Archive of Our Own ^beta

Eda goes home to prepare, and Raine lingers in the BATs’ room, tidying away the maps and cups. The BATs are new and too young (the same age Raine was when they started fighting back), and full of energy (and terrible script-writing), but they know the stakes. Katya only just started perking back up after her stint in the Conformatorium; her new verses about the simmering tension of a stockpot are on their third set of rewrites. Derwin’s parent is a shadow of their former self since being forced into the Healing Coven and he visits them every chance he gets. Amber’s brother is deep in hiding after taking the fall for their joint research on sigil removal, but at least he’s alive to hide and she salvaged most of their work. 

Raine picks up the detritus scattered by Eda’s song. Some of the papers remain largely intact but most are in ragged pieces. Her music used to make everything around them dance. 

They trace the edges of the plant that Eda's tainted magic had stricken. The blackened leaves crumble at their touch, leaving not even a smear of ash on their skin. Nothing but a memory remains of the original shape.

Raine scrubs their hands through their hair. Even the bittersweet joy of seeing Eda again, making mischief, and hearing her play can’t lift the bone-deep, dragging exhaustion of fighting the same battle over and over from the shadows for fifteen years, pushing forward in incremental steps. And now there's the Day of Unity coming up.

If there was a way to strike a lasting blow, they'd take it, they'd do whatever they had to; but even a temporary reprieve might save people. 

Raine knows that something’s wrong the moment the BATs jump across the broken bridge and their contact isn’t there.

Deamonne takes the BATs. His trap triggers before Raine can draw breath to call a warning and they barely manage to duck out of sight with Eda. Two of them to fight, because Eber pops out of the ground like a toothy ratworm a moment later. Raine always considered them decent people for coven leaders, but Deamonne captures the kids without a second’s consideration, only a pause for Eber to sniff for treachery before banishing them in a slurp of abomination goo. Raine’s angry enough that they have to practice their breathing exercises for a moment. 

They’ll be in the Conformatorium, probably. Katya will have to hold it together, but they weren’t muzzled; maybe they’ll be able to break out if they work together.

Raine and Eda bolt. Once they have just enough distance they won’t be heard, Raine charms Eda’s shoes to throw off the trail, to give them both a moment to think. Eda grabs them, and hisses for them to hold their breath. Raine’s blood beats in their ears and they follow her, tugged along by her invisible hand.

This is it… Eda needs to know the stakes. The BATs don’t, not fully, but she’s an adult. They liked Darius and Eberwolf, but two people are an acceptable loss if it means scuppering Belos’ plans. If Eda’s curse affects her magic the way Raine thinks it does, they can amplify it. 

They summon both instruments and, setting bow to strings, they play. Eda watches the magic light the forest around them, and smiles, and joins in.

If two are an acceptable loss, then so are two more, fighting with rage and beauty and sorrow for what should have been, the Boiling Isles as joyful and wild as they could be. She plays, and they see the same pain on her face. Raine turns, watching the darkness spread like acid through the glowing magic, and plays on.

“Look,” Raine says, over the corruption spreading between them, “We may not make it out ourselves.”

“But it will stop the Emperor, right?” Eda asks. They nod. “Then we play on.” She turns, and a photo flutters free of her tied-up hair. Young faces squished against Eda’s. She has- 

Raine asked, before she joined them, Nothing to lose? and she didn’t mention children. Raine loses the tune, stops playing altogether. 

“Eda, do you have kids?” She’s stubborn and running from some pain, they know she does that, but they won’t be part of her self-sabotage.

The spell dissolves as they banish her mandolin. They can’t pay that price. Raine won’t leave any kids of hers to survive the coming days without her. There must- will be an alternative.

Darius takes them.

They let go of Eda’s hand.

If they’re dead or petrified, at least the Day of Unity will be delayed anyway. They call their fiddle to slice through the abomination arm with a blade of golden light. If they’re going down, Raine will do their best to take the other coven heads with them.

They land lightly, and raise their bow again. “Darius. Eber.” The odds aren’t good, but they press forward, always forward, even to destruction.