Chapter 25

**Noch**

I could feel a tick starting to develop on the side of my jaw as I glared up at the nine council members, who were, in fact, muttering amongst themselves while I was standing there in the middle of the platform in front of them all. They milled about themselves in their fine white, gold and black council's robes and smiled broadly while shaking each other's hands, looking like a whole bunch of saints that haven't seen each other in years.

Although, I could stand the milling, muttering and greeting. I could most certainly look past those things. But, milling amongst themselves like nothing at all was important right after they took their beloved time getting here in the first place, after a URGENT fire message?

I could see myself burning this place to the ground in the near future if someone didn't acknowledge me soon... I was actually slowly plotting the whole incident out in my mind. I even thought that Merianna would love to have a hand in the whole scheme.

"Nochtandriel." A female from the dais called.

About time they noticed me.

"Councillor Ferina." I responded while looking up at her. She was the only one in the milling group that had actually taken her seat and paid attention to me with a serious expression. She was just about the only council member that I ever respected and liked.

I might make sure that she is far away from the Cathedral before I burn the place to the ground...

At least our little exchange seemed to have caught the other Council members' attention. They all turned to look at me and finally took their respective seats. 

The tick in my jaw intensified when I saw Councillor Jernok taking his place at the head of them all on the most lavish chair there was. His blonde head was slicked back and darkened with wax that made it look like a cow had licked him. His slightly rounded face told me that he was enjoying this lifetime in a lazy way and I should expect him to gain more weight in the future. He was generally a handsome man with deep blue eyes that could see through your soul and put you at ease, but he had yet to win my respect through all the centuries I'd known him.

Yes, Councillor Jernok was head of the council. Did I like that? No. Did I like him? No. Was he a royal pain to get council action actioned through? Most definitely. I had hoped that the old fart had made his final stop to the beyond by now, but it seemed that he just had to come back again after his previous death via accidental Arasule bomb detonation. Note, he bought the potion from her, ignored her warnings, and got himself blown up stupendously while walking home. We still have no idea what he bought it for, and to this day he refuses to speak of it...

"Nochtandriel Dragnoric. The Council has gathered today in response to your urgent summons." He said in a way that made it look like he would have loved to be anywhere else.

Likewise.

I nodded my head to him in acknowledgement of that statement. I might have hated the man, but council rules still bind all witches when they enter the Council's building which I had lovingly come to call The Cathedral - and the name has stuck since then. Even though it wasn't really a cathedral, it still looked very much like one. The most lavish I've seen on the Mortal realm, granted, but it still screamed Cathedral none the less. Minus all the religious icons.

Back to the rules, one of the rules of the Council dictates that you do not speak unless you are requested to speak. Which I despised to the pits of Tartarus and back. Especially since they placed a spell in the chamber to actually enforce that rule when necessary.

"What has captured your attention Nochtandriel? It's rare that we ever receive a summons from you." Ferina asked with a genuinely concerned expression.

With good reason... I muttered silently in my head.

"Certainly. This matter that I bring to your attention today is disturbing. So much so, that I hope we can rely on the support of the Council in dealing with it before it gets out of hand."

At this, the chamber became so quiet that I would have been able to hear the rustling of their robes if they had moved.

"Go on." Jernok said as he steepled his fingers together under his chin while resting his elbows on the arm rests.

Taking a breath I plunged in. I didn't want them to stop me in the middle of my recounting and twist my words around. "There was a coven that needed assistance the previous night. We responded and came across hunters that were busy terrorising and killing the coven by burning and other means. We fought them back as much as possible but they kept coming out of a building on the East side of the village. It was something I had never seen before. These hunters just kept on flooding out of that building like there was no end to them. Fighting through the Hunters we made it to the building and Arasule bombed it as soon as we could reach it. As the bombs went off, I caught a glimpse of a gate, and a hooded figure that ducked back through the gate. It is my belief that the hooded individual was an old witch. Not just any witch would be able to create a gate from nothing that would let so many people pass through in one go."

Silence greeted me once I finished. One of the Council members to the left shifted in his chair to lean forward and look at me.

"Are you saying, Nochtandriel, that we might have a traitor witch working together with the Hunters?" Councillor Hervis said as his black hair fell forward to brush his chin.

"That is exactly what I am saying." At least Hervis was also one of my less hated Council members.

"This is unthinkable..." Ferina breathed in shock.

"That was what I thought at first as well. But, the more I think back on it, and the more I think on what my familiar had stumbled across, the more it makes sense." I said while standing my ground under their scrutiny.

"What did your familiar see?" Councillor Kermin asked from Ferina's left. His brown hair was sun kissed and his eyes were a burning emerald green.

"Strider had been wandering around some areas of late, and while he was skipping about England he witnessed a witch child being stolen from a home under the cover of night, by Hunters." I said solemnly. Recounting the story over to them made my stomach twist anew in trepidation. "He had also noticed that Hunters have been lurking close to coven boarders lately."

Councillor Jernok was pinning me with a stare that made me keep my mouth locked with the rest of the rumoured information I had of some covens turning dark.

"These are serious allegations you are bringing to our attention Nochtandriel. Can any of this be proven?" Jernok asked with a raised eyebrow.

The tick in my jaw was back again as I tried to contain myself. Allegations my ass. This was serious business that required immediate action, and if they were going to sit on their chairs and wait for proof to fall into their laps I won't play.

"Councillor Jernok. I'm sure that if you send out your own familiars or guides around the covens, you will know that what I speak is truth." I challenged while staring him down. He might have been at a higher elevation than me, but battles of will never needed higher ground to begin with.

It was no secret that Jernok hated me. The head council seat would have gone to me if I had accepted it after all.

Jernok huffed and leaned back in his royally overstuffed chair. "Very well, Nochtandriel. The Council has heard you. This matter is of great interest and will be handled as such. We shall be in contact with The Order as is needed."

My tick was working overtime as Jernok rose from his chair, which signalled for everyone to leave. The only Council member that looked at me as they all turned to leave was Ferina. She stopped for a second and gave me a determined nod that said she would be in contact with me if Jernok won't.

I nodded in acknowledgement and she disappeared with them.

I wanted nothing more than to rip the place apart right then. I wanted to run Jernok down and scream in his face how important this was, how bad this could be for everyone.

I gave a heavy sigh as I turned to leave the chamber. My boots clicked softly as I made my way to the heavy double doors that led to the rest of the cathedral. With each click on the shiny and smooth stone floors I thought about how I was so glad that I refused the Council's head seat. I would not have been able to survive with each and every witch's emergency. My heart would have given out from stress within the first month.

For now, I could do nothing but leave things in the Council's unsteady hands. If anything rose its nasty little head on my side of the realm, I would just have to take care of it myself.

Of course I will be dragging Arasule, Jasnine and Fog into it as well. Merianna might notice things being kept out of her ear shot. She was a blood hound when it came to things that spelled Trouble.

Speaking of the brat, I wonder what she is up to today...