Callista stood before Sabrina, her pulse quickening as she braced herself for whatever revelation was about to be unleashed. The coven leader's piercing gaze held an unsettling mix of curiosity and amusement.
"You were never meant to be just another werewolf or another witch," Sabrina said, stepping closer. "You are something far more... ancient."
Callista's heart pounded. "What do you mean?"
"You are the reincarnation of an ancient being," Sabrina continued. "A ruler who once held dominion over both witches and werewolves before history erased her existence."
The words hit Callista like a storm. "That's impossible."
Sabrina smirked. "Is it? Your powers-the speed at which you've mastered them, your ability to channel magic beyond your training-it all points to something greater."
Callista felt the walls closing in. Was this why she had always felt different? But before she could process the information, Sabrina's next words sent her reeling further.
"Lucien knows," she said simply.
The name struck Callista like a whip. "What?"
Sabrina nodded. "He may not have understood the full truth, but he was aware that you were more than just a hybrid. And his father-well, let's just say he had good reason to fear you."
Callista's stomach twisted. Was that why Lucien had been so protective? Why his father had hunted her bloodline? Betrayal burned inside her, but there was no time to dwell on it.
Because at that moment, she heard whispers-actual voices murmuring behind the heavy wooden doors of the grand hall. Curious, she crept closer, careful not to make a sound. What she heard made her blood run cold.
"The war must happen," a hushed voice said. "She cannot be allowed to bring peace."
Callista clenched her fists. Someone within the coven wanted to sabotage her mission. Was there a spy in the midst?
Before she could move, another whisper sent a shock through her body.
"Her father... he was never truly killed. His body was never found."
The air in Callista's lungs turned to ice. Her father... alive?
She stumbled back, barely able to think. If her father was still out there, hidden from the world, then everything she believed about her past was a lie. And if someone was keeping this secret from her, what else were they hiding?
Callista had come to the witches' coven for answers, but all she had found were more questions. And now, more than ever, she had no idea who to trust.