Kneeling in front of Ivan were Carmela's coven members, and they were roughly brought down to their knees by Ivan's soldiers, their hands tied behind their backs. The hostility in their gaze did not waver, neither were they worried about being found– it felt as though they already expected it, and that ticked on Ivan's suspicions even more.
His gaze darted to the tree where his soldiers had fished them out from, and he had to admit that it was one hell of a demonic tree, with the barks splitting open revealing a dark hidden passage from the root, deeper down the earth he could not see.
They'll have to cut it down before the raw energy spreads even further. Ivan's soldiers returned from their scouting, and they bowed their heads politely.
"We've checked every other place within the forest, your Majesty, but no sign of the demon and Carmela." the soldier in charge reported.
Ivan simply nodded and finally faced the five witches kneeling in front of him.
