The Witch In The Shadows

Yule Lads

"Hilda, Zelda? What's wrong?" The two women were frantically searching the foyer.
"Leticia! The babe! They have her!" Zelda was anxious.
"Who does?"
"Something. Must be connected to the log somehow but-" She was cut off by giggles of little children and a slam.
"That was metal." Oran spoke.
"The oven! I'm preheating it!" Hilda cried and the trio rushed into the kitchen. Hilda opened the oven to reveal a crying Leticia. Zelda immediately cradled her as soon as Hilda brought her out of the oven.

"So you're saying we can't banish them without bringing their mother who steals children and eats men?" Riley sat at the kitchen table. Zelda was holding Leticia across from her, Hilda next to her sister. Sabrina was standing in the foyer and Oran leaning on the counter in between Ambrose's legs as he was perched behind her.
"Basically, love." Hilda answered.
"I'm out, there's a Solstice party Luke invited me to." Ambrose vanished with the loud sound of Oran's resting elbow falling on the countertop. She rubbed it as Zelda started to tell them how they were doing it.
"We'll have to hide Letty, or Gryla will want her. Then we'll make an offering and she goes back to the mountains."
Sabrina and Oran spoke in unison. "I'll take Leticia." They glanced at each other, taken aback. Zelda didn't stop.
"Oran, Sabrina, you two take her downstairs and Riley, Hilda and I will deal with Gryla."

In the embalming room, Sabrina sat on a table, cradling the baby, while Oran perched on the spiraling staircase.
"I see you and Ambrose are closer today." Sabrina smirked. Oran's cheeks reddened.
"I guess, I mean, yes we are, we uh, I think we are something I, uh, yes we are closer." The witch fumbled. Sabrina grinned.
"So, looking forward to dinner?" Oran sighed with relief at the change in subject.
"With your aunt's cooking, always!" She replied.
They chatted about dinner for a few more minutes when Leticia cried.
"Oh shit!" Oran went to calm her but she could already hear a commotion upstairs. Gryla knew!
"Mom?" Sabrina's voice cracked. Oran whirled around to see the ghost of Diana Spellman in the doorway.
"We don't have much time. Change this into Leticia and then leave the real child with Oran." She tossed a teddy bear to Sabrina. Sabrina's jaw was hanging but she snapped out of it when Oran took Leticia from her arms. She changed the teddy bear into an identical mewling baby, then headed upstairs with a gesture from her mother.
"Thank you Mrs. Spellman." Oran whispered as she took Leticia and crunched behind one of the tables.
The baby was crying softly now and grabbed Oran's left pointer finger with both hands. She rocked Leticia gently to calm her, to no avail. She started to whisper but no sooner than the sound was out of her mouth that the child quieted and looked at her with wide eyes filled recognition?
"You're safe with me, go to sleep." She rocked the child more and the baby curled into her, fully asleep. This shocked Oran. The baby had been so worked up but then just sleeps when Oran told her to? Why did the baby have recognition in her eyes? It was not like Oran hasn't played with her before, but this was like she recognized her very soul. Oran felt something, like a pull of her magic in her veins. She suddenly felt connected to Leticia through the magic in their blood, and it was like Oran gave her own power to this child and could feel it living in Leticia.
Through the connection, she knew that Leticia recognized her, listened to her, because it was instinct. The baby was too young for thinking too complex like the circles in Oran's mind, but she knew how to express her needs, her wants, her feelings. She could tell people apart. Yet, it was almost if Oran was knowledge from birth. She knew she was an ancient being and lived because of her.
Oran shook her head at that last thought in her mind. She was not ancient nor was she the reason for this baby in any way. She pushed it away, but something nagged at her. An explanation, something she couldn't remember. The harder she thought about it, the more confused she got. She shook her head again.
"It worked!" Sabrina came bounding down the stairs. Oran relaxed in relief and came out from her spot. She pushed the confusion away to deal with it later.
"Tonight's not over?" Oran groaned to her sister, watching as Rosalind, told Sabrina what was happening to Susie. The Spellmans decided their plan of attack and took Riley with, leaving Oran and Rosalind to watch the baby.
"You're a witch too?" Rosalind asked, not looking up from Leticia.
"Yes." Oran murmured, uncomfortable around this person she didn't know. She knew she could be trusted, but her anxiety and social skills barred her from talking openly.
"Can you take her?" Rosalind asked and Oran reached for the baby. When Rosalind brushed against her arm pulling away, she saw her eyes widen and look past her. Suddenly she snapped back, and took a few steps back.
"You're just a witch? Nothing else?" The teen's voice was shaky. Oran was puzzled.
"Yes." Rosalind stared at her intensely, making Oran squirm. What was going on?
"Okay." Rosalind still didn't look away.

———————————AN———————————

SHITS GETTING REAL! What did Roz see? How does Leticia instinctively react to Oran? What's nagging at her?

TELL ME YOUR THEORIES
I won't give anything away though, so I won't tell you if you're right or not.

This is the last Yule chapter I think. Next chapter is going to be moving into part 2.