Rapture of Witches

Chapter Seventeen: The Birth of a Demon

The cold shower of an unused bath set my mind straight and pushed away the darkness swarming inside my head, the cold urges seeking blood eased back into the shadows, as the mark no long burned my arm nor form deadly swell pink veins that turned me into something I'm not... or at least not yet.

I stood in the middle of the room, only the electric lantern brought light to the four corners- still casting large shadows upon the wall and ceiling. I was bare, standing in front of the cloudy mirror; breast perky, waist stomach and stomach flat, a small butterfly tattoo settled upon this body's hip bone. Tattoos weren't a common ritual in the witch/warlock community, our souls were impure but our body's were clean and smooth- a facade to our true selves.

I can feel my soul shifting, the dark cloud wrapping around the light inside, the mark digging deep to crack open my strain of purity I had left; if I had a strain left after my time of being in Louisiana after mom's death. Theo wasn't the first being I've watched die, however, he is the first I've tried to kill for no reason. Theodore was a dick, yet, even dicks do not deserve death.

"Who were you before this?" I spoke to myself, my eyes taking over the body as I tried to figure out the woman I'm using. The tattoo spoke of a rebellious past, mostly got it to see how it felt or after a drunken night. Her body speaks of an athlete, she could of been a fighter or runner before the apocalypse started and kept up the work to survive. "I know you're not alive, but if you were stuck inside your own mind as I'm taking over your body, I just want to say sorry. This wasn't my intention, i-"

My speech was interrupted by a dull knock on the door. Forced to dress, I opened the door and took in a sharp breath in relief and a strike of joy once seeing and smelling the slice of meat upon a cool plate. "Pork?"

Owen examines the cook meat and shrugged his shoulders. "Let's just imagine it is, may I come in?"

I did not hesitate to move aside, the smell of the mysterious meat was hypnotizing, and not knowing Owen completely; he can keep the dinner hostage until I let him pass. His muscular body swallowed the room, shadows twice his size covered the walls and mimic his movements as he set the plate down on the dresser, along with the used bottle of water. "This is generous of you."

"The camp is not exactly on the good side of having you around. Best to keep everyone separate-"

"But equal?" I questioned, my tone light but still snarky. Taking the plate from dresser and sniffed the food out of a sudden urge of habit, before taking a quick fulfilling bite. "Oh, this is definitely not pork. It has the texture between lamb and overcooked steak."

Owen chuckled and shrugged his shoulders once more. "It's been so long since I had either of those things."

"Sorry, didn't mean to rub it in." I spoke through bites as I savior the taste of food other than scraps and day old bread. I was half way done with my plate when my mind has finally catch on Owen's hovering. "Do you need anything?"

His joyous features turned pale as he gulped down the emotion any other alpha would try their best to hide from the world- fear. "I followed the trail, Jupiter. I saw Theo's body."

As I tried to forget all about it, the brand new memory flash through my mind, still I didn't feel any guilt. "And?"

He blinked twice in disbelief and scoffed lightly. "You killed someone."

Tilting my head to the side in confusion, I take the last bite of dinner and step closer in Owen's space. The mark burned and throbbed as the dark cloud in my chest formed into a storm. "You don't know Theodore like I do, he's a nuisance, all he wants is power no matter where he gets it. A man like that would be trouble in our war."