Chapter 330: Victoria’s Move

Victoria’s POV

Victoria was sitting at her kitchen table reviewing old coven records when the world exploded.

A surge of power so massive, so pure, so unmistakably Morvaine slammed into her from three territories away. It punched through her personal wards like they were paper, made every protection spell in the apartment flare to life simultaneously, and drove Victoria to her knees with the sheer force of it.

White light.

Ancestral magic.

Lilith.

Victoria’s hands slapped against the floor as she gasped for breath, her own magic responding instinctively to the call of family blood. But this was not just any Morvaine power. This was old magic. The kind that had not been seen since before the coven fell. The kind that only manifested in witches with direct bloodline connection to the original Morvaine matriarch.

Lilith’s power had fully awakened.

And she had just used it.

Victoria pushed herself to her feet, her mind racing. Lilith would not have released that much power unless she was desperate. Unless she was terrified. Unless she was fighting for her life.

The Blackwoods had failed to protect her.

Rage flooded through Victoria like ice water, cold and absolute and utterly consuming. She had given them one job. Keep Lilith safe while they ran off chasing their pointless hope. And they had failed.

Victoria grabbed her phone with shaking hands and made the first call.

Magdalene answered on the second ring.

"I felt it," Magdalene said immediately. Her voice was sharp with concern. "That was Morvaine magic. Strong enough to register across three territories."

"It was Lilith," Victoria said, forcing her voice to stay steady. "Something happened at the Blackwood estate. Something that forced her to use power she doesn’t know how to control."

"An attack?"

"I don’t know yet. But I need you to gather everyone. Everyone who’s still loyal to the coven. Everyone who remembers what we lost. Get them to the Blackwood estate within two hours."

Magdalene was quiet for a moment. "You’re going to war?"

"I’m going to take my niece somewhere those wolves can’t hurt her anymore," Victoria corrected. "Whether they cooperate or not."

"Understood. I’ll make the calls."

Victoria hung up and immediately dialed the second number.

Henrik answered with his usual smooth professionalism. "Victoria. How unexpected."

"I need you at the Blackwood estate in two hours," Victoria said without preamble. "Bring everything you need to sever complete mate bonds."

The silence that followed was heavy.

"That’s dangerous magic," Henrik said finally. "Severing complete bonds....especially three complete bonds, could kill the person they’re attached to. The magical backlash alone....."

"I’m aware of the risks," Victoria interrupted. "But if those bonds are what’s keeping Lilith trapped with wolves who can’t protect her, then they need to be severed. Can you do it or not?"

"I can do it," Henrik said slowly. "But Victoria, you need to understand, if this goes wrong, if the bonds don’t sever cleanly, Lilith could suffer permanent damage. Brain damage. Magic burnout. Or death."

"And if I leave her bonded to three cursed Alphas who are going to go feral and kill her within a year, she’ll definitely die," Victoria shot back. "So which risk would you rather take?"

Henrik sighed. "Where exactly am I going?"

"The Blackwood estate. Northern territories. I’ll send you the coordinates." Victoria’s jaw tightened. "And Henrik? If you fail, if you let her die because you weren’t careful enough, I will make sure you regret it for however long you have left to live. Am I clear?"

"Crystal," Henrik said dryly. "I’ll be there."

Victoria ended the call and stared at her phone for a moment, her hands still shaking with suppressed rage.

One more call.

The most important one.

She dialed Silas Greythorne.

He answered immediately. "Victoria. I was wondering when you would call."

"What happened at the Blackwood estate?" Victoria demanded. "I felt Lilith’s power surge. Who attacked her?"

Silas was quiet for a moment, the kind of calculated pause that meant he was deciding how much information to give her and how much to charge for it.

"There was an attack approximately forty-three minutes ago," Silas said finally. "Dark creatures and hired mercenaries. Professional operation. Well-coordinated."

Victoria’s blood ran cold. "Who sent them?"

"That’s where it gets interesting," Silas said, and she could hear the edge in his voice that meant bad news was coming. "The attack was led by someone with significant magical power. Someone who broke through the Blackwood wards like they were nothing."

"What kind of magic?"

"Morvaine."

Victoria went completely still. "That’s impossible."

"Is it?" Silas asked. "Because the magical signature was unmistakable. Old magic. Coven magic. The kind that only comes from witches with direct bloodline connection."

"I’m the only Morvaine witch left besides Lilith and Cassandra," Victoria said, but even as she said it, doubt crept into her voice. "Everyone else died in the attack fifteen years ago. I searched for survivors. I found no one."

"Then someone stayed hidden very well," Silas said. "Or someone you thought was dead isn’t."

Victoria’s mind raced through the names of everyone who had died in the coven attack. Her mother. Three aunts. Seven cousins. Dozens of coven members who had lived on the estate or in the surrounding territories.

She had identified bodies. Had performed death rites. Had mourned them all.

But what if she had missed someone?

What if someone had survived and stayed hidden all these years?

"The attack failed," Silas continued. "Lilith’s power drove them back. But Victoria, whoever this is, they’ll try again. And next time they’ll be better prepared."

"Then I’m taking her before they get the chance," Victoria said.

"The Blackwoods won’t allow...."

"I don’t care what the Blackwoods allow," Victoria interrupted. "They had their chance to protect her. They failed. My niece was attacked while those wolves ran off chasing false hope from a witch who would only tell them what I already know that the prophecy is absolute and Lilith’s only chance at survival is to leave."

"And if she doesn’t want to leave?"

"Then I’ll make her understand why she needs to," Victoria said flatly. "Even if it means taking the choice out of her hands."

Silas was quiet for a long moment. "Be careful, Victoria. Forced protection has a way of becoming its own kind of prison."

"Better a prisoner who’s alive than a martyr who’s dead," Victoria said, and hung up before Silas could respond.

She stood in her kitchen and let the rage settle into something cold and purposeful.

Lilith was in danger. From the curse. From whoever had survived the attack. From her own awakening power that she could not control. And from three Alpha wolves who thought bonding her would somehow solve everything.

Well, she was done waiting.

Done hoping the Blackwoods would figure out a solution that did not exist.

Done trusting that Lilith would make the right choice when she was too bonded and too confused to see clearly.

Victoria gathered her power and started preparing.