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Chapter 7

We traveled many nights to find the witch dwelling. Her cottage is said to be deep in the Black Forest, and the only reason we didn't get lost on our way was because Gavriel had already been there once before. It is said that only people that have seen the cottage before can find it. Although there are stories of people in distress stumbling upon it.
Once we arrived, I took a long look at her home. It was made of mossy logs and looked poorly built, but I knew it was strong because it had lasted centuries. The stories had been around for as long, and stories all come of something. The glass in the window panes was faded and grey. The cottage looked abandoned except for the well tended garden to the side that had many exotic looking herbs and other plant.
We knocked on the door and a small, frail old woman came to it.
"Why, hello my darlings. What is it you need." She gazed up at Gavriel. "Wait a moment, I remember you. You're that one vampire that came to me sometime during the last decade." She lost her old woman voice and sounded more like a young lady.
"It is indeed I." He announced and took a mocking bow.
"Looks like you found yourself a mate." She stared me down with a raised eyebrow and look I couldn't exactly place. It was somewhere in between disapproval and jealousy. She turned around and waved her hand. We followed her inside and a light grey mist encircled her and I could the top of her head peek over it with longer, prettier hair and she physically grew taller. A moment later, a lovely lady who looked somewhere around twenty years old stood before us. "This form is much more comfortable, but I must take precautions." Her hair was dark brown, almost as dark as mine, and long and wavy.
"So what do you need." She asked as she lounged on a brown leather chair.
I looked to Gavriel and he spoke for me. "We need you to take her soul."
"Ooh, a soul?" She checked, seeming very intrigued.
"Yes. I don't believe you require payment for that do you?" He spoke casually.
"Not at long as I get to keep it."
"That can be arranged."
"Come here miss." I followed her into a large, nearly empty room save the self and table with bottles and a diverse arrangement of things. It ranged from small herbs and tools to weird animals and glowing bottles.
She dipped her hand in a thick, cherry red liquid and painted a large symbol, which I couldn't place, on the floor.
"Kneel in the middle."
I did as she commanded and waited for her to do whatever she was preparing to do. I watched as she ground up some black roses along with a dark flower I recognized as deathbell. She poured a black liquid in with it and knelt in front of me.
"Close your eyes." I did so and I felt cold, thick paste being painted on my face. It was added around my eyes, along my cheekbones, and lips with a line down my forehead, nose, and chin. I kept my eyes closed as she instructed. I could hear everything that was going on though. The witch stood up and started to chant. I recognized a few words as Latin, but I never studied the language very far. I began to feel like my heart was being crushed. I cried out and clutched the skin above my heart. The witch chanted faster and more fiercely. The pain filled my entire being. I remained kneeling but was hunched over from the burning agony. I heard Gavriel's voice yelling but couldn't understand it over the sound of my pounding heart. I felt him take a step toward me, but then something stopped him. I felt as if my stomach was being strangled by a boa and my pulse sounded in my mind. The pain all multiplied and I wondered how I could still be alive when it suddenly stopped. I opened my eyes and saw a bright strand of wispy lights floating above my head. It was beautiful and glorious. I saw it float toward the witch and then, everything went black.
I woke in Gavriel's arms. "Why did that hurt her so much?" He demanded.
"Eh, the more attached to the good part of themselves the person is, the more painful it is to rip the soul from the body." She answered nonchalantly. "She was a good person, so giving away that part of herself was most of her soul. What she has left now is small and black." Gavriel helped me up and my vision darkened. I felt light headed immediately.
"Stef, get her some blood infused with nightshade." I hadn't noticed the little girl standing beside the witch. She ran to a cupboard and pulled out a goblet and a few different vials.
She fumbled with the vials, which were unlabeled, so I went to help her. I had knowledge with herbs and medicines from being a priestess.
There was an array of different colors, one was white, one was green, a few were different shades of blue.
"It's this one, dear." I told her, pointing to the vial with the purple blackish liquid.

She nodded quickly, bouncing her pretty blind curls, and poured a bit into a glass full of blood.

She handed it to me and I drank it.

I felt much better but still just as empty. I felt lost, as if I was out of place and didn't belong. I no longer felt saddened and depressed though, so that was a good thing.
My body was still weak from the process but my mind was alert. Gavriel picked me up and carried me to a couch. He sat beside me in silence.