The fox tail fluffed up like snow, and most of the force under Magnolia Hearne’s foot was imdiately removed.
Aaron Hearne’s face remained as calm as ever, as if her attack was rely child’s play to him, incapable of causing him any harm.
Indeed, she had never won against him.
Even though he could have continued to restrain her movents with his tail just as he had captured her wrist, he deliberately chose to use his tail as a shield instead.
It was as if he thought being kicked by her would allow her to vent her inner anger.
Magnolia cursed inwardly, disliking his attitude. She intentionally ground her foot twice on the tail before stepping back, her face expressionless as she said,
"Forgot to tell you, I stepped in so bird poop on my way back and haven’t cleaned my shoes yet."
Aaron: ...
The previously unflinching expression seed to crack inch by inch upon hearing her words.
Even the tail he had used to block her attack monts ago visibly stiffened.
Magnolia finally felt a bit vindicated.
But the other mbers of the Hearne Clan were visibly enraged.
Can’t win, so you disgust people like this! How is Magnolia still so unscrupulous after all these years!
Magnolia didn’t even care about the angry glares directed at her by those around her.
Normally, she would glare back at them one by one.
Or even fight back one by one.
But right now, she didn’t have the inclination for that.
She stared intensely at Aaron in front of her, watching as his face slowly cooled, and after a long mont, he finally raised his hand.
Almost simultaneously with his movent, Magnolia freed herself from the fox tail binding her hand and swiftly retreated.
In the next second, a small water dragon rose between her and Aaron.
The water tornado swept over the tail she had just kicked, and in just two seconds, it vanished.
Aaron shook off the tail washed by the water dragon, water droplets flinging around, and the tail returned to its fluffy clean state.
He looked again at Magnolia, and at Scarlett Jennings behind her.
Not giving the clan mbers a chance to continue the conflict, he simply said,
"Mother wants to see you both, co with ."
Magnolia’s once cool and composed gaze wavered for a mont at the word "mother," but it returned to normal within a breath.
She stepped forward, bringing Scarlett along to follow Aaron inside.
Dashiell and Samuel Chalrs naturally followed.
The clansn on both sides were still eyeing them aggressively, but because Aaron was leading the way, no one dared to attempt anything further.
Aaron led them to the sa hall Scarlett had visited the first ti she ca.
This was where the clan elders usually t to discuss affairs, so Magnolia wasn’t surprised he brought them here.
But as soon as they stepped over the hall’s threshold, Aaron stepped back and raised a hand to block Samuel and Dashiell.
"Gentlen, what follows is our internal clan affairs, please do not interfere."
After pausing for a mont, he seed to offer assurance, saying,
"I assure you, they won’t be hard."
Conflict wasn’t their intention.
Scarlett could tell the Hearne Clan intended to put everything on the table, and she wanted to know their plans, so she glanced at Samuel.
eting her gaze, Samuel didn’t insist further and stopped at the entrance.
With Samuel not moving, Dashiell naturally wouldn’t force his way in.
The two were simply led to a side hall.
And after Samuel and Dashiell left, the doors behind Scarlett and Magnolia seed to close as well.
Like the illusionary sliding doors before, in a blink, they suddenly appeared in the center of the main hall.
Before them, standing solemnly to either side, were eight stern-faced elders.
Behind them, a figure had also appeared at so unknown point, seated on a soft, snow-white polar bear rug, wearing simple green clothes, snow-colored long hair flowing, one arm casually resting on the armrest, a deanor relaxed yet impossible to ignore.
With one glance, Scarlett guessed the figure’s identity.
Sure enough, she heard Magnolia formally address the person seated,
"Mother."
Then she indicated to Scarlett,
"Scarlett, call her Grandmother."
Emily Hearne’s eyebrows twitched at the word "Grandmother," but before she could reply, Scarlett crisply called out,
"Grandmother."
Emily on her seat had no particular reaction to the title.
After all, they weren’t here for a family reunion today.
After the formalities, Magnolia promptly got to the point,
"Where’s Donovan? I’m taking him with ."
Before Emily could respond, an elder with equally white hair rebuked harshly,
"Arrogant! You’ve been away from the clan for years, consorting with human masters, and yet you dare speak so arrogantly now!"
Scarlett frowned at his words, stepping forward as if to shield Magnolia.
But Magnolia pulled her back, stepping forward herself instead.
No matter how bad things got, she wouldn’t have her daughter defend her.
She was a mother, different from the one on the seat.
It was her duty to protect her child.
Thus, Magnolia, unflinching, retorted to the elder who had just scolded her,
"If you don’t return my son, I can be not just arrogant, but crazy too. Do you believe that?"
Her gaze swept across the other elders, her eyes cold and dangerous as she asked,
"Does any of you believe it?"
Aaron sat to the side since earlier without speaking.
But he believed Magnolia’s words.
Ever since having another child with Luca Jennings, Magnolia had beco slightly more gentle.
But before that, her madness was well-docunted in the clan.
The elders believed it too, but they didn’t truly take Magnolia seriously.
Yet, unless necessary, they wouldn’t really confront her.
After all, no matter Magnolia’s actions, she remained Emily’s daughter...
The leading elder in the center spoke up, simply saying,
"You already know about Donovan, so we won’t hide it, but you can’t take him with you, nor can you take him away."
The elder paused, his gaze sweeping over Magnolia and Scarlett behind her, his eyes heavy, as he said,
"The Hearne Clan hasn’t seen a Ten-tailed Sky Fox born in millennia. You inherit the bloodline of the Hearne Clan, so you should understand the significance of the Sky Fox’s ergence to our clan and even the entire Demon Clan.
Your son, Donovan, is the most suitable vessel to bear the Ten-tailed Sky Fox’s bloodline, so he must stay."
"You’re talking nonsense!"
Magnolia sternly refuted, regardless of who was in front of her,
"My son is just an ordinary person! His surna is Jennings, why should the Hearne say he must stay!"
Scarlett’s eyes also turned cold, stepping forward, shooting a frosty glance at those in front,
"No matter how you determined the so-called vessel’s eligibility, but my brother, he cannot stay."
Her brother was a person.
Not even a half-demon.
Why should they dictate his stay based on their judgnt?
The people before them stared solemnly back, as Aaron finally stepped forward, looking at the two, speaking calmly,
"He’s not just part of the Jennings Family, but also our Hearne Clan bloodline."
He paused, and said,
"Just now, Donovan’s demon bloodline has already awakened."
Speaking, he lifted his hand, palm open toward them.
There in his palm, lay a familiar ancient bronze bell, alive with a spirit of its own.
The sa emblem of the Hearne Lineage as Scarlett’s.
That was, Donovan’s bell.
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