The Devil Wears Black- Completed

The Devil Wears Black

" A boil!"

"On my nose!"

I groaned out loud staring at my profile in the mirror.

Kitty Farquerson was as always true to form. Delivering her best insults without cause or justification.

Well no more! Enough is enough! This was the last time!  The very last time I would ever let that bitch get the better of me!

""Is that a boil on your nose?"

The seemingly casual question came from the most unlikely source.  I squeezed my eyes shut wincing in disbelief at Kitty's successful manipulation of the faiths against me.  Why did the blasted fates always listen to her?

Was fate a bloody sadist or something?

"I am not sure, " said the deeply amused baritone right by my ear.  My eyes flew open to find that my unwanted guest had come closer for better look at the boil on my nose.

"I have to say that there is a masterpiece," he whispered softly in awe before running an enquiring look back up to my eyes.

"You must have done something pretty amazing to have deserved this," said that same deep voice only this time ringing with avid curiousity. "What did you do?" Raven Blackthorn asked effectively turning the table back on me.

I was the victim here not that she bat named Kitty. I glared furiously up at the bemused twinkle that lit his eyes... no doubt over my difficulty in peering up at him over the overly large lump on the bridge of my otherwise delicate and bonny nose.

I suppose I really shouldn't have agitated a witch of Kitty's calibre.... without first taking some rudimentary precautionary measure. But while prevention was certainly better than the cure, it was the blasted cure that I was now after. That too from this overly amused blasted wizard.

" Raven!" I all but whined at him plaintively.  "Stop teasing and get rid of it already!" I glanced furtively about afraid someone might see me like this.

"Get rid of it yourself, " suggested Raven unkindly.   

"If I could,  I wouldn't have summoned you," I muttered unhappily under my breath.

"If you paid better attention to your lessons you could have," said Raven annoyingly.

" Look I don't have time to go over this right now. Anyone could see me like this. You can scold me later.  I'll listen.  I promise! " I pleaded huffing out a heavy breath that sent my dull purple grey fringe fluttering. His gaze was momentarily diverted from its facinated perusal of the puss laden boil on my nose to my equally unappealing looking hair.

" I don't see what difference it would make if anyone did see you," said Raven in a tone of voice that was suddenly devoid of humour. " It wouldn't be all that much of an improvement to your appearance to have this gone."

I looked up at him indignantly but he wasn't at all being spiteful. I was abysmal when it came to my looks. The purplish disaster that was my hair aside, I was quite ordinary.  A normal straight figure, features as good as any other and eyes the colour of molten amber. It was my nicely formed brow and my thick lashes that was the saving grace in my face.

I batted those lashes now and pitifully watered my molten ambers so that the shone and shimmered with emotions that weren't really there. "Please Raven!  Save me."

"You do look pitiful," he said almost approvingly. "But that's not quite good enough. Its this hideous boil that is lending your efforts in vain. You look quite scary actually, " said Raven musingly.

I stomped my foot.

In agitation.

Then spun around and stomped some more. I couldn't believe this. I was Jade Sas, the last decendent of the Sas line of witches that went all the way back in time to days of Salem and yet, I am being ridiculed. And soon will be laughed at. And on the day of the Moon Goddess blessing too.

Today I turned twenty one. Today I will be bestowed my rightfull powers. Today was the day I would finally gain some respect. But for Kitty Farquerson well applied curse. Given any other day and I would have admired the skill of this diabolical perfection.  For it was perfect in every way as far as besting your enemies went. Kitty surely couldn't do any better than this. Not only was the enormous puss filled boil ghastly but that it appeared on my nose on this day and at this exact time was really something to marvel.  Especially by a mediocre witchcraft practitioner like me.

I groaned out loud thinking to simply rip the bloody thing off. I would bleed profusely down my almost magical silky amber dress but that would surely be a sight better than this. 

I reached up my hand to do just that. Scrunching my eyes tight against the would be pain when the knock on the door jarred my focus astray. I blinked at my master, Heinch Lu.

"Its time, " said Heinch.

I groaned torn with indecision.

"The moon goddess waits for no one," reminded Heinch staring unblinkingly at the boil on my nose.

" Fine!" I exclaimed vehemently. " Let the Moon Goddess and the hounds of hell see me like this.  I should have known today couldn't have been special. Not for me," I muttered matter of factly.

It was true. I didn't have a special day I could recall with all clarity and not wince over some acute embarrassment.  This day would fare no better. I shouldn't be so surprised.  Or so hurt.

But I found myself blinking away genuine tears anyway. I swiped them off my heated cheeks in disgust.  Jade Sas did not cry. And certainly not infront of bloody Raven Blackthorn. The arrogant useless swine.

I huffed out an angry breath and embraced my rising temper. Sheer gumption as always rose to save the day. Making my otherwise reluctant feet thump unhappily on the pinewood floorboards to cross the threshold that would take me out into the night and into the midst of the waiting coven of witches and wizards.