Final Preparations
The banquet was a somber affair, but that was really only to be expected. The numbers of the task force that attended it dictated that it be held outside, and thankfully the temperamental English weather cooperated for once, with clear skies and warm temperature holding for the subdued revelry. The military men and women (including Constanze…she sat with the Norwegian soldiers, to Diana's surprise) were all in their finest dress uniforms, and all the witches and warlocks likewise dressed appropriately…including Amanda, wearing a dark three piece suit cut and tailored perfectly to her figure. Diana had been surprised to see her at the party at all, much less in such fancy clothes, given her lack of presence at the reunion…but then she saw how Amanda and Hannah and Barbara were remaining close throughout the evening, practically glued to each other's sides. Nor could she miss the emotions that they regarded each other with…love, longing, fear…all those and more, and Diana couldn't blame them. The fear and unease about what the future offered was certainly the overall mood at the event.
Not much in the way of dancing, but that was to be expected. A good deal of drinking, but Diana had made that the bar was very well stocked with the finest reserves that Cavendish manor had to offer, as she had been expecting that, as well. She played the part of host as best as she could, and she was very glad for Akko's presence that never strayed from her side for very long, offering silent (and at times not so silent!) strength and support throughout the evening. She glanced over at the crimson-eyed Japanese witch as she tucked into her food with gusto, which was surprising, in and of itself. Diana barely had any appetite at all…
They were seated at the head table, along with Aunt Daryl and Merril, Headmistress Holbrooke and Professors du Nord and Finnelan, and Captain Crowther (or Ernie, as Merril had taken to calling him, with his blessing and to Daryl's dismay) and Oversersjant Larsen. There was not much conversation amongst those at the head table, though there was the dull murmur of conversation punctuated by the sound of cutlery on fine china amongst the other tables spread across the lawn and resplendent in bright white tablecloths and lit by ornate candelabras and fairy lights strung on strings stretched between poles that had been erected for the banquet. It all lent to a warm, golden atmosphere that Diana was glad to see. It made one think of warmth and life and comfort, which was what they all needed right now.
Then she glanced at the small and empty table set to the side, the glasses upon it inverted, with a lemon and salt upon its plate, a single rose in a thin, crystal vase with a red ribbon tied around it. The table set for the fallen, for those unable to be with them tonight, for those who would never dine again. How many more would be joining the fallen ranks in two days? A glance towards her watch told her that it was time, and she tapped on her wine glass with her knife, standing gracefully as the crowd silenced, the witches and warlocks and soldiers turning their attention on to her. She cleared her throat, and lifted her wine glass. "Ladies and gentlemen, I would like to thank you, once more, for joining us on this somber occasion. In less than forty-eight hours, we shall be commencing operations against Silent Spring. I will not remind you what terrible odds we face, nor what the cost of our failure will be. We have all of us seen enough of that these past many months. What I will say that, even now, on the eve of our titanic struggles, that I am proud to have been given the tremendous honor of joining ranks with such fine men and women, witches, warlocks, and soldiers. I could not ask for better company to be with, and I have the absolute confidence that our foes have no idea what enemies they have made in us. We have come from all corners of the globe, from all backgrounds, joining together to ensure that life shall continue to go on." She paused at that, glancing down at her notes, even though she had memorized her little speech. No, she needed to brace herself for her next words. "That said, I am obligated to…to remind you all that it would be wise to make sure your final affairs are in order. In support of this, there will be an attorney available for use tomorrow here at Cavendish manor. Her services are already paid for, and she has the ability to help set up wills and other final documents. I would suggest that those amongst you who do not yet have a final will and testament make use of her services."
The others were all fidgeting at that, looking down at their place settings uneasily, the grim reality setting upon them all. It was almost a certainty that some of those sitting here would not be with them in forty-eight hours.
She sighed, and lifted her wine glass. "Ladies and gentlemen, to Her Royal Majesty, Queen Elizabeth the Second!"
"To the Queen!"
"To our brothers and sisters in arms, fighting alongside us against the terrible darkness!"
"To our comrades!"
"To our success on the battlefield, that we may finally destroy our foes who have so long served as enemies of life!"
"To victory!"
Then silence, as wine glasses were drained.
xxxXXXxxx
The party was winding down now, and Sucy watched passively as most of the witches made their way into the Cavendish Manor to their rooms. Other witches who lived relatively close by were mounting brooms and flying off in groups. But the witch that she wanted to…no, needed to talk to was still standing by the head table, talking animatedly with the leader of the Norwegian soldiers, while a more reserved Diana spoke with the Brit commander. Her gaze flicked back to Akko, and her expression softened minutely.
Oh, Akko. Beautiful, sweet, kind Akko.
Akko, who had been one of the first to be overtly friendly to Sucy.
Akko, who would forgive anyone of anything, including her for years of experimentation with Akko as a guinea pig that really probably should have landed her in prison at best.
Ha! Prison. As if that would work. She still drew cruel amusement at the memory of some government toady approaching her, daring to even try to intimidate her some years ago. She was a bruha, a witch, an 'old lady of the woods.' She hearkened to the days when witches were rightly feared, when only the bravest of heroes would seek them out. Baba Yaga would not have tolerated the insolence of Silent Spring for long. If Baba Yaga wanted to help you, she would. If she didn't, you died. So very like the soft witches of this new age to have forgotten that, but she hadn't, as the foolish extremists found out when she returned home, ten years ago. Fools should have known better than to bother her and hers. Kidnapping her kid brother just because he was different was the very last mistake they ever made, she had made sure of that. And why stop there? Better to make sure that home was safe for those like her brother. You had to mercilessly remove cancerous growths for a body to be healthy, after all.
Her activities had gotten the attention of some meddling government or another, she couldn't be bothered to care which one, but he had showed up, blustering about like a self-important rooster, talking about how she wasn't above the law, and that 'they' (whoever they were) were keeping tabs on her. Fool didn't understand some very important things, first being that it was only Akko's good influence on her that she hadn't just started depopulating entire towns in the areas held by the extremists, collateral damage be damned, and second being that the sources she had within the witching community informed her that while there were plans to go after her if she went fully rogue, there was a significant amount of hesitation to do so, given that the other witches weren't entirely certain that they would win if they ever had to fight her.
She had needled and goaded and prodded the idiot toady until he got good and blustered and snapped that there were 'contingencies in place' if she ever went fully evil, up to and including tactical nuclear warheads being detonated in her near vicinity. Apparently, the nations involved in this plan felt that it was better to deal with the political and literal fallout and pay the reparations owed for using a nuke than to let her do her thing. Sad thing was, they were probably right in that assumption. She had some…plans in place that would be really, really bad for everyone not her if she acted upon them.
Of course, she had only snickered at the blithering fool. "Fools. As if that would save you," she had told him, thoroughly enjoying the look of horror on his face as he processed exactly what she meant. It wasn't 'fools, as if that would kill me.' She could not survive a nuclear strike, and she knew it. But that wouldn't save the rest of the world from her wrath, even from the grave. But the idiots did not understand it at all. She wouldn't do anything too bad, because it would make Akko sad. She would be disappointed in Sucy, and Sucy couldn't tolerate the thought. Plus, most of her plans had been made merely because she could, not because she would. It was more an academic exercise, one that Sucy found more amusing than anything else. That said, if anything bad happened to Akko…
Again, she scowled as she glanced at the wall surrounding the yard. Beyond it lay the moat. It would have been so easy to poison it and make Diana pay for her cruelty, and Akko had insisted and begged for her to not claim rightful retribution. It had only been Sucy's feelings towards Akko that had stayed her hand.
Ah, yes, her feelings…her attention returned to Akko. Good, she was alone now. Sucy quickly made her way over to the Japanese witch. "Akko," she drawled, and her heart clenched at how Akko's whole face lit up.
"Sucy! Did you have a good dinner?"
"As much as I hate to admit it, yes. Whoever Cavendish has in the kitchen knows how to prepare mushrooms perfectly." Then she paused, regarding Akko with an expressionless face that completely hid the roiling emotions in her heart. "Listen, Akko…" she started, and hesitated. "If I fall in the fight, I want you to be the one to tell my family."
Akko scoffed. "Sucy, this is you we're talking about. There's no way that-"
"Akko! You are the only one I trust to do it. If I should fall, you need to be the one to tell my family!"
Akko rocked back, surprised at the uncharacteristic vehemence in Sucy's voice. "Okay, I will, I promise." Then she gave a worried frown. "Sucy, you didn't use any divination, did you?" It was an unspoken agreement amongst the witches involved in the task force. No one had wanted to look into the future, for fear of what they might See.
"No, Akko, I didn't do anything like that. I just wanted to make my desires known."
Akko smiled softly and almost shyly at that. "Well, I'm honored that you would come to me, Sucy. I'll do my best!" she exclaimed, and it took considerable force of will for Sucy to not smile, as well. You always do, she thought to herself. It's why you're so perfect, Akko. "Anyways, did you need anything else?"
Sucy didn't answer for a moment, instead taking the time to really drink in Akko's visage, knowing it might be her last chance to do so, at least like this. Finally, just as Akko started to look uncomfortable, she shook her head gently. "No, that will be all. I'm going to be very busy preparing tomorrow. We meet at dawn on the athletic field at Luna Nova in two days, correct?"
"Yes, that's right."
"Very well, then, Akko, I'll see you there." With that, Sucy turned and made her leave, heart heavy. But that was just the way of things.
After all, people like Akko hunted monsters, tamed them, soothed their jagged edges. They didn't end up with them, they ended up with princesses like the bitch Cavendish.
And people like Sucy…people like her didn't get happy endings. A harsh truth, but then, this was a harsh world. Sucy had long accepted that truth, and would remain content with observing Akko from a distance, forever yearning for something that she could never have.
Then she steeled her heart, lifted her head. She still had many preparations to make, and her plans for Silent Spring were positively delicious. This was her one chance to take out all the stops, to strike with everything she had and not get in trouble for it. Her mouth stretched wide in a pointed tooth grin. She couldn't wait!
xxxXXXxxx
Daryl Cavendish stood in the main entrance of the manor, watching as her niece puttered about the tables still set out in the yard that was now empty of people, save for the Lady Cavendish and the manor staff that Diana was helping clean up after the party. Every one of her aristocratic sensibilities sneered at that, for that was quite literally what the help was for, and it was almost disgraceful to sully one's hands by helping tidy up, but then…Diana had always been different.
Oh, how that rankled so! All of her pride, her ambitions, all that she had done to try and preserve the status of the Cavendish family in the face of the near erasure of magic…all for nothing. She begrudgingly admitted that she had gone too far, that ambition untampered by familial traditions was just as dangerous as the naïve adherence to the old ways that her sister had been so committed to. But then, Diana and that common Japanese witch had brought magic back. The petty part of her had been disappointed at that, as she had been almost looking forward to their ideals withering in the face of a harsh, uncaring reality. But magic came back, and Diana had been working tirelessly to restore the Cavendish family back to its rightful place at the top of the magic world, and Daryl had to admire that, if nothing else. But now…
Steeling herself, she stepped out into the yard, making a beeline towards her niece, who was talking with Anna. "Lady Cavendish," she called out, watching with hawk's eyes as Diana carefully schooled her features as she turned her attention to her.
"Yes, Aunt Daryl?" she asked, voice smooth, and Daryl was impressed. There wasn't a hint of disdain or distaste in the younger woman's expression or words, despite the fact that Daryl knew that Diana had not quite forgiven her for her actions, those thirteen years ago. That and Daryl's misgivings about some of the company that Diana kept. Appearance was so important, and the old guard hadn't changed yet! If only Diana knew what some of the other heads of noble houses were saying about her choice in retainers and the fact that she hadn't taken a husband yet. She counted her blessings that none of them had ever seen the way that Diana had looked at that common Japanese witch. Not that she had an issue with those who had such inclinations, but as the head of a noble house, there were duties that Diana had to see to! But that was a discussion and fight for another time. Now, with what was on the horizon…
"I daresay that you are going to be incredibly busy these next thirty-six hours, so I wanted to say this now, whilst I had the chance. You spoke of writing a last will and testament…have you selected a successor?"
Diana nodded coolly. "Yes, Aunt Daryl, I have."
Daryl sighed with relief. "Very good." She didn't need to have to ask who it would be…due to their, ah, interference thirteen years ago, she and her daughters were forevermore unable to pass the ritual and become heads of the household, which only left her granddaughter to take the mantle if Diana…if Diana wasn't able to be the head of the family anymore. She hated to admit it, and still loathed Diana for setting up that arrangement, but Maril had flourished in her marriage to Andrew, and it tied the Cavendishes with one of the most prominent families in all of Britain. It was not the marriage itself that rankled Daryl so, but that it had been done wholly without her input…
"Was there anything else, Aunt Daryl?" Diana asked, and Daryl could hear the dismissal in the words. "I'm terribly busy."
For a moment, Daryl faltered, wondering where it had all gone wrong, where the family had grown so splintered. She had always been envious of Bernadette's ability just as she loathed her sister's naivety, and those feelings had transferred onto her niece when Bernadette was taken from them far before her time and thrust Daryl into a position that she had yearned for from afar but had not really been ready for. But this was still her niece, still her family, and all that she had left of her sister, and now…
"I just wanted to let you know…that despite my misgivings in some of your choices that you have made…I'm proud of you, Diana," she murmured, almost laughing at the look of shock in Diana's eyes, shock that was very quickly followed by worry. And who could blame her for that worry? Daryl had always been aloof at best and disdainful at worst when it came to her niece. For her to be so heartfelt…but there were some things that simply had to be said before they couldn't be said, at least face to face. "What I did…was originally an attempt to save the family, but I grew lost, blinded by my own greed, ambition, and envy towards you. But you chose to save us from the curse when you absolutely had every right to let that spell take its course, and that, more than anything else, shows that you were the only proper choice to head the family. I regret where my choices led me, but I am glad, in some ways, for my role in shaping you to be who you are. The Cavendishes…could not ask for someone better to be the head of the family." She paused, gritting her teeth, emotions roiling chaotically in her breast. "Diana…you still have much work to do, and we can't bear to lose you. Come back home."
Diana stared at her for a long moment, her visage softening for a moment, almost showing a yearning regret. Then she spoke, slowly and hesitantly. "Aunt Daryl…I will strive to do my best."
Daryl nodded, sniffing disdainfully. "As though I expect anything else from you. Now, show those Silent Spring ruffians precisely what happens when they cross a Cavendish."
A small smile. "Of course, Aunt Daryl."
Then, swallowing her pride, Daryl did something she had never done before: she stood shoulder to shoulder with her niece, helping tidy up. Of course she'd deny it until her last, dying breath, but she knew in her heart of hearts that this might be the last moments she spent with her sister's daughter, who had shaped up to be someone that she was terribly proud of. Only a fool would let pride get in the way of what could be the last time that they spent in one another's company, the silence between them amiable for the first time in years. If only there weren't that damnable, pervasive sense of foreboding that hung like a veil over it all…
xxxXXXxxx
It was the morning after the party, and Merril was terribly nervous as she sat at the small outdoor table in the garden, Ernie sitting opposite her. She had grown terribly fond of the man in the past month, though mother was not pleased with that, not one bit. But for the first time, Merril understood the sort of liberation that her sister had found with Andrew. Granted, Ernie's family was nowhere near as influential as the Hanbridges, but still, he was of the peerage, and Merril was nearly thirty. Mother had no right or basis to deny Merril's desires in this case, and Diana had subtly signaled her support of her interest in the Captain. "I'm just terribly worried, Ernie," she was saying, frowning worriedly into her teacup that rested on the saucer held in her hands. "You're going into danger, and magic can be terribly dangerous."
"Don't fret, Mer," he said with a soothing smile. "I've faced many a danger over my career, and we won't be on the front lines, as it were. We'll be back a ways, securing a safe place for those who are actually doing to the fighting to return to. I'll return to you, I promise."
She blushed prettily at that, lifting the teacup to her painted lips, taking a dainty sip. What was it about this man that had her heart beating so? Was this, dare she say, the beginning of love? "Ernie…after this is over, and forgive me for being so terribly forward, but would you possibly be interested in a courtship?"
He blinked in surprised at that, dark eyebrows shooting up. "But I thought…" he started, then shook his head. "I'm terribly sorry, my lady, I thought you had realized. I suppose I should have said it out front. Lady Merril Cavendish, I am very much interested in pursuing a relationship with you, if you'll have me, and have been so interested for some time."
She would not have been able to keep the smile from her face at his words, even if she had been so inclined to try. She nodded shyly, heart pounding in excitement, but even through all the elation, a note of fear still rang sourly. Please, Ernie, stay safe! Come back to me, please!
xxxXXXxxx
Hauptmann Constanze Amalie von Braunschbank Albrechstberger frowned thoughtfully, welding mask tilted up over her forehead as she inspected the last seam she had welded. The armor was almost complete, and by her many calculations, it should serve very well in the coming fight. Its multiple magical reservoirs were all full, allowing for twenty-four hours of operation at full power in combat conditions.
Then a chirp at her side, and her dour expression softened. Stanbot was holding up a picture of the family. Papa und Mama, I think you shall be proud of me, she thought, humming softly as she pulled her heavy welding gloves off and went over to the table in the garage that she had piled full of her stuff. A plate had ham sandwiches stacked high on it that hadn't been there before. She must have been lost in her work and thus hadn't noticed when one of Diana's servants brought the food to the expansive Cavendish garage that she had taken over and turned into her workshop. She glanced out the broad bay doors at the sunlit yard. After noon, then. Scarfing down some of the sandwiches and dusting her hands off on her grungy coveralls, she pulled out a tablet and stylus. She hesitated just a moment before she began to type. Liebste Mutter und Vater: Ich hoffe, Sie werden in diesen Worten Trost finden…
It would be some time before she finished writing the letter to her mother and father and then programmed it to be sent if she died. That task done, she returned to the armor, getting lost in the complexity of it all as the day dragged on…
xxxXXXxxx
It came as a surprise for every single one of the guests and residents of Cavendish Manor when Jasminka made her rounds, face never appearing as cheery as it did that day, handing out snacks that she had been hand crafting since early in the morning. Somehow, some way, the Russian witch knew precisely which snack was each individual's favorite, and every person could not help but agree that the food prepared by Jasminka was the best that they had ever tasted.
When asked about it, Jasminka had shrugged with a happy smile. "Food is life, food is happiness, and if I can give a bit of life and happiness right now, then I can go with no regrets, da?"
No one, not one of them, had the courage to ask what Jasminka meant by 'go,' afraid of what the answer might end up being. Go to battle, or go to the afterlife? That was an answer that no one desired to hear from the cheerful Russian…
xxxXXXxxx
It was early evening when the karaoke bar owner looked up in surprise at the woman with dark purple hair and eyes who strode into the building alone. "Hullo, miss, whot kin I be doin' fer ye?" he asked, and she slid an impressive amount of money across the counter to him.
"I understand you have recording capabilities," the woman said, face surprisingly somber. "I wish to record some songs."
"Any others joinin' ye?" he asked, tilting his head to the side, peering curiously at the door. "A band, per'aps?"
"No band, and I know the instrumental versions of the songs I'll be selecting, thank you."
"Very good, miss, pleasure doin' business with ye. Booth seven, if ye would."
"Thank you."
Avery Hazel spent the next two hours singing her heart out, putting all the emotions she felt roiling in her breast into the lyrics that flowed out of her mouth, heartfelt, afraid, hopeful, yearning for life. When done, she gathered up the recordings, thanked the owner, and made her way out into the deepening twilight, where she would join Mary and Blair, and they would spend the next hours in drunken revelry, one final night on the town before the three of them went to battle. The recordings would stay in her purse throughout the night. I'll post them online tomorrow, after we all get back, she told herself. I'm sure my fans will enjoy the music…perhaps these will finally get me out of the academic world and into the musical scene. I want to do more than just post videos on WitchTube! Plans for the future solidly in place, she focused on having a good time with her two closest friends, very carefully not thinking about the coming battle…
xxxXXXxxx
Things were somber at Luna Nova, as well, even the students noticing that many of the professors seemed uncharacteristically grim. But classes finally ended for the day, and those involved in the task force met briefly, giving each other knowing glances before they separated for the evening.
Headmistress Holbrooke would spend the rest of the night in her office with a pot of tea, and she gazed fondly up at the painting of her mother, father, and her, wondering if she would finally be rejoining them, after all these many, many years…
Professor Nelson returned to her room, triple locking the door and still glancing about suspiciously as she removed the one false stone in the wall, revealing the telephone she had kept hidden. She dialed the number she had memorized, and it rang three times before it was answered. "Lizzie! It's Katelyn. You think you can get the squadron together, like I talked about the other day? Yeah? Excellent! I'll meet you at the Spitfire in an hour." The rest of her evening was spent with the remainder of her squadron from back in her RAF days, somberly toasting the empty chairs that used to be filled with her comrades. Most had been claimed by flying accidents, but some few of them by enemy action. And despite her forced cheerfulness, she couldn't help but wonder if the next empty chair was going to be hers…
Professor Finnelan didn't hold much to melancholy when she returned to her room. But she did get the bag of treats that she reserved for very special events like birthdays, and she shook in tantalizingly. "Minerva?" she called, shaking the bag again. "Minnie, darling, are you there?" With the jingle of the bell on collar and a happy p-r-r-r-ow? her grey and black tabby cat came padding around the corner, already purring up a storm, prompting a rare smile to come to Finnelan's face. "Oh, yes, sweetie, did you miss mummy?" she cooed in a tone of voice she would never dare let a student hear. Moments later found her sitting on her small couch, cup of tea on the endtable and Minnie purring contentedly in her lap as Finnelan's pen scratched on the piece of paper. 'I have already informed your mother of my intentions,' she was writing in the letter that was to be sent to her niece if…well, no use in thinking about that, 'and I believe that, given Minerva's general opinion that you are the best of all of my nieces and nephews (in that you give her the most treats, she is terribly easy to bribe, after all) that Minnie shall go to you if I am no longer able to care for her. I trust you will give her all the love that she deserves.' She paused at that, pen tip hovering over the paper for a long moment before she sighed, tears gathering at the corners of her eyes. Minnie wouldn't understand, and that was the worst part. By the Nine, please let me come home to you! she begged in the silent confines of her mind as she gathered her cat up, holding her close, prompting Minnie to purr louder. The letter would be finished, before dawn. For now, she just wanted to be with her cat…
Chariot du Nord…she sat for a very long time at her desk, staring at the blank piece of paper set before her, uncertain how to start it. Finally she sighed, and picked up her pen. 'My dearest Croix…so strange to address a letter as such, but I find that I cannot write anything but the truth this evening. Tomorrow we shall be conducting a fight against Silent Spring, and even with all the preparation that we have put into this, I cannot say I feel optimistic about our odds. We will fight as best we can, but I fear that our casualties will be horrendous. I also struggle with what little news I've had of you…I simply cannot bring myself to believe what the others have been saying, that you are fighting with and not against Silent Spring. What letters we have shared and what I saw when I visited does not mesh what all the others believe, and I still hold out hope that you are doing the right thing, even now. I also wish that I had done my part in preventing all that has happened to you. If I had been a better friend, if I had not been so obsessed with my dream, if I had just opened my eyes, perhaps I could have seen the darkness that was growing in your heart. Perhaps we could have worked through the issue together, and together we might have been able to do what was instead forced upon our successors. But I didn't, and for that you have my deepest apologies.'
She stopped, bit her lip, a deep sadness seizing her heart as she thought about what might have been. Alcor gave a hoarse croak and fluttered over to her shoulder, butting his head against her cheek, and she smiled sadly as she stroked a finger against his feathered breast before continuing. 'I am to be on the frontlines, if there are to even be any proper lines of battle. I have surmounted terrible danger in the past, and will make every effort to survive this, but if I don't…I must apologize if you receive this letter after I pass, but I feel that I must let my feelings be known, that I must say it plainly: je t'ai toujours aimé, et je vous aimerai toujours, ma chérie. I have always loved you, and I will always love you, my dear. I pray that this letter finds you in good health, and that you might find it in your heart to forgive me for everything. With love, Chariot.'
She lay the pen down, folded the paper, inserted it into its envelope, sealed it with wax and cast the quick spell that made it impossible for anyone but Chariot to open, and added it to the stack of letters she had already written to all those she held close to her heart. It was the last one that she would be writing, and she stared at all the letters from where she remained seated in her chair, praying with all her heart that they would not have to be sent. She would remain in that chair until it was time to meet at the athletic field the next morning…
xxxXXXxxx
Lotte collapsed against Frank's bare, sweat dampened chest with a happy sigh as she drew the blankets up around their naked bodies. It still amazed her that he had ever been interested in her, those long years ago. She had no idea what he had seen in the shy, timid girl that she had been. Well…she still was fairly shy and timid, she reminded herself with a soft chuckle, and now, with this bump to mar her figure…
"Lotte?" he asked softly, and she sighed again, snuggling closer, basking in the warmth that followed their lovemaking. Her fingers idly played with the short golden hair on his chest, and his arm came to wrap around her back, holding her close to him. "Are you worried about tomorrow?" he asked, and she hesitated for a moment before nodding into his chest. "I'm sure everything will be fine, love. You know how hard they've been preparing."
"Frank, I want you to take Ingrid and go and visit Andrew and Maril tomorrow. Leave before dawn," she said, voice soft and grim.
He froze, all movements stopping. Finally, after a long pause, he spoke. "May I ask why?"
"There's…there's a chance that Silent Spring might try to attack here, and I don't want you to be put into danger."
He stiffened, and she didn't have to look up to his face to know that he was frowning. "But I can help!" he protested, no, he almost pleaded. "Surely I can help in some way!"
She laughed, nuzzling her cheek into his chest. "Love, you haven't ever fired a gun, not that we have any, and the last time you touched a sword was in Appleton during fencing class, and if I remember Andrew's stories about that, you were terrible at it."
There was a long silence before he spoke again. "Are…are you sure, love?" he asked, and her heart melted at the tenderness that was in every word he spoke. This was why she loved this man so! He trusted her, completely and wholly.
"Yes. It would be best if you and Ingrid weren't here if something happens."
"Can you fight them on your own?" he asked, and it wasn't doubt of her ability that colored his words, it was fear of what Silent Spring was capable of.
Lotte couldn't help that cold laugh that huffed out of her, though. "On my own? Who says I'm going to be on my own?" she asked, thinking about the crates and crates of items that she had been collecting since this business had started and that were now sitting in the basement, waiting to be used.
"Very well, then. Be safe, my love. I couldn't bear losing you." She smiled at his words, kissed his chest before kissing up, nibbling on his stubbled jawline before claiming his lips as her hand crept down, grasping him gently and giving a few teasing pumps as he reacted rather favorably to her ministrations. He broke their kiss to grin up at her, eyes twinkling. "Again?! You are absolutely insatiable, my pet!"
She laughed again, a breathy quality to the sound of mirth as she squirmed slightly…he wasn't the only one whose body was heating up, after all. "For you? Always." She bent down for another kiss, and the next thirty minutes were spent very well indeed, if she had to say so herself. For she really was insatiable that night, and why wouldn't she be? After all, this might be her last chance to be with the man she loved…
xxxXXXxxx
While Lotte was making love with her husband, a small, cozy cottage in Wedinburgh was gripped by a much more somber mood. Hannah, Amanda, and Barbara were all lying in bed, holding one another tightly. There had been no lovemaking between them that night, and there wouldn't be, not tonight. Hannah's eyes kept flicking to the corner of the room, where the weapons that Diana had commissioned for them rested, next to the expansive bookcase holding Barbara's Nightfall collection. Barbara had requested a flanged mace, and while the weapon was perhaps a bit more slender than the war maces used centuries ago, the elegant weapon was still deadly, and fitting for the noblewoman…maces were symbols of authority.
But back when Barbara's ancestors might have been armed with weapons such as the mace, Hannah's ancestors were armed with weapons a good deal more common. Her family was new money, and her title of Baronetess was awarded to her because she was the retainer of a Countess, it wasn't a familial title. The non-magical side of the family came from far more common stock, and so it was only fitting that she requested the monster that she did: the billhook. Like a good deal of polearms from the medieval period, it was based off of an agricultural tool, but had been modified to be effective on the field of battle. Its main feature was a large, hooked blade that could easily drag a man from a horse…or a witch from a broom. It was sharp, and when she had tested it on a watermelon shortly after getting it, the melon had been cut completely in two. It also had a long spike rising from the top of the blade that could be used to stop a charging foe, and another spike jutting from the back of the blade, to be used if the opponent had armor that the blade couldn't cut through on its own. She had also requested a warpick, knowing that if the enemy drew too closely, the billhook would be more of a hindrance than a help.
"Hannah?"
It was Barbara, concern clear in her quiet voice, and Hannah realized that she was worrying her lower lip with her teeth. "Sorry," she murmured, glancing at the American who lay between them, eyes closed, deep and even breathing letting them know that she was sleeping, thought probably fitfully. "Just…thinking, you know?"
Barbara nodded, lying back down with a worried sigh. "Me, too."
Hannah brought an arm over Amanda's hip, seeking and finding Barbara's hand with her own, their fingers intertwining. "Don't worry," she whispered. "So long as the three of us have each other, nothing can beat us, right?"
"Right," came the sleepy murmur from Amanda, and the redhead shifted, stretched, and moved her arms so that they were resting under the two British witches. "Now, come on, we need to get as much sleep as possible. Tomorrow is going to be a very long day."
Silence reigned after that, broken only by soft murmurs of love and encouragement, and what sleep they could get was fitful, awful anticipation of what was to come in a few short hours preventing them from sleeping well. And throughout the long, restless night, the same thought kept running through all of their minds: please let there be all three of us here and together tomorrow night!
xxxXXXxxx
Diana sat at the desk in her study, a bottle of very old and very expensive scotch before her, and she had been nursing the amber liquid from a magically chilled glass for a few hours now, the smooth liquor putting some warmth in her gut, a welcome sensation when everything else seemed so cold. She was staring at her last will and testament that was waiting for one final addition and her signature, both to be written in a magical ink that would make this a binding contract for anyone of the Cavendish line. She glanced at the clock, unsurprised to see that the hour was in that nebulous area where it was either very later or incredibly early. Well. No sense in putting it off any longer. She drained the cold glass of its scotch and picked up the enchanted quill that had been in the family for generation upon generation. When she wrote, the letters shone a brief, brilliant gold before fading to plain black.
'As a final addendum to this Last Will and Testament, I, Diana Victoria Rose Cavendish, do name my first cousin once removed, Victoria Elizabeth Anne Hanbridge, daughter of Maril Olivia Hanbridge (née Cavendish) and Andrew William Blake Hanbridge as the future head of the Cavendish Household, and she will inherit all titles, estates, and responsibilities associated thereof in the event of my death or incapacitation, wherein I am unable to further execute the duties associated with being the head of the household. Until such a time when she is able to undergo the ancient rites and tests to assume those duties, her mother and father shall be stewards of the title and estate, to maintain and preserve the dignity and status thereof until such a time when Victoria Elizabeth Anne passes the rituals and assumes the name and title of the Lady Cavendish, Countess of Wedinburgh. Signed this day, Lady Diana Victoria Rose Cavendish, Countess of Wedinburgh.'
Suddenly exhausted now that the task was done, she gathered up the candle she had been writing by and left the study, very carefully not thinking about how this might be the last time she entered it. Anna knows about the will, and she will see it executed. Not that Aunt Daryl would interfere…it is her granddaughter who shall assume Ladyship, after all.
Then she froze, heart pounding in her chest as her eyes registered the dark shape in the dim hall, just outside her bedroom door. Hand dropping to the wand that she had with her at all times in the remote chance that Silent Spring managed to infiltrate the grounds, she approached cautiously…only to breathe a sigh of relief when she recognized Akko's figure. The Japanese woman was sitting on the floor outside her door, dressed in her usual nightclothes. Then Diana's relief morphed to concern. What was Akko doing out here this early in the morning? "Akko?" she called out softly, and Akko turned her head, crimson eyes almost black in the darkness as she peered towards Diana.
"Couldn't sleep," she murmured. "Wanted to know if…if we could share a bed like we did that night in the hotel. I don't want to be alone right now."
Diana quickened her stride, candle flame dancing wildly, casting shadows against the walls as she hastened towards her…towards her friend. "Of course you can," she said as she opened the door. "Come in, come in."
The concern she had felt remained, however, as Akko quietly clambered to her feet and made a beeline towards Diana's bed, getting under the covers without a sound. Frowning at the uncharacteristically silent witch, Diana quickly grabbed her own nightclothes and changed into them behind her changing screen. Then she was crawling into bed with Akko, and was not surprised when Akko latched her arms around her, pulling her close. "Akko…do you want to talk?" A firm shake of Akko's head. "Do you…just want to stay like this?" A nod. "Okay, dear one, I have you." The two of them stayed like that for a long time, and despite her fears and concerns for the coming battle, Diana found her eyes growing heavy, and she slid into an uneasy sleep…
…only to awaken as her alarm went off, seemingly moments later. To her surprise, Akko was no longer in the bed, and for a moment she wondered if she had dreamt it. But no, there was a lingering scent of cherry blossoms in the room. Akko had been there. Diana took some small comfort in that as she got ready.
The Cavendishes, while a very illustrious witching family, were still members of the English Aristocracy, and had been involved in the struggles the Crown had been involved in for a very, very long time. Some of the artifacts that they had, then, were not for magic, but for war. Her armor was a cuirass that had many protective spells laid over it, and it went over a hooded and dark blue fine wool coat that had glyphs sewn into it with silver thread. Black knee-high riding boots and thick white dueling gloves completed the ensemble, and she glanced at the sword. It was a rapier, exquisitely constructed, and it had been made in the 17th century. It was the current family sword, and had served her ancestors well, just as it would serve her well. She buckled the sword belt on, comforted by its weight at her side as she secured her wand on her right hip. She grabbed her broom, and the last item she collected was a porcelain mask that was too delicate in appearance to be called a helmet, despite its defensive enchantments providing just as much protection as the sturdiest of medieval helms.
She opened the door, unsurprised to find Akko waiting in the hall, leaning against the wall, clothed in her armored dress, her horned witch's hat resting on her head at a rakish angle. They didn't say a word as they made their way outside, where the SAS and Jegertroppen were boarding their lorries. The soldiers would drive to a rendezvous point and be brought upon the Luna Nova grounds by the lorries owned by the school. Sharing glances, the two witches mounted their brooms and took off, flying into the pre-dawn night, and Diana took a moment to admire the stars shining brilliantly from the early morning sky. It was shaping up to be a beautiful day…
Almost before they knew it, they had arrived at the Glastonbury Ley Line terminal. It didn't surprise her that she and Akko were the first to arrive at the dew covered athletic field that was looked over by the dark windows of the school, and they touched down, that silence still hanging between them. She sat down, and Akko sank down to rest on the ground next to her, knees almost touching.
That was the position that they were in, sitting and silent, close but not quite touching, when the next three brooms came silently gliding in, and Diana took in the sight of Hannah, Barbara, and Amanda, dressed for war and armed to the teeth as they landed. Amanda was dressed in her magic plate armor. Barbara was dressed in heavy robes that Diana could almost see the magical wards rolling off of, and Hannah was armored in a sturdy gambeson that had brass rings sewn into it, and a steel gorget provided extra protection to her shoulders and upper chest. Both Hannah and Barbara had porcelain masks similar to hers, only inlaid with silver designs as opposed to the gold designs of her mask.
The three of them paused upon noticing Diana and Akko, nodded their greetings, and sat a short distance away…well, they sat until Amanda lay back, resting her head in Hannah's lap while Barbara leaned against Hannah, her head dropping to lay against the auburn haired woman's shoulder. Then Amanda produced a harmonica, and began to play while Hannah idly played with her bangs, and the soft, mournful notes of the instrument greeted the other witches as they started coming in, Amanda playing The Yellow Rose of Texas, She Wore a Yellow Ribbon, and many other like songs as their small host gathered. As they came in, the eastern horizon slowly lightened, heralding the coming of the dawn, and Diana wished with all her might that time would just stop, that the threat would just dissipate, that they would not have to go into harm's way! But her wishes were for naught. Then, almost as if she could sense the turmoil in Diana's heart, Akko gently hooked her pinky with Diana's, and Diana looked down at their joined fingers before taking a deep breath, turning her hand so that she could curl her finger more fully around Akko's. That was all the contact that they had, but then…it was all that they needed.
The soldiers arrived, heavily laden with weapons and extra ammunition, and some of the Cyclops working for Luna Nova came behind them, bearing pallets stacked with equipment, and the call was put out for team leaders to come get radios. Amanda got up at that, glanced over at Akko and Diana, who remained sitting, loath as they were to separate. The American went over, joined by a throng of other witches and warlocks, and she returned a moment later, depositing two radios with throat mics and earpieces at their feet, and Diana thanked her silently with her eyes, and Amanda shrugged before she made her way back to Hannah and Barbara. Then more servants from Luna Nova appeared, bearing pots of tea and coffee with mugs, platters of food, and they made their way amongst the waiting witches, warlocks, and soldiers, and at the insistence of Captain Crowther, most of them had something to eat and drink. Canteens were also supplied, full of water. Good, a soldier said in the dark, fighting is thirsty work.
Sucy caused a stir when she dropped out of the sky like a demon from hell, clothed head to toe in black, her robe and cape ragged and darker than pitch, streaming behind her like a banner of doom. She did not approach anyone, and no one approached her as she began to organize a multitude of vials in the satchel that hung from her shoulder. There was a ripple of murmured awe when Jasminka arrived, mounted atop a bear of goliath proportions, a heavy saber hanging at her side and a Russian assault rifle slung across her back. She would be leading the ground forces that would teleport in behind the first air wave. There was no smile on her face.
Constanze was one of the last to arrive, just before the sun broke the horizon, and she flew in not on a broom, but clad in the armor that had so reminded Diana of the very popular comic book movies of the previous decades. The Eiserne Jungfrau armor was laden down with weapons, and Diana prayed that they would be enough. Constanze flew down and landed next to Jasminka, and remained standing.
Then the teachers, clad in the clothes of war and bearing their own weapons and wands, came streaming down from the school just as the sun crested the horizon, and without a word, all the witches and warlocks who were in the first wave stood, grabbing their brooms, and Diana's heart ached as her and Akko's hand separated, and then Akko was suddenly pressing their foreheads together, her hand cupping the back of Diana's neck, hot against her skin. "Good luck," she whispered. "Stay safe." And then she was gone, heading over to where the ground forces were congregating, and Diana's heart pounded in her chest as the words she so wanted to say beat against the back of her teeth. But then she was surrounded by the others of the first wave, and the moment was lost, and she'd never get it back again.
Numbly, she mounted her broom with the others, and then, with one fell voice, they all cried out the spell that would send them into the sky, where the Ley Line portal was being summoned, the portal that would bring them to Arcturus Forest, the portal that would bring them to battle.
"Tia Freyre!"
The time had finally come.
AN: This is it, you guys. The battle starts next chapter. Keep in mind that while I wrote about a lot of characters in this chapter, pretty much everyone in the entire Task Force is doing what everyone in this chapter is doing: getting their final affairs in order and giving their final farewells to their families and loved ones.
I hope you all enjoyed reading, and see you next week!
