The sand trickled down intransigently as Cordelia took her mentee in her arms and held her close to her chest. If Misty did not make it back in time, Cordelia understood she would never retrieve her from the torturous purgatorio Misty plunged herself into an hour ago. She lowered her face to Misty's with a few words at the tip of her tongue, not expecting the calming scent of lavender and lemongrass to render her speechless. And in an instant, memories of their time together in Cordelia's workshop rushed through her mind. There was Misty's enthusiasm each time Cordelia taught her how to make a new herbal remedy or concoction. Then there was that beautiful smile accompanied by the sparkle in those breathtaking gray - blue eyes. She remembered the contagious laughter and joy of living Misty always seemed to harbor and the way she continually made Cordelia feel so special. No one else, not even Hank, had ever managed to make her feel so comfortable, appreciated, and extraordinary.
Her wave of memories receded when she felt tears streaming down her cheeks and saw them landing on one side of Misty's face. A knot formed in her throat as she wiped away those fallen tears that had begun to stray onto Misty's rosy lips. She was still so warm and soft, and felt so fragile under Cordelia's fingers that she wiped even more gently now out of fear she would be the one to break her mentee instead of the hourglass.
"Misty," she managed through the heaviness settling in her chest, "listen to my voice." Her breaths were nearly becoming erratic at what she could no longer hold back: "Follow the light...come to me." She whispered in Latin, not hearing Myrtle's frigid statement that Misty's time was up, because all she wanted to do in that split second was capture with her second vision as much as she could of the young woman she held protectively in her arms. Cordelia breathed in her scent once again as she opened her eyes to take in every gleam of that strawberry blonde hair and the gorgeous face only inches away. She studied and imprinted every curve, every hue, every line and every glow in her mind, knowing that those beautiful lips and eyes would soon become memories pasted across a photo album thanks to the unforgiving sands of time. And she found herself defeated by her emotions as she began to lower her lips onto Misty's.
But time was quicker than her, and took Misty in a cloud of ash and dust before Cordelia could kiss her goodbye.
She let out a desperate cry as the frigid air violently usurped the space Misty once occupied, and profuse tears began to pour out as she begged inconsolably for her Misty. She looked and felt and searched for a trace of her love among all the dissipating ash, but nothing remained. The Descensum trial was over, and everyone in the room perceived exactly what Cordelia had been hiding from the coven except for Maddison, who was too busy celebrating the loss of the "swamp bitch."
Misty Day was gone, and all Cordelia could do was cry and feel part of her soul decay as she resolved to obligate time and space to give her back her love.
