Chapter 530: Tainted Remains

One Month Before

The old woman hunched over the table, her thin fingers moving slowly as she crushed dried leaves inside a stone bowl.

Her long grey hair hung loosely around her shoulders, partially hiding the deep wrinkles carved into her face.

She did not turn when Victoria entered.

But she knew Victoria was there.

Victoria ignored the ritual table completely.

Instead, she crossed the chamber and lowered herself onto the black velvet couch positioned near the wall.

Victoria leaned back against the cushions as though she were settling into a throne.

She crossed one leg over the other. 𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖

"Tell me something," she said calmly.

Selith’s grinding slowed.

Victoria watched the old woman’s back as she continued.

"Have you seen the beast remains yet?"

Selith’s shoulders lifted slightly.

Then she chuckled.

The sound was low and dry.

She finally turned around, the pestle still resting loosely in her hand.

"There truly is nothing you cannot obtain," Selith said, her lips curling into a crooked smile. "The remains are perfect."

Victoria’s expression remained unchanged.

"I do not care if they are perfect."

Selith’s smile twitched as Victoria leaned forward slightly.

"Can you do what I asked you to do?"

Selith tilted her head.

"Do you truly take me for someone incapable?"

Victoria watched her quietly for a moment.

Selith had proven useful before.

Her knowledge of forbidden magic was... impressive. But usefulness did not equal trust.

"You have proven yourself many times," Victoria said calmly. "But the one thing I asked for has still not been delivered."

Selith sighed softly.

"If you had done a better job finding your daughter," she replied casually, "we would not be having this problem."

Victoria rolled her eyes.

The gesture was small, but the irritation behind it was unmistakable.

"I have given you far too much freedom," she said.

Selith only smiled.

Victoria studied her for another moment before speaking again.

"Soon the priest from Nirvana will be brought to us as well," she said.

Selith’s eyes flickered faintly.

"And when that happens," Victoria continued, "you will have no more excuses."

Selith chuckled softly.

"I already have no excuses."

She turned back to the ritual table.

Her long fingers moved across the scattered objects until she picked up something small and curved.

"What is that?" Victoria asked her.

"Something from what you brought me. Something from the beast remains—a Skylur fang," Selith told her.

Victoria watched with mild distaste as Selith lifted the tooth to her mouth.

Then the old woman bit down on it. The sound of teeth meeting teeth echoed faintly through the chamber.

Victoria made a face.

"That is disgusting."

She rose from the couch with a sigh.

Selith did not respond to her. She instead picked up a small hammer and hit the fang repeatedly until a small part broke free.

She picked it up and placed it in a bowl. Victoria had just reached the door when Selith made a sound—a delighted one.

Victoria stopped and turned back slowly toward where Selith was.

Selith was already moving.

The old woman’s hands moved quickly as she grabbed a small glass vial from the table. Her lips began murmuring words beneath her breath.

It was low and rhythmic and seemed to twist the air around them.

Victoria watched silently as Selith poured the dark liquid from the vial onto the crushed fang.

For a moment nothing happened.

But then there was a sizzling sound, along with smoke, followed by a black residue lifting slowly into the air.

Selith’s laughter echoed through the chamber.

"Ah," she breathed.

Victoria frowned at the woman. She could not make sense of what was happening right now.

"What is it?"

Selith ignored her at first.

Her eyes remained fixed on the rising smoke as her laughter grew louder.

Finally she turned toward Victoria.

"These beasts in Nirvana," Selith said slowly, "are tainted."

Victoria’s brows lifted slightly.

"Tainted?"

Selith nodded eagerly.

"Yes, tainted with black magic."

Victoria’s expression sharpened as Selith continued.

"I suspect the source is the First Priest."

Selith gestured toward the drifting black residue.

"This corruption changes everything," she said excitedly. "It makes our work much easier."

Victoria watched the smoke carefully.

"And when the First Priest is brought to us," Selith continued, "we will use that power."

Her grin widened.

"To give you what you want."

Victoria said nothing.

Selith leaned closer to the table, her voice lowering.

"Perhaps a power even stronger than your daughter’s. One that would make more people bow to you," she said.

For a moment the chamber was completely silent.

Then Victoria gave a smile. She had always hated the thought of her daughter possessing something greater than she did after all, and this was an opportunity to prove that what her daughter had should have belonged to her from the beginning.

Selith’s grin grew sharper.

"But we will need more sacrifices," she said. "The healthier the better. Preferably those who have not yet been tainted or have had anyone in their pack tainted."

Victoria did not hesitate.

"That will not be a problem," she said with a delighted smile on her face. "I have the perfect people in mind."

"I have sent someone to collect them after all," she said.

"Is this the same pack we’ve been trying to get for a while?" Selith asked her.

Victoria’s eyes gleamed faintly in the torchlight.

"Yes."

"This time," she said quietly, "I have high hopes that they will be brought to us. The one I sent is rather promising after all."

Selith laughed under her breath.

"Well," she said, "I do hope this one does not die like the others."

Victoria’s gaze drifted toward the flickering torches.

"That would be unfortunate," she said before turning to Selith again. "Because I do have interesting plans for the boy after all."

She licked her lips, and Selith laughed darkly.

She knew exactly what those plans Victoria had talked about were, and Victoria would stop at nothing to seduce the boy.

She liked them younger after all.