Bitten

Chapter 25: Edie

Edie couldn't tear her eyes away from the tree in front of her.  At first glance, she thought it was a birch tree.  It only took a moment, though, to realize that wasn't possible.  The bark was white enough, but underneath the surface wine red veins throbbed.  The leaves were like rubies, shimmering and rustling though there was no breeze.  It looked alive and she could feel its pulsing with her skin.  "What just happened?"  She breathed the words, afraid that something terrible was about to occur.  The air still buzzed with tension.

Mimi stormed over, her eyes lit with anger, and shook her fist in Silas' face.  "Your hayseed mixed her magic with mine!"

"So what?"  Mark asked the words absently, his eyes focused on tree.

"So WHAT?"  Mimi repeated.  She looked back at Silas and her eyes got wide as her voice got lower.  "So what?" 

Silas grimaced.  "Because terrible things happen.  You remember Atlantis?  That is the kind of thing that happens when you mix different kinds of magic." 

Mimi flicked her eyes skyward.  "Gee, thanks, Mr. Understatement!"  She held her hands out and glared at him.  "There are whole civilizations humanity barely remembers because they tried to mix demon power and witch magic and failed!"

Mark took a step towards Callie, eyes suddenly on the girl instead of the tree.   "Is she dead?" 

Mimi held out her hand.  "Back off, muppet!  Nobody touches her until she wakes up and we can be sure nothing came through her."  Mimi looked at the other three witches who were staring with wide eyes at the tree pulsing in the middle of the clearing.  "Why are you three standing around?  Putting a fucking protection circle around her before we all get killed!" 

The three jumped, suddenly back in the moment.  Movement began immediately thereafter, as the four witches scrambled to throw down herbs, salt, and power.