Chapter One: Aunt Wendy
Waking up on the burning embers Wendy shudders. It's hard to adjust to the characteristic chill of death. Shakily, she stands up and tries to brush the black dust off of her hands – just because she is dead doesn't mean she has to let herself go.
"Dear, dear Wendy – how I've missed you..." The chill of death is nothing compared to the cold, solid ache that settles in her stomach at the sound of her sister's voice.
"Helena," Wendy breathes. She hadn't paused to fear death, but her sister makes her blood run cold.
"It has been too long since we had a chance to play with each other," a breathless, wheezy laugh is drawn out from the young crone's lips, and Wendy shifts to make sure she is steady enough on her feet for a fight.
"You know me, darling," the sassy witch smiles, "I don't play when I am guaranteed all pain and no gain. Death doesn't a fool of me make – it just hurts my complexion."
"I disagree my sweet – pasty suits you purrfectly."
Wendy steps back as she realizes what's missing – Kitty. She can feel the part of her missing, but she tries shifting anyways. Again. And again. And again. Her kitty is no more. The attempts and grief send her heaving to all fours. Her stomach is empty, but blood trickles out and she tentatively licks it off her teeth.
"Maybe death doesn't suit you as well as I thought – my mistake. Who would have thought you'd miss your curse?"
"Of course I miss her – she was part of me." Her tears are blood too, and they stain her face with morbid, red streaks.
"Well then, dearest, you definitely want to play with me – I can get you your kitty back... and potentially your life in the bargain."
Wendy unnecessarily inhales because the comforting habit is reassuring, "What?" she gasps.
Don't hope yet – she warns herself – you can't trust her.
But hope blooms anyways.
"It's not going to be easy, but I think you have a chance of making it back... if you don't you will get away from me either way."
"What is it – don't tease – just tell me what you want?"
"I need three drops of the Devil's blood." She lets it drop like a stone into the crackling silence before going on. "If he catches you the deepest level of 9 will be your home forever, but if you get back I will give you one drop to leave as long as you hand over the other two."
Wendy raises a skeptical, perfectly-plucked eyebrow. "What do you want them for?" She asks creeping closer her dark, towering sibling.
"Irrelevant information will only slow us down, but I promise you will find out – don't you want to meet Ingrid's baby?" Something flashes in the throned lady's hard eyes, but she rushes on before Wendy can read her aura, "don't you want to be with your lover? With your girls?"
Wendy blinks away the pangs. "I – yes. Fine I will get your blood on one condition -"
"Dead and still bartering? Fine – what is your condition?" She ends the sentence in a drawl.
"You don't use the blood to hurt any of us – Ingrid, Freya, Johanna, and I – ever. You also don't use it to hurt any mortals. Are we clear?" Wendy feels like something is missing, but her thoughts are blur with an annoying buzz that she can't muddle through.
"Fine," Helena smiles, "deal – you leave now." An eerie smile spreads across her face. "Welcome to Hell, dear sister."
Wendy shakes her head to no avail and in a daze turns to a looming black gate at the end of the hall. It's further away than it looks, but she can't seem to keep track of time. Only when she slowly raises her hand to the black iron and wraps her manicured hand around it does her head stop buzzing. The gate doesn't open so much as it absorbs her, and when it spits her out on the other side she feels her darker powers ignite. Come on Kitty – let's go make a scratching post of the devil. With a satisfying stretch she drops her white dress to the ground and lets the black kitty come out to play. She really had missed her kitty, but more than that she misses her girls. A meow of angst squeaks out into the gloom as the black shadow slips down into the first level of Hell – home to the witches whose only crimes are performing magic.