The Witching Hour

Chapter 5 - Prey

Over a week had passed by without any real interaction between the Pentacle. A couple nightmares plagued them, but Ivy was never the one to send a message. She read what everyone else said, but she couldn't shake the feeling from the shop.

Ivy had awoken hours later still covered in vines. When she told Hunter the story, he wrapped his arms around her and held her tight, murmuring reassuring things into her ear as she cried again. She hated feeling weak and breaking down. In the span of 24 hours, she had done so twice.

The only person to reach out to her was Marina, and it wasn't even about the nightmares. The water witch had invited Ivy to a party at the Thirsty Fork, the main bar off the square. Marina would be performing early on in the night before the dancing began. Ivy couldn't say no, especially to her friend – even if this was a subtle ploy to get Ivy back into the world of the creatures.

When Ivy asked Hunter if it was a good idea, he gave a noncommittal answer. He wanted her to see her friend, but at the same time, he didn't want her to get hurt. Ivy invited him, but he said he wouldn't be getting back from Portland until late that evening and to go ahead without him.

Tonight was the night. Ivy couldn't escape now, especially when she stared back at herself in the mirror next to the front door. She left her curls a wild mess and opted for a cat eye and a muted raspberry lipstick. Without knowing what took over her, Ivy had grabbed a slink, curve-hugging black dress with a small slit at the thigh. To top the outfit off, she slipped on a pair of bright red heels.

The witch looked herself in the eye and ran a hand through her curls. She pursed her lips and scrunched her nose as she debated if she really wanted to walk out that door. This would be her first time going out since everything had happened. She was never a frequent partier, per say, but she did like to go out and grab drinks with Hunter every now and then. If that transitioned to dancing, who was she to say no?

"Here goes nothing." She pulled open the front door and descended down the steps.

The walk shouldn't have been very long, but somewhere along the way she had gotten lost in her thoughts and second-guessing herself that she didn't realize she had walked too far. When her eyes noticed a light fog rolling in, she finally looked up and took note of the darker atmosphere. Fewer lights lined the street, and she heard rustling in the alleys.

Cursing herself, Ivy wished she had at least kept up with studying the different creatures and their scents. Cassandra could identify one with a simple look. She read them so easily, and while Ivy knew part of that was from reading their auras, other witches had mastered the skill as well.

Her heels clacked against the cement, and in her race to find the right street, Ivy stumbled over an empty beer can. That was when the whispers began. Ivy could feel the eyes raking over her and taking in what she wore. She looked like a lost tourist, ripe for the picking, and without any clear sign of biodiversity, she was almost certainly alone. Ivy couldn't even sense the ground beneath the cement like she could in the center of town where it wasn't laid as thick. Empty plots dotted the sidewalk where trees and other organisms had once lived but had been removed.

In short, Ivy was screwed.

"What's a witch doing in my neck of the woods?" A figure slithered out of the darkness and stepped into her path. She hadn't even heard him approach.

Ivy's brown eyes fell to the ground, desperate to avoid the gaze of this creature.

"I know you can hear me." He stood behind her and leaned close to her ear. A hand played over her shoulders and through her curls as he moved in front of her. "The scent rolls off you in waves."

Ivy tried to weave around him. As she made the move, he just backed up, moving with more agility than Ivy would ever have. She finally brought her eyes to his face and regretted so immediately. The mistake had already been made. The light behind him illuminated his hair and gave him a halo, reminding her of all the Renaissance paintings she loved in college. His icy blue irises pierced right through her and kept her entranced.

"What's a matter?" He twirled a piece of her hair. "Cat got your tongue?"

Even in her heels and with her height, this man loomed over her. She couldn't tell what he was, but she just knew that he wasn't human. All she could smell from this man was a deep, woodsy musk, and she racked her brain trying to remember the different species Cassandra had gone over. On top of that, every word he spoke seemed to drag Ivy deeper down into some sort of a trance.

Ivy went to speak, but he brought his hand to her lips.

"Let me guess, just out for a stroll?" He circled her again, assessing his prey. However, she realized that despite the questions, he really didn't want her to answer. He just wanted to play this game of cat and mouse.

"Yo, Mammon, you gotta leave some of the pretty girls for us!" A voice shouted from the alleyway. "You can't just come check on us and take all of our girls!"

This Mammon took his gaze off Ivy for brief second; she felt a weight being lifted off her. She tried to use it to her advantage and break away, but as soon as she took a step, he had his hand wrapped around upper arm. That crushing weight she felt before rushed back. Ivy looked back at him through her lashes. Her breathing grew labored, and her heartbeat echoed in her ears.

"Now that's a good little witch." His perfect lips curled into a devious smile. He tenderly brushed a curl behind her ear.

"Please...just...let me...go," she stuttered putting all her energy into her words. Mammon inched closer, and the heaviness grew around her. Drowsiness hit her and pulled at her consciousness.

"Why would I do that?" He licked his lips hungrily. "Conflicting emotions roll off you in waves. The most prominent happens to be pain."

Mammon leaned even closer and sucked in a breath, his chest brushing against hers. For a second, the mental fog cleared. She felt the vines trying to inch closer, and she moved her hands to beckon them to her rescue. However, she made just enough movement to catch his eye. His fingers lazily trailed down her bare arm until the landed at her fingers. The spell casting stopped as the fog rolled right back in.

"Your precious powers stand no chance, darlin'." Mammon's eyes bore into hers. His other hand moved to her waist and played with the small slit of her dress. She cursed herself for wearing such an attention-bringing outfit, even though she knew it was her powers that drew him toward her.

The pain he spoke about magnified until it engulfed her. The box she kept locked in her brain unleashed itself and mixed in with the fresh wounds dealt to her last week. Losing Cassandra, disappointing Ella, hurting Marina and pushing Aura away – they all hit her like a ton of bricks. She wished it would all just go away. This was worse than the nightmares, and those had almost broken her.

His blue eyes disappeared. She jumped in surprise as his lips moved against her ear.

"I can take the pain away." She felt him smile, and it was confirmed when his angelic features reappeared in her line of sight. "Do you want me to take it all away?"

Ivy met his eyes and took a deep breath. She opened her mouth to give her answer, unsure what would slip through those lips.

—

A/N
Cliffhangerrrrrrrrrr

Now I've been posting almost every day since I posted the story. Wanna leave y'all guessing for a bit.

What do you think happens? What does Ivy do?

Add The Coven to you're library and you'll be notified once the follow up is posted. For now, you'll have to wait to find out 😉

Thank you to everyone that's been reading and/or voting 💙