A Witch's Howl

The fuck of it all

"To fucking hell she's going with us." Nathaniel exclaims. "And you're fine with this?"

"Well, I wouldn't say exactly fine." I reply. "But the hand that feeds has the power to starve you. She isn't going to try anything."

Matilda looks at me from standing near Donny. "Not that I'm like you know questioning these tactics but isn't she batshit crazy? She uses dark magic?"

I look at the people surrounding me that are expecting an answer. "Let just say if she gets out of line, I may or may not have someone head explode."

"You blackmailed her?!" Donny snaps from the side.

"Blackmail implies no options." I point out. "I gave her options."

"Which were?" Nathaniel asks.

"Not important point is we're meeting there alright!" I say frustrated. "If you haven't already realized, whatever this thing is targets werewolves so you can't be near the territory."

"Meaning our 5 group is down to 2 and that stupid witch is drained" I say pointing at Matilda.

"So that's 1 and a half witches walking into a hex." I finish. "She isn't my first choice but, what more do we have?"

There's a silence that follows.

"Don't expect tea time." Donny points out.

"I'm not sure why I'm being the bigger person here," Nathaniel grumbles, clearly not thrilled with the arrangement.

I roll my eyes, feeling the weight of responsibility settling on my shoulders. "Because someone has to be the voice of reason around here."

Matilda shifts uncomfortably under the scrutiny of the group, clearly feeling the tension mounting around her. "I promise I'll do whatever it takes to help," she says, her voice wavering slightly.

I shoot her a skeptical glance, not entirely convinced of her sincerity. "We'll see about that."

As we arrive at the outskirts of Dark Shadow, Nathaniel, Donny, and Sebastian gather around Matilda and me, their expressions grave and determined.

"This is as far as we go," Nathaniel says firmly, his eyes scanning the surrounding forest for any signs of danger.

Donny nods in agreement, his jaw set in a determined line. "You two need to be careful. We'll be watching your backs from here."

Sebastian steps forward, his hand finding mine as he meets my gaze with unwavering determination. "Lilian, promise me you'll stay safe out there. I don't know what I'd do if anything happened to you."

I squeeze his hand reassuringly, feeling a surge of emotion welling up inside me. "I promise, Sebastian. We'll get through this together."

Matilda shifts nervously beside me, clearly feeling the weight of the moment. "Thank you all for doing this. I won't let you down," she says, her voice tinged with determination.

I shoot Matilda a steely glare, my voice laced with a warning edge. "That better be a promise, or your head will be joining the collection."

As we make our way deeper into the territory, the air grows heavy with tension, and I can't shake the feeling of foreboding that hangs over us like a dark cloud. In the distance, we begin to spot dark specks swirling through the air, accompanied by a swarm of black butterflies that flutter ominously around us.

Matilda's eyes widen in alarm as she takes in the eerie scene unfolding before us. "I've never seen anything like this before," she whispers, her voice trembling with fear.