Chapter 13 The War Within

Elira barely slept that night.

She paced the nursery until the early hours of the morning, watching over her children while her mind spun like a storm.

The Council was moving.

Mirella's threat still echoed in her head: If you won't fight with us, then we'll take them.

Her babies.

A shiver ran down her spine.

For years, she had worked so hard to keep her past buried, to live a life as close to normal as she could with Damien. But now, the world she had tried to escape was forcing its way back in.

And Damien…

She closed her eyes, her chest aching.

He had walked away.

Maybe she should have told him the truth from the beginning. Maybe if she had, things wouldn't have spiraled out of control like this.

But deep down, a part of her knew—Damien was never meant for her world.

And now, he was caught in the middle of it.

The Billionaire's Fury

Damien sat at his desk in his penthouse, gripping a glass of whiskey so tightly his knuckles turned white.

His mind refused to settle.

His wife—the woman he had trusted, the mother of his children—was a witch.

And worse, she had lied to him for years.

His emotions warred inside him. Anger. Confusion. Pain. Love.

Damn it, he still loved her.

That was the worst part.

Despite everything, despite knowing she had deceived him, a part of him still wanted her.

But he couldn't just ignore what she had done.

There was too much at stake now.

His children weren't normal.

And if what Elira had said was true—if others like her were after them—then this wasn't just about his marriage anymore.

This was about power.

And Damien Harrington had spent his life winning.

He wasn't about to let anyone—witch or otherwise—tear his world apart.

He needed information.

And he knew exactly where to get it.

A Dangerous Ally

At exactly 3 AM, Damien's car pulled up outside an exclusive, heavily guarded mansion on the outskirts of the city.

The man he was here to see wasn't an ordinary businessman.

He was someone who dealt in secrets.

And Damien needed answers.

The guards recognized him instantly, stepping aside without a word.

He was led into a dimly lit study, where an older man with silver hair and sharp, calculating eyes sat behind an ornate desk.

"Damien Harrington," the man greeted smoothly. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"I need to know about witches."

There was a pause.

Then, the man smiled. "Ah. So you've finally discovered what you married."

Damien's jaw tightened. "You knew?"

"I know a lot of things." The man leaned forward, his fingers steepled. "The real question is—what do you plan to do about it?"

Damien exhaled slowly.

"Elira is my wife. I won't let anyone touch her or my children."

The man chuckled. "You sound very sure of that. But tell me, Damien—are you prepared to face the world she comes from?"

Damien didn't hesitate.

"I built an empire from nothing. I've crushed men twice as powerful as me. You think I'm afraid of a few witches?"

The man's smile widened.

"Then I suppose it's time you learned the truth."

The Awakening

Back at the mansion, Elira woke to the sound of whispers.

Her heart pounded as she sat up, scanning the room.

Nothing.

But the air was thick with magic.

She turned to check on the children—

And froze.

Her youngest, Lucian, was floating above his bed, his small body wrapped in a soft glow of silver light.

Her breath caught.

The first sign.

His magic was awakening.

Panic surged through her. This was too soon. It wasn't supposed to happen yet.

The triplets were still children. Too young to control their power.

If the Council found out…

She reached for Lucian, her hands shaking. "Baby, come down."

His eyes fluttered open, glowing a brilliant silver. "Mama?"

The moment he saw her, the glow disappeared, and he dropped into her arms.

Elira held him tightly, pressing a kiss to his forehead. "Shhh. It's okay."

But deep inside, she knew—

It wasn't okay.

This was only the beginning.

Enemies in the Shadows

Far from the mansion, in an underground chamber beneath the city, a group of hooded figures gathered around a flickering blue flame.

"The child has awakened," one of them murmured.

A ripple of murmurs passed through the room.

"The bloodline is stronger than we anticipated."

A figure stepped forward, their voice smooth and laced with amusement. "Then it's time to make our move."

The flame flared, casting eerie shadows across the stone walls.

"Bring me the children. And if the witch resists…"

The voice darkened.

"Kill her."

The War Begins

Elira stood by the window, watching as dawn broke over the city.

She could feel the shift in the air.

Something was coming.

And this time, she wasn't sure if she could stop it.

But she knew one thing.

No matter what happened, she would protect her family.

Even if it meant embracing the darkness inside her.

Even if it meant becoming the monster they feared.

She took a deep breath.

Let them come.

She was ready.