Chapter 234 - Two Steps Ahead

Standing quietly on the balcony, Jasmine looked down at the courtyard where all kinds of witches had gathered in her honor. The prospect of power and unity under her leadership drew them to her. Jasmine, however, was no fool. She was aware that not all smiles were masks of good intentions and that loyalty was a delicate issue, some of them had come to undermine her from within, gnawing their way through her defenses rather than rallying around her. At the outer edges of her mind, she sensed a dark whisper. She called her maid, a young woman with a sharp mind and discretion that had kept her in the palace's confidence for years, as the sun started to set, bathing the courtyard in an amber glow. Jasmine leaned in as the young woman approached her, her voice quiet but firm, “Have a letter written to the Shadow Shroud Pack” she instructed, “Inviting them to the witch's day celebration. Request their support and attendance at the grand event. Secondly” she added, lowering her voice