THE LIBATION

CHAPTER SIX

Brielle alighted from the car and shot the door behind her. Her grandma came down from the other side of the car, and walked to stand beside Brielle. One wouldn't know that Agatha was the grandmother to Brielle. She looked much healthier, like her own mother. Agatha was tall, huge, healthy, dark skinned. Beauty was still written all over the old, somewhat-wrinkled face. They believed witch-haunters lived long and healthy. That was a myth that worked for Agatha. She leaned confidently on the car with her dark glasses well placed on her eyes, which suited well with her black pants and jacket.

Brielle turned and looked at her grandmother. She was one minute amazed by the way she looked. She looked so much younger than her age. Maybe what she believes works for her.

"Hope you didn't come along with anything." She asked.

Agatha turned slowly. "Of course I did." She said softly and smiled.

"What...seriously! What did you bring?" Brielle almost raised her voice.

"I brought the coin." She replied.

"Please don't use that on her. She's not who you think she is—." Elara climbed down from the stairs and sighted Brelle. She smiled as she walked up to them. Elara's smiled began to fade slowly when she saw Agatha. She fixed her gaze on her, while she kept walking. When Agatha took off her glasses, Elara's whole countenance changed. She disliked her instantly. She felt something odd about her, and didn't want to go close to them, especially Agatha.

"Elara, this is my granny." Brielle smiled happily, pointing to Agatha. Agatha also stood still, squinting into Elara's eyes to see if she was among them. She scanned her whole body religiously, trying to spot for any witch mark on her, but couldn't find any. She was surprised she didn't see even a slight mark, especially on her neck, as most witches usually have a dark brown mark on the side of their neck. She shook the thought off her head, as she wasn't certain if she was truly who she thinks she is.

"Good afternoon ma'am." Elara greeted, her gaze still fixed on Agatha. She scanned her thoroughly, as if she just met someone she has always wanted to kill. She could feel her dark side fighting to take over her and devour Agatha immediately. For some reasons, Elara didn't know why she acted that way, but she knew something isn't quite well with Brielle's grandmother.

"How are you darling. I came to drop Brielle at school and wanted to see the best friend she always talks so much about." Agatha smiled, and as if that even made Elara growl a little to her own hearing. Agatha saw Elara's finger nails becoming into something long and pointed, but when she looked again, it was the normal size, and well filed. She thought maybe her intuition about Elara was just messing with her brain.

"Okay, we'll be going inside. See you later granny." Brielle hugged her, but as they were about to leave, Agatha stopped them. She smiled as she opened her arms wide enough for a hug, looking at Elara, gesturing her to come in. Elara stood still, looking deep into Agatha's black eyes. She knew hugging her was a trap and she better stay off from it. And yes, hugging her was a way for Agatha to finalize if she is truly a witch. There's this particular scent witches has, and once a witch haunter perceive the scents, she becomes familiar with the it, and that's easy to weaken them, because once a witch knows someone recognized their scent, that's enough to weakened them — but only a little. Elara didn't want to hug Agatha and at same time, she was thinking of a means to distract this deadly moment. She tapped her side pocket, and immediately her phone began to ring. Elara dipped her hand into her pant pocket, and brought out the phone.

"Ooh, I'm sorry my dad's calling." She said as she turned to leave.

"It won't stop you from hugging me child." Brielle turned and gave her grandmother a 'you're too desperate for this and she's suspect it' look. Agatha ignored Brielle's look and turned back to Elara and smiled.

"Okay, day." She ended the fake call and sighed in frustration. Elara bit her inner lips. She sure wasn't ready for anything that would cost her her life and get family, the kingdom at large. Before she could get out from her thoughts, Agatha moved closer to her and hugged her tight.

Agatha frowned. So as Elara.

Agatha frowned because she was disappointed. She thought she would be right, but seems her guess, her thoughts about Elara were all wrong. Elara on the other hand, frowned because, she thought Agatha would know who she was , but that frown seemed to soften when nothing happened. She thought she was going to loose a little of her power, she thought she as going to become suddenly weak, but she didn't. Nothing happened. She thought her world was coming to come crashing down within seconds, but everything was as it were — she was still standing strong, her powers intact, the surrounding cool as it was. Agatha moved back from her and looked deep into her eyes. Elara did same too. And there was a long moment of silence. It seemed the world was revolving round them. Elara didn't know why all these happened. Why she wasn't affected by Agatha, even though she wasn't sure if she's a witch haunter, she sure knew something wasn't smelling right around her. Agatha could see Elara moving away from her slowly. She thought her thoughts were right, but it was when she felt a hand on her shoulder that it was dawned on her that Brielle had moved Elara from her.

"We'll be going." Brielle said in a disappointing voice and she held Elara by the hand and walked her into the school. Elara turned back to Agatha, and saw shadows around her. She squinting her eyes and moved her head backwards in surprise, and not in surprise anyway. She knew she wasn't right afterall. She turned back and faced Brielle who gabbed all the way till they entered the hallway. Brielle was a witch haunter and her grandmother was — her grandmother was also a witch haunter. The greatest of them all. She remembered her father telling her. Agatha Vane. The name popped up in her head. The pop made her eyes dilate in astonishment. She hugged the powerful and greatest witch haunter. But she wasn't touched. She wasn't affected. She was still her. Why is that? Why wasn't she always moved by other people's power? She was battling with her mind, not knowing Brielle had been tapping and calling out her name. Brielle turned and looked at the people staring at her. She smiled in a disgraceful way and said it was nothing.

"Why're you staring at me like that?" Brielle asked when she noticed Elara had come back to reality. Elara wanted to shout at Brielle. Wanted to ask her why she would put her life in danger by bringing Agatha Vane to her. But what was the point, when Brielle herself didn't see Elara as a witch. She had no Interior motive of bringing her to school. Elara looked deep into her eyes and saw the innocency in her, but why was her eyes open wide.

"Elara, are you insane?" Brielle shook her.

"Ooh, I'm sorry. Were you talking to me?"

Brielle moved back a little and shook her head. "This isn't you. What's happening? What are you thinking about? You can tell me. I'm your friend, remember. We'll solve whatever is making you worked up like this." Brielle said with concern in her voice and Elara could feel it. She wished she could tell her, but little does the innocent Brielle knows she and her entire family are at risk where Elara and her family are. And Elara and her entire kingdom is also at risk where Agatha Vane is. How could she tell her she feared her and her grandmother. How could she tell her she was a witch. How could she explain to her that there is a war between both of them currently. How? Elara felt her eyes becoming unnecessarily cold. She pushed back the tears that was welling up in her eyes before Brielle noticed it. I love you Brielle. She said to herself. But we're going to hurt each other, and we have to part ways before something drastic happens.

"I'm fine. It's nothing. Just my science project that I haven't done."

"Science project? The submission date is next month, so why being bothered about it?" Brielle asked not fully convinced.

"Yeahhhh.... I'm.... I'm just searching for a name....emmm....a suitable and perfect project to work on." Elara stammered.

"In as much as everyone wants the best for their project, that shouldn't make you work up like this. Come on." Brielle put her arm across her shoulder and tagged her out from the hallway to the classroom.