Hello! It's been a while...yes, I know. Things have been hectic and crazy preventing me from writing.
Here we are though. Getting closer to the ending of this story!
The cover art for this story was done by my amazing friend, hushvellichor! Check them out!
Thanks for reading!
Enjoy!
Chapter 17:
Mildred stirred when her hair was forcingly pulled upwards like someone pulling out her tangles with pliers, she cried out to reach for the hand that was towing her. Mildred was forced up from her bed met with a familiar face of her therapist, Dr. Chalice. She looked worse than Mildred could imagine she had a tiny brace over the bridge of her nose. There was dried blood surrounding her nostrils and mouth Mildred realized that she had broken her nose when Dr. Chalice was chasing her through the castle. Mildred had thrown a brick at her attacker Mildred remembered hearing some sort of crack, but she had no idea it was Dr. Chalice in disguise.
"I heard you have no magic, Mildred Hubble." Dr. Chalice hissed, "A perfect time to pay you back for my broken nose then."
Mildred tried punching or kicking the therapist away, but it seemed that she had used a spell to pull at Mildred's head with an invisible hand on her. It seemed it was a precaution to make sure Mildred couldn't attack her. Dr. Chalice smirked at her pain, "Alright, Mildred, now is the time you are going to show me where Agatha is."
"I'm afraid we are going to have to postpone that." A voice calmly said Miss Cackle had entered the room with her hands at the ready, "Put the girl down, Amelia."
Dr. Chalice squeezed Mildred's head making her cry out and her therapist laughed at her withering with pain. Dr. Chalice smiled evilly, "I don't think I will, Ada. You see this girl is collateral to get to Agatha now you will take me there or the girl will get what's coming to her."
"Don't! Don't do it, Miss Cackle!" Cried Mildred from her hold.
"Shut up! Children should be seen not heard! You need to know your place!" And with her other hand, she slammed her palm against Mildred's face. It stung leaving a bright red mark on her face. Mildred whimpered but didn't say anymore listening to what Dr. Chalice told her. Dr. Chalice turned to Ada who was looking positively mortified in Dr. Chalice's mind it was all working. She cackled, deciding to bring Mildred to her actual hold wrapping her arm around the small girl's throat, "You know, she listens very well and is such a little obedient creature. Perhaps, with the right discipline, she could be mine." She patted at Mildred's head with all the affection she could muster.
Mildred was choking on her sobs now. She wished more than ever she had her magic back, so she could zap Dr. Chalice across the room. Mildred looked at Miss Cackle and Ada looked as helpless as her. Mildred shivered, her whole body had grown cold. She grasped at the necklace in her hand. Hecate had forgotten about it and hadn't retrieve it from Mildred. Mildred clutched the object wishing her guardian was here and surprisingly the watch beneath her hand hummed. Mildred wished harder and thought about Hecate more.
"Would you like to be mine, Mildred?" Dr. Chalice asked her, still teasing her in front of Miss Cackle.
"No!" Mildred screeched, Dr. Chalice tightens her grip.
"It's not like you have a mummy you left her to die didn't you, Mildred?" Dr. Chalice hissed into her ear.
A crack of thunder came from inside of the infirmary. A dark figure loomed behind Dr. Chalice placing a silver dagger around her throat, "Let her go or I'll slice your neck."
Mildred was dropped harshly onto the tile floor of the infirmary. She looked back to see her aunt had trapped Dr. Chalice with a sharp silver dagger. Mildred had never seen a face so scary as her aunt's and she knew that it wasn't at her it still sent goosebumps down her spine. Her presence was a wave of relief she ran behind Hecate feeling safer there than ever. She buried her face into Hecate's side and with her free arm, Hecate patted Mildred's head.
Dr. Chalice winced trying to back her neck away from the dagger, "Alright, I gave her back let me go."
"I don't think so." Hissed Hecate, "You harmed my child you face me. I call upon section seven of the code."
Dr. Chalice laughed harshly, "Don't you know that Agatha's coven doesn't go by the code?"
"I go by the code and you will duel against me." Hecate shoved her aside and made the dagger disappear. Hecate beheld Mildred's brown eyes and caressed her head, "Go stand with Pippa, while I handle this." Mildred didn't even realize that Pippa had been here the whole time she stood off to the side keeping a mindful eye on Dr. Chalice.
"Don't do this." Mildred pleaded, "You could lose your magic."
"I won't." Hecate promised, "Now go with Pippa."
Hecate pushed her back towards Pippa's open arms Mildred was reluctant she did as she was told though. Pippa squeezed her and kissed her head. Hecate looked to Ada, "You will be our witness then?"
"Hecate, I don't think it is necessary-" Ada started.
"I think it is, especially the way she has treated Mildred." Hecate clarified, looking hard at Ada. Much of her anger was towards her as well for not seeing the signs, but mostly it fell on Hecate. She felt guilty and wanted Mildred to have peace knowing this would never happen again. Hecate would make sure of that.
"What are you to her? Her mum?" Dr. Chalice broke out in question, "A little replacement for her until she ruins it? Just like she ruined her last one?"
Hecate broke out a nasty spell to fling at Dr. Chalice who dodged it with ease, "Oh, did I hit a nerve?" She flung a spell back in Hecate's direction, "Mummy is getting angry then."
Hecate growled, she did not appreciate the type of duelers who had a mouth on them. She smirked realizing she knew the perfect silencing spell to cast her way. Snapping her fingers, she cast the spell fast landing straight on her mouth and as she tried to speak her mouth was glued shut. Mildred giggled off to the side and it made Hecate glow with pride. Dr. Chalice's brows screwed down at Hecate and projected another curse at her. Again, and again. Every time Hecate would brush them aside when Hecate decided she had enough of her curse throws a fierce one that would capture her frozen. Before she could her timing was off as Dr. Chalice sent a cutting hex onto her side. It sliced at her side stinging while it bleeds she winced at the pain. It was only minor.
"Mum!" Mildred cried as Pippa had to hold her back from interfering.
Had Mildred really just called her-No, it was her imagination. Holding her injured side she raises her hand tossing the curse the had planned before. Dr. Chalice was hit tumbling back and rose her arm to cast another hex at Hecate, but her suddenly her arm became like stone. Her whole body became one big statue even turning the color and material of one. Hecate sighed at least that took care of that.
Her little witch knocked her down almost as she put her hand down. Mildred engulfed her into a hug she was careful not to hug the part of Hecate's side that was bleeding. Hecate took her good hand to raise Mildred's face up. She saw a bright red hand mark on the side of her face, "She hit you?" It looked as though it was going to swell.
"Yeah, but it's not as bad as what she did to you." Mildred lets her go to inspect the cut on Hecate's side. She doesn't touch it, but Pippa pulls her back from it, so she can inspect it for herself. Mildred blinks at Hecate, "Why is your hair down?"
Hecate almost blushing. She had been with Pippa and they had…Well, she was not going to tell Mildred that. No. Instead, she replies, "There was no time." And really there wasn't. Mildred had summoned her through…Well, she wasn't sure, but it woke her up to go to her aid as quickly as possible.
Mildred's face scrunches up trying to figure out something she couldn't place her finger on, but she shrugs. Instead, she turns to the statue that lays a few feet before her to peer at it, "Is she? She's not-"
"No, she's not, Mildred. She is just under a very powerful statue curse." Ada told, she examined Hecate's wound from afar, "Are you alright, Hecate?"
"Fine, Miss Cackle." Hecate retorted shortly.
"I will be the judge of that, dear." Pippa replied, scanning her hand over Hecate's open wound, "I don't think it will hurt to seal it back."
She starts healing her side, and before she knows it there isn't a scratch on her now, "Brand new." Pippa smiles at her, and she smiles back. Wanting desperately to kiss her, but she didn't due to the small audience in front of them both.
"I suppose I should contact the Great Wizard about this," Ada said injecting Pippa and Hecate's moment.
"I think that would be best," Hecate replied stiffly.
"Hecate-" Ada starts, and she looks at Mildred now, "Mildred, I am truly sorry for everything Dr. Chalice has caused. She and I were friends once, but I dare say that was a long time ago. Enough for one to change during that time. Will you please forgive me?"
Hecate watched as Mildred was so willing to forgive so easily, "Of course, Miss Cackle." Ada smiled at Mildred and turned to Hecate now.
Hecate wasn't sure if she could forgive Ada, but they both needed to be on the same side of each other. There should be no bad blood between them and it wasn't truly Ada's fault. She couldn't help for all the trouble her sister had caused, but Hecate wanted something from her. She touched Mildred shoulder as she said, "All is well, Ada." She grasped at Mildred's shoulder as she said the next words very carefully, "I do ask Ada that you would help me gain the ability to adopt one Mildred Hubble."
Mildred's mouth toppled open in surprised beholding Hecate. Mildred's smile was the largest Hecate had ever seen and it made her heart flutter. Ada smiled and nodded, "I would be happy to."
Mildred once again tackled Hecate into a hug.
Late in the night, Hecate sat in her favorite chair beside the fireplace of her home with Millie sleeping in her lap soundly. Mildred's head lulled on Hecate's shoulder and her hand was grasping onto Hecate's watch around her neck. Hecate didn't have the heart to ask for it back it seemed that it had been a powerful heirloom for Mildred. Hecate wrapped her arms around Mildred's waist to keep her from falling off her lap completely. If someone would have told Hecate a month or two ago that Mildred Hubble would make her soft she probably would have changed them into a spider. Now, if anyone told her that she wouldn't deny it.
Mildred murmured a soft, "Mum." In her sleep.
Hecate used one of her hands to brush away a loose strand of hair and pressed a kiss onto Mildred's cheek. Millie's lips quirked upwards into a smile to fall back into a peaceful slumber. Pippa who sat across from Hecate grinned proudly, "This is a good look on you, Hiccup."
Hecate nodded, not taking her eyes off her child said softly, "I think so too."
"When are you going to have the ceremony performed?" Pippa asked as she sipped on her chamomile tea from her seat.
Hecate broke away from looking at Mildred to Pippa, "Oh, Pipsqueak, those ceremonies are for infants getting adopted into a witching family. I was just going to-"
"Hecate don't tell me you are not going to follow traditions! You are always on me about how I should appreciate the older traditions, and this happens to be one of them." Pippa sat her tea down and crossed her arms at Hecate.
Millie mumbled again in her sleep from Pippa's tangent it had woken her up a bit. Hecate hushed Pippa and glared at her from waking Mildred up. Mildred, though she had fallen back to sleep her eyes fluttered open a bit but closed right back. She shifted putting her head in the crook of Hecate's neck. Hecate felt Mildred's warm little nose dig against her neck as if she was a pillow. Hecate tsked softly, "It's time to get in your own bed, Millie, instead of using me as one." Mildred didn't move a muscle she was deep in sleep.
Pippa casts a spell, "There she's lightweight, easier to carry her that way."
Hecate thanked her and rose with Mildred in her arms. They led her to Mildred's bedroom, which used to be a guest room of Hecate had. Pippa helped pull off Mildred's boots to lay them down next to her bed and Pippa pulled Mildred's covers down for Hecate to tuck her into. Hecate eased Mildred down into the bed and put Boomer her stuffed rabbit into her arms. Pippa put the covers onto of her, and Hecate sat on the edge of the bed to undo Mildred's braids. Hecate couch down to stroke her head once last time, "Goodnight, Mildred."
Pippa and Hecate exited her room with a gentle shut. Pippa attacked Hecate planting a kiss onto Hecate. Hecate bewildered asked, "What was that for?"
"For showing that kind heart of yours." Pippa answered, brushing her hand against Hecate's cheek, "For being a good mum."
"Pippa, I'm not-I don't think-" Hecate fumbled with her words, but Pippa stopped her by pressing her finger to her lips.
"You're doing more than you realize." Pippa took Hecate's hand, "Now come on we have a party to plan for the adoption."
"Oh, really, Pippa?" Hecate rolled her eyes at her sweet.
"And maybe we'll have a party of our own?" Pippa winked.
"Oh?" Hecate blushed.
"Mh-hm." Pippa nodded, kissing her neck all the way down to her collar to stop to look up innocently at her, "Or since you don't want a party-" She sashayed away from her witch girlfriend only to be grabbed by the waist by Hecate.
Hecate playfully growled at Pippa turning her, "Fine, you win." Hecate dipped her head down to land a passionate kiss onto her girlfriend's pink lips, "Are you happy?"
"Very much, Hiccup," Pippa said breathlessly.
"Me too," Hecate whispered, holding Pippa into her arms as they stood outside the door of a little witch who was the now becoming the world to both Hecate and Pippa.