300 Days With The Alpha Beta Triplets
THE COUNCIL OF WITCHES

THIRD PERSON POV:

Hazel pulled her cloak tightly around herself as the chilly night slapped against her hands. She ignored the biting feeling and set out to replace the cave. She opened a portal and made it to the wasteland. Since her mind was a mix of chaos, it was difficult to focus on opening a portal in the middle of the cave. As she arrived at the entrance of the wasteland, she walked until the cave came into view. Her heart raced, and deep down, she was scared of being here alone, but each time fear crossed her heart, Halle's words would counter what she felt.

Taking a deep breath, she stepped inside the cool and damp cave, which provided her a little warmth in contrast to the biting cold outside. Looking around, she saw that the bodies of the slaughtered werewolves were nowhere to be found. They were gone, and she wondered if the cave did a self-cleansing or if Enzo's men had taken away the bodies.

Her footsteps echoed faintly as she walked deeper into the cave. This had been their hiding place, but knowing what great powers it possessed made her scared as she walked further into it. The last time she had been here, the pillar had rejected her violently, throwing her out of the cave, and she feared she wouldn't live up to its expectations, but then she had to try again.

Finally, she reached the center of the cave, then inhaled sharply, reaching for her bag to take out her spell book. She placed it on the ground, then sat with her legs crossed.

"Oh, witches of the old, show me the spell I need to summon the pillar of the ten council of witches."

The book flipped open, showing her the exact page that she needed. She began to chant the spell in her book, and suddenly the ground rumbled slightly, and the pillar emerged just a few feet from where she was.

"That was easy," she said to herself as she got to her feet, then made it to the front of the pillar, tracing her hand on the body as she had been instructed. Her hands roamed low on it, pressing the body slowly until she got to a spot that sank in, and then a small compartment opened a little higher from the spot.

There, she saw a knife, just as Halle had said. As she reached for it, her hands trembled, and she knew she was about to meet her savior or her doom inside the room. Taking the knife, she made a cut on both her palms, causing her to whimper in pain. Then she dropped the knife back, and the compartment closed up. She let her blood drip on the floor, then heard a soft wind swirl around, echoing in the room like the voice of a woman. After this, she shut her eyes and pressed her bloodied palms against the glowing handprint on the pillar, and with a steady voice, she declared, "I am Hazel Baudelaire, a witch of the Baudelaire lineage. Halle Baudelaire sent here me."

The moment her words left her lips, the pillar began to hum with power. The carvings glowed brighter, and a low rumble echoed through the cave. Hazel stepped back as a section of the cave wall began to slide open, revealing a dark passageway.

As soon as the door was fully opened, she inhaled deeply, placing a hand on her chest to calm her heart, which wouldn't stop hammering against her chest.

"Go in with your back. Do not look straight." Halle's voice rang in her head, and Hazel made her way toward the entrance, which stank of incense.

She sucked in her breath, then turned her back, making her way into the narrow passage. The air grew colder with each step, and an eerie silence enveloped her, causing bumps to sprout up her skin.

Curiosity clawed at her, but she realized it was a matter of life and death, so in order to distract herself, Hazel kept her gaze fixed on the ground, trying to maintain a steady breath to calm her anxious mind as she advanced into the cave. The further she got, the more she could feel some presence all around her, but she fought hard to remain strong.

At last, she looked down to see that the ground beneath her had changed, and the floor of the cave was gone. She could sense the change in her environment and how charged with magic the surrounding air was.

"State your purpose," a voice commanded before she could take another step. The voice echoed through the room, startling Hazel, causing her to freeze on the spot.

"I... I am Hazel Baudelaire," she said, her voice trembling.

"I have come to seek the aid of the council of witches. Halle Baudelaire sent here me."

Whispers spread across the room at once, and Hazel felt her heart thump even faster.

"You carry her essence, but how do we know you are worthy of being in our presence?" they asked, and Hazel swallowed hard.

Halle hadn't prepared her for this part, but she knew she had to be smart.

"Because the moon goddess has chosen me to work with the great unifier. She is in danger, and as the witch assigned

to help her through her battle with Enzo Darkmoore, I have come to seek your help as our hands are tied."

Hazel exhaled shakily after this, then waited for them to pass their judgment.

"Very well then, you may turn around to face us!" the women ordered, and Hazel turned at once as Halle had instructed.

In front of her stood a raised platform of ten witches, all dressed in white cloaks, sitting on huge thrones looking down at her. She felt very small before their towering figures.

"You seek the release of Radolf Clawmark, do you not?" one witch in the circle asked, diverting Hazel's gaze to only her.

"Yes," Hazel replied at once, trying to steady her voice. "I seek your guidance and your blessing because our plans have failed, and Enzo is advancing faster than we thought."

The witches exchanged glances.

"Do you know the price for our aid?" one witch asked, and Hazel shook her head.

"But I am prepared to do whatever it takes," she added, and the witches stared down at her for a moment as though they were trying to study her.

"Very well. We will test you, child. If you are worthy, the path to victory shall be revealed. But be warned-failure will cost you everything."

Hazel swallowed hard, but nodded. "I understand."

They gave Hazel an intense stare for a moment, and she tried to look back at them without flinching. She waited for the test, and she was determined to ace it because she knew that the life of her best friend depended on it.

After a while, the room echoed with the sound of claps, and Hazel remained perplexed as the witches gave her a round of applause.

"You have passed the test," one of them said, and she raised a brow at first, but she quickly straightened, giving them a bow.

"Thank

you

for thinking that I merit your grace," she said to them at once before raising her head. "We do not just think that you merit it, we know you merit it, because you have shown no sign of weakness. Most people tremble when we tell them we have a test for them, but the true test is bravery."

As they said this, they began to shrink in size, and Hazel's mouth remained wide open until the ten of them came down to her level, standing before her.

"As you can see, the concept of us being giants is also an illusion. When you are clouded with fear and a small mind, that is how you view us. But you have moved past that, so we replace you worthy of our help."

Another witch raised a hand, and a bubble appeared before them.

Hazel stared into the bubble, which slowly began to take the form of an image. There she saw Bella bound in chains in a room in the vampire's den.

"To release Radolf Clawmark, you need the power of the ten council of witches and the blood of two hybrids," another witch spoke. "The blood of the unifier must be amongst that of the two hybrids, and the other hybrid must be bound by our magic. There is a rock hiding deep in the forest north of the Rune pack. The hybrids must coat the stone with their blood while the council of witches carries a spell out. This will summon the hybrid king. His tomb is said to be beneath the rock. He is immortal, and he is merely asleep, but he has been that way for centuries, so he must be awoken."