Fire And Ice

Chapter 82 - Pits of Hell

Natalia's P. O. V

I walked out of the holding room to meet Kaesha, Hailey and Tim leaning on the opposite wall, waiting for me with crossed arms and disturbed looks. Their faces screamed questions and concern but they only stared.

I couldn't blame them.

My hands were coated in dried blood. There were some burnt stands of hair stuck to them and some of the blood had soaked into my clothes too. Plus, I probably still had a look of revelry in my eyes.

Thank goodness I'd dressed to get dirty.

Hailey was the first to break the silence, "How'd it go...?"

"She looks like a serial killer, I think it's obvious how it went." Kaesha quipped before I could speak.

I tried to reassure them with a smile, but that only served to give Hailey a look of horrified worry and make Kaesha's already narrowed eyes judge me harder. Only Timothy's expression remained largely unmoved.

"Is she...?" Hailey trailed off, unable to say the word.

"Dead? No, that would be too good for her."

Kaesha looked at my hands then back at my face, "What're you gonna do with her?"

"I'll return her, of course." I took my phone out of my pocket and checked the date, "There's supposed to be a full moon tonight. I just need to see if the scar stays on her after shifting."

"And if it doesn't?" Hailey asked in a tone that said she really didn't want to know the answer.

"Then I guess I'll just have to do it again till it sticks." I shrugged.

Hailey and Kaesha winced.

"Ari..." Hailey took a step towards me and took my hand, gingerly, tentatively, like she could barely bring herself to touch it, "I know I said I'd help, but I didn't think you'd actually torture someone."

My brows drew together and I looked at her, confused, "What did you think I was going to do?"

"Definitely not this!" She sputtered, looking at me like I was insane, "Kirstin gathered all that evidence! You even sent her to the Royals to report them. They're gonna be arrested anyway, why are you doing all this?"

"Why am I doing all this?" I laughed, my shoulders shaking with the hilarity of it all.

Why was I doing all this?

Why did I breathe? Why did I eat? Why did my heart beat?

"Because I need to."

She let go of my hand, rendered mute. Timothy stepped up to place his hands on her shoulders and Kaesha simply shook her head.

My skin started to prickle with rising heat.

Why were they looking at me like that?

"They did this to me for years!" My face felt hot, "What did you expect me to do? Rise above it? Be the bigger person?"

They said nothing, but their eyes said everything.

"Well, I won't- I can't."

"I'm sure it's cathartic for you," Kaesha sighed, "and I won't say I don't understand. But I can't let my magic be used like this."

I scoffed, "Aren't Witches all about keeping a balance? This is just their karma."

"That may be so, but I just can't. I'm sorry. I'll still be your pack Witch and help out here, but I won't be using my magic to facilitate things like this, Ava." The judgement in her eyes was gone, and in its place was pity.