Tally was currently on her way back to the Cession with Raelle, her nervous energy had Raelle reassuring her that everything would be fine, it's just a week.
Which it was…but it was the first time being truly away from Sarah since their connection had been fully opened. She could still feel her, but with every few miles she had to reach out a little more, and a little harder. She wasn't sure if she'd be able to maintain it.
"Okay seriously, Tal, if you don't reel it in…" Raelle started.
Tally conceded, nodding her head fervently and trying to chill out. When it was time for her to go, she had made sure that Sarah was feeling better—to which she assured Tally she was. They had talked some more, but mainly basked in the affection in their bond until she had to head out. Sarah had even given Tally her quilt so that she could sleep with something of hers…Tally hadn't told her that she swiped one of her standard issue t-shirts as well so she could have something else that smelled like the General. She was better once they reached Raelle's town. As soon as her feet hit the ground she searched for Sarah, finding her energy easily and sighing with immense relief.
"You can feel her?" Raelle inquired as they walked toward her father.
Edwin was waving excitedly at them, and Tally found herself smiling at his energy.
"Yes, thank Goddess," Tally answered, relief coating her words.
She reached out for Sarah, her mind felt like it was being wrapped up in a hug.
"We just arrived," Tally sent through the link.
She could feel Sarah's relief at the words, and it wasn't until then that it wasn't just her anxious energy she had been feeling—but Sarah's as well.
"And the connection is still strong. This is very good news," Sarah said. "By the way, thank you for your present."
Tally blushed lightly as she smiled to herself. She had left one of her journals of poetry with Sarah for her to read while she was gone.
"I plan to begin reading them tonight," Sarah told her through the link as a wave of adoration washed over Tally.
"I can't wait to hear your thoughts…quite literally I guess," Tally thought with a light laugh.
It didn't take long for them to reach Raelle's home, and they quickly settled in. Edwin regaled Tally with stories of Raelle as a child, and then through her very moody teen angst years—which had Tally nearly rolling with laughter. She didn't bother to tell Raelle that Sarah had been rather amused by it as well.
She had met Quinn, who had also recounted some embarrassing stories about Raelle, much to Tally's delight. She had enough ammunition to tease Raelle with mercilessly for when she would rib Tally.
They were heading back to Raelle's house on the third day after seeing Quinn again. It was dark, and they stumbled a little as they headed toward the lit house just a few hundred yards away.
That was when Tally noticed a vehicle off to the side of the road, in front of the house.
"Rae," Tally said, nodding at the vehicle. "I've seen that van all day…"
Raelle and Tally glanced at each other before they carefully approached—spacing out to circle the van unseen. When they sprung up, they startled the women inside…and they'd windsheared the side mirrors off.
"Why are you following us?" Raelle demanded.
Tally recognized them from base.
"They're from base, Rae," Tally told her quickly.
The one, who Tally assumed was their squad leader, had sighed with exasperation at Raelle's next line of questioning.
"General Alder sent us," the leader answered, raising her eyebrows and demanding them to challenge that.
Raelle bristled.
"Rae, you know why she's having them follow us," Tally interjected before Raelle could shoot from the mouth more.
Raelle's shoulder slumped. "Yeah, you're right. Okay." She looked at the women. "Listen, Tal and I were about to head in and make some hot chocolate, do you all want some?"
The squad nodded and Tally sheepishly handed them back one of their side mirrors before they retreated inside to do exactly that.
Raelle had just gone back out to distribute the hot chocolate, with Tally hanging back at the door a moment.
She and Sarah hadn't had much communication today, and she knew her General was busy. But, she certainly missed her active presence. She was just about to reach out through the link and check in when immense pain scorched up her throat.
She gasped out and Raelle turned her head to look back at her, and that was when the masked men appeared. They took out the squad easily with what seemed to be darts. They did the same to Raelle, and she slumped over on the ground.
Tally tried to scream, she really did, but her throat hurt so much. It felt like it was being lit on fire from the outside. Pure terror coursed through her veins, gripping her heart like an icy hand. Then there was a prick of something on her neck, and then everything became a blur.
The last thing she saw was Raelle being loaded into the red van.
Then it went dark.
Sarah could hear movement around her, but it was muffled—as if she had on earmuffs. Her eyes were heavy and her throat—Goddess it burned. Memories came back to her quickly then—her throat burning; the liquid lava sliding down her esophagus and scorching it raw; the immeasurable pain.
She could feel cooling on her throat now though and assumed the hands that were touching her were those of a fixer. Her eyes fluttered open, still heavy with exhaustion but she managed.
She could see Verger from the corner of her eye, and then she met Anacostia's gaze.
"Ana," she said hoarsely. Goddess it hurts to speak. "What happened while I was out?"
She watched Anacostia and Verger share a look, knowing immediately it wasn't good.
"Raelle Collar's security detail was attacked," Anacostia told her.
Sarah's eyes widened and she coughed as she attempted to sit up—only to have hands push her back down. She gagged as the biddies, all in cots circling her own, hoarsely hissed their displeasure.
"The attackers took her and they fled the scene. The MPs out of Fort Deacon are already running her down," Anacostia pressed on.
Fury swam in Alder's blue eyes. "Who took her?"
Anacostia released a shaky breath. "The Camarilla."
Alder was seething. She wanted nothing more than to get up and beat every last one with her scourge.
Her eyes held onto Anacostia's as she asked her next question, "Tally?" her voice shook as she asked.
"She's okay. The Camarilla thankfully didn't kill any of the witches, only rendering them unconscious with sleep darts. Tally is the one that called it in."
That calmed Alder considerably, a relieved gasp escaped her, and she laid back down on the cot. She could feel Tally through the connection but it was faint. It was almost like it was blocked…but by what she didn't know.
She allowed the fixer to return to her work, healing her cords enough that she could actually speak some.
Then she decided to stand.
"General," Anacostia began to protest.
Sarah stood up, leaning on her cot for support. She'd never felt so weak. She moved to take a step, but Anacostia stopped her.
"You're not going anywhere."
"I won't just lay here while the military's most valuable asset, one of my daughters, is in the hands of the enemy."
Anacostia held her ground. "And if you set foot outside of this room, we cannot guarantee you won't be hit with an immediate attack."
Sarah hung her head, sighing heavily, and sat back down. She gave Anacostia an exasperated look. Then the door opened, and Sarah's day got a whole lot fucking worse.
General Bellweather entered the room, and Sarah did her best to stand back up. She used the cot for support once more as she turned to face the woman.
"Any word on Collar?" she asked roughly.
"Not yet. Transport's on their way to pick Craven up."
Sarah could sense there was more. "What else?"
"The Vice President is here for you, General, for the joint statement about the testing centers."
She completely forgot about that. Goddess this wasn't her day.
"I suppose I've been preoccupied. Clearly, we need to delay it," Alder told her.
Petra cautiously nodded. "His office is holding firm. They don't want the nation stewing any longer than she needs to about what happens next."
"We can't hold it down here in the warding circle—"
"Not without revealing its existence to the entire world. Including the Spree that attacked you…"
Rage bubbled in Sarah's chest and she stood to her full height. "They should see that they failed!"
Anacostia reached out and held firm to her, keeping her steady.
"We can't risk exposing you, or the Biddies, to anyone until the situation has been resolved." Petra smirked.
Alder ground her teeth. Petra ought to thank the Goddess that she didn't have her full voice.
"And how do we, plan on resolving it?" Alder tensely asked. "I can't stay down here forever."
Anacostia interrupted, seeing that the situation was growing quickly. "We are working on it," she assured.
Alder fixed her gaze on Anacostia. "Work fast, then."
Anacostia took hold of her arm, helping to hold her up with as much support as she could. The tension in the room dissipated some, but only some.
"I've prepared a statement," she told Petra. "Join the Vice President in my place. Tell his office I'm occupied with a classified matter."
Petra nodded and looked at Anacostia a moment before she turned to exit the room. Once she had, Alder slumped down into the cot, guided by Anacostia's hands. Her throat hurt more than she was letting on. It felt raw and she could taste some blood every time she swallowed.
She couldn't help but feel as though she just handed Petra a bomb.
"Tally," Sarah murmured to Anacostia, her eyes pleading.
The Sergeant nodded and turned on her heel, quickly moving from the room and leaving Sarah alone with her biddies.
As soon as the door clicked shut, she screamed behind clenched teeth. All the frustration, anger, helplessness—pouring into her voice. The biddies hissed in time with Sarah's scream, and she backed off in an attempt to keep them from more harm.
Tears rolled down her face as she allowed herself to grieve.
Tally had never had a worse sore throat. What made matters even worse was that no one knew where Raelle had been taken, and she couldn't feel the connection to Sarah. Her nerves were shot, but thankfully additional witches had been dispatched to survey the scene, find a trail for Raelle, and get Tally back to base immediately.
The group that extracted her seemed highly confused by Tally's high priority status. She had overheard them talking on the way back. Apparently her extraction came directly from the General, but had been delivered by Anacostia.
That was all the confirmation Tally needed that something was very wrong. She couldn't feel Sarah, and she briefly mused that this must have been how Sarah felt when she couldn't feel her. It was the most hopeless feeling she'd ever felt, and coupled with Raelle's abduction, it was like she was treading water. She held her bag to her chest, eyes peering in and focusing on Sarah's quilt. She rested her head against it, inhaling the scent and trying to calm her anxiousness.
Arriving back at base was a blur, Tally had been greeted by a stoic Anacostia, who only dropped the facade when she and Tally were alone and descending numerous stairs.
"Is she alive?" Tally finally asked, her voice tight with emotion.
"Yes," Anacostia answered immediately.
That brought immense relief to Tally.
"You can't feel her?" Anacostia questioned with concern.
Tally shook her head, her eyes wide with worry. "No I can't and—"
"We are heading there now." She put an arm around Tally as they picked up their pace.
When they reached the bunker, she immediately noticed the warding circle. Sarah was laying down as a fixer worked on her throat. Each of the biddies had their own fixer working on them, and they were all conscious.
"Sarah," Tally choked out, stepping over the circle line and rushing to Sarah's side.
Alder had instantly sat up, swatted the fixer's hand away, and looked at Tally with visible, heart-wrenching relief.
The fixers regarded her with confusion, but said nothing as Alder didn't reprimand her for it. Sarah glanced over at Anacostia and gave a nod.
"Everyone out," Anacostia yelled out to everyone, urging the fixers and any other personnel from the room.
"Tally," Sarah breathed, voice still raspy despite the revolving door of healers that came through.
Tally reached out and touched Sarah's face and the connection soared back to life, making them both gasp.
Sarah pulled her into her arms and held tight. Her right hand tangled in Tally's hair, lightly touching the courtship braid and beads, as her left resided possessively around her lower back.
She went to speak, but before she could, Tally had shaken her head and kissed her firmly.
"Don't try to speak, you're still injured," Tally murmured against her chapped lips before kissing them again.
Sarah could feel the tears against her skin, but she could care less. Tally was here. She could feel their connection fully now, and she settled into the feeling of wholeness once more.
"I'm never leaving your side again," Tally told her seriously. Her hand cupped Sarah's cheek and stroked it. "What happened?"
"We were looking at a specimen of the witch plague. My throat suddenly felt on fire." She sent flashes of the memory through the link.
Tally's eyes widened in horror at the sight of Sarah spasming on the ground, scorched vocal cords roaring as fire burned them, as well as her biddies.
Tally leaned down, touching her forehead to Sarah's and then placing a soft kiss to her lips.
Tally caught the waves of guilt from Sarah and she looked at her questioningly. "Why are you feeling guilty? None of this is your fault."
Sarah's eyes…so much sadness in them as she spoke through the link, "I should have sent another detail for you both."
"Sarah, you couldn't have known," Tally told her seriously as she stroked her cheek.
They both were aware that the fixers would probably have suspicions from their informality before leaving, but Sarah was feeling too defeated to care.
She'd been attacked in her own fort by a faction of very irritating witches, and one of her daughters had been abducted by her ancient enemies. She was having a hell of a week and it was beginning to really piss her off.
She coughed, needing to clear her throat, and flinched when the pain ran through her.
Tally winced as well and Sarah immediately noticed.
"Did you feel this?" Sarah asked through the link, gesturing to her throat.
"Yes."
Electricity crackled in the room. Despite being deep underground, it seemed Sarah was more than capable of summoning a powerful working without her voice.
"I'm okay," Tally assured as she took Sarah's hand and kissed it.
"Yes and I thank the Goddess for that but, Tally, you were injured despite you not being the target. I put you at risk."
Tally's eyebrows rose as she felt all the feelings flying through Sarah.
"Do you regret this then?" she asked, wounded, as she felt Sarah's pain. She couldn't really decipher what Sarah was feeling, and the thought of her regretting their connection had Tally's stomach twisting in painful knots.
Blue eyes widened, then softened as she reached up and cupped Tally's face. "No. Never. I just am pained that you are at risk. It is one thing to put ourselves in the line of fire but it is another entirely to have loved ones affected as well."
Tally's heart sped up at that. She felt warmth bloom in her chest—but Sarah hadn't noticed her implication or Tally's loving gaze, as she was busy burning a hole in the ground suddenly with her eyes.
She was so angry for risking Tally. She was angry for Collar being taken by the Camarilla, and angry at herself for not handling Nicte and her work more carefully all those years ago. Had she not used the work against those rebels…perhaps none of this would be happening. Hindsight was a bitch.
"Sweetheart, could you give Anacostia and I a moment?" Sarah asked. "And have them bring another fixer."
Tally nodded at the requests and leaned in to place a kiss to Sarah's forehead. She held tight to the connection as she turned and left the room.
Anacostia watched her go, and then her gaze returned to Sarah.
"She—," Alder began hoarsely before needing to take a drink of water. It didn't help the pain, but she pressed on. "She needs protected."
Anacostia nodded quickly and moved to stand in front of Sarah before she dropped to her knees. She looked up at her foster mother and grasped her hands.
"You know I will." Anacostia gave her hands a squeeze.
"Collar," Sarah rasped out. It hurt too much to speak, and she hoped Anacostia would understand.
"We'll find her. No update yet. But, Bellweather doesn't know. It seems she skipped out on her matchmaking dinner with Adil."
Alder couldn't help but smile slightly at that.
"We have MPs looking for them as well."
Sarah nodded, relaxing more at the knowledge that she was able to rely on Anacostia to act in her stead. She raised their clasped hands and met Anacostia's gaze. She tried her damndest to show her how proud she was of the woman she had become. Tears welled in her eyes, and when the same happened in Anacostia's she knew she had succeeded. She leaned forward and they touched foreheads—something that made them both more emotional. Sarah couldn't remember the last time she openly showed Anacostia this much affection, but she was determined it not be the last.
There was a knock on the door before it opened and Tally, Verger, and a new fixer entered the room. Anacostia left the circle to join the others outside of it, setting to work on constructing more protective barriers, and checking those in place.
"Who do you think did this?" Tally asked as she sat down on the bed next to Sarah.
"A powerful witch," Sarah thought. "If I had to give a name though…"
"Nicte," came Tally's immediate answer.
Sarah nodded. "What is concerning is that she was able to get through the warding of the base. Which means that she has more allies inside Fort Salem than we thought."
The unease of the situation made Tally's stomach churn unpleasantly.
"Cadet Craven," Verger called from outside the circle. "Could you come here a moment?"
Tally stood and approached, carefully stepping outside of the warding circle.
Sarah could hear a little of the conversation, Verger was having Tally use her sight to check the room and the barriers. Tally looked well rested despite being separated for a few days. Sarah smiled as she reflected on it. She had meditated, as promised, each night to join Tally in her dreams. Each night she showed her something happy from her life—the good moments and glory that kept her going through all the bloodshed and warfare. Her fixer stepped back to take a break—the poor girl already looked so drained. She knew the damage to her cords was bad…but this was another thing entirely.
A cold despair sat in her stomach as she worried that she may never regain her voice. That thought filled her with dread.
Her throat burned a little again, and she couldn't help but glance in Tally's direction—seeing her staring back with worried brown eyes as she felt Sarah's fear. She should shield her from it; keep it buried deep beneath so that no one would know how terrified she was.
Sarah only had a moment before horrible pain began wracking her body.
"It's happening again," she rasped out.
She screamed—voice already raw from the earlier injury. She fell on her knees, only to be suddenly ripped backwards—back arching as her arm rose to hang spread apart above her head.
Pure terror encapsulated the room. The warding circle was intact and Sarah, and her biddies, were the only ones inside of it. There was no reason why an attack should be able to happen. Sarah floated in the air, nearly star fished as she cried out. The biddies were being affected as well, each of them crying in pain as Sarah was attacked.
Tally was terrified but she needed to focus. She looked to Anacostia and Verger—both of them had tried to sing a seed, only for it to not work.
"This shouldn't be possible, not within the warding circle," Verger told them.
Tally's eyes swept over the biddies—catching the wisps of magic that tied each of them to Sarah. It was whitish blue and it only took a moment for Tally to see a very red aura extending from one biddy. The magic was red with black tendrils licking along the connection and holding Sarah suspended in the air.
Tally released a seed, knocking the biddy backwards and out of the circle. The attack ceased at once, and Sarah fell limply to the ground. Tally held the biddy's gaze, unable to look away. She could've sworn she saw a face in those eyes. She looked harder, further. A cabin came into view and Tally got a rush of where it was before she reeled back and tore her eyes away.
"Sarah," Tally called as she quickly slid to the floor beside her and pulled her into her arms. Her eyes remained trained on the traitorous biddy. She could feel Sarah's anger and hurt at the betrayal, and if Tally was being honest—she was feeling betrayed as well.
"How dare you," Sarah seethed through her pain as she sat up. Her blue eyes were cold and hard as she glared Michelle down. "Get her out of here."
Anacostia called for additional soldiers, and they swiftly entered the room and took the biddy away.
"So much betrayal from everyone," Sarah breathed painfully. Goddess, have I really failed witchkind so much?
"No," Tally interrupted in her mind.
Sarah turned her head to look at Tally above her. "Haven't I?" she questioned out loud. Her voice was rough as she asked.
"No," Tally told her firmly. "Sarah, you've done so much. So much that none of us can understand the scope, the sacrifice…the pain…" Tally gently held her face. "We are here and living and breathing. We aren't in hiding because of you, our numbers aren't nearly nonexistent because of you, we have a place in the world because of you...this witch's place…" she paused, allowing the use of Sarah's own words on her conscription day. "Remember that every time you feel this way…and if you can't, I'll be there to remind you as much as you need."
Sarah felt the tears lick at her once more and she sucked in a breath through her teeth as Tally helped her stand. She was going to need at least half a bottle of whiskey to numb the aches.
Anacostia approached quickly. "General, Collar has been collected. Just got the call."
Tally's eyes swam with happy, relieved tears. She was okay.
"Who found her?" Sarah asked hoarsely.
"Abigail and Adil, actually. It seems they were tracking the Camarilla for a different reason and found her. They're on the way back right now," Anacostia told them happily.
Verger approached then, carefully stepping over the warding circle and minding her cane.
"Craven," Verger addressed. "What did it look like?"
Tally looked up. "It was red, with black attached to it. And I…I felt something—someone on the other end."
"It was sympathetic magic," Verger said. "The caster was working through another, one that was close to the General and able to harm her."
"It must be Nicte," Sarah groused. Batan was always a thorn in her side but now even more so.
"There's something else," Tally told them. "I saw someone through Michelle when I was looking. I think I know where she is."
Sarah watched her closely. "You want to go on the mission, don't you?" Her voice was pained as she asked.
Tally nodded.
And that was the first time anyone in the room had seen Sarah visibly crack with emotion. Her eyes were pleading—red from the pain and crying; her heart clenched painfully at the thought of Tally in harm's way, even though she knew rationally she couldn't just keep her on base with her where it was safe…well…
Tally had stepped into her space and held her face in her hands. Those warm brown eyes caressed her blue, and she just wanted to get lost in them. She didn't want Tally to go, but she knew—she felt—how important this was to Tally.
"As you wish," Sarah answered her finally as she turned her head to the side to kiss the palm of Tally's hand. "As soon as Collar and Bellweather return and are briefed, we will set the deployment time."
Tally poured her gratitude through the link. They both knew Alder wasn't fit to go into battle this soon after the attack, and she was down a biddy. She was sidelined for this fight. It would be up to her unit and whoever else they sent along.
