Kyle's lips felt soft and warm against her neck. Zoe savoured the feeling, never wanting to leave their bed or the loving caresses of the boy she loved. She lifted his chin and kissed him gently, staring into his beautiful brown eyes. They lay back down and turned to face each other.
"Please don't do it, Zoe," Kyle pleaded, playing with a strand of Zoe's hair. "You don't have to risk your life for her. I know she was your friend and all, but this is so dangerous, Zoe. No-one's ever done this before, and there are so many things that could go wrong, you could die!" He stroked her cheek, "I couldn't keep living if you died."
Zoe felt her heart tear. He was right. She had no idea how dangerous rescuing Misty could be, and Cordelia admitted that even she might not be powerful enough to pull off something so unknown, so far against the rules of magic. But she had to do it. It was her fault Misty was in hell, so it was her responsibility to get her out.
"I have to save her, Kyle. Without Misty, you'd still be falling apart at the seams. She healed you, and she helped me." Zoe ran her fingers through Kyle's hair, watching his eyes close in response, "I had no idea what to do with you. You were hitting everything and banging your head, you even killed the poor morgue worker! I thought you were gonna hurt yourself real bad. You would have, if it wasn't for her." She paused, reading Kyle's reaction. He was frowning, as if he was fighting an inner battle with himself. "She saved you, Kyle. Now it's our turn to save her."
Kyle stroked her wrist. "You're right," he paused for a few seconds, brow furrowed as he thought up his next words, "just- just be careful, okay?"
Zoe kissed his forehead. "I promise."
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Stevie Nicks arrived at 10am, alone in her car, with large sunglasses to cover up her face. She was dressed in what Zoe imagined was the least magical-looking outfit the singer owned, probably so as not to draw attention to herself. Today would be the worst possible day for paparazzi to turn up at the academy.
Kyle answered the door, dutifully taking her coat and showing her to the living room.
"Well, you really are a gentleman." Stevie smiled. "They're rare these days. Thank you very much." Kyle blushed, and bowed awkwardly.
Cordelia walked in, and was immediately enveloped in a bone crushing hug from the white witch. "I'm so sorry about your mother, Cordelia. She was reckless, but she burned bright and fast as flame. It was a pleasure knowing her."
Zoe sighed internally. Of course Stevie wouldn't know what Fiona was really like as a leader, and Zoe knew the old supreme's relationship with her daughter wasn't great, either.
Cordelia gently broke away from the hug. "Is everything ready?" she asked in what was probably her best supreme-voice.
"Yep," Queenie replied. "Her ashes are laid out, her clothes are on the chair, the potion's ready, everyone's here." She shrugged, "let's start."
Cordelia nodded. The supreme wore a belt today, with a small dagger attached to it. Everyone else had their hands and pockets empty, as they had been instructed. Zoe, Queenie and Cordelia sat where they had laid down for the trial of Descensum. Stevie sat at the foot of Misty's ashes, staring in sadness at the remains of the girl who had been so excited to meet her.
Zoe picked up the jar of potion, and took a deep breath. Don't mess this up, Zoe, she thought. She's counting on you. They all are. "Alligandi omnes qui bibitis animae maeae, quo quis vult post me ingredi non regnum." She caught Kyle's eye. He frowned in concern, his face full of fear. Zoe took a sip of the yellow liquid, and was surprised to find it had no taste, as if she was drinking slightly solidified water. Queenie was next to drink, then Cordelia. They all lay their heads down on the carpet, unsure of exactly what awaited them.
Cordelia's soft hands touched Zoe's forehead. The supreme inhaled, and Zoe felt her consciousness quickly slipping away. She blinked slowly, then fell asleep.
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Zoe opened her eyes to the same white walls as before, bewhildered for a second before remembering where she was, and why she was there. She looked over to Queenie, who had landed through one of the table legs, and was waving her hand though it with an expression of simultaneous wonder and repulsion.
"Sara, you're the poet in my heart," a Cajun voice sang. She's still singing, Zoe marvelled. She's so strong, stronger than I ever thought she'd be.
A hand grasped Zoe's. It was Cordelia's, who was staring over at Misty, tears in her eyes. "I never thought," she said in a half-whisper, "I never thought it could be this bad." Cordelia's voice broke, and she shakily stood up.
Misty's head snapped up, her eyes alive with fresh hope. She gasped. "Cordelia," she said in a voice quivering with relief and fear.
Why is she so happy to see Cordelia? Zoe wondered.
Misty shook her head in disbelief, "your eyes, they're...different."
Cordelia beamed, which stood out in their grim surroundings. "My eyes are healed now, as is everything else." The headmistress spoke with strange intensity, her gaze never leaving the swamp witch.
Zoe smiled, touched by Misty's concern for Cordelia, despite her own, terrible circumstances. She really is a pure soul.
"Mr Cringley! She did it again!"
"This is the cycle!" Zoe shouted, "this is how it starts, every time!"
"If you won't dissect a dead frog, you will dissect a live one," the teacher smirked, striding over to Misty.
Queenie powered over to him. "No! I ain't gonna let you-" she reached out to grab him, and her hand came away empty. Zoe was reminded of her own surprise when she first discovered the phenomenon.
Misty wailed as she sliced the creature open. The three other witches stood still, stunned by the sheer suffering in the swamp witch's voice.
"Holy shit," Queenie whispered.
Misty raised her hands to heal the frog. Zoe jumped onto her, gripping her hands and holding them up. "Now is our only chance to break the cycle! Everyone help me, now!"
Queenie and Cordelia quickly took their places by Zoe's side, holding Misty's hands away from the frog.
"No," Misty stuttered, "no, I- I- I have to save it." Her voice was certain, unrelenting.
"Come back with us now!" Zoe commanded. "Come back to Miss Robuchaux's! Stevie's there, waiting for you."
Misty hesitated, "Stevie's there?"
Zoe swallowed, "yes, she wants you to come back. We all want you to come back, we need you, Misty!" She paused, "you want to see Stevie? Just get up, leave the frog, and walk out of that classroom door."
Misty removed her hands from the frog, shaking with the effort of going against her deepest running instinct.
"Yes, Misty!" Zoe shouted. "Come back with us, you can do it!"
Misty was really struggling now, and it took all three of them to guide her towards the door at the front of the classroom. It loomed large, its importance clear to each and every one of them: it was the only way they could all get out together.
They we're almost at the door, Misty now flailing in their arms, desperate to get back to the frog. I never knew hell could be so powerful, Zoe thought, awestruck and horrified at Misty's will to keep the awful cycle going. Queenie staggered in front of the group, pulling Misty with one hand and frantically opening the door with the other.
"Stop," Cordelia announced. The girls turned to look at her, trying with all their might to contain the flailing Misty.
Zoe glared at the supreme. "Are you insane, Cordelia?"
"She has to go through first," Cordelia nodded to Misty. "It'll take the strength of all of us to push her through."
The girls used the last of their strength to push Misty closer and closer towards the door, the power pushing against them getting stronger and stronger until they got her to the threshold.
With sudden and enormous force, she was thrown back into the room, landing on top of Cordelia.
She can't leave this place against her will, Zoe realised. She has to want to get out.
Zoe shrieked. "We can't save her! We can't save her. Why her? She doesn't deserve it! She's done nothing wrong!" She was crying now, her head turned upward to face an imaginary higher power. "Papa Legba, can you hear me? You're a coward. A fucking coward! You trapped an innocent girl and made it impossible for her to get out!"
"We have to leave her, we haven't got much time left!" Queenie shouted, "I'm so sorry, Zoe!"
Zoe blinked back her tears and noticed Cordelia. The supreme slowly rose from her position on the floor, her eyes fixed on Misty, who was almost back to the frog. She pulled out the dagger she had brought with her, and held it away from her chest.
Zoe put two and two together, the only thing that's more important than saving a frog...saving a person.
She lunged toward the supreme. "Cordelia! Don't-"
Cordelia flicked her arm back, and Zoe flew backwards through the air, winded. Queenie stood stunned by the door.
"Misty!" Cordelia shouted, with every bit of urgency and intent she could muster. Misty paused, and looked around.
Cordelia plunged the dagger into her chest, screaming with the pain of the impact.
"Cordelia!" Misty screamed her hand stretched out towards the headmistress.
With a gasp of pain and shock, Cordelia wrenched the blade out of her heart. Blood pulsed from the hole, and the supreme collapsed to the floor.
Misty was on her immediately, hands over the bleeding hole in Cordelia, purging death from her radiant body. "C'mon, Cordelia," Misty urged. "C'mon."
She raised her blood covered hands and hovered them over Cordelia's body, her whole body tense. Silence filled the room, death hanging in the air.
Cordelia sputtered awake, groaning in pain. Zoe ran over to the headmistress. "Vitalum Vitalis," she chanted, and felt her life energy deplete. She held her swimming head, and her double-vision slowly cleared. Cordelia was back on her feet, rushing to get Misty back to the classroom door.
This time, Misty opened the door herself, and paused in wonder.
"I can hear Stevie! Stevie's callin to me! Let's get outta here." She ran through the door, disappearing in a flash of light. Queenie followed. Zoe was almost at the door when she felt a dark presence behind her. She stopped, not quite daring to turn around.
"So the little witch is saved," a thick, French-Jamaican accent chuckled. Zoe looked round in horror. There was a dark-skinned, red-eyed man in dreadlocks and a top hat adorned with skulls.
"Papa Legba," Cordelia said, her voice dripping with hate.
The deity stared at Zoe, his head tilted slightly in mock confusion. "You were angry with me for taking her, no?" he asked in a menacing tone as he walked towards her.
Zoe knew Legba was far more powerful than any of them, even Cordelia. She froze in fear, expecting him to cast her back to her own hell, or set her entire body alight with a twitch of his finger.
Instead, he stopped. Then he knelt down in front of her.
What the hell? Zoe thought in confusion. Is this some kind of trick?
He gasped in wonder, as if he had suddenly sensed something. "Oh, she is perfect. She is glowing with life!" He laughed, "one day she will surely lead you all. A pureblood."
Zoe and Cordelia stood frozen in surprise. What's he talking about? I'm none of these things! What does he mean, I'm a...pureblood?
Papa Legba reached his hand out and twisted it in the air. Zoe felt something very small change inside her.
The deity laughed again, more sinister than before "she will pay the price nicely. It is funny, no? The son will die so the father may live, instead of the other way around."
Is he going to keep me here in Misty's place? Zoe thought frantically, but he said "the son" would die, not "the daughter"! And what father is he talking about?!
Legba chuckled, "go on, have the swamp witch back. But remember this:" the witches hung on his words, desperate to grasp what he was talking about, "only death may pay for life."
And with that, he was gone.
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Zoe felt a jolt of energy as she opened her eyes, propelling her body to sit up. She breathed heavily, reeling from what she had just endured. She turned around to see Queenie, Cordelia, Kyle and Stevie hovering over Misty. The swamp witch was laying naked on the ground and breathing frantically, each inhalation lifting her back off the ground and each exhalation sending it crashing back down. No-one dared touch her.
Zoe lent her hand to Cordelia, who squeezed it gratefully. They all stared in silence at the flailing Misty, knowing that all they could do now was wait.
After three minutes, Misty's breathing slowed, before finally coming to a stop. Cordelia turned away, wracked with quiet sobs. Stevie took the supreme into her arms, stroking her back and rocking her slightly.
"At least she's not in that awful place anymore," Queenie concluded. "She's in heaven now."
Zoe wasn't listening. "No, Misty," she whispered. "You came back. It's not fair."
She would never get over her guilt now. Her small hope of putting right what she did wrong was gone. She felt empty, lifeless, like there was no reason to hope anymore. Kyle held her from behind, and she dropped her head against his chest, staring at the swamp witch's lifeless body.
Suddenly, Misty's eyes opened.
"Misty!" Zoe shouted in delight. "We thought you were dead!"
Cordelia knelt down and pulled Misty into a crushing hug, neither of them caring that the swamp witch was still naked. They stayed like that, lost in the joy of being with each other again.
Zoe felt uncomfortable.
Finally, Misty broke away from the headmistress, instead noticing Stevie Nicks standing in front of her.
"Stevie!" Misty all but jumped on the singer, enveloping her in an even bigger hug than the one she'd just given Cordelia. "What're you doing here?"
Stevie patted Misty's back, smiling. "That doesn't matter. I'm so glad you're back, darling."
"Ahem," Queenie reminded. "Clothes, Misty." She threw Misty's lacy black dress at her.
The swamp witch blushed deep red, realising that she's just hugged her idol, naked.
"Oh, Ah'm sorry," she muttered, grabbing her dress and pulling it on. "What's the next trial? We've still got...um...Transmutation, Divination, Vitalum Vitalis and Pyrokinesis. Or have we done Pyrokinesis...?"
The other witches blinked, unsure of how to reply. She has no idea how long it's been. Poor Misty.
"Or have Ah been disqualified? Ah guess you lot havin' to come save me counts as me failin'."
Misty paused, scanning the others in the room. "Where's Madison? And where's Myrtle?"
Cordelia raised her head, her face grim. "Madison left us. She ran off...somewhere."
Misty nodded, a concerned expression on her face. "What, in the middle of the seven wonders? Why? She really wanted ta be the supreme."
Zoe noticed Kyle shuffle uncomfortably. Poor Kyle, Madison had a big hold on him, then she left without saying goodbye. He probably misses her. She tried not to be worried by the idea of Kyle missing the starlet.
Cordelia opened her mouth, then closed it again.
"And Myrtle?" Misty asked, breaking the silence.
"She's gone."
"What, already?!" Misty exclaimed. "What happened? Ah was only gone a couple hours!"
Oh God, Zoe shook her head, she's worse than I thought.
"Misty," she started, trying to be soft in delivering such hard news, "you've been gone longer than hours."
Misty's eyes widened, "how long have Ah been gone?"
Zoe hesitated, reluctant to say what she knew she had to. "You've been gone almost three weeks, Misty."
Misty's face contorted in disbelief. "But...how?"
"Time passes differently in hell," Queenie answered. "A whole night here is five minutes there." Misty nodded, half-understanding. "Which means your twenty days in hell would have seemed like..." she paused, doing the calculation in her head, "just over two hours."
Misty frowned, considering what she'd just been told. "So who's the supreme? Zoe" Or Queenie?"
"Actually," Zoe answered. "It's Cordelia."
Cordelia smiled modestly.
"Cordelia!" Misty smiled, pulling the headmistress into another hug. "Congratulations! So that's why ya eyes are all healed up! You'll be the best supreme this coven's ever had, Ah know it!"
She's handling all this really well, Zoe thought, surprised at the swamp witch's calmness. But then again, calm is her forte. As well as hyperactive levels of excitement.
As if she had heard Zoe's thoughts (which was entirely possible), Misty turned to Stevie. "Stevie, can ya play another song for us?" She looked down, remembering herself, "if it's okay, Ah just-"
"-it's fine, Misty." Stevie assured. "Seeing as you literally just went through hell, I think you should pick the song..."
Misty beamed, "um...can ya play Gypsy? It's one of ma favourites. Well actually, they're all ma favourites."
Stevie chuckled, "well I'm flattered. And yes, I certainly can play Gypsy." She paused, "you know, that song may as well have been written about you." She turned away and started towards the piano, Misty following like an excited puppy, a huge smile on her face.
Zoe caught Queenie's eye, and they shared a knowing smile. Misty was finally back, and she was the same as she always had been.