Pain

"You owe me one. I just saved your life." Ian said.

"What! How are you even here? And how did you save my life?" Layla asked, surprised.

"Well... You see that pathetic imp over there?" Ian said, pointing at the guy at the corner that Gina told Layla about.

"Yeah, what about him?" Layla asked.

"He was about approaching you but I came instead. Yes, you're welcome." Ian said, smiling.

"Really? How are you so sure that you're the one I want to talk to." Layla said, smiling.

"I just know. Your smile has given you away." Ian said, taking a sip of his liquor.

"Ahh you!" Layla said, a bit embarrassed.

"Don't worry about that. You look stunning by the way. I couldn't take my eyes off you since you walked in." Ian said, smiling.

"Do you wanna dance?" Ian asked.

"No. I want a closer view of Whitney Houston." Layla said, walking out.

"Layla… Come back" Ian said, following her behind.

"Don't follow me. There are lots of girls around, help yourself." Layla said, her tone filled with jealousy

"So this is what all this is about. You think I want to have sex with you." Ian said, laughing

"There goes. Yes, isn't that what you want." Layla said, frowning.

"Well... Yeah, eventually." Ian said.

"I knew it!" Layla said, shouting.

"Hush up, you'd cause a scene. Not that I care, it's you I'm worried about." Ian said,

"It'll be condescending if I said I don't find you attractive enough to want to have sex with you." Ian said, smirking.

"We're not having this conversation." Layla said, walking out. This time, Ian didn't follow her.

"What does she want?" Ian sighed as he turned back to meet Connor.

"Any luck, brother?" Connor asked, seeing as Ian walked back with his face all gleamed up.

"That girl, she's feisty. I like her." Ian said, smiling.

"She still didn't? Connor asked, a bit surprised.

Since Ian knew the meaning of women and sex, no one had ever turned him down. It's mostly the ladies coming to him and if he made the move, she'd never refuse. He never had a hard time wooing a lady but with Layla, he feels he's not getting something right.

"Women love sex, don't they?" Ian asked, confused.

"They do. Some of them are difficult to get laid though. Layla for instance, you have to work harder and maybe hide your true intentions." Connor said.

"Okay. But that would be lying, it's a good idea though. Thanks." Ian said as he plotted how to win Layla over.

"Hey, Ian. It's been a while." I said, smiling at him.

"Freya! The responsible one. Nice dress." Ian said, chuckling.

"Thank you" I said, with a big smile. Who doesn't love compliments?

"I thought we agreed that you would never compare Freya and I. What do you expect? She's older, it's only expected to be so." Connor said, defending himself.

Connor and Ian were like brothers and I, their distant cousin.

"Freya my dear, how can a man win a woman over?" Ian asked.

"Stop trying to have sex with her." I replied.

"You really have been waiting to say that, haven't you?" Ian said.

"You and Connor have given the same counsel. I'll heed to it then." Ian said, emptying the content of his glass.

"So did our guy make a move?" Gina asked, smiling in anticipation for the good news.

"You're very lucky, Gina. You didn't have a hard time finding your man but with me, it's a big task." Layla said, wearing a sad look.

"What's wrong, Layla?" Gina asked.

"The man I have feelings for is just a proud dinosaur that wants nothing more but have me in his bed." Layla said, a bit pained.

"Relax, sister. That's not enough reason to be sad. Maybe he can't distinguish his hormones from his heart." Gina said, with stifling laughter. Layla looks at her face and sees just how much she's trying not to laugh. She laughs and Gina let hers out too.

"Everything will be fine. Someone will eventually come along." Gina said, assuring her.

"Yeah. How's Robert? You two are okay right?" Layla asked.

"Yes, we are," Gina said with a blush.

At the coven, Gina goes there everyday to tell her mom just how bad she wants to abandon witchcraft and they argue every single day. But today, her mom has had enough of her complaints. Gina is still bent on turning her back on her kind. She says their ways are barbaric and uncultured, it's even worse now that her mother, Esther is Regent. She always speaks of training Gina so that when she dies, Gina will take over.

The Regency on the other hand is alternated between the two different witch bloodlines, the seers and the Lothan witches.

But Esther wants it for her household alone because it'll increase her chances of seizing control over every supernatural race and Gina wants to stop her mother and make things right by denouncing witchery so that her mother will have no more puppets to control.

"I forbid you from speaking of that. We are witches, our heritage lies in this town. You can't just leave, if I do things right, you should be the next regent." Esther yelled.

"Mother… You never have listened to me. I don't want to be regent, it's the turn of the Lothan witches after you. I certainly never would be like you. Your greed for power has blinded you." Gina said, in a fit of rage.

Esther slaps her daughter, Gina across the face.

"Do you know what your decisions will cost you?" Esther asked, whispering this time, still in a fit of rage.

"I know, mom. I'm not a child anymore, I lose my powers and that's fine as long as I'm not a pawn in your dirty plan." Gina snapped coldly.

"Do you know how hard I fought for this position? Things like this don't just come to you, you take it. And so I did this position. Every witch, seers and Lothans alike fear and respect me and that is how it should be." Esther added.

"I miss my mom. You've changed so much since you became Regent." Gina said, sobbing.

"You can leave if you must. I will have no one, not even you or your dead father stand in my way." Esther said, coldly looking Gina in her eyes. She wasn't the least affected by her daughter's tears or pain.

"We've fought over this for too long. You're grown now, you can make your choices. But don't come back begging because I'll not take you back. From this moment, you cease to be my daughter." Said Esther, her voice was calm as she said those cruel words.

"Mom. You can't do this. I'm your daughter!" Gina said as she fell to the ground, weighed down by the sharp pain she felt in her heart. She felt cursed, having a mom as hers.

"Oh yes, I can. Don't you ever call me that or I'll feed you your tongue." Esther said, with her voice rid of emotions.

Gina could see the icy cold look in her mother's brown eyes, at this point, no one could stop her from her evil plots, not even her daughter with whom she shared an intimate bond.

Gina figured that her mother would try to fortify her life since she refused to take after her. Everyone is in danger!

During this trying time for Gina, she reminisces on how lovely her mother was when her father was still alive and even a few years after he died, she was still a good mother to Gina.

But everything changed when the selection for a new regent from the bloodline of the seers came. Surely, it was dear old Martha's turn but Esther emerged somehow. No one knows the kind of deal the two made.

Enjoying the ancestral powers coupled with hers as the regent, Esther couldn't possibly let it stop. She comes up with a new agenda for passing on the seat when she dies to her daughter, Gina.

Gina didn't like this; she isn't the kind of person that cares about leadership. She just wants to be a regular witch, using her powers for fun but her mom keeps forcing her and this led to her making a drastic decision of losing her powers. But she didn't mind, as long as she's no longer a part of her mother's plan, she's fine.

Quite devastated after recently severing ties with her cruel mother, Gina needed someone to talk to and a place to go to. Esther had threatened to kick her out within three days.

Gina couldn't go to stay at Roberts because the customs forbid two unmarried people to live together. She goes seeking fortress at her friend, Layla's place where she lived with her father.

"Sister, I'm so sorry for the inconvenience. I just don't have anywhere else to be. I hope your father doesn't mind." Gina said as Layla prepared a spot for her to lay her head.

"No, no, no… This is no inconvenience at all. We promised to be there for each other right? Don't worry about my dad, he has no problems with you staying here. What are friends for?" Layla said as she proceeded to give Gina a warm hug.

"I guess I needed this hug. Thank you, Layla. I'll repay your kindness someday. Gina said as she held back the tears in her eyes.

"Let it out, Gina… Let it all out. I'll be here to console you." Layla said, swallowing the lump in her throat.

The two friends cried themselves to sleep that night and the next morning, their eyes were swollen as a result of the tedious crying.

Layla helped her friend get over her predicament and now, she's back to being the cheery old Gina except for the loss of her powers but it didn't in the very least bother her. Having powers would only remind her of her mother, right…