Hallow's: Witch's Brew

Forty-Five

Arctic Monkeys- Do I Wanna Know? 

As the inmates are lined up to be cuffed, I feel Noah's eyes on me. It's a cold sensation. Colder than the afternoon frost blowing through the broken ceiling. I know he can see that my skin is riddled with goosebumps as I stand at my post. I can feel the goose-pimples tighten on my face as he steps closer and closer. 

I'm not mad at him. I hope he isn't mad at me. I just needed some time to clear my head from all the ugly shit that creeps through. I haven't seen my therapist in a while. Not since a month before my divorce. A lot has happened since then and now that we've had the opportunity to let it sit in the silence of this mission, it's catching up. I'm about to crack and I really don't want him to get hit by that. Not while the storm is growing more and more attached to me as I get stronger. 

"Watch the rear, Ari," Lucas leads the inmates through the gate. 

There are a lot of new faces. New for the prison at least. I'd been avoiding the new witches with ease, but as they walked past me, the angry glares weren't missed. The only reason I haven't been attacked is the AR hanging over the front of me. 

I remember each face like it was yesterday and the satisfaction I thought I would feel at seeing them like this is not there. It's a strange feeling to sympathize with the people who isolated me in my home. Who tried to break me so they could steal something only I was born to wield. They have no right to be angry with me. If it weren't for me, Ahsan would have killed them all for threatening his mate. Those kids love that girl and I doubt it will be the last time they'd kill in masses for her.

I line up with the two other guards and lift my gun as each witch is placed in their cell. Lucas doesn't skip a beat once they're all locked up tight. I remove my vest and the gun to hand them to him as we put everything away. 

"What was that about?" he asks just as I believe I'm about to get the hell out of here without being questioned. 

"I put most of them in here," I answer honestly. "It's my old coven," 

"You betrayed your coven?" he glares at me.

"They betrayed me. Killed half my family and tried to brainwash the rest of them into taking my power to kill one of the most powerful Reapers in existence. They're lucky to be here at all," I say out loud. "Lucky I didn't wipe out their entire bloodlines for what they did to me and my mate," 

"Fuck you, Periwinkle. You're the worst fucking storm to be born into our coven," someone shouts. 

"Your coven?" I laugh. "Your coven doesn't exist anymore and I'm still standing here. With my foot on all your necks. You didn't even come close to your goal. That's what you stupid motherfuckers get for listening to a fucking mortal," 

The lights flash as the anger in me flares. 

"Lesson learned," Noah laughs from his cell. 

No one says another word. 

Now that they're here, I'm going to have to move faster. The last two floors go in the morning. The glass has to go up tomorrow afternoon once everything is cleared up. That gives us thirty-two hours before we're home. Noah only has one target left and I have to tell him to get it done tonight. 

This is how I find myself in the vents again. He's sitting on his bed flipping through a book. He glances up at me but chooses to take a page from my book. Petty has always been a cute look on him. Even when his anger was aimed right at my chest. Especially when it was aimed at me. 

"Lily is waiting for the Wraith. The inspection passed. No one will look for her in the morning," I inform him. 

"Have fun," he says dismissively.