"No, no it's more like this!" Misty giggled, gesturing excitedly at Cordelia.
She positioned herself in the centre of the room and took a deep breath. Cordelia chuckled at the concentration etched on her face. She watched as Misty began to propel in circles before her, twirling, embracing the shawl around her shoulders. The midnight blue fabric sliced through the air as she danced with her eyes shut, her boot tapping gently on the floor.
And the lady's feeling
Just like the moon that she loved
She stood in awe at how Misty seemed to glide with the sun across the greenhouse; an ethereal spectacle amongst a cascade of leaves. They were both at peace when they were together, content with their little kingdom.
You are in love with
And I'm ready to sail
It's just a feeling
Sort of captures your soul
"Oh!" Misty gasped as she spun out of place, tumbling towards a pot of chrysanthemums. She grinned in elation and scampered over to Cordelia, reaching for her hands.
"It's your turn, Delia. You gotta dance like you're comin' out of the darkness," she exclaimed. She resumed her stance and repositioned Cordelia's arms into the most fluid posture. "Alright?" Cordelia nodded, overcome by the swamp witch's enthusiasm.
The two witches began to spin, stirring up a gentle breeze with their patterned clothing. Smiles illuminated their faces each time their eyes met, mid-twirl. There was innocence in their movements; both compelled by a childish sense of freedom neither had experienced before.
Misty stepped out of her spin and jumped onto the table. She perched on its edge, engrossed by Cordelia. The Supreme danced avidly, albeit inconsistently. Her arms floated beside her, occasionally straying to a peculiar angle. Not bad, she thought, bobbing her head to the gritty rhythm of the song.
Don't change, baby please don't change
"Wow, Delia," she said as the song faded. Cordelia fell out of the dance, swayed by dizziness, and faltered towards Misty. The swamp witch leapt to her feet with enough time to catch the dazed Supreme as she tripped and collapsed with a laugh.
"Oh god, how did I do?" Cordelia asked.
"Well, it turns out we really do have a lot to learn from each other," Misty smirked, provocatively. She helped the Supreme find her footing and pushed a couple of strands of hair behind her ears.
"You're not such a bad teacher yourself, Misty," she replied. She threw a teasing glance at her companion. She walked her fingers along the swamp witch's shoulders and up to her neck, summoning her face closer. "Kiss me."
She leant up, tracing her lips their together.
Suddenly, a faint noise caught Misty's attention.
"Did you hear that, Delia?"
"No," she said, searching to regain eye contact with Misty. Distracted, the swamp witch broke free from Cordelia's grip. She wandered towards the assortment of foliage at the back of the greenhouse.
"I was sure I heard somethin'."
Intrigued but slightly disgruntled, the Supreme followed behind. They nudged leaves away to form a path through the busy forest, Misty's ears peaking as she tried to locate the disturbance. She dove beneath a canopy of branches at the notice of a feeble pattering sound emerging from within.
"What do you hear?" Cordelia enquired.
"Can you grab me a stool, or a box, or somethin'?" Misty responded, weaving further between the plants.
The Supreme ventured quickly back into the greenhouse before returning with a large bucket, still perplexed by the situation.
"That'll do," the swamp witch said, wrenching the bucket from her hands and clambering onto its upturned base. "Gotcha." She staggered out of the flora, hands cupped together, and hurried into the open air.
"Lord, this little fella must've been trapped in there for hours – no wonder it's so exhausted. There's barely any life left in 'im."
Cordelia pursued her, gasping as Misty revealed the ornamental butterfly resting on her palm. Its wings were embellished with a deep, heady blue and framed by bold flecks of orange, white and fading shades of turquoise. Its shape was breathtaking, settling calmly in her hands.
"Limenitis arthemis Astyanax. How on earth did it get in here?" Cordelia tiptoed forwards to inspect its tired wings.
"God knows... Hang on," Misty said, ushering the butterfly onto her fingertip. The creature looked regal, even in weakness. The witch closed her eyes and sheltered it under one hand. She inhaled and coaxed life force back into its frail body. Her power of resurgence encouraged vivacity into the weary being until its wings began to pound once more.
She darted over to the doorway, snatching up Cordelia's hand as she balanced the vibrant creature on her fingertip. As they appeared in the garden, Misty held the butterfly up to the vivid sky and waited. Seconds later, the majestic creature's wings began to beat, carrying it out of sight behind the Academy.
"You're going to have to teach me how to do that," Cordelia grinned, latching onto Misty's arm.
"I will – only if you kiss me first," the swamp witch replied, pulling Delia against her and depositing a swift kiss on her rosy lips. Without hesitation, the Supreme reciprocated the kiss and nestled into Misty's neck. Their silhouette melted into the Academy's shadow, which absolved them in its archaic beauty.