Chapter Seventeen: The Face of Darkness
Irma didn't think twice. She attacked her ex-boyfriend then and there, in front of everyone:
"You jackass! Where have you been?"-she yelled, hitting his chest with her fists.
Martin almost fell back to the ground; he opened his mouth to say something but nothing came out. He didn't know what to say. He could only stare at her with sad eyes.
Irma continued to pound her fists against him, on the verge of a nerve crisis. This was too much. Everything that had happened to her in such a short period of time.
Martin couldn't, no he WOULDN'T do this to her too. On top of everything else he was already responsible for...A part of her believed that he had loved her, despite his deceit and betrayal. And that part, combined with the man's odd silence and his mother's non-participation, made the Latina turn to Lillian, angry as a Grizzly:
"You! You did this! I'm gonna-"
"Irma, what the hell is going on!?"- Taranee interjected, afflicted.
She and her friends were desperately trying to calm everyone down and get answers at the same time but to no avail:
"Let's get them inside!"- Hay Lin insisted and Nigel helped them contain Irma.
"Man, are you coming or what? You have some explaining to do?!"- he exclaimed, looking at Martin.
"Yes, you too, Lillian. What is actually happening around here?"- Taranee backed up her husband's words, pensive dark eyes locking with Lillian's blue.
They walked into the house through the main entrance just when Nerissa and Cornelia emerged from the back one, mixing with the guests in the yard...
"Irma's been to my room. She saw things she didn't understand."- Lillian started explaining before the Latina got the chance to.
Irma bared her teeth and attempted to snap but Martin gently touched her hand and made her look at him instead. They were in the kitchen. Why did he look at her so strangely now?
"Hold it."- Taranee interrupted. "Can we please get to know about Martin and his mother first please?"
She looked at all of them in a rebuking manner. Mara wasn't to know about magic! But Mara surprised them all when she said:
"Lillian saved both of us from those who took me from the apartment. Those who held my son hostage and threatened his life. His employers are dangerous people. Very dangerous people. T-they almost undid Martin for good..."
The girls and Nigel looked at each other in distress. Was Mrs. Tubbs talking about...
"The Eye of God. We were goners had Lillian not interfered. She used her superior powers to break us free."- the older woman went on. "We are going into hiding now but we wanted to see you first, Irma, to let you know we're OK..."
Irma was too baffled to react when Mara simply hugged her. She looked at Martin again and couldn't shake off that sneaky feeling that something still wasn't right.
"Thank you for everything."- Mara sobbed. "You were by my side even though she couldn't tell me about this crazy world of magic and everything you kids have gotten yourself in the middle of... You're an amazing person, Irma, and I will always be sorry about your failed relationship with my son, however, I realize that it's his fault. I realize you can't trust him after he engaged with those people...we are leaving tonight. I just wanted to say thank you again!"
"Mara, I-"
"I did many stupid things, Irma."- Martin butted in. "But I didn't know what I was getting into; I joined the Eye' rows when we were entering high school... Out of pure curiosity and immature idiocy. I didn't quite understand the commitment I was making because I didn't know about everything that truly existed out there. I started lying to the Eye for your sake when I realized what you did and when we became something, I swear to you, I've always wanted to keep you safe..."
Irma found it hard to swallow. Hearing all that was bittersweet. She had wanted it to be like that ever since the horrendous secret was revealed but that still didn't erase all the damage done by Martin lying to her and being involved with the biggest anti-magic fanatics on Earth...
"Um, I apologize, Mrs. Tubbs, but how are you going to lose the Eye?"- Taranee interjected. "If they have their eyes on you and Martin, which is apprehensible given he has forsaken his loyalty because of us, you'd be safest around us. Around the guardians. If you know the entire story, you know that I'm right..."
"On the contrary, Taranee."- Lillian interfered. "Mara was around us when she was abducted from the very same apartment she lived in with Irma, wasn't she? They need to hide but not in plain sight; none of us can guarantee them safety anymore, the Eye of God is too dangerous-"
"But Martin has obviously been hijacked while he's been on the run, right?"- Taranee folded her arms. "Do you suggest they just run again, away from us? That's reckless and-"
"We're a danger to you while we're around."- Martin shook his head.
"Why?"- Hay Lin wanted to know. "We already know the Eye are after Lillian's power but they're not capable of fighting all of us together. If anything, you can't put us in danger-"
"They're going to do something much worse. Soon."- Lillian spoke up again. "And I'm afraid that I crossed them real bad when I broke Martin and his mom free, but I had to, before they were killed like Avani..."
"The Eye are planning to attack the city. The people, all your relatives and not only. They're going to release a bioweapon to blackmail you into giving up Lillian's power and possibly leaving Earth yourselves."- Martin whispered to the girls' dismay.
Nigel gulped as well, tightening his hold around Taranee's shoulders.
"A bioweapon."- Taranee repeated in shock. "How do you know-"
"They've been planning this for the last couple of years. I did my best to foil their plans on the drawing board. I created little setbacks along the way."- Martin narrated. "But there too many, too powerful and rich people that have joined hands with the Eye over the last decades. Now that the Heart of Earth has reached her point of maturity, their patience is wearing especially thin and they won't hold back much longer. They'll put their biggest weapon in action and they will not hesitate to overstep any possible moral line there is to get what they want, namely a free of magic world..."
"Are you trying to tell me that they'll go all Umbrella- Resident-Evil on us?!"
Martin smiled sadly at his ex-girlfriend.
"Unfortunately, Irma. My mom and I, we're just another thing they can use against you along the way. We have to disappear from your surroundings."
"It sounds like you're just running away."- Taranee frowned. "If we're really on the verge of a huge battle with these people, we'll need your inside knowledge of things to stop them before they've unleashed something hazardous over the innocent."
"We can't let anyone suffer in order to protect Earth magic, Martin, we need you!"- Hay Lin agreed. "Now is the time to show us who your loyalty and heart really lie with-"
"No."- Lillian interjected again, voice firm. "Martin won't be of any more help; he's told me everything he knows already. Now, as Heart of Earth, I have to think about his life and safety; I have to protect all of my so-called subjects, and that's exactly what I'll do. I already have a plan to take down the Eye for good. And I only need the five of you, guardians, and my Knights."
The girls exchanged glances. This firmness and self-righteousness of Lillian's weren't to their taste.
She's going to fail really hard if we let her, Taranee pondered. She's still too new to all this. We have to seek Kandrakar's help and resort to wiser plans...
Irma was especially irked. She opened her mouth to say something but Mara hugged her again and just sobbed on her shoulder, cutting her off before she could even speak.
"Lil's right."- a new male voice interfered.
Matt had made it to the event after all. He walked to the young Hale and backed her up:
"We want to defend our world from danger, not attack anyone first. The bitches from the Eye were laying low, so we made the mistake not to pursue offense and confrontation enough, but forgot offense is the best defense with mindless savages like them in question. This realm and Earth magic that depend on us will not go down and succumb to some assholes, their bioweapons, or their fanatical agenda. We're going to defeat them. Lillian's way."
It didn't evade Irma, the head-in-the-clouds smile Lillian gave the man when he said that and put a hand around her shoulders.
"Lillian's way?"- she repeated angrily. "Over my dead body! Lillian is a big fat liar-"
Lillian held her hand up and suddenly everyone else in the room was put on pause. Irma blinked a few times, taken aback by the sudden time magic, and then met the young Heart's eyes again.
"You don't want your secrets revealed, huh? This will not save you; nothing will!"- the water witch yelled bitterly. "I am going to tell everyone! Everyone what you've been doing, you little biyotch!"
"Can you please relax?"- Lillian replied nonchalantly. "And let's discuss what you think you know and saw, shall we? I paused everyone because I don't want you to make a fool out of yourself again, Irma-"
Irma's eyes widened in disbelief and even more anger:
"I make a fool out of myself, huh? And what are you doing? Have you any idea how many times I've vouched for you, how I've trusted you, defended you even, in front of your sister?"- she yelled. "And for what? For WHAT? For you to eventually go behind our backs and put knives in them? Why!? Why did you do all this shit?!"
"All I've done, I've done it for Earth and Earth magic's better future!"- Lillian snapped. She was taller than the older woman, she looked down at her and declared: "Yes, I realize that keeping you, Cornelia and the others in the dark about certain details has made you angry but it doesn't exactly make me such a villain, does it?"- there was an odd spark in her eye. A spark of thirst for power that didn't stand right with Irma. But she was too angry to think about that too:
"Oh, sure that's no biggie in comparison to what you did to Will!"- the Water Guardian spat bitterly. "For your personal benefit, you said to hell with her life! It wasn't exactly for Earth magic's bright future, now, was it? When you sold Will off in a desperate attempt to break her and Matt up!"
For a moment Lillian didn't know what to say. She just stared at her, benumbed, and Irma realized:
"You didn't expect that I've uncovered that, did you? Wow. I can only imagine what other shit you've done that you thought I'm calling you out for and not this...this is your darkest secret and desire. Matt."- Irma shook her head and scoffed, eyes stopping on the paused man.
From the moment this revelation had hit her, she had been unable to wrap her head around it. It was too bizarre. Too outrageous. Lillian's secret love for Matt of all people had pushed her to go to despicable lows?
But then Irma had to note the events of the last months and how perfectly they aligned with this. Too perfectly. There was no doubt about it; the cat was out of the bag.
And now that Lillian herself was realizing it, the stakes were about to become even higher. Suddenly Irma felt her anger recede in front of a feeling of uneasiness. As she watched the young Heart look back at her with tearful, angry eyes, she couldn't help but feel threatened.
Threatened by this girl who had literally grown up in front of her.
But then again, now that she was poisoned by the stinging pain of a love she could not have and had obviously gone up the pole because of it, confronting her like that, when everyone else was literally paused by her, perhaps wasn't the smartest decision on Irma's part.
She had given will to her anger but now this ominous silence was beginning to scare her more and more.
God only knows what this girl could do with all that power if her raging emotions get the better of her, Irma bit her lip. I have to make sure she doesn't completely flip, at least not until the other girls are around...
"Lillian, I...I never would've guessed this is how you felt about Matt in a million years."- the Latina began, taking a deep breath. "You are my brother's girlfriend and I thought you loved him but even if not, it's not too late yet."- she said awkwardly. "Listen, I will help you make all this right, OK? I-"
"This wasn't supposed to happen."- Lillian interrupted her, talking more to herself than to the water witch. "I had everything planned; I took out every possible hindrance! I...I even brought Martin and Mara to you after I turned him into a rabbit and took them from the apartment..."
"What?!"
Irma stared at her frozen ex. He had been the pet rabbit in Mara's cage? He...why!? It didn't make any sense. Her head started to throb but she couldn't think too much about it because Lillian continued in a shaking voice:
"I...I miscalculated a few times but eventually, I thought I had made the major decisions right. I didn't know that you'd see through everything so early, this wasn't supposed to happen!"- she repeated ruefully.
Black tears streamed down her matte face. Black tears of regret, despair, and makeup. There was something twisted in that very picture; the scared little kid in Lillian Hale was fighting with the demons of her growing power and attraction to the forbidden fruit in the face of Matt.
Irma didn't know what to do or say. She just looked between Lillian and all the frozen people around them, hoping for someone to somehow barge in on them and put an end to this horror-shit moment.
But that never happened:
"I didn't want to actually hurt anyone!"- Lillian repeated in her despair. "I didn't...But they...The Eye, they wouldn't stop breathing in my neck and then my f-family's expectations and demands, I thought I could juggle all this and keep my eye on the prize without tripping but I didn't m-manage. I screwed up, Irma. I'm so, so sorry..."
"Hey, listen to me, it's not too late yet."- and Irma hesitantly put a hand on her shoulder. "You haven't hurt anyone yet. Not too badly at least... You can still fix all this; you just have to come clean in front of everyone and- "
"And give up everything."- the blonde said in an empty voice. "My powers. My dreams."
Irma took a step back again. Lillian's tearful eyes were beginning to grow colder again.
"I can't."- she whispered. "I can't give up everything, Irma."
Irma gulped.
"Then what...what are you going to do?"
Lillian's time magic engulfed her sister's house and when time started running normally again, two hours later, the guests were already leaving. It was completely dark out. People were leaving with semi-compelled but real memories of the evening.
The time spell had them do all these activities just in a daze. In a magical daze that was sure to be dismissed by the ordinary people that had been to this get-together tonight.
That wasn't exactly the case with those who were familiar with magic.
Taranee couldn't really understand when had she found herself here, in the living room, surrounded by more people and drinking wine?! She left it aside quickly. Hadn't she just been in the kitchen discussing the Eye of God's next sinister action?
"OK, am I going crazy or we just..."- she turned to Hay Lin, who was sitting next to her. "I just blinked and it's as if... a few hours have just gone by. This is too odd. I must really be getting tired these days..."- she looked down at her watch, flabbergasting herself even more.
"Yeah."- Hay Lin agreed, even though she was still a little dazed too. "Probably..."
"Good night, Cornelia. Once again, you did an outstanding job, my dear!"- Vera was taking her goodbyes with her granddaughter outside, on the driveway. "Your sister, on the other hand, I didn't even see her..."
"Let's go, mother, it's getting late."- Harold ushered. "Bye, girls! See you again soon, rest up!"
"It was a pleasure. Very pleased you made it, after all, Nerissa."- Elizabeth smiled.
The Hales had already left alongside other guests before Cornelia and Nerissa could fully understand what had just transpired. Their heads felt soft...
Fields Birth get-together had ended just like that. Almost in the blink of an eye...
"Ha! I actually hoped that tonight would finish as fast as possible."- Cornelia clicked her tongue. "What do you know."
But Nerissa wasn't listening to her. She glanced down at her open palms, a look of some sort of bewilderment on her face.
"What is it?"
Cornelia put her hands on her hips and gave her a critical look.
"Did you or did you not explain to me why Will called you from Meridian? Everything's a bit of a blur tonight-"
"She wanted... Did she leave? I didn't notice."
Nerissa pursed her lips and waited expectantly but the blonde shook her head. She obviously hadn't noticed either. There was something strange about tonight though she couldn't pinpoint what exactly. But it was definitely there. And it was about magic.
"Irma, are you CRAZY?"
Taranee's loud exclamations from inside the house drew their attention and they quickly made their way to the inside of it.
"You can't seriously think of fleeing town with Martin, we need you here!"- Hay Lin was saying just when Cornelia and Nerissa came into the living room. "This is madness!"
"What?!"
"All of you, just calm down!"- Irma snapped.
She took a deep breath. She stood by Martin's side and her friends circled her. She was tired of tonight and this fight. No one would understand what she was doing, and she knew it; she herself wished it was different but that wasn't an option. She had to carry out this atrocious fest of shit till the end.
When Cornelia noticed her friend's ex, she immediately became indignant.
"What is that traitor doing here? Irma, I am not going to spare you, whatever has gotten into you, forget about it!"
"Lillian saved Martin and his mother from the Eye of God and revealed that they're planning on blackmailing us with a freaking bioweapon; we're having major problems, major problems and Irma suddenly springs on us that she's decided to skip town with Martin and Mara!"- Taranee explained in one breath.
"She obviously hasn't thought it through."- Caleb murmured, leaving his glass of whiskey down.
He had been quiet for the most part tonight, not really caring about this event that they had hosted. Though the most recent situation did concern him too.
"She's being emotional. She doesn't think straight!"- Hay Lin agreed.
"And what are you going to tell Vance, anyway?"- Cornelia snapped, grabbing the Latina by the arm. "This is not high school, Irma, grow up! Martin betrayed you. He betrayed us! You can't just carry on with him like nothing has happened and that while skipping town with him! And you?"- she turned her attention to the spectacled man. "You better get out of my house before I've buried you in the backyard, you cheat!"
"Shut up, Cornelia!"- Irma snapped. "All of you shut up! This is my life, my relationship! I have to do this, get OUT of my way!"
But the tall blonde did exactly the opposite:
"You're not leaving town with him, Irma."- she demanded. "At least not before we've dealt with the EYE!"
"You're not the boss of me, Cornelia!"- Irma raged in response.
"Actually, that's exactly who I am, at least ever since Will went nuts!"
"Move."- Irma whispered warningly.
"I won't!"
The taller woman pulled her back mightily when she tried to walk past her.
"I SAID MOVE!"
Cornelia screamed in unison with her friends but the water that enshrouded her head muffled her scream and she fell to the floor.
The large wall aquarium had been ready to be stocked with fish, full of water. But Irma had made the water inside of it break through the glass and wrap around Cornelia's head.
"IRMA!"
Hay Lin looked up at her friend in shock as she and Taranee rushed to Cornelia's aid. The water just spilled all over her before they did anything.
"Are you deranged?!"- Caleb spat as his girlfriend was still coughing.
"Oh, someone had to put her in her place already, she's been obnoxious ever since she got the fucking Heart!"- Irma snapped. "Walking over everyone, including you, demanding we all take part in her crazy family Socialite world constantly! Now she tried to literally pull me back from doing something I WANT TO DO for myself!"- the Latina yelled, waving her arms in anger." Congrats, Nerissa, you should be proud of your mentoring."- she added bitterly, holding the former guardian's brash glare.
Nerissa didn't reply though. She just knelt by Cornelia's side together with the rest.
"Irma, if you walk out this door now, I will never speak to you again!"- Taranee screamed. "You can't! You can't just act this way and do things like that when we have so much to talk about and so much on our plate already!"
"Oh, you will not speak to me? Because I need to do something regarding my PERSONAL life? Because you're all meddling when I specifically asked you to just shut up and give me a few days?"- Irma clenched her jaw. "Fine! Don't speak to me then. Ever! You're all impossible anyway!"
"You did not say 'few days', you did not say anything! How are we impossible? We're at least speaking about things!"- Hay Lin shook her head. "You're just shutting us out! You're walking out on us on the eve of perhaps the most dangerous war we have waged!"
Irma couldn't say anything to that. She couldn't take it any longer either. She just grabbed Martin's hand and stormed out of the house leaving all he friends angry, hurt, and confused.
"You will not get away with this."- Mara whispered through the tears, in the car inside of which she watched her son and Irma approach. "You're...toying with them."
"Don't you think that you're being a little too outspoken and ungrateful towards the only person helping you and your son get out alive? Get out of what you got into on your own? No? Oh, I'd be damned."
Mara sobbed and just rested her hands on the steering wheel.
Lillian watched her sternly for a few moments before adding:
"I will send you away when they get inside. I will send you to another city. A Keed Williams will be waiting to set you up with your new lives there. I'll take care of everything; once the danger has passed, you can return back to being the Tubbs. But only after I've said so! See, I'm doing so much for the two of you. You just need to keep your mouth shut. Because if you break our deal, Mara, I will turn both of you into rabbits this time, and I'll give you away to a butchery!"
"As if you hadn't left him to the arbitrariness of fate already."- Mara cried. "You had l-left Martin in that forest..."
"No, I was going to get back to him. Eventually."- Lillian argued, irked. "You just had to interfere and make things harder. Because you're not the sweet fragile lady you pretend to be, are you, Mara? No, you're an ex-agent of the Eye."- she went on bitterly, as the older woman cried in silence. "And you set your son to fail when you introduced him to that fucking sect. All that's been happening to him and Irma? It's your fault. A lot of what's happening is on you. So, don't you dare tell me who I'm toying with and whatnot.
Mara covered her mouth with the back of her palm, muffling her silent wails. She didn't even try to wipe her tears, as they'd continued to fall anyway. She was a woman full of pain and regrets.
"Having reminded you of all that, I'm confident you will not turn traitor on me. "- Lillian noted somberly. "Because if you do, your dirty past will be revealed. And Martin will be the first to know of who his mother truly is."
Martin himself and Irma got in the car a few seconds later. The minute she was inside, Irma fell asleep, affected by Lillian's spell.
"Is she hypnotized? She seems like herself...and not."- the man spoke up, looking at his ex.
"She is herself. The dark fraction of herself, to be more exact."- the young Heart explained nonchalantly. "No, she's not hypnotized. I just used her mental magic on her and implemented thoughts and ideas in her head; thoughts and ideas she already had somewhere in the back. Somewhere in the back of her mind, Irma did think of running away with you. She still loves you."- Martin's heart skipped a beat at that. At the same time, he was once again horrified by Lillian's abilities.
"She is strong though; she will fight this intrusion over time."
"How do I keep her like that?"- Martin quickly asked, grabbing his sleeping ex-girlfriend's hand. "I mean keep her for myself. I don't want her to be hurt or anything..."
A dark smile spilled over Lillian's even darker lips.
"Just do as I say and she will remain yours, Martin. As if you never lost her to your secret."
Then the car was surrounded by her blinding magic. Complex magic of glamouring, transporting, and materializing things out of thin air- all thanks to the vast magical aura of the Heart of Earth; in a flash, the car was gone and so were the Tubbs and Irma.
Lillian dusted her palms and disappeared into the night too, followed by the sound of her thick heels against the ground.
Phobos took the cups he had prepared with himself and headed for the living room. It was still very early in the morning but he had heard Wilhelmina awakening.
Last night had been odd. But every other outing with the other guardians was, so he figured it wasn't something to be awed by. Even if it had been stranger when the obnoxious Mage had...
The small smile on his face dropped when he saw the redhead in her company.
Nerissa smiled and blinked at him with her squinted, complacent eyes.
Wilhelmina stood up, visibly strained:
"Phobos! Good, your up...we have to talk about something."
"I'm listening."- he replied coldly, setting the cups aside.
The Mage had already been served anyway, he could see her cup on the coffee table next to her where she just sat on the leather couch with crossed long legs in denim shorts.
"I told you about Cobalt Blue's summer tour."- Will began, ushering him to come and take a seat again. "Come here, please. This is important. I...If everything's under control here and Lillian's plan to defeat the Eye of God works out...yeah, that was news to me too, but apparently, things are escalating fast."- she paused for a moment but when the prince didn't budge, she sighed and went on: "If we manage everything in the next two weeks, I think that I'll-"
"You wish to join him on that summer travel."- Phobos guessed, crossing his arms on his chest. "You want to go with Matt."
Will watched his face darken and suddenly hesitated. In the end, she decided she had to be honest:
"Yes."- she admitted, meeting his eyes.
She knew this hurt him. She knew he didn't want them to part like that, it was hard on her too, but her failing relationship of over 12 years wasn't going to wait for her to figure things out like that. And Will couldn't afford to have it break into pieces completely just like that. Not over her confusion, not over her new-found liking for the prince.
"I have to make an attempt to save what he and I have."- Will explained. "This has nothing to do with you. It's just...the right thing to do. I've thought about it a lot. Matt doesn't deserve what I've been doing to him. He deserves for me to at least try to give our relationship a chance."
"I see."- Phobos near seethed. "That is the reason she introduced me as her nephew last night."- and he looked venomously at the older woman. "Because I'm being left behind. You've already created a story together. A new narrative. I must simply...fit in somehow."
"Well, I don't want you to lose your chance at a pardon."- Will replied. "I did think about it a lot and yes, you receiving an Earth identity will make it easier, for you to have a life here. A normal life! I will be by your side, all the time once I'm back, even during the tour, we'll be in touch. I will never give up on you, bond or no bond, I've given you a promise! I will be by your side."- the redhead said uneasily, watching him grow darker and darker. "As a friend..."
She could see every word inflicting pain on him, something she hadn't believed was possible in the beginning.
In the beginning, she had thought that her strange new feelings were one-sided...but Elyon's revelation had helped her make up her mind.
Knowing that Phobos had confessed to his detested sister that he has growing feelings for her too, scared Will. It scared her because this only meant that the noose was getting tighter, and soon there would be no going back.
Will sighed. Their little balloon of bliss and ignorance had to be popped. They had spent too many months like that, just the two of them, recognizing and getting to know each other like never before.
Falling for each other like never before.
It had been nice, all they had shared for the most part. But it was also wrong. It was sinful. Her friends had been right all along...
"How sublime."- the man sneered.
"In all honesty, it is much more than you've ever deserved."- Nerissa interjected mockingly. "A life here, after all your foul crimes."
"I heard that's where foul people come for a new chance at life, no?"- he didn't remain obligated, piercing her with his cold eyes.
Nerissa chuckled:
"Oh, dear nephew, if you think that you've jumped over the ladder, you're quite wrong. I will make sure you live as a submissive guest in my city. Your true punishment will be a life of ordinary, noteless fashion, where no one truly pays attention to you."
"Nerissa."- Will scolded her sternly. "Enough. Don't make me regret calling a halt to your ban from Heatherfield. You swore to not torment Phobos, don't forget that."
"Oh, but I'm not tormenting him, darling Will, I'm just governing him with an iron hand."- the brunette purred to the redhead's vexation. "After all, we don't want to take any chances here; he's not changed. He just acted meekly because of you. Who's to say he won't turn back to his wicked nature now that you're no longer at his disposal?"
"I was never at his 'disposal'."- Will frowned. "Enough. He has to learn to trust you and you-"
"Trust her? You could've as well left me to a pit of vipers, they're to be trusted more."- Phobos mocked.
"Oh, shut up, brat."- Nerissa rolled her eyes. "I've displayed incredible benevolence towards you many times already, you're just a drama queen."
"I believed you when you pretended to care about me, obviously you've snapped out of it, no? Since you are leaving me to Nerissa's benevolent governing to be with your angel of malice-"
"This is not fair, Phobos, and you know it."- the redhead interrupted him. "I almost gave away everything for you. I have to take this step for me now, if you care about me, you'll support me."
"I suppose I am just selfish like that."- the fair-haired man sneered and turned his back on them, only for Nerissa's magic to stop him still.
"Nerissa, fuck it! Why are you annoying me like that right now?"- Will yelled.
Nerissa, who was up on her feet as well, much taller than her in her Luboton heels, shook her head:
"Do not be weak and don't go back on your decision!"- she demanded. "I will not harm your precious Phobos, I gave you an oath. We had a very considerate agreement, and by now you know that I do not kid around when my family and power are sworn on."
"I know but I don't want him to suffer and be humiliated either!"- Will snapped. "You will not treat him like that unless he throws the glove first, do not try to bend this into a loophole! How dumb must I be not to see what you're about to do if I let you? You're going to make him go out of the right way with this kind of treatment and then you'll have it your way!"
"Fine! Fine!"- Nerissa raised her hands up and went around the table.
Her magic had let the man go from its grip but she wasn't done.
"I will go by your guidelines."- she smirked at Phobos's dour face. "Well, I don't suppose that I'll manage to make him have feelings for me but I will do everything you want to rehabilitate him in your absence. Don't worry. If he really wants this new chance at life, he will accommodate to life here without you too. And if he doesn't? Well. Your strong will will have broken the bond and you will finally realize that he is better off inside the Tower of Mists and everything will be back to normal. That is the way to go!"
Will moved her eyes between the two former villains and felt her stomach tighten. This was perhaps a terrible idea but she knew it was now or never.
If she was going to avoid losing Matt, she had to hurt Phobos in one way or another.
It was inevitable. It was cruel. But she owed it to the other man who had been there for her for so many years.
"I wish it upon you; I do want you freed of this bond. It was a mistake for us to ever consider it anything but a curse. Especially to you. They're all right."- Phobos spoke. "This is why I was scared to admit the change of heart I felt for you...Because I knew it would end it all. I was selfish for months just because I could; it's time for you to think of yourself too."
Will felt her heart sinking. He was earnest and he wasn't even being condescending while saying all this. Finally, all cards were down. Both of them hiding their feelings for so long was over and everything was ending with it. Everything between them.
And it felt both revivifying and destructive at the same time. Her heart was being torn into two.
Even Nerissa didn't say anything after his last confession. She just raised both her brows and unruffled her top ever so slightly.
It was astounding, that he had the prudence and maturity to come clean like that after the countless times in which it had appeared he was incapable of any such qualities.
"Phobos, I'm sorry..."- Will began almost half an hour later, after the other woman had left. Phobos had hidden in his room. He didn't want to talk to her but she just used her magic and teletransported next to him:
"I still believe that you will earn this new chance...and one day you will be reunited with your baby daughter. Maybe with Leonida too."- she added with a small smile. "You will be happy..."
"It doesn't hurt me that you choose him."- Phobos cut her off, finally looking back. "I was never supposed to feel like this about you. But I've also never been around someone like you either, Wilhelmina... Never been treated so... truthfully. Those last three seasons we spent together were the best in my life. I cannot help feeling abandoned though."
"I'm not abandoning you..."
"...in Nerissa's hands, of all people."
"She's not that bad...trust me. Out of all my friends, she is the only one who'll actually deal with you for real. The others won't even bother, they...I can't blame them. They have lives of their own. And Nerissa, she...can't really help it. I'm not an idiot. Whether it's because she cares or because she's slightly crazy..."
"Yes, slightly."
"Look, she didn't kill you for so many years while she posed in your palace because of her own perceptions of how things must be. I know her. Her perceptions now don't include your death either."
Phobos smiled somewhat sadly. He'd miss this. Their conversations.
Wilhelmina's wit, the way she spoke to him, her red hair falling freely around as she sat back on her feet on the bed...
"Do you still think that I'm afraid of death?"- he questioned. "Two years ago, still maybe, but now?"
"No, I guess not."- Will sighed. "But you now have more things to live for, more than ever before. Phobos, trust me, I will do everything in my power to reunite you with your family. I know you still want that, even if you have...you have felt something for me too."- she looked away abashed.
She felt odd talking about it, especially here, in his bedroom.
Not that they had ever consummated this between them, though they had seen each other naked at Flamboyant Gardens when the Matchmaker... aka her brother and his friends had set her up.
Man, she was still getting over William's betrayal. Even though he and the other boys were now with erased memories and everything, living in Heatherfield as if they hadn't crossed the line like they had.
Perhaps it was true. Perhaps Heatherfield really was where those in the wrong came to receive a new chance at a fresh start.
"At the end of all ends, I don't regret any of this. Because I got to know you. Because we gave each other a chance, even if due to the circumstances."- Will spoke, looking into the man's eyes. "Yes, there were many hurt. My friends almost gave up on me as well because of how unhinged I've acted for months now; deep down I realized the impact of my actions but I didn't feel like the time had come for this to be over. Our...little game of house."
"You've been a wonderful housewife."- Phobos ridiculed but smiled back. "Even without the sexual aspect of it which we never truly shared."- he added nonchalantly, looking at his nails.
Will felt her entire face go red at that:
"Yeah, can you imagine how long we've held that front..."
"But now you have to go with the Earth Knight and this between us is ending. Yes, we may have friendly relations in the future."- Phobos interrupted her softly. "And yes, it may be harder on me than it will be on you because you will have him...But I am fine with that, Wilhelmina, I actually truly am and it astonishes me too. I assume that it's because, at the end of all ends, I just want for you to be happy. I really, really do."
Will couldn't control herself much after that. There was just one thing she would allow herself to do now. Just one.
She leaned in and kissed the prince passionately on the lips, pushing him on his back.
It was a quick but meaningful tongue duel and it made her feel so much better. It was just something that had to be done. With all the tension between them. All that they were going to give up on.
"You shouldn't do things like that if we want us to be just friendly!"- Phobos near gasped once she broke off the kiss. "I will not be able to resist much longer-"
"I know. I think I can."- she laughed, cheeks crimson. "Sorry, I guess that doing this now at the finale of our thing makes me even a bigger bitch than I already am, to both Matt and you, but I didn't want everything to end without this."- she grinned. "A kiss is a kiss."
"Yet no happily ever after for us?"- Phobos smirked, his hand brushing away the hair from her eyes.
"The author didn't intend one, I suppose."- Will smirked and stood up from the bed before clothes could start to fall and things could get smutty.
The mystical steam and the noise of a lot of water flowing somewhere in the distance echoed in Lillian Hale's mind. She knew it wasn't just a dream as she looked around in the lilac twilight. It was one of her less frequent meetings with him.
The demon, or the being, whatever it was, with abilities she didn't possess. Yet. An entity that was supposed to help her; she had managed to summon him with her powers and connect with him on a mental level almost an entire year ago while practicing the lengths of her magic and studying about it.
She had come a long way in just two years, but she still needed this man.
She was still unable to read through certain things like her did, even though he was beginning to get on her nerves.
"OK, I'm tired of wandering around. Are we going to talk or not?"- she stopped in the middle of the steam and clouds. "Show yourself already."
"It appears that you are more dyspeptic than usual today."- his familiar voice and silhouette reached her. "I am afraid that I'll only fuel your vexation with what I have to say."
That was all she ever made of him, really. A silhouette of a man, levitating with his legs in the lotus position. And his deep but clear voice. Never his face or anything.
Lillian crossed her arms on her chest, unimpressed:
"Oh, yeah? You've been doing that for quite some time now. Like how did you miss to warn me about Irma's new power? She almost ruined everything. Aren't you supposed to be my watchful eye and advisor?"
"What about you? How many times have you not valued my words and been doing things on your own? Many of your mistakes were the result of your stubbornness and unwillingness to listen to my advice. Why should I tell you everything when you do not appreciate me? Be that as it may; the Water Auramere surprised me as well. It gave Irma the power to see through your darkest feelings and desires."
"Yeah, how insightful of it. Never mind, I took care of her. My miscalculations are taken care of as well. I will try to value your words more from now on if you prove yourself more useful."- Lillian challenged. "Something you haven't really been in a while. You didn't even warn me about Avani. Not to mention you can't seem to be able to distinguish who's the head of the Eye in Heatherfield."
She looked the levitating man down. That last part she especially didn't believe.
He didn't reply at once. When he spoke again, he showed her a scene in the air.
Lillian gasped as she watched Will reaching down to kiss Phobos on repeat:
"No way! Finally!"- she exclaimed. "Did they fuck for real this time? Not like when I staged it at Cornelia's-"
"Listen closely."- her mysterious diviner interrupted her, not exactly appreciative of her lewd language and teenage behavior.
"I know. I think I can."- Will laughed, cheeks crimson. "Sorry, I guess that doing this now at the finale of our thing makes me even a bigger bitch than I already am, to both Matt and you, but I didn't want everything to end without this."- she grinned. "A kiss is a kiss."
"Yet no happily ever after for us?
"I guess the author didn't intend one."
Lillian's smile gradually faded:
"What are they talking about? What is that supposed to mean? What-"
"What do you think?"- the diviner cut her off. "The woman you deemed characterless enough to fall for just about anything. The guardian that could forget the Heart of Kandrakar, the one who you thought to be weak, to be consumed by the prince's darkness, proved you wrong. You trampled over her from the shadows, you thought that you've taken her out of the way when the object of your dreams walked out on her, no? Well. She has decided to go back to him. To the one you both desire. She has chosen the Knight over the Prince, and she is going to tell him; very soon. In a few hours, she'll undo everything you've achieved in the last nine months, my sweet Heart."
"What?! How did she decide to? How,"- Lillian howled. "Fuck, no! No! I KNEW this bond thing was a load of bologna, this is not happening to me right now! It can't be happening!"
Lillian was frantic. She wanted to scream and cry. Everything was already crumbling into pieces before her very eyes.
"No, the bond is very much true. She's just apparently stronger than it. And Nerissa was right; her strong persistence and will shall break the bond eventually."
"Nerissa advised her to do this, didn't she? Oh, she never minds her fucking business, that fucking bitch!"
"Instead of wasting your breath."- the man scolded her sternly. "Think of how to stop Wilhelmina from reclaiming what you deprived her of. Nobody has advised her; she's not just anybody, you said it yourself, she's still the Keeper of the Heart of Kandrakar and you know what that means! She is strong - stronger than the first guardian Malyna, evidently. Magically, physically and emotionally. She can overcome more than you know. I suppose you just underestimated her."
Lillian stopped crying ruefully just long enough to snap:
"How do I stop her now?! It's too late! I've been looking for a way to make Matt want me, but it's impossible! He hasn't ever had a single thought about me like that! He's not even physically attracted to me; I can't use anything to bend his will naturally with my magic! He still views me as a child!"- the young Heart spat bitterly and continued to cry, falling down on her knees. "It's t-too late...Now he'll jump back to fucking Will, like he always has! He loves her too much!"
The diviner dressed her down with his glare in the shadows:
"Perhaps you are still a child. A stupid one at that."- he pointed out. "You did some vile things but to no true avail, you beat around the bush, you're afraid to embrace your true potential, no matter how much you progress with your magic even in magical maturity-"
"Why don't you shut the fuck up! You're just some fortune-telling dude in a mystic sauna, I'm the Heart of Earth. The Queen of Earth magic!"- Lillian snapped, standing up again. She brushed her tears away; "I'm not fucking afraid of anything! You think that I haven't thought of enthralling Matt or hitting him with any sort of love spell? Love spells are fake as hell, I don't want him to just pretend to love me in front of the others, I want him to love me for me! Like I've loved him ever since I was 12!"- she almost screamed. "How do you suggest I fight true love? The only way was for Will to choose another man over him, that was the only way! And she ruined it! What can I do now, you moron? Nothing! Nothing will work out! So, don't you dare patronize me like that again, you haven't given me one single up-scale idea! I'm beginning to think that you're just some fraud!"
"Ah, yes, take all that anger in and it will unleash your true potential, my sweet Heart."- the man laughed joyfully. "Don't fret, I understand you. You're just too young and naïve yet. I will give you one such perfect up-scale solution now, if you'll accept it. I will help you turn the tables again before the Keeper has gotten the chance to win."
Lillian sobbed but nodded determinedly. She had reached a point where she had nothing to lose anymore.
"It better be good."
Epilogue
Will walked into the lobby of the White Gardenia Hotel where she knew Matt was staying for the last three weeks after he had had it with her and Phobos and their suppressed feelings playing havoc with his life.
Will understood him well enough. She knew she was in the wrong as she asked about him at the reception and then headed for the elevators.
You're too good to be true, Matt, and I can't lose you now, she thought as she went up. I've been terrible for so long; I hope that it's not too late. I hope that you'll forgive me. Also, forgive me I stalked you here without even calling you like you had asked me to do was I to decide I want to put an end to this misery.
Matt actually had the prudence to invest a huge part of the money Tony and Linda had weaseled out of his late dad Marcus Snowden and now owned a part of this big hotel, but that was a whole different story.
Soon, it would be exactly a year since his father's murder.
Almost a year since they started going to therapy together, to heal from the immense trauma some of the members of both their families had caused them. (Linda, Tony Vandom, Aunt Carolyn, and fucking Sean, for the most part. Oh, and who could forget Serena and her diabolical run-over brother.)
Will shook her head to herself as she looked at her reflection in the mirror. She and Matt had been through so much together, that her new-found attraction for Phobos was definitely not enough for her to want to leave all that in the past. Because she was still attracted to Matt too. She still loved him to the core; she'd love him, always, no matter what. That was for sure. And nothing and no one could change it.
It was a bit after 9. It was early but she hoped to surprise him anyway before he has taken off to run errands.
She wore a short cotton red summer dress with a deeper boat neckline, short sleeves, and a breezy skirt. It had some delicate white flowers as a pattern all over too.
That dress and her fuck-me heels were sure to do the trick.
Will sighed again. She couldn't even joke about it in her head. She knew she had to go a long way of apologizing and making up for how she had treated Matt; a process of healing was required, a process in which sex was just a small but, yes, perhaps meaningful element.
She reached the room of his apartment and knocked three times. Then she waited.
She could hear moving from the inside but it sounded unsure. Perhaps she had woken him up?
Will smiled as she imagined his adorable morning face dropping at the sight of her and knocked again:
"Don't disturb, put it on the door please, and don't disturb."- Matt's voice came from behind the door. It sounded a bit raspy. Was he sick? Or had he been drinking...
Will suddenly remembered that he had abused substances in her absence and felt even worse. God, she had literally almost killed the man that loved her more than anything.
She thought about coming clean instead of surprising him but it didn't feel right. She had to surprise him! It would set the mood much better!
Will thought for a second and eventually decided to use her quintessence on the door, unlocking it from the inside.
Creative. Yeah, she thought, amused.
"I'm sorry, sir, but this is an emergency apology sex call."- she said in her most serious voice as she walked in. "So, if you'd like to proceed, drop your pants down."
She kicked the door behind herself making Matt jump in his place:
"W-will?!"- he stammered.
"Oh, good, you're already in boxers only."- Will chuckled and then became serious for a moment: "Look, Matt, all silliness aside, I did come here to make things right. I've put you through too much, I realize that, but I didn't betray you, I swear to you. I felt lost, I felt torn but I now know where my heart lies, and I know that it's with you. You're the love of my life, Matt Olsen."- she said earnestly. "And I want to be with you, and only with you!"
Matt looked as if he was about to cry. He didn't know how to react, he just stood there in his blue boxers and looked around himself at a loss...
Will couldn't miss noting; he looked hell of sexy.
"Will, I am so glad but I-"
"No, Matt, don't. Let's forget about everything."- she whispered as she came closer and cupped his face. "We can talk later if you're in the mood for something else now? Or we can just talk too. I just want to make it up to you. For everything."
He did smell of alcohol but his eyes looked relatively normal. Maybe he wasn't doing drugs again which was great.
"Matt-"- she breathed passionately, just smooching his neck. She had missed him. She had missed this more than she had realized.
For a moment, he just yielded to it, forgetting everything:
"Oh, Will-"- the man whispered and slid his hands down her body.
But just when she was kissing him, she heard some sort of movement behind him and opened her eyes.
"M-Matt? Oh, I...I'm so sorry!"
Lillian Hale, dressed in just his shirt. One of his shirts. Will opened her mouth in utter shock. She had only seen her for a moment but the picture sealed itself in her mind forever.
Her blonde hair a mess and almost no makeup left on her face, the nineteen-year-old had just rushed back behind the sliding door of Matt's bedroom, crying inconsolably.