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The coven tumbles back onto the Witches’ Road in an undignified heap. Curses ring through the air and more than one of them is gagging.
“What the actual fuck?” Jen glares at Rio, even as the Green Witch refuses to meet any of their gazes. “Like, what the actual fuck is wrong with you?”
Teen sways to his feet and grimaces, his face pale. “I used to think zombies and possessions being real would be cool, but now…” He doesn’t finish and all of them give a shudder.
“Rio,” Alice swallows hard as the Green Witch finally turns to face them, her eyes empty and blank. “What was that?”
Dry, almost hysterical laughter echoes through the Road’s trees. “That,” Rio’s laugh becomes a manic giggle, her grin stretching, eyes wide. “That’s what happens if I don’t do my job.” The coven falls silent as Rio continues to giggle in deranged intervals, eyes sweeping the forest around them in a frenzied search for something none of them could see.
Abruptly, Rio’s cackling cuts off and the coven can only watch as she faces Agatha. Agatha who had reached out. Agatha whose hand had wrapped around the back of Rio’s neck and gently tightened. Agatha whose grip anchored Rio when she needed it most, just as it always had.
Silently, the Green and Purple witch regarded each other. Rio, still as a statue, not moving or even breathing while Agatha’s eyes searched her face. Finally, after a minute, Agatha stepped closer, her hand shifting to allow her thumb to brush against Rio’s jaw and down the Green Witch’s throat. “Breathe.” Rio’s shakey inhale seems to draw the entire forest closer, but the two witches ignored nature, eyes locked onto each other.
Rio’s body sagged forward with every breath she drew, pressing into the hand now cradling her throat. Slowly, her dark eyes close, her blinks becoming longer and heavier until she can’t keep them open any longer and she’s left standing with her forehead pressed to Agatha’s as the Purple witch supports her slumped form.
“Rio,” Rio’s eyes open at Agatha’s soft tone and they stare at one another before Agatha smiles gently as her hand moves to grip the back of Rio’s neck once more. “ Te veo .”
Immediately, the Green Witch tenses and tries to pull away but Agatha’s hand tightens as her arms draw her closer. The Purple witch holds her there for a second, then another, and then one more before finally releasing her. Rio stumbles as she steps away and it’s the first time the coven has seen her be anything but graceful.
“I think,” Lilia’s voice cuts through the tension, drawing eyes away from the witches still staring at each other even with the distance now between them. “We should carry on while our adrenaline is high. Once we come upon the next trail we can decide if we want to rest or just get it over with.”
Agatha nods at the suggestion and drags her gaze from Rio and the expressions only she could read to focus on the others once more. “Yes, I think that’s a good idea.” The Purple witch nods once more and starts along the Road. “Well, come on. Vámonos .”
After a beat, Rio moves to trail behind Agatha, almost as if guided by an invisible bond tying the two together. It’s only when the Green and Purple witch are several steps ahead of them that the coven starts to follow as well. Eventually, it’s Teen who breaks the silence with a quiet question.
“What exactly is Rio’s job?”
Alice, Jen, and Lilia share grim looks. The hints dropped by both Agatha and Rio were starting to paint a picture none of them knew how to deal with. It was looking as if their Green Witch was much more than they could have even imagined and the knowledge scared them.
“We don’t know.” Lilia is interrupted by Jen’s muttered, “I don’t think we want to know.” The Divination witch continues as if she hadn’t spoken at all. “But, I think it’s safe to say she’s not someone you want to be on the wrong side of. For now, just try to stay out of her way. Okay, Teen?”
The boy glances at each of them nervously and Alice squeezes his arm reassuringly, smiling at him when he looks her way. Teen nods, straightens, and marches down the Road after Agatha and whatever the hell her situationship was. Sharing one last look, the three witches follow, hoping the side they were seeing of the infamous witch-killer was who she really was and not the rumors they had all heard.
It doesn’t take them long to come upon the next trial. The twentieth century manor appeared through an opening in the woods, allowing them to see the grounds and gardens around the impressive building. For a second they stood and admired the house, there was something about it that made them feel safe, and welcomed, and loved. None of them noticed how Rio and Agatha had tensed. None saw how Agatha had sagged against Rio until the Green Witch was the only thing holding her up. No one saw the tears both were holding back as they realized what they would face inside.
“Well,” Teen said, breaking the awed silence with a smile, feeling safe for the first time in years . “I think we should get this trial going.”
“I’m okay with that.”
“Sounds good to me.”
“You think we’ll be able to sleep in an actual bed?” Jennifer’s question has the others facing her in exasperation, but she just shrugs defensively. “What? It seems like there are some really comfortable beds in that house.”
Agatha scoffs and rolls her eyes for them to see. “Whatever, let’s just get this over with.” And despite wanting to run in the other direction, it’s Agatha who leads them to the front door. Rio’s hand clutched in her own, it’s Agatha who opens the house that used to be theirs and bares her heart for all to see.
———————————————————————————————————————
Lilia blinks the darkness from her vision and looks around frantically for the others. Despite just passing through the front door together, Lilia finds herself alone and in what appears to be a bedroom. Taking a closer look at her surroundings, the Divination witch sees that it’s not just any room, but the bedroom of a child.
Toys were piled in boxes set against the wall, drawings were taped to the walls, stuffed animals sat at a table, and something that looked like a hand carved panther rocker swayed in the corner. Whoever this child was, Lilia could sense they were loved. The very air of the room rang with laughter and lullabies, jests and joy, safety and curiosity. Something about it all had her blinking back tears, some deep instinct within her spoke of something lost, something to mourn.
Suddenly, the silence of the room was broken by a quiet sniffling coming from the covered lump on the child size bed. Glancing around the room carefully, Lilia approaches the bed and slowly pulls the covers back. Immediately, her heart melts.
Looking back at her with large blue eyes, and a head of wild black curls, was a boy who couldn’t be older than six. His round cheeks were wet with tears and he was clutching a purring black cat to his chest. When she didn’t say anything, he pulled back slowly, tightening his hold on the cat snuggled to his side.
Raising her hands, Lilia kneels on the floor beside his bed and smiles gently. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you. I won’t hurt you.” Those baby blues blink at her and he sniffs before rubbing his nose on the fur of the purring, unbothered cat.
“I know, mama would have never let you in if you were going to hurt me.” The boy’s utter confidence in his mother has Lilia’s eyes crinkling. “...And Ebony likes you.” To emphasize his point, the child lifts the cat so it’s green eyes could stare right at her as it continued to purr.
“Cat’s do have good instincts.” Lilia agrees. The boy smiles at her assessment before it slowly fades and he sniffles again, drawing the cat back to his side.
“I had a bad dream.” He says, voice trembling as tears fill his eyes once more.
“Bad dreams can be scary.”
“I don’t like being scared. It makes me feel not strong.” Unable to stop herself, Lilia gently brushes the boy’s tears away and nods in understanding. “I don’t like being not strong. Mom always tells me that I can do anything I put my mind to, that one day I’ll be able to touch the stars and see the world.” He blinks rapidly and presses a small hand against hers, ensuring her hand stays to catch his tears. “But, I like it here, at home. I feel safe here. Touching the stars and seeing the world would mean I have to leave. I don’t want to leave.”
“Oh, sweet boy,” The endearment slips out without Lilia’s control, but she doesn’t question it and she doesn’t resist when he pulls on her hand. Allowing him to guide her into his bed so she could wrap herself around his small form protectively. “No one is going to make you leave and it’s okay to be scared.” She presses a kiss to his curls.“Fear is what makes us brave, and when you don’t feel strong, all you need to do is lean on your family. Family is a strength of its own kind.”
The black cat purrs louder as if in agreement and the child’s body softens against her own. “Mama says that too.” His voice is drowsy now. “Mama’s smart, so you must be smart too, Grandma Lilia.” The title and use of her name takes her by surprise, but something about it made her heart soften even more. After all, who was she to question the trial?
And as she lay there, curled protectively around that precious boy as he fell asleep once more, Lilia notices for the first time the magical glowing constellations and galaxies spelled to the ceiling. ‘Mom always tells me that I can do anything I put my mind to, that one day I’ll be able to touch the stars and see the world.’ A grin forms on Lilia’s face at the love woven into the spell upon this boy’s ceiling and, as the small body pressed against hers relaxes and soft snores are produced, all she could think was that this boy could one day do so much more than just touch the stars. All he needed was the chance.
———————————————————————————————————————
Jen falls into a wall and looks around in confusion. She was alone and in what appeared to be an open room with large bay windows, a small herbal garden growing on the sills, a telescope pointing towards the skylights, and a miniature potions station. The walls were covered in lessons about the basics of practical witchcraft, what potion ingredients did what, and the importance of celestial events.
If she didn’t know any better she would say the space was a mixture of a playroom and a lesson room for witches.
A quiet hiss draws her attention to a small boy hunched over by the potted garden. He seems to be cradling his arm close to his chest, rocking back and forth to soothe himself.
Without thinking, Jennifer is by his side, reaching for his arm to inspect the damage. He freezes when she appears but then slumps in dejected acceptance.
“Mama is going to ground me. I’m supposed to be in bed.”
Jen clicks her tongue, “I think she’ll be more worried about you being hurt than you being out of bed.”
“Yeah, until mom heals me, then I’ll be grounded.” The boy grumbles to himself in annoyance. Jennifer tries not to smile at his dramatics and instead gently draws his arm towards her.
There’s a roughly twelve centimeter burn along the child’s arm and the Potion’s witch can’t help but hiss sympathetically. “What happened?”
“I might have mixed potion ingredients I wasn’t supposed to.” He grins sheepishly. “I wanted to know what they did together. How was I supposed to know it would explode?”
“Research,” This time Jen does smile as the boy groans in annoyance. “Or maybe, wait for adult supervision. Either of those options would work.”
“But where’s the fun in that?” Oh, this boy was trouble. The blue eyes and dimples were a deadly combination and, judging by how he flashed them towards her dolefully, he knew it.
Gesturing for him to follow her, Jen looks over the ingredients available, collects what she needs and brings them over to the mini potion’s table. Sitting besides him on the ground she lifts a plant up and raises an eyebrow expectantly. Catching on, he grins.
“Aloe vera, soothing and cooling effects.” He recites.
Humming approvingly, Jen picks up the next plant, and the next and the next. Until every ingredient for the potion had been named and classified by effect. Then with a patience she had almost forgotten she possessed, Jennifer guided him through the steps of creating the burn treatment salve. Explaining as she went, why certain ingredients were introduced first and how to stir and what interactions to avoid. To be fair, the boy was a natural, but more than that, he wanted to learn.
He reminded her of what she had been like when she still saw patients.
The thought makes her frown briefly before she focuses back on the task. Not before long, the salve is finished and the Potion’s witch is gently applying it to his burned arm and wrapping it in a piece of cloth torn from her clothes.
“You didn’t have to teach me.”
“Oh, yes I did.” Jennifer narrows her eyes at him. “Chances are, you’ll be doing this again sooner or later. At least now I know you know how to treat it.”
He laughs innocently, before hugging her. “Thank you, Doctor Aunt Jen.”
Her lip twitches at the title and she hugs him back. Something told her this boy would make a wonderful healer one day. If not for his talent then because he had reminded her what she had loved about healing in the first place.
———————————————————————————————————————
Alice stumbles as she lands in the extensive gardens they saw on the way to the manor and looks around warily.
It looked like she had been moved into the middle of a hedge maze. After a few seconds of observing her surroundings and listening for any movement around her, Alice sighs and begins trying to find her way out.
She couldn’t have been walking for more than five minutes before the sound of splashing caught her attention. Making her way towards the noise, she’s surprised to find a young boy leaning over a pond trying to catch the coy fish within.
After another failed attempt that just got him more soaked, the child looked at the black cat sitting next to him through his dark wet curls. The cat blinks at his pitiful appearance and meows before watching another fish swim by.
“Yeah, well, maybe you should try Ebony. It’s not as easy as it looks.”
The cat predictably doesn’t respond and instead licks its front paw before moving to brush against Alice’s leg with a purr. Following the cat’s path, the boy spots the Protection witch and grins a bright dimpled smile that seems to make the night stars glow just a little brighter.
“Hi!” Skipping to her side, the boy grabs her hand and tries to tug her towards the pond. “How good are you at catching fish?” The cat meows to emphasize the question and stares up at her.
“I… Not particularly… Wait, you don’t know who I am.”
“Nope.”
Alice blinks at his response and rubs her forehead. “You have got no survival instincts, kid.”
“I do too.” The boy crosses his arms stubbornly. “Mama says I shouldn’t talk to strangers.” Alice raises an eyebrow in amusement as the child hesitates in realization. “...Mom says that if anyone ever tries anything I don’t want them to then I should stab them.”
Alice huffs a laugh. “I like the sound of your parents, kid.”
“I like them too.” The smile was back, and before she could react something sharp and metallic was inches away from her stomach. “You want to see the knife mom got me for my fifth birthday?” Blinking, the Protection witch shifts backwards slightly and examines the very real and very dangerous knife.
“You got this on your fifth birthday?”
“Of course,” The boy nods as if getting a knife at five was normal. “Mama spelled it so it wouldn’t harm anything with my blood and so that it would always come back to me.”
“Do you need it on many occasions?” Alice asked, concerned now.
“...I’m special, or I guess, because of who my parents are I’m special.” The child shrugs dejectedly, his toe twisting into the ground.“People either don’t like special or they want it for themselves.”
“Kid…”
Suddenly, the air shifts around them and the boy tenses as the black cat hunches and hisses at shadows in the hedge maze. Something moves and before Alice even realizes what she’s doing, she’s in front of the child, an orange shield materializing before them.
Not even a second later something large and faintly humanoid slams into the shield. As it rolls across the ground and comes to a stop, clawing itself back to all fours, Alice realizes it’s a demon.
Paling, the Protection witch reinforces her shield and makes sure the kid is still behind her. But before she could do much else the black cat hisses once more at the demon and leaps towards it. Midair the cat shifts to become a large panther that crashes into the demon, sending them both tumbling as they claw at each other.
“No!” Alice catches the boy before he can leave her shield, but he struggles against her grasp. “No, we have to help Ebony!”
“That’s a demon!”
“I know! Probably one of Mephisto’s. The red skinned, black blooded, hobgoblin is too stupid to quit.” His words cause Alice to let out a pained whine. “He’s a sore loser who’s mad mama killed his last servants who tried to take me and that mom made it so they couldn’t reform in his realm.”
“Kid…” A yowl cuts her protest off and the boy turns to face her determinedly.
“He’s a bully, and mama says we take care of bullies.”
Alice hoped she wouldn’t regret this. “Okay.” And he was smiling again. “I shouldn’t fight fire with fire. Let's give him a little bath.”
“Ebony,” The child calls out with laughter in his voice. “Let's go fishing.”
Immediately, the panther changes directions and forces the demon towards the pond. Borrowing the boy’s knife, Alice gestures for him to stay behind the shield and darts out just in time to force the demon to swerve, saving the cat’s side from being ripped in two.
Together, Alice and the panther push the demon closer to the water’s edge. Dodging and weaving to cover each other. Occasionally, they would slip but then a mound of earth would rise to catch them or a vine would trip the demon and Alice knew the boy was helping as well. Finally, a vine entraps the beast's feet, forcing the demon into the pond and Alice uses the resulting steam explosion to lunge for the creature.
With a horrible scream, the creature explodes from existence sending water cascading upon Alice, the boy, and the newly house cat sized panther. As she catches her breath, the Protection witch notices symbols etched into the blade’s edge. Turning back to the child, Alice steps over the cat, who looked quite content gnawing on a flopping coy fish, to return the knife to its owner.
“That blade killed a demon. What kind of knife is that?”
“A special one.”
“Of course it is.” Alice raises an eyebrow at the boy. “‘Red skinned, black blooded, hobgoblin’?” The boy shrugs.
“It’s what mom calls him.”
“I want to meet your parents, kid, cause I think they just became my heroes.”
“Yeah, they’re awesome.” He grins. “I want to be just like them one day.”
“You jump headfirst into a battle against a demon to save your cat. I’d say that definitely makes you special, and not because of your parents. That was all you.” Grinning, Alice picks the boy up and uses some of her magic to dry their clothes off. “Who knows, maybe one day, what makes you special will help you be able to protect other people who are special too.”
“Like my parents protect me?”
The Protection witch huffs in amusement, “Just like them.”
“And just like you, Aunt Alice.”
Alice blinks back the sudden tears in her eyes as the boy relaxes in her arms. For so long she felt as though she was a failure of a Protection witch because her mother had died in that fire and she hadn’t. But now, breaking her family’s curse, helping the others in their trials, saving this kid. It felt almost natural, as if she had always been meant to help guard and shield but before she had never trusted herself or her instincts, whereas now she did.
It… it felt good to help save someone. It felt good to save the kid. And who knows, maybe one day, they’d both be using what makes them special to help many more.
———————————————————————————————————————
Teen looks around the library he was teleported to in awe. He could practically feel the magic coming off some of the books and there had to be hundreds if not thousands of them.
A magical, witch, grimoire library. Forget the rest of the Road. He’d like to stay here now.
Maybe there was even information about sigils in here. Maybe he could figure out just who exactly he was.
A yelp pulls his attention from the bookshelves, drawing him to walk through the stacks towards the noise. What he finds is a pile of books which seemed to have fallen from a nearby shelf. But before he could move to reorganize the mess, the pile shifted, and a frazzled head popped up between the multiple books.
Teen blinked at the muttering child who crawled out from under the books and stared at them accusingly. As if it was wholly the books’ fault for falling off the shelf. He looked so much like a certain Purple witch in that moment that Teen had to laugh. This of course drew the boy’s glare from the heap of books to Teen himself. Right, forget Agatha, that was all Rio’s death stare.
The boy seems to finally register that someone was actually standing in front of him because he blinks, looks at the books, then looks back at Teen. “It was the cat’s fault.”
“Right.” Teen grins. “Need help putting it all back so the ‘cat’ doesn’t get in trouble?”
The boy smirks, “I like the way you think.” And he was all Agatha again.
They work together in companionable silence and before Teen knew it the books were all back on the shelf. All but the one clutched in the boy’s hands that was, presumably, the book he had been trying to get in the first place. Glancing to the book then back at Teen, he shifts nervously, once more looking like Rio, before finally holding the book out.
“Could you read it to me?”
“Sure,” Teen smiles reassuringly but before he could grab the book, the boy is grinning that Agatha grin and taking off down the stacks. “Hey!” And without further ado, Teen takes off after him, deliberately falling short of catching the boy every time he gets within reach.
Finally spotting a seating nook up ahead, Teen speeds up and grabs the child. Hoisting him up as he laughs, Teen plops down on the bean bags piled together and steals the book from the boy’s grasp. Giggling, the boy wiggles till he’s pressed against Teen’s side.
Taking a glance at the cover, Teen’s eyebrow raises.“‘Ultimate Reality: Life, Death, the Universe and the Eternal Soul,’ really?”
“It’s a good book.” The boy shrugs. “It’s about reincarnation.”
Laughing, Teen shrugs as well and opens to the first chapter. Despite himself, Teen finds the book fascinating, but they’ve barely gotten into the second chapter when the boy slumps against his side with a yawn.
“I never had a sibling before,” The child’s statement has Teen placing a bookmark and giving the boy a side hug.
“I have two little brothers.” Teen’s brow furrows and finds himself admitting.“But sometimes I dream that I had a twin, and sometimes I dream I don’t have any siblings. It’s just me. Me and parents who love me more than life itself.”
The boy’s face scrunches up in confusion. “So which one is real?” And suddenly Teen feels like crying, because isn’t that the question.
“...I don’t know.” The child grabs his hand in comfort and after a moment of deliberation nods determinedly.
“You should talk to mama, she would know, she’s smart.”
Teen can’t help but grin sadly at his confidence before shrugging helplessly, “Apparently, I have a sigil on me.”
“Oh,” The boy frowns and looks around, as if searching for the answers within the magical books around them. “Well, then you should talk to mom. She’s powerful.”
Teen raises a curious eyebrow.“Is your mama not powerful?” The boy gasped as if Teen had just suggested the most outrageous and criminal idea in the whole world.
“No! Mama is powerful, super powerful! She’s the strongest witch in existence!” His expression becomes sheepish and he shrugs. “...Mom is just more powerful and really, really old.” The laughter his expression and tone pulls from Teen takes him by surprise. But it felt good to laugh, and somehow, it felt right to laugh here, in this house, with this boy. So he doesn’t stop his laughter that bounces off bookcases, and grins so hard it hurts when the boy turns to him in panic. “You can’t tell them I said that!”
“Don’t worry,” Teen winks, eyes squinting in mirth. “Sibling code, I won’t tell moms that you said mom was old and mama wasn’t powerful.”
A second even more outraged gasp rang through the library and Teen couldn’t help but laugh once more as the boy launches himself at him in mock anger. Together they wrestle their way through the stacks and Teen is grinning when he finally surrenders to the triumphant child sitting on his chest. And once more, something inside him said this was right, this was how things should be. Maybe this boy was who his dreams were trying to tell him his brother was all along. If that was true then Teen made a quiet vow that he would protect the soul this child carried, in whatever way he could.
———————————————————————————————————————
Agatha and Rio sat in the living room of the house that used to be their home and waited.
The others had disappeared the second they entered the manor and neither witch had any desire to explore the memories entombed within the building's walls. So they waited and, despite their best efforts, they remembered.
“Agatha…”
“Don’t.” Rio swallows at her tone, the same tone she had used when asking Rio to help Teen hold on just a little longer until he could be healed. The same tone she had used when begging Rio all those years ago.
“I missed you.” Agatha shudders, but Rio continues. “I… I thought you had died. I couldn’t find you and I thought you had died and your soul was trapped here with no way to find your way back to… back to him.” Agatha’s wet baby blues finally looked at her and Rio’s jaw clenched. “But then I realized, no, you weren’t dead, you were just hiding and I… I hated you for blaming me and then I blamed you and then…” Rio shrugged helplessly, tears pooling in her eyes. “Then I guess I blamed myself for all of it, like I should have from the beginning.”
Agatha shakes her head, “No.”
“Yes, I… I love you, and I understand why you hate me–”
“No,” Agatha’s firm voice cuts her off and Rio watches as she struggles to hold in her tears. “I am a lot of things, Rio, and one thing I have always excelled at is lying. I lie to myself and I lie to others, and to say that I hate you…” Agatha laughs dryly. “That’s probably the biggest lie I have ever tried and failed to believe in. I just… I don’t know how to move on.” Those blue eyes narrow in her direction. “And you’re the one who tried to kill me.”
“Eh, wouldn’t be the first time we’ve done that to each other.” Grins pull at their lips. Fighting and fucking had always been something that went together with them. “Besides, I had to make sure you were really back. You were walking around your house in circles, Agatha. You kidnapped a kid. It was very concerning.”
The Purple witch shoves her and Rio grins before a thump from upstairs draws their attention to the ceiling and reminds them of where they are. Their grins melt. It’s silent between them for a moment before Rio takes a deep breath.
“Do you think,” Rio swallows. “Do you think you’ll ever forgive me?”
Agatha considers the Green Witch before grabbing Rio’s hand firmly. She didn’t know. She didn’t know how to explain exactly what it felt like to be possessed by that spirit in the last trial. Didn’t know how to describe how lost and angry and afraid the spirit had felt being trapped on a plane of existence it no longer belonged to. She didn’t know how to say she understood why Rio hadn’t let her keep their son’s soul here. Didn’t know how to say she thinks she forgave Rio decades ago, she didn’t know how to be vulnerable again.
But before she could even open her mouth to ramble on about any of that, there’s a shift in the air and suddenly, they aren’t alone any more. With a quiet pop, Lilia and Jen, then Alice and Teen appear before them looking confused and concerned.
“Where is he?” Alice questions, looking around frantically.
“Who?” Rio is ignored.
“Adorable child, about yay high,” Jennifer gestures to her thigh. “Gorgeous blue eyes, wild black curls, can’t be older than six?”
“Oh, goddesses.” Agatha is ignored as well.
“That’s the one.” Lilia confirms.
“So we all met the same boy?” Teen wonders before his eyes land on two very pale witches. Two witches he had compared the child to several times in his mind.
“Who was he?”
“Should we find him?”
“I think we need to, cause that boy is a trouble magnet.”
“How about we split up and–”
“Agatha,” Teen’s voice draws the other witches' attention to Rio and Agatha. Because of course it’s Teen who puts the puzzle pieces together, and of course it’s Teen who asks the Purple witch once more, “Agatha… what really happened to your son?”
But before Agatha could even open her mouth, the sound of small feet on wooden floors echoes through the foyer and suddenly the boy– no, not just any boy, but Nicholas– comes running into the room with an excited, “Mom!” But it’s not Agatha he launches his tiny form at. It’s Rio. And Rio, without a drop of hesitation, as if by muscle memory alone, catches the small boy and lifts him into her embrace. And Nicky isn’t even surprised by her reflexes, of course he isn’t, his mom had promised to always catch him, so he knew she would. Nuzzling into Rio’s neck, Nicky relaxes completely in her arms and looks at Agatha. “Mama, I like them. Did you bring them here so they can help save me?” Agatha and Rio’s sharp inhales ring through the air and tears fill their eyes as their boy continues.“Do you think they’ll help so mom doesn’t have to take me away?”
Agatha and Rio look at him in devastation as the other coven members begin to realize with growing dread what exactly their trial was going to be.
Suddenly, a phantom Rio appears, pacing in the kitchen. Moving back and forth, muttering to herself and looking at the clock in panic. Then little footsteps sound on the stairs and phantom Rio freezes in horror as a phantom Nicholas appears rubbing his eyes, trying to wake up. He yawns, looks at Rio and asks, “Where’s mama?”
Everything after that is a blur. There are crashes, and shouts, and furniture is being destroyed. Phantom Rio is fighting attackers but she can’t seem to kill them, like something is preventing her from doing so, but despite that she still fights to stay between Nick and danger. And through it all they stood frozen as the scene played out in front of them. At one point, one of the attackers glances in their direction but leaves them alone, making the message clear; as long as they didn’t interfere they wouldn’t be touched.
So, they stand frozen as the dark forms descend on the phantom image of the child in Rio’s arms. Standing frozen as those forms cut the boy and break him and leave him for dead. And Agatha is crying, trying to force any drop of magic from her body to save her little boy. In her prime, when this event actually took place, Agatha would have been able to easily tear them apart with her magic without breaking a sweat, but she hadn’t been there, and now… Now she can only watch as her son is murdered in front of her.
The scene stops, leaving Nicky gasping on the floor, Phantom Rio hovering over him in anguish, the attackers gone. Then everything resets.
“It’s okay, mom,” Nicky disappears from Rio’s arms and she whines deep in her throat as he reappears in the same position Nicholas was in during the attack. And as the scene starts again, he looks at them all and says. “You can try again.”
And so they do.
Again, and again, and again, and again.
———————————————————————————————————————
Agatha stares at the crumpled body of her son. She can’t do this again. Not again. Wincing, Agatha ignores the blood seeping through where her fingers are pressed against her shoulder. A quick glance at the others shows they’re not in much better shape. Blood and bruises and broken bones were being mended to the best of Jen’s abilities but eventually a hit will land that she wouldn’t be able to wrap. They couldn’t keep doing this, it was going to kill them if they tried.
Agatha’s eyes are drawn to Rio’s hunched form sequestered in the corner of the room. The Green Witch was rocking almost imperceptibly, blood covering her hands and arms. None of it was her own. Because of what she was, Rio couldn’t help them kill their attackers, all she could do was watch, sometimes play interference and, at the end of each failed attempt, guide the Road’s recreation of Nicholas’ soul away. The others had quickly discovered Rio would be unable to help them actually kill. At first they were frustrated, but the first time she severed Nicky’s soul from his body, they had all paled as realization of what exactly was in their midst settled in their minds. The coven didn’t try to get Rio to fight after that.
“Maybe if we barricade the east windows it’ll buy us enough time to kill the blond one before he reaches Nicky.”
Lilia groans as she stretches before placing the ice pack back against her swelling face. Her voice is tired when she responds to Alice’s suggestion. “We tried that, what? Two attempts ago.”
“Yes, but we were positioned wrong. If we make sure I’m the one next to the counter I think I’ll be able to kill the brute and get to Nick in time to block the blond.”
“You’re forgetting the ugly one.” Jen’s frustrated reminder is emphasized by a grunt as she finally settles on the ground next to Teen in the ruined living room. “She comes from upstairs and gives the slow one and the red head an opening.”
Teen grimaces and takes in the kitchen, living room, and open foyer. “Maybe we should try moving Nicky to a more secure location in the beginning. This place has too many openings.”
“You tried that on attempt three, seven, and eight.” Everyone’s eyes are drawn to Rio’s huddled form, her empty eyes staring at Nicholas’ lifeless body. “Then you tried it again on attempt twelve and thirteen, you’re not fast enough.” Teen’s eyes narrow in irritation at her seemingly blase observation. They couldn’t see, they couldn’t see how Rio was fighting to not fall apart with each unseen rock of her body.
“Well, maybe you should be the one to carry him then.” The coven seems to hold their breath at his angry, protective, and almost betrayed reply, waiting to see if Death would take offense. Agatha just closed her eyes, it wasn’t enough to stop her tears from falling.
Rio’s laugh and reply is dark and humorless. “You’re forgetting, I wasn’t fast enough either.”
Silence falls over them once more at the reminder that Rio hadn’t been able to save Nicholas from the original event they were trying so desperately to prevent in these recreations. Agatha blinks through the wet film blurring her vision. The manor was already beginning to repair itself, fixing the damage to each room so they could try again. So they could fail again.
They built this home. Her and Rio. They had argued and bickered and magically rearranged walls and rooms and decorations until they drove each other crazy. Until they were at each other’s throats and didn’t know if they wanted to fuck each other or commit murder. But then Nicky would kick or Agatha would have the strangest of cravings and Rio would teleport halfway around the world to satisfy the oddly specific desire of her pregnant wife. By the time they fell into bed, they were laughing and making concessions and bartering floor layout plans between kisses and moans. And then as they lay there sated and satisfied, Rio would slide down and speak to the little soul she could see growing within Agatha. Death, in awe of the life she had somehow helped create.
They designed every room, every nook and cranny, with the intent to raise their son here. Loved and protected, until he outgrew their hovering and learned to make his own way in the world. They designed this manor to be a home, one their son would know he could always return to. And even as it repaired itself, Agatha could help but look at the ruins of that home and see all that they had lost, all that they would never get back.
Involuntarily, Agatha’s gaze is drawn to Teen. To the boy who was smart and brave and selfless and everything Agatha could have hoped for her own son. She took in his almost hopeless expression, took in the scrapes and bruises and blood covering him, and she couldn’t help but want to protect him. To pull him in and hold him close and shield him from the horrors of her own life. ‘That boy isn’t yours.’ Agatha shudders, but that wasn’t right either, because Nicky had never been just Agatha’s, he had always been the son of Agatha and Rio.
This boy wasn’t theirs. But he was still a child she could protect, even when she had so spectacularly failed their own. Agatha’s eyes meet Rio’s and she doesn’t try to hide her tears this time. She lets them fall because they both know what needs to happen, they’ve known since they first laid eyes on their manor.
“Maybe if we–”
“Enough,” Agatha interrupts, and as the coven turns to stare at her she couldn’t help but love them just a little bit. She looks at them, taking in their injuries and their determination to protect her son, and the Purple witch couldn’t help but wish they had been her original coven, not the so-called family that had given up on and betrayed her. Maybe if they had been, none of this would have happened. “Enough.” Agatha ignores the crack in her voice and swallows as the manor completes it’s self repairs, bracing for what would come next.
“Mama?” Nicholas’ voice draws their attention to the once more whole and hale form of her son. Standing at the foot of the stairs, wearing the purple and green nightclothes Rio had bought and, as a joke, enchanted to change color depending who he was behaving more like. Agatha choked back a sob, wishing more than anything it was just another night. A night where Nicky couldn’t sleep because of bad dreams, so Rio would scare the monsters out of his room but he would end up snuggled between them on their bed anyways. Leaving Rio to mutter grumpily about how Nick was stealing their ‘adult’ time but without fail, it would be Rio wrapped around Nicholas as he falls asleep.
Her steps feel shaky, but Agatha moves determinedly towards their boy and without hesitation picks up his small form, cradling him against her as his arms hug her with all the faith of a child.
“You’re hurt,” His little hand presses into her shoulder as if he could heal her with his love alone. “Mom, why is mama hurt? Can you fix her?” Rio shudders in her corner, but when Agatha reaches for her, the Green Witch is there, helping her hold their son. “You always kiss my hurts away, will you kiss away mama’s?”
Rio grins through her tears and brushes Nicky’s dark curls from his face. “Only if she lets me, mi cielo .” He nods and looks to Agatha imploringly and ernest.
“You have to let her mama, you’ll need her when I’m gone.”
“Nicky…”
“It’s okay, you needed to try, you needed to know. But mama,” His little hand presses against her cheek. “I’m already gone. Mom has already taken me to safety.” Rio shudders. “No monster can get me now.”
Something in Agatha breaks, but it’s Rio who shatters. A sob tears through the air and Rio sinks to her knees, pressing her forehead into Agatha’s leg, her hand holding their son’s foot. And even though it hurt, Agatha could feel that broken something start to mend just a little bit. All she has ever wanted was for her son to be safe and happy and Rio had done that. In the end, Rio had protected their son in the only way she could.
Blinking back tears, Agatha made out what Rio was mumbling repeatedly against her leg through her muffled cries, “...I’m sorry, gracias, por favor, thank you, lo siento, gracias, lo siento, I’m sorry, please…” Sinking to the floor beside her wife, Agatha positions Nicholas between them and catches Rio’s face in her hand.
“Te veo . I see you and I’ll see you. I promise.” A promise that she wouldn’t leave. A promise that she understood. A promise that has bound them together for centuries.
“Agatha,” Teen hesitates, his voice cracking, but asks one last time through his tears anyway. “What really happened to your son?”
And with tears on her face and with shaky breaths, Agatha leans into her wife as they hold their son and tells them the story.
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The story of a witch who wanted a book to become immortal so she and her son would never have to leave Death’s side. A witch who wanted it so badly she searched the world for it and when she finally caught wind of someone who knew where it might be, she left home in the middle of the night to find them. Ignoring the warnings of her wife who begged her not to go, who was trying to tell her in the only way she was allowed to that their son’s life hung in the balance. The story of a witch who didn’t listen. The story of a witch who discovered the location of the book only to return to a broken home and a child who struggled to breath through the blood filling his lungs.
The story of how love turned to anger when Death could not allow their son’s soul to linger, would not risk his soul becoming corrupted or trapped. The story of a witch, lost and heartbroken, who would retrieve the book she had traded her son for and would spend the next half century running from Death only to become trapped herself after finally thinking she found a way to bring their son back.
When she finally stops talking, silence reigns as the coven absorbs the story. Shifting rumors and gossip from their minds and allowing the truth to settle in.
“Agatha,” Jen swallows before moving to sit beside the two witches and the child huddled between them on the ground. “You didn’t trade Nicky for the book.”
Agatha’s eyes are sad and so very tired. “Didn’t I?”
“You didn’t.” Nicky, still cradled between his mothers, and Teen, now crouched beside them, speak at the same time. Teen nods at the boy before continuing. “Agatha, you couldn’t have known and Rio,” Teen hesitantly places a hand on Death’s shoulder. “You did everything you could.” The others nod in agreement and Rio buries her face in Nicky’s hair as Lilia and Alice join them on the floor.
“Did you use the book?” Alice asks.
“I used it to stay hidden from Rio.” Agatha shrugs at their looks. “I retrieved it for the knowledge it held, not the power it could give me.”
“Of course,” Lilia mutters fondly. “Of course you would retrieve one of the most powerful objects in our universe and then only use it to avoid hard conversations with your significant other.” Agatha blushes at the description, but smiles when Rio’s shoulders shake with quiet laughter.
“And there was no way the book could have brought Nicholas back?” Jen’s question sobers them slightly.
“I could have Dreamwalked.” Everyone grimaces and Agatha nods. “More harm than good.” Huffing, Agatha rolls her eyes when Rio nudges her with a grin. “And you know if I stole Nicky from some other universe, the Agatha there would have just found a way to steal him back. It would have been a magical musical chairs game across universes.” The image takes root and soon all of them are chuckling at the pettiness the Purple witch definitely would possess in every universe.
“There was another way.” Nicholas’ voice draws their attention back to him and his young face is serious when he meets his mama’s gaze as she nods reluctantly.
“Yes, there was another way.”
When she fails to elaborate or even meet Rio’s gaze, the Green Witch huffs in realization. “Chthon always hated me. The spiteful Elder god couldn’t take that even he would one day fade from existence. As if that was my fault.” Rio mutters, before focusing on Agatha. “The Darkhold showed you a way to bind me. You would have been able to bring any number of souls back.”
The idea of Death being able to be bound makes all of them pale and they wait for Agatha to deny the claim. She doesn’t.
“Yes.”
“But you didn’t.”
“No. I didn’t.”
The confession settles between them and after that, well, they didn’t need words after that. Rio didn’t need to say she understood that Agatha hid to prevent the Darkhold's madness from tempting her into binding Death. And Agatha didn’t need to say that while the consequences of binding Death would have ruined the world, she didn’t do it to save the world. She didn’t bind Death because even with all the hurt and anger, Agatha still loved her.
The manor shakes around them.
“Is the trial over?” Teen questions.
“Not quite.” Nicky smiles sadly. “You have to let me go. For real this time.”
Silence fills the manor once more before they solemnly help each other off the ground and stand in a circle with Nicholas placed almost protectively in the center.
Finally, Lilia kisses Nicky on his forehead and like a grandmother sending her grandchild to school she tells him, “Show respect to your elders.” The Divination witch merely raises an eyebrow at the round face looking at her innocently.
Jen snorts before smoothing some of his curls. “Be nice to the other souls.”
“Don’t be afraid to show them who’s boss.” Alice grins and high fives the boy.
Teen considers Nicky before nodding seriously to impart his wisdom,“Be gay, do crime.” Laughter fills the air as the entire coven loses it, surprisingly the loudest of them being Rio who grins at Teen and nods approvingly. Teen can’t help but smile back, something like pride warming his chest at the approval, before he winces as Agatha slaps his arm.
“No,” She turns to Rio next. “You, don’t encourage him.” Rio’s faux innocent expression isn’t even appreciated as Agatha was already shifting once more to point at Nicholas. “No crimes…” A smile tugs at her lips. “At least not until you’re eighteen.”
Teen snickers as Nicky grins up at his moms. “Does breaking and entering count as a crime?” Agatha groans and swats at Teen once more.
“Look, you're already corrupting him.”
And as laughter rings out once more, no one notices Nick winking at Teen and mouthing, ‘Sixteen is the new eighteen anyways.’ Then, before Teen could consider what he meant, Nicholas was hugging each of them.
“Don’t worry, I find my way.” Nicky smiles once more at Teen before grabbing Rio’s hand firmly. “I’m the son of Death after all.” Rio grins and with her free hand ruffles Nicky’s curls before kissing the top of his head.
Finally, Agatha kneels and hugs him tightly, allowing him to bury his face in her hair. “I love you. Te amo, más que las estrellas en el cielo.”
“Te amo, mamá .”
She kisses his head as she stands and reverently pushes him closer to Rio, meeting Death’s gaze, understanding in her blue eyes. “Take care of our boy.”
“Always.” Rio promises.
Then Death and her son are melting into the shadows and with a shake the back door of the manor opens to lead them back to the Road and on to their next and last trial.
Water, Fire, Air, Earth, and Spirit were all completed. Which just left Teen’s.
It’s not until they’re back in the forest, the manor already hidden by the trees, that Rio rejoins them and Teen pauses in realization.
“Wait, you guys don’t think my trial is going to make me go through puberty again do you?”
“Again? I don’t know who you’re trying to fool here. You’re still going through puberty.”
“Hey!”
“Be nice.”
“I’m just saying.”
“No, she’s got a point, his voice cracked like not even a minute ago.”
“What… that’s just… that’s not even… Moms! They’re being mean!”
“You’ve got to learn how to fight your own battles.”
“Alternatively, I could stab them for you.”
“Rio.”