United. (Book 5 of the Lupus Antiqua Series)

"Well, well, well. You were quite welcome, you know? There was no need to try and rip the wards apart." Kani was tall and muscular, yet still managed to retain an elegant sort of beauty.

She eclipsed the seven women who had shown up initially. All seven. Put together. Honestly, Abby felt a little intimidated by her.

She could destroy you with magic, and barring that, she looked like she could mess you up in hand to hand combat, too. She was an impressive woman, and Abby felt excited to be learning under her.

"I was only trying to knock." Abby murmured by way of explanation. Kani blinked in surprise for a moment and then burst out laughing. The seven women behind her looked surprised by this.

"That was you knocking?" Kani wiped at some moisture in her eyes. "Damn, girl. You'll be fun to train, and train you must. You've woken up and if you don't get control of it soon, you'll end up causing massacres you don't intent. Can't have innocents winding up like the Anguis, eh?" Kani waggled her eyebrows, before turning to the seven behind her.

"You can all go about your business. We aren't under attack my dears." The women obeyed without hesitation, some teleporting, and others walking. "Follow me lovebirds. Let's get you to your new home, and then the grand tour of the place."

She didn't wait for them to agree, she simply turned around and began walking at a punishing pace. Abby and Endymion kept up and for the first time Abby realized it was a good thing that she'd spent so much time roaming the mountains, because it'd kept her fit enough to keep up with Kani without dying in the process.

The drive leading through the gates was long and winding and for a wild moment, she wondered if the drive went on forever and would never end. Just when she began to doubt the walk would be over, they crested a hill and there before them was the fabled War College.

There was one massive main building. It was bigger than a mansion but not as large as a castle. It was several stories high and made of some sort of black stone. The place looked intimidating as hell.

The main place was surrounded by several smaller buildings. One of them was long and flat roofed. The others were individual homes.

Past the homes were several wide fields. Some of them were empty, and some of them were occupied by groups of women and men practicing devastating magic. She'd never witnessed offensive spells done this way before. It was fascinating and something about watching them do it sang in her blood. She took an unthinking step in the direction of a field that was iced over.

"Not yet, dear." Kani's voice was soft. "I get the allure, believe me. But you aren't ready to tango with Loralee. She's...extra. Stay away from her if you know what's good for you." The warning was real and sincere enough that she snapped out of it and listened.

They walked up to one of the single houses. "This is your home now. Your things have been transferred here from that little mountain home that you were kept in.

Endymion, you will be getting your own tour guide to the college and he'll be meeting with you shortly and giving you a tour of your own. I'll be guiding Abby. There are some places only a True Witch is permitted to access."

"Understandable." Endymion nodded.

"Good. Do you both need time to settle in, or do we tour now, Abby?" Kani asked.

"I can tour now." Abby murmured. Endymion leaned in and kissed her forehead.

"I'll see you later, Mate." He shot her a hot grin that made her forget where they were for a moment.

"I look forward to it." She said shyly, making him grin down at her.

"Okay, lets do this before you start in on each other out here in the yard." Kani threw a set of keys to Endymion, which he caught easily, smirking as he turned and went inside the house.

**

The girl looked like a really pretty field mouse, about as threatening as tissue paper. But the power rolling off of her was nearly suffocating in its intensity.

Her simply tapping on the wards surrounding the War College had nearly ripped them asunder. Kani had met the last Imperium, and she hadn't been nearly this powerful.

Abby shouldn't be this powerful. Once she was trained, she might well rival the ice witch Loralee herself. She might well rival Kani. She wasn't sure how she felt about that.

The girl didn't have the ability to run the War College so it wasn't as if her position were in danger. But walking around beside Abby felt like something akin to walking around with an armed nuclear weapon in her hand and zero control over whether it decided to detonate or not.

If Abby decided to lose it, Kani wasn't completely sure that she would be able to contain her. She would have a better idea after the assessment, but Kani wondered if she would need to call in the sisters from their seclusion.

She was shaken from her inner thoughts when Abby finally spoke up.

"Kani, how did I do it?" She asked. Kani didn't pretend not to understand.

"All War Witches have a hidden well of power. It's what makes us lethal. Now, most of us reveal it when our first awakening occurs. But you were completely isolated, so no one ever saw it. I'm guessing you were utterly removed from any conflict?" She asked.

The girl nodded, looking troubled and angry. She didn't blame her.

"Conflict is what wakes it up. When your mate was taken from you, it sufficed. You did what you did because your power is that of a fully matured War Witch, but you have no practice in controlling it. So it controlled you." Kani murmured sympathetically. It was abuse, what her matron had done to her.

"I wiped them out." Abby whispered.

"You did. But we are going to make sure that the next time you massacre people, it will be because you chose to and not because you lost control to the power inside of you.

I know you have no reason to believe in anyone after what you have dealt with. But try and have a little bit of faith in the College. You are capable of great things, and we will help you achieve them."

Abigail looked like her words had comforted her. Kani couldn't help but wonder how much of a coin toss the girl's future was between destruction against their enemies, and doom from within.