Chapter 30~ Granny and Hemlock
Alexis’ POV~
I kissed Blake and my dad, while Helena kissed Max.. “Be careful, my angel!” I nodded and smiled.. “There are three packs arriving today. Please make sure our people travel on paws and not wheels. I don’t want anyone hurt! Although Doctor Eric is shaping up to be a pretty good healer.. he struggles with anything major. I love you!”
Helena takes my hand.. and we step out the back door.. Opening a portal, we step through. As we step into the opening.. some older woman gasps “Helena” and runs off.. I giggle.. “You gonna shock them?” She grins and nods “Who knew just popping in could cause such excitement!?” And we both laugh, as she locks her hand around my elbow.. we start walking to the center of the village.
A woman comes out of a cottage shouting “Helena.. dear child! It’s been years! How well you look! You have been sorely missed!” And as she reached for her, she stepped back saying “I’m actually not here for a social visit. No one shows up after 18 years for a social call! Tell me, Aunt Prudence… where is Virginia hanging her broom, these days?”
Prudence backed up a step or two.. “Virginia? She hasn’t lived here in over twelve years. She was caught trying to steal the Book of Dark Arts and asked to leave by your mother. She took two younger girls with her.. Dahlia and Cornelia. But.. we haven’t heard anything about her in years. Why!? And why are you here?”
Helena laughs a light, airy sound of glee “ To see my mother, of course! I need to tell her about her eldest daughter! How she passed without the love and kindness of her family to facilitate her journey.. Excuse me… Alexis?” And I trot after her, enjoying this snarky side of my aunt!
Pushing a door to one of the larger cottages in the village.. not knocking.. just shoving her way in “Mother… I know you heard I was here… You couldn’t come greet your last surviving daughter? How rude!” An elderly woman… early sixties, maybe. Steps out with a tray.. cups, teapot, cookies.. setting it down and waving a hand for us to sit. While she did that… she poured us each a cup of tea. Helena lifted hers to blow on it.. and I picked mine up. As I did, I noticed dear old granny didn’t touch her cup. I sniffed my tea and slapped Helena’s from her hand… lifting the old hag by her throat. “Hemlock!? Hemlock, you old bitch! You would kill your only surviving child?? Give me one reason to not rip your head off, right this second!” Helena reached out and rubbed my shoulder, and I calmed down. I threw the old witch into the chair and froze her in place.
“Who are you?” she choked out. “Ooohhh Nooo Granny dearest! You don’t ask the fucking questions! You answer them! Why did you try to kill us?” She tried to bluster.. “I didn’t.. there wasn’t enough to kill either of you.. I just didn’t want any trouble brought to my coven! Virginia tried to steal the Book… and here you show up asking about it!” I growled.. deep and low “We didn’t ask about the Book.. you ignorant bitch! We were asking about Virginia. She is being held hostage at the palace of the King of Wolves. We wanted to find out if we should rescue her!” Helena stepped up and said “Hemlock would have killed my baby Gloria!! Just like you wanted to kill Olivia’s! Such a legacy you are leaving behind you!”
Gloria snarls “Baby? Baby!? Who knows what kind of halfbreed horror hybrid that thing is!!” I laughed.. “She is the most powerful witch on the planet! Her mother transferred her own powers to her child as she died! Her daughter is the most powerful wolf on the planet… not discounting her mate.. She is Goddess blessed.. by not only Selene.. but Hecate, herself! She is The White Wolf! And Olivia loved her beyond all things! You lose! You’ve lost! And when you meet Hecate… you better have better reasons than you’ve given!”
Gloria sputters “I didn’t know! How could I have known! Where might I find this virtuous specimen of wolfen magic? Tell me so that I might apologize for my miscalculation of her worth!” I laugh again and look at Helena “Is this bitch for real? It’s your call, Aunt Helena. I told you.. if they tried to harm you, I would destroy this entire coven!”
Helena shook her head “As sad as it is.. she is still my mother. Still your grandmother… I don’t want that on my conscience.” I nod.. “I get it! I do.. I mean, I am plotting my own brother’s demise.. but killing your mom.. that might suck.. a little bit!” And we both crack up laughing.. like I meant any of that shit!
Gloria looks up at me “What is your name child? You really are lovely. As lovely as my daughters.” And I roll my eyes… “Yeah, lady! Don’t even try with me! Too much, too little, too late! Know what I mean? Come on Aunt Helena! We got the names we need.. we can drain their powers.. and that’s all we needed “
She reaches out her hand and I take it…walking through the village. Pru and Gloria following, asking us to reconsider.. We lifted our hands to open a portal and we both whisper “Hall closet” so the crazy witches couldn’t see where we went. And giggling, we waved!
Stepping out of the hall closet, we scared the living daylights out of the poor housekeeper who ran down the hall screaming something about ghosts in the closet, and we walked back into the conference room, holding our sides from laughing. Blake asked what was funny and Helena told him we might need a new housekeeper for the downstairs bedrooms.. then explained what happened. And the whole room cracked up!
I asked if anything was going on at As The Worm Turns and only four people got my soap opera reference! Fuck! “We found out that Virginia’s companions are two young witch’s apprentices.. although, they have probably been honing whatever powers they do have.. under Virginia’s tutelage. But she only knows just so much. She was excommunicated from the coven for trying to pilfer The Book of Dark Arts.. The girls names are Dahlia…the dark haired one, and the blonde is Cornelia. As far as we are concerned though.. they are non-starters. Helena can take them out with one hand behind her back