The Second Mate

NINE

Nefera Ashkivoskt Dracule. The picture above.

~~~

"It's a drug. It's undeniably what made Zeref go haywire." Corrine, the pack salutary, concluded as she placed the lab results on the table.

"Whoever did this is skilled, not only did they entered the territory undetected but also infiltrated the underground prison." She added.

Marianne read the results.

"I think they're here for me." The pack witch continued.

"No, no, no , no, no, no. The Brethren already has the Alpha in their grasp. Don't tell us you owe the Grand Coven." Corrine blurt out.

"I'd be lying if I say no." Nefera confessed.

"I'm taking a big tablet of Triazolam to drown myself." Corrine waved off.

She exited the room, stumbling on every furniture she passed by.

"I don't think she needs a sleeping pill." Nefera chuckled.

"So, the Grand Coven, huh?" Marianne started. She knew about them, learned about them from her classes with Nefera.

"Does it matter?"

Marianne shot her a serious look.

The spellcaster unzipped her leather jacket and, for the first time, Nefera revealed her tattoos. "I mark myself whenever I have my worst kills."

She showed her left arm.

"Medusa." Marianne mumbled.

"The Gorgon herself. She is my first kill, well, I helped the man who killed her but the emotional trauma I experienced from her made me go insane for years. The only way to stop the torture was to carve her image in my body." Nefera spoke the words like a bad memory of the past, which it is.

Marianne noticed the tattoo on the witch's elbows, spider webs.

"Arachne, my latest kill. The murder that brought me to Remus. I failed to save the women she killed. Every night, I hear their cries and pleas. It always reminds me of my failure. A silver blade through her heart was never enough to forget the bitch."

"And this one?" Marianne pointed at the tattoo on Nefera's right arm.

"This is the reason why the Grand Coven is after me. The mistress of evil herself, Maleficent, was slayed by me. She was the former Brethren Witch." Nefera stated.

"Maleficent? Like 'The Maleficent'?"

"Yes, Sleeping Beauty. A witch who my mother clashed horns with before. I just continued the legacy and finally placed an end to it."

"Why'd you kill someone of high rank?" Marianne wondered.

"Mistress of Evil." The witch gave her a pointed look.

"Ever since I was a child I was fated to bring the Mistress her downfall but some of the spellcasters are her devoted followers. Even if the Grand Coven captures me, they can't do anything to me but throw me harmless words. Don't worry, Marianne." She assured.

"What trauma did she made you feel?"

"Nothing. It just naturally appeared after I killed her." Nefera looked at the mark.

"How 'bout the one in your chest?"

"It's body art. Anyways, I better go find out who broke my barrier." The witch picked up her leather jacket as she sent Marianne a smile.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Marianne took the box out of the car's trunk as she brought it to the school gymnasium where the Bake Sale was held. She presented the Beignets, Croissants, Eccles Cake, Tiramisu, and Cannoli.