"Oh, you're sorry? Well, at least you're sorry. Does that make you feel better?!" Tally's voice was cold as she stood beside her.
"No," Of course, it didn't, but there was not much she could do about it from here. Tally spiraling into her memories was very much in Izadora's wheelhouse as far as making that stop, which they would need to figure out sooner rather than later. Right now though it was the lesser of her worries. "It does not. Truthfully, there is nothing you or I, or anyone for that matter, could say to make me feel better . But what I feel is irrelevant," She spoke solemnly, not taking her eyes off the scene before them. "My apology is genuine and comes from a place of empathy. I do not wish you to suffer this way. I know what it is to live in these memories, these parts of my history filled with constant horror and pain. I wouldn't wish that fate upon my worst enemy, let alone someone I…would wish to protect,"
There was no response and a silence fell between them. If not for being able to see Tally in her peripherals, she would have believed she was completely alone.
A wind swept over the hills head-on, further tangling her already disheveled hair and bringing with it storm clouds that stretched as far as their eyes could see. "We cannot linger here," She turned but Tally didn't budge.
"I can take care of myself. You can go," Tally crossed her arms defiantly.
She sighed and took a breath. She had to remind herself that Tally was young. "It isn't I who is stuck here, I can leave you here, with all of this," She waved flippantly at the town below them. "But I would prefer not to, we still have things to discuss,"
"You want to talk, let's talk, but I'm not going anywhere with you," Alder could see in her eyes that she wasn't going to give in easily.
"Have it your way, but from what I can tell, Nicte is gone for the moment, so now is your chance to tell me anything about where you are," The cadence of her voice was controlled and even, but she felt off. Nothing about this felt right, and she supposed that was because it wasn't. She never anticipated such resistance from Tally.
"Oh, so you don't want to talk about this or why I'm still seeing it?!" Tally scowled.
Alder couldn't help the reflexive reaction to narrow her eyes. "Ms. Craven, should I take that defiance, as you having enjoyed your vacation with the spree thus far? Because frankly, I have sacrificed a great deal to establish this communication, I do not think you appreciate the gravity of what I've done and am continuing to do - for you,"
Tally balled up her fists and stepped way too close to her. "And what. Exactly. Are do you think you have done for me? I mean what are we talking about here? The lying? The complete unwillingness or pure inability to be honest? Or are we talking about the literal kidnapping and torture that led me to Nicte and more torture? Because I honestly don't know what I'm supposed to appreciate more,"
The silence that followed had her by the throat. There were countless things she could say, but she knew how the truth sounded and she couldn't bring herself to voice it. "You're right, Tally, you're right. But just because you are right, does not mean I am wrong. There are things you don't understand, and if you continue on this path you never will. You will live to regret it. That is something I can promise you," As the dam broke and the water spilled into the valley, she craved to turn her back on the doomed city, but she could not. All she could do was take a small step back from Tally as the water rose almost to where they were standing.
Feet planted on the ground, arms folded against her chest, Tally just stood and glared at her. "Is that all you have to say? No explanation of where we are, how you 'established this miracle communication', in the first place, anything?! As you claim, Nicte's not here, so you should feel free to explain yourself,"
"I do not owe you…" She spoke but the denial died on her tongue when Tally turned and stormed away, dangerously traipsing along the edge of the water.
The water rushed by them, along with all manner of debris, and distant cries for help could barely be heard over the roar of the water and the creaking of buildings as they succumbed to the flood. As Alder followed her, she watched Tally almost slip several times, and the last time she couldn't help herself. She instinctively lunged and pulled Tally away from the edge. "Watch yourself!"
"Let me go!" Tally yelled and ripped herself out of Alder's grasp.
"Fine," Alder gave up and stepped back from her, still conscious of her proximity to the water.
"Will you just tell me how this is possible?! That's all I care to know, you can keep the rest of your secrets," Tally snapped, her eyes harsh.
"Goddess," ALder pinched the bridge of her nose. "You want to know so badly, fine. Fine. If it will make you talk, then fine. We- I er well...Izadora actually, reestablished our connection, Tally, that's how," She explained shortly.
Tally shook her head and took a small tentative step away leaving Alder still standing too close to the edge of the water. "I don't believe you,"
She shrugged. "There are no simpler terms for it, Tally. I wouldn't be here otherwise, you should be able to feel it, our connection,"
She watched Tally express various emotions from confusion to anger, clearly unwilling to accept the given information. "I refuse to believe Izadora suggested this. Why would she think it was a good idea?!"
Dare she explain more? Maybe it would help. "She did not. It was my idea if you can believe that," She offered with the slim hope that maybe Tally would be receptive.
Tally just laughed humorlessly. Not joyous, the sound grated against her very soul. She didn't trust her at all. "Now I know you're either lying or this just isn't real at all and it's just another massive manipulation by Nicte. There's no way on the goddess' green earth that you would agree to that, not after everything you did to get out of it last time, no way,"
Alder let her shoulders fall with an exhale. "I've told you the truth,"
"Why?" Tally's voice was quiet with disbelief.
She leaned away from Tally ever so slightly but there was no room to get away from her. There was no choice but to say something. "Because I-," she couldn't look her in the eyes. "because I heard you, Tally. I felt your pain and I heard your cries for help, and I wanted, needed, to help you,"
Tally's lip trembled and she took a deep breath, apparently trying to recenter herself. "When?"
"...there were a few times," She managed to force out, though, she could not add enough volume to overpower the fallout around them. Tally still heard her.
"And were any of those times while I was being tortured by you?" Silence. "Tell me!" Somewhere on the edge between fury and betrayal, Tally was yelling at her now, her eyes red and her hands bawled into fists.
Her mouth was dry, she couldn't speak if she had any words to say. But the realization in Tally's eyes told her it was written all over her face.
Tally backed further away with small shaky steps. "How could you?! You heard me literally begging for help and you ignored me?! Just pretended it wasn't happening?!...of course why should I expect you to intervene in your own twisted plot? Goddess. You are a monster," Tally said the last words with a tone of such finality that hit her somewhere deep inside and it broke her. Not that she hadn't been called worse but this was different.
"No-I-Tally, you do not understand-" There were not enough words to explain everything she wanted to say. The feelings she was experiencing were worse than she ever could have imagined.
"No, and I don't think I want to. I want you to undo it. Undo it now!" Tally shrieked.
"Nicte is not the good guy in this scenario. Please, give me anything about where you are, Raelle and Abigail are worried about you. Allow me to give them some good news," She nearly pleaded but Tally shook her head.
"I don't know what the truth is and Nicte may not be innocent but at least I understand her crimes. And I know she is not the only guilty one here. Rae and Abigail will have to wait. As much as I want to come home, I do not trust you to ensure my safe return. I'd rather take my chances with Nicte than end up in a dark hole somewhere or worse by making the mistake of trusting you," Tally hissed.
"Tally, please just listen to me, you're making a mistake!" Alder stepped toward her but Tally pushed her away roughly.
"No!"
Her footing slipped and her balance faltered. Flailing for a moment wasn't enough to keep her from falling backward toward the raging water below.
If it wasn't for Tally grabbing her at the last second by the lapel of her jacket, who knows where she would have ended up. As she caught her breath, she glanced her eyes over Tally who looked equally shocked by the decision not to let her fall. "Why?"
Before she got an answer she was met with a vicious pain in her head, as if the tearing of her joints and the searing of her throat that she already felt lingering in her body was not enough. Tally did not grace her with an answer and instead turned her back, walking away, her silhouette fading into the hazy distance.
"Tally, wait..." She reached out but her hand closed around nothing. Tally was gone.
From behind her, she felt a gentle tapping on her shoulder. "Tally?!" She whirled around but she was met instead with a blinding light.
Slowly she blinked.
The fluorescent lights she had nearly forgotten, pierced her eyes and the faces of both her daughter and her lead Necro officer peered down at her.
"General," "Mother,"
"Ugh, where is she?" She tried to sit up but she couldn't. Her hands and feet were strapped down to the chair. Gazing around they were still in the warding circle, and her biddies were all present and peering at her. "What-what is the meaning of this?! Release me this instant!"
Anacostia glanced to Izadora for direction as if she had not spoken at all.
"Izadora. Now," She repeated, feeling more agitated by the second.
"Is it safe?" Anacostia asked carefully.
"It is likely. Yes, yes, untie the restraints," Izadora stated like she wasn't fully convinced.
The second her hands were free, she rubbed them over her face.
'Welcome back General!' Her biddies sounded off in her head. She had to admit she missed the silence and serenity of just sharing her brain space with Tally. Despite the animosity the younger witch felt for her, it was serenely peaceful to just be two voices instead of eight. Hearing the rest of them again was momentarily jarring and did nothing to aid her growing headache.
"Well? By the sound of it, you were able to reach her, was she able to give you anything helpful?" Raelle stood up from where she had been sitting against the wall with Abigail near the door.
Alder didn't respond, but as her eyes readjusted to the harsh lighting, she looked at Anacostia. "How-how long has it been?" Her hoarse and gravelly voice sounded foreign to her ears.
The officers glanced at each other. "About thirty minutes, ma'am," Izadora answered swiftly.
She looked between them. "That's it?"
Anacostia looked puzzled. "What did you expect?"
Alder shook her head and sighed. "I don't know. It felt like hours had passed at least,"
"You were able to contact her, were you not?" Izadora looked at her intently.
"I think so," It was all blurry but she knew for a fact she got through to Tally on some level.
"You were very vocal and animated, borderline belligerent, hence the restraints. Could you describe what you experienced?" She heard Izadora continue from behind her.
Looking around, all eyes were on her. Her biddies all faced her with mixed expressions of confusion and curiosity, Raelle and Abigail shared similar looks of impatience, and Izadora was gazing upon her with her usual look of scientific curiosity. Anacostia was the only one who showed any semblance of sympathy or concern in her eyes. Not that she wanted sympathy, she typically loathed it, but it was oddly comforting in his moment. "I spoke to her, but it was complicated,"
"What do you mean?" Abigail shouted from where she was still seated.
How was she going to tell them that their sister chose the spree over them? "Nicte was also there. She made communication difficult,"
"How so?" Anacostia pressed gently, coming to kneel beside her and taking one of her hands.
Alder didn't know how to feel about that action but she did not protest. "The same way any hostile party might intimidate their hostage into not communicating. But most disturbing was that Tall- Craven was unwilling to provide any information even when Nicte was not present,"
The whole room reacted to that statement with a mix of shock and confusion. Everyone knew Tally to be honest and generally forthcoming. "Unwilling or unable?" Raelle asked.
Alder did look at her this time. "Unwilling. I do not believe she fully knows where she is, but if she had any information at all, she was adamantly declining to disclose it,"
"That doesn't sound like her, are you sure it wasn't you being manipulated by Nicte?" Abigail scoffed.
Izadora nodded along. "She has a point. Do you know without a doubt you were speaking to Craven?"
"It was her. I know it was her. There is no doubt in my mind that I had reached her." Alder looked to Anacostia, trying to convey with her eyes just how serious she was being. It was Tally, she knew that with every fiber of her being.
Anacostia nodded and squeezed her hand. "I believe you. Besides for fear of Nicte, did she give any indication of why she didn't want to discuss with you, especially since you indicated Nicte was not present for the entire duration?"
How much should she say? It was already messy, if she wasn't careful she was only going to make it worse. "That is the thing, she didn't seem afraid of Nicte,"
"Really?" Abigail and Raelle shared a glance.
"No. She was not afraid. Nicte didn't let her speak, but when given the chance she refused," Alder sighed. "She refused to speak to me,"
"Yeah we got that, she didn't want to talk but there had to be a reason," Abigail stated, unamused.
Alder was getting frustrated by having to speak all of this out loud. "No. To me." She couldn't look at anyone and she pulled her hand away from Anacostia. She didn't need their judgment. "Specifically. She does not trust me and she expressed that she would sooner take her chances with the Spree than with me and the army,"
Raelle laughed at that. "Of course, she would. Tally isn't stupid,"
"Goddess," Abigail leaned back against the wall.
Raelle paced across the room. "So she knows what you did. Well, that ruins any hope we had of bringing her home. I hope it was worth it,"
"Enough," Anacostia snapped. "Coller, Bellwether, out, now," She commanded.
They both grumbled but did as they were told.
After a moment, the door closed behind them and the room was eerily silent again. "What are you going to do?" Anacostia near whispered.
Izadora had her back to them, scribbling notes on a clipboard. "If Craven has chosen to join the Spree uncoerced, she has sided with the enemy and should be treated as such,"
Alder could barely believe what she was hearing. Anacostia couldn't either and too turned on the scientist. "But she was coerced. This should still be treated as a rescue, not a termination,"
Alder wanted no part of this discussion, she just wanted to be alone.
"Despite your personal attachment to Craven, Quartermain, given the events that have led us to this point, it seems unlikely that the cadet could be swayed to favor the army," Izadora explained dryly. "As I warned the General during the beginning of this process, trust is not an easy thing to fix. Unfortunately for us, the only one who has any way to communicate with the cadet is the person she trusts the least. If the General is not confident that their trust can be rebuilt, then we should switch tactics and lean into a more aggressive stance," She continued. "After everything, it is not surprising that this was the outcome and I cannot hold any blame on Tally for being weary. In her position, it is logical not to trust the General, I cannot say I would trust her either in the same circumstances,"
Anacostia turned back to Alder. "You must fix it. Whatever you have to say, whatever you have to do, you need to try. Is there no hope of regaining her trust?!" Anacostia sounded almost frantic. She knew her daughter was particularly fond of Craven and her unit, but this seemed excessive.
Alder couldn't meet her eyes. "I do not know, Anacostia, please allow me some time to reflect on everything. You are both dismissed,"