

A smile cracked on her face, it was a rather sad one. "I wouldn't lie and tell you that there nothing behind doing this but there is. I needed to redeem myself in front of Dillion and you're his daughter, his lovely daughter," She held my hand tightly and continued. "I could do anything to gain his love back and among all the witches I had trained, none were like you, none had a pure heart or intentions but you do and this world would rather have a Queen like you than anyone else."

I leaned forward and gave her a hug, something both of us needed. There was only much that I could thank her about. I was already debited.

"Thank you again, Cordelia." I murmured, pulling back from her tight grasp.

"Now, don't disappoint me like the other Queen's did." She playfully slapped her hand over my arm and said, using a serious tone.

"I would never!"

"Good."

We shuffled around the house, making ourselves comfortable while Lisa got Damon. The mansion was lit with big candles and the scent of nature spread across the place.

The witches began gathering inside the mansion's ballroom, one of the largest halls in the area. I waited, watching the clock flicker and time pass by. I caught the sight of a few chandeliers hanging from the roof, soaked in gold and fire. There were portraits on the walls—the previous Queen's of witches, holding the same crown and a goblet.

A goblet?

"What is that?" I questioned Cordelia who was with me while everyone else were either preparing, making calls or killing someone or the other. I guess that would be Anna.

"Every witch that becomes a Queen has to drink from the Goblet. The liquid inside was poured out from an ancient spiral tree and has been preserved for over a thousand years." Cordelia explained, she just took a single glance of the portrait and told me everything.

I had a puzzled expression over my face. "What does the drink does?" And was I going to have it? A thousand year old drink?

"It provide's you with strength, only if you're chosen, otherwise, it will kill you." She said.

I gasped and turned my head at her, "Wait. What?"

Cordelia chuckled, "You are chosen. When Damon would give the crown and move away from it, you'll be the only one who'd deserve to become the Queen of witches. It's the sole reason why they all wanted you here. If you had back away, Damon could've been crowned easily."

The witches were hungry for me to come here and if I had came alone, they would have swallowed me in hole and forced me to give away the position. I wasn't sure if it were the witches that hated me or if it was Lisa that gave birth to the hatred they had.

As far as I remembered, during my stay here, I worked with the witches well and barely got into a fight. Due to Gretel's orders, none of them became my friends but I did see some of them care for me.

The hall I stood in became more and more crowded with every second passing by. When too many witches gathered around me, I found my inner witch self rattling with ferocity.

"Come on, we shouldn't be here." Cordelia said, taking hold of my arm and pulling me out of the crowd before anymore of them arrived.

"But, what about the crown?"

"It's with Damon and he's here," She replied, her wide orbs swirling around the mansion, searching for him. "Right on this side."

Wow. Not only Cordelia was a great witch but she also had the power of sensing someone from a distance away. I could barely make out anything with the witches gathered around.

She barged into the room where she expected to find Damon and to my surprise, he was there, arguing with Lisa. When we stepped inside, they both stopped and looked at us, their faces taking a turn of horror.

"The crown, please?" Cordelia asked, gently. "Can't delay this anymore, now can we? The witches need and Queen and we all know who's the right one."

Damon stared at me sharply, his face bitter and and eyes sharp, running with blood. I hadn't seen him again after killing Mother and it was our first encounter in a long time.

"I'm sorry for killing Gretel but she deserved it." I whispered in the silence.

"You should've stayed dead." He spat out.

"Mhm, I should've but I'm not. I might have made wrong decisions and killed a couple people here and there but I never wanted to mass murder wolves and destroy everything that had been here for decades!" There wasn't a greater explanation to why I was less wicked than Gretel except for this.

I cared.

She didn't.

Silence fell between us again and Cordelia spoke up. "The crown?" She stretched her hand out towards Damon who had the crown in his possession.

Damon turned around to the chest behind and opened it up.

"Damon don't!" Lisa exclaimed, reaching for him but Cordelia kept her in place.

"We don't want any intervention."

"Oh, fuck off!"

"Lisa!" I snapped at her. "Stop it. You've done enough damage—"

"And you haven't?" Her eyes diverted to me.

"I never killed anyone you loved."

"Oh, Red, you did everything to make my life miserable. The least I deserved was this." There was sorrow at the back of her voice but more of anger in the front.

"You can't have this and I didn't make your life miserable. It was your own fate that turned it's back on you. I did everything to keep you safe and happy. I went beyond sacrificing myself to Gretel when she kept you hostage here." I marveled closer to her, fury pumping in my veins.

"Fuck off. You didn't do anything."

"It doesn't matters," I shook my head. "It went too far when you killed my grandmother so I guess we are equal. Enjoy the little human life you have left and hope you wouldn't get killed by your own best friend." The words shot out of my mouth like a sharp bullet, going right through her.

Damon bought the crown and the Goblet. Cordelia took them from him and that was all. They had nothing else.

"This isn't over!" Lisa yelled.

"It's over," I replied. "Go move somewhere else and start a new life. There is nothing you'd ever get from me or Luciano."

She had no place in between witches or werewolves so it was much better if she left and started somewhere else.

However, the attitude still stayed in her, stern. "This is never going to be over. You'll come begging to me one day, Red, remember my words!"

I blocked her of my mind and left the room as quicker as I could. I didn't want to start a fight or an argument with Lisa. Distance was the only thing that would ensure I wouldn't kill her. I wanted her to be happy, to be gone.

It wasn't like Nana could ever return, even if I tried so I forgave her and left, hoping she'd do the same.

Read the full book on Patreon; www.patreon.com/miakerr