“Lord Felix is the only one who has come forth to share he is officially of this insurgence. Others were identified by their militias battling your forces in the Night Heights and at The Enchantments. We have strong reason to believe, however, that not all have come forward to state where their allegiance lies. We also have strong reason to believe that a council of all those united to depose Cassius, restore Gallienus to his throne, and resume the ways of Airen meets there to plan their war,” Fern shared. “And we have reason to believe that orders are coming from the Bailey, direct from Gallienus himself.”

Her voice dropped when she continued.

“You do not kill a weed by picking off its leaves. You must dig it out of the dirt. We must know who our enemy is, Farah. All of them.”

Farah could not argue that point, so she didn’t.

But Elena entered the conversation.

“Serena has become quite skilled at being a spy.”

“She is very well known by this faction,” Fern replied. “As such, it would be difficult for her to spy.”

“She is very well known everywhere, but she still managed to strike a crippling blow to The Rising,” Elena replied.

“I will consider this,” Fern murmured.

“And consider using her lover, Chu,” Elena added.

Fern’s chin lifted. “We need no man.”

“He taught Serena much of what she knows. And Serena has a crew. Two gnomes. And everyone knows that gnomes are exceptionally skilled at espionage.”

Fern appeared most interested in this idea.

“Someone must volunteer to track down the Beast,” Melisse noted at this juncture, her eyes on Rebecca and Nandra. “It will be dangerous, and Lena and I can join in the search when we’ve completed our assignment. But we cannot delay in searching to ascertain if he has, or has not, come to ground.”

“I will do this,” Nandra declared.

“As will I,” Rebecca stated.

Melisse nodded and carried on.

“As it is, and as most of you know it is, our recent losses have caused great mourning,” she stated softly. “But they have also released great amounts of magic. It goes without saying we, all of us, would wish the witches who bore that magic to be amongst us, using their gifts to fight our foes. They are not. Thus, we must endeavor to use what they have left for us. Use it in their honor and use it to ensure their lives on this earth, and their deaths for a righteous cause, were not in vain.”

“I am uncertain if this is a good idea,” Rebecca said worriedly.

“It might not be,” Nandra replied. “But drawing down that amount of power would be useful.”

“I don’t understand what this means,” Silence murmured.

“We must draw down Mum’s, Jasmine’s, Rose’s and the magics of all the other Nadirii who fell,” Elena explained.