Silver Moon (Colors of the Moon #3)

Chapter 12

I tugged on my long sleeves and pulled them even lower. Around me were a dozen witches surrounding me from all sides, while I stood in their very middle. They were all here for one reason. To protect me.

In front of my childhood home now stood the representatives of all seven covens: Time, Battle, Elemental, Spirit, Potion and Healing witches. And, of course, me, the one and only representative of the family of High Priestesses.

One would think we were preparing for war and not a diplomatic visit to the werewolf castle. Then again, I wasn't just an ordinary witch anymore.

"Is this really necessary?" I asked Effie who was the fourteenth witch to walk up to our little group.

"Your escort?" She glanced at the witches around me and then back at me. "Yes, they're necessary. One can never be too careful."

"No. I meant the cloak and the hood."

I knew the protocol of the High Priestess leaving Allium. I had seen my mother escorted with the same number of witches on countless occasions. It was something I didn't even feel a need to question. What was bothering me right now, was the black cloak suffocating me from all directions. Not to mention the hood that hid my face from even the tiniest beam of sunlight.

"Yes." Effie walked over to the front of the group.

"But it makes me feel ridiculous." Despite knowing that she couldn't hear me anymore, I still said it aloud.

"It doesn't make you look ridiculous." The voice came from my left. Right next to me, closer than any of the other witches, stood Kasey. She also had to wear a cloak, but at least she wasn't required to keep the hood over her head. "It makes all of you disappear which is a good thing. No one needs to see what is underneath that hood."

"Shut up." I tried to sound stern, but a snort still wheezed through my nose.

"Are we ready?" Effie called out.

She was standing barely a step away from the six feet tall portal swirling in the middle of the street. It led straight to the werewolf castle. This meant that the moment I stepped through it, I would find myself in the same room as Theo.

I waited for Effie to step through the portal, however, no one moved. It took me a second to realize they were all waiting for my command. Something I had yet to get used to.

"Let's go," I called out.

As if one living creature, we all began to move at the same time. Step by step I neared the portal, until it was my turn to step through. I held my breath and a second later I was inside the throne room.

The first person my eyes landed on was Theo, who was perched on his throne almost halfway across the room. He was dressed in one of his polished suits and for the first time since I've met him, he was wearing a crown on his head. It made him look like a true Alpha King.

"It is an honor to be here, Alpha King." Effie began with the official introductions while I let my eyes travel around the room.

The long table from the attack was nowhere to be found. Instead, the big room was filled with twenty stern-looking warriors. For the first time I was glad so many of my fellow witches were with me. I recognized a few faces around the room, like Yasin and Elena. But there was no sign of Zara or any of my other family members. They were yet another issue I needed to deal with.

"... introduce to you our new High Priestess." Effie's words pulled me back to her. "Gabriela Olivia Castillo."

As she spoke my full name, I reached for the hood. With one last inhale I removed it and exposed my face to the rest of the room.