“I always wondered if my escape was made easy. It certainly wasn’t made difficult.”
“My sources say that Soul allowed your escape. Though it did not go entirely as he planned. You were supposed to have had your finger chopped off and made into a witch’s bottle before that happened. They were going to force you to kill your father and then murder you. But I see you still have all your fingers.” She waves her cigarette at my hand. “Nonetheless, your escape has still worked to Soul’s advantage. He brought down Gloria and took control of the Council himself.”
“So now there’s a man in charge of the Council and another leading the Hunters? That must be a first. I can’t see it going down well with White Witches.”
“Well, no. Most females, of course, have stronger Gifts than men. You and Gabriel are unusual in that regard.” Nesbitt coughs to bring attention to himself but Van ignores him. “Anyway, men actually don’t hold both those two key positions. Clay also fared badly due to your actions. Many White Witches have died protecting the Fairborn, and yet it was stolen on Clay’s watch without him even getting a bruise. There was a call for him to go too . . . and he went.”
“So who’s in charge of the Hunters now?” But somehow I have a feeling I already know.
“There was one person who did get rather more than a bruise the night you stole the Fairborn. She’s a little young and somewhat inexperienced but intelligent and highly gifted. And also horribly disfigured, so they say. Your half-sister Jessica.”
I remember the Fairborn in my hand, its power and its desire to cut, and how it sliced down her face. I say, “She was Clay’s lover. I guess that relationship is over now since it’s served its purpose. She’ll be loving the job more than she loved Clay.”
“Jessica is loyal to Soul and is already extending the Hunters’ range across Europe. Soul is bringing the White Witch Councils of Europe under his influence. He’s winning them round to his point of view. He wants them all to report to him and for them to drive out the Black Witches from here as they have been from Britain.” Van shakes her head. “I’m a Black Witch and have no love for Whites but in Europe we have a long tradition of live and let live. They stick to their traditional areas and we stick to ours. There’s a harmony.”
Van pulls her slim silver case out of her jacket and takes another cigarette, saying, “Soul has no interest in harmony. All he wants is more and more power.” She lights the cigarette, inhales deeply, and blows the plume of green smoke high above us. “He plans on killing all Black Witches in Europe. And he will kill anyone, Black or White, who stands in his way. He is no true witch.”
“And your quest is to stop him?”
“Yes. To restore harmony and balance we have to prevent Soul from taking over all the Councils of Europe and we have to stop the Hunters who work for him.”
“Who’s we?”
“An alliance of all witches.”
“All witches? You mean Whites as well as Blacks?”
“Yes, all witches who want to retain the traditional values.”
“Traditional values of hating each other?”
“Traditional values of mutual distance, respect, and tolerance. We all respect the individual, whether White or Black. And we’re looking for new recruits.”
“Me? I’m neither Black nor White.”
“You’re both.” She looks over at Nesbitt. “Half Bloods have joined too.”
“So, let me get this right: you’re banding together with a bunch of White Witches to battle the Hunters who are expanding into Europe. And you want me to join and fight alongside White Witches?”
“Yes.”
“Ha! You talk about balance? Well, I hate White Witches and they hate me. That’s the sort of balance I’m used to.”
“You don’t hate all White Witches. Your half-brother Arran and half-sister Deborah—”
“Are they joining?”
“I believe so.”
I’m not sure how I feel about that but I imagine it’s true. They would both believe in the cause.
I say, “I can’t see either of them being much use in a fight.”
“An army isn’t just made up of soldiers.” Van drags on her cigarette. “We all bring different attributes to the cause. Yours is undoubtedly your ability to fight. Others, like Arran, can heal the wounded. Others, like Deborah, provide information.”
I study her. “How many recruits are there?”
“A few. Some White Witches have fled England already. Those that find Soul too extreme and have said so. They’ve lost everything and want to fight back. Some Black Witches have also joined: those who see the future will be bleak if they do nothing. The numbers are small but growing.”
“You don’t need me then.”
“Few of our recruits can fight.”
“Ah.”
“And you, Nathan, need us. Even if you are able to wake Annalise and escape from Mercury, do you really think your troubles will be over? They’ll hunt you to the ends of the earth. And, while you may be able to run, your precious Annalise will, I’m afraid, not last two minutes.”