Total pages in book: 106
Estimated words: 99935 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 500(@200wpm)___ 400(@250wpm)___ 333(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 99935 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 500(@200wpm)___ 400(@250wpm)___ 333(@300wpm)
“Back then, mortals were weak,” he said. “The gates of hell were open, and we all were very unrestrained in our feasting on the human buffet.” His smile was terrible. “Needless to say, we were driving them to extinction. More the fool we were,” Radu hissed.
“Humans were then, and are now, the favored of the gods. Why would they not be when they worship them so sweetly?”
I wasn’t exaggerating, I’d never been in a room full of demons that were this quiet.
Radu took a long drag and blew, catching my gaze and trapping it as he tipped his head back. “So great was human suffering. So fervent were their prayers that the gods responded—gifting them power... and thus witches were born.”
Growls and curses lit the air, standing my neck hairs on end.
“Fuck witches!” half the class shouted. “Screw those damn hags.”
I grimaced when the spit hit the floor.
Even Ronin’s eyelids cracked. He was now very much awake.
“Quite,” Radu agreed. Even his lips were curled at the thought of witches. “Mortals worship many gods, and those gods blessed them in a myriad of ways—giving rise to different types of witch powers. Some witches got their power by drawing energy from the forces of nature, some had innate magic powered by their souls, others were channelers—using an artifact or other conduit to tap into unlimited power.
“There were those with spirit magic who drew upon the power of their dead witch sisters, and similarly, witches with ancestral magic channeled the power of their ancestors,” he said, “and beyond that, there were those who mastered alchemy, sacrificial magic, and sorcerers whose power came from spell casting and mastering words of power.
“I tell you this,” Radu murmured in that low, mesmerizing bass, “so that you understand exactly what we came to be up against. Yes, demons wield compulsion and sacrificial magic, and fae are masters of illusion magic and glamours. But what did any of that matter, when witches could now do all of the above and more?”
He turned his unnatural eyes on us, lip quirked up as if he was really asking for an answer to that question, but he was met with only silence.
Flipping the page from my map, I found myself taking notes on his every word.
“Slow, we were,” he continued, sighing deeply, “to fully understand that our prey was prey no more. As we continued to ignore the mortal witch threat, they built their covens full of witches of all types and powers, so they were prepared to face and kill any supernatural threat that came their way.
“Supernatural speed? What use was that when the right phrase from a sorcerer could immobilize you? Locking your jaw and freezing your muscles so that you can’t even scream and beg as they take you apart. The power to use dark magic to compel those to your will? A cute demon trick except it doesn’t work on spirits of the dead, so what use is a demon against a witch protected by the spirit of her ancestors. What if you’re a creature of the night? Who stalks and preys while the world sleeps?” Radu gestured to his thin and perfect form. “How short-lived is your victory when your prey summons the light of a thousand suns, and burns you to dust where you stand.”
His finished cigarette was flicked over his shoulder and quickly replaced with another one. “One by one, covens were hunting us down, killing us, destroying us, and teaching us what it means to be afraid. It wasn’t too long until we supernaturals were the ones facing extinction.
“We thought—” Radu laughed, shaking his head. “We hoped that if we swore to prey only on the worst of humans, a ceasefire could be called, but it was not to be. In their final and complete victory over us, the strongest witches from all the world over, came together and created a spell that banished every supernatural creature to hell, and slammed the gates behind us—sealed them closed from the inside for an eternity.
“As you may or may not know, a witch’s spell can be reversed, but only if you know what the spell is,” he explained. “Not only do we not know the spell to open the gates and free us all, but because their gathering was held in the utmost secrecy, we don’t know the witches who were present on the day, or their magic types.
“Knowledge that would’ve been helpful if hell wasn’t so determined to keep the prey that falls into its clutches,” he said. “When a witch dies, they have the same afterlife options. They either ascend or fall. If they ascend to the heavens, they do so as they are—remembering themselves and their past life.
“But if they are banished to hell, they are stripped of age, knowledge, and memory, and revert back to helpless infants. This is done purposely,” he said, making my brows snap together. “For if you remember your sins, you can repent of them. And if you repent, there is always the chance you can be rescued from hell, and taken to the realm of peace.”