"How are you feeling?" Cordelia asked, spotting Elliott studying at the kitchen counter.
Elliott dropped her head in her hands, rubbing at her eyes, "Stressed."
"So is everyone else." Cordelia laughed, "You know, I thought spreading out the exams over three weeks would alleviate some of that, but… "
"Now instead of being stressed for two weeks, it's for a month straight?" Elliott asked sarcastically, Cordelia throwing her a look.
"No." Cordelia scoffed, "You'll have less to worry about as you go along. I staggered the exams on purpose, so those classes will wrap up and you can focus more."
"And you decided to put potions as the first exam?" Elliott argued, "It's the hardest class."
"For you." Cordelia snickered, "History has always been the most challenging exam."
"The history exam isn't worth fifty percent of your final grade." Elliott sassed, Cordelia rolling her eyes, "Seriously, I overheard half the girls discussing a suicide pact earlier just to get out of it, but they were too afraid you'd bring them back."
"The exam is a practicum." Cordelia argued, trying not to laugh, "It has to be worth that much of your grade. It's the only way we know you are able to actually do it."
"It's a three-day exam." Elliott groaned, "There's no reason to have a written exam and two labs."
"There's a lot of ground to cover. We need to know that you can not only replicate an existing potion, but also have the tools to create your own." Cordelia explained, Misty walking into the room, "And it should be easier since you are allowed to have a partner for the second lab."
"I don't have a partner." Elliott sighed, standing up and gathering her things, "Now if you'll excuse me, I have work to do, and someone is rudely interrupting."
Cordelia threw Misty a look as Elliott exited the room. "There was an odd number of girls." Misty said, throwing her hands up in defense, "I told them they could have a group of three, but Elle said she wanted ta work by herself."
"Mist, she's failing." Cordelia sighed, "She needs all the help she can get."
"She's been doin' alright ever since ya worked with her." Misty replied, shaking her head, "She'll be fine, they're all probably goin' ta do love potions anyways." Cordelia let out a laugh, "Speakin' of which, do ya mind sittin' in on the exams? The written shouldn't be a problem, but once we get ta the labs it's gonna be hard to keep an eye on all of 'em, even with two of us."
Cordelia made a face, she always hated beginner potions, and glanced back at Misty, who was pulling her best puppy dog face, "Did Zoe tell you to ask me?"
"She might've." Misty conceded, "She thought ya were more likely to say yes ta me."
Cordelia rolled her eyes, "She thought that would work?"
Misty threw the supreme her best smile, wiggling her eyebrows, "Is it?"
Cordelia let out a laugh and bit her lip, contemplating for a moment, "Fine, but only because I love you."
Misty fist pumped the air, "I'll take that as a win."
"But," Cordelia began, "I'm not grading anything. I'm just there to observe."
Misty smiled, "Deal."
Later, Cordelia pushed open the door to her daughter's bedroom, Elliott slumped over at her desk and trying her best to keep her eyes open, "You need to call it a night."
"Can't." Elliott mumbled, not tearing her eyes from her textbook, "Need to come up with something."
"You know," Cordelia lamented, "You would be less stressed if you had a partner to work with."
"I work better by myself." Elliott said under her breath, turning the page, "I always have."
Cordelia sighed, "You need to learn how to work in a group."
"I know how to work in a group," Elliott said, her tired eyes finally meeting Cordelia's gaze, "I just don't want to."
"Why?" Cordelia asked, Elliott's mind swimming for an answer and coming up empty, letting out a sigh and shaking her head.
"I just don't." She muttered, refocusing on her work for only a moment before Cordelia's hands were on the book and closing it.
"Well, regardless," She began, staring Elliott down once the girl threw her an annoyed glare, "You need to sleep, call it a night." Elliott moved to argue, but Cordelia was quick to shut her down, "I don't want to hear it. You're practically falling asleep. You won't get anything done anyways. You can get up early and work on it tomorrow."
Elliott gave an exasperated sigh, rolling her eyes, "Fine. I'll do it tomorrow." Cordelia gave a cheeky smile, pinching her tongue between her teeth. "What?" Elliott chuckled.
Cordelia pulled her into a hug, "You're actually listening to me."
"Yea," Elliott scoffed, "I do that sometimes."
Cordelia snickered, kissing the top of her head "Rarely."
"I have to keep you on your toes." Elliott joked, "That's like my whole job."
"Well, you're doing a fantastic job." Cordelia said sarcastically, Elliott whipping her head up as her jaw dropped, obviously offended as Cordelia laughed, "Now come on, bedtime."
Elliott huffed, standing from her desk and throwing herself onto her bed, "Fine, done."
Cordelia moved to hug and kiss her child, only for Elliott to dodge her, twice, "Sweetheart, come here."
"No." Elliott huffed, "You're mean."
Cordelia scoffed, "I am not mean."
Elliott made a face and crossed her arms, "Yes, you are."
"How am I mean?" Cordelia asked, Elliott throwing her a look, "Baby, I was joking."
"Sure you were." Elliott said, sticking out her tongue.
"I was, now come here." Cordelia argued, but Elliott wouldn't move an inch, "Elliott…"
"I'm not moving." Elliott fired back, "You can't make me."
Cordelia laughed, "Yes I can."
"No, you can't. Your magic doesn't work on me." Elliott sassed, looking very pleased with herself.
Cordelia stared at her daughter for a moment, a smirk on her lips. Before Elliott could even try to defend herself, Cordelia was on her and relentlessly tickling her sides. Elliott shrieked and tried to roll away, but Cordelia had her trapped against the wall, so she settled on kicking her feet and trying to spin out of the woman's reach, "Stop it!"
Finally, Elliott managed to get away, sitting up on the edge of the bed. As much as she was trying to feign anger, she couldn't help the smile tugging on the corners of her mouth, glancing up to see her mother's prideful smile, "What?"
Cordelia smirked, "You moved."
Elliott huffed, her face still beet red and sweat clinging to her forehead, "Yeah, you win."
Cordelia grinned, eyes shining, "I love you."
"I love you too." Elliott chuckled, Cordelia still staring her down, "What?"
"Are you going to let me hug you now?" Cordelia asked, Elliott rolling her eyes.
"Fine." She sighed, like it was a chore, "You can hug me now."
Cordelia threw her a look, "I don't think I like this new attitude of yours."
"Mama," Elliott laughed, "Come here."
Cordelia feigned offense for only a few moments longer before she broke out in a grin, diving forward and knocking Elliott onto her back, kissing her face over and over. "That was a bit more aggressive than I had anticipated." Elliott coughed, Cordelia giggling.
"Well, it wouldn't be so aggressive if you had let me do it the first time." Cordelia laughed, standing up and righting herself as she smoothed down her clothes, like nothing had even happened, "That was payback."
"Noted." Elliott scoffed, sticking her tongue out at her mother, but she couldn't help smiling at Cordelia's disarray.
"What?" Cordelia asked, Elliott shaking her head.
"Nothing." Elliott replied, rolling her eyes, "Goodnight, mother."
Cordelia threw her a look and scoffed playfully, "Goodnight." She headed towards the door and looked back momentarily as she was shutting off the light, Elliott already completely buried under the covers as the woman chuckled to herself, shutting the door and heading back to her office to finish up her own work before bed.
By the time her paperwork was completed, it was almost midnight, and on her way back to her room she found herself standing in Elliott's doorframe. Honestly, she didn't know why she was even checking at this hour, knowing very well she would be up at 3am to do the same thing again. She hadn't meant for it to become a habit, in the beginning it was just a way to calm her down, assure her that Elliott was alright, but each time she found Elliott to be sleeping peacefully it just made her anxieties worse. Elliott hadn't gone to hell since they returned from California, Cordelia knew this for certain, but they still were unable to figure out what triggered it, or if there was a way to control it.
But there Elliott was, asleep in the fetal position with her blankets kicked to the floor, the fan above her bed spinning so rapidly Cordelia could hear the gears click. She bit down on a laugh and crept into the dark room, gathering the sheets and laying them back over her daughter, Elliott's hair still sticking to the pillow from the sweat that must have dried. She scanned the girls face for any sign of discomfort, but whatever had brought it on had already seemed to pass.
By the time the supreme had climbed into bed with her lover, she was beyond exhausted, falling into a deep sleep practically the moment her head hit the pillow. When she woke up, the sky was still dark, and she rolled over to check the time, only to jump up once she realized her alarm hadn't gone off. She quickly made her way back to Elliott's room, opening the door and peering in, her heart racing once she realized the girl was flat on her back.
Before she could even process what she was doing, she was hunched over the girl and reaching, only for Elliott to jerk awake the second she felt Cordelia's fingertips, eyes wide. "What's going on?" She asked, Cordelia quickly moving to soothe her.
"Nothing." She whispered, "Everything's fine, I was just checking on you."
Elliott sat up, trying to orient herself as she glanced at her nightstand, "At 3am?"
Cordelia nodded, "I was heading to bed."
Elliott rubbed at her eyes, her voice still laden with sleep, "You're never up at 3am."
Cordelia raised her eyebrows, biting the side of her cheek, "How do you know that?"
"Because I'm up at 3am and you aren't." Elliott said, throwing her mother a look, "Why are you up?"
"I was working late." Cordelia tried, only for Elliott to eye her knowingly.
"Why were you really up?" She asked, Cordelia shaking her head in response.
"Don't worry about it." Cordelia said, "Just go back to sleep, baby."
She should have known the halfhearted excuse wouldn't work, Elliott was always hyper-observant, and that was only proven when she saw Elliott's eyes leave her face and drift down, "Mama, you're shaking."
Cordelia looked down at her hands, and Elliott was right, they sure weren't steady, "You scared me."
There was silence for a moment, and for a brief second Cordelia thought maybe Elliott's curiosity would be sated, but half a second later her daughter was speaking again, her voice timider this time, "Because you thought I wouldn't wake up?"
Cordelia sucked in a deep breath, "Yes."
"I'm a light sleeper." Elliott responded, and Cordelia let out a small chuckle, trying to play it off.
"Yea," She said, "I forget sometimes."
Elliott's eyebrows creased, her eyes tracking back and forth like she was trying to solve some sort of invisible equation, "Do you do this every night?"
Cordelia was quick to shake her head, "No."
Elliott's eyes refocused on her, narrowing, "Mama, I'm not stupid."
Cordelia sighed, not wanting to tell her daughter the truth, even when she was already caught. There was no way Elliott would stand for it, even if it was for her own safety. But although her daughter was holding a conversation, Cordelia could tell the girl wasn't fully there, her eyes hazy and unfocused, and it was likely she wouldn't even remember the conversation happened come morning.
"Yes." She finally answered, sitting on the bed as Elliott tilted her head to the side.
"To make sure I'm not in hell?" She asked, Cordelia nodding, "You need to stop, you still need sleep too."
Cordelia sighed, "It's my job to make sure everyone is safe. Just because you can get back, doesn't mean you will."
She expected an argument, but much to her surprise, Elliott just nodded, rubbing at her eyes as she shifted to get off the bed. "What are you doing?" Cordelia asked, "It's the middle of the night, just go back to sleep."
Elliott shook her head, mumbling tiredly, "Once I'm up, I'm up."
Cordelia grabbed her ankle, holding her on the bed, "No, you're going back to sleep."
Elliott sighed, rubbing at her temples, "Fine, go back to bed."
Cordelia eyed her daughter carefully, "No, because the second I leave you're going to get up again."
Elliott threw her mother a look, "You need sleep, I don't."
Cordelia snickered, "Elle, you are half asleep right now."
"So what are you going to do?" Elliott sassed, lolling her head to the side, "Watch me until I fall asleep?"
Cordelia laughed, "Maybe."
"That's creepy." Elliott sighed, rolling her eyes once her mother flashed her a cheeky grin.
"Well, I can't trust you to listen to me." Cordelia joked, Elliott rolling her eyes again.
"Go back to sleep." Elliott grumbled, "I will go back to bed."
"I don't believe you." Cordelia teased, Elliott dropping her head in her hands.
"We're going to be here all night." She grumbled, Cordelia shaking her head.
"No, we aren't." She said, "Scooch over."
Elliott bit her lip but complied, moving closer to the wall as Cordelia climbed up next to her, getting under the blankets and immediately starting to play with Elliott's hair, a grin plastered on her face. "You're insane." Elliott laughed, but Cordelia just pulled Elliott towards her and continued, "This isn't going to work." Cordelia shushed her, hands weaving through strands as she gently untangled the knots, then switching to only one side when Elliott's head grew too heavy for the girl to hold up. When she finally glanced down, Elliott's eyes were barely staying open, and she pressed a kiss to the girl's forehead as they finally closed, chuckling to herself and grinning like she found the goddamn cheat code and gently untangling herself from Elliott's hold as she headed back to bed.
The first of Elliott's exams happened three days later, and by the evening Elliott was itching to know where she stood. "Please?" She begged Misty for probably the fifth time since the test had concluded.
Misty sighed as Cordelia chuckled, "Elle, ya know I can't release the scores until I've graded all of 'em. I'm not even halfway done."
"So, you've already graded mine, right?" Elliott pushed, Misty shaking her head.
"I don't know." She responded, Elliott scoffing in return.
"How do you not know? My name is written right on the front." She argued, but Misty was obviously not going to budge.
"Ya know," Misty began, "If ya keep goin' like this, the girls are gonna think ya get special treatment."
Cordelia bit down on a laugh as Elliott rolled her eyes. "They already think I'm getting it anyways, so I might as well use it." Elliott sighed, "Come on, tell me? Please?"
Misty threw her a look and Elliott groaned, turning on her heel and stomping up the stairs, Cordelia giggling when she heard her bedroom door slam, "She's so anal."
Misty chuckled in response, "I don't think she's ever cut it this close in her life."
"So, did she pass?" Cordelia asked, Misty rolling her eyes as the supreme continued, pointing at Misty in defense, "You and I both know it was the first exam you graded."
Misty bit down on her lip and chuckled, throwing the supreme a look, "Ya are just as bad as she is."
Cordelia smirked, "Only difference is I'm your boss."
Misty raised an eyebrow, "Ya really want ta play that card?"
One look at the Cajun's expression and Cordelia's cheeks caught fire, but somehow, she managed to keep herself from buckling, "Yes."
Misty smirked, but gave in, "She got an A, but that's only a third of the score."
Relief flooded Cordelia's face as the younger witch brushed past her with a stack of papers, her face falling into a pout, "I don't get a kiss?"
Misty shrugged, her face teasing, "Bosses don't get kisses."
Cordelia's jaw dropped as the Cajun chuckled, scoffing as she turned away, "Fine."
Misty grinned, scanning the downstairs for any sign of life, before running back towards the supreme and smacking her butt, making the older woman squeal as Misty giggled and ran away once more.
Cordelia couldn't keep the smile off her face as she headed up the stairs, pushing open Elliott's bedroom door, only to see the girl hunched over her desk once again, "Did you figure out what you're making?"
Elliott jumped at the sound, whipping her head towards the door, "Jesus Christ, don't do that."
Cordelia laughed, "By that reaction, I'm assuming no?"
Elliott waved her off, "I'm making progress."
Cordelia tilted her head, "What are you thinking of doing?"
Elliott shook her head, chuckling to herself, "Something stupid."
"A love potion?" Cordelia teased, Elliott rolling her eyes.
"No." Elliott said, "Although that is stupid."
"Well, what is it?" Cordelia asked, "I can help."
Elliott shook her head, "I've got it."
"Elliott…" Cordelia said carefully, "You just said it was stupid. That's not a good sign."
Elliott waved her off once again, "Not stupid in the way you're thinking. Stupid complicated."
"You do realize this is a beginners potion class, right?" Cordelia asked, "It's not supposed to be complicated."
Elliott sighed, "Well I always have been an overachiever."
"You do realize this is a third of your score, right?" Cordelia asked, "Now doesn't really seem like the time to take that risk."
"Oh, really?" Elliott asked, feigning surprise, which only made Cordelia roll her eyes, "I thought I was just doing it for shits and giggles."
"Language, missy." Cordelia chided, "Seriously, think about this, please."
"I am." Elliott grumbled, "You're the one who thinks I'm going to screw it up."
"That's not fair." Cordelia said softly, "I just don't want you to get in over your head because you feel like you have to prove something."
"I don't have to prove anything." Elliott responded, Cordelia looking at her incredulously, "I don't. I'm doing this because I know I can."
"Okay." Cordelia sighed, resigning to her daughter's obvious determination, "Are you sure I can't help you?"
"Relax." Elliott said with a smirk, "I've got it."
The next day, Elliott stood in front of her workbench in the greenhouse, staring nervously at the supplies in front of her as she waited for the exam to start. Cordelia had done her best to give a pep talk before they even walked in the room, telling her to trust herself, but it was kind of hard when everyone was just waiting for Elliott to fail, even her own mother. It would have been easier if they had given a study guide, or at least narrowed down what potions they would be expected to know, but the exam was completely random, and therefore completely blind.
"Alright, class." Zoe called out, everyone quickly focusing their attention on her as the chatter died down, "For this lab, you'll be asked to recreate Zircon's Protection Potion. Just to remind you, you will not be graded on technique for this portion, nor will you be graded on your knowledge of properties. You will simply be graded on whether or not the potion is successful. You will have two hours to complete this portion, and you must stay at your workbench until you are dismissed."
Shit, Elliott thought to herself as the entire class groaned. This was one of the most complicated potions to create, and one she seriously hoped wouldn't be their choice. It wasn't that the ingredients were difficult, but their preparation was crucial to its performance, if one thing was off, the entire thing was a dud.
"Now before we begin," Misty said, stepping forward, "I want everyone to take a deep breath. Remember, this is only ten percent of your final score. It's not the end of the world."
The three witches at the front of the room glanced at each other for a moment before they all nodded, Zoe speaking up, "Alright, you may begin."
Once the students began, the three teachers walked over to their assigned sections, watching the students as they worked. While Cordelia wasn't assigned to Elliott's section, she found herself glancing over at her, her lip trapped between her teeth as she watched the girl work, silently cursing Zoe for picking such a complex potion, even though she knew she would have done the same thing if she were in charge. It was supposed to be a way to differentiate those who had promise for the craft from those who could just memorize ingredients, since it required a certain level of technique, but now that her own daughter was on the line, it just seemed cruel. It made sense, Cordelia knew it did, they placed girls in different classes based on those scores, but it didn't make it any easier to stomach.
Cordelia knew Elliott failing wouldn't be the end of the world, most girls ended up having to retake at least one class, and honestly it might've been a good thing. If Elliott failed, maybe it would convince the girls that Elliott wasn't so different from them, but Cordelia had a sneaking suspicion that was the last thing on Elliott's mind. The more Cordelia thought about it, the more obvious it became that Misty was right, Elliott hadn't ever failed before, at least not when it came to academics, and that worried her. The young witch was cutting it close, more than close. Even if she did manage to get a perfect score on this exam, it still would only bring her up to a C-, and Cordelia wasn't sure how she would handle that.
The woman shook her head, knowing her anxiety wasn't helping, which was only confirmed when Elliott looked over at her before refocusing on her work. Cordelia walked up and down the aisles, glancing at the students she passed. As time dragged on, one by one the girls started to call out for the teachers, signaling that they were close to finishing. Some of them got it, some of them didn't, and Cordelia couldn't help but feel guilty when she saw the looks of disappointment on their faces, only for another student to call out for her and drag her away.
"This is bullshit!" Cordelia heard a girl yell, whipping her head towards the noise as she saw Elenor throw all of her stuff off the bench, catching Elliott flinch in her peripheral vision as the glass shattered on the floor.
"Calm down." Zoe tried, Elenor scoffing.
"No, I won't calm down." She yelled, "This shit is rigged."
"Elenor," Cordelia called out sternly, the entire room snapping their gaze to her, "You are disrupting your classmates."
"I don't care." Elenor sneered, "They can fail for all I care."
"Wait outside." Cordelia shot back, Elenor staring back as if she was going to challenge, "Now."
"I'm going back in the house." Elenor sassed, grabbing her things and stomping her feet as she left the greenhouse.
Once she was gone, Cordelia glanced around the room, "You all can continue." She looked over at Elliott, whose eyes were wide and frantic, and mimicked a deep breath, which thankfully the girl followed before refocusing on her work.
The students continued to finish one by one, their gaze slowly drifting over to Elliott, who was the only one who had yet to finish. She was obviously picking up on it, her hands growing shaky as her eyes darted back and forth across the desk, trying her best to focus on what she was doing. Cordelia considered dismissing everyone else, but if she did it then it would be too obvious as to why, so she left it alone, praying Elliott could keep her focus.
A few minutes passed and Elliott was on the final step, glancing up to notify the teachers, only to see she didn't have to, they were standing there staring at her. They all nodded to show they were paying attention, and Elliott took a deep breath as she poured the rest of the mix in, the potion turning from a pale pink to pitch black, and Elliott breathed a sigh of relief as a grin overtook the teachers' faces.
"Alright, I think that wraps it up." Misty said, "Y'all are dismissed. Good work."
Elliott was in Cordelia's arms before the woman could even blink, squealing softly. "You did it!" Cordelia whisper yelled in her ear, "I'm so proud of you."
Elliott grinned, stepping back only to be pulled into Misty's arms, "I knew ya could do it, kiddo."
Elliott offered to help clean up but the women refused, sending Elliott back to the house to "relax", although Elliott was doubtful she would be able to relax until this exam was behind her. She walked back into the kitchen and noticed everyone gathered around Elenor, who still looked incredibly pissed off. All their eyes drifted to her and Elliott felt her cheeks flush, then a rock form in the pit of her stomach when Elenor glared at her.
"Heard you passed." Elenor sneered, "Bet you wouldn't have if mommy didn't help you."
Elliott rolled her eyes, "You know you could've asked her for help too, right? It's not like she would have told you no."
Elenor scoffed, "Not how she helped you. What? Did she give you a heads up on the exam? Because there's no way you could have done it on your own. Last time I checked; you couldn't even make a vitality potion."
"God forbid I actually study." Elliott retorted, "You should try it sometime."
"You shouldn't even be allowed at this school, witch hunter." Elenor shot back, her voice dripping with venom as Elliott's eyes went wide, "You shouldn't exist."
"Well good thing you don't get to make that call." Elliott sneered, stepping back once Elenor stepped towards her.
Elliott could hear the girls whisper, glancing over at them and trying to catch what they were saying, but she couldn't make it out.
"Oh, you all didn't know? Dear Elliott has a witch hunter daddy." Elenor said with a smirk, the whispers growing, "She's a fucking mutt. She should be taken out back and put out of her misery."
Elliott's entire body tensed, watching Elenor as she slowly became more and more unhinged, her smirk growing in time with the hushed conversations, all eyes on her. Elliott had a bad feeling about this, quickly scanning the room for an exit point, but Elenor seemed to read her mind, stepping in her line of sight, and when Elliott looked down she spotted a knife firmly planted in her hand, "Don't worry, I'll take care of it."
Elliott's blood rushed in her ears as Elenor swung, managing to duck out of the way, but not before the knife clipped her cheek with a sharp sting. The room grew frantic, girls yelling for Elenor to stop, but it only seemed to fuel her, and she reached for Elliott as Queenie and Madison walked into the room, managing to get a grip on Elliott's shoulder before she swung again.
Elliott panicked as she saw the glint of the knife, closing her eyes as she tried to make the girl stop, knowing she couldn't get away and preparing for the final blow, but it never came. When she opened her eyes, Elenor was frozen in place, the knife only inches from her jugular. The girl, couldn't move, couldn't talk, but Elliott didn't think the girls raging eyes would ever leave her mind, the pure evil behind them. In a matter of seconds, Queenie had grabbed the knife from her grasp, but Elliott didn't release her, she couldn't, not when she was still frozen in the same spot in fear. Elliott heard footsteps by the side door, but she couldn't look away from Elenor's face, she couldn't move.
Cordelia and Misty glanced up from their conversation and saw all eyes on them, the girls' faces a concerning mix of scared and horrified. They glanced at the only two who weren't looking at them, Elenor still frozen with her eyes trained on Elliott, and Elliott with her back to them. "What is going on?" Cordelia asked, Elliott finally stepping back and releasing Elenor from her control, who grunted and stepped back in defeat, "Anyone? Elliott?"
Elliott's feet stuttered for a moment before she turned to face her mother, revealing a dripping gash on her left cheek. Cordelia's face set at her daughter's terrified eyes, her own eyes blazing as the silverware that was left to dry on the counter clattered to the floor. "What happened?" She spit out between gritted teeth, neither of the girls answering as Misty moved towards Elliott, grabbing her and pulling her towards the stairs. "Elenor," Cordelia seethed, "My office. Now."
By the time Cordelia had managed to get herself into a somewhat calm state and made it to her office, Elenor had deposited herself in the chair across from the supreme's desk, her face emotionless as she stared straight ahead. Cordelia rounded the desk, her arms crossed, "Do you want to explain to me what happened?"
Elenor looked at her but said nothing as she rolled her eyes and looked away once more, choosing to stare out the window. Cordelia tried to ignore the bubbling in her veins, setting her jaw and nodding slightly before she walked out of the room, practically running straight into Queenie and Madison.
"Did the brat tell you?" Madison sneered, and Cordelia noticed both girls looked visibly angry as she shook her head, "Of course not."
"What happened?" Cordelia asked, both girls shaking their heads.
"We don't know." Queenie answered, "We were in the living room setting up for the next exam. We heard the girls all come in and a few minutes later they were yelling."
"About what?" Cordelia asked, Madison shaking her head once more.
"We couldn't hear, it was just loud." She answered, "When we got there Elenor was already swinging the knife."
"A knife?" Cordelia asked frantically, the color draining from her face as her eyes darted between the two witches, "Where did she get a knife?"
"We don't know." The two said together, and Cordelia sighed as she realized that getting the information wasn't going to be an easy task.
"Where is Elliott?" She asked, the two pointing towards her bedroom, "Thank you."
Cordelia could hear Misty before she even opened the door, "Elle, ya gotta stop fightin' me so I can clean this." She peeked her head into the room and spotted Elliott on the bed, batting Misty's hands from her face, the swamp witch spotting her immediately and shaking her head at the supreme's questioning gaze.
Elliott wasn't looking at either of them, her eyes trained on the floor as the supreme moved towards her, only realizing the supreme's presence once she felt Cordelia's hands card through her hair and her lips on the top of her head. She looked up as the supreme sat on the bed next to her,and she had a look in her eyes the supreme couldn't get a read on. Cordelia took her face in her hands, examining the slash on Elliott's cheek. Luckily, it didn't look as bad as Cordelia had first thought, only scratching the surface, but it was long, spanning almost the entire distance between Elliott's temple and the corner of her mouth, and Cordelia couldn't help grimacing.
"Do you want to tell me what happened?" She asked softly, not wanting to startle the girl or make her defensive, but it seemed like it didn't matter, Elliott whipped her head her head out of her mother's grasp and trained her eyes on the floor once more.
"Elenor was mad that my potion worked and her's didn't." Elliott mumbled, Cordelia nodding.
"And why did she have the knife?" She asked quietly, Misty jerking her head up at the revelation. Cordelia held her hand up as she stared at her daughter, knowing the million questions that were swimming around in Misty's head, but she didn't want to risk bombarding the girl and having Elliott shut down completely.
There was a beat of silence and Cordelia watched Elliott's face change, her jaw setting as every muscle flexed, "She was trying to kill me."
"What?" Cordelia croaked, eyebrows furrowed as her and Misty exchanged questioning glances. While Elenor had been increasingly combative since her stay in hell, it seemed like a gross overreaction to a little bit of jealousy. But there Elliott was, shoulders tensing as she braced for impact, and Cordelia knew she wasn't lying as she felt her blood begin to boil, but she still couldn't understand how it had escalated to that degree, "Why?"
Elliott could hear the change in her mother's tone and shook her head, not wanting to make the situation any worse when she herself was already on edge, but Cordelia persisted, "I need you to tell me everything." Elliott looked over at her mother as her mind was trying to figure out how to peace it all together, and after a moment Cordelia shook her head slightly, seeming to understand her daughter's plight, "Show me."
"Maybe we should get this bandaged up first." Misty interjected, motioning at Elliott's cheek, "It's not deep but I don't want infection ta set in." With that, the haze that had covered Elliott's eyes seemed to dissipate, snapping her out of whatever trance she was in, and without a second thought she waved her hand over the wound, the gash healing to a faint red line. "Well, I guess that solves it." Misty chuckled.
Elliott refocused her attention on Cordelia, her expression hesitant and questioning, but the supreme nodded, "I need to see everything."
Cordelia had vaulted off the bed before she even saw Elenor swing the knife, pacing back and forth with white knuckles long after the vision had concluded. At some point Misty had replaced Cordelia on the bed, running her hand up and down Elliott's spine in an attempt to soothe her obvious distress, but the girl didn't tear her eyes away from Cordelia as they sat in what seemed like a perpetual silence.
Eventually the pacing slowed, then stopped entirely, and when her eyes met Elliott's there was no softness behind them, her voice deathly firm and even, "I need to see it again."
"Dee…" Misty said when she felt Elliot's energy spike, but Cordelia was quick to raise her hand to silence her.
"If I'm going to do this, I need to make sure I'm not missing anything." Cordelia seethed, her eyes never leaving Elliott as she demanded, "Again." Elliott was even more hesitant this time, looking over at Misty for some indication of whether or not she should comply, but the woman just nodded, and with that Elliott dove in once more.
When it was all said and done, Cordelia left the room without another word, heading out to the greenhouse to make a phone call. When she returned, the council had congregated outside the door, waiting for some kind of explanation, but they merely received an instruction, "There will be a council meeting once I'm done speaking to Elenor."
Elenor was antsy by the time Cordelia returned to her office, fidgeting in her seat as her confidence waned. When she saw the supreme, she moved to offer some form of an explanation, but Cordelia didn't bother to hear her out, "You're going to pack your things, your parents will be here tonight to pick you up."
"You're kicking me out?" Elenor asked in disbelief, searching for Cordelia's eyes, but the supreme wouldn't even look at her as she searched for the necessary paperwork.
"I can't help you anymore." Cordelia said, finally meeting Elenor's gaze, "This coven is supposed to be a safe place, and the girls aren't safe with you here."
"You mean Elliott isn't safe." Elenor snarked, and it took everything in Cordelia to not roll her eyes.
"You won't be permitted to return until after you're 22nd birthday," Cordelia said, her voice clinical, "In the meantime, your powers will be bound."
Elenor scoffed, "No way in hell am I letting you do that."
Cordelia glared at the girl, her face setting, "You have proven yourself to be a danger to this coven. You don't have a choice."
Elenor gave a sadistic grin, "What makes you think I'll ever come back here?"
"That's your choice," Cordelia stated, "But you won't get your powers back until you return."
Elenor's face fell once she realized her hand, her confidence turning to pleads. "Just kick me out!" She begged, "Leave my powers!"
Cordelia shook her head, "I can't do that. You were brought here to learn to control them. Any new powers you develop will be a danger to those around you."
Tears were streaming down the girl's face by this point, exclaiming, "This isn't fair!"
Cordelia sat stone faced as the girl continued to cry, putting up her best front despite the guilt she felt. It was the right choice, she knew it was, but that didn't make it any easier to stomach. She sent a text to Zoe and within a few moments Mallory was knocking on the door, Cordelia standing, "Mallory will supervise you while you pack. Excuse me."
After instructing Misty to have Elliott wait in her room until the supreme came and got her, she sat down with the council and explained all of the events that had transpired and her actions, knowing they would have questions.
"Have we ever expelled anyone before?" Queenie asked, her eyes darting between the members for some sort of direction.
Cordelia shook her head, "We haven't had to. Girls have been exiled, but that was after they were under our care."
Zoe piped in, "Protocol is to bind their powers."
Queenies eyes widened, "Are we doing that?"
Cordelia nodded solemnly, "We have to."
The group fell silent for a few moments before Madison spoke up, "Does Elliott know you're doing this?"
Cordelia shook her head, "I haven't told her yet."
"Because you know she wouldn't want that." Madison sneered, "She knows Elenor is only a threat to her, and she's going to be left defenseless without us or her powers."
"Right now, she's only a threat to her." Cordelia argued, "But Elenor's behavior has been escalating."
"That didn't answer my question." Madison shot back.
"You didn't ask a question." Cordelia snapped, pausing to take a breath as she attempted to get her emotions under control, "As long as she doesn't have powers, she shouldn't be on anyone's radar."
"Witch hunters still exist." Madison responded, Cordelia nodding.
"That's why we're binding her powers." Cordelia said, "For her protection."
"Her powers would be useless against the witch hunters anyways." Queenie chimed in, Madison rolling her eyes.
"All the more reason to keep her here." Madison shot back, her gaze never leaving Cordelia, "You and I both know it's not just those with the block that want us dead."
"She tried to kill someone." Cordelia said sternly, Madison making a face.
"She tried to kill Elliott," She stated, "Who we already know doesn't really die."
"She could." Cordelia scoffed, "She's not immortal."
"Madison, she has a point." Zoe cut in, "If it was any of the other girls, we could bring them back. We can't do that with Elliott."
Madison threw her a glare, huffing, "Yea, I get that, but I still don't think it's a good idea to turn her loose. Did you forget what happened this summer?"
"No," Cordelia bit, glaring at the girls defiance, "I didn't."
The two women stared at each other, both fuming by this point. While both had made valid points, it was becoming obvious there wasn't really a right choice to this dilemma, and it wasn't sitting right with anyone. Eventually, Zoe felt the need to speak up, asking the question everyone in the room had tried to avoid.
"Cordelia," Zoe began tentatively, "Would you still have expelled her if she did this to any other student?"
Cordelia focused her attention on Zoe, but she didn't answer right away. A part of her knew the question was bound to be asked, considering the situation, but the other part was furious the girl had even dared to pose it, like Cordelia was incapable of separating her own feelings as a mother from her duties as supreme. Still, she couldn't lash out, she knew Zoe didn't ask because she was trying to make a dig, if anything she was trying to help.
Regardless, it wasn't a clear-cut answer. The situation was unique in that if Elenor were to attack another student, there wasn't much that Cordelia couldn't fix, but that wasn't the case with Elliott. Obviously, expulsion would still be on the table, there wasn't a doubt in the woman's mind about that, but the supreme couldn't honestly say she wouldn't explore every other avenue before she chose to take that route.
However, even if Elliott wasn't who she was, if she was just another student who happened to be impervious to the other witches' gifts, Cordelia didn't think her answer would change. It was her job to protect the girls, all of them, regardless of where they came from or what abilities they possessed.
"Yes," She finally said, "My response wouldn't change."
Madison huffed, "Fine. Clip the bitch's wings."
The sun had set by the time Cordelia knocked on Elliott's door, cracking it open to see her daughter sitting cross legged on the bed, staring blankly at her computer screen, "Dinner is ready."
Elliott jerked her head up at the sound before shaking her head, "I'm not really hungry right now."
"You need to eat." Cordelia tried, Elliott nodding in return and offering a halfhearted smile.
"I will," She said, "Just not right now."
Cordelia sighed, moving towards the bed and sitting on the edge. "She's not down there." She said, catching Elliott's confused expression and clarifying, "Elenor."
Elliott nodded, "That's not why I don't want to eat. I'm really not hungry."
Cordelia nodded, going back in forth in her mind about the right time to have this conversation, before finally deciding to just go for it, "She's gone."
Elliott's eyebrows creased, "What do you mean gone? Like suspended?"
Cordelia shook her head slowly, "I expelled her." After the initial shock had settled, Elliott moved to argue, but Cordelia was quick to silence her, "I didn't have a choice, it was a safety concern."
"I didn't want her expelled." Elliott argued, eyes wide in disbelief, "Don't I get a say in this?"
Cordelia stared down at her hands as she shook her head, "It wasn't an easy choice to make, but if she went after you, she could go after the other girls too."
"Her powers are still growing," Elliott said, scrambling for some sort of rebuttal, anything to make her mother change her mind, "If she isn't here then she can't learn to control them."
Cordelia swallowed thickly, fighting back the tears she could feel welling behind her eyelids, "That won't be a problem."
"What do you mean it won't be a problem?" Elliott asked, her pitch rising the more worked up she became, and Cordelia cringed at the sound, "They don't just go away."
Cordelia tried to school her features, but she couldn't anymore when she saw the look on her obviously upset daughter's face. She knew the conversation wouldn't be easy, that there would be pushback, but she expected anger, not sheer desperation, "She doesn't have them anymore."
Elliott's face dropped, her eyes screaming of betrayal, "You took them away?"
Cordelia nodded carefully, "It's protocol."
Cordelia stared at Elliott and cursed herself for not being able to read the emotions that were morphing across the girl's features. It was like one emotion was stacking on top of the other, and by the end of it the supreme wasn't sure if the witch was going to cry or yell. Still, she tried to quell whatever storm was brewing, taking Elliott's face in her hands, "Baby, I didn't have a choice."
"Yes, you did." Elliott spit between gritted teeth, Cordelia shushing her desperately as Elliott pushed her hands away.
"Baby, this wasn't a normal fight," Cordelia tried, "She wanted to kill you."
"I wouldn't let that happen." Elliott shot back, "You know that."
Cordelia shook her head as she gave a sad smile, "It's not that simple."
"How is it not that simple?" Elliott yelled, "She tried to, and I stopped her."
Cordelia sighed, "Your powers are tied to your emotions, if you are stressed or scared there's no telling what could happen."
"What?" Elliott scoffed mockingly, "I could tear her apart?"
"Yes," Cordelia stated, "You could kill her."
Elliott looked away to hide her defeated expression, quickly growing annoyed, "So what happens now?"
"Nothing." Cordelia whispered, bracing for the next wave, "Everything is already handled."
Elliott threw her a glare, "And you waited to tell me?"
"I knew you wouldn't want it." Cordelia said.
"I don't." Elliott bit, doing her best to ignore the pity that filled the supreme's eyes.
"Elle," Cordelia tried again, her voice noticeably softer, "She tried to kill you."
"You think I don't know that?" Elliott fired back.
"I don't think you understand the gravity of it." Cordelia said firmly, ignoring the way Elliott huffed in response, "How did she know you were half witch hunter?"
"I don't know." Elliott spit out.
"Did you tell the girls?" Cordelia asked.
"I don't think so." Elliott said, obviously frustrated as she shook her head, "I don't know."
"You don't know?" Cordelia pressed, Elliott staring back at her like she was stupid.
"Well, my memory isn't exactly stellar." She sassed, "I don't know when it would have come up, and after what happened at Hathorne I'm not exactly keen to tell people."
"Did the other girls know?" Cordelia asked.
Elliott chuckled darkly, "Based on their response, I would assume no."
"Could the older girls have told her?" Cordelia asked, Elliott shaking her head.
"How would I know that?" She asked, "Ask them."
Cordelia bowed her head and rubbed her forehead, the conversation going just as well as she thought it would. She knew it would be difficult, but it would be a hell of a lot easier if she could get an idea of where her daughter's head was at, but she couldn't get a clear read, even her energy was all over the place, grumbling and arching to the point it was exhausting.
Cordelia looked up when she felt the bed shift, Elliott standing in front of her, Elliott mumbling something about needing to study, but Cordelia was quick to interject, "I'll ask Misty to push back your exam, considering..."
Elliott cut her off, "No, I'll take it with everyone else. I don't need to make this any worse."
Cordelia looked at Elliott questioningly, "How would that make it worse?"
"The girls already think I get special treatment," Elliott ranted, "And then I get into a fight and you expel her."
"That wasn't a fight." Cordelia argued, "She tried to kill you."
Elliott rolled her eyes, "Queenie threatens to kill Madison every other day and uses her as her personal voodoo doll and you don't say anything."
"The difference is intent." Cordelia replied, "Queenie hasn't tried to actually kill her."
"Are you forgetting that I could've killed Elenor?" Elliott argued, pacing the length of her room, "I was scrambling her brain right in front of you."
"Once again," Cordelia sighed, "It's about intent. You weren't trying to kill her, and you were punished accordingly."
"When are you going to understand?" Elliott exclaimed, "It doesn't matter!"
"Ok." Cordelia said, finally standing from her position on the bed, "Let's just slow down for a minute and take a breather." At this point the conversation was running in circles and Cordelia didn't know how much more she could take. Something was off, Cordelia knew it was, but with her energy rapidly cycling she couldn't place it, she needed to do something to level it out. Elliott moved to argue, but Cordelia shot back firmly, "No, stop. Take a breath." Elliott threw her mother a glare, rolling her eyes as she inhaled and exhaled as dramatically as possible. She opened her mouth to speak again, but Cordelia held up her hand, "No, take three more."
By this point Elliott was not impressed, but she wanted to get it over with, and she knew if she kept acting up her mother would make her continue for eternity, so she complied, taking a deep inhale and then letting it out slowly, the events and emotions from the day finally coming to a halt. By the second exhale, she had tears in her eyes, and by the third she was sobbing, feeling her mother's arms wrap around her as she cried.
Cordelia's stomach knotted as she held her weeping child, realizing in the craziness of the situation and her responsibilities to handle it, she never had a moment where she was able to comfort the young girl. If she hadn't been the headmistress, if she was just Elliott's mom, she would have been strapped to her side, but instead she was doing clean up. The situation was scary, and Cordelia was so wrapped up in the mechanics of it all, it never occurred to her that just because Elliott was physically ok, didn't mean she was emotionally, and she cursed herself for it now.
"I didn't want this." Elliott spit out between sobs, Cordelia squeezing her tightly.
"I know," She said, kissing Elliott's head, "But it had to happen. It's my job to keep you safe." Elliott shook her head, moving to protest, but Cordelia just shushed her, "Let's table this for now, ok?"
She didn't miss the way Elliott shifted to stomp her feet, chuckling to herself at the teenager's antics as she shuffled the girl towards the bed and coaxed her into laying down, hoping she would be able to get Elliott to relax, even a little bit. It wasn't an easy task, each time it would seem like Elliott was beginning to come around, she would burst into tears again, burying her head in the supreme's side in an attempt to muffle the sound. Eventually, the tears stopped, but it didn't bring the relief that Cordelia had expected, Elliott's energy was still just as chaotic as before. If anything, it seemed like the girl just gave up once she realized there wasn't a way to cry it out of her system. Cordelia tried to talk with her, ask her questions to get to the root of the issue, but Elliott didn't respond, just stared blankly at the wall.
A knock on the door caught the supreme's attention, Zoe peeking her head around the slab of wood with questioning eyes. "What can I do for you?" Cordelia asked, Zoe glancing hesitantly at Elliott before speaking.
"When you are ready, I really think you should talk with the girls." Zoe said carefully, Cordelia staring back, confused.
"About what?" She asked, knowing the girls had already been informed of Elenor's expulsion.
Zoe was hesitant, her eyes moving between the supreme and her obviously distressed daughter, hoping the older witch took the hint, "They have some questions."
"We'll deal with it later." Cordelia said, catching the implication right as she felt Elliott tense in her arms, but by the time she spoke, Elliott was already pulling away and standing.
"It's ok." She said, "I have to study in the greenhouse anyways."
Cordelia eyed the girl, knowing exactly what she was trying to do, "Elle, I already said I would move your final."
Elliott sighed, "I just want to get it over with."
By the time Cordelia had thought of a rebuttal, Elliott was already slipping past Zoe and out of the room, the older woman resigning to her stubbornness. She looked over at Zoe and nodded, the other witch nodding in return and quickly moving to gather the girls in the living room.
"Is it true?" One of the girls asked, "Is she half witch hunter?"
Cordelia nodded, bracing for the slew of intrusive questions that were no doubt going to follow, "It is."
"Why is she here then?" The girl asked, Cordelia sighing internally.
"While Elliott does carry the gene," Cordelia began, "She wasn't raised in that environment. She has witch hunter blood, the same way she has a witches blood, but she didn't grow up with their traditions, or beliefs. It's not the same."
"The gene?" The girl asked, only for another one to pipe up beside her.
"She has the block." She said, Cordelia nodding, "That's why our magic doesn't work on her. It wasn't a protection spell like we thought."
"Pardon me?" Cordelia asked, the other girls turning to glare at the one who outed them.
"What?" The girl asked, "We always play pranks on the new students. This isn't new."
Cordelia groaned and rubbed at her temples, suddenly remembering why she used to be so strict on the girls using their magic on each other.
"She shouldn't be here." Another girl said, "If she has a block, that means we can't defend ourselves."
"You shouldn't have to defend yourselves." Cordelia said, taking a moment to gather her thoughts and take a breath before she snapped, "I'm going to put a stop to this right now. Elliott is not going anywhere. She has powers, just like you all do, and she needs to learn how to control them, same as you. If I had any inclination that she was a threat to any of you, she would not be here. Is that understood?"
The girls all nodded, but even Cordelia could see it was hesitant, like they didn't believe her. This was exactly what she had feared would happen if it ever got out. Elliott wasn't behaving any different from the other girls, if anything she was more behaved, but now everything she did, or had done, was under a microscope, ready to be critiqued and criticized.
It wasn't like Cordelia didn't get it; she knew the girls were scared. Hell, she was scared when she first found out, that was until she learned who Elliott truly was. At first, Cordelia had chalked up Elliott's poor relationship with the other girls to her being antisocial, but now it didn't seem that way. They knew Elliott was different, knew from the very beginning, and instead of asking about it, they chatted in hushed whispers, creating a story in their minds that only alienated her further.
The supreme sent the girls to bed early and headed out to the greenhouse, spotting Elliott at a workbench with herbs scattered every which way. "It's time for bed." Cordelia said, Elliott turning towards the sound.
"I think I'm going to have a late night." She said, offering the supreme a sheepish smile.
"You still need sleep." Cordelia argued, but Elliott only chuckled.
"Less than most." She retorted, and Cordelia playfully rolled her eyes, stepping further into the room.
"Have you figured out what you're making tomorrow?" she asked, Elliott nodding in return.
"Yea," Elliott said, looking back to her potion and then back to her mother, "I'm just perfecting it."
Cordelia smirked, "Something tells me it's not just a love potion."
Elliott laughed, "What gave you that idea?"
"You know," The older woman said, taking another step forward, "It doesn't have to work. It's just to show you understand the herbs and how to combine them."
Elliott nodded, "I know, but it would be nice if it actually worked."
"You know," Cordelia teased, "You won't get extra credit."
Elliott nodded, "I know."
Cordelia threw the girl a look, "You've had a rough day. Why don't we settle for good enough?"
Elliott laughed, "If I settled for good enough every time I had a rough day, I never would have made it past the third grade."
Cordelia rolled her eyes playfully, "I talked with Misty, we agreed it's best to have you present your final privately."
Without even thinking, Elliott asked, "Am I still allowed to go here?"
"Why wouldn't you be?" Cordelia asked, concern etching her features, "You didn't do anything wrong."
Elliott threw the woman a look, "The girls don't want me here."
Cordelia sighed, "They'll come around, it will just take time. It was a shock and the way it came out didn't help."
Elliott nodded, seeming to accept this, which Cordelia was grateful for, "If I'm the only one who presents my project privately, it's going to look suspicious."
Cordelia smirked, already anticipating this exact response, "Since tensions are obviously a little high, everyone will be presenting in front of just the teachers."
"Always an answer to everything." Elliott teased, Cordelia smiling softly.
"Come to bed." She tried again, but Elliott shook her head.
"I'm still working," The young witch replied, "But you should go to bed." Cordelia moved to argue, but Elliott was quick to cut her off, "Mama, I'll be fine. Go to bed."
"I'll stay up with you." Cordelia retorted, not wanting to leave Elliott alone for a second time that day.
Elliott laughed, "That didn't work when Misty tried it, it won't work with you either."
Cordelia sighed after a moment, "Promise me you'll go to bed at a halfway decent time?"
Elliott laughed, "Sure, mama. I'll be in bed at some point tonight."
Cordelia conceded, quickly realizing that was about as good of an answer as she was going to get, and moved towards the girl, pulling her into a hug and kissing her head. Something was off, Cordelia could feel it, but Elliott didn't seem like she was going to budge, and at some point, the supreme had to trust that Elliott was doing what was best for her, even if she didn't like it. "I love you." She said after a moment, squeezing the girl a little tighter.
"I love you too." Elliott said softly, returning the squeeze before she finally pulled away.
Cordelia headed back into the house and to her office, and while the original plan was just to tidy up the space and head to bed, she found herself sitting at her desk an hour later with sleep being the last thing on her mind. She knew she should go to bed, pack everything away and process it when the situation wasn't so fresh, so raw, but she couldn't.
She felt like she had failed, like she should have seen this all coming. Elenor had been struggling for months, picking fights with girls and failing her classes, and no matter what Cordelia had tried, there was nothing she could do to help. She knew the girl blamed her for all of it, it was the only logical reason why she targeted Elliott, to get a reaction out of the supreme, even if it wasn't a positive one.
Maybe, if they had just been honest with the girls from the beginning about who and what Elliott was, this would have never happened. If they told Elenor what Elliott could do, what she had done for her, all of it would have been avoided. Now, all of the girls were terrified, and Cordelia had completely lost control of the situation. Now, it looked like they were hiding it because Elliott was a threat, and Cordelia couldn't even blame them, because she had once thought the same.
None of the older girls had admitted to telling Elenor what Elliott was, and while Elliott had been known to accidentally divulge this information before, it just didn't seem to fit. But it had to have come from somewhere, it wasn't something she could just figure out on her own, and it wasn't the first time Elenor had seemingly been fed information. They never were able to figure out if Elenor had been telling the truth about descensum, and at the time Cordelia was so angry about the whole thing she never bothered to dig into it, but maybe she should have.
The older witch glanced at the clock and saw it was past 1am and sighed once she realized she hadn't heard Elliott come up for bed, lifting herself from her chair and making the trek back out to the greenhouse. Elliott was still leaned over the same table, in the same position. It looked like she hadn't even moved since Cordelia had left her hours prior, and she looked exhausted. "You need to go to sleep." Cordelia said, making the young witch practically jump out of her skin.
Elliott whipped her head towards the sound, letting out a breath when she realized who it came from, "I thought you went to bed."
"I couldn't sleep." Cordelia explained, Elliott nodding as she let out a small laugh.
"I can't either." She said, "That's why I'm still out here."
Cordelia studied her daughter, tilting her head to the side once Elliott picked up on it and broke eye contact. "She's gone, you know." Cordelia finally said, "She can't hurt you."
Elliott nodded, "Yea, but now thanks to her there's now 20 other girls who want to."
"They're just scared." Cordelia tried, but Elliott just looked away.
"Fear can make people do a lot of bad things." She said quietly, fiddling with something on the workbench.
"It can." Cordelia said, waiting for her daughter's eyes to meet hers once again, "No one has fessed up to telling Elenor."
"I figured they wouldn't." Elliott sighed, "Who knows, maybe I told her."
"I don't think so." Cordelia said quietly, "Do you think it might be the same person who told Elenor to do descensum?"
Elliott cocked her head to the side, "I don't know. But how would they have known?"
"Elenor's stepmother practices voodoo." Cordelia answered, noticing how Elliott's immediate reaction was to shake her head no.
"Yea, but the only person who might have known is Grace, and she wouldn't do that." Elliott said, "She practically raised me."
Cordelia bit her lip, her heart sinking as she recalled what David told her, how Grace purposely riled the supreme up and sent her straight for Elliott, what she said about the girl. She couldn't stand to break her daughter's heart, but she also needed to know, so she asked, "Did you tell Grace, or maybe Sarah?"
"No," Elliott said, shaking her head, "Did you?"
"No," Cordelia said carefully, "But…"
"But nothing." Elliott forced, shutting the conversation down entirely, "I trust Grace with my life, it's not her."
Cordelia nodded. She didn't want to push, add onto what had already been a stressful day, and with the conviction Elliott had in her tone, the woman was left with no choice but to believe her, at least for the time being, "Ok."
Elliott nodded before refocusing on her work, seemingly forgetting the supreme's presence all together, and Cordelia couldn't help but feel like she was intruding. She could feel herself getting antsy, hands twitching by her sides. As she watched her daughter, she couldn't for the life of her understand how Elliott could find any semblance of normal and carry on after what had happened. The woman's mind had been buzzing all day, darting back and forth between overthinking and not being able to think at all. All she had wanted to do from the moment she saw Elliott bleeding was stay strapped to her side, yet the girl had spent the whole day doing everything she could to maintain distance.
She rounded the table to watch the girl, her eyebrows were creased and eyes unfocused. Her movements were haphazard at best, and it finally occurred to the supreme that Elliott hadn't ever had the chance to slow down, she always had to keep pushing through. She never had the time to be upset or angry or even process what was happening to her, it just wasn't an option. "You need to go to sleep." Cordelia finally said, Elliott snapping her head up.
"I told you," She argued, "I'm not going to sleep."
"You don't have to." Cordelia replied, rounding the workbench until she was close enough to touch the girl, carding her fingers through her hair, "But you still need to come to bed with me."
Elliott bit her lip as she glanced back at her work, and suddenly it all clicked for Cordelia. Elliott was using her exams like a crutch. It was fair to say the past month hadn't been exactly kind to her, and instead of dealing with the stress, she replaced it with a different kind. "You'll do fine, I know you will." Cordelia whispered, cupping Elliott's face in her hands as she leaned in, "Call it a night and come to bed, please."
It took a moment, but Elliott finally nodded, Cordelia grinning back at her. She had half a mind to send Elliott right to bed so she wouldn't have the opportunity to change her mind, but there was still cleanup to do, so she helped, putting back the herbs and rinsing the flasks. When everything was done, she looked back at her daughter and saw the hesitation on her features, grabbing the girl's hand and pulling her inside, up the stairs, and into the supreme's bedroom.
"What are you doing?" Elliott whispered in the pitch-black room, "Misty is sleeping."
With that, the bedside lamp flipped on, lighting the room as Misty pulled herself up in bed, rubbing the sleep from her eyes, "Hey, darlin'."
Cordelia smirked and walked towards her obviously still sleepy girlfriend, giving her a quick peck as Elliott stood at the front of the bed, the woman motioning to her, "Come on, it's bedtime."
"I don't need to stay in here." Elliott tried, "I have my own room."
Cordelia shook her head, grabbing the girl and pulling her towards her, "You'll keep yourself up all night if you stay in there. I want you here."
"I won't keep myself up." Elliott argued, stepping forward, "I'll go to sleep."
"I would feel better if you stayed here." Cordelia reiterated, "You aren't going back to your room."
Elliott stomped her feet, opening her mouth to argue when she felt two arms wrap around her waist and tug, flipping over Misty and onto the bed. The two older women giggled, but Elliott wasn't so pleased. "Dude," She sighed, "I still have shoes on."
Misty smirked, grabbing the girl as she tried to get back up, tucking her against her chest as Elliott fought her, wiggling back and forth for a moment only to realize the older witch was much stronger than she was. She looked over at her beaming mother, her eyes pleading, "Mama, help."
Elliott pouted and Cordelia laughed, shaking her head, "You wanted to be difficult."
Eventually, Misty let go and they all got ready for bed, Elliott finding herself right between the two women in Cordelia's arms. Elliott tried not to move too much so that her mother could sleep, and eventually Cordelia did, but the girl fought off the exhaustion with every fiber of her being. She thought she was getting away with it, but as she stared at Misty she watched the Cajun crack open one eye, then the other. "What's keepiin' ya awake, darlin'?" She whispered, Elliott shaking her head slightly.
"Nothing." Elliott whispered back, "Just can't sleep."
"That's a load of bull crap." Misty chuckled, "What's on ya mind?" Elliott didn't respond, so Misty tried again, "Is it the girls?" Elliott nodded, "Ya know I won't let anyone hurt ya, right?"
"There's only so much you can do." Elliott whispered, her eyes glazing over with tears.
"That's true." Misty conceded, "But I know how far me and ya mama are willin' ta go for ya."
Elliott bit her lip, her voice getting even more quiet, "She's the supreme. Eventually, there's going to be a point where she has to choose."
"Ya worry too much." Misty joked, before seeing Elliott's expression, her tone changing, "Ya need ta trust us."
Elliott nodded, obviously fighting sleep, "I do."
Misty smiled, "Then close your eyes sugar. Ya have a big day tomorrow."