Manon waited on the roof of the Morath keep, Abraxos warm beneath her. She had switched her usual red cloak in exchange for a black one that concealed her long white braid, and made her near-invisible against the starless night.
The rest of the thirteen had already left, heading for the site they had chosen several days ago. Manon and Asterin were soon to join them, but had stayed behind to collect a certain weak-hearted human.
Asterin was currently in the room below Manon. Vernon Lochan's room.
The human worm needed to be taught that selling off a Blackbeak Witch like property was not an offense to be taken lightly. Just because Elide was free didn't mean his crime would go unpunished.
And all of the thirteen were very happy to participate.
A black hooded head jutted out of the window, looked left and right, and vanished. Moments later, Asterin nimbly perched herself on the sill, Vernon's prone body slung over her shoulder. Using one hand to make sure he didn't fall, she climbed up to Manon as quickly as she could manage. Manon caught a glimpse of a wicked iron smile underneath that hood, and replied with one of her own.
Beautiful, bloodthirsty Asterin reached the roof and nodded at Manon before getting into the saddle, Vernon still unconscious. The extra weight wouldn't be a problem, not with the lack of saddlebags and Abraxos' wonderful strength.
Silent as death, they rose into the sky, and Manon's heart thundered with anticipation.
The other members of her coven were waiting, their iron nails and teeth already out. Sorrel stood at the front to meet them, and Vesta stood behind, sharpening her nails with a dagger.
Asterin unceremoniously dumped Vernon on the ground and pulled a small bottle of smelling salts from her pocket, waving them under his nose.
The witches laughed as he opened his eyes and cried out at the sight of that feral iron smile.
Manon cast her cloak on the ground, and the others followed suit. They wore no knives or swords, and Vernon's face paled as he saw the thirteen sets of glinting teeth and nails, sharpened and vicious and deadly.
"W-What do you want?" He whispered, scrambling backwards on his hands and feet. They let him. Let him think he had a chance of escape. Pathetic, human fool. The smell of his terror stuffed itself up Manon's nose.
Asterin laughed softly as Manon reached her side. She ran one iron nail down another, and a deadly whine split the air.
"What do you want?" Vernon repeated, hurrying to his feet and raising his hands in front of his face - as if he truly intended to fight them.
Asterin moved.
Her foot connected with his ribs, sending him sprawling sideways, screaming in pain and terror. But he barely had time to draw breath before Vesta's fist slammed into his nose, and Sorrel held him by the collar as Ghislaine slowly drew her nails down his back, leaving four bloody stripes in her wake. She smeared his blood across her face, and the assembled witches roared in approval.
The two shadows ripped open his shoulders. The demon twins attacked his face. Imogen dragged her nails across his ribs, Lin right beside her. Thea and Kaya laughed maniacally as they shredded his hands, their eyes bright with wild ecstasy.
And Asterin launched herself at Vernon, over and over and over again, blood spraying, splattering her golden hair with red, coating her nails and, later, her teeth as Vernon screamed and soiled his pants.
When Manon stepped forward, the others fell back, leaving Vernon on the floor, weeping. Disgusting, weak human worm.
Manon prowled closer, her strides long and unhurried. And nothing in her long, bloodthirsty existence had ever been more satisfying than the sheer terror on Vernon's face as she crouched in front of him and lifted his blood-soaked chin with a single iron nail.
He thrashed wildly in a futile attempt to get away as she grinned at him. Manon let him scream, let him scream and scream and scream until he stopped to draw breath, and then she rested her nails on his chest. Vernon wisely went still.
She brought her mouth close to his ear and whispered, "This is for Elide."
And the punishment began anew.