"Oh don't give me that," Emilia scoffed, pouting at Rhys who had grunted at the whole display. "A flair of drama just makes it all the more exciting. You're always ruining my fun. Isn't he, Von Fluffers? Such a spoilsport."

The cat meowed and leapt from the counter.

"Fine, fine, let's be on with it. Sit," she ordered gesturing Rhys and me to two armchairs by the fire before she began skirting around the room, snatching jar here, jar there, and tossing them onto the ever-growing pile on the table.

Nothing. She gave nothing—no explanation of what was happening, what she was doing, or anything. Just nothing. I should have expected it with how frequently I had been left out of the know. After all, the world had been giving me the big middle finger lately. Still, when someone drops the I'm-a-witch bomb it would be nice if they gave more details besides just that

She had to know why we were here—I mean, why else would she be pulling all that stuff—but just how the hell did she know? Rhys hadn't told her—unless she determined it from his frown—and yet she had to know. It had to be some witchy magic, like how the hell she had known who I was.

But I refused to ask. I had played the stereotypical, naïve human the last feel days and was determined not to fall into that role again. So we sat in silence watching her, as her giant fluffy monstrosity determinedly kept trying to climb onto my lab despite me repeating shoving it away.

"Be nice," Emilia snapped, as she threw another jar onto the table.

"Tell that to the beast," I grumbled back.

The thing took advantage of my momentary distraction and curled up on my lap, hissing and clawing at me when I tried to subtly push it off. I gave up when it managed to nick my hand good.

"Sir Knightly von Fluffers is not a beast. He is my familiar and centuries older than you kid, so I wouldn't push him. He can do more than just scratch you." How the hell she saw him scratch me when her back was turned was another knowing mystery.

"Like what? Smother me to death with his fur?"

"No," Emilia grinned coldly, "He can personally escort you to the gates of hell."

I starred at it stunned as it licked its paw. No. Impossible. This purring furball take me to hell?

"Hell exists?" Dad had always jokingly told me I'd go to hell for half the crap I did and ironically he may have been right. For the first time in his life at least.
"Yes, as real as you and me. And demons exist too. They have to be, in order for me to exist."

What?

"That's how witches are made by the merging of moral and demonic souls. Oh, Gaia, I forget how ignorant you morals are. It's saddening. You poor unfortunate soul, if you knew the future before you, you'd beg me for pity to take you to hell now."

A chill crept up my spine. "My future? What about my fucking future?"

Her dark amber eyes met mine and she gave a smirk and a long hum before whirling back to work.

"Are you positive we can trust her?" I whispered to Rhys, who had not relaxed a muscle since Emilia entered the room.

"No," he deadpanned.

"You can never trust anyone sweet Kyle," Emilia responded reappearing at the table. "Not even those you think you can. No one ever has your best interest at hand, only theirs."

Well, that was a morbid comment.

"So, uh," I stuttered, "what are all these things for."

"Oh, a summoning potion. Of sorts," she said hauling out a large pot and setting it on the table. With a snap of her fingers flames blazed out from underneath it. Not a pot then. A cauldron. Despite their butchering of vampires, Hollywood appeared to have gotten that right about witches.

"A summoning potion to summon Eskil," I surmised as she started opening jars to throw things in the steaming cauldron.

"Of sorts," she emphasized.

This was all working at too well. In no time at all, we'd find Eskil and I could get back on with my life. Eskil. His face flashed through my mind and my heart stopped. A part of me would be sad I guess—a very tiny, very small, very insignificant part—when this was all said and done. I'd miss these vampires and this supernatural world. There was something scary about it all hell yes, but also calming like I had finally found a piece of myself that had been missing my being ignorant to what the world really was. But unsafe. Completely and utterly unsafe. It wasn't my world, my reality, to get consumed it. It was better to stay out of it all.

"You'll ruin your pretty little face with thinking wrinkles," Emilia warned. "And that would be such a tragedy. You'd do much better to think less." She paused pursing her lips. "But I suppose we do have time as the portion sits for me to humor you and answer your questions. Just this one time."

How to start was the struggle. All the questions buzzed chaotically in my mind. What exactly is a witch? And demons create witches? How is the cat a familiar? How does the portion work? What magic could she do? How does she know Rhys and Eskil? Why is she bothering to help us? Why be a witch and own a bridal boutique? And what was the deal with that comment about my future?

"Buzzing, buzzing like a bee. Your poor mind. But let's seem, which one which one, hm? Ah! Yes, witches. What are we exactly? We are exactly what we are, the offspring of a demon and a human with souls of each. 'Demon soul for magic's delight, human soul for Earth's plight'.

"Demons bother creating witches for one purpose alone: vessels. As powerful as they are, demons have their limitations. Alone they cannot endure Earth. And human vessels decompose so quickly when possessed. So sad really. Their poor bodies just can't handle the makeup of a demon's soul. Witches, we don't have such limitations and are bound from birth to our sires and must serve them. Unless you happen to kill your sire, then you are free to follow your own will.

"Silly me, creating more questions than answers aren't I?" She sighed shaking her head. "I'll have to focus more, I dare say. Hmm...familiars are lowly demonic creatures a witch can contract to serve her. And yes, witches can only be females. But focus, sweet Kyle, focus.

"How I know Rhys and Eskil? A long time ago and from a...contracted service agreement. But I can't disclose any client information so enough of that. But I will say the reasoning I am helping now is because of that agreement. And I own my own bridal boutique because wedding dresses are, well, simply magical aren't they?" She giggled.

I nearly jumped out of my skin when sickly green smoke exploded from the cauldron.

"Oh!" She jumped off the table and ran over to it. "Yes, it's done! Now to find Eskil you will need to come here Kyle," She said stretching out her hand to me.

I stood up to take it but a burly arm hit me in the chest and knocked me back into the chair.

"Um, ow!"

"No," Rhys growled staring down Emilia.

Emilia gave an exasperated sigh and threw her hands up. "This is why I loathe vampires! This is the only way for the potion to work and to find your Eskil. So by all means, keep Kyle from me. But then you can kiss your chances goodbye at seeing your master again. Kyle."

I stood slowly just in case Rhys decided to throw an arm again. He didn't. I went to the cauldron.

"Pull out Eskil's gift." I did as she ordered. "Perfect. Now drink." She dipped a cup into the cauldron and placed it in my grip.

The smell alone was enough to make me vomit, but the disgusting sewage mess in the cup made me want to never eat or drink anything ever again. She wanted me to drink this? I hesitated, shooting Rhys a look hoping he'd step in and tell me not to drink it. He didn't.

One drink. That's all I had to do. One drink and it would be over and I could go home and sleep peacefully without being worried about being massacred by monsters. One drink. That's all. One drink.

It tasted even worse than it looked and smelled. I gulped, gargled, and gagged it all down.

"There," I gasped, fighting to keep it down. "Now what?"

"Tsk tsk Kyle what did I say about trusting people?" Emilia smiled.

"What?" I asked. Almost instantly as the words left my mouth a bolt of flaming pain shot through my body. I screamed as the flames burned my inside. Every nerve in me scorched in incomprehensible pain.

Fucking hell, I thought before the fire burned my sight too to darkness.

Boom. Managed to keep my Thursday upload promise and its longer! Hope ya'll enjoy! Until next week!!!!!