A local witch who is also a friend of Karah's has been attacked by Eilidh after he confronted her about her treatment of Miriam. Karah rescued him and talked Eilidh down.

"Really, Finn? You don't think confronting a vampire about her behavior is a risky move? She could have killed you!" Karah continued to drag her friend away from the Quill & Query by his arm.

"She could have tried," Finn snorted, "Im a witch remember? I'm more than capable of handling a tetchy vampire." He pulled his arm away and took on a very unwitchlike swagger.

Karah laughed. "Yeah, it looked like you had it all under control. How exactly were you going to cast a spell when your vocal cords were being squeezed into mush?"

"With my mind, Kar, don't you know anything about witches? We don't always have to cast spells out loud."

"No, but you do need to have breath! Seriously, Finn, you do realize how much danger you were in back there, don't you? If I hadn't come back for my laptop, she might have killed you."

Karah loved Finn, they'd been friends since she first arrived in Redbough three years ago, but there were times when she wished he was more sensible. A lot more sensible.

She smiled when he hugged her and said "Yeah, I know. She just pissed me off talking to her assistant like that. Why do these vampires think they're so superior to everybody else? Don't they know the rest of the world sees them as monsters? And that's only the tiny majority that actually believe they exist."

"The relationship between a vampire and their daylighter is really weird, okay? There's nothing similar to it in the human world, or the witch world, from what you've told me. Eilidh actually treats Miriam a lot better than a most vampires do. But yeah, I get it, it can be hard to listen to sometimes."

"Miriam, huh? Pretty name."

"Oh no. No, no, no, no, no. Please don't do this to me again." Miriam knew that look in Finn's eye, she'd seen it several times and it never ended well. For anyone involved.

"What? What? You don't think its a pretty name?" Finn asked.

"Finn, please, I beg you, do not go chasing after Miriam. I like her. I want to keep working at the Quill & Query and besides, the future High Priest of The Coven of the Violet Moon can not be dating a vampire's daylighter. Assuming she'd have you of course. She seems far too intelligent to me."

"Well then, what are you worried about? And don't call me the future High Priest of anything. Unless it's fishing. Or playing guitar. Or growing the glorious green. And even then, I prefer Maestro. Have some respect, human."

Karah and Finn alternated between teasing each other and laughing until they reached Karah's housebus and said their goodbye's.

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*****

Karah watched Finn as he disappeared into the forest on his way to who knows where. She considered herself to be a free spirit but she had nothing on Finn. He looked like the typical American surfer boy even though he was living in a small village with a forest on one side and a river on the other. But, at heart, he was an old soul hippie with a heart of gold and a wicked sense of humor.

When she'd first met him she'd been astonished to find out he was a witch. He seemed to be more interested in getting stoned than casting spells and she'd never seen him perform any magic seriously. To him, it was all fun and games, his spells were more to help him find weed or catch fish.

She really hoped he didn't start chasing Miriam. She'd seen too many women left in floods of tears when Finn inevitably got bored and moved on. She didn't really think Miriam was the type to fall for his charm but she couldn't guarantee it. She'd seen a lot of smart women make some really dumb mistakes regarding men.

Eilidh wouldn't allow it though, surely? Although she agreed with Finn that how Eilidh treated Miriam wasn't good, she knew the situation wasn't as black and white as it seemed to humans and witches.

But then, no relationship was black and white, was it?

Karah made some soup and toast for dinner and curled up on her bed to watch some trashy tv on her laptop. Thank God she'd forgotten to take it when she left the store after her shift and had to go back.

Would Eilidh really have killed Finn?

Karah didn't know but she was grateful that she didn't have to find out. She'd kept to herself since moving to Redbough and though she knew a lot of people, Finn really was her only close friend here. Karah knew she couldn't rely on him for much, however, he was always wondering off in a neverending pursuit of lazy pleasure.

She was starting to consider Miriam as a friend as well. Although she seemed to be unhealthily obsessed with Eilidh, she was intelligent, thoughtful, and kind. These were traits that had been largely missing in Karah's so-called friends before she moved to Redbough and now that she'd found them, she didn't want to lose them.

*****

Finn tread lightly through the forest, careful not to disturb any woodland creatures that might be underfoot. He knew this forest well. He'd grown up here and as High Priestess of their coven his mother had taught him to show respect for nature and the creatures who lived in it. He tried to keep a healthy distance from the werewolves. He knew the local pack but respected their desire to stay away from humans and witches as much as was realistically possible.

He would never admit it but he was a bit shook up by his altercation with Eilidh. He knew he should have kept his mouth shut but the words had escaped before he could stop them. He hated bullies and that vampire had definitely been bullying that pretty young woman.

And she was pretty. He'd always had a soft spot for redheads and this one seemed smart too. Yeah, she was well out of his league.

Oh well.

Finn shrugged his shoulders, lit a joint, and continued his walk through the forest.

*****

Two pair of eyes watched Finn pass by them. They'd seen this witch before, he walked the forest often, but he was no threat and left the path much as he'd found it. He was tolerated by the pack.

Once they were sure he was only walking through and not intending to set up camp, the two wolves continued their evening patrol. At the edge of the forest they watched the blue-haired woman through the glass of her den for 15 minutes. She was focused on what she was doing and didn't notice them.

She never noticed them.

After satisfying themselves that she was safe they returned to their pack to report to their alpha. All was well.

For now.