Wayward Daughters

Chapter Eight

"Okay, now with your left foot, I want you to pivot and bring your leg around, hitting my hands....right here." Greer made her hands into a triangle and centered them in front of her chest. "Point your foot like a ballerina, and don't be afraid to hit me, trust me, I can take it. And One!" She started the count, and it was followed by Norah's first kick, which barely made contact with her hands.

"Two!" she yelled and Norah kicked again....this time missing. "Norah....kick me! Three!"

She kicked again, this time making a little more contact than before.

"That's better, but still not enough, what are you doing, playing with those demons?! Come on now, Four!"

She kicked again, this time hard enough to push Greer back a little

"Thatta girl!!! Five!"

They did both sides, doing twice as many on the left side, since it was her weak side. Then they sat down on the grass. The backyard was large and spacious and of course they were surrounded by what seemed like hundreds of beautiful flowers....tiny red and yellow ones all the way to large white and purple ones. Greer breathed in the fresh yet heavy New York summer air, loving every minute of being here.

"You're doing much better!" she looked over at her cousin as she took a swig of water. Norah nodded and continued to down her water as well. "Tell me, how do you kill a Djinn?" She wiped her mouth of the access sweat and saliva.

"Silver knife dipped in lamb's blood." She answered between short breaths that she was still trying to catch.

"Okay, what mimics the appearance of human children and then feeds off of their mothers?"

"Changelings." Norah answered with ease.

"And how do you..."

"Fire, take out the mother and the rest will die with her."

"Perfect! You're getting it!"

"Alright, say you're following a lead about a town in which it seems that kids are struck by a sudden illness, they get so sick that eventually they become comatose and eventually die. What do you do?"

"I'd go and talk to the parents, get a time line and see how many points of interest line up about when and where they eventually died. More than likely it's a hospital, so I go to the hospital and track down the nurses and doctors and even the staff that have consistent interaction with these specific patients.

"Okay, and you finally figure out who is responsible...and what it is...."

"It's a Shtriga- a soul sucking witch."

"How do you hunt it?"

"I wait until night time, hide maybe somewhere nearby so I can catch it in the act"

"And then?"

"And then consecrated wrought iron through her heart....that's what." Norah stood up "Okay let's go....again!" Her eyes were determined; her sweaty hair mashed against her forehead while a pony tail bounced its way in the back.

"Well, it doesn't have to be through the heart." Greer stood up

"Well it should be, who takes life from children!" She says getting into her fighting stance.

"Remember, it isn't always children....just more than likely." Greer said as she picked up the angel blade.

"Does it matter? No one should have the right to take life whenever they want!"