The Grey Witch

xStarletx

Chapter 5

A/N: Here's the next part, and it's on time for once! WOO! And could this be the end of Hansel? Who knows, but it may be the end of the story.

So I have a little request. I've been going through one of those second thoughts period. I've been looking through my stories and trying to pick ones that aren't ever going to get finished or have no direction and thinking about what to do with them. So if you like this story, if you read this and you kind of want to see what happens please tell me, otherwise this one might be one of the ones I just delete. So please oh please, just tell me if you're interested in it so I know to continue. Thanks!

Gretel's POV

My Brother had been on edge as we grew closer to the shore. We could hear the wind howling and the waves roaring but there was nothing but blue sky above us. The skies above the waters of the channel were far from friendly. They were grey and stormy, threatening to unleash hell and rain at any moment. The waves were as grey as the sky with white tipped caps that threw themselves onto the rough sandy shore as if attacking the land.

I could barely make out the island in the fog, looming out in the distance like a great specter of doom.

"So, I guess we'll have to find a boat to take us across," Hansel said.

Ben scoffed. "There isn't a sailor in the world that will chance those waters."

Hansel sighed. "So what do we do then?" He turned his eyes to me, wanting my opinion.

I shrugged. "We need to get to the island obviously, but we can't if the water's like this."

"Well maybe you can't, but I can," a small voice said behind us.

We all turned around there was a tall willowy red-head staring us down. She was dressed in warm woolen clothes and like me she chose pants over the more acceptable skirt. Already I like this one. "My name is Carol, my husband was the man who blew up last night."

"My condolences," Hansel said with a gentile bow of his head.

Carol seemed unwarmed by the kind gesture. "I know these waters like the back of my hand, I can get you to the isles."

"And why would you help us?" Ben asked. "Vengeance?"

"Of course," she said stiffly. "I may not have loved that drunken violent sonofabitch but he was mine."

We exchanged glances, Ben and I, not sure what to say to her. "So what's your fee?" Hansel asked.

"I'll get you there for free, you can what you want when you get there for all I care, but the Grey Bitch is mine!" she snarled offering a hand to take.

All eyes were on Hansel was stiff as he stared at the hand. We were all watching, waiting to see what would happen, what he would choose. He shook the hand and once again Ben and I exchanged glances. Apparently my brother chose to fight the woman he love, this would be interesting.

Hansel's POV

Carol's boat was a dingy at best. It could only fit the three hunters which meant we had to leave Edward behind. Gretel was far from happy about it but he wouldn't have fit on the boat. The water was choppy and throwing the boat around, they were moving at a snail's pace towards the isles they hadn't gotten any closer. Maybe the sailor's tales were right and the islands did move.

I approached Gretel and cleared my throat to get her attention. She turned her eyes away from the fierce waters to me and I immediately looked to the waters. "Do you think it's really... her?" I asked her.

I could feel Gretel's confused look as it raked my features. I tried to appear calm, I tried to not tremble but the thought of seeing Lorne... I mean the Grey Witch... again scared me. "Well, if it's not her, it's a secondary witch who has a penchant for the color grey, lavender and is ridiculously powerful," she said with a small smirk. I shot her a dry glare and she chuckled at me. "Maybe she has a twin."

"The Gods of the Apple Isles are not to be trifled with," Ben said appearing between us. "They're known for their tempers."

"The gods are nothing more than fickle beings with more pride then all human beings combined," Carol interrupted. "They are shallow and tricksters and completely cruel."

We all turned to her completely surprised. "Have you met them before?" Ben asked.

Suddenly a red blush appeared on Carol's pale cheeks. "I.. uh... yes... once... when I was younger..." she said with a nervous stutter. "He was... magnificent and perfect and he... and I... well I never saw him after that."

I glanced to Gretel, I knew what that sounded like. Ben seemed to find this interested. "You slept with one of them?" he screamed and Carol's color darkened. Oh Ben, he did not have any sense of subtlety. "Oh... sorry... that was insensitive. It's just exciting to hear, you actually met one of them, and here I was thinking they hadn't been off the islands in years."

"No, except for the Grey Goddess the God's don't leave. Our ancestors spoke of how there was huge storm, it raged for ten days and ten nights and when it was finally over our little village had barely survived and a woman walked out of the waves. She called herself a Goddess and tried to live with us, but the sea turned against us so we turned against her. Some say we burned her, others say she left and never came back, but when she left so did the sirens and so did the sun," Carol explained. "She left and the storms became permanent."

"Oh.. . but... then... how did you and your god...?" Ben asked trying to find a soft way to ask without being to invasive.

"My father used to fish by the islands. The biggest and the best catches are found closer to their shores. When my father was taken by the sirens, I had no choice but to fend for myself. I had gone with him of course, so I figured I could go on my own. Sunk our boat the first time I went out, woke up on the island to his warm face and those gleaming green eyes. We had one day, one glorious night, and in the morning I was back in my house. Sailors said I washed ashore some time before dawn, I keep trying to get back onto the island but the god's won't let me."

Carol's face was pink as she stared off into space thinking about her perfect god. It was apparent to us that she was in love with him, and this was probably why she didn't like her husband very much, second choice and all.

Above the roar of the waves came an eerie single voice drifting over everything else that stopped whatever question Ben was going to ask. He turned to the waves immediately. "What was that?"

The voice came again, except three more voices were mixed in. It was a song, the words undistinguishable, but the melody calm and soothing. My eyes glazed over, all I knew was that that was the most beautiful voice I had ever heard.

The waves calmed, the sun shined, everything was hazy and foggy but I couldn't have cared less. Gretel was tugging on my arm but I shrugged her off. Both Ben and I were at the edge of the boat staring out at the now calm water.

From the water surfaced a head, the face pale, the eyes a stunning purple I recognized. "Save me Hansel!" the sing song voice asked matching the melody. It looked just like Lorne and though I knew it couldn't be her I jumped to her rescue.

"Lorne! Lorne!" I cried reaching over the side of the boat. "Grab my hand!"

Before anyone could stop me I had grasped the hand of the woman in the water and in that moment the purple eyes changed into a sea green. I could see clearly now, the waves were no longer calm, the sun was gone but he fog remained. The woman that was holding onto me was part fish, I could see her tail flickering in the water, she had scales on her jaw and travelling down her neck. She hissed happily at me and with one tug I was pulled loose from my sister and tumbled head long into the black waters.

The siren had its hands around my throat choking the life out of me. As I lost consciousness, I saw the light but it was bright and white, it was dull and purple and for some reason it smelt of Lavender. Even in death I couldn't escape her and now I'd die and she'd never know how much I loved her.