His witch

Chapter 3

Marianne’s POV

Finally, it was Saturday. I was tired after this week. After I woke up, I was lying in my bed and looking at the ceiling and enjoying the thought that the shop was closed and I didn't have to hurry. Only one thing disturbed my good mood; it was way too visible that we should get my room renovated, as well as the rest of the house.

Today I was to meet with Dawn. She was my only friend here, in Silver City. The only friend at all. We met at the eco market. Some time ago, we tried to merchandise our potions there. After all, it was a success. I acquired a friend who is not afraid of an evil witch. And she actually uses our products. Someday she will be a famous makeup artist and will advertise them. She promised.

Dawn worked at The Moody’s, one of the best clubs in the city. I could never afford a drink in such a place, but when a bartender is your best friend, you can count on one or two in the house.

We were going to meet at 20, so I had plenty of time. Granny hasn’t woken up yet. She worked in the lab till midnight, so I thought I'd prepare breakfast for us both and we would eat it in our garden. We grew most of the herbs that we need there. This way, we saved money and we're sure that the herbs were of the best quality.

I thought I would prepare an omelet with veggies and cheese and some salad. We are both vegetarians, so no fried bacon or eggs and ham. But eggs alone are a different matter.

I started with wiping off the garden table and covering it with a fresh tablecloth. Then I began preparing the food. Chopping veggies, mixing eggs, grating cheese, and brewing the tea. The smell of fried eggs was amazing. I may not be the greatest witch in the town, but for sure I am an able cook.

Granny woke up and went straight to the garden just as I finished with the food.

“Good morning granny”, I greeted her.

“Good morning sweetheart. You prepared us breakfast. Thank you.”

“Not a problem, I heard you went to sleep late. You shouldn’t overwork yourself. I can brew at least some potions.” I looked at her long silver-gray hair, flowing freely around her shoulders. She was in her late sixties, but her face was still beautiful, with almost no wrinkles and fair skin. It’s due to our cosmetics, so she looks natural, not like all those middle-aged actresses who overdid botox.

“Sweetheart, I will be fine. I like my work.” She replied. “Will you pass me the kettle?”

“Not too strong?” I asked, granny, preparing the morning tee, so I always doubted if I could do it the right way.

“Perfect,” she smiled. She was in a good mood, so I asked:

“Granny, who were you talking to yesterday?”

“I told you yesterday, you misheard. Maybe I was humming something while cooking. You are to see Dawn tonight?” She changed the subject. I would give it in for now, but I knew I hadn't misheard anything. There was a second person in the room.

“Yes, granny. But I will be back about midnight”, not that I was a prude or something, but Dawn’s shift ended at midnight and she needed to get some rest because tomorrow morning she has her second job. Not only do we need money, and staying in the club without her wouldn't make any sense to me. This wasn't really my place, with all those rich people around.

After breakfast, I decided I should relax a bit and made myself a home spa with peelings and masks. My skin was glowing and I felt very attractive and confident. I knew I shouldn’t count on a pickup tonight. Every time I tried, it ended when I told them what I do for a living. Some just went away, but some cursed at me. I don’t want to cause any problems for Dawn. So I chose a modest violet dress with a bateau neckline and short sleeves and black peep-toes. I put my hair into a bun and put on light makeup.

At 20, I was at the club. The bouncer greeted me faintly.

“Such a big guy and afraid of a little witch” I whispered to his ear as I passed. He laughed. He wasn’t afraid at all, he trusted in Dawn’s opinion of me. He even sometimes chatted with me. The club was crowded and Dawn was busy. She spotted me as I sat at the bar.

“I will have a break in 10 minutes,” she said, handing me a glass of margarita.

“Ok,” I nodded.

I sipped my drink slowly and looked around the lounge. Suddenly, I felt uneasy, as if someone was watching me, but I couldn’t locate that person. Luckily, Dawn came to me.

“What’s up girl? Are you having fun?”

“Yeah, as you can see” I replied.

“Looking great. You should set up an i********: account and advertise your cosmetics just with this face.”

“And granny would kill me.”

“Why?” Dawn giggled.

“She always says that we should keep a low profile. People are biased.”

“And yet she decided to come here instead of staying among her own.” Dawn never spoke a w-word in public and I was grateful.

“I asked her more than once. She always says that it’s complicated and she prefers to stay here. Sometimes I don’t understand her at all.”

We chatted for a while, but I felt dizzy, so Dawn took me to the staff exit so I could get some air in the back street. She had to go back to work, so I said I would be fine and come back in a short while. I leaned against the wall and closed my eyes.

“Look who we got here”, I heard a manly voice and felt somebody grabbing my arm. “It’s dangerous for a lady like you to wander in a place like this.”

I opened my eyes. I couldn’t see his face as there were no lights there, but his frame was huge. There was something wrong with him. His scent bothered me.

“Don’t touch me” I said in a raised voice and tried to yank my hand out.

“Showing claws? Took after mommy?” he laughed and grabbed me tighter. I started panicking. I could shout, but there was no chance anyone would hear me. The guy started dragging me to the car parked at the end of the alley. “Come, there is someone who wants to meet you. Be a good girl, or I will be a bad wolf. I can be really bad.” he laughed again. It sounded grody and gave me the creeps. As he turned to me, I saw his eyes glowing red. What the f**k? A rogue werewolf? Here?

Suddenly he stopped and sniffed. Was somebody there? I could not see or sense anything through his horrid scent. And then things all happened at once. Somebody growled and the thug was thrown away from me. I lost my balance and fell to the ground. I felt something hard and long under my fingers, so I grabbed it to fend for myself.

First I thought that Tim the bouncer came to my rescue. But he wouldn’t growl and as I took a closer look at the men fighting, it was definitely not Tim. The other guy was bigger, with broad shoulders and, even I could tell, a skilled fighter.

After a few punches, my apprehender was lying on the ground without a move. My savior turned to me.

“Are you OK?” I could only nod, my voice failed me. He knelt down and touched my arm. I felt sparks on my skin and something moving inside me. It was primordial, wild, and alien. Panic seized me. I swung with my hand and hit him with whatever I was holding in my hand. He fell and let go of my arm. In a panic, I broke into a run, leaving both men on the ground in a dark alley.