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Chapter Text

Scylla stopped with her hand on the door, wearing her borrowed face. She let out a deep breath. She would do whatever it took to keep her friends safe. No matter the cost. Then shoved herself out into the night. A quick glance told her the commando unit of witches was nearby but she waited until they were closer. Then, when she was certain they had seen her, scylla took off running.

She didn’t get far before a windstrike knocked her off her feet. She hit the ground with a thump but quickly turned over and sat up. She watched the witches approach without offering any resistance.

Their belief that she was Thelma Bearkiller disappeared as soon as they clamped that awful collar around her neck and her face dissolved into flames.

The soldiers looked at her shocked. Scylla smirked. “Congratulations. You just caught yourself an even bigger prize.”

The one who had trapped her with the collar shifted back slightly, confused. Who was this witch and what was she playing at? Why would she allow herself to be caught?

Suddenly an impossible gnawing sound, like the earth itself was tearing open, pierced the air. It somehow reverberated even louder in scyllas mind than it did around her. The night was flooded with a glowing light that was foreign yet still familiar to her. Around her the smell of wet earth and decaying leaves became overpowering...

Scylla laughed, overjoyed. She knew what this was. She tried to catch the spores floating in the air on her tongue. The witches around her shifted nervously. Scylla laughed again. She didn’t care that it made her seem crazy, or anything else really. All she knew is that she was drifting in a sea of happiness because raelle, her raelle, was finally back!

“What the hell is that?” one of the younger witches whispered.

The smile across scyllas face was radiant. “That? That is my girlfriend” Her lips curled even further. “And the reason you should let me go while you still can.”

The witch in charge frowned and grabbed the front of scyllas jacket. “What do you mean?”

Scylla turned to her. Her face was ecstatic and she didn’t try to hide it. “The Witchbomb.” Scylla pointed with her chin at the tiny mushrooms sprouting everywhere and the golden light that still bathed them. “Shes back. So you should get out while you still can.”

The older witches eyes widened in alarm. She knew about the witchbomb and what it could do. She had no desire to see it up close and personal. Besides the witch they had captured was kinda weird. Better to leave her and this whole mess behind.

She stood up abruptly and turned to her troops. “Leave this one. Move out.”

There was a slight hesitation. “What will we tell them?” the youngest witch had spoken again. There wasn’t any question of who the ‘them’ was.

The leader squared her shoulders, not even looking at the witch still on the ground. “We attempted to apprehend councilwoman bearkiller and were unable to do so. End of story. Now move out!”
They turned as one and hustled away.

Scylla felt so light she was surprised she was running instead of flying. She charged as fast as she was able into the building. She barely noticed where her feet were taking her, all she knew was the burning joy she felt in her chest. And then she skidded to a halt. There she was. Raelle. Her raelle, being supported by tally.

She let out a muffled cry then sprinted forward. She saw raelles eyes widen in surprise and pure happiness a split second before scylla crashed into her.

Raelle let out an oof as scylla slammed into her. The next thing she knew she was on the ground and scylla was ontop of her kissing her senseless. When they finally broke apart, panting, scylla immediately started planting kisses all over raelles face. She held fiercely onto raelles coat and pulled herself even closer to her love.

Raelle ran her hands through scyllas hair, over her face, cupping her cheeks. The feel of scyllas lips on hers was more healing than the months in the mycelium had been. Finally she pulled scylla away slightly so she could stare at her love. Scyllas ocean blue eyes welcomed her, captured her, held her safe.

Scylla leaned her forehead to rest on raelles and stared into the adoring eyes of the woman she loved. She gripped raelles jacket even tighter. A part of her reasoned that if she held on tight enough, raelle would never be taken away from her again.

Scylla smiled and brushed their noses together. “Hi,” she whispered.

Raelles face melted into a grin. “Hi yourself.” She ran a hand through scyllas hair. “Did you miss me?”

Scyllas lips curled upward. She leaned forward again and kissed raelle sweetly. “You have no idea.”

Raelles expression softened and she cupped scyllas cheek. “I might have some idea. I could hear you in the dark. I could feel you. Trying to reach me.” Her thumb softly stroked scyllas skin.
Scylla gently rested a hand on top of raelles, holding in place on her face. The she turned her head and tenderly kissed raelles palm.

They both startled as tally spoke. They had forgotten that she was even in the room. That there was a world that existed outside of them. “Yeah,” she sighed happily. “You have no idea how hard your girl tried to reach you.”

Raelle glanced towards tally as scylla reluctantly slid off her love and gently helped her to sit up. Her eyebrows narrowed in question.

“It was nothing,” scylla murmured as she tucked a loose strand of hair behind raelles ear. She couldn’t tear her eyes away. She critically scanned every inch of raelle and was troubled by how weak her love seemed.

Tally snorted. “If by nothing, you mean commandeering every dead thing in a ten mile radius, then sure it was nothing…”

Scylla stroked her thumb gently on raelles palm. She loved tally dearly, but story time could wait for when raelle didn’t look so pale.

Raelle turned her questioning gaze to scylla who, with the hand not reassuringly clasped in her own, was fussing with raelles jacket. Scylla just hmmed and continued fluffing raelles coat.

“Oh its true,” tally continued cheerfully. “There were SEVERAL complaints about the smell. And a particularly bloody goats heart…She even got all of us, including the marshal, the leader of the spree, and the damn president of the united states to help sing her song…”

Raelle stared at tally with her jaw hanging open. She didn’t know what to say. A part of her was shocked, but another was somehow not surprised. She placed a gentle finger under scyllas chin so she could stare into the scyllas ocean blue eyes. She leaned forward and placed a soft kiss on the perfect lips in front of her.

She tilted her face back, her eyes unblinking. “I love you so much scylla.” Raelle thought she might burst as scyllas whole face lit up.

Scylla didn’t try to stop the warmth infusing every cell of her body. She leaned forward slowly. “I.” She kissed the corner of raelles mouth. “Love.” She kissed raelles scar. “You.” She kissed the other corner of raelles mouth and smiled in satisfaction as raelles lips chased her own.

The were kissing again when bearkiller came running into the room. “We’re good to go…” she stopped short at the sight of scylla practically in a blonde girls lap, kissing furiously. “Is that who I think it is?”

Tally slung an affectionate arm over the fierce militia commander. She forgot about personal space and boundaries when she was happy. “Yep,” she said with a nod. The smile plastered on her face could practically be seen from the moon. “Everything is finally back to the way it should be.”

Bearkiller found herself surprised that she didn’t mind tallys arm around her. Shed decided she liked the sweet but surprisingly powerful cinnamon roll. The makeout session started to get more heated and she cleared her throat awkwardly.

Tally gave her a knowing look. “Don’t worry, you get used to it eventually.”

Thelma snorted. “Really?”

Tally gave a lopsided smile and laughed. “No. But I am now an expert in third wheeling.”

Thelma returned tallys grin, but a crash outside reminded her that they weren’t safe yet. She strode forward. “Hey lovebirds! We have to go.”

Raelle whipped her head up at the strange voice but relaxed when she saw tally stopping in front of her with a sheepish grin. “Um that’s right guys. We should probably go. That way scylla wont need to borrow thelmas face again.”

Raelles eyes ran between tally and the darker woman in front of her before landing on scylla. Her love was ignoring her probing eyes and attempting to help raelle to her feet.

Raelle grabbed scyllas hands and held them to her chest. She waited for scylla to meet her eyes. “What is she talking about scyl?”

“It was nothing. Just a way to make sure everyone got out safe.”

Thelma took several steps forward to stop infront of the two woman still on the floor. “It was far from nothing scylla ramshorn and you know it.” She met scyllas stare with her own. “You were willing to sacrifice yourself for us.” Thelma glanced at the red collar around scyllas neck and raised an eyebrow. “Almost did sacrifice yourself for us.”

Raelle followed the strangers eyes to scyllas throat. A collar. She hissed and reached for it. How had she not seen it! She kicked herself for being too distracted by scyllas smile, her lips, her hair, her eyes…

Raelle quickly performed the charm to unlock the collar and threw it across the room. She knelt in front of scylla and her hands ran over her love searchingly. Her eyes flitted across scyllas face. There was a dangerous rumbling in her chest. “Did they hurt you?”

Scylla shook her head. “Im okay.”

But raelle couldn’t stop her hands from running all over scylla to make sure for herself. “If they had hurt you…”

Tally paled at raelles words and stepped forward, interrupting her. “Guys, we need to go, remember?”

Raelle kissed scylla lightly then shifted to stand. Tally and scylla helped hold her up when she stumbled. She rested her head on scyllas shoulder. “We will talk about this later,” she informed scylla.

Scylla smiled and pulled raelle closer. “Hopefully not first thing though,” she whispered seductively.

“Oh my goddess,” tally laughed. “You two are incorrigible.”

Raelle just nuzzled her face into scyllas shoulder as scylla held her tighter. “I don’t know what you are talking about,” the brunette informed tally innocently.

Tally and Thelma shared a look. “Good thing the hotel has sound proofed rooms,” the older woman drawled.

Tally just snorted and nodded in agreement. “Yes. That sounds so much better than when we were all sharing tents.”

Thelma made a face. “Ouch.”

“Oh yes,” tally sighed. “Im scarred for life.”

Chapter Text

Scylla held tightly to raelles hand. Her FIANCEES hand. The thought sent a happy thrill through her. She wondered how it was that she could feel so inexplicably happy, while also filled with such bone chilling dread.

She wasn’t as convinced as the others that this was going to go any other way than nasty. Her life had taught her to expect as much. But still she looked at her future wifes (Goddess scylla didn’t thing she would ever gist sick of the way that sounded) determined face and knew without a doubt that she had to do this. Where raelle went, scylla went. She had promised, sworn, ‘Im not leaving you again.’

She wanted to pace as they faced abigails mom in the armys tent. Instead she leaned into raelle. She tried to listen to the encouraging words petra was saying. But all she could think about was how badly this was going to go. And about how much she desperately wanted to marry raelle. To make a life with her, share their epic journey together. She had wanted to decorate their home together and argue over normal things like whose turn was it to do the laundry. She wanted lazy Sundays of staying in bed and reading books by the fire late at night. She wanted…well it didn’t matter what she wanted. All that mattered was staying with raelle for as long as they still had.

Scylla managed not to shiver as the collar snapped around her throat. They had been led to a small cold cell. But at least there had been two bunks with something passable as a mattress. She and raelle had settled into one as Abigail was led away for questioning.

It seemed like hours they had her. Scylla softly stroked her thumb against raelles hand to keep herself from going crazy. Raelle and tally shared worried glances. None of them spoke. Finally, they heard to door to the cell open and abigails useless struggles against the bastard manhandling her.

The brute shoved Abigail inside and then crooked a finger towards raelle. scylla swallowed and squeezed her fiancées hand. She watched with increasing dread as raelle slowly stood and walked out. She clenched her jaw so tight her teeth hurt and she went rigid as the thug grabbed raelles arm and wrenched it behind her back.

She watched the love of her life walk out and tried to slam the door to her heart as securely as the door to their cage.

Tally felt herself nearly crumble at the pain in scyllas face. She knew the brunette was trying desperately to hide how she was feeling, but was failing miserably to anyone who knew her.

She sat down next to scylla with a sigh and wrapped an arm round her. She leaned her head and rested it against scyllas. “She will be alright,” she whispered gently.

Scylla made an unidentifiable noise then looked to Abigail. “Well?” she asked.

Abigail came and sat on the other side of scylla and squeezed her leg reassuringly. “Just what youd expect, alder, the militia, what happened to rae-“

Abigail stopped as scylla tensed and tally flashed her a glare. She cleared her throat and tried again. “But they kept it all pretty clean. Which was…surprising.”

Scylla let out a breath she hadn’t known she was holding. She doubted they were going to get out of this mess. But maybe raelle would survive this interrogation intact.

It seemed like forever, but finally the door opened and raelle reappeared. She was bent nearly double by the giant holding her, but otherwise appeared unhurt.

Scylla took in every inch of the woman she loved but stayed where she was. She knew if these assholes saw just how upset and worried she was, they wouldn’t hesitate to use it against them. But she couldn’t stop herself from holding out her hand or leaning into raelle once she took it and sat next to her.

They watched somberly as tally marched passed them with her head held high.

Once their captors had exited, scylla leaned even further into raelle. “Okay?” Scylla managed to keep her voice mostly steady.

Raelle smiled. “Yeah.” Then she looked to Abigail with concern. “Abs?”

Abigail nodded. She had been pacing but finally sat on the bunk opposite raelle and scylla. A ghost of a smile lit her face.

“What?” scylla asked, softly stroking her thumb against raelles palm.

Abigails smile widened. “I was just thinking these bastards better not hurt tally.”

Raelle looked at her confused and scylla raised an eyebrow.

Abigail burst out laughing. “Because then you know alder would rampage through this entire facility.” Her eyes sparkled. “And straight up murder all the camarilla here.” She cackled loudly.

Raelle blinked and a smile slowly spread across scyllas face. then they were both laughing as well.

Finally raelle wiped her eyes and looked back to Abigail. “But…I thought alder…”

“Oh, she died,” Abigail agreed.

“But the mycelium brought her back,” scylla added.

“And tally has been pining after her ever since! Her AND nicte!”

Raelle couldn’t believe her ears but she believed every word they said. She looked between her sister and her soon to be wife. She knew she had missed so much while she was gone, but it warmed her heart to see the two of them happy together. That they were finally family.

But all too soon the weighted silence returned. They glanced at each other, part question, part reassurance. Scylla thought the waiting was going to kill her. she would have preferred to go first instead of having to just…wait. For some reason, she felt sure that they weren’t going to use the kid gloves with her.

Tally finally returned, the same brute taking sick pleasure in listening to her pained groans as he forced her arm behind her back as far as it would go.

Tally collapsed onto the bunk and slowly brought her arm from behind her back. Raelle was instantly there beside her, brushing her hair back, helping her sit up.

Over tallys shoulder Raelle watched as scylla heeded the brutes summons. She ground her teeth as rough hands grabbed her love and shoved her forward. How was it possible that scylla, who was her whole world, could look so small?

She flinched as the door clanked shut and she tore her eyes away. she returned her attentions to tally, needing to keep busy, needing to stop herself from thinking about what was awaiting scylla. “Anything broken?”

Tally groaned and rubbed her shoulder. “Mm. I don’t think so.”

Abigail pressed a firm, reassuring hand against tallys leg. “They had you in there a while. Any surprises?”

“No,” tally shook her head. “Pretty much the same questions you all got.”

Abigail nodded. “Theyre still being careful not to leave any visible marks, which means they are planning on trotting us out in public at some point.”

“So a trial,” raelle suggested.

“Or a public execution,” Abigail said bitterly as she stood.

Raelle looked down at the finger now empty of her mothers ring. She stroked the skin where it usually rested. She couldn’t help the sorrow she felt crashing through her. her foolishness at thinking she could prevent the world from tearing her love, her wife to be, away from her.

Tally saw raelles expression. “What?”

Abigail noticed raelles empty finger. She stared into her sisters crestfallen face. “Rae, where’s your ring.” Tally gasped and brought a hand to her mouth.

Raelle flicked her eyes between her sisters and smiled weakly. She looked at her empty finger once more. “We were planning on getting married.” Her voice was filled with the sound of her soul cracking open.

Abigails face twisted, but tally let out a soft oh. She squeezed raelles hand. “Congratulations.” She said it softly but still sounded thrilled.

Raelle squeezed tallys hand then looked to Abigail. “We wanted to ask you and adil to join us and make it a double wedding.” Raelle looked down, heartbroken, at her naked finger. “We know you’ve been talking about it…Shelby.

That earned a watery chuckle from tally and Abigail. “Um, yeah, we were talking about it.” She admitted. “But, we wanted to wait until khalida was back.” Abigail sat slowly on the other side of tally.
The silence was thick and the mood somber. Tally hated it. She hated to see her sisters so defeated. “Hey,” she said taking her sisters hands. “We cant give up hope. We don’t even know what theyre planning for us. So…”

Personally Abigail didn’t want to find out. But she didn’t say anything to burst her sisters bubble.

Raelle forced herself to relax her grip at tallys wince. She hadn’t realized shed been squeezing her sisters hand so hard. “Sorry,” she murmured.

Tally leaned her chin onto raelles shoulder and rubbed her back. “It’ll be okay,” she whispered.

Raelle tried to nod but could only look at the small window in their cell. The light had been slowly fading all afternoon. She clenched her fists so hard her nails dug into her palms. She looked at Abigail who was pacing the narrow space at the end of their cell. Even she was starting to look worried.

“Why are they keeping her so much longer?” raelle asked through gritted teeth.

Abigail stopped her pacing and crossed her arms. “Relax. Our girl is going to be fine.” She held raelles eyes but when abigails flitted to the now darkened window, she knew her sister didn’t believe her own words.

Raelle jiggled her leg uncontrollable as she sat next to tally. She just wished she knew what they were doing to scylla. Not knowing was driving her crazy!

Just when she thought she was going to lose it, the door to their chamber clambered open. Raelle sat bolt upright, kept on the cot only by tallys hand on her knee.

Raelle scanned scylla frantically, but aside from her arm being wrenched at an impossible angle, she seemed unhurt. Her eyes connected desperately with scyllas and she finally felt like she could breathe again.

She stood and waited for one of the awful captors to unlock the door to their cell. Only they didn’t. she watched with growing alarm as scylla was slammed up against the doors.

Scylla groaned as the bars jammed into her body. She grabbed desperately with her free hand to help support herself. Then raelle was there. Her warm hand over scyllas and her terrified eyes locked onto ocean blue ones. And then everyone was shouting; Tally and Abigail and raelle furious in front of the cell door.

Scylla clamped her teeth around a scream as her arm dragged impossibly upward and her legs threatened to give way.

Then suddenly the pain was gone and scylla dropped to all fours. Immediately she felt raelles hand over hers and looked up to see raelles pained eyes searching her face.

“Scyl?! Scyl?” raelles voice was raw and urgent.

Scylla took a deep breath and gave a tiny nod. She was okay.

Abigail glared death at their captors. “Why are you doing this?” she demanded.

A chuckle met her outburst and the other goons in the room moved out of the way to admit the most incredibly average man the unit had ever seen. Average height, average build, average brown hair. Everything except his eyes; his eyes were cold and lifeless like a sharks.

“Im so glad you asked Abigail,” he said with a sick smile. He walked forward and stopped a few feet behind scylla. “But first, let me introduce myself. My name is Jonathon, and I just want to say what an honor it is to meet the infamous Bellweather unit.” He nodded to Abigail. His eyes flicked to the redhead gripping her sisters arms. “Tally,” he said with a tip of his head.

His dead eyes took in raelle on the floor kneeling in front of scylla. “And of course, raelle. The witchbomb herself.”

Raelle ignored the man speaking. He didn’t matter. All that mattered was scylla. She gripped the brunettes hand and tried to convey a million different things as they stared desperately into each other’s eyes.

Scyllas eyes widened suddenly as rough hands dragged her to her feet.

Raelle lunged upwards, her eyes never leaving scyllas. She clutched at the bars separating them.

The mans lip twitched derisively. Oh this was going to be sooo much fun. He stepped forward so he was directly behind scylla. He loved the way the blondes hands spasmed around the bars.

Scyllas nostrils flared as the cold hand clamped on the back of her neck. She couldnt repress a shiver. Now she knew why they had removed her collar. “Don’t you see?” a voice purred in her ear. Scylla tried to swallow and kept her eyes locked on her loves.

“See what, asshole?” Abigail challenged.

The man just laughed again as his fingers tightened around scyllas neck and he jerked the witch back into him. “Youre definitely the brains of this crew aren’t you?” he whispered to scylla, so close that his breath blew her hair. He grinned as the girl flicked her head away from him, revolted.

He looked back to the angry witch. “Well abigail, I have just named all the members of the bellweather unit.” He jerked scylla forward a small step, the hand on her neck unyielding. “So who is this?”

“Shes one of us!” Tally exclaimed. She had both hands on raelles shoulders.

The man pulled a face. “Is she though?”

“Of course she is,” Abigail said defiantly with a step forward.

He effortlessly yanked scylla back several feet. He might have been of average stature, but scylla was still tiny compared to him.

The man put on a simpering smile. “Aww. So cute. Shes a part of the team.” His smile dropped. “Except shes not...As far as the world is concerned, she doesn’t exist…” he let silence fill the room.

Chapter Text

Raelle felt the pit of her stomach drop away. She stared in horror at the man gripping scyllas neck. She couldn’t hear anything over the sound of waves crashing in her ears. Or was it the raging of her own heart?

Everything seemed to go fuzzy at the edges of her vision. But like a lighthouse, inevitably her eyes were drawn to scyllas. Her loves beautiful blue eyes softened and she tried to smile, as if to tell raelle everything would be alright. But raelle knew it wouldn’t be. If anything happened to scylla, nothing would be alright, ever again.

Cold fingers dug into the sides of scyllas neck. The grotesque voice whispered in her ear. “Kneel.”

The pressure on her neck increased sharply and she was forced to her knees. She tore her eyes away from raelles to glare at the pathetic man. She waited for him to speak, wishing death upon him.

Jonathan finally released scylla. He felt a slight chill at the way the kneeling witches eyes bored into him, as if cursing his very soul. He curled his lip and looked at the three trapped, helpless witches behind the bars instead. He eyed each of them individually, scornfully. The ginger was already crying.

“Let her go!” raelle demanded.

Jonathan raised his eyebrows with an arrogant smile. “Now, why would I do that?” He stood beside the brunette and eyed her speculatively. “She is the perfect leverage…” his eyes roamed over scyllas body. “And so…beautiful.” He ran his hand over her hair several times as if petting her. Scylla ground her teeth and it took everything in her not to react.

Raelle jerked at the bars separating her from her love and swallowed a scream of frustration.

“You said it yourself,” Tally tried, breathlessly. “She has nothing to do with this. So just let her go.”

The man stopped pawing at scylla to clap his hands once in delight. “Oh, wow.” He chuckled. “Is she always like this?” he asked the others, amused.

Raelle ignored him. Everything in her was numb with fury. “Let. Her. Go,” she repeated icily, voice so cold it could burn.

Jonathan paused as if actually considering it. “Or what?” he asked calmly. “What are you going to do while caged and collared? Hm?”

He reached out and stroked the side of scyllas face, his eyes boring into raelle. “What are you going to do to stop me?”

Scylla felt everything in her clench at this monsters touch, his violation. But she refused to turn away. She could feel her heart crumbling at the desperation in her fiancées face. She knew this was destroying raelle.

Raelle ground her teeth and clenched at the iron bars even harder. “You don’t want to find out,” she warned.

Tally and Abigail exchanged a frightened glance. Was this how raelle ended the world with the witchbomb?

Tally stepped up and rested a hand on raelle shoulder. The blonde stiffened but didn’t respond to her touch. “Rae,” tally tried but realle shook off her sisters hand.

Jonathan kept pouring his poison. “What are you going to do to stop me?” he repeated slowly. When raelle only glared murder at him, he twirled a finger in scyllas soft hair. He continued, “How are you going to stop me from doing…whatever I want…to your girl?”

“You bastard!” Abigail ground out.

“You don’t have to do this,” tally tried.

Raelles eyes never left the man playing with her fiancées hair. Her entire body was rigid and her jaw clenched so hard her teeth creaked.

“Scylla is her own person. She doesn’t belong to anyone,” raelle forced out.

The monster stopped playing with scyllas hair as he smiled wickedly at raelle. “No,” he corrected. He placed a hand on each of the kneeling witches shoulders. “Now she belongs to me.”

Scyllas nostrils flared. “Sorry pal, but im going to have to pass.”

Jonathan waited only a moment. Then he dug a hand into scyllas hair and wrenched her head back. He leaned over and grabbed her chin with his other hand. “No. Witch.” His face was just inches from hers.” “You are MINE.”

Scylla tried to jerk free but the hand in her hair and on her chin trapped her in place. She ground her teeth and refused to back down. She glared at him until he finally released her.

Raelle felt something in her snap. She let go of the bars and brought her hands up in front of her. She didn’t think as she called upon the witchbomb. All she knew was scylla was in trouble and she had to save her.

Abigail grabbed her sisters shoulders as raelles eyes turned violet.

“NO rae!” tally cried out and forced the blondes head towards her. “You cant!” she begged.

It took several moments for raelle to take in tally in front of her. She blinked and tried to turn back towards her love, but tallys hands held her firm.

“No rae,” tally whispered urgently. “You cant. You know what will happen.”

Raelles face twisted and she clenched her fists hard enough to hurt. “I don’t care,” she hissed. “I cant just sit here while he-“

Tally continued in mother tongue to avoid the attentive eyes of the man towering over scylla. “You would kill all of us. End the world…”

“Scylla IS MY WORLD. If shes not in it, maybe the world deserves to burn!”

“No, raelle,” scylla said softly, continuing in mother tongue. “You are a fixer. You save people. That’s your first instinct; its who you are. Nothing they do can take that from you.”

Raelle ground her teeth together. She wanted to do anything she could to save scylla. She didn’t care if she ended the world, as long as it saved her love. But she knew that scylla did care, and she wouldn’t want to be the reason more people were hurt. She forced out a deep breath and looked towards her sisters, then nodded at scylla. She wouldn’t use the witchbomb, even though everything in her was screaming to do so.

“Enough!” Jonathan frowned and surveyed his captive audience derisively. He clasped his hand together and stood menacingly behind scylla, still on her knees. “You will tell me everything I want to know.” He stared at his captives in turn and let the statement hang in the air.

Then he bent down next to girl kneeling on the hard concrete. He looked to the witches in the cage. “Or it will be poor scylla…” he reached out gently and tucked a strand of hair behind scyllas ear. The girl couldn’t help but jerk her head away and Jonathon smiled sickly up at the others. He got slowly to his feet relishing their furious reactions. “Who will pay the price…”

“Then ask your questions asshole,” Abigail shouted, one hand on the bars and one on raelles forearm.

Jonathans smile widened and he clasped his hands together. “Tell me about the bearkiller militia.”

Tally said through clenched teeth, “We don’t know anything.”

Raelle could barely hear the words around her. She stared at scylla unblinking. Her legs felt weak. Her whole body felt weak. There was the sound of an ocean screaming in her ears. She couldn’t look away. She felt like she was drowning.

“Where is their headquarters?” Jonas asked lightly.

Abigail scowled. “They wiped our memories before we surrendered. We couldn’t tell you even if we wanted to.”

Jonathan frowned. “That is most unfortunate news…for scylla.” He spun and quickly backhanded the brunette.

“No!” raelle couldn’t stop her scream.

Scylla sucked in a harsh breath as her head whipped to the side and pain consumed her lip. She couldn’t help but bring her hand to her mouth and gingerly touch the blood there. She smiled, feeling her spit lip pull sharply.

She looked disdainfully at the pathetic excuse for a man. “Does it make you feel better about yourself?” He just stared at her. “To hit a defenseless woman?”

He ignored her and turned back towards his other victims. “Tell me where the militia has its troops.”

Raelle ground her teeth and gripped the bars so hard her hands were going numb. Abigail looked ready to murder every camarilla on the continent. Tally had a hand over her mouth and couldn’t tear her eyes from scylla, still kneeling.

“We can not tell you,” Tally whispered.

Jonathan struck scylla with the flat of his palm, knocking her over. She caught herself on her forearms with a grunt. Her entire cheek stung and burned at the same time.

“We cant tell you.” This time tally screamed it.

Jonathan just eyed her derisively. “Cant, or wont?”

“Cant asshole. We literally can not tell you,” Abigail seethed.

Scylla laughed from the floor as she slowly pushed herself up to her feet. “Do you not understand what, they wiped our minds, means?”

Jonathan examined scylla standing defiantly for a moment before turning back towards the others. “Where is Alder?”

A weight seemed to settle in the room. Tallys eyes dropped to the floor and her face dimmed in sorrow. Her voice cracked. “Shes dead.”

Jonathan looked unconvinced. “Weve heard that one before.” He walked up to the bars. “What about it, blondie?” he asked raelle whose breath was coming too fast, her nostrils flaring. “Is alder dead?”

Raelle finally tore her eyes from scylla and bared her teeth. She wanted to kill the man in front of her more than shed ever wanted anything else in the world. “Shes gone. No one could save her.”

“Hm,” was the only response. “And where did you disappear to for months?” he asked, still looking only at raelle.

Raelle clenched her jaw, her hands wrapped around the bars when they should be around his neck. “You know where. Or alteast your buddy hearst does.” She jutted her chin. “Talk to him.”

The awful mans eyes narrowed slightly. He turned as if in thought, then struck like a snake. He punched scylla in the face so hard she immediately lurched sideways and fell to the ground.

“You bastard!” Abigail shouted. Tally held onto raelle as she lunged forward. “No!” she screamed. Raelle desperately yelled scyllas name.

Scylla reeled as the world spun. She rested her forehead a moment on the cool concrete as things finally settled. Then the pain set in, pulsating in her jaw and radiating down her neck. She could hear the others screaming.

She pushed herself up with a deprecating chuckle. “Wow. Big strong camarilla man…” she looked him up and down and curled her split lip. “Or probably not that big, huh? Is that why you need to pick on helpless women?”

Jonathans face flushed but he didn’t respond. He ignored scylla and turned towards his more…malleable captives. “What does the bearkiller militia plan to do next?”

Silence filled the room. Jonathan sighed with faux sadness but scylla cut off whatever patronizing thing he was about to say. “Are you deaf as well as stupid?” The man stalked forward but scylla wasn’t cowed. She raised her head. “Theres no militia information to give y-“

Scyllas voice cut off as the fist in her gut forced the air from her lungs. She dropped to all fours, gasping. Her mouth moved trying to take in air but none found its way in. Her hands dug into the floor for purchase but found nothing.

“Stop this,” tally begged.

“Then tell me what I need to know,” he said slowly, enunciating each word.

Scylla finally drew in a ragged breath then coughed. She pushed herself back up with a disparaging glare. “We cant, moron.”

Jonathan smiled sickly and stepped so he was directly in front of scylla. “That’s what they all say.” He leaned in close and whispered, “At least at first.”

Scylla just smiled back with her split lip and bruised face. She was not the first one to look away.

Raelle watched desperately from behind the steel bars of their cell. She could do nothing as her love was manhandled, touched, attacked by a monster. She clenched at the cold metal helplessly. A part of her felt intense satisfaction at scyllas bravado, her absolute refusal to be intimidated by anyone. The other half of her wanted to scream and pull her hair out. Her fiancée was being hurt and she needed to protect her. But there was nothing she could do!

Jonathan looked back to the three in the cage. He shrugged nonchalantly. “Fine. We will come back to that later.”

Scylla captured raelles eyes and felt her heart clench at the agony she saw there. She gave a small nod. She needed raelle to know she was fine and not to do anything stupid. Scylla knew she wouldn’t be able to handle it if anything happened to raelle.

Jonathan walked towards the bars. “Where is the leader of the spree?” He looked towards his captives, expectantly.

“How the hell should we know that?” Abigail asked indignantly. “We are army.”

“You are deserters,“ Jonathan corrected.

“We don’t know where she is,” tally said earnestly. Her wide eyes flicked between the monster tormenting them and scylla standing bravely.

He frowned and before scylla could even react his fist was slamming into her face. She crumpled and landed hard. It took several seconds before her head connected with the rest of her body. Her ears rang and everything was numb and hurt at the same time.

“NO!” raelles scream was raw and heartbreaking. “Please.” She clung to the bars and tried to remember what it was to breathe. “We don’t know. We don’t know anything.”

Scylla stifled a groan and shook her head. Which was a mistake, but then so was simply breathing. She realized she was on her side, her legs slowly kicking as if to somehow escape the pain. There was also wetness on her face. She touched a delicate finger beneath her nose and it came away warm with blood. She felt it trickle down her lips and drip from her chin onto the cold floor.

“You don’t have to do this,” tally added beseechingly.

Scylla grimaced but set her aching jaw, determined. She flattened her palms on the floor and rolled onto her hands and knees.

A sharp kick knocked her back down onto her side. “Stay down witch. Where you belong.” A gruff voce that did not belong to Jonathan instructed her.

“You cant do this! It is against the law,” Abigail shouted furiously. “As enemy combatants-“

“But your NOT enemy combatants,” Jonathan said with a smug smile. “You are murderers and deserters.” He looked to scylla still on the floor then back to the others. “Where is the leader of the spree?”

Before any of them could open their mouths, scylla wheezed something from the floor where she lay.

“What was that, my dear?” Jonathan asked brightly.

Scylla coughed and tried again, unsuccessfully. Jonathan rolled his eyes and bent down next to the injured witch so he could hear.

Scylla smiled grimly as her tormenter knelt down next to her. She waited until he leaned in closer then rose up onto an elbow and spat forcefully.

Jonathan jerked back as blood and saliva smacked against his face. He snarled furiously and grabbed the front of scyllas shirt. He cocked his arm back then smashed it into the arrogant witchs face.

Scyllas head snapped back and cracked against the concrete with a sick thud. Her whole body went slack and she lay motionless. It took raelle several terrible heartbeats before she saw her loves chest rise and fall.

Jonathan cursed and wiped his face. He stood and glared down at the unconscious witch in front of him. Then he settled his shoulders and his bland smile returned. He looked towards the crying trio behind iron bars. “I look forward to continuing our chat tomorrow. And don’t worry. We have aallll the time in the world to become acquainted.”

He looked to one of his goons who grabbed scyllas still form by her legs and drug her forward. A second brute opened the door after a warning to the witches inside.

Raelle collapsed to her knees and grabbed onto scylla as soon as she was heaved inside. She ran her hands over her love assessing for damage. “Scyl?” It felt like her heart was breaking. “Scylla!” Her world was crumbling.

“Scyl” raelle called desperately. Her hands kept searching but didn’t find any obvious injuries. Besides scyllas face. Raelle couldn’t swallow her tears. Scyllas beautiful face was smeared in blood which still trickled from her nose. She had a split lip and bruised cheek and jaw that covered half her face…but she was breathing.

Raelle shook her head. “Help me get her up,” she instructed. Abigail and tally carefully helped raelle lift scylla onto one of the bunks. Raelle knelt next to her love and gently stroked her hair. She looked at her sisters with terrified eyes. “What are we going to do?” she asked in a tiny voice.

Her sisters looked at her; they had no answers. Raelle turned back to scylla. Her hand never stopped stroking her loves hair. She leaned forward and gently kissed scyllas temple. “Im so sorry,” she whispered tearfully. She carefully placed a hand on scyllas neck and then held scyllas hand. She said the words to initiate the link, to heal her wife to be. But nothing happened.

Raelle adjusted her grip and tried again. And got the same result. And a third time. She practically growled when she felt a hand on her shoulder. “No.” She jerked away. But the hand followed her.

Tally grabbed her face with both hands and turned raelle towards her. Abigail calmly laid a hand on raelles forearm. “You cant heal her,” Abigail said softly, but her words still felt like blows to raelle. “But you can still help her,” she finished.

“Youre not alone, rae.” Tally stared imploringly into raelles eyes. “And neither is she.”

“Weve got you,” Abigail promised. “Both of you.”

Raelle swallowed and nodded. She bit her lip to keep from sobbing but her tears fell anyways. She looked gratefully at her sisters and felt herself grounded by their love. The moment stretched between them until raelle turned back towards scylla.

She gently brushed back a strand of hair. “Scyl?” she whispered softly. She brushed her fingertips lightly against scyllas uninjured cheek and kissed her forehead. “Scyl?”

The longer raelle stared into scyllas beaten and bloodied face, the longer her love lay motionless, the more raelle felt grief and panic overwhelm her.

She rested a hand on scyllas chest and willed her love to wake up. To open her eyes. To say something…It seemed like forever but finally scylla groaned.

Raelle leaned closer and held scyllas hand. “Scyl? Scyl? Are you okay?” her voice was a frantic whisper.

Scylla blinked then her face scrunched in pain. “Mmmfff,” she managed. Raelle gently put her hands against scyllas shoulders and eased her back down.

“Just relax,” raelle instructed.

Everything hurt and her head felt like it was splitting in two. Scylla groaned again. “Mkay.” She slowly opened her eyes and stared into raelles anxious face. She reached out a hand towards her love.

Raelle grabbed and instantly brought it to cup her cheek. She kissed scyllas palm gently rested it back against scyllas stomach. She didn’t let go of it. She would never let go of her love ever again. She swallowed and felt the tears on her cheeks. “I shouldn’t have drug you into this,” she mewed.

Scylla frowned. “You didn’t.”

Raelle shook her head. “I should have known something like this would happen. Why did I let you come? Why didn’t I make you stay? Where you would be safe?” raelles eyes were haunted as she berated herself.

“No.” scyllas voice was short. She squeezed raelles hand in hers. “You didn’t make me do anything. I came because I wanted to. Even though I knew what could happen.”

Raelle shook her head, her tears making it hard to see. “Why? Why would you do that?”

Scylla smiled as if the answer was obvious. “Because I made a promise. Im not leaving you again raelle.”

“But they are going to kill you,” raelle sobbed. She moved her hand to gently cup her loves marred face. “I cant stop them. I cant save you…” Scylla leaned into raelles touch. “You should have stayed where it was safe,” raelle cried again mournfully.

Scylla frowned. “I don’t care if it was safe.” She stared at raelle without blinking. “Ive lived without you before. I refuse to do it again.”

Raelle just shook her head. Or maybe it was her whole body that was shaking. “But…”

Scylla smiled sadly in understanding. “But they are going to kill me?” raelle broke down at even the thought of that happening. She rested her head against the cot, still kneeling, one arm draped over scylla as if that would protect her.

Scylla ran a gentle hand through raelles hair. She wanted to soothe her love and tell her easy lies, like everything was going to be alright. But they both knew that wasn’t true. Besides, scylla knew sometimes the harsh truth was the best medicine.

Raelle raised her head when scylla called her name. She felt terrified when she saw the calm look on her loves face.

“Raelle,” scylla said again gently. “I don’t think any of us are getting out of here alive. I don’t think any of us ever even had that chance.” Raelle opened her mouth to protest but scylla squeezed her hand and kept going. “So I came here, knowing we would die. Because I couldn’t live in a world without you, raelle.”

Raelle just sobbed harder. It felt like her chest was trying to cave in on itself. How could she have been so stupid. “No,” she tried. She shook her head but scylla just raised her eyebrows.

“So I need you to do something for me.” Her eyes bored into raelles soul. “I need you to make sure that they don’t win.”

“How?”

“Don’t let them use this as an excuse to hate all witches.” She squeezed raelles hand harder. “Make them see that we are no different from them. Make them see that we are human.”

Raelle shook her head, trying to remember how to breathe. “How?”

Scylla smiled. “That’s easy. Just be you.”

Raelle let out a sob and brought her forehead to scyllas. “I love you. So much.”

Scylla held onto raelles shoulder and squeezed. She stared into deep blue eyes and hoped to get lost there. “I love you too.” She tilted her head back bringing her lips closer to raelles.

Raelle gently kissed her but scylla still hissed in pain. “Im so sorry!” raelle pulled back horrified but scylla just smiled.

“Worth it.”

Raelle smiled weakly and brushed the hair from scyllas face. She wiped gently at the blood coating half of scyllas face but it was dried on.

Scylla grabbed raelles hand. “Don’t worry about that.” She tugged her loves hand gently. “Hold me.”

Raelle needed no encouragement. She sprang up and quickly stretched her body in front of scyllas as gently as she could.

Scylla scooted back with a wince which turned into a smile when raelles warmth settled in front of her. They laid side by side facing each other and raelle carefully slipped her arm under scyllas head as a pillow. With her other arm she drew scylla closer to her. She couldn’t tolerate anything separating her from her love.

“I love you so much scyl. I don’t think I can take this.” Raelle stared into ocean blue eyes and felt adrift, lost at sea.

Scylla leaned closer and squeezed raelles shoulder. “I know.” She nestled her nose against raelles then leaned her head back to look into raelles beautiful face contorted in fear.

“What if we just tell them everything. Give them everything they want,” raelle whispered.

Scylla smiled sadly. “They would still kill us.”

Raelle closed her eyes. Her heart dropped. “I know.”

Scylla pulled raelle closer. “Yes,” she agreed softly. “And they will keep…hurting me…no matter what you do.” Scylla felt raelle stiffen and continued. “Its part of the game,” she explained quietly.

“This isn’t a game!”

“Youre right” Scyllas hand stroked raelles shoulder. “But its part of their plan. To break you. All of you. So they can control the narrative.”

Raelle closed her eyes and pulled scylla as close as she could. “I don’t care. I don’t care about any of it. I just care about you.”

“Im scared too,” scylla whispered as she buried her face in raelles neck. Raelle held her tighter and together they just breathed.

Scylla wanted to stay in raelles arms forever. She still ached but it didn’t hurt as bad when she felt so warm and safe. She snuggled impossibly further into her love. She didn’t want to miss a minute of this. But fatigue quickly swept her away.

Raelle breathed in scylla. She held her love as tightly as she could and savored every second. She could feel scyllas heart beating against her chest, feel her breath tickling her hair. She felt so warm and solid and comforting in raelles arms the thought of never holding her again threatened to break her. She squeezed her eyes shut and refused to let the tears fall.

Tally and Abigail watched them from the other bunk. They couldn’t stop the tears from falling and didn’t try. Tally squeezed abigails hand and they shared a look. They both knew what this was doing to raelle. What it would do to her if scylla was right and they murdered her while raelle watched.

They knew they couldn’t let that happen. But looking around their cold, dark cell, they also knew there was nothing they could do to stop it.

Once they saw scylla was asleep the sisters moved and quietly sat at the head of the other bunk and rested soft hands on raelles shoulder. Raelle didn’t stop gently running her hand through her loves hair, but did glance up at her sisters.

“What are we going to do?” she asked again, in an even smaller, more broken voice.

Abigail squared her shoulders. “We stall,” she said confidently. “We give my mother enough time to find president wade.”

Raelle didn’t respond. She didn’t have to say anything for them to know that it was a terrible plan.

Tally swallowed. “We do like scylla said before we surrendered,” she started quietly. “We lie and we give them just enough truths so they think we are valuable.” She licked her lips and continued even softer. “We let them think they have broken us, so when we tell them what they want to hear, they believe us...”

Raelle made a strangled noise. “If they keep hurting scylla, I wont be pretending.” Her voice was hollow and it filled her sisters with dread. There was nothing that could be said to alter this truth, so her sisters simple leaned closer and held raelle tightly.

They stayed like that for quite some time before retiring back to their own bunk to rest while they could. They knew they were going to need it.

Scylla jerked awake at the sound of the door to their prison unit slamming shut. She held tight to raelle and closed her eyes. She didn’t need to look to know that the sound of heavy boots coming towards them belonged to Jonathan and his goons.

Instead, she buried her face even further into raelle and inhaled as deeply as she could; just in case it was the last time she would be able to be able to do so. She felt tears sting her eyes at the heartbreaking thought. But she grit her teeth and forced them away. She needed to be strong and stay focused for what was to come.

“Rise and shine,” Jonathan gloated cheerfully. He stood in front of the cell containing his captives and smiled viciously. The ginger and the bellicose one had sat up quickly, looking apprehensive. But blondie and that stupid, arrogant witch remained tenderly entwined together, like long lost lovers. And he was going to THOROUGHLY enjoy smashing them apart.

He clapped his hands together twice as if calling for attention in a classroom. “Welcome to a new day of ‘Tell Jonathan Everything,’” he began eagerly. “So scylla, dear, if you wouldn’t mind joining me…”

Scylla finally opened her eyes and stared into raelles nearly panicked face. “Its time,” she whispered, squeezing her loves shoulder.

Raelles face hardened and she shook her head. “No. im not letting them take you,” she hissed determinedly.

But before either of them could do anything, Abigail stood, with tally a second behind her. She approached the bars. “But scylla does mind,” Abigail reported.

“Shes not going anywhere near you monsters.” tally affirmed.

Jonathan sighed with faux regret, but his eyes gleamed. “Monsters? Really tally, im disappointed in you. I guess we will have to do this the hard way then.”

Raelle and scylla sat up on their bunk. Raelle had her hand thrust protectively in front of scylla, clutching at her loves hip as tightly as she could. Her breath was coming fast. She wouldn’t let them take scylla. She couldn’t.

Jonathan snapped a finger and his goons crowded around the cell door with one of them fumbling with the keys.

Abigail puffed up to her full height and squared her shoulders. Tally shifted her weight into a more athletic stance, both of them ready and looking for a fight. That never came.

Jonathan pressed a button on his watch and the two witches dropped instantly, electricity zinging through their bodies from their collars. They thrashed and spasmed on the floor until he pushed the button again.

Raelle and scylla shot to their feet as soon as Abigail and tally fell. Raelle stood in front of her love with her hands holding scylla behind her protectively. She slowly backed away from their tormenters even as a part of her ached to be able to go to her sisters gasping on the floor.

She looked up and found Jonathans eyes on her. He smiled coldly, daring her to defy him. A shiver ran through her but raelle just shook her head. He wasn’t taking scylla from her.

Abigail slowly pulled herself to her feet using the bunk for support. Tally sucked in a breath but also stood painfully and joined her sister in glaring rebelliously at Jonathan.

He smiled wickedly, delighted at their refusals. He nodded at his men who whipped open the cell door and poured inside.

Before Abigail could even land a blow, the horrible pain was back. She didn’t even feel it as she crashed into the ground. All she knew was the electricity slamming through every cell in her body, as every muscle clenched, and an unborn scream desperately tried to escape.

Raelle watched her sisters collapse for a second time but continued backing up. Her hand squeezed even tighter to scylla, keeping her love firmly behind her. She bared her teeth and shook her head. She would never give up her wife to be.

Scylla felt her chest tighten in panic. She watched helplessly as Abigail and tally still struggled mercilessly on the ground. She knew these madmen wouldn’t hesitate to hurt raelle and she couldn’t allow that!

She placed a gentle hand on the shoulder of the woman she loved, the woman standing so resolutely between her and danger. “Raelle,” she said softly.

But raelle shook her head sharply. “No,” she growled.

Raelle saw Jonathan push the button on his watch and then everything seemed to happen in slow motion. The thugs spilled further into their cage striding past her sisters on the ground. She collapsed as electricity tore all the oxygen from her body. Scylla caught her, cradled her. Then hands appeared. Tried to tear scylla from her. She grabbed and clutched scylla even harder. The hands yanked and drug them both forward. Until feet slammed into her side, and her legs, and her ribs.

Raelle clenched even harder but there were dark spots in her vision and she still couldn’t breathe. Her whole mind was filled with one thing; scylla. Her love held desperately onto raelles shirt and her lips were moving like she was saying something, but raelle couldn’t hear. Like always, she was captured by scyllas beautiful eyes. Her vision darkened until those eyes were all she could see.

The hands wrenched violently. Raelle watched frantically as her love was ripped from her arms. She clawed futilely after scylla, but the darkness finally descended.

Scylla screamed raelles name as they drug her away. She thrashed and struggled but it was no use. Three brutes had her trapped and hauled her roughly outside the cell. They threw her to the ground and Scylla leapt back towards raelle, but it was too late. The bars to the cell containing her family slammed shut in her face.

Chapter Text

Abigail and tally hurried over towards raelle who was prone on the ground. They carefully rolled her onto her back and examined her for injury.

Scylla breathed a sigh of relief when raelle groaned. Abigail turned to glare at Jonathan as Tally gently lifted raelle and cradled the fixer in her lap. Raelle blearily forced open her eyes then scanned wildly around the cell. Her body deflated when she saw scylla on the other side of the bars, surrounded by jonathan and his three, massive goons.

Scylla felt her lips tug in a sad smile at her love. She let herself feel another moment of relief. Whatever they did to her, she knew it would be alright as long as raelle was safe.

Jonathan just tutted. “Well that was dramatic,” he said disdainfully.

Scylla slowly got to her feet and eyed Jonathan warily. Whatever was coming next was going to be very unpleasant.

Jonathan observed her speculatively then looked to the trio in their cage. He frowned. “We have very simple rules here.” He walked closer to the front of the cell. He thrilled at the rebellion he saw. He couldn’t wait to smash it out of them. “When I ask questions, I expect answers. And, any disobedience will be punished.” He drifted closer to scylla. “Your shoes.” He glanced expectantly down towards scyllas boots and then back to her face.

Scylla raised an eyebrow. “What?”

“Your shoes,” jonathan repeated. “Remove them.”

Scyllas eyes narrowed. “Is this one of those weird foot fetishes?”

Jonathan just smiled blandly and waited. When scylla didn’t move, he continued. “Let me rephrase. When I say disobedience will be punished, I mean, THEY will suffer for YOUR transgressions.” He tilted his head at her expectantly.

Scyllas couldn’t stop her eyes from flicking towards his watch with the buttons controlling the shocks transmitted into the collars. She despised the arrogant smile on that monsters face. She sighed and sat on the cold, hard concrete and slowly began untying her boots.

“Your socks as well,” jonathan said mildly.

Scylla paused long enough to eye him. “So this is a foot thing.” She slid off her boots then stripped off her socks. She took her time as she turned them right-side out, rested them together and folded down the tops before placing them calmly in her right boot.

“No. This is because any disobedience on their part,” he nodded his chin towards his three helpless captives. “Will be felt by YOU.”

Abigail crossed her arms. “Not really fair to met out punishment when the rules weren’t clearly explained.”

Jonathan scrunched his nose. “Life isn’t fair,” he said unapologetically. He looked back to scylla. “Your shirt.”

“No.” raelles voice was furious. She pushed herself up with tallys help and lurched towards the front of their cage.

“What the hell?” Abigail added indignantly.

Jonathan just ignored them and waited, his hard eyes never leaving scyllas.

Scylla stared at the man, no the monster, in front of her. Her eyes narrowed, trying to figure out his game. But when his hand slowly drifted towards his wrist, she tugged her long sleeve shirt over her head. She folded it methodically and rested it on top of her discarded boots. She was left standing barefoot, in a grey tank top tucked into her black jeans.

She stared at him. He was trying to intimidate her. She wouldn’t let him succeed.

Jonathan smiled toothily. “Excellent.” He brought his fingertips together and slowly stalked forwards. He circled his prey slowly, taking in every inch of her as she stood before him.

Scylla tried not to shiver as their captor seemed to devour her with his eyes. She stared at raelle, who was now kneeling at the front of the cell, hands clenching the bars. Abigail stood next to her defiantly and tally rested next to raelle, a hand on her shoulder. All stared at her anxiously, helplessly.

Jonathan laid a finger on the witches newly exposed shoulder and his eyebrows furrowed. “Hmm.” He removed his finger from freckled skin and touched the other shoulder. Then he burrowed a hand in dark brown hair and yanked it up, exposing the witches pale neck. “No witchs mark yet,” he stated. “Don’t worry, we will find it,” he reassured them all cheerfully.

Raelle hissed and squeezed the bars even harder. She flushed and chilled at the wink the vile man flashed her way.

Scylla shook her head and stepped away as the man finally released his hold on her hair. She felt her skin crawl but desperately tried to appear nonchalant. No matter what happened, she couldn’t let him see he was getting to her. It would only drive him further and cause more distress for raelle.

She tore her gaze away from her love as the monster asked his first question of the day.

“So where is the bearkiller militia?” he faced his three captives expectantly, the tips of his fingers pressed together.

Scylla rolled her eyes. “This again? We already told you, we don’t know.”

Jonathan just smiled. “True. But sometimes memories change, when properly motivated...”

Scylla frowned and shifted into a defensive stance. She wasn’t just going to let him beat her. But before she could move, rough hands grabbed her from behind and an elbow wrapped around her neck. Her hands flew up towards the appendage that squeezed viciously, dropping her body low, trying to force him off balance.

A hand slammed into her midsection and scylla felt all the air leave her. She hung slack for a second before being thrown to the hard concrete floor. She rolled onto her side and desperately tried to draw in a breath. She fought to combat the panic waiting to escape and focused on drawing in a breath of sweet, life-giving oxygen.

Jonathan sneered at the gasping witch splayed on the floor then eyed the desperate witches behind the bars each individually. “Where is alder?”

“Shes dead,” tally whispered. Tears were already running down her face but she did nothing to stop them.

Jonathan frowned and glanced at the witch still on the ground. A brute grabbed her by the arms and flung her across the room.

Scylla groaned as her body slammed into bars she but quickly rolled into a crouch as the sound of huge boots closed in on her. She blocked one strike aimed at her head but yelped when another fist drove into her left shoulder. Her entire arm went numb and she sunk into a protective crouch.

Jonathan gestured slightly with his hand and the goons backed off. “What is petras plan?”

“Like she would ever tell us,” scylla panted, rubbing her arm and slowly coming fully upright. Her appendage felt deadened and she could barely move it.

Jonathan smiled at her condescendingly. “I wasn’t asking you.” He turned his harsh stare towards Abigail. “You…”

Abigail stiffened. Her eyes flicked between the monster staring ferociously at her and back to scylla, whose pale skin was dotted in fresh bruises, too many to count. She licked her lips. “We don’t know-“

A kick to the back of the knee caused scyllas legs to give out. She crashed into the cement and tucked into a roll. Before she could find her feet, hands yanked her up and then slammed her back down viscously.

The air whooshed from her again and scylla struggled to find which way was up. The adrenaline raging through her system blunted the abuse she was sustaining but she knew it was only a matter of time until it hit her full force.

When she righted herself, she tucked into a protective crouch. The look of anguish on abigails face was enough to split her heart.

“Now, Abigail,” Jonathan lips curled as the darker witches focus snapped back to him. “Why don’t you share with us your mothers plans?”

Abigail ground her teeth and couldn’t help but look desperately between Jonathan and scylla, still sucking in painful breaths in a crouch.

“She didn’t tell us! She knew we were-“

A kick burst into scyllas hip and sent her sailing. She flailed a moment then lurched to her feet in time to block a blow. She ducked under a second, but the third caught her in the lower back and she dropped. Everything went hot and cold at the same time and she felt a wave nausea. A cold sweat broke out all over as she struggled to breathe through the pain.

A goon laughed in satisfaction and Jonathan quirked an eyebrow at Abigail. “Do try to give us something useful. A hit like that can be extremely damaging to ones kidneys.”

Abigails jaw worked back and forth and she jerked uselessly at the bars of her cage. She stared desperately at scylla as the witch hissed in pain from the fetal position. “She is bound by the salem accords,” Abigail started, then her eyes widened in alarm as Jonathan held up his hand again.

“NO!” she cried clenching at the bars even harder and the monster hesitated, waiting for her to continue. “She has to obey,” Abigail continued breathlessly.

“Hmm,” Jonathan frowned. “Then why has the cession not been overrun, as ordered?”

Abigail grit her jaw then shouted furiously as beefy hands grabbed scyllas legs and whipped her around, flinging her into the wall with a loud thunk.

Abigail banged her palm into the bar. “She…my MOTHER, has to obey,” she seethed.

Jonathan held the young witchs ferocious glare for several seconds before tilting his head. “So petra is obligated to follow the orders given to her…but the others, perhaps not?” The bellicose witch just met his musings stonily.

Scylla drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly. She swallowed and forced herself to move. The pain was dulling somewhat and thankfully so was the nausea. She shifted into a half kneel, half crouch and saw Abigail shaking with helpless rage.

Jonathan turned to tally, where she knelt clinging to raelle. He simply stared at her until she swallowed fearfully. He smiled and asked lightly, “Where is alder?”

Tally shook her head as her mind spun. She didn’t want to deny this monster his answer and cause scylla pain, but she had nothing to give him.

Jonathan just quirked a finger at the gingers silence and didn’t take his eyes off her as the sound of meaty blows and pain filled the air. The way she flinched and trembled fed his soul. He grinned as her terrified eyes finally returned to him.

Scylla groaned from the floor again. Her leg ached and her side throbbed where giant boots had smashed into her. She clenched her fists and forced herself to her hands and knees.

“Where is alder?” Jonathan repeated calmly; he could do this all day, in fact, he hoped they did.

“Shes dead! You monster!” tally couldn’t control her burst of rage. She glared up at him and for the first time truly wished to kill someone.

The monster just raised an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced. He looked towards his goons, who grinned cruelly.

Scylla lurched to her feet and threw herself sideways out of an oncoming fist. She ducked under another as she tried to place her back against the wall for protection. But the third goon was too fast. He struck her, hard, in the small of her back in the same spot he had before.

Scylla couldn’t stop the cry that escaped her lips as she dropped to the floor. She went numb and burned at the same time, covered in a cold sweat. It took her several moments to register the fact that she was on her stomach and there was an elbow in her back and a hand on the side of her face driving her cheek into the ground.

Tally couldn’t breathe. Her body forgot how to function as soon as scylla screamed. As soon as she collapsed. As soon as that vile man leapt on top of her, eagerly grinding her into the concrete. She stared, feeling numb. This couldn’t be happening. This couldn’t be real.

“Where is alder?” Jonathan asked again, his voice even.

Tally blinked and forced herself to look away from scylla, still on the ground, grotesque hands trapping her there. It took her several moments before she could focus enough to hear the monsters words. Her eyes widened and she licked her lips. “Please,” she tried. “Don’t do this.”

The monster just smiled patiently. “Where is alder,” he repeated.

Tally looked between him and scylla. She still couldn’t breathe. She was rocking back and forth. “Shes dead,” tally finally forced out through chattering teeth.

Scylla struggled to keep her panic in check. She couldn’t move and the elbow dug painfully into her spine while the giant hand crushed her face.

“Is that your final answer?” Jonathan asked as he tilted his head. “Be careful, now. For scyllas sake.”

Tally tried to respond but no noise came out. She looked at scylla being manhandled on the ground then back to the monster standing over her. She…had to make it stop. How could she make it stop?
Jonathan raised an eyebrow. “Well?”

Tally shook her head. “Shes dead,” a ghost of a whisper was all she could manage. Her whole body sagged as the monster sighed disappointedly and snapped his fingers, and she would have fallen if raelles arms weren’t holding her up. She was racked with sobs. What was he going to do? How was he going to hurt scylla? Because of her?

Scylla breathed a momentary sigh of relief as the pressure on her back and face let up. Then rough hands wrenched her backwards so she was on her knees, hands held painfully behind her back. She recoiled from jonathans face just inches from her own.

The man smiled and brushed a strand of hair back from scyllas face. She clenched her teeth and tried not to think about all the ways she wanted to kill him. His hand drifted lower, trailing down her chin to drop to her chest. He picked up the necklace she always wore and examined it thoughtfully.

“So. Who gave you this?” he mused. He rotated it slightly in his palm so it reflected the light. It was a small, silver flip-flop on a simple chain. “Not a lover, its too cheap.” He leaned closer. “And it’s a bit childish, doesn’t really fit with the rest of your look.” He glanced at her. “So you wear it for sentimental reasons.” He leaned in even closer and scylla found she couldn’t shift away because of the hands holding her. “So, was it a best friend? A sibling? Your daddy? Mommy?”

“Ah!” he brightened as scylla flinched. “So mommy dearest gave you this.” He greedily ate up the pain evident on the witches face. “So why wear this cheap piece of jewelry your mommy gave you?”

Scylla couldn’t focus he was so close. Her whole body ached and pounded in pain. The hands grasping her wrists were so tight they were beginning to cut off circulation. She ground her teeth, wanting to focus on anything but him, on anything but his poisonous words.

“Did something happen to mommy?”

“Stop this!” tally begged. She leaned forward and grasped the bars in front of her. “Please. Alders dead. Shes dead. Stop this,” she entreated.

“Something DID happen to mommy.” Jonathan completely ignored the redheaded witch. His eyes never left scylla, still holding the necklace in his hand. “What was it?” he practically cooed.

“Leave her alone!” raelle commanded.

Scylla couldn’t tear her eyes away from his, he was so close. His foul breath warmed her cheek every time he breathed. Thick hands trapped her in place and she couldn’t move.

He reached out a finger and slowly tucked an errant strand of hair behind the witchs ear. He relished the way she lifted her chin in challenge at his touch and refused to be cowed. He grinned. “Tell me,” his voice was like oil.

Scyllas nostrils flared as she glared at the monster. His grin grew even wider and he leaned in even further, until his nose was nearly touching hers. “Tell me. Or I will hurt them.” He said it so quietly, even she could barely hear him.

Scyllas eyes widened and she swallowed. She held his gaze and her mouth hardened. “She died.”

The monsters eyebrows rose. “Tell me,” he purred, still so close scylla could smell his horrible aftershave.

“Stop this!” tally cried. “We told you what you want to know.”

“You sick, twisted, son of a bitch!” Abigail bellowed furiously.

Raelle knelt with one arm wrapped around her middle, the other clamped over her mouth. She tried to bury the scream that was burrowing its way through her brain. If it escaped, she didn’t know what she would do.

He ignored them. Scylla was the only one that mattered. “How did mommy die?”

Scyllas face rippled with emotion. “She was murdered. By the army.”

Jonathan slowly smiled. “Forced to serve the very people who murdered your own mother?” He tilted his head appreciatively. “And you call me a monster?” He chuckled with a glance towards Abigail, who was wringing the bars like she wished it was his neck.

He looked back towards scylla. He closed his fist around her necklace and pulled. The chain snapped and he brought her mothers gift towards his mouth and kissed it reverently, his eyes never leaving hers. “Thank you,” he said with a smile before he finally leaned back and returned to his feet.

Scylla drew in a deep breath as the monster finally moved away. Her neck stung from where the chain was ripped away; not so much the pain as the physical loss of her keepsake. She forced herself to relax since every muscle in her body was tense and her back ached with the force of her trying to push herself away from him.

He turned back towards his captives as he slipped scyllas necklace into his pocket. He pated his hand against the pocket once then clasped his hand together. “Thank you tally. That was most informative,” he said to the crying ginger. Then his gaze landed on raelle.

Raelle stiffened as that monster finally looked at her. Her nostrils flared and she barely felt tally and Abigail beside her, trying to give her strength and comfort.

Scylla couldn’t help the small gasp that escaped as the terrible hands released her and shoved her forward. She caught herself and her palms burned where they scrapped against the concrete. Ignoring her discomforts, she slowly came to her feet to find her love glaring at their tormentor.

“So raelle. Where were you these past months?” he asked without preamble.

Raelle tilted her head in challenge. “I was healing. In the mycelium. After hearst tried to poison us.”

The monster quirked his lips like he was dissatisfied with the answer but knew it to be the truth. “And this mycelium is…?”

Raelle breathed out threw clenched teeth. “She is…” How could she explain to this heathen what the mycelium was?!

“She?” jonathans eyebrows rose.

“Yes.”

“Go on…”

Raelles jaw clenched. “What do you want to know?” she spat out.

He rested his fingertips together as if in deep thought. “So SHE is what, exactly?”

“A mushroom.”

“A mushroom?” this time he couldn’t hide his disgust. “Hearst is wasting all this time on a mushroom?”

Raelle didn’t know how to answer, so she remained silent. She felt tally and abigails hands, strong and warm, lending her strength. She wanted desperately to look at scylla but she was afraid to do so would bring her love unwanted attention.

Jonathan sighed and shook his head. “We will come back to that later, I think.” He sized raelle up before asking, “Where is the bearkiller militia?”

Raelle felt herself pale. She sucked in a breath to try to counteract the falling feeling in the pit of her stomach. “We don’t know,” she said earnestly.

Jonathan just smiled sadly. “Pity.” He snapped his fingers.

Scylla didn’t wait for the brutes to move. She kicked the closest in the groin then turned with a snarl. She caught one blow with her arm and struck as hard as she could, catching the second goon on the chin. He stumbled back, but as she turned towards the third, he slammed a kick into her chest.

Scylla flew backward. Time seemed to stop for a moment as she floated through the air before it slammed back to reality. She collapsed in a heap and tried to get up, to be ready for the next assault. But she couldn’t move. She tried not to groan in pain as she begged her dazed body to obey her commands.

Raelle smothered a scream and drew Abigail and tally even closer to her. She ached to be able to give this monster anything he wanted in order to save scylla.

Jonathan watched the feisty witch try to battle against three grown men twice her size. He loved it when they fought; it made it so much better. He savored the way raelle nearly come apart at the seams. They had barely started and already blondie was crying and struggling to breathe.

“What does the bearkiller militia intend to do next?”

Raelle clenched her jaw and looked desperately between the monster and scylla, weakly pushing herself up. “Please, she tried. “We don’t know!”

“NO!” raelle couldn’t stop the scream as the brutes moved towards her love.

Scylla wasn’t fast enough. She was too tired. She hurt too much. Her body wouldn’t cooperate. The first man grabbed her and slammed her against the wall, pinning her. She brought her knee up as hard as she could into his groin and shoved him away as he doubled over.

She lurched forward, but the others were ready, waiting for her. She looked behind her but there was no where to go. A fist flew towards her face and she ducked. But she couldn’t miss the second as it slammed into her side.

She wheezed and curled around her side but another fist drove into her other side and then crashed into her stomach. Scylla collapsed onto the ground, coughing. She scrabbled the concrete, trying to find something to hold onto. All her fingers found was cold, hard, and unforgiving.

Raelle swallowed her scream. She couldn’t stop herself from yanking at the bars, frantic to find a way to escape. She scanned the room for anything, something, to help! But there was nothing except jonathans smiling face. She ground her teeth and swore vengeance against him and all the monsters who dared lay a finger on her love.

Jonathan smiled at raelles torment. Her anger amused him, since there was nothing she could do. He walked forward and knelt down next to the bars raelle was clinging to for dear life. “You know,” he said softly. “Answering a simple question to spare your girlfriend untold pain, seems like a small thing.” He felt gleeful at the way raelles nostrils flared. “Especially after what she was willing to sacrifice for you.”

Raelles eyebrows narrowed in confusion and distrust.

“Oh, you don’t know?” Jonathan leaned even closer. “Hearst had them,” he nodded his chin towards tally, Abigail and scylla. “They were cornered but still looking for a fight. So he brought a little insurance.” He paused, relishing the suspense. “Your. Father.”

Raelles eyes widened and Jonathan smiled. “Guess who was willing to trade her own life for your fathers?”

Raelle clenched her jaw and couldn’t help but look at her love, finally sitting up, face twisted in pain and holding her arm to brace her sides.

“Guess who, raelle.” his voice was hard.

Raelles jaw worked and she sucked in a breath. “Scylla,” she forced out resentfully.

He eyes gleamed in satisfaction. “Yes,” he confirmed. He leaned so he was directly in front of raelle, separated only by the bars. “Scylla.” He raised an eyebrow at her. “Whats answering a simple question in comparison to that? Hmm?”

Raelle felt furious tears slide down her cheeks. She squeezed her fists and ground her teeth. Every muscle in her body was clenched so tight it was hard to breathe.

Jonathan stared her dead in the eye. “What does the bearkiller militia plan to do?”

Raelle grit her teeth and blinked away tears. She shook her head angrily. She leaned closer to the bars as she crushed them so hard her knuckles turned white. “We. Don’t. know.” She hissed emphatically.

Jonathans eyes gleamed. He turned back to scylla as his goons pounced. The witch had made it back to her feet, but there was no escape for her. He smiled as she cried out when rough hands slammed her into the ground only to pick her up and smash her into the bars trapping her comrades.

Scylla bit back a scream and tried to blink away tears as she crashed into the bars. She grabbed onto the cold metal and found her loves frantic face inches from her own. She wanted to smile but the weight of the brute leaning into her made it difficult to breathe.

“Scyl?! Scyl?” raelle was there, her hands on her loves. She anxiously scanned scyllas face. She couldn’t stop herself from grabbing hold of scyllas tank top, desperate to try and hold onto her love as long as she could.

“Raelle,” scylla breathed. She leaned her forehead through the bars and smiled when her love did the same. She stared into raelles anguished, blue eyes. “Its okay,” she whispered.

Raelle sobbed and pressed her lips together, swallowing the sound. Her face twisted and she shook her head. “Scyl,” was all she could say, tears falling freely.

There was so much scylla wanted to say. Instead she tilted her head forward and kissed raelle fiercely. It was pure bliss and everything her soul needed. Unfortunately, it was only a moment before thick hands wrenched her away and flung her to the ground.

“NO!” raelle cried, her hands reaching between the bars as her love was ripped from her once more. She slowly sunk back down to the floor, clutching the bars.

“That was so adorable,” Jonathan murmured condescendingly.

Scylla suppressed the urge to growl as she slowly forced herself to sit up. She was littered with scraps from the countless times she was literally thrown to the floor (or wall, or bars), but she barely noticed the sting. Instead, she winced and cradled her arm against her side, feeling the multitude of bruises threaten to overwhelm her. Every part of her body ached and the pain in her sides and low back made it difficult to draw a full breath.

Her other hand went to hold her necklace for comfort, only to be coldly reminded of its absence. She frowned and looked towards raelle. Her love looked crushed. She leaned heavily into Abigail and tally and stared at her with mournful eyes.

Scylla lifted her chin and gave a ghost of a smile. She wouldn’t let them give up. Not yet. They had to hold on as long as they could.

Jonathan watched the steely determination enter the stubborn witchs eyes with amazement. How could she still have hope after everything that had been done to her? The evidence of her mistreatment was obvious and covered her entire body. He frowned. He would just have to do something else to break her. He smiled. He did love a challenge.

Chapter Text

Jonathan snapped his fingers and tilted his head towards the door. He glanced to scylla, sitting on the painfully cold, hard floor. “Weve worked up a bit of an appetite.” He winked and grinned at her glare. “But don’t worry. We will be back.”

As soon as the door closed behind their tormentors, scylla turned and crawled the few feet to the front of the cage. She still had one hand braced around her side as stopped on her knees and reached through the bars for her love.

“Scyl,” raelle breathed as she carefully cupped scyllas battered face and pulled her in for a kiss. The brunette seemed to melt into the kiss. She buried her fingers into raelles sweater and clung to her love for dear life.

They finally broke apart, gasping for air. Raelle transferred her hands to scyllas shoulders as she examined her love. Her eyes filled with tears and her voice trembled. “Im so sorry-“

“Shhh,” scylla said closing her eyes. She tried to pull raelle closer to her and growled in frustration at the bars. She opened her eyes again and stared into stormy blue eyes, slowly bringing her forehead forward to be met by her loves. She breathed and held onto raelle and cherished every second they were together.

Raelle felt herself uncoil slightly as her and scyllas breaths synced and they stared at each other. She ignored everything else in the world in that moment and simple existed.

Eventually scylla winced and shifted. Kneeling on the cold cement was more than her body could manage at the moment.

“Are you okay?” raelle asked anxiously. One hand had let go of scylla and now hovered uncertainly, the other still held her firmly.

Scylla smiled tightly, one hand bracing her side again. “I will be alright.” She shifted so she sat cross legged so she could see tally and Abigail as well.

“Im sorry!” tally cried out. She gently rested a hand on scyllas knee. “I tried to tell him…but he wouldn’t listen,” she exclaimed hoarsely. She rested a hand on her chest and looked to scyllas sternum where her necklace usually hung. “Im sorry he took…”

Scylla smiled thinly. She squeezed tallys hand. “Its not your fault, tally. He was just looking for an excuse…to hurt me.”

Raelles jaw clenched and she couldn’t stop the low rumble in her chest.

“But we will get it back,” scylla informed tally firmly. Then she looked to raelle and Abigail in turn.

Abigail smiled weakly. “That’s the spirit. Besides. Im sure my mother is on her way here, even now.” But her voice was hollow as she watched her new sister fight against the pain.

Scylla nodded and shivered. The adrenaline was wearing off and the pain was intensifying. So was the cold. She felt clammy and exhausted.

Raelles eyes narrowed in concern. “Youre cold.” It wasn’t a question and scylla was too tired to argue. Raelle quickly stripped off her sweater and after a moment Abigail and tally did the same.

Raelle looked at the bars separating her from scylla and the cold concrete of their prison. She tried to calculate the most comfortable position. “Turn around and lean into me. Ive got you,” raelle directed.
Scylla hesitated only a moment before she nodded. Slowly, carefully she moved. With a groan, she sat in front of the bars with her legs stretched before her. She leaned back and raelles warmth was there and her strong arms reached through the bars to hold her. scylla sighed at how good it felt and let her head fall back.

Raelle breathed as scylla relaxed back against her but felt a jab of worry the next instant as she felt scylla shivering. Quickly she grabbed the sweater Abigail handed her. “Can you put it on?”

Scylla shook her head. “It hurts too much,” she admitted through clenched teeth.

Raelle grit her jaw but then said calmly. “That’s okay.” She draped her sweater over her love like a blanket and wrapped her arms around scyllas own. “Ive got you now.”

Tally quickly spread hers over scyllas legs and Abigail did the same. “Weve got you now, scylla,” Abigail said firmly. She rested a reassuring hand on scyllas leg.

“All of us,” tally agreed as she also placed a hand lightly on scyllas leg.

Scylla just nodded, blinking away tears. She leaned her head back so it half rested on the bar and half on raelles chest. She closed her eyes and breathed as deeply as she was able. The warmth from raelles strong arms and her sisters concern was the greatest tonic scylla could have ever asked for. “I love you,” she said softly. “All of you.”

Raelle cleared her throat. “We know scyl. We love you too.”

“Yeah,” tally agreed breathlessly.

“Youre one of us now,” Abigail informed scylla seriously, then added wryly. “Theres no escaping it.

Scylla chuckled then winced. She squeezed raelles hands. “No matter what happens, just know-“

“Nope,” Abigail cut her off. “None of that talk. Nothing is going to happen. And if it does, it will happen to ALL of us.”

Tally gently rubbed scyllas leg and raelle held her even closer. “Shhh,” raelle cooed in her hear softly when scylla tried to speak again. “Just rest now. We’ve got you scyl.”
Scylla nodded and blinked back tears. She felt so safe and warm she was able to ignore the insistent pain and let herself succumb to sleep.

Scylla jerked awake as the large metal door slammed shut. Jonathan and his goons filed into the room and stood, staring at her expectantly. The monster had an amused look on his face. “You witches really are adorable.”

“Let us out of here and you will see how ‘adorable’ we are,” Abigail threatened. She sat on one side of raelle, who still held scylla, with tally on the other.

“Oh, ive no doubt,” Jonathan agreed. “Hence,” he pointed at the collars and the dampeners. “So where were we?” he asked, rubbing his hands together eagerly.

Raelle just ground her teeth together as the monsters eyes settled on scylla once again. Her arms tightened reflexively and she felt her breath catch in her throat. She couldn’t let them keep hurting the woman she loved. She wouldn’t!

Jonathan advanced slowly like a predator about to devour his prey. He smiled at scylla. “Do you think the others are going to tell me what I want to know? Or are we going to keep having fun together?”

Scyllas face twisted and her eyes narrowed. “Fuck you, asshole.”

Jonathan just raised his eyebrows and leaned in closer to her. “I don’t usually. But maybe later we can.”

Scylla sucked in a sharp breath as raelles arms tightened around her. “Don’t you touch her!” raelle warned.

“Stop this!” tally commanded, a hand digging into raelles shoulder.

“You fucking coward!” Abigail shouted, jerking at the bars.

Jonathan just chuckled wryly and winked at scylla. “We will talk about that later. But for now,” he rubbed his hands together. “Lets get back to the bearkiller militia.”

Scylla took a deep breath and steeled herself. She was going to need her strength for whatever came next.

“What can you tell me about Thelma bearkiller?” Jonathan went on.

“Shes a hell of a lot braver than you are,” raelle informed him.

“What else?”

“She was smart enough to create an army with none of you dickheads realizing it,” Abigail pointed out.

“True. But not really telling me anything I don’t already know.” Jonathan mused. He waited.

“Shes fighting for her people. For her land. For all the things that you will never understand,” tally said emphatically. “Which is why you will never defeat her.”

Jonathan just frowned. “We will see about that.” He stepped even closer to scylla. “But I need specifics.” He knelt down, within arms reach with his eyes on the battered brunette. “Try to convince your sisters to give me what I need. Or im going to have to start hurting you VERY badly.”

Raelles jaw worked side to side. She felt her breath coming too fast. She clung to scylla as tightly as she could but she knew it was worthless. It would do nothing to stop the onslaught that was coming. “Please,” she tried. “Don’t do this.”

“Im not doing anything,” Jonathan corrected. “You are.” He stared at raelle then flicked his gaze to Abigail and tally in turn. “You are the ones who brought this unto scylla. Remember that…when she is bleeding and begging for it to end.”

“No,” tally gasped, horrified.

Raelles breath caught in her throat and she blinked furiously.

He stood up slowly and clasped his hands together. “Im giving you one last chance. Tell me what I need to know about Thelma bearkiller and her militia.”

“Go to hell,” scylla answered for them.

For a moment, Jonathan didn’t react. Then he smiled. “You first.” He backed away as the three goons closed in.

Scylla folded her legs towards her chest and tightened her hold on raelles arms. But it did no good. Hands grabbed for her ankles despite how she kicked out with her barefeet. Meaty fingers clamped down and yanked. Scylla struggled and twisted, but she was ripped from raelle once again.

“NO!” raelle cried out as scylla was drug away. She lunged forward, her hand stretching through the bars futilely. “Noooooo.”

Scylla tried to fight back but two brutes grabbed her arms and wrenched her upright. She barely had her feet under her when a fist slammed into her face. She sagged as her nose crunched and blood poured down her face and would have fallen if not for the two monsters holding her up.

Her head whipped the other direction as another blow smashed into her. She couldn’t stop the cry of pain that escaped. Her whole body felt numb and raged with pain at the same time. Her legs couldn’t support her as another strike crashed into her gut.

Scylla doubled over, gasping unsuccessfully for breath. The two brutes holding her let go and she fell to the floor leaving little red pools. She could hear raelle and her sisters shouting furiously from where she lay collapsed on the concrete.

“Stop!” raelle screamed. She clenched the bars separating her from scylla in a death grip, not noticing the wetness on her cheeks. She looked frantically from scylla coughing weakly on the ground and jonathans smiling face. The monster just nodded towards his men.

One of the brutes reached down and dug a hand in scyllas hair. He pulled her up to her knees and laughed as she scrabbled for his hand, trying to stop him. “I don’t think so witch,” he growled in her ear.
A fist slammed into scyllas face and it was several seconds before she knew anything but pain. When she opened her eyes again she was curled on her side on the ground, clenching and unclenching her fists. She moaned which turned into a cough and tried not to cry.

Raelle voice was already hoarse from pleading but she tried again. “Please stop this! I will tell you anything. I will do anything you want!”

Jonathan held up a hand and the men surrounding scylla stopped. He evaluated raelle. “Willing to do or say anything, hm?”

“Just stop,” raelle said breathlessly. “Stop hurting scylla.”

Jonathan smiled. “But I was so looking forward to hearing her scream.”

Raelle felt all the blood drain from her face. She tried to swallow but couldn’t. Instead she shook her head mutely, her eyes wide with horror.

“Don’t you want to hear her beautiful scream?”

Raelle made an unidentifiable noise. She tried not to be sick. “No!” she gasped.

“You bastard!” Abigail seethed.

Jonathan just shrugged. He looked down at scylla breathing painfully, limp on the concrete then back to raelle. “Youd be willing to admit your guilt, and theirs,” he nodded his chin towards the crying tally and Abigail. “In court?”

“You mean at a sham trial?” Abigail challenged, defiant despite the tears tracking down her cheeks.

“Such a harsh word for it,” Jonathan replied. He looked back to raelle, waiting.

Scylla finally stirred. She weakly spat a mouthful of blood at jonathan. “Such…a coward,” she wheezed. She glared up at the pathetic man in front of her from where she lay. She didn’t have the strength or energy to sit up.

“Whats that scylla dear?”

“Youre pathetic,” scylla panted. “So threatened by a woman…being more powerful than you.”

“Its unnatural,” Jonathan informed her. “You should know your place.”

Scylla raised an eyebrow and let out a weak chuckle. “I do. You…should know yours.”

Jonathan frowned. He opened his mouth, then thought better of it. He let his eyes wander from scyllas bruised face to her left hand, still clenched in a fist. His eyes lingered on the golden band on her fourth finger. “Your place. It wouldn’t have anything to do with that ring, now would it?”

Scylla just stared coldly at him, refusing to answer.

Jonathan shifted closer and knelt in front of scylla. “Who gave you the ring? Was it blondie?” He looked over to raelle bearing her teeth at him in a snarl. His smile slowly grew. “I think it was. You never answered my question. Will you admit your guilt at trial?”

Raelle clenched her jaw repeatedly. She looked to scylla and felt her heart break. She tore her eyes away to glare at the monster. “Yes,” she hissed.

Jonathan considered her a moment then frowned. His eyes snapped back to scylla. “The ring. Give it to me.”

Scyllas eyes widened and she held her left hand protectively against her chest. “No.”

“As punishment for blondie lying to me, you will give me the ring.”

“I didn’t lie!” raelle protested. She pulled herself closer to the bars. “I will say whatever you want. I swear it!”

Jonathan ignored her and kept his eyes on scylla. “Now.”

Scyllas face hardened. “No.” She wrapped her right hand around her left and cradled them to her chest defiantly. She just stared at the monster as he watched her. Finally he sighed and stood up. “You did this to yourself,” he informed her.

With a nod, the three brutes attacked. Scylla cried out as the first boot slammed into her back. She arched backwards only to have a boot crash into her stomach. She snapped forward and curled into the fetal position and instinctively protected her head with her hands. Boots smashed into her from all sides and she could do nothing as they rained down agony.

Raelle screamed. She shot to her feet, eyes wild, and jerked on the bars. “NOOO!” Her eyes searched frantically for a way to escape, a way to save scylla. She cried furious tears as she slammed her weight against the lock. She felt bile surge in her throat as scylla thrashed and cried out in pain. She had to get out. She had to save scylla. Save scylla. Scylla. SCYLLA!

A boot pounded into her legs, hammered her back, pummeled her side, slammed into her stomach. She twisted on the floor trying to lessen the crushing blows. Tears of pain nearly blinded her. She could hear her own labored breathing and the sound of her flesh being hit over and over again, drowning out the anguished shouts from her sisters.

Scylla couldn’t stop the scream as a boot stomped down on her bare foot. She felt something snap and everything went white, like a tv screen full of static. She sagged limply.

The next thing she became aware of was the stillness, the lack of people attacking her. She opened her eyes, breathing raggedly. She wished she’d kept them closed when she saw Jonathan kneeling next to her once more.

Jonathan slowly, almost gently removed the ring from scyllas left hand. He smiled as her hand twitched and she tried to protest. “Don’t worry. I’ll keep it safe for you,” he reassured her.

Scylla felt tears leak down her face as Jonathan slipped raelles ring on his pinky finger. She wished she could do something, anything to stop him. But all she could do was lay there and try to breathe.

Jonathan held his hand out in front of him, admiring his new finery. He turned to blondie, who looked like she was about to lose her mind. He smiled. “It looks good, don’t you think?” He let his hand drop and stepped closer to the bars. “I am assuming you gave it to her, yes?”

It took several seconds for the words to penetrate raelles brain. Her gaze swung from scylla pooled on the floor, her ring on jonathans finger and the smile on the monsters face. She lunged forward with a snarl and tried to claw him through the bars.

Jonathan smiled, just out of reach. “So you gave it to her?”

Raelles eyes blazed and she sucked in a deep breath. And then another. Every muscle in her body was so tight it was hard to breathe. Finally she managed to grit out, “Yes.”

Jonathan examined the ring again. “It appears quite old. A family heirloom?”

Raelle squeezed the bars and ground her teeth. She blew out a furious breath. “Yes.”

“Tell me,” Jonathan commanded, enjoying himself immensely.

“What is wrong with you?” Abigail shouted. She stood clenching the bars next to raelle. What she wouldn’t give to be able to obliterate them.

“Stop this,” tally begged again, sounding ill. She sagged against the bunk, both hands clutching the bars.

Jonathan just waited. He raised an eyebrow and looked towards the witch, bruised and bloody on the floor, just incase blondie needed any encouragement.

Raelles heart leapt and she forced her mouth to work. “I gave the ring to scylla. It was my mothers.” She wrung the bars beneath her hands. “Given to her by my father.”

“So why did you have mommy dearests ring?”

“She died,” raelle forced out through clenched teeth. “Killed in military service.”

Jonathan clucked in faux sympathy. “Your mother killed serving the army.” He looked to scylla. “Hers killed by the army. Must have made for some awkward conversations. But then again, shared trauma can be incredibly bonding.”

Raelles nostrils flared and she waited, refusing to comment.

Jonathan admired the ring again then looked between with witch gasping on the concrete and the witch trying not to fall apart completely. “You know, I honestly thought watching the love of your life being tortured would be enough to convince you to talk.” His eyes locked with raelles. “But I guess not.”

Raelles nostrils flared and her jaw clenched repeatedly. She ground the bars beneath her hands as hard as she could.

Jonathan swaggered closer. “Maybe I need to try to encourage the ginger.” He looked to the redhead and smiled slowly. “I bet she has a beautiful scream,” he said slowly.

“No.” Raelle moved without thinking. She shifted so she was in front of her sister with her arm holding tally behind her.

He chuckled as blondie put a protective hand in front of the other witch. “So brave. But will you be that brave when it is YOU who is in pain? Hmm?”

Raelle raised her chin defiantly. But before she could say anything, a weak voice from the floor cut her off.

Jonathan turned away from the witch glaring daggers at him and turned to the heap on the ground. “Whats that scylla dear?”

Scylla flicked her eyes toward jonathan, still curled in the fetal position. “Don’t,” she breathed.

Jonathan tilted his head and stepped closer. “Don’t what?”

Scylla blinked away tears and tried to swallow. “Don’t hurt them,” she rasped.

Jonathan chuckled as he knelt down next the bloodied witch. “And what are you going to give me in exchange for not hurting…them?” He brushed a loose strand of hair off scyllas face.

Scylla flinched and tried to knock his hand away but was too weak to move. She huffed helplessly and tried to breathe through her broken nose. “Thelma bearkiller,” she wheezed.

Jonathans gaze sharpened and he leaned forward slightly. “What? What did you say?”

Scylla clenched her fist and blinked furiously. “Thelma bearkiller.” Her voice was barely audible.

Jonathan smiled triumphantly. “What about her?”

Scylla tried to lick her lips but all she tasted was blood. “She will…be traveling…” she whispered between breathes. “Out of…the cession…”

Jonathan leaned down so his ear was next to the wounded witchs mouth. “Where?” he demanded.

Scylla coughed and drew in a breath. She made a noise but couldn’t seem to force it into words. The monster got even closer until scylla lurched forward clumsily. Her hand clutched weakly onto his shirt but at the last second her quarry moved. So her teeth snapped down on his ear instead of his throat.

Jonathan yelled and jerked back. He clapped a hand to his burning ear and it came away bloody. “You stupid witch!” he swore.

Scylla just grinned up at him from floor, her teeth bloody and stained red. She spat at his feet disdainfully.

Jonathan went white with rage. He lunged for that stupid witch and fumbled roughly for the belt at her waist. He ignored her pitiful mewling and the outraged cries from her sisters. He ripped the belt from their loops and kicked forcefully, flipping her over so her back was to him.

Without preamble he let the belt raise and fall. He felt deep satisfaction at the cry of pain from the witch and struck out even harder.

Raelle screamed scyllas name. It was raw and full of her naked anguish. If jonathan had had a heart, it would have shattered at the sound. Instead his smile grew as scyllas cries turned into shrieks.

Raelle felt like she was about to explode and implode at the same time. She couldn’t let this happen. She had to stop him. She was still shouting sycllas name. It became a mantra, the only thing tying her to this earth. The only thing left in her brain. SCYLLA.

Jonathan brought the belt down with a crack and relished the scream it elicited.

Raelle brought her hands up in front of her. Shed promised not to use the witchbomb, but she couldn’t help it. She would destroy the earth before she watched scylla die.

Tally snapped out of her own panic when she saw raelles eyes turn violet. She lunged and wrapped her arms around her sister, one hand clamped over raelles mouth. “NO Rae!” she shouted. She frantically tried to reason with her friend, but she was too far gone.

Abigail hurriedly joined her and together they drug a struggling raelle away from the front of the bars.

Jonathan finally stopped, panting from his exertions. The stupid witch was weeping and whimpering pitifully. He blew out a breath and resettled his shoulders.

Scylla couldn’t move, everything was agony. She could feel the snot and tears mingling on her face mixing with the blood, making it even harder to breathe. She gulped and shuddered on the concrete, trying not to sob.

Raelle ripped herself free from her sisters hold and dove for the front of the cell. “Scyl? Scyl!” she called desperately. She stretched an arm through the bars and sunk slowly to her knees, unable to reach her love.

Jonathan watched as the ginger and defiant one joined blondie in front of the bars. Then he glanced towards the darkened window. Night had fallen and he hadn’t even realized it; hed been enjoying himself too much.

He sighed and muttered to one of his goons who produced a bottle of water. “I suppose this is a good place for a break.” He watched as another goon grabbed one of scyllas arms and drug her unceremoniously forward towards the cell trapping her sisters, leaving smears of blood on the floor.

Raelle flinched at scyllas strangled cry of pain. She felt tally and abigails hands support her as she stepped back to allow the door to their cage to open.

Instead the brute stopped short and dropped scyllas arm. He roughly handcuffed one wrist to a bar, her body at a 45 degree angle away.

“No.” Raelle lurched forward and wrapped her fingers around scyllas limp hand. From her knees she reached through the bar and was just able to cup her loves bloodied face. The flood gates crashed open and she burst into tears. “Scyl?” she called desperately. “Scyl?”

Jonathan just rolled his eyes and tossed the water bottle to Abigail who caught it out of reflex. “Make sure she doesn’t die,” he instructed. “We’re not done with her yet.”

Raelle didn’t pay any attention as the monster and his brutes left. The only thing that mattered was scylla. Oh goddess! Scylla. Raelle bit her lip and tried to swallow her sobs. She gently squeezed her loves hand. “Scyl? Scylla?”

Scylla hissed in pain and tried to smile. She breathed, “Miss me?”

Raelle let out a watery laugh. “Always,” she reassured her love gently. She stroked scyllas cheek lightly, feeling the blood under her thumb. “Always.”

“Sorry…ring,” scylla panted painfully.

Raelle just grit her teeth and shook her head. “It doesn’t matter, scyl. YOU are the only thing that matters.”

Scylla couldn’t stop a sob. “It hurts so much.”

“I know, scyl, I know.” Raelle desperately tried to stifle her own sobs. She stroked scyllas cheek softly.

Abigail shifted closer, trying to reach her sister through the bar. “Youre the best of us,” She told her forcefully.

“We all love you so much scylla,” tally promised. “Youre not alone. You’ll never be alone, ever again.”

Scylla swallowed and would have nodded if she’d been able to. She closed her fingers around raelles hand and let her eyes shut.

Raelle saw scyllas eyes close with a spike of worry. “No scyl,” she called. “Keep your eyes open. Stay with me.”

Scylla blinked blurrily, trying to deny the magnetic pull of unconsciousness. She met raelles anxious eyes. She felt cold and so tired and everything hurt. She shivered and whined at the pain shooting through her.

Raelle brushed hair from scyllas brow, terrified. Her love was covered in a cold sweat, alarmingly pale and shivering. Her breathing was ragged and she wheezed slightly with each inhale.
“Scyl, can you scoot closer?”

Scylla looked at the bars and the impossible gap between them and her body. But she replied anyways. “Ya.”

After excruciatingly painful seconds that seemed to last hours, with the help of tally and Abigail, scylla slid so she was laying up against the bars. Raelle laid on the floor as well and cradled scyllas head with one hand and firmly held scyllas hand with the other. Tally and Abigail carefully covered scylla with the sweaters. They also laid in front of the bars and gently rested a hand on scylla, afraid that if they let her go, she might disappear.

“Hey scyl. Stay with us, okay?” raelle pleaded. She stroked scyllas palm with her thumb before placing a gentle kiss on scyllas fingers through the bars.

“Mmmn,” scylla managed. She really was exhausted and everything was so difficult and excruciating. Her breath felt like it was catching on something and it was a struggle just to keep her eyes open. But if she closed them, then she wouldn’t be able to see raelles beautiful, adoring face.

“Can you drink something?” Abigail asked softly, voice full of concern. She handed the bottle to raelle who uncapped it.

Scylla tried, but the water just dribbled down her chin onto the floor. “Don’t worry,” tally reassured her. Scylla watched dumbly as tally ripped the bottom of her shirt and dipped it into the water. She handed the clothe to raelle who gently held it to scyllas lips.

Scylla sucked on it gratefully. She hadn’t realized until that moment how thirsty she was. She watched raelle as she carefully redipped the clothe and tenderly held it to her lips. She loved the way raelle frowned slightly when she concentrated.

“I want to say thank you,” tally started softly, her hand still resting gingerly on scylla. “For stopping him. Provoking him, so he wouldn’t…”

“S ‘kay,” scylla murmured.

“No!” tally argued. “Its not okay. None of this is okay,” she cried, wiping the tears from her cheeks.

“What you did was incredibly brave,” abigail added. “And not something we will ever forget.” She could feel scylla shivering and shifted the sweater to try and make her sister more comfortable.

Scylla blinked away her own tears. The pain was nearly overwhelming. She whished raelle could hold her in her arms. She wished they could have more time together. She wished more than anything, she could have married her love. But deep down, scylla knew they weren’t getting out of this.

“Do you want more water?” raelle asked quietly. Scyllas breathing was ragged and her too pale skin stood out in stark contrast to the crimson coating her face.

Scylla made a noise which sounded like a negative. Raelle stroked her thumb against scyllas hand. “I love you so much scyl. So much.” Her voice was choked with emotion.

“You…too,” scylla breathed. She rubbed her pinky along raelles hand. It was all she could manage.

Raelle felt like a piece of her soul was breaking. She tried to shift even closer. It tore at her heart that she couldn’t heal scylla. But she could project as much calm, loving energy as possible.

She stroked scyllas hand and softly started to hum. It was the lullaby that her mother always sang to her when she was home. It reminded her of floating in a safe, warm place, surrounded by love. She watched, helpless, as scylla trembled and struggled to breathe.

So she sang. She poured her love into soothing, comforting, caring for scylla. She would never let scylla feel like she didn’t belong, like she was alone or anything but treasured. She sang and stroked scyllas hand and tried to stop time. She dreaded what tomorrow would bring.

When raelles voice finally died out, scylla smiled. “Your mom…sang that…”

Raelles eyes widened. “Yeah. How did you know?”

“Sang to…tiffany,” scylla whispered. “After…nightmare…”

Raelles face twisted. Scylla had told her about the horror that had transpired, with tiffany being kidnapped by the camarilla, tied up and nearly stoned to death in front of everyone. She and Anacostia had saved the girl then taken her to the spree safe house, with her mother.

“She used to sing it to me too,” raelle said softly. “It always made me safe. And loved.”

Scyllas lips twitched in a smile. “Love you.”

Raelle shifted and gently placed a kiss on the back of scyllas hand. “I love you scylla. With all my heart.”

Scylla felt raelles words clash against the cold engulfing her. But her body was fighting a losing battle against consciousness. She struggled to keep her eyes open as her vision blurred.

Raelle squeezed scyllas hand insistently. “Come on scyl. Stay with me. Please. Don’t leave me,” she begged. “You promised.”

Scylla forced her eyes open and wanted to cry at the love and anguish she saw on raelles tear stained face. Raelle squeezed her hand again and stared unblinking as she asked, “Where should we get married?”

Scylla blinked away tears as her mind struggled to catch up to the topic change. She tried to smile. “Don’t…know.”

Raelle shifted closer and rhythmically stroked scyllas hand. “I don’t really care where it is, as long as I get to marry you.”

Abigail gave a watery smile. “Don’t worry about where. You can do it at our estate. We have plenty of room for the ceremony, and just as importantly, the party.”

Raelle chuckled. “See? Its going to be epic,” she informed scylla. “All high Atlantic fancy. And all our friends and family will be there to celebrate with us.” She stared at her love who seemed to be clinging to her words. “Tally and abigail can compete to see who gets to be maid of honor.”

Tally couldn’t help but smile. “Do I get bonus points if I make sure theres lobster?”

“Most definitely,” raelle assured her. “And Tiffany can be our flower girl. How does that sound?”

Scyllas mouth quirked. “Beau…ful.”

Raelle continued, “Anacostia will tell embarrassing stories about us and my dad will cry during the toast...”

Scylla could almost see it, it sounded so wonderful. For the moment, she even let herself believe raelle, that they would get out of this and be able to have their wedding. But the pain crashing through her reminded her otherwise. She shivered and felt herself being pulled under no matter how hard she tried to fight it. Raelles beautiful face twisted in anguish was the last thing she saw before darkness.

“Scyl? Scyl!” Raelle watched scyllas eyes close with a spike of panic. She squeezed scyllas hand and gently stroked a thumb against her face, but it was no good. She couldn’t stifle her cries. “No scyl. Please no.”

Tally rested a gentle hand on her sisters shoulder. Listening to raelle cry for scylla was almost more than she could take. “We’ll take turns. Making sure that shes okay,” she offered.

Raelle just nodded, sobbing silently and kept staring into scyllas face, willing her loves eyes to open. She listened to scyllas breath rattle unevenly and ground her teeth in frustration. She was a fixer! That’s who she was. And now, when it mattered most, there was nothing she could do...

Tally and Abigail kept a gentle hand on scylla, joining raelle in her vigil. They couldn’t use their work, but maybe enough of a link could connect so they could help ease her pain.

Raelle watched scylla and found herself counting the ragged breaths, willing them to be deeper and more frequent. She cradled scyllas head as gently as she could and refused to let go of her hand. She wasn’t sure how long she stared, but a part of her was sure, if she closed her eyes, scylla would be ripped away from her again and vanish.

So she watched, and willed her love to breathe. The only thing she knew for certain? She would never leave scylla. Ever.

Chapter Text

Raelle watched as soft light began to filter through the window into their cage, with growing dread. Whatever today brought, she didn’t want it. She still held scyllas hand and cradled her head gently. Her loves chest still rose and fell, even if it was unevenly. Raelle blinked away tears of frustration. Scylla couldn’t take any more. None of them could!

Raelle glanced at tally dozing lightly, one hand resting lightly on scyllas leg. She looked towards Abigail, who met her eye gravely. She didn’t need to say anything, she could tell abigail was thinking the same thing.

Raelle turned back to scylla. She softly stroked her loves cheek. The blood had dried and was flaking off. “Scyl,” she whispered. “Scyl?”

But scylla didn’t move. Her eyes stayed shut and her breath rattled in and out unevenly. Raelle examined every visible inch of scyllas skin. Her whole body was covered in bruises, blood and wounds. The belt had left vibrant, red welts oozing blood all over her exposed arms and though raelle couldn’t see it, she knew it would be even worse on sycllas back.

Raelle swallowed bile, trying to banish the sound of scyllas screams still ringing in her ears. But she knew it would haunt her for years to come. She gently cradled scyllas head and willed those beautiful eyes to open. She ignored the tear stains, snot and blood that covered sycllas face.

Raelle jerked at the sound of the door clanking open. Cold dread flooded her. Her nostrils flared and she sucked in a breath at jonathans leering face.

“How did we sleep, hmm?” he asked pleasantly while flashing a malicious smile.

Raelle ground her teeth on a sharp reply but abigail beat her to it. “Id say the accommodations were lacking.”

“Ah well,” jonathan said with little remorse. He walked further into the room with his eyes on scylla. He peered at her critically. “Shes not looking so good, is she?”

“Whose fault is that?!” tally exclaimed.

Jonathan turned his dead eyes to the ginger. “Yours,” he said simply. “All of you had the opportunity to make her torture end. But you chose not to.”

Raelles jaw clenched repeatedly but she ignored his poisonous words. She focused on scylla, who still hadn’t woken up yet.

“Luckily for her, your big day has come.” Jonathan snapped his finger and a goon stepped forward. He shoved three bundles through the bars and let them thunk to the floor. They were unmistakably dress uniforms.

“What are these for?” abigail demanded.

Jonathan just winked. “We will leave you to get yourselves ready.”

Once the door slammed shut, tally slowly bent and picked up a bundle. She turned it over in her hands and blinked back tears. She looked at raelle, who still hadn’t torn her gaze from scylla, and then abigail. “I guess we will find out.”

They had to practically drag raelle away from scylla in order to get her into her uniform. The only way they managed it was to use their discarded clothes to support scyllas head with tally holding the brunettes hand.

As soon as her last button was sufficiently buttoned, raelle returned to her spot on the ground. She squeezed scyllas hand gently. “Scyl,” she whispered. “Scyl,” she tried again.

Scylla heard raelles voice penetrate through the darkness. On the heels of that was the pain. It cleaved through the remaining unconsciousness and forced her to the surface. She groaned and drew in a painful breath. She blinked several times before her eyes opened successfully. She couldn’t help but try to smile when she saw raelles adoring face there to greet her.

“Hey, beautiful,” raelle smiled.

“Hi…” scylla rasped faintly. Her fingers twitched in response to raelles firm grip on her fingers. They stared at each other for several moments.

Raelle relished the way staring into scyllas eyes made it seem as if they were the only two people in the world. She licked her lips. “I think, whatever’s coming next, will happen soon.”

Scylla swallowed. She squeezed weakly at raelles hand. “Whats…coming?”

Raelle brushed her thumb against scyllas cheek. “We’re not sure. But they put us in our dress blues.”

Scyllas mouth quirked. “Always…hot.”

Raelle snorted weakly. “Sure scyl. Not as hot as you though.”

Scylla opened her mouth to disagree but her body racked with a cough instead. She hissed in pain and blinked back tears. She drew in a shaky breath. “’Remember…your promise.” Raelles eyebrows narrowed and she squeezed scyllas hand. “Don’t…let them…win,” scylla instructed as firmly as she could in a whisper.

Raelle blinked her suddenly burning eyes. “But scyl,” she stared.

“You…promised.” Scylla didn’t take her eyes off raelles.

Raelle clenched her jaw. She wanted to protest, she wanted to argue and refuse. But with scyllas eyes boring into hers, all raelle could do was agree. “Okay, scyl.”

They stayed that way, staring into each others eyes, raelle slowly stroking scyllas cheek and holding firmly to her hand, until all too soon, jonathan returned.

He stomped into their cell and without preamble stated, “Its time to go.” He looked to one of his goons who lumbered forward. He dropped to a knee and undid the handcuff around scyllas wrist. Then he roughly grabbed her arm and drug her over to lay at jonathans feet.

Scylla cried out at the sudden movement. She panted and blinked away tears. It took several moments to collect herself, but as soon as she was able, her eyes sought out raelle, her love, her home.

Jonathan grinned at the sight of that stupid witch pooled at his feet. He ignored the three frenetic witches in their ridiculous uniforms. He bent down and slowly brushed back a lock of dark hair that had fallen in front of scyllas face. He smiled even wider at the dried blood still crusted there.

Raelle went rigid and ground the bars so hard her hands went numb. She couldn’t suppress the hiss of outrage when that monster touched scylla.

Jonathan leaned even closer and whispered in scyllas ear. “Don’t worry. Soon it will be just the two of us.”

Scyllas eyes widened, but they never left raelles.

Raelle couldn’t hear his words, but she saw scyllas expression. Her heart felt like it was about to leap out of her throat, choking her.

Jonathan buried a hand in scyllas hair, enjoying the silky softness for a moment and the way blondie had gone white with helpless rage, before also grabbing her under an armpit and yanking her upright.

Scylla whimpered as she lurched up to her knees. But she was too weak to hold herself up. Jonathan wrapped one arm around her middle and leaned her back into him, with her head resting on his vile chest. Scylla cringed and suppressed a sob but there was nothing she could do. Her body was too broken to move.

Jonathan let his hand drop from the witches hair and settled back on his knees, enjoying the feel of her pressed against him. He pawed a strand of hair behind her ear and relished the tear that slid down her cheek.

“STOP!” raelle practically screamed. She was having trouble controlling her breathing and couldn’t hear anything over the thudding in her ears. She felt like she was about to come apart. She didn’t even feel tally or abigails hands on her, making sure she didn’t use the witchbomb.

Jonathan just winked at raelle. He nodded to a different goon, who, after forcing the trio back from the bars, unlocked the door and swung it open.

Raelle sprang forward but stopped dead at the sight of the knife held to scyllas throat. “NO!”

“Ah,” jonathan warned. “Best behavior now.” He eyed each of them harshly. “At the trial today, you will admit your guilt. And the guilt of every witch.”

Raelle clenched her jaw. Tally and abigail squeezed her hands. They had heard scyllas directive, same as her. “And if we don’t?”

Jonathan smiled. “Well. You wont be able to say goodbye.”

Raelles eyebrows narrowed. “What-“

Jonathan slammed the knife into scyllas side. She screamed as he ripped the blade back out. Clamping her hands over the wound, they were instantly coated with warm wetness. She shuddered and struggled to breathe, held up only by jonathans arm. But her eyes found raelles. “Pro-mise,” she mouthed.

Raelle charged forward at the flash of the knife, but a goon grabbed each of her arms and drug her back. She kicked and fought and cursed, but there was no resisting. “If you behave, I will let you say goodbye to her before she dies.” Jonathans voice floated towards her, driving her to fight harder.

The last thing raelle saw before the brutes hauled her through the door and threw her to the ground, was scylla, with her hands weakly trying to stop the blood pouring out of her, and jonathan trapping her to his chest. He grinned wickedly and trailed the knife blade down scyllas cheek, tracing her tears.

Scylla fought to breath through the pain. Tears of frustration and exhaustion flowed freely down her face. Her heart tore at raelles expression of pure anguish as she was dragged away. All scylla wanted was to see her love one more time, to be able to say goodbye. Scylla balled her fists tighter into the wound with a gasp. She didn’t get that chance with her parents. By the goddess, she wouldn’t let that be her and raelles story.

Jonathan chuckled at the witches labored breathing. It was impressive how she managed to whine and hiss at the same time. He trailed the bloody knife against her cheek again, catching the tears. “I lied, of course,” he said playfully. “You will be dead long before they get done with blondie. Just in time for her to join you.”

Scylla felt white hot rage blind through her. She jerked her head with a snarl and clamped her teeth down on that monsters wrist. He yelped and jerked his hand away, shoving her to the floor.

Scylla landed face down with a shriek of agony, but felt her lips twitch as he cursed her. She just hoped shed bit him hard enough to leave a scar. And he was wrong. Raelle would find a way back to her. And scylla would still be there when she did. She had to be.

Scylla focused on drawing in an excruciating breath and letting it out. Nothing else matter except to keep breathing. She ignored the pain crashing through her. She refused to give in to the exhaustion dragging her under. She banished any thoughts of despair. She forced her lungs full of oxygen. Each breath was a victory. She would see raelle again. Breathe in. Raelle. Breathe out. Raelle…

Raelle leapt to her feet as soon as she hit the floor, but then tally and abigail were there. They slammed her up against the wall.

“Rae!” tally shouted. “Rae, listen.”

But raelle couldn’t. She couldn’t do anything but try desperately to get back to scylla. Her scylla! Bleeding. In the arms of that monster!

“Damnit shitbird!” abigail yelled. “Remember what scylla said!”

Tally leaned her weight against raelle and grabbed her face, forcing the blonde to look at her. “Rae! Raelle!” When her sisters eyes finally focused on hers, tally continued in a hurried whisper. “Remember your promise to scylla!”

Raelle forced herself to suck in a breath. Abigail jarred her shoulder a little to make sure she was paying attention. “Scylla will never forgive you if you lose it now.” She captured raelles eyes with her own. “We have a job to do.”

“I don’t care,” raelle howled. She struggled with renewed energy but her sisters were there.

“But scylla does,” tally reminded her forcefully.

“Shes dying,” raelle cried. She shook her head at the horror of those words.

“WE are dying,” abigail corrected her. “They are going to kill us.” She leaned in closer. “Does that mean we should take every single witch with us?”

Raelle ground her teeth and resisted the urge to vomit. She panted furiously. She didn’t care! She didn’t care about anything but scylla…But finally met her sisters gaze. “Fine,” she hissed, tears streaming down her face.

They were shoved down the hall by the three goons. Raelle forced herself not to look back, if she did, her resolve would snap and she would shatter completely. As it was, she could barely coordinate her limbs enough to carry her away from scylla. Oh goddess! Scylla!

Raelle sagged and only managed to stay on her feet because of tally and abigail on each side of her. She sobbed silently and tried to stop the screaming in her head. She couldn’t help but feel like the further she walked away, the more her soul was being split open.

They stopped in front of a nondescript door while one of the brutes unlocked it. Abigail took the chance to wipe the tears from raelles face and tally cupped her sisters cheeks. “We are doing this for scylla. For all of us, for ALL witches,” tally said firmly, shaking raelle slightly for emphasis.

Raelle swallowed, then swallowed again. Finally she nodded and they turned to enter their new cage.

This one was a clear, glass box and they were on display in front of a crowd of cameras, microphones journalists and Blanton fucking silver, the murdering camarilla president.

Raelle ground her teeth and stared at him, enraged. Here was one of the monsters pulling the strings and responsible for so much death, pain and grief. She clenched her teeth and was grateful for tallys squeeze on her shoulder.

As much as she wanted to, raelle couldn’t focus on what was happening. As tally and abigail were grilled and railroaded, raelle could only think about scylla. About the blood streaming out of her like a fountain as that monster cradled her, cackling his delight. She could still smell the tang of blood and hear scyllas scream of pain. Her wide eyes desperately holding onto raelles until-

“Rae!” abigail hissed again, urgently. “Youre up rae.”

Raelle blinked, coming back to reality with alarm. “What? Why don’t you do it? Or tally,” raelle asked desperately, trying to focus.

“You have one foot in both worlds,” tally reminded her. “It has to be you.”

Raelle shook her head. “I cant.”

“Just tell your story,” abigail said, nodding her head encouragingly.

Raelle swallowed then swallowed again. She licked her lips and drew in a breath. She knew they were right. She forced herself to take another breath. She could do this. She WOULD do it. For scylla.
She cleared her throat and started talking. And somehow, haltingly at first, if flowed out of her. Her story. She let the agony in her soul fuel her words, and she could see it was working. She wouldn’t let them use this as an excuse to hate all witches. She would keep her promise to scylla. Until suddenly, a gavel banged harshly and cut her off.

The sham judge in this rigged trial was shutting her down. Raelle felt tears of rage build behind her eyes. Her breath came too fast and panic surged through her. This was her only chance! And it was slipping through her fingers.

She looked frantically between the judge and the smirking monster in his expensive suit. He tilted his head to her arrogantly, gloating in his victory. Raelles nostrils flared. She could feel herself fraying apart at the edges, the pressure building until it was about to burst.

Suddenly, the doors slammed open and president wade strode in, followed by Anacostia, M and sterling. Raelle swayed with relief and lurched to the front of the box. They were saved! Here was the proof they were innocent. Just as quickly the relief was replaced with frenzied panic.

Raelle growled and turned towards the door they had entered. She needed OUT so she could save scylla. She slammed her body against it. Then, when it didn’t budge, she kicked at it repeatedly. Finally, Anacostia was there and the door jerked open. Raelle spilled out and barely waited for her collar to be removed before she was flying down the hallway.

She tore around the corner, ignoring the shouts of her sisters, and windstruck a camarilla agent so hard he flew through the ceiling. She barely paused her stride. She was finally free and nothing was going to stop her.

Raelle skidded to a stop in front of the door to their awful prison. It was still open. She saw jonathan sitting next to scylla, who lay prone on the ground in a pool of blood, both hands under her futilely trying to staunch the bleeding. The monster sat beside scylla and slowly twirled his fingertips in her hair as the woman raelle loved, struggled to breath.

Raelles vision exploded and she thrust her hands out. Jonathans eyes barely had time to widen in surprise before he flew backwards and disintegrated into a mushroom against the far wall.

“NO!” raelle sobbed. She ran and dropped to her knees next to scylla. “No. No no no. Im here scyl. Im here,” she reassured her love. She reached under scylla and as gently as she could, turned her over onto her back. It was difficult because she kept sliding in the crimson staining the floor.

Scylla whimpered but managed to smile weakly when her eyes focused on raelles adoring face. Her love floated in front of her like a dream. She was so beautiful and held her so tenderly, scylla wanted to cry. “Lov…”

But Scylla couldn’t get the rest of it out. She coughed and blood dribbled down her lips. Her breathing was shallow and wet. She tried to hold out her hand.

Raelle saw scyllas fingers twitch and immediately grabbed her hand. She placed the other on the side of scyllas face and started the words she knew by heart, the words that would save her love. There were a million things she wanted to say. But they could wait, until after scylla was healed.

Scylla watched raelle close her eyes in concentration. She loved raelles face when she focused. She blinked and coughed again, more blood staining her lips and speckling her face. She wanted to stay and stare at raelle forever. But she was so tired. So tired.

Scyllas eyes slowly closed. “NOOO!” raelle shrieked. She tightened her grip on her love. She could feel scylla slipping away and she refused to let it happen. “NO scyl!” she cried. “You promised!”

She leaned closer until her forehead rested against scyllas clammy one. She breathed in and started her mantra again, whispering even more urgently. She sank everything she had into the link.

She thought about the first time she had met scylla. How she had fallen head over heels for her, she was so beautiful and mysterious and smart. Memories of them floating in the moonlight with salva. Scyllas nervous declarations in the clearing after Beltane. Dancing at the wedding. Scylla whispering into her ear, ‘I love you’.

Warning bells went off in the back of raelles mind. She was delving too deep, using too much. She ignored them and fought even harder to reach scylla. She wouldn’t lose her. She couldn’t!

Her thoughts flashed to the adoring but frightened look on scyllas face after she woke up in the spree safe house. She remembered scyllas voice calling to her through nictes death spell. She choked on the memory of all the times scylla had saved her. Had saved her sisters while she was in the mycelium. She clung to the look of pure joy on scyllas face as she said yes to spending a lifetime together.

Raelle sobbed and hugged tighter to scylla. She couldn’t lose her! She wouldn’t. She dove even deeper into their connection. She synced their hearbeats, their breaths, she wove her very lifeforce with scyllas.

Abigail and tally burst through the door in time to see raelle sag over scylla. They ran towards one sister dying on the floor and the other barely clinging to consciousness.

“Whats happening?” tally asked, horrified at scyllas deathly pallor and raelles unnatural stillness.

“Shes using too much keeping scylla alive. Here,” abigail said urgently. “Like this!” She placed one hand on raelle and the other on scylla.

Tally quickly did the same and gasped. It felt like raelle was draining away her very life. But she didn’t let go. She instantly paled and could see abigail sweating but neither of them let go. They didn’t even think about it.

She heard quick footsteps stop suddenly and tally turned her head to see anacostias eyes go wide. The formidable woman approached slowly, almost fearfully, and when she recognized scylla underneath the carnage, she gasped. “No!”

Anacostia sank to her knees on the other side of raelle and her sisters. “Oh scylla! No.” She gently grasped scyllas free hand then took hold of raelles wrist. She swayed as the force needed to keep scylla alive swept roughly from her body. She blinked back tears as she took in clever, sarcastic, brilliant scylla. Now covered in more bruises than she could count, with blood filling in the places the bruises missed. She watched as more blood gurgled from scyllas lips and her breath rattled weakly.

She held scyllas hand, pressing staunchly on the wound that still bled sluggishly. “No, scylla ramshorn,” she said firmly, using her drill sergeant voice. “This is not the end of your story. Do you hear me?” She didn’t try to stop the tears sliding down her face. “I see you.” Her body rebelled at scyllas normally so expressive face, slack and lifeless. “You are not done causing me grief. Do you understand me?!” She let out a short sob as she leaned forward and rested her head on the back of their joined hands.

“Ma’am! This area hasn’t been cleared,” a sharp voiced called from the hallway, not that the people fighting to save scylla could hear it.

“Oh my god,” president wade uttered as the smell of blood hit her. She cautiously entered what turned out to be a jailcell. Or more accurately, a bloodbath.

She stopped as she took in the four women huddled around an unconscious figure on the floor, and the horror that was splashed on the concrete floor and iron bars, all around them. M joined her at her side. “What happened here?!” President wade demanded.

M shook their head. “Im not sure. But if I had to guess, they spent some time in here before that excuse for a trial.”

President wade pursed her lips, furious. “That coward Blanton!” She took a step closer to the weeping women clutching onto a broken looking brunette and her eyes widened in recognition. It was the heartbroken witch from yule. She swallowed and blinked quickly. That poor girl!

“What are they doing?” she asked M.

“Using their own life force to keep scylla alive.” M whispered softly. They could see by the way tally swayed and abigail was covered in a cold sweat and Anacostia wept silently that they were all struggling. Raelle lay unmoving with her head on scyllas chest, her hands still cupping her loves face and holding scyllas hand. But only the occasional rise and fall of the blondes chest let M know that raelle was still alive.

“Its not going well, is it?”

M tore their gaze away to look at the president. They shook their head. “No ma’am.”

President wade nodded then started forward.

“Ma’am! What are you doing?”

President wade looked over her shoulder. “Helping.”

M shook their head. “I cant let you do that. Its my job to keep-“

“Keep me safe?” president wade challenged. She looked back towards the tortured girl fighting valiantly for her life. “Its partly my fault this happened to her. So im doing this.”

“But-“

“Im doing this,” president wade said firmly without looking away from the pale face streaked in fresh and old blood. She knelt and carefully put a hand on the girls shoulder then followed everyones example and placed the other on the blonde. She shuddered as she felt the energy sap away from her, but she didn’t let go. She grimaced up at M. “See? Nothing to worry about.”

Ms retort stopped on their lips as hurried footsteps approached them. They sank into a defensive posture but relaxed almost immediately as sterling appeared.

“Oh goddess,” he breathed.

“The goddess had nothing to do with this,” M corrected. “We need more fixers,” they demanded, snapping sterling out of his shock.

He blinked and looked at them. “There are none. Everyone is still in the cession.”

M strode forward and shoved him towards the door by his shoulder. “Then get civilian medics!” they shouted. Scylla couldn’t die. Not now. Not after everything.

Scylla was floating again. It was dark and quiet and she didn’t hurt anymore. All she wanted was to float away into that safe, peaceful nothingness. She could feel the darkness calling to her, beckoning. It was so warm and inviting. She was so exhausted. She sighed in relief and willed herself to let go. To lose herself and merge with the void. Finally.

But something held her back. Some small, but insistent voice said she still had something she needed to do. Scylla felt like crying in frustration. She was so tired! All she wanted to do was rest. Why wouldn’t this voice be quiet so she could sleep!

M shifted anxiously. They were standing between the doorway and the women sustaining scylla on the concrete. They tried to look anywhere but scylla and the agony written all over her body. Which is how they spotted the bright flash in the mushroom piled against the wall.

Intrigued in spite of themselves, M strode forward and sifted a ring and a necklace out of the fungi. They examined them for a moment before pocketing them and returning to their post.

Scylla wept with weariness. She had done her job. She had done what she needed to. But her fight was over! Why wouldn’t this voice let her go.

She had fought until her body was broken. What more did this voice want? She had nothing more to give! It was up to raelle and the others now.

RAELLE. Scylla felt the name echo through her. She blinked and tried to remember why that name was important. Raelle...

Raelle. Flashes of blonde hair and roguish smiles. Raelle. Soft hands caressing her face. Raelle. Adoring eyes promising a life together. Raelle! Her true home.

Scylla felt her soul crushing weariness lessen slightly. She pushed back against the all-consuming darkness and tried to find that insistent voice. But it seemed to whisper and fade all around her. Scylla didn’t know which way to turn. The peacefulness left her and she felt the beginnings of panic. “RAELLE,” she cried. But she couldnt figure out which way to go!

M flicked their eyes between scylla on the floor and the open doorway. They willed sterling to hurry up. They needed help, even if it was from civilians. They glanced again at scylla. It might just be wishful thinking, but it seemed like her breathing seemed less labored.

A clatter of footsteps finally sounded. Sterling charged back into the jail cell, leading a team of civilian medics. They paused only half a second at the bloody scene before they sprang into action.

“Madam president,” one of them said in surprise. “We need space. So you can let go now.”

President wade looked towards M, who hesitated but then nodded, before she let go. She tried to stand up but lurched sideways. M was instantly there, holding her up until she found her feet. She nodded her thanks then carefully straightened her sweatshirt.

One of the medics knelt at scyllas head. She efficiently cut down the front of scyllas filthy tank top and slid it aside to reveal horrifying hematomas. The other quickly slipped an oxygen mask over scyllas face. They moved as well as they were able, monitoring and assessing, while not wanting to interrupt the strange vigil they were witnessing.

M watched anxiously as the medics attached lines and wires to scyllas body. They moved anacostias and scyllas clasped hands away from her wound in order to bandage it. M thought it was a good thing that it barely seemed to be bleeding anymore.

Scylla shouted raelles name again. This time she could make out where the voice was coming from. She turned and ran. She knew that voice! Raelle!

The medics finally stopped their flurry of activity and leaned back. One continued to watch the monitors. The other turned towards M and sterling. “Shes stable for the moment, but we need to move her. she needs a hospital.”

“Of course,” M said as sterling wheeled the stretcher closer.

“We will radio for the-“ the medic started but was cut off by an authoritative voice.

“Belay that,” general bellweather corrected as she entered. It had taken forever for her to retore order and gain control of the situation. But as soon as she had, shed set off to find her daughter and her unit.

She blinked. She had not expected to find this. Even battled hardened as she was, she felt her stomach clench tightly. Those monsters.

“Ive already called in our own helicopter. Once it gets here, we will take her to fort salem.”

The medics just nodded and monitored their patient closely. “Vitals seem to be coming up a bit,” one of them said encouragingly.

Scylla called out for raelle again. Her love was close, scylla could feel it! The darkness seemed to be retreating around her. And now instead of floating, it felt like she was shooting upwards, as if racing towards the surface of a deep ocean.

M knew something was happening from the way those huddled over scylla finally seemed to be coming back to life. Tally gasped and abigail blinked as she opened her eyes in the harsh light. Anacostia slowly lifted her head from scylla, her eyes staring down intently at the former spree agent she loved. Only raelle stayed still and unmoving.

“Come on scylla,” tally whispered.

“You’ve got this shitbird. Bring her back to us,” abigail pleaded.

Scyllas world seemed to explode. She broke through the surface and suddenly became aware of her own body again. She could feel that she was laying on her back, but it wasn’t the complete agony it had been before. Several hands clung to her, but the only ones she cared about were raelles.

Scylla smiled faintly and slowly opened her eyes. “Raelle,” she breathed.

Anacostia saw scyllas lips curve upwards a second before those blue eyes opened. She practically sobbed with relief. Tally and abigail shared a joyous laugh. Even sterling wiped away tears as M let out a huge sigh.

General bellweather felt a myriad of emotions surge through her. But she didn’t try to shut them down like she normally would have. This war had cost them too much already, she would savor this small victory.

Chapter Text

Scylla met raelles eyes and for a glorious moment, nothing else in the world existed. All that mattered was raelle surging forward to kiss her. Scylla smiled and squeezed the hand raelle still held. She tried to lift up her other hand to hold her love closer, but was still so weak she couldn’t move.

Raelle couldn’t stop the tears from falling. The feel of scyllas lips was the sweetest, softest thing shed ever experienced. She rubbed her thumb gently against scyllas cheek and smiled as she felt her love squeeze her hand softly.

“Scyl,” Raelle breathed. She rested her head against scyllas forehead and felt herself floating in an ocean of love.

Scylla smiled and felt warmth spread throughout her body. “Hey,” she managed. She blinked and leaned into the soft hand against her cheek. She closed her eyes, relishing the touch. She sighed and meant to open her eyes again, but exhaustion overwhelmed her. She slid back into the darks waiting embrace.

Raelle saw scyllas eyes flutter shut with a spike of panic. “Scyl!” she shook her love gently. “Scyl?” She stroked scyllas cheek and squeezed her hand but got no response. “Scyl!” raelle shifted and looked around the room, panicked.

Tally and Abigail were there, with reassuring words but raelle couldn’t hear them. She couldn’t feel their soothing hands. She couldn’t see anything other than scylla, limp and unconscious in her arms. Raelle sobbed and tightened her grip to reinitiate the healing link. But before she could utter the words, the darkness pulled her under as well.

“Raelle!” tally exclaimed as the blonde collapsed forward onto scylla once more.

Abigail was already checking her pulse. “They both seem fine,” she announced in a relieved tone.

“Their bodies are just exhausted,” general bellweather supplied laying a hand on her daughters shoulder. Abigails face twisted and she stood and wrapped her arms around her mother.

“What took you so long?” she finally whispered softly, filled with relief.

General bellweather held her daughter tight, blinking back tears. She didn’t want to think about what had almost been. “It took longer than anticipated to locate madame president and M.”

“Yes,” the dark woman in just a sweat shirt straightened and still managed to seem the most dignified person in the room. “And I am very glad that you did.” She nodded to general bellweather than looked to the two witches collapsed on the floor and the two others who had been held captive as well. “What happened here?” she asked, failing to mask her horror.

Tally, still kneeling next to her sisters, blinked back tears and rested a soft hand on raelles shoulder as she looked at scylla and raelle entangled together. She grit her jaw to keep from sobbing.

Abigail went to tallys side and wrapped her arm around her sister. “We gave ourselves up so they would stop invading the cession and killing witches…” Her voice died out as she stared at raelle and scylla, breathing freely now but so incredibly still. Just like before…

Tally leaned into Abigail and continued. “They wanted information,” she said simply. Her eyes lingered a moment longer before looking up towards general bellweather. “About you.” The dark woman couldn’t help but flinch at those hollow eyes and soft voice. “About the bearkiller militia. About alder. About…anything…and nothing really.” Tally trailed off as she squeezed raelles shoulder and clung to Abigail.

Abigail eyes were harsh as she looked at those gathered around her and her family. “Those bastards knew they couldn’t hurt us-me, tally and raelle.” She swallowed. Her eyes were haunted when she finally looked up again. “But scylla was fair game.”

“H-he…they…” tally started. She tried to get the words out but couldn’t. Abigail pulled her close and together they couldn’t hold back their tears.

They others shifted uncomfortably, trying not to imagine what horrors had occurred. It was hard not to, though, when surrounded by the blood spatters littering the floor and evidence of the carnage written all over scyllas body.

It was almost a relief when a witch in combat gear appeared at the generals shoulder to tell her of the bats successful approach.

She knelt down and placed a surprisingly soft hand on Abigail and tallys shoulders. “Its time, the bat is almost here.”

As the others carefully lifted scylla and raelle onto the waiting stretcher, Anacostia slowly stood. Emotions warred across her face as she watched her four recruits, no, her family really. Abigail, tally, raelle, scylla-oh goddess scylla- had wormed their way into her heart when she wasn’t looking.

Anacostia had to turn away, blinking back tears. She drew in a steadying breath then moved to follow her family out, when M stopped her. They handed Anacostia the necklace and ring they had found in the pile of mushroom goo. “Here. Make sure they get these back.”

Anacostia didn’t take the time to look at them, she simply nodded her thanks and squeezed M on the shoulder before striding out the door.

It wasn’t until Anacostia was in the chopper, sitting across from tally and Abigail with raelle and scylla still tangled together on the stretcher between them, that she opened her hand and recognized the jewelry. She immediately smiled at scyllas necklace and raelles ring, but then frowned. What had happened to them that they had been stripped of their most prized possessions?

She held them up for tally and Abigail to see. “Atleast when they wake up, raelle and scylla will have these back.”

Tally broke into a huge smile and Abigail shook her head. “Just scylla,” she corrected.

Anacostia frowned and raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”

Abigail grinned. “Shitbird here,” she looked lovingly towards raelle, “thought it was a great idea to propose right before we went and turned ourselves in.” Anacostias eyes widened.

“And she said yes!” tally exclaimed happily. She leaned forward and placed a kiss on raelles and then scyllas cheek.

Anacostia just sat back with a stunned smile. “Of course she did.” Anacostia wasn’t sure if she sure if she meant raelles timing or scyllas answer, but either way, she wasn’t surprised. Raelle was always a little bit unorthodox and scylla had been ridiculously in love with her form the beginning.

Anacostia smiled the rest of the short flight to base. She hopped off as soon as they touched down and was relieved to see the medical team there waiting for them. It didn’t take long to get everyone settled into the medical wing. After a brief examination, raelle and scylla were left snuggling in bed. The head fixer reassured the anxious tally and Abigail that both witches would be fine, they just needed time for their bodies to recover.

Anacostia had to practically order tally and Abigail into their own beds so they could also rest and heal. She only managed to convince them by swearing to keep watch over raelle and scylla and promising to wake them if anything changed.

Anacostia sat between the cot holding tally and Abigail, and the one containing raelle and scylla, and watched her family sleep. she felt fiercely proud and devastated at the same time. She adjusted the blanket tighter under scyllas chin and brushed back a strand of hair from raelles face.

“scyl,” a soft voice breathed. Anacostia smiled and blinked away tears as raelle shifted weakly.

Raelle slowly felt the world around her return. She could hear the soft ticking of clock nearby and felt warm, soft sheets under her. She snuggled her nose into scyllas neck and breathed. The familiar, comforting scent of her love enveloped her. ‘Scyl,” she hummed.

Then raelles eyes snapped open and she jerked upright. “Scyl!” she said again urgently. The brunette was still unconscious and unmoving.

“Shes alright, raelle,” Anacostia reassured the blonde before she could panic. She placed a gentle hand on raelles shoulder. “Youre okay. Youre ALL okay now.”

Raelle blinked up at Anacostia then she looked towards Abigail and tally sleeping in the next bed. She turned back to scylla who looked unbelievably small and felt her throat tighten. She couldn’t stop the tears as she slowly cupped scyllas cheek and kissed her lips softly. She cried and stroked scyllas face.

Anacostia sat on the cot and wrapped her arms around raelle. “Shes okay. Youre okay,” she repeated softly. She held onto the blonde until she stopped shaking and her breath returned to normal. Anacostia rubbed raelles back and smiled when raelle finally looked at her. “Youre safe now,” she said firmly.

Raelle nodded and swallowed. She looked back to scylla and gently brushed the hair back from scyllas pale face. She hated seeing scylla like this, so still and quiet and covered in blood. Raelle frowned and brushed at the dried blood still on scyllas face. She may have been healed, but the evidence of what had happened still remained. She shifted and suddenly it was very important that she get all the blood OFF her love.

“Its alright,” Anacostia murmured, sensing raelles rising distress. She handed raelle a warm, wet cloth from the bowl on the floor.

Raelle didn’t even question where it appeared from, she just took the clothe gratefully. She carefully wiped scyllas face. She cleaned every trace of violence from scyllas skin, gently and lovingly. When she reached scyllas chin, she didn’t stop but continued onto scyllas throat. She blinked and growled at the memory of that monster pressing a knife into the soft flesh there. She clenched the cloth and ground her teeth so hard Anacostia could hear it.

Anacostia leaned over and rested a soft hand on raelle. “Stay with me here raelle,” she instructed. “Youre not in that place anymore. Youre safe now.” She placed both hands on raelles cheeks and firmly tilted the blondes head until she met her eyes. “Youre safe now. He cant hurt you anymore.”

Raelle nodded and bit her lip to keep from sobbing. “Its not me, he hurt,” she choked.

Anacostia nodded and kept her firm hold on the distraught blonde. “I know. But it still happened to all of you. And its okay to feel whatever it is youre feeling.” She searched raelles face, unblinking. “Its not your fault raelle,” she said emphatically.

Raelle squeezed her eyes shut painfully and tried to turn away but Anacostia held her resolutely. “It is my fault,” she cried.

“No,” anacostia said resolutely. “Did you hurt scylla?”

Raelles eyes snapped open. “No!”

“Did you want it to happen to scylla?”

“NO!” raelle exclaimed her eyes wide.

“Then it is not your fault,” Anacostia continued firmly.

“But I-I made her come. I didn’t even think about it, I just wanted her with me,” raelle said miserably.

Anacostia shook her head and captured raelles eyes with her own. “No,” she said simply. “There is no ‘making’ scylla do anything. You know that. It was her choice and I doubt you could have stopped her even if you wanted to.”

Raelle half nodded and half shook her head as she dissolved into tears once more. Anacostia wrapped her into a tight embrace and held her securely for as long as it took for raelle to finally calm.
Leaning the blonde back upright, Anacostia squeezed her shoulder. “Come on, lets get scylla cleaned up before she wakes.”

Raelle sniffed then nodded. She reached for the washcloth, now cold and coated in red, but Anacostia tugged it back and handed raelle a fresh one instead. Raelle accepted it mutely and stared at scyllas hands. She couldn’t identify what she felt as she looked at scyllas hands drenched in her own blood. she swallowed, suddenly feeling nauseous.

“Hey,” Anacostia called, seeing raelle starting to spiral. She carefully took one of scyllas hands and gently started to clean the blood from it. “Remember to stay here.”

Raelle nodded weakly and tenderly took scyllas other hand. She sat and slowly began to wipe away the evidence of what had happened. If only she could erase it from her mind just as easily.

They worked together in silence for several minutes, but Anacostia could see raelles eyes lose focus and her movements slow. “What happened raelle?”

Raelle blinked and flicked her eyes up to anacostias before returning to scyllas beautiful face. she swallowed and blinked furiously. “It started off okay. They questioned us like we knew they would. But they kept it fairly clean…so I thought maybe…”

Anacostia prompted as the silence stretched, “Then what happened?”

Raelle slowly started moving her hands again as a tear slid down her cheek. “They brought scyl back from her questioning. But they didn’t return her to our cell…” She saw scylla slammed into the front of their cage. “He…he made it clear that scylla was not a member of our unit,” she clenched her jaw and forced herself to keep going. “So…he could do…whatever he wanted with her…while we were helpless to stop him.”

Anacostia felt her heart twist and she squeezed raelles shoulder encouragingly.

Raelle sucked in a deep breath. “H-he wouldn’t stop TOUCHING HER!” raelle hissed. Anacostia felt her eyes widen in alarm and she suppressed a shiver of rage. Had that monster…Anacostia eyes flickered to scyllas bare skin in just her tank top and remembered she had also been barefoot.

Raelle made a choked noise but kept going. “He liked to…touch her…because he knew it upset me.”

“Of course it did,” Anacostia reassured her gently. Her own hands still softly scrubbed the blood from scyllas hand.

“He forced her to kneel. “ Raelles eyes lost focus as she scrubbed scyllas thumb carefully. “That’s when he started…hitting her…”

Anacostia felt the pit of her stomach drop away. She swallowed but didn’t say anything. Raelle continued, her voice hoarse. “She was so defiant.” Anacostia smiled at this, because of course syclla was. She remembered being impressed by the small brunette when she was attempting to break her in alders dungeon. “She pissed him off so much he knocked her unconscious…they drug her back into our cell.”
Anacostia though her heart might break at hearing all the awful things that had befallen her favorite ex-spree and seeing raelle so anguished. But she also knew talking about it would be a balm for raelles soul. So she nodded and instructed the blonde to continue.

“Atleast I was able to hold her that night,” raelle mused sadly. “She made me, made us, promise that no matter what happened, we couldn’t let them win. We couldn’t let them use us as an excuse to hate all witches.” Raelle bit her lip and squeezed her eyes shut. “She was so brave. Throughout everything.”

Raelle sat numbly as Anacostia traded raelles dirty washcloth for a clean one. Then she returned to gently rubbing scyllas palm. “Well the next day…I…we tried to stop them from taking her…but we couldn’t.” raelles voice was haunted. “They had her, and they asked us questions we couldn’t answer. She-“ raelle sobbed. “She tried to fight them, but there were too many of them!”

Anacostia just hmmmed, her heart breaking, keeping a close eye on the still sleeping scylla and the agitated raelle. Her stomach churned and threatened to rebel at the awful words, but she knew she needed to hear them.

“He kept asking us questions and beating her when we couldn’t answer.” Raelles voice was thick and she forced herself to breathe. “But that wasn’t good enough. No. he liked to play mind games too. Forcing scylla to talk about her parents…how scyl was willing to sacrifice her life for my fathers, but I…I couldn’t even answer a simple question.” Her voice rang with sharp bitterness.

Anacostia tucked her questions away for another time and squeezed raelles shoulder. “Its not your fault,” she reminded her gently.

Raelle clenched her jaw and avoided anacostias eye. She carefully rubbed the back of scyllas hand. “H-he seemed almost happy when we couldn’t answer his questions. He said he w-wanted to hear her scream…”

Anacostias gut twisted and her nostrils flared but she kept her hands calm and her voice steady. “Shes safe now. You both are.” She gently replaced raelles soiled rag with one she had rinsed clean.

Raelle blinked and clenched her jaw. “They started beating her, kicking, hitting, they wouldn’t stop…” raelles voice was soft and horrified. “I begged them to stop.” Suddenly she looked up, her eyes desperate. “I promised to do anything they wanted as long as they would stop hurting her.”

Anacostia nodded her understanding. She squeezed raelles hand. “Of course you did.”

“B-but he didn’t believe me.” Raelle looked away and seemed to deflate. “He tried to take scyls ring and she wouldn’t let him…” raelle felt fresh tears start to trail down her face. “So they all attacked her all at once until she couldn’t move…”

Anacostia felt tears run down her own cheeks. She wanted to crush those monsters into dust, but instead she said softly. “Youre okay raelle. scylla is alright.”

Raelle jerked her head and shuddered. “He took her ring anyways. He knew id given it to her and…forced me to tell him…all about it.” She laughed derisively. “He said that he thought watching the love of my life being tortured would be enough to convince me to talk…”

Anacostia stilled raelles hand and waited until the blonde looked at her. “Its not your fault raelle.” She held raelles gaze intently until the other woman nodded stiffly.

Raelle drew in a deep breath and returned to cleaning scyllas wrist. “While scyl lay broken at his feet, that monster started to threaten to hurt tally…to hurt me…” raelle swallowed. “Well scyl wouldn’t stand for that.”

Anacostia smiled sadly. That announcement didn’t surprise her in the least. Scylla tried to bury her heart, but Anacostia knew the young woman would do anything for the ones she loved. Anything.

Raelles mouth opened and she tried several times before she could continue. “She baited him into coming closer…close enough she bit him.”

Anacostias eyes widened. She was impressed in spite of herself. “Im guessing he didn’t like that too much.”

Raelle let out a half sob, half laugh and shook her head. “No. He took her belt…and…and whipped her until…” But raelles throat closed up and she couldn’t go on. She leaned into Anacostia gratefully as the other woman wrapped her into a crushing embrace.

Anacostia held raelle firmly and softly repeated that it wasn’t raelles fault. That they were safe. That scylla was okay. That everything was going to be alright.

Finally raelle drew back and looked down at her love. She brushed a strand of hair back from scyllas pale face. She placed a tender kiss on her forehead before taking a fresh cloth from Anacostia and returned to lovingly cleaning every trace of blood from scyllas skin. “After surviving the night spent mostly unconscious, he came back. He wanted to make sure we went along with their B.S. about all witches being evil. So…he stabbed her,” raelles voice was so soft Anacostia could barely hear it. “He said if I behaved, I would atleast be able to say goodbye…before she d-died.”

Anacostia flinched. She could only imagine what raelle, scylla, tally and Abigail must have been feeling in that moment. No wonder they had been so desperate and raelle had seemed so crazed. A part of her was impressed that none of them had completely lost their minds.

“We were forced to endure that farce of a trial all the while scyl lay in that MONSTERS arms, bleeding to death,” raelle said bitterly.

Anacostia carefully took the washcloth from raelles limp hand and cupped her cheeks. “You are the bravest people I know. Scylla is a warrior. And together you will all get through this.” She held raelles eyes with her own until she thought the blonde almost believed her. finally she dropped her arms and carefully pulled back the pile of blanket and sheets. She handed raelle the comfiest pair of pajamas she had been able to find.

Together they quickly rid scylla of her soiled, blood soaked clothes and cleaned every last trace of the horror from her freckled, pale skin. Redressed in the pj’s and settled back under a pile of blankets Anacostia finally pulled out the items M had given her.

“I think scylla will appreciate having these back,” she said, holding the necklace and ring out to raelle.

Raelles face split into the first genuine smile in days. She carefully tucked the necklace around scylla and sighed in relief as she slid the ring back onto scyllas finger. She kissed scyllas hand then settled down next to her love and pulled her close. She pressed their foreheads together and gently stroked her cheek. After reassurances from Anacostia, raelle finally allowed herself to fall back asleep, wrapped in the safe, warm cocoon that was scylla.

The next thing scylla knew, was feeling warm. And comfortable. Her brows furrowed in confusion. After so much pain, its absence didn’t make any sense.

Slowly scylla opened her eyes. Raelles beautiful blue eyes were there to greet her. She could have cried with relief.

“Hey beautiful,” raelle whispered. She lay on her side, staring at her love. She gently cupped scyllas cheek and pressed their lips together.

Scylla pulled raelle closer to her, relieved that she was once again strong enough to do so. She hummed in appreciation of the sweet, tender way raelle held her. She shifted and tugged raelle even closer.

Raelles lips on her was like fresh rain after a summer drought. She couldn’t get enough. Just the memory of never being able to hold, to kiss, to touch, to feel her love again, nearly split her soul. Scylla deepened the kiss and wrapped a leg around raelle, as her hands drew her love even closer.

Raelles eyes widened in surprise when scyllas leg slid between her own. She pulled back and couldn’t help but smile when scyllas lips followed her. But she carefully rested a hand on scyllas chest and gently pushed scylla away. “What are you doing, scyl?” raelle asked breathlessly. One of scyllas hands had travelled to raelles hip and was rubbing in a most distracting way.

Scylla just smiled devilishly. She leaned up and nipped at raelles neck, her throat, her collar bone as an answer.

Raelles eyes widened even more. “Scyl,” she practically hissed. “We are in the middle of the medical wing.” Scyllas lips just kept trailing fire along raelles neck. “With tally and Abigail…” she shuddered as scylla kissed along her jaw. “And ANACOSTIA…” scyllas lips found hers and raelle sank into their sweet embrace. She cupped her loves face and buried her fingers in scyllas soft, silky hair.

Scylla smiled into their kiss. She needed raelle like she needed oxygen. She shifted and her hands travelled lower.

Raelle felt scyllas hands move deliberately towards where raelle desperately wanted them. She knew that in a matter of moments she would be putty under scyllas hands, coming completely undone.

Raelle broke the kiss breathlessly and pulled back slightly. “No scyl. We cant. Not here.”

Scylla just pouted and brushed her nose against raelles. Then she kissed the corner of raelles lips and pulled raelle towards her once again. She smiled as raelles hips twitched against her leg.

Raelle shuddered and it took everything in her to pull back again. “NO, scyl,” she whispered urgently. She shifted away but couldn’t stop herself from stroking scyllas cheek. “You were just tortured. You nearly d-died.” Raelles voice was raw and hoarse, the image of scyllas still, broken body haunting her.

Scyllas heart twisted at raelles naked pain. She knew what raelle was seeing and she wanted to replace that awful image with a better one. She trailed a soft hand along her loves shoulder. “But I didn’t,” she whispered. “You saved me,” she reminded raelle softly. She leaned forward and pressed her lips against raelles feverishly. She rested her forehead against her loves and stared unblinking into anguished eyes. “You saved me, raelle,” she repeated.

Raelles face crumpled. “Im the reason you needed saving in the first pl-“

Scyllas lips cut raelle off mid-sentence. “No,” she said firmly.

“But-“

Scylla kissed raelle. She kissed her again, and again, anytime raelle tried to say how that monster hurting her was somehow raelles fault. Scylla wouldn’t have it. So she kissed raelle with everything she had. She would never let raelle believe those lies. Instead she showed her the truth with her with love.

Raelle finally broke their kiss, panting. She stared into scyllas beautiful face and couldn’t help but smile.

Scylla returned raelles adoring gaze then slowly smirked. She leaned forward and suckled at the place on raelles throat she knew was especially sensitive.

Raelle gasped. She quickly grabbed scyllas hands to stop their deliberate path towards other sensitive areas. She squeezed her eyes shut a moment before…scylla was kissing her so….raelles brain threatened to shut down completely.

“Oh my goddess scyl,” she huffed. She forced her eyes open and trapped scyllas hands against her chest. “NO. No sex until you are healed. You were just tortured for 3 days and we are literally lying in your sick bed.”

Scylla just gave raelle a cocky smile. “Well, we could do it on the floor if you want.” She grabbed the front of raelles shirt and tried to pull her closer.

Raelle wavered and almost let scylla draw her in. But then at the last second she shook her head and settled on scyllas side. She carefully turned scylla so she was laying in front of raelle like a little spoon.

Scylla just sighed in appreciation and settled back into raelles firm, warm weight. She kissed raelles arm that was draped over her and reached behind her with-

Raelle smothered a yelp then removed scyllas hands from her pants. She captured both of scyllas hands in hers and wrapped one leg over scylla, trapping all of her extremities in front of her, and hopefully, away from raelle. She panted as she whispered in scyllas ear, “No sex until you are completely healed.”

Scylla sighed and hugged raelle closer to her. “Fine,” she agreed reluctantly. “But I feel perfectly well.”

Raelle just rubbed her nose against the back of scyllas neck and held her tighter. “I thought…watching him…I thought he would kill you.” She swallowed a sob. “That he HAD killed you.”

Scyllas heart ached. She squeezed raelles hand. “Im okay,” she reassured her love. She kissed the back of raelles hand. “He didn’t hurt me.”

Raelle tightened her hold on her love. “What are you talking about?! He-“ but her voice cut off.

Scylla leaned back into raelle and turned her head to look at her love. “As long as you were safe, he couldn’t hurt me,” she said seriously, unblinking.

Raelles mouth worked but no sound came out. “Oh, scyl,” she finally managed. She kissed her love and blinked away tears. “Im sorry,” she whispered.

Scylla shook her head. “Im sorry.”

Raelles eyebrows narrowed in confusion. “Why are you sorry. Its, none of it, is your fault.”

Scylla pulled raelles arms tighter around her. “Im sorry you had to watch, while he…”

“No,” raelle shook her head tearfully. She kissed the back of scyllas neck. “No.”

They held each other, delighting in the warmth, the love, the feeling of home. “I love you so much, scyl,” raelle whispered.

Scylla smiled. “I love you too, raelle. I always will.”

Raelle snuggled impossibly closer. “I cant wait to marry you.”

A laugh bubbled up from scyllas chest. Her thumb felt the fourth finger of her left hand and encountered raelles ring, back where it belonged. “Are you sure?” she asked half-jokingly. “I-“

“Ive never been more sure about anything in my life.” Raelle leaned over so she could kiss her wife to be properly. She rested her head against scyllas. “I cant wait to spend our lives together.”

Scylla smiled through tears of happiness. “Me either.” She kissed raelle deeply. “Why wait? We could-“

Raelle quickly settled back behind her wife to be with a huff. This woman was going to be the death of her. Instead, she placed a soft kiss on scyllas shoulder. “I love you.”

Scylla chuckled. “I know raelle.” She settled further into her fiancées arms. “I love you too.”

When tally and Abigail finally woke, it was to the most precious, adorable sight of raelle and scylla spooning together, as close as humanely possible. Their faces were soft and peaceful in sleep.

Anacostia smiled at them from her chair. “Welcome back. How are you feeling?”

Abigails eyebrows narrowed. “Surprisingly well,” she said with a yawn.

Tally nodded in agreement then looked back towards scylla and raelle. “How are they?”

Anacostia gave a tired smile. “They are just fine. The trauma scylla sustained was quite extensive.”

“You don’t have to remind us,” Abigail muttered darkly.

“Which is why the fixers want to keep her another day. But a full recovery is expected.”

Tally smiled. “Ha. Good luck getting rae to leave.”

Abigail snorted. “Yeah, theres no way that’s going to happen.”

Anacostias eyes sparkled with mirth. “I agree. Which is why she will be staying as well. In fact im pretty sure it would be the only way to keep scylla here.” Tally and Abigail shared a rueful glance then nodded in agreement.

Indeed if raelle hadn’t insisted she stay, scylla would have left immediately. The utterly amazing feeling of waking up, safe, in raelles arms was only made better as tally and Abigail swept her up in a crushing hug.

The four of them held each other and cried and whispered reassurances until they finally ran out of tears. Scylla turned away from that hug only to be swept up into anacostias arms. She smiled and clung to her friend gratefully. She had a very important question to ask the other woman about the wedding, but that could wait for now.

Anacostia watched with a contented smile as her four girls laughed and shared breakfast (even though it was midafternoon) and tried to reassure themselves that they were all going to be okay. She grinned at the way raelle doted on scylla. She wouldn’t let her get out of bed, enlisting tally and Abigail to help her, both of whom were eager to do so.

They fluffed scyllas pillows and covered her with more blankets than you’d need in the arctic and continuously piled her tray with more food and forced her to drink water.

They stole glances at her when they thought she wasn’t looking and raelle continually reached out to touch her. She couldn’t seem to go more than a few second without reassuring herself that scylla was real, that she was okay. She sat next to scylla and kept pulling her closer until the brunette was fully in her lap. She wrapped her arms around scylla and rested her chin on scyllas shoulder, making sure her love ate enough. Anytime scylla made as if to get up, raelle tightened her arms around scylla and looked to tally or Abigail to get whatever it was that scylla wanted.

For her part, scylla protested and insisted it wasn’t necessary. But Anacostia could see how she flourished and practically preened at the love and care being thrust upon her. It warmed her heart to finally see scylla get the love she deserved.

Anacostia left that evening with the four of them, somehow, sharing one bed. She eyed them lovingly, feeling her heart swell. She felt lighter than she had in a long time. She didn’t know what she would have done if…

Anacostia shook her head and smiled once more at her girls. It didn’t matter what could have been, only what was here, now. And right now, everything was good. She slowly shut the door and bit her lip. She needed to work out what she was going to say for her toast at the wedding!