"No, boy," the councilwoman looked at him sharply, "You didn't, but you need to fix your att.i.tude on how and when to speak in front of your elders."

"Apologies that you find me involving myself to be rude," Damien bowed his head before saying, "I haven't been taught to measure respect with the time of age but the value one gains in another's eyes."

The woman glared at him, "I guess your mother didn't teach you how to respect people then. Always crossing lines and trying to poke your nose where it is not needed," she had turned her body to face him from where she sat. 

Damien only offered her smile before it fell in a thoughtful expression, "I think she did teach before pa.s.sing away," he continued to think and then said, "But she also taught me to rip the gut out of peasants who were not worthy. If I followed every word, the council would be much more exciting, don't you think?" he questioned her. 

The woman glared at him but quietly as he had called her a peasant. She was old enough to be part of the elder's council community but she had never come across this rude behavior. Damien Quinn was a well-known man in the council for causing trouble. 

"I am sure your mother must be disappointed," the woman managed to give him a smile and turned to look at Rueben, opening her mouth to say, "As I was saying the council-"

"I don't mind making my mother proud. I am a dutiful son after all," Damien interrupted the woman. The councilwoman had paused her speech staring at the desk as she turned her free hand to a fist to stop herself from bursting out, "You need to loosen up, councilwoman Ava. You walk as if something is stuck up your-"

"Councilwoman Ava," Reuben interrupted before Damien could complete his words so that there wouldn't be any more friction than what was there right now, "We already went through an exam not a few months ago. There have been two exams already this year. Conducting another is out of the question. If it is people that you need then we will have the guards recruited for it. It is not the councilman's duty to guard as we have other work."

The old woman had not done glaring at Damien and she finally turned her head to look at Reuben, "Guardsmen are useless because they don't know how to defend or understand what a witch looks like. Putting up empty-headed people in there who can be easily swayed, is that your idea of safekeeping the people?" 

"If that is so we will need to bring in the first examination to not rule out the brains," Reuben stared back at the woman with his bright red eyes with a sober expression on his face. 

"We will talk about this at the meeting again. If the majority of the votes has an exclusion of the first half of the exam, I am sure you wouldn't mind the decision taken by the elders, would you?" the woman stood up from her seat, bowing at the head council and she left where the other two men followed as they had no reason to be here. 

When the door was shut close, Reuben found Damien staring the door to ask,

"Do you always have to be that aggressive when it comes to confrontations?" 

Damien shrugged his shoulders, making his way to the chairs in front of the desk to take a seat, "It brings me joy to see people like that."

"Of course," Reuben sighed and asked him, "What did you come here for?" 

"The same reason as they did," On hearing this, Rueben who had pulled out the parchment looked up at him, "I heard from Murkh about the council exam that Evelyn had brought it up. Did the older lady convince Evelyn on it?" 

"She did," Reuben replied to his question, he dropped the parchment he had picked up and placed his hand on it, "They want an exam again which is not needed."

Damien casually dropped the information, "To bring in witches to work for the council."

"That is not possible. Witches cannot walk anywhere around the council, forget them entering the building," Reuben saw Damien shake his head, "They can?"

"I found the potion of paralysis but there's more to it. The witch who was making it was able to walk freely in the laboratory. Anyone who is modified can walk or even fly. There is no more a limit when it comes to stepping on the lands of spilled magic," informed Damien, bringing a deep frown on the head council's forehead, "The witches are planning to bring in witches through the council exam that would appear less suspicious while they own the form of a human or a vampire." 

"This is not good. I will need to send out an order to create spells and exorcise the land to the church," said Reuben. 

Damien leaned back in his chair, "That can be done but in the meantime, I would like you to commence the exam."

"You want to go with councilwoman Ava?" Reuben asked to make sure he was hearing it right. 

Damien gave the man a nod, "I am. You and I both know something is up, why not play her game and make her think that she is in advantage," the woman was a human but to think that there was a possibility for her to have sided with the witches, it was rare unless the human was an idiot but both the men knew the councilwoman was far from being an idiot, "Instead of having a surprise attack from the witches we can kill them in an organized way," he suggested to have the older vampire stare in the s.p.a.ce. 

The black witches already had access to the land and they could drop in anytime. 

"I have an idea," Reuben said, that had Damien's ears perk up ready to listen to what the councilman had on his mind, "We will have the exam commenced, but we need white witches who are willing to fight these black witches. Hold the first exam out in the open ground and then we move to the second exam in less than two days…" Damien continued to hear Reuben's idea on what to do as the man spoke on the strategy and after twenty minutes of discussion, the head council said, "Do you need a.s.sistance in picking up the candidates for the exam?" 

Damien offered the man a smile, "I have some in mind."