Exquisite Poison (Original Draft)

Chapter 39 - Let's Play House

Netta had been piling luggage in the back of the new car that she and the oddly still operational blank card had managed to procure. She jumped when she was interrupted by the sound of Opehlia talking.

"I'm coming with you."

Netta stopped as she readied herself to throw a duffel bag in the back of the vehicle.

"Uh, no thank you," she murmured, not bothering to turn around to look at the ingenue.

Ophelia continued, undaunted.

"I didn't want to go to his temple, I wanted to follow you as you started to hunt down your Sisters."

"I can't let you come along, so go back inside of the house."

Ophelia let out an exasperated sound. "You're not even trying to understand me -"

"I understand completely. You're a young Witch with your whole life ahead of you. Don't waste it on me. Trust me, I'm not worth it."

"I can hold my own on the road. Besides, a Coven rule states that we're never to be alone. It's too dangerous to travel alone-"

Netta cut her off. "-especially when you're an untrained Witch who's much too young to even consider a Sacred Contract -"

Ophelia, who had been standing at the beginning of the long and winding driveway, walked up to Netta's side. Quickly, she grabbed onto one of the remaining bags to help.

Netta turned around to snag her bag back from out of the girl's hands. "In short, hell no, and go back inside with the others who are watching me from the windows."

Netta turned and watched as the faces in the large front windows disappeared, replaced with hurridly shut blinds.

Ophelia growled. "I am not a burden. If anything, you need my help. You - your Familiar's not exactly useful in a fight, being an Incubi, and your old Sisters are dangerous. I think that extra help shouldn't be turned down, you don't have the - the luxury of turning away help -

Netta tossed the bag into the back of the car with more force than was neccesary, winging it into the back of the car.

"Inside of the house. Now." She snapped.

She stared down the severe, but undeniably pretty black girl. Finally, Ophelia rolled her eyes and stomped back inside.

With the girl gone, Netta turned around and make quick, angry work of flicking the remaining two bags into the back before slamming the trunk closed. Rushing to the driver's side door, she threw the door opened and slammed it behind her.

Before she could let the deep breath that she had taken out, Ash remarked, "That went well, considering."

Netta didn't bother to ask what he was alluding to. "This is why I did not have children."

Ashwood - now looking like the man that she had first met so long ago, with a rough, almost cruel-looking face, a long, powerful body encased in a white sweater and well-fitting jeans - said, "No, you didn't have children because I am physically incapable of giving you children."

Netta bit the inside of her cheek and turned to look at Ash, who gazed at her. The deep red of his eyes were hidden behind dark Aviator glasses - a carry over from his old form.

She shook her head at him and pulled down the drive, leaving with a brief twinge of regret over what she was leaving in the rearview mirror.