Raelle woke up in the middle of the night and found Scylla across the room curled up with her necro book. "Scyl?"
Scylla looked up from her book and realized it was really late. She got up and turned off the light before joining Raelle in bed.
Raelle pulled her close and mumbled something unintelligible.
"What?" Scylla asked, turning her head to better hear Raelle but heard only soft snoring. She didn't want to disturb her sleep so turned very gently so she could watch her for a while. She was about to doze off when she heard Raelle again.
"Can't sleep?" Raelle asked before opening her eyes to look into Scylla's. "Do you want to continue your necro training?" She finally broached the subject.
"Why would you think that?" Scylla wondered.
"You preferred the book to me," Raelle teased.
"I didn't want to disrupt your sleep and the book just helped distract me," Scylla explained. "I'd still choose you over it any time."
Raelle was glad but knew Izadora probably had more ideas to lure Scylla back to the necro lab than just a book. "I won't mind if you want to stay."
"I thought you wanted to leave the Army," Scylla said, wondering if things have changed.
Before they could discuss their plans further an urgent knock on the door interrupted them. Raelle climbed over Scylla to answer it.
"The new witch is asking for you," the nurse requested frantically. "She's having difficulty breathing."
Raelle pulled on her pants and hurriedly left with the nurse leaving Scylla behind.
Scylla noticed that Raelle had taken her civilian pants in her rush and left her Army ones behind. She debated on whether to go after her or not and ultimately decided to go. She arrived at the infirmary and found Raelle already trying to comfort Morgana.
"It's alright," Raelle said comfortingly. "Your body is just going through a growth spurt of sorts."
"I couldn't breathe," Morgana complained. "Will you stay and watch over me tonight?"
Raelle gave Morgana a hug to calm her down. She sensed Scylla nearby and turned to look at her. She saw the brunette give her a nod before leaving.
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Scylla arrived at Petra's office with Abigail and Tally after having breakfast with them. As with the previous morning, Tally and Abigail brought breakfast to have a private meal even without Raelle. They then agreed to check on Raelle at the infirmary only to be told that she had gone to see Petra with Morgana.
"There you are," Petra greeted them, watching Morgana attempt to open the locked chest but failing apparently.
"How long has she been trying to open it?" Abigail asked, watching Raelle patiently help Morgana with using her new witch abilities.
"I can't," Morgana said frustratedly after failing again. "I'm sorry I can't help you." She stormed out of the office.
Raelle went after her passing between Scylla and her unit. She gave Scylla a quick squeeze on the hand before disappearing.
"Well, that didn't turn out well," Abigail stated the obvious.
"This is all new to her and it can't be easy," Tally said sympathetically.
"We don't have much time," Petra noted. "The president is demanding answers to what just happened and we can't hold her off much longer."
"Let me see if I can help Raelle," Scylla offered and went in search of her.
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Raelle caught up to Morgana and tried to calm her down. "It took me quite a while to do anything, too."
"What if I can't?"
"Then we'll find another way," Raelle offered. "Maybe we can go visit your mom and grandmother again to practice if you like."
"You've been very nice to me," Morgana noted. "Ever since I arrived here, you've been the only one not asking me to do anything but instead asking me if I wanted to."
"It's just because everyone is eager to get answers," Raelle explained. "I'm sure they'll be nicer to you once this is all over."
"I never knew it was this bad," Morgana said, realizing how sheltered she was. "My dad … my uncle kept me insulated from it all."
"Didn't you watch the news?" Raelle asked, seeing her struggle with the harsh reality.
"He kept me away from all of it; private tutors, private parties," Morgana said sadly. "He told me he was trying to keep me safe after what happened to my mother. And I believed him."
"What matters is that you're trying to make things right," Raelle pointed out. "My mom said they live through us so it's up to us to correct the past."
Morgana appreciated the pep talk and gave Raelle a hug. She was slightly taller but felt they fit well together.
"Ready to give it another shot?" Raelle whispered, looking forward to helping her.
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Scylla found Raelle and Morgana hugging and decided to leave them alone. She was heading back when she heard someone call her.
"Ramshorn," M addressed her. "I believe one of these is yours." She signaled the cadets who went to retrieve their things to present what they got for her to claim.
"Thanks," Scylla said, picking up not only hers but Raelle's. "I'll give it to her." She replied to M's unspoken question. She gave the cadets an appreciative smile for doing the menial task.
"Do you know where the rest of the Bellweather unit are at?"
"Last I know, they were with General Bellweather," Scylla replied, taking care to be more formal in front of M and the cadets. She then returned to her room and was glad to be reunited with her things. She was changing when she heard the door open behind her.
"It's just me," Raelle announced herself, seeing Scylla in the middle of changing. She saw her own backpack and realized Petra must've asked someone to get their things for them.
"What are you doing back here? Shouldn't you be training with Morgana?" Scylla tried to keep her voice level as best she could.
"I think her mom and grandmother are better at doing that," Raelle said, plopping on the bed and looking up at Scylla.
"She's in there alone?" Scylla wondered if that was a good idea.
"She's with her family now," Raelle said. "Besides, I think I'd rather spend time with you since I bailed on you last night."
"Are you sure you're not going to run off again? She seems to need you a lot," Scylla observed unable to keep it to herself.
"Only because I'm the only one who has shown her compassion since she got here," Raelle noted innocently. "Aside from you, of course but you haven't really spent time with her yet. I'm sure she'll like you once she gets to know you."
Scylla doubted it but kept that to herself. "What do you want to do now?"
"Are you finished with your book?" Raelle teased, wrestling with Scylla when she jumped on the bed and her. "Ok, I surrender."
Scylla smiled triumphantly after pinning the blonde with ease. "Seriously, what do you want to do?"
"I'd like to hear stories about your childhood," Raelle said, waiting in anticipation.
"I thought you wanted my mom to tell you," Scylla reminded her.
"Yeah, but she's been hard to find since I took you in there," Raelle pointed out. "I'm beginning to think she's dodging me." She chuckled when Scylla lightly hit her shoulder as protest.
Scylla considered it thoughtfully before offering her hand to Raelle to share a childhood memory. She saw how excited the blonde was to link with her.
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Raelle eagerly took Scylla's hand and absorbed the memory the brunette was willing to share with her. It was Scylla as a child on the beach flying a kite with her parents. As to be expected, Scylla wanted to fly the kite on her own and it lifted her off the ground until her dad caught her by the waist to keep her from floating away. She giggled and unconsciously shared one of her own recent memories.
Scylla was jolted by the vision and quickly pulled her hand away from Raelle like she had been burned. She sat up abruptly and tried to catch her breath.
"What's wrong?" Raelle asked, seeing her distress.
"I need some air," Scylla said dismissively, getting up to leave. She opened the door and found Tally about to knock.
"Great, you're both here," Tally said. "Morgana said she'd like to try opening the chest again. Want to come watch?"
Scylla shook her head and walked past the redhead. She was in the common room when Raelle caught up to her.
"Wait up; I'm sorry if that brought up a painful memory," Raelle apologized. "I didn't mean for that to happen."
"It's not that," Scylla assured her but didn't divulge the true cause of her annoyance.
"Then what is?" Raelle asked, wanting to learn what changed Scylla's mood so drastically.
"Raelle, let's go," Abigail called out, walking out with Tally.
"Go; they need you now," Scylla said, gently pushing her to follow her unit.
"Come with me," Raelle requested, reaching for her hand. "Please."
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Scylla followed Raelle and her unit into Petra's office and found not only her and Morgana but Anacostia and Izadora already there.
"Good, you're all here," Petra said, giving a nod to Morgana to try opening the chest again.
Morgana looked nervously at Raelle but was encouraged by the blonde's nod of support. She began the sound that she learned and her voice got stronger as she gained more confidence especially as the chest began to unravel like an intricate puzzle box. Once opened, she was relieved and looked into the chest and pulled out parchment paper with writing on them.
The older witches carefully studied the documents and realized they were looking at old Camarilla records of members and witches targeted for slaughter. It was proof that the witch-hunt hadn't stopped as they had been led to believe, just covered up by many highly powerful Camarilla members over the centuries.
"This means they have violated the Salem Accord all this time," Petra noted sadly.
As more documents were brought out of the chest, the younger witches joined in with reading the names listed.
"They were meticulous record keepers even back then," Anacostia noted.
"That's why the Camarilla left your family alone until they turned Alban against them," Petra concluded, telling Morgana and the others.
Raelle gave Morgana a comforting hug as she learned more about her family's secrets. "It's not your fault. You're not him."
Scylla was distracted by Raelle's tenderness towards Morgana that she dropped the journal she was looking at. She knelt to pick it up when she recognized a name on the open pages. She showed it to Anacostia and they both came to the same conclusion.
Anacostia was devastated by the revelation and walked out of the room to get some air. She leaned against a tree to steady herself.
"Are you alright?" Scylla asked, walking up behind her.
"They killed my parents," Anacostia repeated verbally what was running in her head since seeing their names on the list. "And made it look like an accident."
"Perhaps their killer was like Shane trying to climb the ranks," Scylla offered as an explanation. "Your parents must've known and drew him away from you." She deduced that from the fact that Anacostia's name was marked with a question mark on paper perhaps because by that time, the young Anacostia was taken in as a Fosterling.
"All this time, they've been killing our kind covertly," Anacostia said sadly. "They need to be made accountable."
"And I'll be made accountable for those I killed of their kind," Scylla said sadly.
Anacostia realized how it cuts both ways. "You regretted what you did; he probably didn't." She had to point out the difference.
"Maybe it's time we forgave one another," Scylla said. "Probably this gives us the tool to force a new accord that would fix the old."
"Is this Raelle's influence on you?" Anacostia teased. "She obviously treats Morgana as a friend than a foe."
"Is she a foe?" Scylla asked, hoping to learn from someone who had probed Morgana's mind.
"Why don't you ask your girlfriend?" Anacostia suggested, seeing the blonde approach.
Scylla turned and found Raelle headed their way. She wished Anacostia just answered her objectively since she felt Raelle would be too subjective.
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Raelle gave Anacostia a quick nod as they passed each other before reaching Scylla. "Is she alright?"
"Of course, she will," Scylla confirmed. "Shouldn't you be with Morgana?"
"Why?" Raelle asked tentatively. She had the feeling something was amiss but couldn't figure it out.
"To celebrate her accomplishment," Scylla said plainly.
"Scyl, what's wrong?" Raelle asked directly. "Please tell me what's bothering you."
Scylla took a deep breath before speaking again. "I saw you kissing her. You must've been thinking about her when we linked."
Raelle winced upon realizing she must've let that slip. "I was thinking about how I was going to tell you about that. But you didn't see the whole thing." She offered her hand to share the whole encounter.
Scylla hesitated because she wasn't sure if she wanted to know more but gave in to Raelle's unspoken plea.
"Round two," Morgana joked nervously as she faced the mycelium wall with Raelle.
"We'll do this as many times as you need," Raelle said supportively. She didn't anticipate being pulled into a kiss by Morgana. She pulled away quite bewildered. "What was that for?"
"I'm sorry, I just thought that you were …" Morgana stammered just as confused.
"I have a girlfriend," Raelle stated firmly. "And you're married."
"I'm not sure how I feel about him anymore," Morgana confessed. "He was chosen for me."
"I can't help you there," Raelle started to explained. "But I'm very much in love with my girlfriend."
Scylla pulled away and realized her mistake. She felt bad for doubting Raelle's devotion to her.
"I'll always choose you," Raelle declared, cupping Scylla's face in her hands.
Scylla pulled Raelle in for a kiss but this time the latter pulled the former closer to deepen it.
Raelle heard Scylla's audible protest when she eventually pulled away to look around them. "I just want to make sure we're not interrupted again."
Scylla kissed Raelle's jaw and rested her head on the blonde's shoulder. "What did you have in mind? We can go off base and find somewhere private."
Raelle considered it a minute but then had a better idea. She led Scylla deeper into the nearby woods.
"Where are you taking me?" Scylla asked after a little while.
"Do you trust me?" Raelle asked, turning to face her. She smiled when Scylla nodded. "Ok, wrap your arms around me."
Scylla did as she was told and was soon lifted off the ground up to a platform. "Isn't this where you train to use salva?"
"Yeah, but classes are suspended so no one will come here," Raelle said with a glint in her eye.
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Scylla ran her fingers through Raelle's unbraided hair. "So, you can do that without salva." She heard about it but this was confirmation that it was Raelle not Alder who could. "Wouldn't mind learning that."
Raelle grinned at the reminder of their first meeting. "I'd teach you if I knew how I do it. At first, I thought it was because of Alder but the other night, I just floated on my way back to you."
"What do you mean?" Scylla wondered, trying to visualize it.
"There was a gathering that blocked the stairs," Raelle explained. "So, I floated up to get past them."
Scylla grinned and wondered if Raelle's coven made it a habit to just float around obstructions to not have gotten any disapproval for purposeless flight.
Raelle was nuzzling Scylla's neck when she heard tapping nearby and found Wilbur eyeing them. "What does he want?"
"He's asking if we're building a nest," Scylla translated.
"Are we building a nest here?" Raelle asked, giving Scylla the opportunity to decide their future. "Has Izadora lured you to stay?"
"I want to build a nest near a beach where we can just be ourselves," Scylla replied definitively. "I choose you."
Raelle was glad and continued to nuzzle before she heard Tally call out to her from the ground. She had been ignoring the telepathic calls all this time but now Scylla heard and nudged her to respond. "Hi Tally," she acknowledged, looking over the platform.
"Is Scylla with you?" Tally asked.
"Hi Tally," Scylla greeted, looking over next to Raelle.
"Petra wants to speak with all of us," Tally relayed.
"Again?" Raelle slightly whined, feeling Scylla's hand on her back to ease the pressure.
"She wants us to be ready for The Hague," Tally explained. "Between the intel Scylla got and what Morgana released from the chest about the Camarilla, she thinks we have a solid case to demand a new accord. Have you seen Abigail?"
"Wasn't she with you?" Raelle asked, having left them together earlier.
"She left to find you," Tally said, looking around as if sensing her nearby. "She hasn't been responding to me just like you weren't." She gave Raelle a chiding look.
"She hasn't found me," Raelle said, looking further afield from her vantage point. "And I don't see her anywhere."
"Ok, I'll keep looking," Tally said. "You two are coming right?"
"Yes, ma'am," Scylla replied for the both of them.
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Raelle wasn't thrilled that they had to go see Petra again but Scylla insisted that they should get it over with. She was slowly bringing them down but Scylla kissed her unexpectedly, enough to distract her so they fell to the ground. Luckily it wasn't too high that aside from being winded, nothing required a visit to the infirmary.
"Are you two alright?" a male voice asked out of nowhere.
"Hi Adil," Raelle greeted, looking up at him as Scylla lay on top of her. "We're fine." She saw Abigail reappear and deduced where she was hiding all that time.
"Not a word," Abigail warned her.
"You missed a button," Scylla pointed out, turning to look at the disheveled pair. She heard Raelle giggle while keeping hers in check as Abigail stormed away. She got up with a little help from Adil.
"See you there," Adil said before parting ways.
"I guess we know why she didn't find me," Raelle joked, taking Scylla's outstretched arm to pull herself up.
"It's good to see High Atlantic when she's not so high and mighty," Scylla noted with a knowing smile.
"How long do you think it's going to take before we can leave?" Raelle wondered.
Scylla shrugged having no idea how long such a thing would take. "Maybe we can check the archives and see how long it took Alder."
"But that was a different time," Raelle pointed out.
"Then it'll take as long as it takes," Scylla said.
Raelle decided that as long as Scylla was involved and with her, she didn't mind. "Do you think I should tell Petra before or after we get to The Hague?"
"I think you should tell High Atlantic first," Scylla suggested. "Your departure will affect her most of all."
"I think she won't miss the shitbird of her unit," Raelle supposed.
"You're more than that to her," Scylla said, knowing that underneath all that bravado Abigail had shown that she truly cares about Raelle.
"I know," Raelle agreed. "I'll tell her and Tally tonight. Would you mind if I spent the night with them?"
"Take as much time as you need," Scylla assured her.
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Scylla listened intently as Petra outlined the plan to congregate major and minor groups of witches in The Hague to discuss what they would want to be in the new accord. She was quite glad that everyone was getting a voice and possibly some consensus that will make life better for them.
"When do we leave?" Abigail asked her mom.
"You leave in the morning," Petra disclosed. "I'll meet you there after my stop in D.C. to see the president."
"Shouldn't we go with you?" Abigail asked, showing concern for her mom.
"I'll be fine," Petra assured her. "It's up to you to organize the council; Anacostia can help you. And you have your unit."
Tally and Raelle both stepped up to show they were ready. They both got an appreciative nod from Petra before being dismissed.
"So, you're in-charge, huh?" Raelle teased, drawing Abigail out of her thoughts. "Just know that you can't push us around."
"Shouldn't you be with your necro?" Abigail asked, wishing that this was the one-time Raelle was distracted so she could be left alone to make plans.
"She gave me a pass," Raelle said with a grin. "I need to talk to both of you about something important."