Serena agreed with Cass’s sentiment, for they had all heard of the evil of demons, beings who were of the earth so long ago, they were not even lore. They were myth.

Or, obviously, not.

They were creatures of the gods run amuck. And why not? When your makers gave you extraordinary powers and made you nearly impossible to kill.

“I have good news,” Ry shared.

“Then tell us that,” Mars demanded.

“It is clear from the tomes there were only five. Now, with the heroic efforts of the Great Coven, there are only four. Thus, they are not seeking others to be released,” Ry said.

This was good news for they had all wondered, and worried, in the time between their release, and now, when not much had happened, that they were about the business of just that.

“We know they have the power to transform,” Ry continued. “And we know they have great might. We also know they are not mindless. They are not but animals who act on instinct, for survival or dominion or their pack. They have reason. And last, in also closely studying the lore after the Beast freed himself previously, we feel confident in sharing this is all they are.”

“All?” Farah asked.

Ry tipped his chin to her.

“All. Poison spewing from their mouths that could freeze a being?” He shook his head. “We feel that is myth. We do not know for certain the ability of their quickness, but in examining the time it took for them to leave the stones and find the homesteads in proximity to them in order to commit the atrocities against those five families, it would seem their speed is not beyond a normal human. These we feel, albeit strongly, were exaggerations. Manifestations of the lore passing along the centuries, heightened for the teller to keep the hearer in their grip.”

“You feel this, but you do not know this,” Aramus pressed.

Ry nodded.

No one spoke.

Thus, Ry continued.

“There is, I’m afraid, some bad news.”

“We’re used to that,” Ha-Lah murmured.

“What is it?” Cass asked.

Ry looked to Liam who returned a nonverbal indication he should spit it out.

And he did.

“We feel it is not coincidence, that Rebecca and Nandra were lost.”

That earned the attention of all.

“We feel,” Ry carried on, “it was foretold, that the power of the Great Coven, created after the last time the Beast walked the earth, would rise up to do exactly what it did. Eradicate one of them. And do it at the henge, where the Coven met, and where a witch could garner more power.”

It took a moment for him to speak on, and it did this for it seemed like he wished not to do such, and then he did.