After agreeing to Kevin's wishes (ne, demands), Betty found herself with the new job title of manager at his apothecary. She was rather excited if she allowed herself a moment to think about it. There was a moon harvest coming up, one of her favorite times of the year because it meant she didn't have to hide her powers. And, she noted with a jolt of excitement, she especially didn't have to hide them here. Not in Riverdale. Not where there were other beings who possessed supernatural abilities as well.
"You don't ever have to hide your powers in front of any of us, all right?" Jughead murmured lowly in her ear and Betty was used to the fact that he could hear her thoughts by now – despite the mental block – so she didn't even gasp in surprise. She simply hummed happily, knowing that to an extent, she was pretty safe in her parents' hometown.
"I know," she murmured back, locking her pinkie around his and squeezing gently. "And I thank you all for that. I was worried I wasn't going to be safe here, despite my mother always telling me if something happened to her and my dad to go find FP."
"So, Ally expected something to happen?" FP asked quietly, voice tinged in pain and Betty exhaled a sigh full of grief as she nodded hesitantly.
"I think she did, yes, FP. I'm so sorry you lost your oldest friends," she murmured sadly. "My parents were good people and died defending my coven with every ounce of magic they had. It wasn't enough but they died heroes."
Betty watched as Kevin, Joaquin, and Sweet Pea all circled around them as well, faces holding looks of sorrow. "Do you know why your coven was attacked, Betty?" Kevin asked quietly, brow furrowed in concern.
She expelled another sigh, wrapping her arms around her frame as she chewed on her lip. Eyes flickering around the shop to see who was all there and if they'd be listening in, she chose her words with care. "My coven was attacked by witch hunters. The Evernever's, to be exact. My mom – she said her and my dad would hold them off long enough for me to make a run for it. To run to Riverdale and not look back as I was who would be able to save our magic at this point. I was the last hope for our clan."
"No pressure," Sweet Pea murmured, and Betty laughed, nodding in agreement.
"Yeah, tall, no pressure," she commented with a wistful sigh, heart panging at the fact that her parents weren't there to tell her what the hell that even meant. The fact that she was the last hope – she had no idea what she could possibly do that her mother hadn't. Smith lineage was the strongest lineage there was – as was Coopers'. Maybe it had to do with the fact that she was their daughter? A product of the two lineages merging together? If that was the case, why her? Why not Chic or Polly, both of whom were older and wiser? Betty heard FP sigh and turned to look at him, watching him inquisitively.
"Betty, I can't begin to imagine the type of pressure you're under right now, especially with your parents gone. But you'll be able to handle whatever is coming your way, okay? Don't for a second think you cannot," FP assured her, and his words alleviated some of the tension she was feeling. Smiling slightly, Betty dipped her head in appreciation.
"Thanks, FP. Your confidence means a lot. Especially since it seems you were my parents' righthand man at one point. They never stopped talking about you," she said quietly, fond smile on her lips. "They always mentioned how the three of you had the times of your lives before the war of the ages occurred. I knew I was led to believe Guardians ceased to exist after the war but they still talked about you as a friend. Just – without the protective side."
FP laughed; the sound slightly choked as he ran a hand over his stubbled face. "They were the best people I knew, Betty. I have no doubt they fought tirelessly until the very end."
Betty nodded, swallowing the lump that had lodged in her throat as she twisted her fingers round and round. "They did. I had never seen them perform that type of magic before the day they were murdered. Their magic on their own was something special to witness already but together? That was a power I never dreamed possible."
"And, you have that power running through your veins. You use it if you ever need to, you hear me?" FP asked seriously. "I don't care why you need to – if you feel unsafe enough to compel that magic forward, do it. We'll deal with the ramifications later."
Betty tilted her head to the side as she studied him curiously. "You know witches have a tendency to wear themselves out if provoked enough."
It wasn't a question and FP knew that as he nodded in response. "Ally wasn't the best witch I knew for nothing but, there is a heavy price that comes with that type of magic. I feel fairly confident in saying you're somewhat tired from the attack on your clan, yes?"
Feeling the rest of the Serpents along with Kevin's eyes on her, Betty was reluctant to nod. "I-I do. Feel tired, that is. There was a bit of a…hold up, if you will, after I fled our home."
"What kind of hold up, Betty?" Jughead asked, tone quiet as he stared at her intently. She knew he could read her thoughts even with the block in place and, despite her initial guard, she didn't necessarily feel the need to keep her thoughts hidden. Not around these men at least. Not anymore. She caught sight of Jughead's slight grin and turned her lips up in response before answering his question.
"I ran into another hunter," Betty said, voice calm. "He didn't spot me but he knew I was there because of my scent."
"Witches have one of the most powerful scents around them," Kevin agreed, and Betty knew the Seer knew exactly how that worked, what with his type of magic.
She continued. "His name is Marty Mantle. He's notoriously famous for leading witch hunts alongside the Evernever's. I know he has a kid – don't know their name or even if they're a guy or girl – but I do know that they have nothing to do with their father. Rumor has it the kid's mother took them when they were young and fled. No clue why. I don't care to know either. All that I know was the fact that I was out in the middle of the woods and there was a dangerous hunter who could sense my presence but thanks to my protection shield, he couldn't actually see me. I don't know if he's still working with the Evernever's or if he even had anything to do with burning my clan to the ground – but I do know that he wants witches to become extinct and I am the last hope for our kind." Exhaling as she came to an end, she looked at FP first, then the others, noting the same look of horror permeating their faces. "What?"
"The kid you're talking about, Betty?" Jughead asked, voice audibly shaking. "He lives here. In Riverdale. Reggie Mantle is his name. He's a good guy. Knows about witches. Thinks his dad is dead."
"Oh shit," Betty gasped. "Marty Mantle isn't dead at all. Not in the slightest. He's responsible for some of the most horrific deaths of my people. Brutally murdered a thirteen-year-old witch because he spotted her outside of her home one evening, planting flowers with her wand."
Sweet Pea's face paled. "She was a kid."
Betty blinked back tears, remembering how awful she had felt when hearing that story; had remember seeing the young girl from time-to-time in their village. "She was. She met a horrible death for being herself. Prejudices against my kind are still high. It's not an easy life by any means. I don't necessarily understand why Polly and Chic wanted to run away so they could express their magic freely. Not when we have targets on our backs."
Jughead threaded their fingers together entirely as he stared at her with genuine warmth and protection. "We're not going to let anything like that happen to you, all right? We – all of us – will keep an eye out for an indication that Marty is on his way here. If he is, we can protect you. You'll be safer with us than running."
"How did you -," Betty cut herself off with a quiet laugh. "Right. Okay, yeah. So, running is out of the option, then?"
FP was the one to reply. "Absolutely. If you run, especially without any of us knowing, we cannot guarantee you that we will be able to find you in time should Mantle catch up to you. None of us, not one of us, wants that guilt on our consciences so don't you dare put it there, okay?"
Betty sighed. "All right. Now that that depressing conversation is over, can I meet Toni and Cheryl? Veronica too? They seem like they'd be nice if you all are friends with them."
"Yeah, come on," Jughead agreed, letting everyone but Betty walk out of the shop first. He leaned down to her, speaking quietly in her ear. "Don't kill yourself through your magic. Don't you dare, Cooper."
She found herself nodding even though she didn't know why; even though she couldn't make heads or tails of why Jughead felt the need to say something like that in the first place.
"Trust me, I have a soft spot for a pretty witch who's already bewitched me," he murmured lowly before holding the door open as she walked out of the shop, leaving her to contemplate her thoughts.