Chapter 168

“I just wish I knew where my Sala is, I need to make sure she’s okay”

“You still worry for that she-wolf?!”

“Of course I am, she is the key to this entire thing, whether we win or lose depends solely on her so naturally I need to make sure she’s okay”

“Why don’t you use your Calling Well?”

“Because it could cause her pain”

“But you do want to know where she is, do you not and it’s not like the pain will be unbearable”

“Very well”

I light the candle in the Calling room and stand by the well and wave my hand over it “rahmu rahma tali friha find me one Roho Milva” I peer down into the well and there is nothing, I furrow my eye brows, what is the meaning of this? I try again “rahmu rahma tali friha find me one Roho Milva” and once again there’s nothing and I begin to panic.

I leave the room and the others are still seated at the table “well where is she?” “I-I can’t find her” “what? How come?” “I don’t know but there’s nothing at all when I call out to her, that only happens for one of three reasons, she’s either dead, in the underworld or another dimension”

“Well let us hope it is the latter rather than the former because you clearly would not survive if the former is the case”

“Now is not the time for your sarcasm Duminco, do you have any idea what it could mean for us all if the Nation has her captive?!”

“No, actually I have no idea what it means because only you know what or who she is and you refuse to say”

“I have never led any of you astray or gave you bad advice, can you not trust me Duminco? Are you just here to doubt and try to undermine me every step of the way then? If so why have you come? To sow discord between us or what?”

I walk over to him “let me see your hands Duminco” he steps back, “you’ve been standing afar all this time and have kept your hands hidden in your pockets or behind your back”

He steps back again as I approach him “what are you suggesting Tabitha?” “I am not suggesting anything, just show me your hands, he sighs and raises his hands to show me, I take them and examine them ensuring he has not been grafted into the dark side.

“Are you satisfied?”

I grab him and pull his face closer to me and look at his eyes, once I’m satisfied he has not been tainted I release him and lifts his head straightening himself.

“I can’t believe you’d suspect me Tabitha, me of all people” “I just needed to be sure, your behaviour is a bit odd that’s all”

“What is odd about being cautious with our lives Tabitha?”

“Do you think I don’t value all our lives as well Duminco? As I said I am not forcing anyone to do anything, I can go alone if it comes down to it, if you wish to stay away from the fight then you are free to do so”

“There is no way we’d or at least there is no way I would let you do something like that on your own Tabitha, if no one else wants to go I will go with you”

“You’ve been my apprentice Marco, you have all my knowledge and wisdom, if anyone is to stay behind it is you, just in case I do not make it I know my knowledge will not be lost with me”

“Bite your tongue! How could you say something like that so recklessly!” I touch his face with a smile “accepting things like that in situation is called being realistic my dear Marco, just like in the last war, there was no guarantee we would have survived the Nation, we did but lost quite a few of our kind and the wolves assumed we were all Dark Witches and at the time we had no way to prove we were not affiliated with them so we had no choice but to flee”

“And what proof do we have now Tabitha? Hmm what do we have to prove to them we mean no harm?”

“Things will be different this time Duminco I am certain of that, please stop this, if you have no intention of assisting us please leave and anyone else who does not wish to fight can leave along with him so the rest of us can make our plans”

I look around the room and no one moves an inch “sorry Tabitha but we are in this together, we are a small coven but together we are strong, you are our leader so we will follow you to the ends of the earth” “that’s probably the most sentimental thing I’ve ever heard you say Ruth” “it will be the first and last time” we all laugh.