by Lilly Wilder
“The what??” Mina shrieked.
That wasn’t on the list. Were the witches going to kill a child during their Sabbath? She was horrified. If this was true, she’d take no part in it.
“Relax,” Thorne laughed seeing her reaction, “Francis Bacon said something along those lines, that the flying ointment consisted of the fat of dead children dug out of their fresh graves, then smallage, wolf-bane, cinque foil and wheat.”
“What the hell…” Mina frowned. “I don’t have any of those things on my list.”
She got the list out of her pocket, and checked it carefully. She was sure there were no kids listed there, nor wheat.
“Can I see that list?” he asked, extending his hand.
She thought about it for a second, then realized she had nothing to lose. He was already here. He might as well help. He already knew enough to make him even more curious.
His eyes skimmed through the list of necessary plants, then looked at her.
“All of them are here,” he told her, matter-of-factly. “And you need just a little bit of every single one, so if we’re really careful, no one will know that you even took anything.”
“Really?” Mina squealed with delight.
“Give me those gloves and the jar.”
She did as she was told. Thorne started walking through the Botanical garden and Mina just followed him.
“Belladonna, belladonna….” he talked to himself, scanning the room. “Ah, there!”
He rushed over to the corner, picked a few leaves, then put them in the jar.
“Henbane bell,” he remembered the second plant on the list.
The moment he saw it, he went for it and carefully placed it next to the previous one, safely in the jar. It took him about fifteen minutes to scratch every single item off the list, handing the jar back to Mina.
“You’d best just throw these away,” he told her, taking off the gloves.
Then, he went to a nearby bench and sat down. She felt the urge to go and sit next to him. She was very grateful for his help but, somehow, felt like a mere thank you wouldn’t be nearly enough. He had helped her gather them and she sensed that she could rely on him to keep her secret.
“So, you’re a witch, huh?” he suddenly asked.
“What?” she stumbled. “Me? No way!”
“But, I thought…”
“You thought I was talking about a friend, while in reality it was me all along?” she finished his thought.
“Well, yeah…” he sounded confused.
“No, no…” she shook her head, laughing. “I really was talking about a friend. She’s half witch and half vampire.”
“Oh, I see, and the Sabbath is just around the corner, no wonder she needs it.”
“Yeah,” Mina nodded.
“Are you asked to attend?”
“Actually yes.”
“And you’re surely not a witch?” he eyed her suspiciously, as if a wart was about to pop out of the tip of her nose any second and reveal her true identity.
“Last time I checked, I wasn’t…” Mina laughed.
“Well then, you should consider yourself lucky.”
She knew he was telling the truth. Witches’ Sabbaths were always reserved for witches, and witches alone. No one from the outside was ever allowed to be a part of such a sacred ritual. At first, Mina thought it was odd that Reeba would even invite her, seeing that she was spying on them that night but they were becoming very close friends and Mina just assumed that the rules were probably much more loose nowadays than they were before. Maybe outsiders were occasionally allowed now.
“I know,” Mina nodded. “I’m actually very curious to see what it’s really like.”
“I’ve always wanted to see one.”
“I can tell you what it was like afterwards,” she smiled.
“Would you?” he asked. “That’d be great. An outside opinion.”
“Sure, no problem. And, thanks.”
“For what?” he wondered.
“For your help here, with this.”
“Oh, that! It was nothing,” he exulted, his whole face lighting up.
“Maybe to you it wasn’t,” she shook her head, “but, if it weren’t for you, I’d have been here for hours, searching for the right plants.”
“Some of them were tricky to find. That’s because of the temperature in the room, you know. It changes based on…”
But, he wasn’t allowed to continue. Overcome with joy and gratitude, she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him on the lips. It was an awkward, unexpected kiss on both sides. He didn’t see it coming. She felt the same, almost as if a strange force had overtaken her body and she simply received an order to do this immediately.
Despite its initial awkwardness, the kiss prolonged. Their lips never parted, not for a single moment. His hands found her hips, their bodies instinctively got closer, diminishing the distance between them. Her hands were on each side of his face, pulling him closer. She looked into his eyes, looking for a reply to a question neither of them knew about yet.
As his tongue found hers, she got lost in his kiss. She could feel his hands on her back, pulling her closer. She knew what he wanted, because she wanted the same thing. She couldn’t refuse him anything. It was like she was holding herself back from feeling all this time, but it was obvious that she had fallen for these guys, for each and every one of them. All four. And now, Thorne was here, by her side. She let out a long drawn breath, and before she could form another thought, his lips tugged away and in a flash, he was down on his knees before her.
Gently, he spread her legs, then started pulling her tights and underpants down. She was so wet she could cum right then and there, all she needed was one touch and she would explode right in his hands, leaking sweet juices, telling him how much she yearned for his touch. His head got lost between her thighs, his fingers stroking her labia. She shuddered. Soft and gentle, she wanted more, she wanted him to be rough, but she didn’t know how to tell him.
As if on cue, he pressed his tongue to her wet pussy, playing with it. His saliva merged with her pussy juices, as he pushed in deeper and deeper, probing at her very core, palpitating, waiting eagerly. Her fingers dug into his hair, pulling him closer, making sure he never went away. His tongue was so expert, he led her all the way to the edge, then slowed down the rhythm, driving her crazy, preventing her from cumming.
She moaned, arching her back, nestling his head deeper between her warm thighs. He read her like a book. Her every wish, her every desire, he knew it even before she did. Now, his finger was inside, too, as his teeth bit and nibbled on her swollen clit. He kept pushing his fingers in, one, two, three, feeling how wet and welcoming she was. Faster and faster, she realized she couldn’t hold on much longer.
He pulled back, and she could hear his voice.
“Cum for me…”
The sound of his deep, husky voice whispering into her ear, sent her over the edge, pushed her down into the abyss, like Alice falling down the rabbit hole. Her orgasm hit her and she slouched under the heavy impact. Mina groaned, shivering, unable to come down from her overwhelming climax.
He pulled away again, still between her thighs, his lips and chin glistening in the soft light. She opened her eyes and smiled, releasing a satisfied moan. He quickly pulled himself up on his knees, pulling down his pants, with her legs on each side of him. His dick was pressing gently against her slick opening. She knew, all he needed to do was slide in and she’d cum again, just like that. He was so hard, relentless. She never thought he had it in him. This sweet boy, who did all those things to her, who made her feel like this.
He leaned over and kissed her. She could taste herself on his lips, sweet and salty at the same time. She wanted to be full, to be filled by him. She palmed his throbbing cock with her palm, as her pussy tightened at the very thought of him entering her, hard and remorseless. She helped him slide in just a little, wa
nting more of him but he stopped. There was a grin on his face. He was teasing her.
“I want all you can give,” he whispered in her ear, sending shivers down her spine. “I want all of you…”
She wanted to be his. He could feel it in her twitches, in the arching of her back, in the soft moans which were filling up the empty space around them. Neither of them cared that someone might come in any minute and catch them in the act. On the contrary, it made the whole thing more dangerous, more passionate, more unforgettable.
Without warning, he slammed into her, balls deep. She shrieked with sweet pain and pleasure, intertwined together. He could feel her pussy tightening around him, then loosening. She hissed, her eyes widened, as he plunged even deeper into her, his hard dick filling up every inch of her as far as it could go. He could barely restrain himself, as her soft wet pussy climaxed over and over again. The sound of their sweating bodies slapping against each other merged with her sweet moaning.
Their bodies connected, he exploded into her, knowing that she’d given him everything, her body, her soul, her self. His vision blurred, as his cock throbbed somewhere deep inside of her. It felt so good he never wanted to leave that warm, safe place. Reluctantly, his dick flopped out of her. Her eyes were dreamy, satisfied. Her body relaxed, her hands resting on his neck, as he breathed heavily into her clothed chest.
A few seconds passed and they both calmed down. She opened her eyes and met his. He was smiling. His hand caressed her cheek but before either of them could say anything, there was a sound of doors opening and they quickly got decent. They turned around and saw the caretaker mopping the floors. He just waved at them, then continued with his work.
Mina felt like staying there forever. She leaned onto his shoulder and closed her eyes.
Why would she go and do this crazy thing now? Why?
She had no answer to any of these questions. Right now, that didn’t matter. All that mattered was Thorne’s heavy breathing and their fingers intertwined, as her head rested on his shoulder.
Chapter 15
It was late during the night when Mina was woken up by repeated, tapping noises. She propped herself up on the bed and looked around the room. Everything was so dark, she could barely see. Then, she heard the sound again and she immediately looked at the window. Someone was throwing little pebbles on the glass.
She quickly got up and carefully walked over to the big window. She pulled the curtain to the side and peered out. Someone was out there, standing behind a large tree. The shadowy figure waved at her. Mina squinted in an effort to see who it was but it was impossible. It was too dark. Then, she recognized the hair, the posture and, upon closer inspection, the person’s face was clear for only a second, then it was enshrouded in darkness once again.
Suddenly, Mina realized why this person was viciously attacking her window in the dead of the night. It wasn’t just any night. It was the night.
“Oh shit!”
She jumped out of bed and started rummaging through her closet. She needed something dark, something inconspicuous, even though Reeba assured her that her friends didn’t mind having her there and she could wear whatever she wanted. Reeba vouched for her and that was enough for the rest of them.
Mina felt proud that someone would vouch for her like that. She couldn’t remember ever having a friend like Reeba, a friend she could count on, a friend who put herself on the line for Mina. Kellam was always that person for her. He was her everything. He’d been her everything for such a long time, even too long. She didn’t realize this up until now and, maybe, just maybe, it was time to have such a friend and even more than one.
She put on some dark leggings and a simple black sweatshirt. She looked like a ninja. The thought made her giggle out loud. She’d always been thin and black seemed to cut her in two but she didn’t really care what she looked like. Tonight, looks were the last thing on her mind. She might be able to do the unthinkable, something she never even thought would be possible.
Patience. That was what she needed right now.
She grabbed her backpack, the one that had contained all those plants that Thorne helped her gather. She had given them to Reeba right away so the witches could prepare the flying ointment. Then she rushed outside. She was careful passing by the watchman and only when she passed, did she notice that he wasn’t even inside his little booth but probably went to the bathroom or something. She smiled at her stroke of good luck and ran to meet Reeba.
Reeba was waiting underneath a small tree now, hiding in the shadows. She was wearing a long black coat but the hem of her white dress was clearly visible. Mina also knew that Reeba would be dancing barefoot but for now, she was wearing both socks and shoes. It’d be crazy walking through the woods barefoot in the middle of the night.
“Hey!” Mina whispered her hello.
“You ready?” Reeba smiled.
There was excitement in the air. Mina could almost feel it with the tips of her fingers, which twitched in her pockets uncontrollably. She knew what would happen. She wondered if Reeba knew as well, or if it would come as a shock to her. She’d cross that bridge when she got to it.
“Almost fell asleep,” Mina admitted with a grin that was barely visible in the soft glimmer of the moon, “but I’m ready.”
“You could still change your mind, you know,” Reeba assured her. “If you’re scared or something.”
If you’re scared. Mina loved that statement. That meant that someone was actually daring her to do it and she was usually more than happy to oblige. She wasn’t scared. Why would she be? What many didn’t know was that she wasn’t afraid to die either and that was what made her a dangerous opponent.
“Nah,” Mina brushed her off. “I’m in, all the way.”
“Happy to hear that,” Reeba smiled a genuine smile. “Let’s start then.”
They headed towards the same hole in the wall, got out, then started elbowing their way through the forest. Mina was silent. So was Reeba. Both of them were too busy tracking through the woods, stepping over uneven terrain, jumping over small brooks, and listening to the leaves rustling underneath their feet.
The forest welcomed them. That was, at least, how Mina felt. The soft breeze caressed her cheeks. She didn’t mind the cold. Inside, she was burning with crazy hope. No wind could ever extinguish the fiery hope she was feeling, the incredible potential of this evening.
“Are you following?”
Mina heard Reeba, as she tried to keep up behind her. Mina had no idea where they were. Last time, she had managed to find the place purely by accident. If she had to do it all over again, she wasn’t sure she’d have so much luck.
“Yeah,” Mina called out after her.
“We’re almost there,” Reeba said, then disappeared between some thick bushes.
Mina rushed after her and once she passed through the same impregnable shrubbery passage, she realized they were in the same clearing as that night. A few girls were already there. The bonfire was ready, right in the middle of the clearing. All they needed to do was light it up.
“Hey girls!” Reeba greeted everyone and all at once they turned around.
Mina recognized some of the girls from school. Two belonged to the literary club, which Mina herself was a part of. They were very clever and insightful, so Mina wasn’t surprised to see them there. That actually explained a lot. The rest also looked familiar, simply because they all belonged to the same school, but she had no idea who they were.
“This is Lucy, the girl I told you all about,” Reeba reminded them, and smiles cheered up their faces in confirmation.
“I’m really grateful you girls allowed me to witness this,” Mina smiled back, curiously looking at each and every one of them.
“No worries,” one of them replied and the others simply nodded.
They started preparing for the Sabbath. They took off their jackets, hoodies and sweaters, all remaining in white dresses or robes. All of them h
ad their hair down, loose, fluttering in the wind. A few picked up some flowers and put them behind their ears. They all looked so beautiful, like forest nymphs.
“You know, I’m glad you’re here,” another one told Mina, as she bent down, over the little heap of branches and dry grass.
She was carefully arranging them upwards. Her fingers gently worked the dry heap, almost caressing the branches, cleaning them of green leaves, leaving only the dry ones. The others already started forming a circle around her, holding hands. Mina remained on the sides, only a bystander, waiting to see what was going to happen. She felt fidgety, she could barely wait. Her palms were getting sweaty and she wiped them nervously against her thighs.
“People always think we summon the Devil during this,” the same girl spoke again and the rest of them giggled.