“Oh, you should fear me; you should definitely fear us.” There had been an expectation of haughtiness for such a declaration but it went unfulfilled. She stood with her back straight and her eyes focused on them, but there was not conceit in her stance, worse it was confidence in her being.

“Yeah well that’s what they all say, so big whoop.” He denied the tremble in his voice, denied that his mind registered the way her brown eyes settled on him made his insides clench until he felt like he’d throw up, he just hadn’t eaten it wasn’t that he was afraid.

“True. Good that you don’t believe everything you hear, but see I have a very simple reason why you should be afraid of me…Afraid of every man and woman like me.” She hadn’t raised her voice but his group could practically feel it in their bones, her voice wasn’t unpleasant but cut through them in a way that left no question as to her sincerity.

“Yeah, what’s that then?” Another attempt to infuse their words with strength, with steadiness and it almost worked; almost.

There was a long moment of silence between them and her; she didn’t move other than her eyes sweeping over them in clear assessment of each. Then she smirked, crossing her arms and shifting her weight from one foot to the other.

“I am the granddaughter of a witch you failed to burn. We are the great-great granddaughters and grandsons of the witches your town failed to burn. We survived then; we have survived now and will continue to do so. And despite all of this ill will towards us, here I am keeping you safe from trouble your own stupid actions have brought to haunt you on your steps. And here we will be when greater trouble returns…” Her eyes were brown, nothing to write home about they would have thought but as she spoke they seemed to show her strength, and seemed to light from within as she focused on them.

“So…what, you want us to thank you?” It was a petulant reaction, hauteur in the voice followed with a defiant raised chin.

She laughed.

They swallowed thickly.

“Oh, I wouldn’t expect such kindness, no. It’s just a reminder, a lesson, and a warning. If you try to burn us, this time you will burn with us.”

Next Chapter: Stolen