Novel Full 205 205 Fourth Focus
Wolfe felt a change as the Blood Pact took effect, and Priya was pulled into the link with the rest of his witches.
The backlash of power from the two new bonds that he had gained today was enough to solidify his third Mana Focus, and all of the links were changing. The three orbs of the marking changed to four, and the intensity of all the bonds suddenly increased to the point that every bonded witch’s aura surged with power and density.
For most, that was a momentary phenomenon, but for Cassie, Ella, and Priya, who held the closest bonds to him, it was much more life-changing. For a moment, their aura vanished entirely, though the sense of power that they were giving off did not.
On the left shoulder of Cassie and Ella, a small symbol formed, the snake of the Noxus Family crest, surrounding four orbs that glowed with dim blue magic. For Priya, it was on her collarbone. A small mouse birthmark formed, glowing with magic at first, then fading as if it had been there all her life.
Priya stammered out a response as she adapted to the surge in energy. “I feel strange. Something changed. It’s my Familiar. I can feel their presence as if they were right beside me now, but it feels like there is room for another. If I’m not wrong, I think that I just advanced to the Second Rank.”
Her aura felt extremely powerful, but it was as thin as a newly awakened witch. As it grew again, Wolfe was sure that it would retain this intense power, so there would be no hiding her in a crowd, but for a Witch, in Witch territory, that was a good thing.
The Covens hadn’t had anyone that powerful in generations, at least not that they had admitted to, and Wolfe could tell that Cassie and Ella had advanced as well.
The others who shared the Servants’ Bond wouldn’t be too far behind them, and Wolfe wondered what had happened with Reiko and Mary during this latest surge. They were quite a distance away, but that shouldn’t matter much to the Blood Pact, and even if the distance did mute the effect a little, they would still get the increased power balancing starting immediately.
When he focused on them, he could feel the shock and awe, along with the sense of power and the strengthening of the Bond.
[Wolfe? Is that you? I can feel you looking at my emotions.] Mary’s mind broadcast to him.
[Welcome back, Fluffy Witch. Did you advance to the Second Rank?] Wolfe asked.
[Not just me, but Reiko too, and at the very worst possible moment. We are in the middle of the public engagement ceremony to mark her as the next head of the Coven and formalize the alliance between her Morgana Family and the Crime Families. Get this; she is getting her own harem. Ten Husbands, one from each Family.
But now that she’s hit the Second Rank, they’re moving everything up, and everyone is panicking. We sent you a messenger to let you know, but I’m not sure if they have reached you yet, or if they will at all. When she takes the position as the Coven Leader, the Coven Bond will break the Blood Pact. The two of them are incompatible, from what they have told me.
The Magic won’t let the Coven Leader be beholden to anyone or anything, and from what we could learn, Reiko is going to be forcibly removed from our bond and the Pentacle when today’s spell is finished.]
Wolfe wished he was shocked at that bit of news, but he really wasn’t. He had expected the Coven Leader to pull some underhanded trick to remove her daughter from his influence, but as it turned out, she didn’t have to, she just had to wait and hand over control of Morgana City, and the Coven magic would do it for her.
[At least she broke through before the spell was finished. Think of how great it will be to have a Rank Two Witch at the helm of the city. Maybe things will get back to normal for the Morgana Coven.] Wolfe suggested.
[They’re pretty close. The violence in the city has calmed down, and the remaining witches are working with the Families to guard the walls, but everything outside the city is another matter. The coven holds the city, and that’s it. Everything else in Morgana Coven Territory has broken up into smaller groups and left the main Coven, even after we eliminated the last of the rebel Nobles.] Mary explained.
[You have your work cut out for you, then.] Wolfe joked, sensing both witches’ annoyance.
[Me? Oh, not me. Just Reiko. If it weren’t a special occasion, it would be nearly impossible for me to see her at all. I have been at the Academy for the most part, and I’ve finished the third-year requirements, but there are some Nobles holding onto the belief that I shouldn’t be given a title since I’m bonded to a demon for power.
I think they’re going to announce me as a Knight today, and then I’m going to come looking for you.]
Wolfe could sense that Reiko was resigned to the idea, but he didn’t have a good way to solve the problem of her being stuck in the city all alone. All he could do was wait and chat with them until the spell finished and their bond was broken.
[Oh, I can feel the influence of the Coven Magic growing. They’re reaching the end of the ritual, where Reiko will be bonded to her ten husbands, and her link with you will break. You might want to sit down. I’ve been told that there will be a serious backlash.] Mary warned him.
Wolfe settled in for the backlash, confusing Priya, who couldn’t hear any of what was going on, only see Wolfe’s distraction.
“Reiko is taking over Morgana Coven, and our link is going to be broken. Both from the Pentacle and the Blood Pact.” Wolfe explained.
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“Explain now.”
“The debt is blocked, but it gets passed on to the next generation. Her children will owe your children the debt of the Blood Pact, so until one of them reforms it, the spell will be passed on as a Bloodline Curse.
The Magi put a Bloodline Curse on the Witch Covens before their last stand, but nobody realized what had happened until it was too late, and they were all dead, leaving the witches with no way to repay the debt.”
Wolfe relayed that to Mary and Reiko, and for some reason, that cheered Reiko up.
[Then I guess our firstborns are going to be betrothed from birth.] Reiko giggled as her bond with Wolfe began to fade.
[I will hold them to that. Have fun with your new pets.] Wolfe laughed while he held on to the bond for a few more seconds.
He could feel the bond with her group of husbands forming, and the Inheritance projected a spell into his mind.
[Leader’s Right] The target of this spell has been chosen as a natural leader of others. Those who form a bond with them will be judged for moral quality and eligibility to be the target’s subordinate.
It was a bit of Demonic Magic of the Unholy Element, and Wolfe let it activate as soon as it appeared. The Coven could steal his witch, but he would treat them to a random bit of Demonic Magic in return. He wasn’t entirely sure what it did, but to be subordinate to a Demon usually meant that you were in big trouble and would be forced to obey their commands. At least, that’s what happened when they forcibly reversed the Familiar Bond.
Not that Reiko would treat her new husbands badly, she was too kind for that, but it was immensely satisfying nonetheless.
[Oh my Goddess. What did you do? Her husbands all have something that looks like Servants marks and these cool golden magical metal collars on them, and they’re fawning at her feet. I think her mother is going to murder someone.
Oh, no false alarm. She’s laughing now. She’s telling the Families that it’s a blessing from you so that they blame you for their chosen candidates becoming pets of Reiko.
This is too funny, she told them to take a seat, and they just sat on the floor instantly. They can’t say no to anything she tells them to do. But, this talk is making my head hurt, and it upsets Pup, so I will come to find you soon.] Mary informed him with great amusement in her thoughts.
[Keep your armour spell up at all times. The toxic gas has poisoned everything before the border to the Frozen Wastes, and I don’t want you to lose your magic when you’ve just advanced.] Wolfe reminded her and got a mental thumbs up in response.
“You have a lot of explaining to do, Wolfe Noxus. I can feel the vacancy in your Pentacle, and the radio is going insane with updates from Morgana Coven announcing that your formerly bonded witch has assumed the leadership of the Coven.” Priya informed Wolfe when he came back to reality.
“We might as well gather everyone. But first, I have a question for you. Lulabeth Priya, would you do the honour of taking Reiko’s place in the Pentacle?” Wolfe asked.
“I will. But on one condition. You never call me by my given name in public.” She demanded while throwing herself into his arms as the Pentacle spell reformed to include her.
The lingering sense of loss wasn’t gone, but the Pentacle was whole again, and the benefits of the power-sharing weren’t lost.