Conrad
"How has it been going, Miranda?" I asked the moment she materialized before me. Like other times, Miranda had a smile visible on her face. She seemed accomplished, and I couldn't wait to hear what she had to say.
"Fairly well," she answered as she stole the glass of wine in my hand. "The queen is coming along fine, she has a force in her, one that might cause trouble for everyone later on."
I rolled my eyes at the revelation. "Isn't it to be expected? She's mad like all the others, she's a Forger after all." Miranda shrugged in agreement before taking a sip out of the glass. "I'm still waiting, Miranda. You've only said the obvious things, tell me things that I do not know."
Miranda's smile widened, a glint of mischief in her eyes. "Patience, Conrad. The queen is struggling with her magic, but she has potential. She's determined, and that determination might be her greatest asset."
I leaned back in my chair, intrigued. "Potential is a dangerous thing. How much progress has she made?"
"Not much, to be honest," Miranda admitted, setting the glass down. "But she's persistent. She has a stubbornness that reminds me of you."
I chuckled in amusement at the comparison. We were different, Hayley was looking to acquire a new power, I sought to reclaim something that was once mine. But that was not the important thing at the moment.
"Does she know? About the drawbacks that come with acquiring magic?" I asked, my brows raised in curiosity. To that Miranda's lips curled up mischievously, and a brief laughter escaped her lips. "I'm guessing she doesn't know. Is this your plan? To take something of value away from her?"
She nodded before swirling the liquid in her glass. "It's uncertain what she would lose, it depends on how hungry her zeal is. More power equals a more hefty price. In some extreme cases, it can be life." Miranda replied before picking up her glass one more time. "You do realize that if she learns magic, it's going to cause more trouble for you, right?"
"Let me worry about that," I said, waving off her concern. "For now, focus on keeping her desire for power alive. Hopefully, she loses something that would impede Damian's rule. She's a Forger, she has stronger affinity for magic than the rest, it's safe to assume that she's not going to gain immense power without losing something great. If we're lucky, Damian might pay with his life."
"Let's not make wishes now!" Miranda cautioned with a stern look. "If Damian dies, be rest assured that I won't let you go unscathed. I'm only in this in hope that Hayley would exhaust her usefulness to Damian sooner than later. I only stand a chance of getting his love when she's out of the picture."
I threw my hands up in mock surrender. "Alright, alright, I almost forgot you're still obsessed with that usurper. Isn't it time for you to move on already? I mean he's probably moved on from you."
Miranda's smile faded the second she heard my words, and I realized that I might have said a little too much. She was the only ally I had that could directly influence Damian and his wife, and losing her would definitely limit my chances of success. I couldn't start a war yet, Damian might be losing supporters, but he still had more resources than I did. Going to war would only end in my defeat, and possible death. I couldn't risk it just yet.
"You've developed a sharp mouth over the weekend, is this jealousy, or perhaps you've found my replacement?" Miranda inquired sarcastically. She knew damn well that she couldn't be replaced. She was a valuable asset to me, and couldn't be replaced yet. She had flaws, but she was still an indispensable ally.
"I spoke out of line, do not take it to heart." I apologized jokingly before walking to get myself a glass of wine. At the same time, a messenger entered the room bearing a scroll in his hand.
"A message from Alpha Alexander and his son, Alpha Zion." The man announced with his head lowered respectfully. I left the wine I was about to pour for myself and walked forward to retrieve the scroll from his outstretched hand.
"You may leave." I dismissed with a wave of my hand before unveiling the contents of the scroll. At the sight of it, a smile spread across my face. I was gaining allies, and now even the pack that gave Hayley away to Damian have sworn their allegiance to me.
"You seem happy, any good news?" Miranda asked before walking forward to snatch the scroll out of my hand.
"Diamond pack has sworn its allegiance to me. Alpha Alexander and his son will aid me with weapons and men should I request it." I briefed before she got the chance to even glance through the scroll.
"Isn't that Hayley's pack?" Miranda asked for clarification, and I nodded in affirmation to clear her doubts.
"Apparently, Alpha Zion is still not happy that Damian claimed his mate. He feels insulted, and he wants his pound of flesh one way or another." I explained, but Miranda only seemed to get more confused.
"Didn't he reject Hayley before Damian claimed him? And what about his wife, Emily?" She asked, curious and intrigued.
"He did, but Zion is a greedy man. He wants Hayley back, apparently Emily cannot satisfy him anymore. I've also heard rumors that she's lost two pregnancies, perhaps their bloods are not compatible." I explained before retrieving the scroll from Miranda's hands. "I really couldn't care less about what Alpha Zion wants, having his support is all I care about. The boy is foolish, and would drive himself to ruin if his father wasn't around."
Miranda didn't comment, she merely focused on finishing her drink, and when she was done, she took her leave without bothering to say a word to me. It didn't really matter, I had already gotten the information I needed from her, and things were beginning to fall in place for me. I could almost feel it, victory was at my doorstep, and soon it would be mine.