After arriving at Baxter High the girls and I went our separate ways. I ignored the shocked stares thrown my way as I made my way through the halls smirking to myself. The bitch is back. I easily found my way to Ms.Wardwell's office dead set on surprising Lilith. Only once I arrived someone was already occupying her time much to my dismay. I leaned against the door frame rage burning inside as Principal Hawthorne made passes at my demoness. He leaned casually against her desk getting a little too close for my comfort, "Any big plans for the holiday weekend? Because you would be welcome at my house." Her eyes flitted over his shoulder catching me in her icy gaze. She pushed away from the desk standing, "I have my own rituals. I order in." As she moved to walk around her desk Principal Hawthorne matched her steps, closing even more distance. I'm sure the fire was now burning in my eyes as my jealousy raged on. She carefully side stepped him continuing her path to me, "Perhaps next time. When I'm in the mood for a real meal." The words that were lost on him made perfect sense to me and I couldn't help the small smirk that graced my lips. Lilith feasted on male flesh and would devour this insignificant mortal without a second thought. As she reached me she traced a manicured finger along my jawline affectionately. The principal was still unaware of my presence as he let out a soft chuckle, "Oh, yeah." The fire in me flared once again and I moved towards him with murderous intent before Lilith caught me by the hand pulling me out of the office along with her. I pulled out of her grasp like a petulant child. "Let me take care of him," I suggested reaching down to pull a dagger from my boot. She looked amused as she quickly pushed the blade back down, "As amusing as that would be, darling, I don't think this is the time nor the place. Where'd you even get that from anyways?" I shrugged slightly, "I'm your handmaiden remember? I never leave the house without one. You never know when you'll need to make a sacrifice." Her eyes softened affectionately as she interlaced our fingers once again, "how could I forget. And what exactly is my favorite witch doing dropping in so unexpectedly?" I smirked looking up at her through my thick lashes, "Do I need a reason to visit my girlfriend?" Her blue eyes flashed dangerously as she smirked down at me, "Girlfriend?" Ignoring the looks and whispers we were receiving from passing students I continued, "You're the one who said you wanted to stop hiding. Besides this is the 21st century, lover, so the correct word would be girlfriend. Unless of course you'd prefer that I found someone else who'd enjoy my company?" At my cheeky remark her eyes darkened as she leaned down, "Careful, dearest. Let's not forget who you belong to." In the midst of our conversation neither one of us had noticed Principal Hawthorne exiting the office. "Miss Spellman. This is a High School. One you're no longer enrolled at. Shall I find someone to escort you off campus?" He drawled. Lilith rolled her eyes slightly at the interruption, "That won't be necessary, Principal Hawthorne. She's here visiting me." His eyes wandered down to our intertwined hands and he sneered. "Ms. Wardwell she's a student-" I quickly cut him off my anger returning. "Actually, Principal Hawthorne as you just pointed out I'm not in fact a student and I'm of legal age," try 62, this man should really learn to respect his elders, I thought to myself, "so I'm really failing to see the problem here asshole." He gaped like a fish out of water. Lilith smirked looking down at me, "You'll have to excuse my girlfriend, she's really not a people person. I'll make sure to keep a tighter leash on her, Principal Hawthorne. Come along, Darling, I have some time before class." As she turned to walk away I made sure to flick the man off and stick my tongue out before Lilith tugged on my hand pulling me securely into her side. "You should've at least let me cut his tongue out," I grumbled once we put a safe distance between us. She chuckled, pressing a kiss to my temple, "Next time, dearest. I promise." As we rounded the corner raised voices sounded through the hall and I cursed softly. Of course I shouldn't have left Sabrina and Prudence alone for so long. "Prudence, if you lay a finger on Harvey, I swear to Satan, I'll tear you to pieces," Sabrina threatened. "Save it for Feast day," Prudence retorted. "You're deluded," Sabrina scoffed. Lilith and I looked at each other unamused. "Girls, girls. Let's not be catty bitches, hmm? Sabrina, aren't you gonna introduce me to your new gal pal?" Lilith said, stepping in. Next thing I knew we were all sitting in her office hashing out whatever disagreement they had been arguing over. "And I know it's witch tradition, but can you please talk some sense into her, Ms. Wardwell, and tell her that there's absolutely no purpose to the feast? Not when the cost is precious life." Sabrina pleaded. Prudence, who had been looking over her manicure, glanced at Sabrina unimpressed. "But the reward is everlasting glory in the Dark Lord's heart. And who is this woman that we can discuss our ways with her?" Prudence retorted scrutinizing Lilith. Sitting perched on her desk I glanced back at Lilith who remained concerningly quiet as she listened to both sides. "She's a witch, too, excommunicated from another coven," Sabrina explained. Lilith shrugged, going along with what Sabrina had said. "You expect me to take advice from an excommunicate?" Prudence questioned in disbelief. I huffed out a laugh as Lilith rolled her eyes looking clearly offended. If only they knew who she truly was. "Don't be a snob, Prudence. Ms. Wardwell is incredibly learned. Not to mention Nicole trusts her," Sabrina defended. Prudence looked at me, "Is this true? You trust this woman?" I shrugged, feeling Lilith watching me intently, "With my life." Lilith finally spoke up, "And, as promised, I have done some digging into the Feast of Feasts and it's a... complicated matter. Now, you may not want to listen to an excommunicate, but there is someone perhaps you should meet. A witch who was once Queen of the Feast, until she rejected the crown. She lives deep in the Geeendale woods. Moon Valley, if you're brave enough to find her." As she spoke Lilith had stood and walked around the desk leaning against it next to me resting a hand on my thigh. "A witch spurned queenship? I don't believe it," Prudence scoffed. Sabrina turned to her, "Well, if your faith is as strong as you say it is, Prudence... what's the harm in hearing her story?" Prudence looked between the three of us clearly going over her options. "If I go... I want my sisters to come with us," She huffed, crossing her arms. "The more, the merrier. And Satan knows who we might chance upon in the woods," Lilith shrugged.
Later that day we all walked through the Greendale woods making our way through Moon Valley until we came across a hut hidden in the brush. "What if she's not home?" One of the weird sisters asked. "She's always at home. Isn't that right, Dezmelda?" Lilith called. At that a hedge witch appeared from the hut. She was old and hunched over using a walking stick to keep herself upright. "We're witches, like you... and seek counsel," Lilith explained, bowing her head respectfully. The witch looked at us skeptically but offered us seats nonetheless. We all sat on stumps arranged in a circle with her at the center. "what made you run, Dezmelda, from the Dark Lord?" Sabrina questioned. "I didn't run from the Dark Lord. I ran from my High Priest. I was a child. We all were. All 14 of us, who took part in the lottery. Younger than you. No one questioned why that was. And I was selected to be queen. And then..." Dezmelda trailed off. Lilith put a comforting hand on her arm, "Her High Priest had a revelation... delivered unto him by the Dark Lord, allegedly. The night before the feast, the High Priest was to... initiate her." No one spoke as we listened to the story. It was disgusting and barbaric. "I was a child," Dezmelda said defeated. My heart broke for her. Lilith's hand squeezed mine pulling me back, "Rather than allow herself to be violated, Dezmelda fled... into the woods. She's lived here ever since." Prudence shook her head, "What happened then isn't what Father Blackwood is asking now." I rolled my eyes at her blind devotion. I wouldn't have put it past him. "Just listen to your words. Father Blackwood is asking you to do this thing, not the Dark Lord," Sabrina reasoned. "Father Blackwood is a righteous messenger," Prudence continued defending the High Priest. "But he isn't divine. He's flesh and blood, just like you and me. Which means he has faults and he sins. He can be wrong, he can be corrupted," Sabrina argued. It was clear the conversation was going nowhere with neither of them willing to budge. "Are you suggesting Father Blackwood is acting on his own, independent of the dark lord?" Prudence questioned incredulously. Sabrina shrugged, "I'm saying it's possible."
They continued arguing but Prudence refused to see reason. A single gunshot echoed through the woods. Dezmelda looked around alarmed, "What have you done? Who else have you brought to this place?" Lilith looked to her, "No one I swear." Dezmelda stood retreating back into her hut, "Go, and never come back."
The trek out of the valley was quiet and tense as we carefully avoided running into whoever else was there. When we came into a small clearing we stumbled onto a large deer. As we got closer my stomach knotted at the sight of the half transformed goblin. "Ms. Wardwell, what is it?" Sabrina questioned. "It was a familiar," I murmured. "'Many live in Moon Valley," Dorcas confirmed. Sabrina grimaced, "Who would do such a thing?" I turned slowly and Lilith's gaze met my own. "Men," She said simply. As she spoke shouting sounded nearby. Lilith pulled a spool of rope from her pocket, "Quickly, take the wool yarn. Form a pentagram around the creature." She unraveled the yarn wrapping her arms around me protectively as we formed one of the points and each of the girls formed the others. "Wait, Ms. Wardwell, what are we doing?" Sabrina hissed. "Pulling the wool over their eyes," She explained, "Don't speak. Stay very quiet, or the cloaking won't take." Just as she finished four men entered the clearing panting heavily. I recognized one of them to be Sabrina's mortal boyfriend. Lilith's soft breath fanning over my neck proved to be incredibly distracting as I willed my breathing to slow and relaxed into her. The entire world seemed to fade away as I focused on her strong heartbeat that was beating in rhythm with my own. Once the men moved on the cloaking dropped and Lilith balled up the yarn, shooting me a knowing smirk. "Once a hunter, always a hunter," Prudence remarked. "Harvey's not a hunter," Sabrina defended. "Though you must admit, he certainly looks the part, Sabrina," Lilith suggested. "More than looks it. He is a witch hunter. His family are witch hunters. He told you himself," Prudence pushed. I refused to meet my cousin's eyes. Witch law was clear about what must be done. "Blood demands blood, that is the law," Agatha spoke up. Lilith rolled her eyes at their dramatic tone. "Blood atonement for the murder of this familiar," Dorcas added. Prudence sneered as she circled Sabrina, "Perhaps instead of letting you drag me to the four corners, my last hours would be better spent flaying your boyfriend alive." Agatha smirked, "Rending him limb from limb." She turned looking at all the Weird Sisters, "Keep away from him. Harvey's not a killer." I looked back to the familiar lying frozen and lifeless with a look of anguish twisted on its tiny face. If someone were to even touch Nyx I would gladly disembowel them. This wasn't any different. "You believe that, Sabrina? Even with what we just saw?" Prudence spat. Sabrina was breathless, "Yes. Yes." At that point I believe my cousin was trying to convince herself more than us. "How is your faith in the mortal boy any different than my faith in the Dark Lord? Why is your faith more valid than mine?" Prudence drove the final nail in the coffin. There was no argument Sabrina could possibly counter with. As the weird sisters walked away Sabrina turned to me, "Please, 'Cole. Y-You have to do something. You can't let them hurt Harvey." I shook my head numbly, "No, Sabrina. There's nothing I can do. Witch law is clear. Blood demands blood. What if it were Salem?" I turned to the dead familiar one last time kneeling. The least I could do was give it a proper send off and insure the mortals wouldn't find it. I muttered an incantation under my breath as flames crackled to life engulfing the goblin. I stood interlacing my finger's with Lilith avoiding Sabrina's gaze. "Let's get out of here," I said softly.
