Tish POV
As soon as I turn down the old dirt road, I know I have made a mistake. I may not be a werewolf or a witch, but I can feel the bad energy oozing out of this place. A small cabin is sitting at the end of the road and there is a single light shining in the window.
"This was a mistake," I mutter under my breath.
"Don't be silly," the woman says. She reaches across my body, pulls the keys out of the ignition, and dangles them in front of my face.
She exits my car without a word, and I don't have a choice but to follow her. I stay a few steps behind her and watch her carefully. At first, her steps are slow, and her feet shuffle across the dirt, but the closer she gets to the cabin, the more her gait changes. Her graying hair seems to darken, but I can't tell if it is the shadows playing tricks on me or not.
The cabin door swings open on its own, and the woman walks gracefully inside. She does not turn to see if I am following. I freeze before the cabin and debate my options. We are no longer on South Pack territory, and I have nowhere to run, but I know I cannot stay here.
I turn on my heels and attempt to walk back to the car, but when I take the first step, I find myself inside the cabin. My breathing hitches in my throat, and I try to race toward the door, but it slams in my face.
My arms begin to tingle with panic, from the tips of my fingers to my shoulders. They feel too heavy for me to hold up on my own. The smells inside the cabin are overpowering, and I don't know if it is the scents or my anxiety that makes me want to puke.
A soft giggle comes from behind me, and I slowly turn around. My heart drops. I should have never turned off my location. I fumble in my pocket for my phone, but it is missing.
"Looking for this?" Phoebe laughs as she holds my phone out for me.
I reach for it, but she pulls her hand back. The witch is circling me curiously. "I think she will do nicely."
I hold my head up and clear my throat. "I am the payment," I say with certainty.
"She is clever," the witch says, tapping me on the shoulder with some sort of small broom.
"I think I have a right to know what is happening," I try to keep my voice steady.
Phoebe walks toward me and bares her teeth at me. "You have something I need," she says. "And you have something Circe needs as well."
"What could I possibly have that you both need?" I grind my teeth together.
Phoebe chuckles. "I need your bond with the twins, and Circe needs a new form."
The witch steps in front of me, and her appearance flickers between the young, beautiful form and the haggard old woman from the bar. "Human forms just don't last very long," she sighs.
"I am a human," I blurt out, somehow hoping that will save me.
Phoebe snorts with laughter and the witch flashes her a wink. I am fucked. She shuffles over to Phoebe, and they whisper in low voices to one another. I lean in, trying to hear what they are saying, but it is as if I am in some sort of bubble. Everything sounds muffled.
I take a moment to look around the cabin. It is a singular room with jars lining the walls. Some of the jars have herbs in them, and others have different creatures scratching at the glass. They have yet to accept their fate, and I decide that I am not going to accept my fate either.
I look around and try to find something that I can use as a bat. A bat has never let me down. Then, the light shines through the window and lands on the fireplace. It is like a beacon of hope when it lands on the fire iron.
Phoebe and Circe are still deep in conversation, so I slide across the wall to the fireplace. Inch by inch, I take little steps, careful not to turn my back on them. Just as my fingers curl around the fire iron, Circe turns to me. I keep my hand tightly around the iron and wait for my moment to strike.
Circe moves her way around me and grabs a jar off the shelf. A tiny scratching sound comes from the jar, and I allow my eyes to dart to her hand. A brown field mouse is doing his best to escape. Circe is tapping the glass and making kissy noises at the rodent. I take my opportunity while she is distracted and swing the fire iron in her direction.
I am not prepared for what happens next. The fire iron collides with Circe's temple, and she is knocked to the ground. The jar in her hand crashes against the floor, and the tiny mouse runs free. Blood oozes from her temple, and an evil smile spreads across my lips because I am the next to be set free.
I spin the fire iron in my hand and smash Circe in the head until the shape of her skull is no longer recognizable. Blood is splattered across the floor and walls, and I turn to see Phoebe cowering in the corner. Her eyes are wide, and she is shivering.
I cock my head to the side and wipe Crice's blood from my face. "Doesn't your wolf want to come out to play?"
Phoebe shakes her head back and forth. "I can't."
"Of course you can," I laugh manically. "It won't be any fun unless you put up a fight."
"She took my wolf as payment," Phoebe whispers.
"I thought I was the payment," I smirk.
"Please," she begs for her life.
"No," I reply.
I raise the fire iron and ready myself to strike Phoebe, but a hand grabs the fire iron and tries to pull it away from me. I spin around and am met with a pair of blue eyes.