'You would do well to heed these words my boy, witches are absolutely not to be trusted. No matter how much they beg, or plead, or tempt you. Never listen to a single word that pours out of their vile mouths.'

'Yes Granddad.'

I was beginning to wake up. Whatever it was that got me, ooft I never wanted that again. I felt sick and high at the same time but not high in a good way. It was obvious I had been drugged, obvious from the fact that I had been unconcious for Christ knows how long, but also from the fact that I had a gob like Ghandi's flip-flops and an absolutely banging headache. But to top it all off, my eyes were watering like mad and my nose was streaming. The skin around my neck, my wrists and my ankles felt like it was on fire. I knew exactly what was causing it. But more to the point, is there a bloody kid in here?

I tried focusing on what was going on, well I tried to through the tears that filled my eyes. I was in a vehicle that's for sure, most likely a van as I was near enough face down on a hard surface and there was other stuff in there rattling about. I could just about make out the seats at the front of the van, some bloke driving and what appeared to be a young boy in the passenger seat. I blinked the tears away only for my eyes to start streaming again. I kept quiet as I listened and watched what I could.

'But what about her granddad? I thought she seemed like a nice lady?' The young boy said.

'NEVER!' The older man screeched. 'There are never any nice witches there is no such thing! They may appear exactly that, nice. But they're all evil and twisted beings, hell bent on causing chaos and destruction in the mortal world. And they must be destroyed so they do not breed more evil in to this world.'

'Ha, fanny.' I thought. 'I had a hysterectomy at twenty just like any other normal woman would have who got fucking cancer you bellend. I ain't breeding even if I wanted to, which I don't. Or can't.'

'Are we nearly there yet granddad?'

'Not much farther now. We'll get her in the building, dose her again and contact the others so we can begin the ceremony, I can hear it waking up.'

"It." Charming. So I had been drugged. I genuinely didn't know how it had happened nor did I know how I let this geriatric old fart get one over on me. I tried to remember back when I was in the pub earlier on. I had gone in for a bit of dinner before I went back home as I had a grand total of bugger all in my fridge and I really couldn't be arsed cooking or going shopping. I could've got a takeaway but I'd already had a curry and a bunch of pizzas delivered that week so I decided on a proper Sunday dinner in this lovely little pub I popped in to about an hours drive away from my sisters. She never even offered me anything like the tight cow she is. I could've teleported back to Arne's but he wasn't in today and I felt a bit weird just showing up, I'd only been properly bonded to him for a few weeks and it was still early days.

I was getting super hungry now, trussed up in the back of this dumb van. No wonder I was getting hungry, I was super weak. If there's one thing Rowan does to a witch, it completely knackers them up for a lack of better words. It's like what silver does to werewolves but Rowan gives witches hives, sinus problems and a general lack of energy. So now I was panicking like mad and surely my fear would've alerted Arne that I was in danger? I wasn't sure how that worked though I'd never been bonded to a vampire before. It wasn't until I tried to have a proper look round the van through my watery eyes, I could just about make out a strange druidic looking, holy sigil painted on the ceiling of the van. It was a dispel sigil. Of course my fear wouldn't reach Arne, this jackass had basically put a magic signal jammer right over where I was tied up. This hunter whoever he was, was good. He knew what he was doing. I however, was forming a plan.

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I felt the van pull to an abrupt stop. The old guy got out for a few minutes then got back in before he started driving again. I kept my calm to try and preserve what strength I did have, for what I was planning to do.

'Would you like to giver her another dose boy?' The old man asked the young boy.

'Um, okay.' The boy replied. Fucking hell this guy was mentoring the kid in drugging women. Ugh this was all kinds of wrong.

'Can I go pee first? I'll be quick!' The boy said.

'Fine, but go use the toilets on the first floor, the ones downstairs don't work.'

The child opened his door and slid out of the van, I could hear him scuttling away as fast as his legs could carry him, I could even hear it echo slightly. I was guessing that we were maybe in some kind of warehouse or something.

A few minutes passed and it sounded like the older guy was getting restless and he huffed and sighed. I heard him rummage around in the glove compartment then hastily exited through his door. I readied myself for him opening the vans back doors, keeping my eyes open just enough for me to see but to make it look like I was still somewhat unconscious. The doors flew open and the old guy slammed a weird pouch down on the flatbed. It probably contained his drugging gear.

I waited for a few brief moments whilst he was preoccupied moving some of the junk around that was in the van. I felt him put his hands on me in an attempt to slide me closer to him as he wasn't getting in the van to do whatever he was going to do. As soon as he lent over to grab me properly, I pulled my knees back and booted him square in the face with my bound feet. I was so glad I wore my big clumpy boots today. My boots had done some damage, his nose had broken and had instantly erupted in a volcano of blood. The best thing that did happen though was he lost his footing from the impact and cracked his head off the inside of the van door, sending him in to a daze and thankfully; on his arse and clutching his face in his hands as he shrieked in pain.

I saw my opportunity and rolled out of the back of the van and rolled as far away from the old guy as possible. The kid wasn't anywhere in sight. With the little strength I had left, I screamed for Arne. I panted as I tried to struggle out of my horrible, burning, woven Rowan tree restraints as the old guy had managed to up right himself; blood pouring down his face as he stood over me with a sinister look in his eyes.

'Thought you could get away couldn't you? You vile, evil cunt.'

'Nobody calls my beloved a cunt.'

I heard a deep, accented voice. Then only what I could describe as bone and sinew crunching. The old man had slumped to the ground. I saw his face, frozen in absolute shock and terror. Arne had appeared and had instantly broken the mans neck. I soon felt his gentle but cold fingers quickly remove the Rowan tree restraints from around my neck, wrists and ankles and toss them aside. Because I no longer needed to try and keep quiet, I started breathing so deep now that the Rowan was off me. The smell of the Rowan had irritated my nose so much I now had a nosebleed. Arne retrieved a handkerchief out of his pocket and blotted the blood away before he carefully picked me up in his arms. I was relieved he was here but the effects of the drugs and the overpowering effects of the Rowan had taken their toll on me. I was bollocksed and I felt absolutely awful. I had even let the fear and the panic take over now, I was shaking and my voice was weak and stuttery.

'He, had a boy with him.' I croaked out.

'Never mind the boy, I already took care of him.' Are said to me. My eyes widened at his answer.

'No! I mean, I came in through a first floor window and saw him. Hypnotised him in to having a few games on his phone before he comes down contacts someone.'

'It's a bit tight leaving a kid here on his own.' I breathed hard.

'They teach them what to do in this situation. At least he's alive.'

'I guess.'

Arne cradled me for a moment before he realised I had started sobbing in to his neck. He squeezed me closer and tighter in to him as I cried and cried and cried. Actual tears of sadness, pain and fear. I never cried, in fact I can't even remember the last time I cried properly. It was probably when Madelyn was born and I was in the room with my sister Miriam and we both smacked each other in the face because she was scared, I was scared for her and neither of us had a clue what was happening, bar the fact my sister was pushing out a tiny human and I nearly got thrown out of the hospital.

'You're safe now Morrigan. Come on, let's go home.'

Arne flew me home. I felt nothing on my way there. But he looked after me. And I was thankful I had him. I was his and he was mine.