The Tiger Prince's Witch
Chapter 40 - Black Magic

As soon as Anna and Kamryn teleported to the palace, they asked everyone to meet in the conference room. When everyone arrived, Anna didn't waste any time.

"As you know, we just got back from the Black Mist Pack. While we were there, surprise guests showed up. They were Aunt Alice and Uncle Marcus. Dad, it looks like they're working for Santi. Alpha Gary said their eyes were completely black, and their voices weren't normal." Anna looked at her parents, who were staring at her in astonishment. "Are you sure it was them?" Stanley asked.

"Yes. They wanted to replace Elsie to take her to Santi. They told Gary that he still had a use for her. We teleported to Elsie so I could lift the spell and take her somewhere else, but when we got there, she was already gone." Anna stated, still wondering who had gotten her from under the spell. Even if it was black magic, it had to be powerful for her not to feel it.

"Did Alice and Marcus get there before you?" Caprice asked.

"No. I didn't feel their energy. Actually, I didn't feel no energy other than Elsie. I don't think she was gone long. The cabin was also ransacked. We couldn't tell if Elsie did it or if someone else did it. There was food and torn clothing all over the place." Anna looked around and saw the shock on everyone's faces.

"What does this mean exactly? Who could have broken your spell and removed her?" Randal asked, not liking this new development.

"It means that someone else knew where she was and that she was from our coven. As for who they were and how they broke the spell, it had to be black magic. If that's the case, it should reveal itself soon. Black magic can hide for a short time but not stay hidden from pure magic. If it wasn't Santi, I don't know who else it could be." Anna answered.

"How was Shila with staying at Black Mist?" Caprice asked, looking toward Anna.

"She was fine with it. Alpha Gary is her mate." Anna replied with a smile. At least one good piece of news came from their trip.

"Wow. Really? I'm so happy for her. The alpha seems like a good man." Caprice said, happy for Shila, who she knew always felt like an outcast.

"I agree. Now that he has his mate there, he seems even more determined to take down Santi. We met many of the pack members, and they seemed like a good strong pack. When this is over, it would be nice to keep a friendship with them." Kamryn said, thinking about all the strong warriors he saw there. He was bigger than most, but some were quite impressive. He wouldn't admit it, but he got a little jealous seeing how they looked at his mate. He couldn't blame them because Anna was beautiful. He looked at her now with her delicate features and long shiny hair. She was truly astounding, and she was all his.

"That's a good idea, son. We had the same impression of him. So what's the plan now?" Randal asked, looking at Kamryn and Anna for guidance. He was impressed with both of them and the leadership they were already showing.

"We need to start training as we discussed. Also, I'm going to do my best to replace what took Elsie. Now that she's not a witch, I can't pull her here the same way I sent her to the cabin. I can still focus on her energy and see if I can pick up the energy of those who broke the spell. I'm going to do that when we're done here. Did you replace any other spies?" Anna asked, looking toward her parents and Jaz's parents.

"We finished talking to everyone and didn't replace anyone else, but we're still taking precautions. Randal is removing all unnecessary staff." Stanely stated, nodding toward the king.

"We will have the chef, a few kitchen staff, and maids. Other than that, no one besides the guards. Everyone else has been sent away with pay. We'll have a few more people for the princess crowning ceremony for you two tomorrow. That's another opportunity to see if anyone else is working with Santi." Randal looked at the four young people with a small smile. At least they had something good to look forward to.

"We want you girls to enjoy yourself tomorrow. So try not to think about everything else and have fun." Lynn said, smiling at Anna and Jazlyn. She really loved both of them. The two young women looked at each other. Having fun was easier said than done.

"We'll try." Answered Anna was a slight smile.

The group broke up, with everyone agreeing that training would start after tomorrow so they could prepare for the crownings. Anna and Kamryn went up to their room so she could concentrate on replaceing out who had taken Elsie. "Do you think you'll replace her?" Kamryn asked after they shut the door.

"I'm going to do my best. I need you to sit next to me to act as my anchor. I'm going to go within the spell, and if someone with black magic took her, it could get dangerous. So I'll need you here to keep me from being sucked into whatever's there. You'll keep me grounded." She pulled him over to the couch and sat down, holding his hand.

"Is there anything I can do to help or anything I should watch out for?" Kamryn asked nervously. He didn't like the idea of his mate playing around with black magic.

"Just rest your hand on my leg. You'll see my arms moving, and you may see a light around me, but don't interrupt. Keep your hand on me at all times." Anna looked at him and saw the worry in his eyes. She leaned forward to kiss him, trying to ease his mind. Having him in the room would be enough as an anchor, but she knew he would feel better touching her due to the mate bond.

"Alright, my angel. I'll be here." Kamryn placed his hand on her thigh, and Anna closed her eyes.

She started mumbling under her breath in words that he couldn't understand. Anna's hands came up and started moving around. It startled him at first, but then he noticed the words were in sync with her movements. Just as he calmed down, he saw the light glowing around her. It was a soft golden light that made him feel warm. Kamryn watched in stunned silence as the light got brighter and brighter.

Anna was deep within the spell. First, she had to trace it back to the root when she placed the spell on Elsie. She followed it to the cabin as it blanketed the area. The spell was like a part of Anna, and she could feel Elsie's despair of not knowing who she was. It brought back painful reminders of when she was there.

She then felt the pack members from Black Mist who found her but couldn't remove her due to the spell holding her in place. Anna could feel their nervousness being there and knew they didn't want to be part of Santi's plans. She felt no other energy for a while, and then something dark came out of nowhere.

It felt like a blast of cold washing over her body, making her shiver. Anna felt Elsie's anger once the darkness descended. She was the one who tore up the cabin. Anna felt Elsie filling up with rage and hatred, but she didn't know where it was coming from. It seemed to be coming more from the darkness than Elsie herself.

Anna waited to see what was causing this, then she saw it. Three witches landed near the cabin and were dressed all in black with black eyes and white hair. They went into the cabin, took Elsie, and disappeared with her. Anna hadn't expected to see it all play for her like a movie. She'd only been able to feel the energy of others, but the three witches' darkness was so intense it formed images in her head.

Even after they took her away, Anna was still connected to Elsie from the spell. She felt her cousin's fear of the unknown. When they arrived at their destination, Anna was surprised to see they were at a large palace similar to the one she was currently in. When she felt the energy of the occupants, she quickly stopped the spell.

Kamryn felt numb watching Anna. She was glowing so brightly that he almost had to close his eyes. The gold light was so warm it made him hot. When he saw her open her eyes, he felt her trembling. He was scared to speak, unsure if she was done.

"I know who took Elsie," Anna whispered.

"Who?" Kamryn asked, putting his arms around her shaking body.

"Jarek, the Lycan King."