Muriel POV
I've contemplated love before.
It always seemed like a delusional fiction mortals weave in their heads to create some false hope in this broken, wretched world.
I always found it funny, a humorous phenomenon that made bringing pain to my victims so much easier. And sweeter.
Until the day I met the witch hunter. Gretel. Daughter of Adrianna, Grand white witch. The fact that she was threatening me the first time we met was of no relevance to me. Actually I found it somewhat attractive.
Witches, good or evil, always knew their destined mate on sight and whether their 'One' was witch or human, they too would feel the pull of fate. And so when Gretel and I locked gazes across the room, it was only the centuries of practice at concealing any unwanted emotion, which kept me from gasping aloud. A small thrill of satisfaction ran through me as I watched her shudder before demanding my identity. I knew she wouldn't recognise her reaction for what it was and found myself amused imagining the internal berating she must be giving herself.
"I see you got my invitation", I kept to the plan even as I gorged myself on the sight of her. "say your name before my arrows tear out your throat", I smiled at her, impressed by her ability to resist the feel of the bond between us, most would have dropped the weapon and come to me immediately, compelled to be closer. This resistance only made her more attractive. I knew I would need a strong mate, one who would challenge me. Arousal rose in me at the fun I'd have persuading her to submit to me. "I go by many names. None of which you're worthy of pronouncing.", I was lying through my teeth. I wanted her to scream my name as I brought her to heights of pleasure most would never experience. This time my smile reached my face as I shifted my face. The moment of distraction was all I needed. As the bumbling fool shot vaguely in my direction I sprinted to the stairs, Gretel having overcome her shock to open fire at me. I had to admit that the crossbow she was carrying was of marvellous design. Continuous fire that reloaded and recoiled at a rate I'd never seen in other weapons. Not to mention the hidden knife that she drew on me when I got close. Even as I knocked the weapons aside with my unnatural speed, I wondered if it was of her own design and found myself somewhat pleased by her intelligence. Slamming her through the rail I caught her by the throat. "Don't worry, I'm not going to kill you. Not now. Not like this." I could never kill her, I'd protect her till my dying breath and follow her into whatever afterlife there may be. Even as she gasped for breath I found myself looking her up and down. Enjoying the heat of her body as I perused what fate decided would be mine. "You. You have something I need." Her heart. Although no longer in the way my sister witches believed. I couldn't carry out the plan anymore, at least not using Gretel's heart for the ritual. No, her heart would belong only to me.
But I knew I had to play this carefully. I may be a grand witch of immense power, but even I couldn't hold off the army of witches gathered here. For that reason I kept to the script even as I pulled her closer just to feel her soft, warm body against mine.
A scrabbling sound attracted my attention and I saw the fool reaching for his shotgun once more. Without thinking I pulled her back up and shielded her body with mine. The moron was such a bad shot he'd likely hit her instead of me. I shoved her out of the way, wincing internally as I misjudged the force and sent her through the wall. The human struggled to reload his gun as I sauntered towards him, relishing in his panic. With a lazy swipe of my wand I took command of his limbs. I idly wondered if my Gretel would be upset with me for redecorating the jail with her friend's brains. I wasn't entirely sure as I'd never indulged in the weakness of friendship but I hoped the lack of any long term acquaintance would let her forgive me.
After blasting the cell door to free the imbecile who'd gotten captured, I decided to burn the place so she wouldn't know and made my exit, delighting in the screams of the hillbillies as they panicked. Briefly wondering where Gretel was even as I felt relief that the place where she would have landed was absent of any witch hunters. I would deal with my sister witches and then I'd be back to claim her.
Muriel POV
I watched the horizon and contemplated how I'd go about courting my little hunter. She really didn't seem to follow any of the human social rules. My spies told me she head-butted the sheriff about twenty minutes after entering the town gates. I smiled at thought. The man was contemptuous even by mortal standards. Switching to my human form as the sun rose, my witch eyes disliked the bright light, I wondered If Gretel would enjoy flying, I certainly did. I smirked at the thought of her pressed up against me on the broomstick. I'd be able to feel every curve of her body.
I continued surveying the valley and the forest that made up my domain for several hours before a disturbance caught my attention. In a clearing, visible from my lofty mountainside perch, I could see several figures moving around. Unbeknownst to them the troll we'd been employing to do our manual labour moved towards the group. A grin crossed my face as I thought of the messy end they would meet and leapt onto my broomstick to get a closer view of the soon to be bloodbath.
It was as I drew nearer, however, that I realised it was not some foolish woodsmen walking my woods but the sheriff and his thugs hunting my Gretel. I prepared to rain fire and destruction down on those who would harm the one person who would ever see kindness from me.
And then she bit his nose off.
Well a chunk of it anyway. I was so stunned I lost focus on the spell I was casting, losing me presious time as the idiot landed two heavy blows. Just then the troll, Edgar? Edwin? Ed-something, came charging from the trees in a rage. Gretel's witch blood would have compelled him to protect her and now as I thought about it, it was far better he save her than I intervene, even if I did want to be the one receiving her gratitude. If word reached the others that I'd rushed to her rescue they may have become suspicious.
I stayed close anyway, watching as she slipped in and out of consciousness. As the troll carried her to the healing waters and treated her wounds. As she quietly spoke to the beast even asking his name, Edward, something I knew no dark witch would bother to do. This sweet and previously unseen side to her only served to be strangely endearing. Though I didn't know why.
I wanted her to show me this sweetness, to ask my name once more but in that gentle tone. How is it this woman has reduced me, a grand witch, to jealousy of a troll? At that point I turned my broomstick around and flew back to my lair in a vicious mood. I always loved playing the long game; it made me even more dangerous than my elevated power granted. Now I didn't care about intricacies or subtle manipulations. I wanted my witch hunter. I wanted her in my bed begging me to give her release. I wanted her giving me her heart and love willingly. I wanted her seeking me for comfort instead of her brother. I wanted all of her and I wanted her now.
But I would have to draw on the deepest depths of patience and ignore the mate bond's insistence that we solidify and consummate our connection. I still needed to deal with my sister witches, not to mention the issues faced with her brother. They were close and I knew killing him would destroy Gretel and prevent her from ever accepting me. I also knew he would do everything he could to get between us.
Muriel POV
When night fell I went searching for the hunter duo, my eyebrows rising as I saw where they'd gone. I hadn't been to Adrianna's house since the night they burned her.
Moving towards the door I heard raised voices muffled by the old timber walls. I found that even though blasting doors to smithereens may be a bit ostentatious, it was ever so satisfying. "So I see you've found your way home. After all these years. Mmm. How very sweet." My mocking was cut short when Gretel slung a knife at me, likely fuelled by her frustration over her unwanted feelings towards someone she perceived as the epitome of evil. Instead of being angry, I smirked at her rage, enjoying the fire of her blood. "I remember this house", toying with my wand, I ignored their anger and continued taunting them. "The house of Adrianna, the great white witch. Your whore of a mother." They glanced at each other, doubt and fear in their eyes, "Let me tell you a little story" I watched every emotion on Gretel's face as I told them the truth of what happened all those years ago. Guilt stabbed at me but I knew I had to continue. I would have to stick to the plan to the last moment to ensure both the other dark witches and Hansel were taken care of before I took Gretel away with me. Otherwise both would follow and one or both of us would die.
When Hansel attacked, I relished the opportunity to stick his own blade in his gut before tossing him aside and seizing my Gretel. For a moment I could almost imagine I was taking her away with me now, but even as I held her struggling body against mine I reminded myself of the long game. I quickly slipped a cloth doused in a sleeping draught over her nose and mouth before sweeping her unresisting form up into my arms.
Before I left, I slipped an old tome back into the lair I took it from so many years ago.
Rising up in the air, Gretel pulled tight against my body, I hoped the long game was nearly done.
Muriel POV
Night of the ritual
I worked the crowd into a frenzy. A few days ago this would have been my triumph, now the thought of it succeeding made me sick. Everything weighed on Hansel's white witch. I needed the witch hunter to take care of the other witches, breaking their ranks would allow me to escape with Gretel in the chaos. Hopefully nobody would notice us, each thinking the other side had been to blame.
On cue the pompous idiot walked into the clearing and fired a shot. "Let my sister go now, and I might consider not killing each and every one of you." like I said; pompous. As expected the witch horde charged at the same time the white witch whore opened fire. Leaping off the alter rock I dragged my lieutenant with me. "Get the children, I'll get her heart." Internally I smirked at her gullibility, Hansel's primary goal might have been to save his sister but he'd never let the children die if he could help it. Two birds, one stone. Walking casually towards my One I watched her struggle against the chain, even now a part of my mind mused over how alluring she looked in restraints. I continued admiring her right up until that bloody troll slammed his fist into my face. Enraged I flung the troll off the cliff, ignoring her cry of protest, I turned back to my goal. Unsurprisingly she managed to unlock the cuffs in seconds, once again I admired her resourcefulness, even as she wrapped the chain around her fist and leapt at me, clearly intending to kill me if she could.
My admiration was cut short when her fist struck my face and both of us fell to the ground. Our struggle lasted until I had her pinned underneath me, the rising sun at my back. "Too late." She said triumphantly, but her smile faltered when I leaned down, shifting my face back to my human form and whispered, "Never too late for what I really have planned, love."
I watched in amusement as confusion and a little fear warred within her eyes. I nuzzled my face into her neck and breathed her in, surprised and supremely satisfied to smell her arousal even though she feared. Glancing up I saw both Hansel and the white witch occupying the sister witches that hadn't fled, neither side paying us any attention. My attention was drawn back to my own witch hunter as she tried to buck me off, only resulting in arousing us both further. "Now, now, there'll be time for these exertive activities later", she flushed red at the implications of my words and I knew I'd be spending a lot of time trying to get her to blush in our future.
First things, first. Flipping her over faster than any mortal could move I pulled her up into my arms, keeping hers restrained. She struggled once more, but somehow I felt it was not entirely sincere, as I pulled her to my broom. Now she struggled truly. "No! Don't make me fly. Please!" the undiluted fear in her voice tugged at my cold heart. "You're afraid of heights? You hunt witches but you can't handle a little altitude?" I teased but it was laced with concern, I hadn't thought the fates would send me a mate who was not only a grand white witch and a witch hunter but also afraid of heights. Regardless I knew our window of opportunity was closing fast, and kicked us into the air. Gretel wrapped her arms tightly around my back and buried her face in my neck, every inch of her body pressing against mine. 'Maybe the fates knew what they were doing after all', I thought as a smug grin settled on my face.
We were high above the battle ground now and moving fast but even then Hansel's voice carried to my love's ears on the wind. He didn't appear to see us departing but his desperation was evident and Gretel's head jerked up. Seeing her about to respond I slapped the same drugged cloth over her mouth and nose. Better to ask forgiveness.