Soul Mates Rise: Witching Call Part 4 by Sandra Ross

Chapter One
    "I JUST CAN'T BELIEVE that Adair is
working with the dark side!" Augusta exclaimed.
    "Actually, I can believe it," Lola
said. "I've never trusted her."
    "Oh I know that she's always had a
thing for Marcus and that you disliked her for that, Lola, but this
is just going beyond anything I thought she was capable of. I
assume that you've taken the appropriate measures?"
    "Yes, Augusta," Marcus replied. "We've
surrounded the entire castle with a very strong protection spell as
well as having filled the moat with water. Obviously, magic can get
someone across the moat but it will take something a lot stronger
to break through."
    "That's reassuring to hear, my King,"
Augusta said.
    "Also, Marcus and I have decided that
it will be best to have all of you stay here in the castle for now.
There's plenty of room and we need all of our strongest power based
in one area. Besides, you'll all be safer here than at your homes,"
Lola explained.
    "Whatever you feel is best," Augusta
said as she looked around the table at the rest of The Council.
They all nodded in agreement.
    Lola was relieved that they hadn't had
to go through any sort of convincing, because she was aware that
the members of The Council had their own lives to lead. The fact
that they had not objected at all told her that they realized just
how serious the situation was. She and Marcus had hired extra help
from the village to help Amie and Hudson take care of the castle.
Hence, each Council member had his or her own room made up and
ready.
    The Council, on the other hand, had
organized magical covens that helped strengthen protection spells
in every village and home where the dark force might be attacking.
Additionally, it had been vigilantly in gathering intelligence and
conducting patrols. They even created spells to protect the
non-magical humans.
    There had been fewer incidents
to none at all since they had established the King and Queen on
their "throne". Actually, the throne room was not used much except
for special traditional occasions. The Soul Mates were not keen with extravagant
posturing and preferred the huge, modern conference hall for
meetings.
    How glad Lola and Marcus were to have
them. Their very presence made everyone feel brave. It did not feel
hopeless anymore. If only the couple knew what power they
represented to the people!
    "We'll need to be extra careful when it
comes to admitting strangers to the castle," Lola said, not seeing
the look of total gratitude that was on Augusta's face. "It seems
that Adair is very good at disguising herself. Marcus and I feel
that, unless we personally know the individual, no one will be
admitted to the castle until this situation is
resolved."
    Reaching over to take his wife's hand,
Marcus surveyed the people sitting before them. These were the
people that had run the magical world for a very long time, and
they had done an excellent job of it.
    Now, though, he could tell that they
were worried about what they were all facing.
    That told him just how serious it
was.
    "Have you had any more luck with
locating information about my biological parents?" Marcus
asked.
    He had ordered a more extensive search
for further background information. Now that he was King, he knew
there was more that needed to be known about the first part of his
present lifetime-to know everything, if possible.
    "Everything we have discovered is in
this report," Augusta said as she passed a manila envelope across
the table to Marcus.
    "Thank you, Augusta," Marcus said as he
picked up the envelope. "I appreciate the trouble you've gone
through to get this for me."
    "Oh, it wasn't that much trouble, my
King," August replied, waving her hand dismissively. "I'm not sure
how much it will help you, though."
    "I understand," said Marcus. "All the
same, I do appreciate what you've done."
    They spoke and strategized for another
two hours before breaking for lunch.
    So far, they had not discovered
anything that was going to help them understand