The Supreme Returns

Fiona looked up at the academy as she got out of the taxi. It looked the same as it did when she was a small girl, big, intimidating, and deep inside she felt the same fear rising that she had felt that very first day. She imagined it as a sheet of paper and crumpled it, there was no room for fear right now. She had been summoned by the Council, urgent matters to discuss, important witch business etc etc. She wished the Council would mind their own damn business for a change, they were a thorn in her side. She took out a cigarette and immediately a hand shot out to light it, her Axeman, her faithful partner, was always there for her.

"Thank you darling," she said, flashing him a smile. "I suppose we should get this over with, bring the bags and be careful, they're Louis Vuitton." He nodded and began helping the taxi driver unload their luggage. Fiona began walking down the path to the house, her heels clacking against the paving stones as she went. The gardens looked immaculate, every bush trimmed to perfection, not one blade of grass out of place it seemed. Flowers were blooming all around her, roses as red as her favourite shade of Chanel lipstick, and lilys as white as her best pair of Louboutin shoes, the rest were bursts of yellow and blue and violet and orange, a very pretty display. The house had been repainted she could see, no pieces flaking away from the timber. Everything looked pristine and fresh, just the way she liked it. The door opened as she got to the top of the steps and out came Myrtle Snow, her face looking as haggard as Fiona remembered, her hair still an untidy tangle of red surrounding her tiny head. Snow peered at her through thick lensed glasses, and she looked as if she didn't like what she saw.

"Well hello Myrtle, stirring more trouble with the Council I see?"

"You know me Fiona dear, I cannot let the school fall to pieces because our Supreme is off on another drunken adventure." Fiona knew better than to rise to that, she would not give Myrtle the satisfaction. She walked straight past her into the entry hall to the school, to her left the sitting room, filled with portraits of the previous Supremes, to her right the dining room and directly in front of her the staircase, leading to the upstairs landing.

"I suppose you will want to freshen up before meeting with the Council Members, I'm sure you can remember where your bedroom is?" Fiona shot Myrtle a look, she had been back about five minutes and already she had gotten two digs in, perhaps this wasn't as serious as she thought, if it were Myrtle wouldn't be so... bitchy. She heard her Axeman behind her.

"Up the stairs and to the left my darling, place the bags in my room, I will be in the sitting room having a chat with my old friend Myrtle here," she said, leading Myrtle by the arm. Fiona sat in her usual chair, Myrtle sat on the sofa just next to it.

"And what is it you wish to talk about Fiona? I can't imagine you would want to participate in idle pleasantries."

"What I want to talk about Myrtle is why I am here, I was on very important business-" Myrtle laughed, "very important business when I recieved the Council's message, so tell me, why have I been summoned back?"

"I'm afraid, my dear Fiona, I do not know the answer to that. As I said I have been much too busy trying to keep this place from falling to ruins, the girls needed their training and since poor Cordelia just vanished well... it's been a very trying time."

"Cordelia still hasn't been found?"

"Perhaps she would have been by now, if we had someone leading an investigation, but it appears our Supreme has other, more important matters to attend to overseas."

"Listen here Myrtle Snow, when you become Supreme of this coven then you may take that sort of tone with me, but until that day-"

"Now, now Fiona, I was merely stating facts. We haven't the man power to spend time focusing on where Cordelia is just yet, but now you are back, perhaps we can-"

"I shall think on it, in the meantime bring me the Council, I want this meeting over and done with."

"You think it your place to summon the Council to you, Fiona Goode?" A voice said behind her. She turned to see Colin Barrow, leading member of the Council.

"Not at all Lord Barrow, a simple slip of the tongue, after so long speaking in other languages it is hard to return to the mother tongue, I'm sure you understand." She said, curtsying to him.

"Indeed, and where was it this time Fiona? Italy? Spain?"

"France, my Lord. Scouting talent."

"I think scouting this years Fashion Week would be more accurate," Myrtle said in a hushed whisper. Lord Barrow stared at her blankly, he was an old gentleman, dressed in a black suit and tie.

"I might remind you Fiona that my family were the originals to escape from the Salem Witch Trials,"

"Yes my Lord I-"

"And as such we have been respected members of this community for centuries,"

"Indeed my Lord,"

"So much so that I was selected as Council Leader, which I don't need to remind you, the Supreme answers to, do I make myself clear?" Fiona could feel her teeth clenching and had to work to relax her face.

"Of course my Lord."

"Good, the meeting is scheduled for tomorrow morning so I would advise you to get a good nights rest." With that he stood and hobbled from the room. Fiona was amazed she didn't hear the man come in, he made so much noise going out on that cane of his.

"It appears Lord Barrow is as fed up of your disappearing acts as the rest of us Fiona, just because you are a witch is no excuse to pull a Houdini every few weeks my dear, now if you will excuse me, I must be off to see to my duties."

Fiona poured herself some whisky and sat in her chair. She didn't know who was more insufferable, Myrtle Snow or Colin Barrow. What Barrow seemed to quite conveniently forget was that her family also fled Salem along side his, true they may not have been as well respected but she was still descended from one of the original families. And whilst Colin, being a man, could not harness magic, she could, that should have counted for something. The Council's position had always been a pointless one in her opinion. Although they were merely "advisors" when first created, the Council had risen to great authority after a few particularly weak Supreme's came to power. Fools. She drained her glass and slammed it on the side table. That man thought he could control her did he? She had meant to be out of here straight after the meeting, but perhaps she could stick around a while longer. The Council thought themselves untouchable, even by her, the reigning Supreme. She would show them just how wrong they were.