Black Magic Women

91

"Get me every single one of the potions we still have left from the last incident. Make sure to fetch lots of bandages and some wet towels with a bucket full of lukewarm water," Hilda said and pointed her finger at Sabrina, who immediately disappeared to follow the orders of her aunt, before she turned her attention to Ambrose, who just lowered Mary onto the couch.

"And you. You go and place Zelda on the other couch and go get me some potions for her. They should be below the spices for my meatloaves. While you're at it, you might also get me some salves and more bandages. I don't know how badly bruised or cut Zelda's body is. I haven't had the time to check her," Hilda said and turned to Mary, who had her eyes closed and breathed short and flat.

"How are you holding up?"

"I am alive," Mary answered and inhaled sharply, the pain spreading through her entire body. Even breathing hurt and the brunette just wanted the pain to stop. She didn't know how much more she was able to take before she would faint.

"Do you have anything to kill the pain?" Mary asked and Hilda brushed her hand soothingly but carefully across her upper arm. She could see just how much pain the brunette seemed to be in. Her brows were knitted together and her face contorted in sheer agony, making Hilda's heart break at the sight of a loved one in so much misery.

"Sabrina will be right back with them. They should soothe your pain and make it all fade away," Hilda said and looked down her body, afraid of what was to come. She knew it wouldn't be easy. For all she knew, Mary has just died and come back to the land of living within a few minutes. There had to be some kind of downside to it and she was sure it was only the calm before the storm.

"We need to take off that dress to get a good impression of what happened to your body and what we need to do. I am sorry that Zelda isn't here for it and I understand if you don't want Sabrina or Ambrose in here, while I do it but it needs to be done before the injuries have time to do more damage. We wouldn't want to have another unfortunately broken rib, would we?" Hilda said and Mary tried to shake her head.

"No, I understand. I'd just prefer it if it were just you. I don't need an audience when the sister of my mate undresses me," she said and Hilda chuckled.

"We better not let the coven know about this. The next time they'll want to join us," Hilda said and laughed nervously, trying to ease the obvious tension.

"Great. I would gladly let them take the beating from Adam and join in for the orgy that's about to follow. At least it wouldn't be me ending up in intensive care for once," Mary tried to joke but her laugh came short as the pain ripped her body in half.

"Here you go," Sabrina said as she almost threw all the stuff at her aunt, her hands shaking too badly.

"You can leave now," Hilda said, wanting to respect Mary's wishes.

"But I want to help you as best as I can," Sabrina tried to protest, feeling the need to do something other than sitting around and waiting for either good or bad news.

"You did all you could do. If you want to help me, then go and make some tea, get yourself something to eat and wait until I join you in the kitchen," Hilda said and squeezed her niece's hand before she left the room, having no fight left within her.

For once Sabrina didn't argue with her aunts, understanding that some things were better left to the adults.

Hilda turned her attention back to the potions and searched for the strongest painkiller they still had left from the last attack, finding it soon.

"Here take four drops of this. It should help almost immediately. It'll numb the pain but don't move. It'll all come back to you once the potion wears off," Hilda warned and Mary opened her mouth greedily.

"Better?" Hilda asked after a few seconds and watched Mary nod slowly.

"Yes. Where has this been my entire life?" Mary asked as the pain ebbed away and her body could finally relax into the cushions of the couch.

"This is only for emergency cases. You'll have to get off it as soon as possible or your body will get used to it and we'll have to develop something new, more effective. I'll give you something less powerful in a day or two. We don't want to torture you but we can't risk you getting used to the effects of this one. Took us long enough to figure the recipe out," Hilda said and Mary sighed disappointedly.

"And I thought I could live off this."

"I am afraid, that won't be possible."

"Here auntie. Everything you asked for," Ambrose said and Hilda took the bucket filled with everything Ambrose had found.

"Thank you."

"Is there anything I can do?"

"No, there isn't. Just make sure Sabrina is looked after and that she gets something down. I don't think she has eaten anything and I saw her throwing up earlier. I just don't want her to get sick. This was a lot to process and I wish she didn't have to witness this," Hilda said and Ambrose nodded before he disappeared.

"Are you ready?" Hilda asked, not knowing if she wanted to pull through with what had to be done.

"I don't think you can be prepared to be examined by the sister of your lover in nothing but your underwear."

"A simple 'yes' would have done the job."

"I'll just use my magic to get that dress off so we have to move you as little as possible. We don't want you to feel even worse than you already will when those wear off. And I feel like I am committing less of a sin in not taking your clothes off by hand."

"Just do it. The more we talk about the weirder it'll get," Mary said and Hilda nodded one more time.

She could do it. She had done worse in her lifetime and yet this was different. It was more awkward than most of the stuff she had done in the past. She wasn't sure if it was because she was about to see the prior mother of demons in her underwear or because her sister saw what she was about to see on a regular basis. All she knew was that it was making her incredibly uncomfortable.

With one big breath, she prepared herself and within seconds Mary found herself undressed, the cold breeze making goosebumps dance across her skin.