THE LIBATION

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

"I saw a dark image in a mirror today." Brielle blurted out at the dinner table.

Hannah dropped her fork on the plate and folded her arms on the table. "You say?". She asked chewing the food in her mouth.

"Yes." Brielle looked up at her mother. "I saw it. But I don't just understand what that was." Her eyes rolling on the table.

"Who stood at the mirror before you saw that?" Hannah bent low and asked in a whisper, peeping at her eyes.

Brielle swallowed hard. "Elara." Her voice was dry and she felt the fingers of betrayal sting her.

"Then Agatha is right." Hannah straightened herself.

"No mom. She was so scared when she saw it. And besides, Elara hated witches."

Hannah raised a brow. "Did you look at the mirror before Elara did?"

Brielle remembered when they got into the bathroom and Elara went to urinate. She was standing at the mirror, dressing herself. There was nothing like that hideous image in the mirror, not until Elara came and stood at it. Brielle felt her heart stopped and started again, her brain froze, her entire body was temporarily paralyzed. Was her own best friend a witch? Was Agatha right all along? Was she haunting after her best friend and was her best friend also haunting after her? She remembered how she told Elara she was a witch haunter and could clearly see her expression. It was cold. It was brutal. It was evil. It was a witch-like. Brielle swallowed the bile in her throat and rested on her chair. She was trying to put two things together to get a better understanding, and she did. A mark of aggravation chiseled on her face as she pondered more about it and how Elara, despite knowing she was a witch haunter, was relaxed about it. Does she have plans on killing her? Does she have plans on ending her like she did to her dad? Nathan. Oh, Nathan, he doesn't even know a thing about his girlfriend. But how wicked is she to come into the human world and play so nice with interior motives. Did she come for Brielle? She wondered. Since they killed her dad, and was after Agatha, then Elara was sent to kill her, that's why she became so much close to her. Brielle opened her mouth and breathed out heavily, still feeling the burden in her. Burden?

Yes. She felt the burden but didn't know why it was that way. Maybe the burden that she brought her entire family to a great danger.

"Yes." She said in a whisper and breathed out.

Hannah gave her a stern look, as she tilted her head. "Was it void?"

Brielle raised her head slowly and held her eyes with her mother's. "Yes, until she came and stood in front of the mirror." Her face hardened and she could hear her own heart beat. She was scared at the realization that her own best friend is a witch, and at that tears dropped down from her eyes. Hannah pushed back her chair gently and stood up to go meet her daughter.

"You see why it's a more big disadvantage to trust people. It's okay sweetheart." Hannah rubbed her shoulder with her hands and rested her chin on Brielle's head.

"Mom, she is my best friend." Brielle looked up at Hannah with watery eyes.

"Yes, I know, I know."

"I can't stop talking to her. She's literally the only person I have in that school." Brielle sniffed hard.

"You know you can help us to get her and her family." Hannah withdrew back and raised Brielle by the chin.

"Mom!" Brielle cried out in pains. "I can't cause her harm."

"But she wants to cause you harm, Brielle. She wants to kill you, don't you get. She killed your grandfather, killed your own father and was after your grandmother, Brielle. Don't you get all these."

"It's not she mom. It's her family—"

"She is part of the family, hon—"

"She wasn't even born by then when the war started."

Hannah exhaled and crossed her arm on her chest.

"She wasn't mom, don't you get it. I love Elara. She's a nice girl even though she's a..." Brielle paused. "a....a....a witch." Her voice was low and trailed off.

Hannah stood up and walked to the telephone stand. She picked up the telephone and dialed a number that Brielle didn't see properly. She put the phone to her ear and waited for the receiver to pick the call.

"Agatha." Brielle widened her eyes at the mention on the name. She got up quickly from the chair, almost falling off with the chair, as she ran and dragged the phone from her mother. She looked at her mother with a 'what the f**k where you trying to do?'

"Hey granny." Brielle faked a smile, as if Agatha could see her. "I wanted to speak to you myself." Her mother moved closer to her and wanted to take the phone from her when Brielle stopped her with her left hand and moved back. "Stay back mom!" She ordered almost raising her voice.

"What's it sweetheart." Brielle could hear her grandmother ask from the other end of the phone.

"It's mother. She doesn't want me to talk to you." Brielle almost faked a cry.

"Oh f**k it! Brielle give me that phone now. Mother don't listen to the gibberish she's saying." Hannah moved closer and they both began to drag the phone while Agatha kept asking on the end what was going on. Brielle dropped the telephone in anger. Hannah frowned and bent to pick it up. She tried talking to know if Agatha could hear, but no one was speaking. She dialed the number and waited for the receiver to speak, but nothing. "You spoilt it." She raised the telephone with a deep frown. Brielle shrugged and went back to the dining table.

"I believe I'm talking to a 17 years old teenager." Hannah shouted walking behind her daughter.

"Why did you want to tell granny?"

"And why're you giving me that look?" Hannah dragged the chair and sat on it. "She needs to know." She breathed out. "Elara and her family are dangerous. Why do you wanna save her when you know fully well that she is very dangero—"

"She isn't 'very dangerous' as you say mom. Elara won't hurt me. She's my best friend, she can't do that. You and granny should go for her family, but leave her alone."

"Go for her family and exclude her? Can you hear yourself? If her family is to attack us and count you out, how would you feel? What would be your reaction? Won't you go for all of them too with other witch haunters?" Hannah eyes burned as she stared at her daughter whom she was disappointed at. "I expected you to be as smart as your grandmother, if not me." She banged the table, hissed and left the parlor.

Brielle fidgeted at the sound of her room door when Hannah shut it close angrily. She fell on the chair behind her. "Elara...a witch?" She felt her heart sank into her stomach.

"And where is she going to?" A voice stopped her. She stood still and turned to see a bittered Raven, arms crossed on her chest, face squeezed as if she was as old as the mother of Dark Lord. Elara wondered why people can be so annoying like this. She tilted her head and stared back at her. Her left brow raised.

"You're going out to a party, Elara." Raven scrutinized her from her head to her toe. "I'm going tell Father Lucien and also the Inquisitor, which you know is my father." Raven pouted her mouth.

Elara chuckled which annoyed Raven. "So you wanna threaten me with my own father? And your own dad? Like your dad who's under my dad?" Besides, he knows alright." She smiled and turned to leave.

"I'll call Mother Selene to testify that." The words came out sharp and that made Elara turn quickly. Her eyes burning in fury. "You and I, you and everyone I mean, know you hate that woman with everything in you and extra. And we all know how Mother Selene can be. Your father still kinda chooses her over you a little because she's pregnant, and maybe it might be a boy." Raven smirked.

She walked closer to her. "So baby girl tell me where you're going to?" Raven raised her chin slowly.

"With Selene?" Elara shook off her hand from her chin. "Nice try Raven."

"It's funny how you fear your Father's wife than him himself." She smiled. "Now I can see what to trap you with. Besides..." She cleared her throat. "Where are thou heading to with an exposed mini red singlet gown." She stretched her hand and touched her breast. "I knew it, no bra." She smiled. "A low-key bad witch." Her eyes went down her exposed shinning slender thigh. "Despite the fact you're my arch nemesis, you're sexy as f**k tonight, Elara." Raven closed the gap between them and without allowing Elara to think straight, she shut her lips with hers. Her hands went down and gripped her tatas, bringing out a moan from Elara. Raven smiled at what she did. She slid her hand gently under her gown and smiled even more when she found out she wasn't putting on any panties. She got hold of her core and caressed it gently.

"Are you insane?" Elara pushed her away, cleaning her mouth, she frowned at her. "What...what was that for?"

Raven smiled and licked her finger. "Your desire taste sweet, darling. Didn't know you were this good, baby."

"What?" Elara frowned.

"You have an interior motive, Elara. You aren't on any panties. Bad girl!" Raven smiled.

"You disgust me girl." Elara said and walked out, leaving Raven to smile to herself.

"So you're into her too." Raven turned forcefully with fear on her face. Venessa stood shaking, with tears dropping down her eyes.

"You said you hated her. You said she was your rival, and here you are throwing yourself at her. You kissed her, Raven, you complimented her for the very first time, you licked her core."

"Emmm....Vene.... Venessa. It's not what you think. Calm down."

"I saw it all, Raven. Don't lie to me!" Venessa sniffed.

"She forced me. I caught her going out and threatened I was gonna tell her parents, and she bribed me....."

"Bribed you with a kiss? Why do you keep lying Raven. I said I saw it all. Indeed, you disgust me too." Venessa cleaned her eyes and ran back inside.

"Venessa..... Venessa." She ran after her. "What the f**k was she doing out here, f**k! Venessa.!"