Chapter 11: Protect the Coven


"Thank you for helping me, Melanie," Cordelia told the younger witch while they worked together to sweep up and dispose of the shards of broken glass and pottery that littered the greenhouse floor.

"No problem. Everyone deserves at least one good meltdown," Melanie replied with a small shrug. "Feel any better now?"

"A little," Cordelia replied with a small smile, though she also felt a bit guilty for all the damage she had done to school property. "Myrtle said I should bottle and sell my coriander salad dressing…"

Melanie looked up at her from her position on the floor holding the dustpan and raised an eyebrow before looking down again with a slight smile on her face. "Well, she's not wrong about that. I bet you could make a fortune."

The corners of Cordelia's mouth twitched a little. "She also said I would make a good cruise ship hostess."

"What?" Melanie asked with a small laugh, stopping to look up at her. "Was she being serious? I mean, you could definitely pull it off, but it's pretty obvious we still need you here." Cordelia looked at her and set the broom down, leaning it against the table, and squatted down to draw Melanie into a hug as her eyes began to water with tears. "We still need you here." Hearing those words had helped her far more than Melanie knew. Cordelia smiled and stroked the hair of the girl she had come to think of as a daughter while a lone tear of happiness and relief rolled down her cheek. Melanie never said anything she didn't mean. Fiona was wrong. She had been wrong. She did still have a place where she belonged. And it was right here.

Melanie blinked, a little surprised by the sudden embrace, but she could tell Cordelia needed it, so she returned the hug and let her take her time recovering. "Feeling better?" she asked when Cordelia smiled and withdrew to hold her hands.

"Much," Cordelia said, sniffing a little while she whipped her cheek. "So, you and Kyle… how long has that been going on?" she asked a little teasingly. She had been rather surprised when she heard from her mother that Melanie had been the one harboring him.

Melanie looked away and fidgeted a little nervously. "I'm sorry. I was going to tell you after we took care of Fiona, but then she found him first..."

Cordelia smiled and laughed. "It's all right. I understand. I was your age once, too. Just remember to be careful… and be 'safe,'" she added a with tiny hint of mischief and a knowing look in her eyes.

"We are!" Melanie exclaimed a little defensively as her cheeks blushed bright red. She had already been on the pill for her period, and Madison had left a stash of condoms in her room, so they were totally covered. But it felt embarrassing discussing this with the woman she thought of as a mother. Cordelia's grin widened. Melanie was so cute when she was in love.

Myrtle closed her eyes as she raised her teacup and inhaled the fragrant aroma of the hot beverage inside. Kyle clutched the tray in his hands a little nervously while she took her first sip. Myrtle savored the flavor for a moment before looking up at the boy to give him an encouraging smile. "Oh! Well done, dear. I do believe you're improving. See, all it takes is practice, practice, practice! Why, I'm sure you'll have the difference between a canapé and an amuse-bouche down in no time at all."

"Still on tea?" Madison asked, making them look up as she swanned back into the sitting room and stretched out on the sofa. "Don't you think it's time you moved on to something stronger?" she asked Myrtle, sounding incredibly bored. She must be, since Kyle was busy with his training, and Cordelia had asked Melanie to help her clean up the mess she made in the greenhouse the previous evening. There was no way Madison was helping with that if she didn't have to.

"Something smells good," Zoe said, also wandering into the room to join them. She had followed her nose out of Nan's room when she caught the scent of something delicious wafting up the stairs.

"That'll be the canapés, dear. I've been teaching Kyle how to serve and differentiate between different types of hors d'oeuvres," Myrtle explained with a smile. They would be moving on to the other parts of the meal as the day progressed. "Why don't you go remove them from the oven?" she suggested with a glance at the boy. "I believe it's time."

Kyle nodded and left to fetch the appetizers. He was careful to remember to put the oven mitts on first—he would sometimes forget the proper order for things like that if he wasn't paying attention—and carefully removed the tray of toasted, cheesy crabmeat and mushroom canapés. Then he removed the amuse-bouche, which were actually little balls of goat cheese rolled in walnuts with grapes stuck on top using toothpicks, from the fridge and transferred the two hors d'oeuvres to the appropriate serving dishes before carrying them out on a tray to be served. He hadn't made them on his own, but it was still gratifying to see Myrtle and Zoe's satisfied reactions when they saw and tasted the finished product.

"I'm watching my figure," Madison said when he offered her some, too busy filing her nails to even spare the appetizers a glance. She was still trying to make up for that night she ate every single morsel of food in the house, before she found another way to fill the hole inside her. She frowned remembering the tender look in Kyle's eyes when she caught him and Melanie having a moment alone together earlier.

"Come on, Madison," Zoe said. "When's the last time you actually ate something?"

"Why don't you take some out to Cordelia and Melanie in the greenhouse, Kyle," Myrtle said. "I'm sure they're hungry. It's nearly lunchtime."

Kyle smiled and nodded, happy to have an excuse to visit Melanie. He turned to head for the greenhouse, but soon saw that there was no need. Melanie and Cordelia had come to them. They looked tired from all the cleaning they had been doing when they plopped themselves down in the remaining chairs in the room, so he poured two more cups of tea and served each of them.

"All finished?" Myrtle asked her darling girls. She couldn't help but notice how especially thoughtful this gesture was and how attentive the boy was towards Melanie, letting his hand linger a little longer than necessary on hers when he placed the teacup in her hands. She also noticed the light in Melanie's eyes when she looked up at him.

"Yes. Finally," Cordelia said, heaving a sigh of relief. She was never doing that again. Destroying everything may have been somewhat cathartic at the time, but the clean up had been a real pain. "Has anyone seen Misty? She asked me to teach her more about potions, but I haven't seen her all day."

"Maybe she changed her mind," Madison said, getting up to draw a cigarette from one of the dispensers. Melanie noticed it took her more tries than usual to get it lit.

"Come to think of it, I haven't seen her since yesterday…" Melanie said.

"Me neither," Zoe said.

"Nor I," said Myrtle.

"Haven't seen her since we went out for kabobs," Madison said with a shrug, still standing with her back to them. The other witches all exchanged a glance and quickly set aside their tea and hors d'oeuvres to stand up. A witch going missing while they were under attack from witch hunters was no laughing matter. They all split up and began searching through the house for her from top to bottom.

"What's all this ruckus about?" Fiona asked when she and Marie saw how they were practically tearing the house apart.

"Mother. Have you seen Misty? We think she's gone missing," Cordelia said urgently. "No one can remember seeing her after yesterday afternoon." Fiona exchanged a glance with Marie.

"We'll go look for her outside," Fiona said. "You and the girls stay put." They were all startled when a horrified shriek pierced the air. Melanie and Kyle came bounding up the stairs with Madison and Myrtle behind them, while Zoe came rushing out of Nan's room to meet them.

"N-Nan! It's Nan!" Zoe yelled, looking extremely shaken. "I thought maybe she might have 'heard' something, but when I went to look for her…" She gasped and covered her mouth. "I found her in the bathroom…" They knew from the expression on her face that something terrible had happened. Everyone aside from Fiona and Marie immediately ran to see what had happened for themselves. Melanie was first through the door. She froze in shock, staring with wide eyes at the unreal scene before her. There in the bathroom, still fully clothed, Nan was floating in the water that filled the tub. Her eyes stared unblinkingly up at the ceiling. She wasn't breathing. Kyle quickly grabbed Melanie and held her close when he saw the pain in her eyes, while Cordelia and Myrtle gasped in horror.

"Shit," Madison said when she peeked around them and saw Nan's corpse. "Look who wasn't the next Supreme after all." That earned her a glare from virtually everyone in the room.

"Poor thing," Fiona said as she and Marie joined them, eying the macabre scene in the tub. "She must have slipped and hit her head while drawing a bath."

"Mm-mn. So tragic," Marie said with a shake of her head. Melanie furrowed her brow and tightened her grip on Kyle's jacket, while he stroked her hair.

"Our coven mourns. After facing so many trials, defending ourselves against onslaught. Forging enemies into friends. The witches of Miss Robichaux's Academy have fought for their lives, and won," Fiona said as they all stood gathered around Nan's coffin in the cemetery the next day. Melanie and Kyle stood side by side. She wore a black vintage 70s maxi dress made of chiffon with bell sleeves and black embroidery details, opaque black tights, and black ankle boots. Over that, she wore a long black lace vest, and on her head she wore a vintage black turban with a veil of birdcage netting peeking out from the folds to cover her forehead and eyes, while her long, straight hair flowed over her shoulders and back in sheets of pale platinum. "And so it is with great sadness that we must say goodbye to Nan, who fell in the tub." Melanie squeezed Kyle's hand, and he put his arm around her to comfort her. No one would know it between the stoic expression on her face and the makeup masking the signs of her grief, but she had cried last night while he held her after the lights were out. She knew Nan's death was no accident.

"Amen!" Marie said with a small shrug of her shoulders.

"If only Misty Day were here to bring the poor girl back," Myrtle said quietly to Cordelia. They had searched all night for her, but to no avail. The future Supreme candidate was nowhere to be found.

"I have to do something, before one more of our girls dies," Cordelia whispered urgently.

"Your mother's Pol Pot in Givenchy," Myrtle said. "What can be done?"

"Whatever is necessary," Cordelia said, determined to protect Melanie and the rest of the girls who were still with them.

"Misty's probably twirled her way to the Everglades by now. Don't bother," Madison told them, smiling in an attempt to hide her nerves. But Melanie caught the faint note of anxiety in her voice, and she frowned slightly in suspicion. Fiona turned at the sound of a van pulling up to park a few plots away, and she and Marie began moving away from Nan's coffin to get a better look when the door opened and someone familiar emerged.

"Get out. Now!" Queenie said after walking around to the passenger's side of the car, pulling on a leash to get Delphine to come out. Melanie and the others' heads shot up when they heard her voice, and they quickly followed Fiona and Marie. "The gardener said you'd be here," she called out to the other witches as she approached them with Delphine trailing reluctantly behind her.

"You're alive?" Fiona asked, amazed.

"Bitch, you left me for dead," Queenie said, scowling angrily at Marie.

"Oh, girl, I thought you were," Marie said, throwing her arms open. "Oh, get your ass over here." Her attempt to hug Queenie was halted abruptly when Delphine sent a glob of spit flying into her face the moment she was within range. Marie gasped and cringed in disgust, while Fiona held a hand to her chest in surprise.

"That's for dismembering me," Delphine told her.

Marie bitch-slapped LaLaurie upside the head so hard that the portly racist nearly fell over. "And that's for coming back." She glanced at Queenie. "I thought I told you to put her white head in the trash."

"I had my own ideas," Queenie said.

"Queenie," Cordelia said softly, amazed and relieved to see her alive.

"You put her back together," Zoe said, noting how Delphine's head had been reattached to her shoulders.

"No scars," Kyle observed. He felt Melanie give his hand a little squeeze. Melanie had made a special cream to try to heal his scars, the same one she had used to get rid of her own from the attack that had left her without her memory all those years ago. But, for some reason, it didn't seem to be working as well on him as it should have.

"If I'd have done you, you wouldn't look like you'd been jammed through a blender," Queenie told him.

"The most important thing is that you're safe," Cordelia told Queenie.

"None of us are safe!" Fiona said sternly, turning to face her. "Why can't you understand that?" Cordelia blinked back the tears that still clung to her eyes from mourning Nan. "Okay, the funeral's over. Say your prayers as you exit," Fiona told everyone as she walked off, heading back to their car.

"I'm not going anywhere with any of y'all," Delphine said as Marie stepped around her to follow Fiona. "I've been suffering the tortures of the damned. I'm not taking another step! Oh!" she gasped and stumbled forward when Queenie started walking and tugged on her leash to make her follow. Madison readjusted her coat and went next, followed by Melanie and Kyle, who were still holding hands. Myrtle watched them as she brought up the rear with Cordelia. Despite the tragedy of Nan's death and the shadow of danger that still hung over all of them, Myrtle couldn't help but feel a small spring of hope well up inside of her heart while she watched her young ward and the new butler. They looked so beautiful together. Anyone with eyes could see the deep affection they held for each other. Cordelia might have felt the same if she had been paying attention to the young couple, but she was distracted by the sound of crows cawing nearby. She paused for a moment to glance back over her shoulder before continuing on her way. She couldn't help but feel there was something ominous about their cries.

When they returned to the school, everyone changed out of their funeral clothes. Fiona and Marie occupied the sitting room while they arranged a sit-down with the Witch Hunters to end this conflict. Delphine, who had been restored to her position as a maid, was giving them manicures and pedicures. Cordelia was in the greenhouse. Myrtle gave Kyle the rest of the day off, and retired to her room, so he and Melanie ended up settling down in their bed together for a much needed nap. Madison soon joined them, leaving Zoe to do whatever she wanted.

Delphine found the three of them in bed together when she came to clean Melanie's room. The immortal maid didn't think it was appropriate, but she said nothing and moved quietly while she carried out her chores. When she returned with a bag to remove the trash from the wastebaskets in the bedroom and the bathroom, she found Madison awake and primping herself in front of the mirror. She also found a rather unpleasant surprise in the toilet. "You left your dirt in the commode. Why don't you flush it?"

Madison laughed through her nose at her. "You flush my shit, bitch." Delphine rolled her eyes as the rude brat left the bathroom without so much as a backward glance. The begrudged maid moved to flush the toilet, but paused when she had a better idea.

That evening, Delphine served the witches a thick brown soup for supper. Myrtle lifted her spoon to have a taste, savoring the complex flavors. "Cumin. Coconut. Cardamom. Mulligatawny soup! I've been transported to Rajasthan! Bravo, Delphine!" she praised the maid ecstatically. "Magnifique!"

"It goes perfectly with the wine. Mmm," Madison said, taking another sip from her glass. Melanie ate another spoonful, wishing Kyle could join them. But as butler, he was currently working in the kitchen with Delphine. Delphine smiled as she turned away, deriving an immense feeling of satisfaction from knowing that she has slipped a secret ingredient into the soup that they were all devouring so greedily while the new butler boy wasn't looking.

Madison sighed, bored out of her mind, while she lay in bed with Melanie and Kyle again later that night, because he was apparently more interested in listening to Melanie read to him than in having sex. Madison was beginning to think Fiona broke him. What boy in their right mind would pick reading over screwing around? Did the bitch neuter him when she made him coven guard dog? Kyle rested his chin on Melanie's head while she turned to the next page in the book. He liked listening to the sound of her voice while he held her. Of course, there were other things that he would like to do to her as well, but he knew that once he made his move, Madison would, too. And he didn't like the thought of her kissing Melanie again. Melanie was fine with whatever as long as she could be close to Kyle without having to watch him kiss or sleep with Madison again.

When Myrtle went down to breakfast the next morning, she found Delphine pulling a tray of hot biscuits from the oven and Cordelia standing over the blender, whispering Latin into it. "Light as a goofer feather," Myrtle said as she selected one of the biscuits and popped it onto a napkin. "It's all about the lard, isn't it?" she remarked to the maid before moving to check on her little bird. "You seem half mad, dear," she told Cordelia.

"I had the sight once. I know it's still in me," Cordelia said, pouring some of the potion into a drinking glass. "It has to be. I think this could amplify it." Myrtle watched her down a large cup of the concoction in large gulps. While she was doing this, Queenie came down and started helping herself to breakfast. When she had finished off the potion, Cordelia immediately turned and got a biscuit from Delphine to get rid of the bitter taste it left in her mouth.

"Sorry to intrude, Cordelia," the gardener said, getting her attention as he entered the room. "I was pruning your fig trees." He held up his bleeding hand to show them the injury. Despite all the blood, the cut was small.

"Oh, figs, ah, figs, Mother Nature's brown diamonds. In the fall, the rotting leaves smell like an Olympian's ejaculate." Myrtle said wistfully. "Figgy pudding cures the blues and banishes acne. I'm mad for it."

"What did you do to your hand, James?" Cordelia asked, setting down her biscuit to examine the wound.

"Cut myself with the shears," James replied.

"Miss Cordelia, why don't you go and finish your breakfast, and I'll see to… James, was it?" Delphine asked politely, coming over to the gardener's side.

"Yes, ma'am," James said.

"Mm-hmm," Delphine said, and carefully led him away to tend to his wound.

Because they agreed that Nan's death was too suspicious—especially with Fiona's claim that she couldn't be revived—Zoe, Melanie, and Kyle had grabbed a quick bite to eat and retreated to Nan's room to perform a spell on her tub, hoping to uncover the identity of her killer. They were pretty certain they knew who was responsible, but it never hurt to be sure. And since Fiona hadn't returned yet from wherever she had gone out to last night, now was the perfect time to do it. Kyle stayed in the corner by the door to watch while the two witches turned out the lights and began the ritual by filling the tub with water and lighting a number of white candles and placing them about the room. Zoe had dressed in all black, while Melanie was wearing a dark-grey vintage Jurassic Park t-shirt tucked into a 70s style black button-up corduroy skirt, a black cardigan, sheer black stockings, and black ankle boots. The two girls kneeled before the tub, and held one slender candle between them while Zoe lit it with a match. Then, they began to chant the spell. "Elementum Recoligo huic locus. Commodo mihi vestry vox." Kyle glanced around when he felt a shift in the air. The girls each extended a hand over the tub. The water rippled and their reflections disappeared. "Elementum recoligo huic locus." Out of curiosity, Kyle began to quietly creep towards them on his hands and knees, hoping to get a better view of what was happening. "Commodo mihi vestri vox." When they finished their chant, Melanie and Zoe looked down to see a reflection of Fiona's face in the tub.

"Fiona. I knew it," Zoe said. "We knew it," she amended, glancing up to look at Melanie and then Kyle.

"Wait, there's more," Melanie said with her eyes still on the tub as another image began to form. Their eyes widened slightly in surprise when Marie Laveau's face stared back at them.

"My God, it was the both of them," Zoe said, while Melanie frowned. The girls exchanged a look and retracted their hands, ending the spell. "They drowned her. Why would they kill Nan?" Zoe asked.

"I'm not sure," Melanie said, furrowing her brow, "but those two working together means big trouble for us…" Kyle placed a hand on her back between her shoulder blades in an attempt to comfort her. They all looked up when the bathroom door creaked open, and Madison walked in.

"Oh, what have we here, a romantic bubble bath?" Madison asked sarcastically. She had come looking for them when she didn't see them at breakfast. She didn't like the idea of Melanie and Kyle being alone together for too long. She was semi relieved when she saw that Zoe was with them.

"We were trying to figure out what happened to Nan," Zoe told her, while Kyle blew out the candle in their hand for them. Madison just groaned quietly and examined her nails. "Don't you care at all?"

"Have you met me?" Madison asked, nonplussed. Zoe put the candle down on the floor and started walking out of the room.

"Misty was right," she said as she passed Madison, shooting her a look of contempt. "We should have let you rot." Melanie and Kyle stood up to follow her out. Melanie extinguished the rest of the candles in the room with a flick of her wrist. She had learned to use her power over fire to put it out as well as start it years ago. Kyle blinked, impressed by the display of power. Madison sighed and grabbed Kyle's hand, pulling him over to Nan's bed. She had him sit and put Nan's orange headphones over his ears.

"Here, Melanie and I need to talk," Madison said, causing Melanie and Zoe to both pause and glance back at her. "What's the deal, Melanie?" Madison asked angrily. "We were supposed to share him, then you had to go fall in love with him."

"As far I know, we still are," Melanie replied with a frown. She didn't bother denying how she felt about him.

Madison laughed. "So it wouldn't bother you if I got on my knee pads and blew him, right here, right now."

"That's enough, Madison," Zoe said firmly.

"You stay out of this," Madison said, pointing a finger at her. She had her chance. This had nothing to do with her now.

Melanie's frown deepened. Of course it would, but like Madison said, they had a deal. "I won't stop it, if that's what he wants." Though, she hoped and prayed he wouldn't.

"Thanks. You're a peach," Madison responded sarcastically. She promptly turned around, got down on her knees in front of Kyle, and started unzipping his pants. Melanie turned away. She didn't want to see this.

"Come on. You don't have to watch this," Zoe said, placing a hand on her shoulder to lead her out of the room. Kyle looked up in a panic when he realized what was happening, glancing between Madison and Melanie as Zoe opened the bedroom door. Even though she was turned away from him, Kyle could see enough of Melanie's face to recognize the expression she wore when she was trying not to cry. That was too much for him.

"No!" he yelled, shoving Madison away. Melanie and Zoe turned back to face him, startled by the sudden outburst. He ripped off the headphones as he stood up and crossed the room. "Not anymore. I love Melanie," he said, reaching out to take her hands and hold her close. Zoe smiled at the deeply touched and overjoyed expression on Melanie's face and watched with a feeling of satisfaction as the lovers gazed into each other's eyes and touched their foreheads together. It was beautiful, and she was happy for them.

Madison picked herself up off the floor and glared at them. "You think you can just throw me away for some little orphan Carrie?" she seethed. "I made you Kyle, not her. You owe me." Kyle sat down on the other bed they were standing by and glared back at the spoiled starlet. Melanie stepped forward to face her with Zoe at her side to back her up.

"No, he doesn't," Zoe told Madison. "He's not your salve."

"I told you before, Kyle isn't a toy. You don't own him just because you helped Zoe bring him back," Melanie added seriously. Madison turned her head to glare at mirror, cracking Melanie's reflection in it.

"God, you're such a brat!" Zoe said. The whole room started rumbling and shaking. Glass shattered across the floor when framed pictures fell from the walls.

Kyle had to quickly duck when a lamp suddenly flew past his head, and he was horrified when it crashed hard into the back of Melanie's. "Hey! No!" he shouted, quickly running over as Zoe tried to catch her when she started to fall, resulting in all three of them ending up kneeling on the floor together. Kyle and Zoe both cradled Melanie protectively while she held a hand to her aching head.

"You're such a bitch!" Zoe yelled angrily. Melanie was feeling a little disoriented after taking a metal lamp to the head, but she was still quick enough to put two and two together, and she waved her hand to use her own telekinesis to sweep Madison's feet out from under her, making her face-plant on the floor with a thud. Zoe smirked, and Madison glared daggers at them, scrambling to pick herself up as Myrtle burst into the room.

"What is all that racket!?" Myrtle demanded sternly, stopping short when she saw the broken mirror, lamp, and injured Melanie. It was fairly obvious what must have happened. She scoffed, doing her best to contain her anger. "Oh, Madison, you are the worst kind of Hollywood cliché: a bobble head with crotchless panties!"

"And you're a dried-up old Hot Pocket, but I don't judge," Madison replied smartly with a sassy smile, recovering some of her dignity.

Myrtle put her hands on her hips. "You can't speak to me that way—I am your elder."

Madison pulled out her cigarette case and lighter as she closed the distance between her and the older witch. "Welcome to the revolution, Carrot Top. As the next Supreme, I'm gonna drive this coven out of the Dark Ages. Crotchless panties for everyone. And as for you, Ken doll…" she said, glancing over at Kyle, while she took out a cigarette and put it in her mouth, "well, putting you together was fun…" She paused for a moment to light it and have a quick puff. She removed the cigarette from her mouth and exhaled the smoke. "But taking you apart's gonna be even more fun." She knew that would hurt Melanie the most.

Melanie narrowed her eyes at the threat and glared at Madison's back as she left the room. Over my dead body, she thought, vowing to never let that happen.

Cordelia found Queenie sorting out her room. "Dirty Hippie can kiss my ass," Queenie said grudgingly as she started removing Misty's clothes from the closet to make room for hers.

"Queenie?" Cordelia said, letting her know that she was there. Queenie walked out of the closet to face her. "I thought that we should talk." Queenie just looked at her. "First of all, I'm very glad you're back."

"Yeah? Then why'd you give my room away?" Queenie asked challengingly, grabbing some of Misty's shawls from the bed and tossing them on the floor.

"You left us," Cordelia reminded her, moving further into the room. She leaned over to pick up the discarded items. "And you went across town to our sworn enemy."

"Who is right now in your guest room smoking a hookah," Queenie retorted, stepping forward to confront her. "Things around here change fast, but damn."

"A lot has happened…" Cordelia said.

"Yeah, your husband shot me in the stomach," Queenie said.

Cordelia looked down for a moment, feeling guilty. "To say I'm sorry doesn't begin…"

"It really doesn't," Queenie said unforgivingly. She was tired of everyone's bullshit. She turned away and started removing the few possessions she had left from her suitcase.

Cordelia bit her lip, but soon recovered her nerve. "Queenie. You… are a very strong and powerful young woman. But how did you survive?"

"Turns out I got some new powers," Queenie answered, placing the silver bullet in the other witch's hand. "I shot him right through my skull." She had used a handgun he dropped on the floor while passing her.

Cordelia stared at it in surprise, stunned. "He shot you with this?"

"Yes," Queenie said firmly, putting her hands on her hips. "And I survived. I'm starting to think I might be the next Supreme. Not even a silver bullet can stop me."

"Thank you," Cordelia said, grabbing her hands as she started to turn away again.

"Don't touch me," Queenie said, quickly pulling away.

"My eyes are open. And I promise I'm going to prove that to you and the girls," Cordelia reassured her.

"No offense, but since I left, one witch is dead and another one is missing," Queenie pointed out. "You are just as weak as you've ever been." Cordelia shook her head, but Queenie didn't believe her. "Might want to take one long-ass vacation. Let somebody else run this joint," Queenie told her, reaching out to hold the door open. "Now, get out. Now!" She slammed the door shut the moment Cordelia left the room.

Kyle sat on their bed in the room he shared with Melanie and tried to stay out of the way while he watched her and Zoe paint an enormous, stylized 'X' and various symbols that he didn't recognize across the floor in a dark red substance that looked like paint, but was actually some sort of potion that had been made with a mix of blood, herbs, and powders. A lit candle had been placed in each of the four corners of the room to represent the cardinal directions. "Thanks for helping me with this," Melanie told Zoe while they worked. She could have managed this protection spell on her own, but it would be stronger if it was backed by the magic of two casters. And it would prevent the spell from completely breaking if anything happened to her, so Kyle would still have some form of protection left if Madison or Fiona got to her.

"No problem," Zoe said. She totally got why Melanie didn't want to take any chances after the threats Madison just made. And it would be good to know they had a safe place to retreat to if she came after them.

"You should probably move in here with us," Melanie told her. "I don't think she's too thrilled with you for taking our side."

"I'll think about it," Zoe said, setting down her brush and moving to the center of the room. "You ready?" Melanie nodded. She set her brush down, too, and walked over to light the candle that was placed in the center of the 'X' marked on the floor. The two girls stood facing each other. Kyle watched as they took each other's hands and started chanting in Ancient Sumerian. His eyes widened in amazement when all of the candle's flames suddenly flared up, and the markings on the floor began to smolder, with the glow spreading out from the center towards the edges of the room as the spell progressed, permanently etching the protective seals into the wood.

Tears stained Cordelia's face while she clipped off a piece of a cactus to add to the potion she was making. She sobbed quietly while she crushed the ingredients together with a mortar and pestle. She was hurt by Queenie's words, but it wasn't just that. Queenie was right, and she knew it. Cordelia was afraid, but she knew what she had to do. She was desperate to protect Melanie and the other girls. In order to do that, she needed to regain her Sight. She reached her fingers into the mortar and scooped out some of the potion, applying it to her face around her eyes. Her lips trembled as she squeezed them shut, and another sob escaped her lips. She trembled for a moment, but she pushed through her fear. She removed her hands from her face and picked up her garden shears next, lining them up with her right eye. Her hand shook as she stared at it. It was now or never. Cordelia screamed as she plunged the shear into the healthy blue eye. She yanked the shears out and screamed again as she stabbed her brown eye, completely blinding herself. She dropped the shears and cradled her face while she wailed in agony.

Despite the calm expression on her face, Melanie felt nervous standing in front of Queenie's door. Kyle, who was standing beside her and holding the heavy cardboard box that she wanted to give the other witch, gave her a small, encouraging smile. Melanie knocked on the door. "What?" Queenie asked belligerently as she opened the door.

"I thought you might want your stuff," Melanie said, while Kyle set the box down and pushed it towards her.

Queenie stared at her in surprise. "You kept it?"

"Fiona said to throw it out, but I had a feeling you'd be back," Melanie said with a small shrug and turned to leave with Kyle.

"Why?" Queenie asked, feeling thoroughly confused. "I thought you hated me?"

Melanie stopped and looked back at her with her brow furrowed and frown on her face. "I never actually hated you. If I did, I wouldn't care what happened to you. Why do you think I was so angry? You were my friend, and you helped take someone I loved from me. I felt betrayed. I wouldn't have given you such a hard time if I didn't care."

Queenie blinked, stunned. "Does… Does this mean you forgive me?"

Melanie pursed her lips and looked down for a moment before facing her again. "I don't know. Maybe I am. It's harder to hold a grudge against you now that I have Myrtle back. And I don't think she would want me to. I'm still having trouble trusting you again, but you're definitely above Madison on my list of allies."

Queenie looked down at the box and then back up at Melanie. "Okay." That was good enough for now. At least she knew she could still count on Melanie to be honest with her. Queenie felt that she was a lot more reliable than Cordelia or any of the other adults in the house.

They were all startled when a breathless and very distressed Myrtle came bounding down the hallway towards them. "Melanie! Come quick! It's Cordelia!" she said, instantly sending the young witch on high alert. "You, too, Kyle, Queenie. I need help moving her."

"Were is she? What happened?" Melanie asked anxiously, doing her best to remain calm and not panic.

"Brace yourself, my dear," Myrtle said, placing her hands on her shoulders. "I'm going to need you to be very brave. I've stopped the bleeding, but our sweet Cordelia appears to have mutilated her own eyes with a pair of gardening shears!" Kyle and Queenie shared a disturbed look and glanced worriedly at Melanie, whose eyes had widened in horror. Her throat tightened and her mouth went dry as all the blood drained from her face.

Melanie forced herself to swallow and clenched her hands to stop them from trembling. "Take me to her."

Myrtle sat in a chair outside Cordelia's room while she waited for Fiona to return. She had called her to inform her of the incident once they had finished making Cordelia more comfortable. She was smoking a brown cigarette to calm her nerves and holding a small ashtray that bore the remains of the one she had finished off before it. "Cordelia!" Fiona shouted, rushing up the stairs, panting. "Is it true?"

"Your daughter's resting comfortably," Myrtle told her as she stood up and moved to face her. "I threw a little analgesic spell her way to help the pain. Searing, don't you know. Melanie is in there with her now, applying a healing balm." The dear girl had whipped it up especially for poor Cordelia. She was also giving her a sleeping potion to help her rest.

"She's taken out both eyes?" Fiona asked.

"The blue eye, the brown eye. Some of my best work, between us pigeons, all gone," Myrtle replied.

"Why?" Fiona asked.

"Because your daughter has become something you will never understand, Fiona. She's a hero," Myrtle said, taking another drag of her cigarette. "Your girl has ripped her own eyes straight out of her skull for one reason only: to protect the coven."

"From what? Huh? I'll take care of the Witch Hunters," Fiona said. "And when I do… this coven will have no more enemies."

"No enemies on the outside perhaps, but danger lurks within these blanched walls. Everyone knows it. She sacrificed her eyes to regain the second sight. And woe to those among us who harbor bad thoughts," Myrtle said.

"I have no secrets," Fiona said.

"Then, by all means, go to her," Myrtle said. "Comfort her. Put motherly hands upon your wounded daughter's flesh and watch your filthy secrets be brought to light, laid bare." Fiona had moved past her to enter Cordelia's room, but stopped to glance back at her. " 'No secrets.' Shame on you, Fiona. I deserve better lies than that," Myrtle told her as she continued forward again. "You are an enemy to this coven and will be so long as you live. But Cordelia has your number, Slim."

Fiona paused with her hand on the doorknob and glanced back at her again with an angry glare. "Go to hell, Myrtle Snow."

"For what?" Myrtle asked. "Allowing you to see your daughter?"

Fiona stared at her for a moment before leaving the door to head back to the stairs. "I'll be back. I just need a drink. Steady my nerves."

"See you soon," Myrtle said, not buying that for a minute.

Kyle stroked Melanie's hair and kissed her head before carefully scooping her up to carry her back to their room. She had insisted on staying by Cordelia's side and fell asleep holding her hand after a few hours. She was exhausted from the spell she and Zoe had cast earlier and the effort from having to hold in her tears and anxiety over Cordelia's injuries. He lay her down on their bed and removed her shoes. Then he climbed into bed with her and wrapped his arms around her. He smiled as he breathed in her scent. He was sorry about what happened to Cordelia. He knew she was important to Melanie. He was worried about Madison, but he knew they were safe in this room, and he was glad that he had finally made things clear and ended the three-way affair with her. He and Melanie finally had each other all to themselves. She was his, and he was never letting go. He looked up when the door opened with a soft creak.

"Hey. How is she?" Zoe asked quietly, poking her head in through the door. Kyle held a finger to his lips and glanced at his sleeping Melanie in response. Zoe nodded and silently slipped into the room, carrying a suitcase. Apparently she had decided to take them up on their offer of sharing their safe haven. Kyle didn't grudge her for it, but it looked like he would have to wait a little longer to be completely alone with Melanie again. They both whipped their heads around to look at the open doorway when they heard a zap and someone uttered a curse.

"What the hell!?" Madison shouted incredulously, shooting an accusing glare at Zoe. The moment she had tried to step into the room, she was sent jumping back with a yelp when she came in contact with the protective barrier around the room and received a painful shock as a deterrent. "What the fuck did you do?"

"Melanie and I set up a barrier to keep out anyone who intends us harm," Zoe replied coolly, crossing her arms as she stood facing her new enemy. "You threatened her and Kyle, remember? You didn't really think we would forget about that, did you?"

"So they had me locked out of their room? You didn't really take me serious, did you?" Madison asked with frown, placing a hand on her hip and raising an eyebrow at her in an attempt to appear high and mighty.

"I'm not letting you in," Zoe said firmly, while Kyle moved to stand beside her, protectively blocking Madison's view of Melanie on the bed. "Like I said, this barrier only blocks people who intend the occupants of this room harm. The fact that you can't enter proves you're a danger to us."

Madison scoffed. "I don't need to get in to hurt you." She stared hard into the room, trying and failing to make the objects inside move. The barrier was blocking her telekinesis, too. "I… you… fuck you and your little dog, too!" she stammered furiously, turning red in the face with anger. Zoe and Kyle watched quietly while Madison screamed in frustration and stomped off in a fit.

"Wow. I think that alone just made casting the spell worth it," Zoe said with a small smirk. The look on Madison's face had been priceless.

"What? Did someone just scream? What happened?" Melanie asked drowsily, rolling over in her bed to peer up at them through heavy eyelids. Zoe smiled a little wryly at her. Melanie must have been really tired to sleep through all of that. Zoe yawned. She was feeling pretty exhausted, too.

"It's nothing. Go back to sleep," Kyle told Melanie softly, stroking her hair and giving her a kiss on the cheek.

Melanie was only mildly surprised when she woke up the next morning to find Zoe sleeping in the other bed in their room. They used the bathroom in shifts, and Melanie and Kyle quickly changed out of their pajamas while Zoe was in it. Melanie threw on a grey mock-turtle neck, a 90s style spaghetti-strapped dress with a short skirt and a pattern very similar to the famous Burberry plaid, black over-the-knee socks, and white converses. Breakfast was quiet, and Melanie spent most of the morning and early afternoon looking after Cordelia while Kyle continued his training. She was surprised again when she received a message later that day via Queenie that Myrtle wanted to talk to her while she was changing Cordelia's bandages.

Myrtle played her theremin while she waited for Melanie to come meet her in the greenhouse the next day. She had given what she was about to say a lot of thought and serious consideration. "You wanted to see me?" Melanie asked as she joined her.

Myrtle looked up and stopped playing the instrument so she could pick up a small leather box. "Come in, Melanie. I have something for you."

Melanie glanced curiously at the older witch when she handed the box to her, wondering what could be in it.

"Good God, chickie, don't look at it!" Myrtle exclaimed when she started to open it. "You'll be blinded by the sheer craftsmanship."

"What is it?" Melanie asked.

"My only possession of value," Myrtle replied. "A sapphire and topaz harvester ant made for me by Joel Arthur Rosenthal, the Fabergé of our time. The harvester ant is one of the most venomous creatures in the world, along with Fiona, and JAR—as the world knows my dear Joel—toiled on it for months."

"Do you want me to wear it?" Melanie asked, unsure why she would give her something so valuable now.

"You could never pull it off, darling. Well, perhaps in a few years, when you've had a chance to mature," Myrtle amended after pausing very briefly to consider it. "But at the moment only Lee Radziwill or myself could do it justice. Now listen to me carefully: I want you to hock it in case of emergency."

Melanie stared at her and blinked. "I'm completely lost here, Myrtle." Was the coven suddenly in financial trouble?

"You're leaving this coven, Melanie. And you're taking Kyle with you," Myrtle stated seriously, surprising her.

"I do love Kyle… but I'm not leaving," Melanie said. How could she even think that?

"I watched you and Kyle together at Nan's funeral. Such a pair. So much in love," Myrtle said with admiration. "As the great Keats would say, 'More happy love! More happy, happy love! Forever warm and still to be enjoyed. Forever panting and… forever young.'" She finished softly, staring off into the distance. Melanie recognized the quote. She knew it well. She had read it to Kyle herself from her collection of great English Romantic poets. "I had a love like that once," Myrtle said as she started playing the theremin again. "Egon von Furstenberg. He dumped me, but everything worked out all right in the end. You know why?" Melanie waited quietly for her to answer the rhetorical question. "Because, he went on to marry the divine Diane. And without Egon's support, Diane von Furstenberg never would have created the greatest invention of the century, the wrap dress!" Myrtle exclaimed, gasping in admiration. She stopped playing again and turned off the theremin. "If you stay here, your life is in grave danger," she told Melanie seriously as she approached her to take her hand.

"I can handle Madison," Melanie said. She wouldn't let her guard down again.

"She'd slit your throat, then sleep like a baby," Myrtle said.

"She'd have to get past the protective barrier I set up first," Melanie replied.

"She won't let that stop her. I understand Madison. The depth of her cynicism," Myrtle said grimly. "Unlike you, who outwardly pretend not to care, but still feel deeply on the inside; Madison acts like she doesn't care, because she truly doesn't. The girl has no empathy for others." She knew Melanie was a powerful young witch, and she could be cold and calculating when she needed to be. But so was Madison, and that Hollywood terror was far better at being cruel. She had a mean streak that ran as deep as the Marianas Trench. Myrtle gave Melanie's hand a little squeeze. She couldn't bear the thought of any harm coming to the darling girl. "Go. You and Kyle. Run away together and start your life over."

"Faithless is she who says farewell when the road darkens," Melanie said with a small frown.

"Oh, darling, please don't quote Tolkien at me right now." Myrtle said with an exasperated sigh.

"I'm committed to this coven, Myrtle," Melanie said firmly.

"So was I, and I burned at the stake for it," Myrtle reminded her.

"What if I'm the next Supreme?" Melanie asked. Something told her she wasn't, but she didn't really see the point in running when Fiona or Madison could just hunt her down later if one of them came out on top. If it came to that, she'd rather stay here and fight.

"All the more reason to run," Myrtle replied somberly. "If Madison doesn't end you, Fiona will." Melanie looked away from her.

"Melanie… you have a boy who loves you," Myrtle said earnestly.

"And I love him. But he isn't the only one I care about," Melanie said seriously, looking back at her. "I can't leave you and Cordelia while you're in danger, especially not in her current condition."

"Please, don't worry about us," Myrtle said. "My dear, you've spent your whole life at the mercy of someone else's whims. Do something for yourself for once."

"I am," Melanie said with a frown. "I'm not going to run away just because you told me to. I want to do this, Myrtle. I want to stay."

"Our dear Cordelia plucked her eyes out to protect this coven, to protect you, and you have the gall to ignore my words of warning and support?" Myrtle asked, starting to get frustrated with Melanie's dangerously unwavering loyalty. "You say you want to protect us, but what about Kyle? Are you going to protect him, or will you continue to put him in harm's way, too?" Melanie bit her lip, and Myrtle could see that she had finally hit a chink in her armor. She let go of Melanie's hand to retrieve a wooden box and opened it to show her its contents. "Don't worry about Cordelia, she'll understand. Now, take these tickets to Epcot and my JAR jewels and pack your bags." She closed the box and placed it in Melanie's hands. Melanie looked at the two boxes she was holding and then back at Myrtle. Then she reached out and hugged her guardian. Myrtle wrapped her arms around her young ward and held her close.

"Thank you, Myrtle," Melanie said quietly. "But I have to talk this over with Kyle before I make a decision. Whether we stay or leave… he should have a say in it. He has the right to make his own choice." Myrtle closed her eyes and sighed. She knew Melanie was right, bless her. But she also knew that if Kyle chose to go, then she would go with him. So she prayed the boy would do the sensible thing and take her far away from this wretched hive of villainy and deception.

"It looks like he's warming up to you," Zoe said with a smile, noticing how much closer Nox was willing to get to Kyle, even without Melanie around to encourage him. He was lying in Melanie's spot on the bed beside Kyle.

"I guess…" Kyle said, eying the black cat a little warily. He was afraid that he might hurt Nox the way he hurt the dog. He had seen how much Melanie loved the cat, so he knew she would be crushed if anything happened to it.

"Why don't you try petting him?" Zoe suggested. Kyle looked at her with wide eyes, alarmed by the suggestion. He was saved from being pressured any further to attempt it, when the door opened, and Melanie returned.

"Uh, Zoe… could I have a moment alone with Kyle?" Melanie asked. "We need to talk." Kyle tensed a little, wondering if he had done something wrong.

"Sure," Zoe said, glancing a bit curiously between them as she stood up to leave the room. She closed the door behind her to give them some privacy. Nox seemed to take the hint, too, because he hopped off the bed and trotted into the bathroom.

Melanie set the boxes in her hands on the nightstand and took Kyle's hand in hers as she sat down next to him on the bed. "Kyle… do you want to leave this place?" Kyle looked up at her in alarm and shook his head fiercely.

"No! No, I won't leave you!" he said anxiously, grabbing her by the shoulders. Nothing in this world could ever make him do that!

"I'm not asking you to," Melanie said gently, reaching up to cup his face in her hands. "We could go together, if that's what you wanted." Kyle blinked and stared at her, stunned. He was relieved to hear that, but he was also surprised. He didn't think that Melanie would ever leave the coven, especially not while the others were in danger. This wasn't like her.

"Why are you saying this?" he asked.

"Because Myrtle asked me to go. She wants us to leave. She even gave us her most prized possession and two tickets to Epcot," Melanie replied with a small, sad smile.

Kyle blinked again. "Why?"

"Because it's dangerous here. She's worried for our safety. It's very likely that more people are going to die before this is over," Melanie explained calmly squeezing his hand slightly.

"I'll protect you," Kyle said seriously, squeezing her hand back and looking her straight in the eye. "I'd die again before I let anything happen to you." Melanie bit her lip. That was exactly what she was afraid of.

"Forget about me and the coven for a moment. You don't have to do this," she told him. "What do you want? You didn't get to choose before, but… now you can. You can still live a normal life, Kyle. It's not too late for you to be an engineer like you wanted. I'm sure we can find a way to make it happen. I'm not scared of Fiona or Madison. And I'm not afraid to leave the coven as long as I have you with me." She frowned slightly, puzzled and worried when Kyle suddenly pulled away from her.

"But I am," he said, clenching his fists while he avoided eye contact. "I'm afraid. I'm not going."

"Why? Of what? Me?" Melanie asked, tilting her head to look at him.

"Of me," Kyle replied quietly, still not looking at her. "Of me… hurting you or somebody else." He held his face in his hands. He felt safe in the school. Here there were other witches around to stop him and save her if he ever lost control, but out there they would be on their own. It would be too easy for him to hurt her if he snapped again. He couldn't bear the thought of that happening. He wouldn't be able to live with himself. "I have these feelings inside that I can't… I can't control."

Melanie frowned with concern when Kyle sniffed. Tears were forming in his eyes and he looked like he was trying very hard not to cry. "But you've been doing better…"

"No, I haven't! I killed a dog the day Fiona 'fixed me' because I wanted to hug it! I can't even bear the thought of what would happen if I touched Nox and the same thing happened," he cried.

Melanie moved closer and wrapped her arms around him while he sobbed into his hands. She was also concerned about that, but she knew he would never do anything to hurt her on purpose. And she knew a little something about what it felt like to not be able to trust yourself after going through an unexpected transformation, to be afraid that you might suddenly hurt everyone around you. What Kyle needed most right now was someone who believed in him. Someone who could see beyond their fear and see the man that was still inside the monster he thought he was. "I'm not scared of you," she told him, leaning closer. "I'm not… scared of you." Kyle tried to turn away from her. She started stroking his hair. "You may not think it, but to me you're worth the risk." She placed her lips next to his ear and whispered the quote from Keats. "More happy love. More happy, happy love. More happy love." She gasped, a little startled, when Kyle suddenly turned and grabbed her, clamping his large hands on the side of her face and neck.

He stared long and hard at her, searching and studying every detail. There was no fear in her eyes. Only surprise, and love. A love as deep and sincere as his own. He wondered how he got so lucky and fervently thanked whatever force had brought the two of them together. He stroked her hair and kissed her nose. "You don't really want to leave, do you?" he said, holding her close. It was more of a statement than a question.

Melanie shook her head and leaned against him, clutching his shirt. "No, I don't. I don't like the idea of running away and leaving everyone else behind to fight. But I don't want anything to happen to you, either. I wanted to at least give you a choice," she said, looking up at him.

"You have," he said, stroking her hair again. And he loved her all the more for it. "And I choose you. I want to stay and help you fight. I want to protect what's important to you."

"You're important to me. Don't ever forget that," Melanie said seriously, furrowing her brow slightly with concern.

Kyle smiled and kissed the small crease in her forehead. "I won't," he promised.

"Oh, no," Myrtle said with a dread-filled sigh when Melanie came to inform her of their decision later that evening. "Please tell me this doesn't mean what I think it does. Melanie, you can't possibly continue to stay here at the academy. I won't allow it. You were supposed to spend your days in romantic splendor with your true love. You're just like Halston, when he sold his brand to J.C. Penny. You've forsaken your destiny."

"No, I've embraced it. We're staying, because we feel that this coven is where we belong, and we want to protect it," Melanie said, returning her JAR jewels to her. "But I'm keeping the tickets to Epcot. I want to take him there when this is all over." She didn't want Kyle to live the rest of his life locked away in the coven like a caged bird. She wanted to show him that he didn't have to be afraid. And what better than a visit to 'the happiest place on earth,' in sunny Orlando to chase away the darkness from their hearts when all was said and done? "But thank you for worrying about us. For everything," Melanie said, wrapping her arms around her guardian in another hug.

Myrtle accepted the jewels and held the dear girl tightly, hoping desperately that the young lovers wouldn't come to regret their decision not to run while they still could.