𝐒𝐋𝐀𝐕𝐄𝐒 𝐓𝐎 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐌𝐎𝐎𝐍: 𝐃𝐞𝐧𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐁𝐫𝐚𝐝𝐲

EIGHTEEN: Guilt Like A Fountain

I was bridged between two good offers. On one hand, my best friend represented an apple pie order; clean handed, congenial and above reproach. On the other hand, the witch represented a way for me to get what the gods never gave me - free will and justice. To top off her offer, she was promising a life for my best friend whereas couldn't even give me that. As though late for the winter, the witch snapped her fingers with an upward turn of her eyes that showed her annoyance at being kept waiting. I took a very slow step toward her, still weighing my options.

"Whatever she may have offered you," Dani's voice was soft with a clear warning. "We don't know the cost."

I stopped, of course, Dani was right. I didn't know the cost of the offer but I knew the price I stood to win from allying with her. I was worth it and I tried to explain it to her but she cut me off with trembling impatience. "Come with me," she shook her hand, with frantic despair. "Brady needs you. If he dies or loses his wolf, my head will not suffice. The pack will demand for my family's vein too."

"Ugh. Go." The witch retracted her hand and allowed me to take Dani's hand but not without a warning. "You have already agreed to the offer, I will call when I'm ready for you and next time. I will be not easy on an oath you made to me. Do you understand?"

"I understand." Under my best friend's gaze, I felt all kinds of shame, so I tried to explain again. "She has promised me your life and..."

"And no word of this to anyone. Do you understand?" Mr. Hannez warned with a farewell gesture just as empty as the witch's facial expression.

Dani pursed her lips, "Understand what exactly? How you've misplaced your loyalty and chosen to lie in bed with an enemy to the pack? Mr. Hannez, our people died, because of people like her." then she looked at me; lowered and cindered her tone, "This is different from last time. This is so much more than a tantrum Malik. You have to take back your oath..."

Before she could even finish the rest of her sentence, she was lifted off her feet by a strong current of the wind. Strong enough to twirl her in the air and fit enough to drag her against the corner of one of the tall walls. We screamed until we couldn't, until it was clear who had been doing this. The witch grandly lifted off her feet, levitating toward Dani and spat Latin words that echoed off the walls like vibrating water waves.

Sooner than you can ever suspect it Dani started choking on her own cries, wet eyes bulged with fear and pain as she fell with a thud to the floor on bended knees. She landed in a form that made it seem as though she was bowing to the witch. Trembling hands trying to unlatch whatever invisible thing that had a hold of her neck.

Desperately I fell to the floor to help her anyhow. "What are you doing to her!" When my efforts proved to be in vain I cried to the witch, who was now on her two feet and the elder who was simply standing there. "Please stop it!" I begged with my whole heart.

Silence.

The sounds of my best friend's choking were now flat yet thicker and slower. It filled me with fear, if their intention was to put the fear of magic in us they had succeeded. "She won't tell, I know her," I promised; hands soothing Dani, eyes fixed on the twosome.

At my promise, the witch's eyes swirled an array of unnatural tints. Eerie red and silver glistened in her irises that seemed to be as cold as her disposition and hot for violence as...well, everything she'd been doing so far. Her face harboured neither clemency for my best friend's suffering nor care for me at all. 

Dani choked some more and I sobbed for mercy.

Mr. Hannez wore pride on the scrunch of his wrinkled face as he retreated from the door. Slowly padding on the tiles floor, hands folded behind his back. He only released them to take a seat in the chair next to where the witch stood; demoniac, almighty and vicious. "It is funny hearing anything about loyalty from her." He stated with gruff humour that wasn't at all. "It is the old case of the pot calling the kettle black."