𝐅𝐀𝐍𝐓𝐀𝐒𝐘 𝐋𝐀𝐍𝐃

22. 𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗺𝘆 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗱!

    WESLEY WATCHED AS ESZTER STORMED OUT OF THE HEX WITH DETERMINATION.

     He didn't stop the witch from doing what she felt like doing, knowing Eszter wouldn't have taken 'no' as an answer. Besides, Wesley knows not to interfere with an angry witch, and with the way Eszter explodes from anything and everything, Wesley would rather not be the witch's enemy. Everyone knew not to mess with a mentally unstable witch; if you see one, you better look the other way and run as fast as possible.

     Wesley wouldn't have minded peeking outside the Hex, a little intrigued and partially interested to see what Eszter is capable of, but he had bigger issues to deal with.

     The sorcerer stopped and watched the empty space where Eszter once was right before she vanished, then Wesley turned around and headed back home. When he arrived, Wesley pushed the front door open and found it wholly silent and unalive; the house had no life as if no one had ever lived there. It always managed to pull at the strings chained to his heart whenever Wesley stepped inside this house, tugging at them with this dark feeling. Wesley despises the person he's supposed to be, but a small part of him wants to relish the idea.

     "Mom?" called Wesley, walking through the empty living room and the hall, making his way toward the door on his right. He opens the door, descends from the stairs, and makes his way toward the basement. "Where are you?"

     Shuffling could be heard downstairs. "Here, sweetheart," called Agnes.

     Wesley walked around the corner and into the dark basement, glancing around the room when he found his mother standing near the altar, distracted. Wesley looked around, expecting Agnes to be up to something, but the woman was merely reading through the magical book he wasn't allowed to touch. Wesley knew a lot about the Darkhold; although Wesley wasn't particularly allowed to touch the Darkhold, the young sorcerer had learned of its power. As a child, Agnes had taught Wesley that the spellbook was the most powerful source for a witch. Of course, Agnes forbids Wesley from ever touching the book, the woman had taught him everything he knows directly from the book. All Wesley knows is that the Darkhold tempts the user of its power, promising whatever your heart desires.

The Darkhold wasn't for the faint.

Growing up curious clutched Wesley for many years, but he didn't dare lay a finger on his mother's most possessed item. He knew better than to disobey the woman. Wesley always wondered why Agnes never wanted him to read from the Darkhold for himself; for a while, Wesley always thought it was because Agnes cared too much for him, not wanting her child to be corrupted by the darkness of the book. However, looking back at it now, Wesley realized it's because Agnes would be threatened by a sorcerer with the same capabilities as she. With the Darkhold's magic, Wesley would stand a chance. Instead, Agnes kept him beneath her.

     "I just saw Little Maximoff walking out the Hex?" said Wesley with a light frown, wondering what Agnes' plan is. Well, he knew what it was, but he feels like there's more than what Agnes is letting on. "She was telling me she wanted to . . . talk to those people out there. The same ones who captured her." Wesley studied Agnes, but the woman remained unfazed. "Mom, did you hear me?"

     Agnes spun around on her toes, a strained smile etched across her lips as her crazy eyes fell on Wesley. "Yes, dear, I heard you," answered the dark-haired witch. Agnes' voice was creepily upbeat and chirpy, making Wesley uncomfortable. "Don't worry. Eszter isn't going out there defenseless; she knows how to handle herself, that girl." Agnes held her hands in front of her, fingers intertwined. "I've been meaning to talk to you, Wes, dear."

     Wesley swallowed. "Yeah?"

     "Remember when I sent you to find the young witch a couple of days ago? To bring the girl to me, personally?"