“What the fuck! Itches? What are you saying?” I growled.
“Not itches. Witches. Like itches with W. The witches with magic,” Brad tried to clarify.
“Now we have another supernatural being?” I stood against the tree. Brad nodded yes.
Brad’s blue eyes looked into me and I heard him say, “Tommie. This is so new to me. These Notsch witches were bitten centuries ago by some raging werewolves and they transformed into a werewolf-witch. I don’t know much about them but they now live as a cult in Slovenia. A werewolf clan member was running in the woods of Slovenia a few weeks ago and he heard about this werewolf-witch cult living there.”
“Are you going to find another Tanzanite stone?” I purred. My legs were aching after standing for so long. The pine forest was so quiet except for the sound of chirping insects.
“Not a stone. The werewolf-witches are hybrid beings. I need the Firebird plume,” Brad said.
“A Firebird? You mean a Phoenix? Brad, I am perplexed as before. Especially in this scary, dark forest. Make it quick,” I demanded with confusion.
“Not a Phoenix. I need to get hold of a Firebird plume. Legend has it when a Firebird was taken out of its territory. On the way, the Firebird dropped many glowing plumes. The Notsch witches have gathered a these feathers many centuries ago. They have preserved the Firebird plumes as a treasure,” Brad explained.
I leaned against the pine tree and Brad continued, “I just need to access their house and get hold of the plume. I learned that these plumes are covered between hawk feathers, sage and precious stones. It’s kept in a blue jar, in one of their library of magic.”
I asked Brad, “How on earth are you going to get these plumes and why would these Notsch witches harm you or us?”
Brad said, “These werewolf-witches are almost immortal. They have made many enemies with the werewolves because some werewolf bit these witches. These witches aged quickly and every moon transformed into an ugly wolf due to the bite. They keep aging with every transformation. They would attack any werewolf now as a revenge for aging and biting them.”
Brad turned around and walked a few steps, “These witches are many in number and they are always traveling. They travel to stay in colder places and avoid warmer weather. They could land in Vancouver any time and I don’t want these witches to spot us or Betty or my offspring. I have to protect you all at any cost. I need that Firebird plume.”
I stayed quiet for a while in the petrifying forest and I said, “I will go to Slovenia.”
“I am going alone Tommie. You are not coming,” Brad suggested.
“You’re not going Brad. I will go alone to Slovenia and you are staying home. I believe the witches can smell a werewolf as they are half a werewolf themselves. I will smell of werewolf but after few days the smell of any werewolf will start to fade away on me. Help me with the information to find this werewolf-witch cult.” I concluded and after some persuasion Brad agreed.
FOUR MONTHS AFTER REACHING SLOVENIA
Chapter 4
For nearly four months, my husband Brad was unable to transform into a wolf on full moon night due to persistent cloudy skies. He needs to draw lunar energy to have a systematized man to wolf and back wolf to man transformation.
Brad called me on a new moon night. He told me, “My Tommie. I miss you so much. I just transformed back as a man. This time it was spectacular.”
I asked, “Why so early? You will always run the whole night until morning. Are you feeling sick?”
Brad said in a low tone, “Tonight the skies are clear but we are expecting rains in some time. I wanted to transform back to my original form before the full moon is covered by the passing clouds.”
I asked again, “You said early transformations can be painful. You need to run for around 10 hours. How can you get back home after that?”
Brad added, “Yeah. Transforming now under the bright full moon can be less painful than transforming back into a man under cloudy skies. I asked Betty if she can pick me up in a while. I can’t walk tonight.”
I immediately asked, “Why Betty? Why can’t your clan members take you back home?”
Brad replied, “They all are planning to transform back soon due to the rains. We will be so tired by the end of it. Some clan members are going back in the other direction. So I asked Betty’s help to drive me back home. Also, Betty knows that I am a werewolf and I asked for her help to give me a ride back home.”
We spoke for another 35 minutes. Soon Brad stopped me and addressed someone saying, “Betty is that you?”
On the phone, I heard Betty say, “Hey Brad. It’s me. It’s so dark in here.”
Brad spoke to me, “Betty’s here. I have got to go now, sweetpea. Let me call you in the morning. Love you Tommie.”
I said, “Make sure you are covered. Don’t go naked in front of her. Love you too.” I heard Brad grin and then I disconnected the phone call.
SEVEN MONTHS AFTER REACHING SLOVENIA
Chapter 5
After several days of researching, I’d reached Slovenia in the quest to find the werewolf-witch cult. In Slovenia, I took a house in the Kamnik-Savinja Alps. I took up a house as a tourist on level one and the whole building was run by Katica. She lives below and serves my breakfast every morning.
Seven months had elapsed since my arrival in Slovenia.
My host Katica is around 24 years, with pale white skin, blonde curly locks and hazel eyes. She is thin but broad in the beam and stood at a good height.
Katica spoke good English and our regular breakfast conversation helped me to locate the werewolf-witches’ manor. The werewolf-witch cult lived around ten miles away at the Koroskem Manor. But getting access to a private property would be impossible. The peculiar residents of this manor never allowed any normal human inside. The local people thought the residents to be some sort of recluse, rich people.
Today, Katica invited me for some evening tea and I joined her. She was wearing red lipstick and her hair was let loose and it fell on her shoulders. We sat on her dining table beside each other.
Katica asked, “What are you doing this Friday?”
I answered, “Just going to explore the town a little more, I guess. A trip to Switzerland was suggested by my husband.”
Katica answered, “Would you like to join me for a party on Friday?”
I said, “It depends where we are going to. Otherwise I don’t think so.”
Katica said in a worried tone, “My friend has accepted to cater a dinner party. Accidentally she double booked another dinner party on the very same evening. She is running low on staff. She asked me to get someone.”
I smiled and added in a mocking tone, “So you want me to cater your friend’s dinner party?”
Katica nodded and pleaded, “Please help me Tommie. I am going to just serve the drinks. Carry the wine and champagne around in the ball room or their library. We need one more person in the library area. Please come along and it will be a great party. The food will be great.”
“Where is this dinner party?” I asked in a disinterested tone.
“Koroskem Manor!”
My eyes popped. “Koroskem Manor!! Library!! Fuck yes,” I had a voice in my mind.