Untamable Resolve: The Witheridge Witches

Ch 37 - Things Have Changed

***unedited*** Merry Christmas

My frantic steps turned into a jog, then a run, then a sprint. I ran and ran for a minute or so to create some distance between myself and the party before keeling over and retching.

'I need to get out of here.'

'I need to get out of here.'

'I need to-'

My retching turned to vomiting.

I vomited and vomited until there was no bile left and tears from me straining streamed down my cheeks and nose. Heat, pain, and pleasure pulsed from the bites on my neck and arm wave after wave.

It was a feeling I couldn't think about right now - so I kept walking - so I could attempt to keep feeling nothing at all.

The wind wisped by almost pulling me further into the woods.

"Pssst-

Psssssssssst-

Psssssssssssssssssssst- "

The wind called me blankly as if in a trance I kept walking to wherever the wind led me.

The blur of my surroundings suddenly became clear as my spine straightened when a familiar scent had me stopping in my tracks.

'Rosemary'

My eyes lit up as I let out a sharp inhale in relief.

Seconds later my sister appeared in front of me, and I ran to her and engulfed her in a hug.

"I did it. It's done." I said in her ear.

But as I hugged her, the more I noticed she didn't really hug me back; instead, her body was rigid and unmoving. And with that my already battered heart broke a bit more.

"Charlotte, what is it?" I asked.

She pulled back from the embrace and gave me a sad little smile.

I rolled my head back and sighed as I looked at the cloudy, dark sky before looking back at her. She looked frailer than before - more gaunt - like she hadn't had a good meal in a while.

"Tell me." I said softly, bracing myself.

"You did finish the job, but you got caught."

"Let's get out of here then." But even as I muttered the words, I knew it was wistful thinking and stupid.

She shook her head, "One of our other deep under-cover operatives has agreed to take the blame for you, and your job is to let it happen. "

My eye twitched, but before I could react outwardly, she moved on.

And there it was, and all of a sudden my body sank.

'Is it Marissa? Claire?'

"She's a witch."

I racked my head trying to figure out who it could be. How could I have missed a witch?

We stood in silence for a few moments.

"Things have changed. We need you to stay."

"Am I allowed to know why? I mean look at me." I said as I motioned to my body with a callous laugh.

She bit her lip and continued, "You'll be moving locations soon. We need you there because if we play our cards right, you'll be the highest-ranking human in their government. That's all I've been authorized to say."

"Sounds terrible." I said with the most humor I could muster but it ended up coming out hoarse.

"It's war. We're all in the tranches. Yours just looks a little different."