Page 6 of The Witch and His Crow

They were heading outside, where a sacrifice would not spoil the night of the club’s patrons. How very kind of them.

‘I really shouldn’t leave my friends for long.’ I caught the voice of the witch as the Hunter part-dragged and part-encouraged her towards the club’s fire exit. Her words were slurred slightly, her footsteps fumbling. Had they slipped something into her drink? Thistlebane extract to subdue her gift, or something far more sinister? The thought alone turned my blood to rivers of raging flame.

‘Believe me,’ the Hunter drawled, voice thick with forced lust. She leaned in, tongue licking the witch’s cheek. ‘I’ll have my way with you and finish you off before they even notice you’ve disappeared.’

My eyes rolled. Of course, the witch didn’t know the true meaning behind the Hunter’s comment, but I did. To her, it was just flirting. A promise of a quickie in the back alley, something to laugh about with her friends over cheesy chips at the end of the night. When in fact, the Hunter was alluding to her death.

The click of the fire door opening was so loud, jarring me. I allowed them both to slip out, knowing the other two Hunters waited outside. I paused for the second before the door shut, then unleashed my gift. Power coursed out from myoutstretched hand, casting out a blockade of pure, undiluted energy. Invisible fingers wedged between the door, stopping it from clicking shut. I reached for it physically, relaxing my power a second later, and followed them outside.

Crisp autumn air brushed against my face, dispelling the craggy essence left from the club’s innards. Oxford wasn’t a city known for its clean air, but a lungful was certainly more pleasing than the smoky hellscape that was the Energy club’s dance floor.

I flung my power behind me, ensuring the door closed shut quietly. No sense in alerting the two distant figures that I was following. At least, not yet.

‘I was beginning to regret letting you go in alone,’ a dark voice infiltrated my mind.

‘I’m glad you didn’t,’ I whispered my reply, knowing the presence would hear me clear as day. ‘Three Hunters, Caym. This is big.’

A black shape cut through the sky above. I followed it, welcoming the comfort of seeing the crow. Caym, my familiar. He swooped through the dark sky, perching on a bin just opposite me. The crow flapped his wings three times at me, which was his way of telling me to leave. ‘Stay away from this, Hector.’

‘Sorry, no can do,’ I answered as I continued my chase.

If it were possible for crows to roll their eyes, Caym would have in that moment. Then my familiar was airborne in seconds, knowing this wasn’t a fight he could win. He swooped upwards, blending seamlessly into the shadows, waiting for the command that would soon come.

‘Please don’t?—’

A sharp slap silenced the distant plea, flesh on flesh. I rounded the corner to see the witch’s head snap sideways, her hand pressed to her cheek. Even in the dark I could see thebruised stain blossom beneath her splayed fingers and the tear rolling down her cheek.

‘Demon whore.’ The Hunter who slapped her hissed, practically doubled over to get close enough to the witch’s face.

‘Please. Please.’ The man mocked as he dug his hand into his belt, withdrawing the sacrificial blade. ‘Why do you witches always say please? I mean, at least put up a little bit of a fight. Makes the effort of the stalk more rewarding.’

‘And you’d think you would have had more time to contemplate a better line, you prick,’ I whispered to myself, cautiously sticking to the shadows as I drew closer.

Caym cawed in the back of my mind.‘If this goes wrong, don’t say I didn’t warn you.’

I looked up, seeing the beady-black eyes flash from the shadows. He, like me, was also thirsty for the very thing the Hunter has asked for. Except he tried to hide it, playing the dutiful guardian. I knew, deep down, he longed to pluck Hunter eyes from skulls.

It was a desire we shared.

And I did live to please.

Time to play. Purposefully, I dropped the empty glass I had brought with me, shattering it in pieces across the cobbled back alley. The noise alerted the Hunters, drawing each of their attention up towards me as I stepped into the ominous glow of a shop’s sign.

‘Well, this is awkward.’ I said, sauntering into view, delighting in the confusion crossing each of the Hunter’s faces. The witch glanced up at me too, wincing as if I was the fourth member of their group. But then her expression waned as a circlet of silver encased my pupils. ‘Have I interrupted something?’

No one replied. In fact, one of the Hunters seemed to growl at me instead. Fucking growled, as if he was some pre-teen werewolf obsession.

I thumbed behind me, nonchalant about the gleaming athame one of the Hunters held firm. But it was the witch I spoke to next, not them. ‘Your friends are seconds away from coming out looking for you. You might want to get back inside.’

The witch scrambled to her feet, barely sparing a glance backwards as she ran in my direction. I expected her to continue past me, using my presence as the distraction she needed to escape. But instead, she surprised me and stopped at my side.

‘Didn’t you get the hint,’ I hissed out the corner of my mouth. ‘Get out of here, quick.’

‘Actually, I think I’ll stay and help,’ she replied, lips curling with ire, brown eyes flashing with a ring of gold. ‘Even the odds.’

She was a fire-witch. One of the four main elements we were each born into. A person didn’t need to be magically or supernaturally blessed to be slotted into elements. Like these Hunters. They too, depending on their birthday date or star-sign—if that is something they followed—would be privy to an element. Mine was air. Gemini. And if the Hunters knew star-sign lore, then they’d understand that one thing more frightening than a witch, was aGeminiwitch with a grudge.

‘I prefer to do this alone,’ I added, aware the nameless fire-witch was no longer slurring. In fact, she stood with the grace of someone who hadn’t touched a drop of alcohol. Certainly not the same person I had watched being shepherded out of the club.

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