"Are you not going to give me an answer?" Venara asked, disbelief flashing in her eyes. "It seems that you have lost all interest in speaking."
"Some things needed to happen in the shadows, under the cloak of the night."
"In the shadows?"
"I believe someone — perhaps one of your servants might be working with your mother," King Aldric said, his face devoid of any expression. "I do not want to take that risk."
"What risk?"
"Of my plans not coming through…" Aldric spoke. "I cannot let the witches continue to wreak havoc inside the Empire, we cannot let that happen. And both of us know that."
"You are trying to get all the other blood witches killed."
"You already knew this would happen when your mother declared war against me." Aldric said.
"Declared war? She never did that."
"Nothing will change my mind," Aldric said, his tone containing the finality she needed to hear."The hunt had just begun."
