Themis wondered if Professor Crowley knew just how close she treaded to danger. She could feel the tension in her shoulders, the energy she expended to keep from snapping at the other witch. Her assessment of Samuel was insulting. It wasn’t as if most people had the patience or the mind to grasp what Samuel did. Themis couldn’t resist turning the tables, her tone just on the correct side of snide. ”But you can’t puzzle him out. Could it be your lack of knowledge that makes you so uneasy, Professor Crowley?” She didn’t make the effort to hide her smirk, but the other woman was lost in the fog, literally and metaphorically.
She dismissed the words, but couldn’t shake the impression they left. She had more access to Samuel than most, but even she was in the dark about his activities. She had almost believed he was going to reveal his plans a few nights ago, but she couldn’t push him for answers. She had promised him that she wouldn’t dig into his dealings, but that did nothing to disprove Crowley’s assertion. Themis resented the idea that she could be blind to any part of him, but that was the work of her pride. Samuel was an enigma, but that only drew her in. It hadn’t occurred to her to be uneasy around him.
It had occurred to her to hex her colleague if the witch didn’t start giving her plain answers. It was never something she would act on, but the thought pleased her all the same. She was quickly paid back for her rude line of thinking. Perhaps it would have been better not to know what Morrigan Crowley had to say after all. “The red grail.” The term meant nothing to her, but speaking it brought a shiver of recognition. Some part of her knew the words without learning them. She recognized everything her colleague mentioned. The clawing hunger that had nothing to do with food, the ravenous need and drowning wave of power. What was described was hedonism, in its most dangerous form. And she embraced it willingly; would do so again. “It’s violent. The pull of it.” She didn’t know why she would confide a thing like that in the witch across from her, but Themis had to know, had to speak to make sense of her experience. “I’ve never experienced anything like it. It -,” Her brow furrowed as she looked for a way to share what she now knew to be true. “I could feel magic everywhere. I could taste it.” What she didn’t add, And I fear I will never feel so alive again.
She dismissed the words, but couldn’t shake the impression they left. She had more access to Samuel than most, but even she was in the dark about his activities. She had almost believed he was going to reveal his plans a few nights ago, but she couldn’t push him for answers. She had promised him that she wouldn’t dig into his dealings, but that did nothing to disprove Crowley’s assertion. Themis resented the idea that she could be blind to any part of him, but that was the work of her pride. Samuel was an enigma, but that only drew her in. It hadn’t occurred to her to be uneasy around him.
It had occurred to her to hex her colleague if the witch didn’t start giving her plain answers. It was never something she would act on, but the thought pleased her all the same. She was quickly paid back for her rude line of thinking. Perhaps it would have been better not to know what Morrigan Crowley had to say after all. “The red grail.” The term meant nothing to her, but speaking it brought a shiver of recognition. Some part of her knew the words without learning them. She recognized everything her colleague mentioned. The clawing hunger that had nothing to do with food, the ravenous need and drowning wave of power. What was described was hedonism, in its most dangerous form. And she embraced it willingly; would do so again. “It’s violent. The pull of it.” She didn’t know why she would confide a thing like that in the witch across from her, but Themis had to know, had to speak to make sense of her experience. “I’ve never experienced anything like it. It -,” Her brow furrowed as she looked for a way to share what she now knew to be true. “I could feel magic everywhere. I could taste it.” What she didn’t add, And I fear I will never feel so alive again.
![[Image: Bka0H0x.jpeg]](https://i.imgur.com/Bka0H0x.jpeg)