30

Mila and Felicia walked into the streets with some of Felicia's guards behind them. Mila was stunned as Felicia was like the belle of the town. Everyone seemed to adore her and wanted to talk to her. She couldn't believe the same Felicia that was threatening the peace of her life was the same person people would adore so much. Felicia in turn, acted the part. She played the part so well one who didn't know her would refer to her as a saint. She looked so pure and innocent in the way she carried herself around the pack. She wore quite a generous smile as she walked around the pack. She smiled at everyone who looked her way and bowed to the elderly. Mila wondered if this was her real personality or if she was just faking it just to gain all the love she could get.

"You know, you can stop acting all pure and innocent now," Mila confronted her, irritated.

"Does it bother you?" Felicia asked, googly-eyed.

"Why would it bother me? I just don't like it when people lie about their personalities," she replied.

"Well, I don't see a reason why this should be your concern," Felicia frowned

"It is not," she hissed

"I'm here to show you around town, and you should be grateful for that," Felicia spat.

Mila hissed as they stopped in front of an old vintage shop.

"What are we doing here? I never said I wanted to buy anything," she stated.

"We are not buying anything. I just want to say hi to an old friend of mine, Morticia," she gleamed.

"That name sounds scary," she chimed.

"It should be," Felicia said and scoffed.

"Geez. Make it snappy," she gloomed.

"Mind you, she is a witch," Felicia whispered and dragged Mila by the hand towards the entrance.

The room was decorated with some weird things Mila couldn't seem to comprehend. She felt like she was in another world. She didn't want to go any further as this place was creeping her out. Smoke emitted from one side of the room and it had a light untraceable scent of lavender.

"We should probably go," she said, a little bit scared.

"Don't worry. We won't stay long," Felicia assured.

They wandered further into the room and stopped at a giant wooden door.

"We're coming in," Felicia yelled and opened the door.

Inside was a bit better than what Mila had expected. Red couches surrounded the place and a big vintage table stood firmly at the center.

Mila's eyes wandered around the room. There was an hourglass standing firmly at the corner of the room that caught her attention. Instead of the normal hourglass she had known, it was something else she saw. In place of sand, there was black blood in it. It was dropping so little that she wondered when it would be exhausted. She looked away to focus on another thing but then, a throat clearing made her avert her gaze to the direction of the sound.

"Morticia," Felicia beamed and went towards to hug the lady.

Mila's face contorted in confusion. When Felicia had told her that she was visiting a witch, she had expected an old woman. But here, standing in front of her was a stinking brunette with dark green eyes. She could pass for a goddess. Maybe it was because of the books she had read in her former pack's library. She had thought witches were supposed to be old. S

"Felicia, my old friend," Morticia replied and threw her hands open for a hug.

"It's been a while," Felicia said, detaching from the hug.

"You haven't been visiting your old woman," Morticia complained, although the teasing was traceable in her voice.

"How can you refer to yourself as an old woman? You haven't aged a bit," Felicia fawned over her.

Morticia gave a shy smile.

"Thank you," she said

"I would also like to become a witch. How old are you again?" Felicia asked, spinning Morticia around.

"A hundred and fifty-nine years old," she said and laughed.

"You sure look twenty-five to me," Felicia praised.

Mila felt her shock heighten. She couldn't believe her ears. The age of this lady was something she couldn't fathom. How could someone be so young in appearance and old in age?

Just noticing her presence, Morticia walks over to her.

"You didn't tell me you came with a friend," Morticia stated.

"Sarcasm," Felicia laughed.

"Yeah. You know me too well," Morticia returned the humor. "How are you, Mila?"

Mila stiffened. How did she know her name? Of course, she was a witch. She would know anything.

"I'm good," she whispered, not knowing the best way to address a lady who looks her age but is far more than that.

"No need to be so stiff. I don't bite," Morticia teased.

Mila smiled tightly, not daring to show her teeth. Her eyes wandered from Felicia, who was already walking to sit on the couch, and the woman in front of her who was making her uneasy.

"Tell me, how did you know Felicia?" Morticia asked.

"Well, in a garden. We first met in a garden," Mila responded calmly.

"You helped her pick flowers?" Morticia asked.

"Yes. How did you... Oh," Mila sighed.

Morticia laughed. "Why did you sound so disappointed?"

"It's not that. I mean, you know many things," Mila replied.

"Not everything dear. There are things I am permitted to know and there are things I need to ask permission to know. There are also things I wouldn't know no matter how much I plead," Morticia explained

"Ask for permission?" Mila questioned.

"Why yes. I have to ask for permission on many things. Who do you think grants me the power to do all these things I do?" Morticia spoke.

"The moon goddess?" Mila said, more like a question.

"You are smart, my dear. The moon goddess grants me powers to do all the things I can do," she explained.

"Yeah," Mila mouthed

"Now. Did you kill anyone?"

Morticia whispered.

Mila's eyes widened in surprise.