Chapter Twenty-Two: The Degenerate Rose Part Two
"Where am I?"
"Taranee, is that you?"
"Will?"
"Cornelia-"
"Yes, guardians. You're all here."- the male voice pointed out, cutting their talking short. "Because I summoned you."
The five young women were still fazed by the sudden change of scenery. It felt odd and unnatural, but they had somehow all found themselves here, in this dark space; it looked like some sort of mini realm between time and space. It was so odd, one minute they had each been on their way, doing something different regarding their latest mission which was more than personal.
Then they were here.
Hay Lin instinctively grabbed Will's hand as a unanimous wave of everyone's concern and bewilderment washed over her.
They were all here, against their will and absolutely unannounced, and that wasn't something that just happened every day:
"Who are you? What is this place?"- Taranee demanded, looking at the figure approaching them sternly.
The sudden wind that appeared at that took their hair and blew it back. At first, Taranee considered this to be just another dream sequence or something but the more she felt her surroundings the more she understood it wasn't.
There was extremely strong mental magic intervening here but somehow their physical bodies were fully awake, active, and hooked.
And they couldn't just leave which was probably the most alarming fact they had unanimously reached by now.
"A mere astral room. I astral-projected you here. But that's beside the point."- the mystery man confirmed their latest suspicions.
The girls exchanged more distressed looks.
"So, why? What's the reason?"- Will near demanded, holding the male figure firmly with her gaze. She couldn't make much of him but she definitely knew; he was powerful.
Very powerful.
Probably dangerous.
And if he could just astral-project them like that he could probably do many other things beyond their knowledge and capacity.
Things they didn't need to deal with now, on top of everything else.
"I can sense your unrest."- the man spoke after a few moments of tense silence. "Be calm. You're not here to serve anything other than the betterment of your own destinies,"
"I don't know why that sounds terribly Oracle-like to me."- Irma interrupted him snidely. "But I doubt that anyone from Kandrakar, let alone the Oracle, would ever summon us like that, so... so secretively. Unless you make yourself clear and lose the smoke show we're not staying."- and she gave the others an encouraging nod.
One by one, the other guardians nodded back and all held hands, Will, Cornelia and Irma in the middle and Hay Lin and Taranee at each end.
"Irma's right; our united power is enough to astral project away. In other words, oppose yours."- Taranee said.
"We've battled psychic invasions before."- Cornelia added.
"We know our way around."- Hay Lin confirmed decisively. "Alone we may be forced to stay but united you can't make us!"
"Not around this one you don't. For if you break the astral projection and just leave,"- the man spoke up again after a few moments of hard contemplation. "More than one will lose a life. Possibly one of you."- he went on darkly. "And definitely more than one of your closest."
The girls looked at each other in horror but before this dark prognosis could sink in and before they could say something, there was light in the mystic room.
Light fell on the figure of the man, revealing his identity.
He was...
The Oracle. The New Oracle. Will opened her mouth in surprise but he made her a sign to wait:
"Ultimately, what you said was right. There's no point in hiding behind anything. I summoned you here."- Thalesis said. "I am taking advantage of my position for you and I'm putting my powers into use for all of us."
The guardians were taken aback:
"But Oracle...why do this in such an odd fashion? It's not something Kandrakar would approve of, is it?"- Taranee quickly came to the realization.
The man gave her an awry impeccable smile:
"Not necessarily. I just didn't have the chance to discuss much of this with them as this time loop that we find ourselves in wasn't to be missed. This is our only chance to save lives, guardians. I was testing your strength of character too with how I approached you. Your reaction was more than passable."
Will and Cornelia looked at each other still a tad dazed. They were still processing what had just happened and how swiftly the situation had changed.
Yes, the new Council had introduced many changes but this direct interference was still shocking.
It was just something they never had with Himerish. He had always called himself an observer, someone who is responsible for the balance between the worlds but never interferes directly. Someone who doesn't abuse his greater power.
Even with that, there had been times when Himerish, despite all his good intentions and wisdom, had been caught by surprise.
Like with Kandor's curse that had cost him his life...
Obviously, the old Oracle's philosophy had left its mark on his guardians because Thalesis noticed their hesitance and said:
"I sense that you're in doubt but this is too urgent and meaningful to the balance of your lives. Too personal for so many of you. I astral-projected you here to give you a suggestion."
"A suggestion?"
"Yes."- Thalesis gave them another one of his charming smiles.
There was something really collected and charming about him, Hay Lin decided. Something almost conniving.
"My time loop isn't strong enough to change what's happened on its own. But it can be; with your power."
"Wait,"- Will blinked. "What's happened? Past tense? Does this mean that you want us to-"
"Change the present by changing your actions in the past; yes. Quite frankly."
As he said that, three big doors appeared behind Thalesis. With the names of Taranee, Cornelia, and Will on them.
"All of you contributed to what happened or rather what could shape the present, but what you three chose to do had the direst of effects. Then again, it's not your fault. You were manipulated and sidetracked by two degenerates. A sneaky double-faced man with seer powers and a soulless fanatic murderess who would've done anything for the Heart of Earth. That is why I interfered."
And indeed, the Oracle had a point. Taranee watched with shortened breath as her door opened first and she saw herself. She and Hay Lin were supposed to go to Kandrakar and have them on line in what they all hoped would be Lillian's downfall.
But then they started talking about the pregnancies. Her and Hay Lin's. Someone from the elders unabashedly suggested that their babies would become elders themselves one day. In fact, they said it was their destiny. And Taranee wasn't ready to accept that. While Hay Lin tried to calmly argue that outlining their unborn children's futures like that didn't sit right with them at this point, Taranee watched herself getting more restless with every passing minute.
Now that she watched all these events unfold behind the open door with her name, the fire-witch remembered everything and it was painful. Before Halinor could shut them up, the two elders that had initiated all this dropped the bomb- the Fire and Air guardians' children would have a short life because it was their destiny to become valuable confederates of Kandrakar.
It was ugly, it was unethical and Taranee couldn't take it. She snapped back, giving those creatures a piece of her mind before, in the spur of the moment, abnegating her powers and then fleeing Kandrakar forever.
And that was when the worst followed. A newly powerless Taranee was running back home toward her apartment in Heatherfield when a drunk driver appeared as if out of hell, running her over before the scream of terror could fully leave her throat.
The door with her name on it closed and Taranee from the present sobbed, holding her stomach. She remembered it all now, she remembered being rushed to the hospital and then her friends coming to her to heal her but it had been too late.
Her unborn baby had been disposed of by the doctors to save her own life.
"Oh, Tara..."- Hay Lin cried, cradling her friend in her arms.
Her friends all held her, comforting her softly, feeling for her. All five pairs of guardian eyes were full of tears. What had happened was truly a tragedy.
"Yes, Taranee. You suffered a tremendous and unfair loss. But you could turn the hands of times back if you five decided to."- Thalesis interjected.
Taranee stared at the Oracle in bewilderment. Had he just suggested... no, it was impossible. Could she actually have her baby back?
"Nothing is impossible,"- Thalesis promised her, having sensed her thoughts.
"Oracle, you don't need to persuade us any further, we are going to do this, whatever it is that you suggest."- Will exclaimed. "If it's going to help Taranee have her baby, that's all we care about,"
The others nodded in unison.
The Oracle smiled and shook his head:
"I realize that, Will. But in order to change the present you have to be fully aware of the past that you'll be altering."
It was Will's door that opened next. She watched attentively as she saw herself. She was confronting Matt? Yes, they were talking to each other...
Will who was observing squinted her eyes as she tried to remember it and then it just happened in front of her eyes.
She saw Matt. He was overtaken by the darkness. A raw darkness that had escaped had found shelter in his soul and he was once again the Angel of Malice. He had first partially embraced those forgotten powers of his months ago...
And it was all on her. She had pushed him over the edge with so many terrible things on her part. In the end, she had broken his heart. And now it was leaking black blood, torn apart by his inner demons she had given immense life to.
And now Matt would be irreparably evil, feeding off negativity and hate; and his hate for her would forever keep them apart.
"I hate you, Will Vandom. I hate you now, I will hate you tomorrow, I will hate you forever! Because you did this to me. You betrayed me! You spat in my face. This time there's no going back. And my eyes will never meet yours again. You will not see Matt again because you killed him. Then again, you stopped caring for Matt the same quite some time ago, didn't you, bitch?"- Shagon's voice cracked at that. It was full of hurt and revenge. He flipped his wings, setting off, and roared: "LONG live SHAGON! Your fallen angel of malice and hate,"
Will from the present closed her eyes in defeat and heartbreak. He had said that to her indeed. She remembered it so vividly now.
"Your love for him has changed and that is something that not even going back in time shall fully fix, dear guardian."- Thaleis's voice pointed out. "But it's at least something, a chance to protect his soul from darkness. Matt Olsen is very prone to that after everything he's been through, especially with you. Don't you owe it to him?"
Will opened her reddened eyes again, meeting his, and nodded.
She knew that. And she did owe Matt so much more, though she had to start somewhere.
Cornelia's door was the last to open and her heart tightened when she saw the look the Oracle gave her before everything started to play out.
Unlike her friends, she wasn't taken aback by a sudden memory returning to her while watching herself through the door. She already remembered all that she was seeing.
She remembered her new Auramere power making her sense something. Something evil that had taken root around her family. Quite literally.
She remembered digging through the family albums like crazy while the Knights of Earth struggled to pinpoint their Queen Lillian's location. Yes, she had this nasty hunch she couldn't explain; it was like ever since temporarily keeping the Heart, she almost got premonitions from time to time.
And now her new power...
Then her friends called her and she went on to join them.
That was it.
"I don't get it?"- Cornelia blinked, wiping her eyes. The images behind her door were gone. Her friends' pain had taken a toll on her. But her actions? "I'm absolutely willing to do anything to reset this day or whatever, but why is my name on the door? I didn't see-"
"You simply were at the helm of all misery and injustice. While you were aiming to uncover what you had seen with your new Primrose Empathy, you lost more than just a chance to stop this,"
Thalesis sighed as the images behind Cornelia's door returned. But she wasn't ready to see it. Nor did she imagine ever seeing it.
Cornelia gasped soundly when she saw her sister's lifeless body in the feet of a woman, she was familiar with... Was that the new principal at Sheffield Institute?!
But she couldn't wrap her mind around it because next, she saw Amanda Fragenson firing several bullets directly into Nerissa's chest. She had jumped at her. Nearby lay Richard's lifeless body and a wounded Julian was helplessly groaning, trying to crawl toward his wife.
Cornelia felt her head spin as she watched.
Nerissa let out a sharp wheeze of pain before falling to the floor, punctured.
Somewhere above her, Killian was crying...
Amanda Fragenson looked up in her frenzy, aiming the gun at what most probably was the toddler:
"No!"- Cornelia screamed in her helplessness as the door closed. "No! What was that? What the fuck was that, did they all just d-die?! Did my son also,"
She felt sick and weak; her knees buckled and her friends had to keep her balance for her.
This was too much.
"Apparently, your son's powers tried to make contact with you, he wanted you to save his grandparents with your healing magic, but the newfound Primrose Empathy clouded your senses."- Thalesis explained almost apologetically. "Killian's magical might is very infant and unchecked but situations like this tragedy unleash such powers. He did manage to teletransport himself away as he wasn't cuffed or blocked in any way. The others..."
Cornelia just coughed and shook her head. She felt like she was just going to explode at this point.
"Cornelia, we will undo all this injustice!"- Hay Lin promised her. "That's why we're here! Nobody is going to die. Taranee, look at me. We will raise our babies, together, OK?"
"Yeah, girls, don't fall down in the dumps now, we've all lost enough already because of those same people."- Irma croaked and frowned. "That woman...the Principal? Is she the final boss slash dumb bitch who ran the Eye in Heatherfield-"
"Correct, Irma."- Thalesis admitted. "Violet Martens Knickerbocker."
"And she has some sort of connection to our family."- Cornelia pointed out, wiping the tears and sweat away once again. "That's what I was trying to find out, I got unclear images of her, ugh! I will not be sidetracked this time."
"Take number fucking two."- Irma hit her fist in her palm.
She was determined and so were her friends.
This mess was going to be put into order.
And all death and injustice were going to be stopped and undone.
Will looked up at the man:
"What do we have to do, exactly, Oracle?"
"I will guide you through it all."- Thalesis promised. "Your power and mine combined will lead you back in time through the time loop I managed and astral-projected you within without tearing apart matter, time tissue, or creating alternative time branches that could tamper with our Universe. There are merely a few more things you have to know before you get head-to-head with the enemy. It wasn't fair last time, the advantage they had on you. But that is something they've been planning on for years. Now give me your hands and form a circle. Time spells are ancient and ones of this magnitude require a lot."
"I can't believe it! She's...she's our aunt."
Cornelia's eyes shone somberly as she looked down at the pictures she had in front of herself.
She was in her old room. Again. Going through old pictures and articles, little things she had gathered with the new Oracle's help after he had sent her and her friends back in time to prevent several colossal crises from happening.
It was really a one-of-a-kind-once-in-a-lifetime event, even for a guardian, but that didn't change the fact that coming to know the right details of the truth on time was still hard to digest.
This time she knew where to look.
She knew how to navigate her new power and study the enemy that had made Kandrakar's new Highest risk time matter and more.
Cornelia sighed and looked at the picture in her hands.
It was a picture of her mother Elizabeth and her parents from when she was a little girl. They looked so beautiful and happy together. They had lived in retro sunny California, where the grass is always greener, but Cornelia was well aware that this wasn't the case.
Because this photo was taken months before a traumatic split-up and a string of messy divorce battles in and outside of court.
Her mother's mother, or her maternal grandmother, had an affair during that time which resulted in her getting pregnant from a man who wasn't her husband. He hadn't taken that well. Cornelia's maternal grandparents had fought a lot and eventually, her grandmother had walked out of her daughter Elizabeth's life for good.
Together with her unborn daughter.
Violet Martens Knickerbocker.
Violet, the new school principal, the big bad of the Heatherfield branch of the Eye of God, the woman who was after Lillian's powers and had already literally killed her once (not really, thanks to the new Oracle's interference but still) was actually their estranged aunt.
It was just so bizarre and it made Cornelia sick but she knew she had to stick to the 'script'. If they were going to do their job correctly, she had to ignore the urge to stop Violet before everything else and confront her at once.
That wasn't doable though. Everything had to happen in a strictly organized and collected fashion for things to be resolved.
"Cornelia? There you are, come on. Will's waiting for us. She has Napoleon and Huggles working on finding your sister's trail. They're close."- Caleb entered the room just like he had the last time. Everything was indeed playing out just like Thalesis had said it would. They had come back in time to correct it.
Cornelia turned around and gave her fiancé a little nod:
"Yeah, OK. I'm coming. Give me just a sec,"
But Caleb walked to her and just held her close to his chest. She listened to the strong beats of his heart and closed her eyes, knowing just how tense he is too:
"She almost killed you. Made Matt surrender himself in exchange for your life, cursed Killian. Forget all the shit she's done before. But Killian? Our toddler son? That was the straw that broke the camel's back for me."- Caleb ranted quietly. "Do not pity her, baby. Do not look back."
Cornelia sobbed even though her eyes were dry and wrapped her arms around the man's torso.
If it was any consolation, the Oracle revealed that Violet had cursed Killian in actuality but that didn't mean that Lillian hadn't crossed all lines.
Cornelia was hardly thinking of ever forgiving her, all she knew was that she couldn't have her just die. It didn't sit right with her.
As a sister, as a human...
Death wasn't the answer. Not to mention all the other heinous consequences her sister's demise would bring up. Even the Oracle had said it, right?
Lillian had to live to regret what she had turned into; she was going to be alone, powerless, and snubbed at the very least, Cornelia promised herself that.
Caleb and Cornelia got ready to leave; even if the man couldn't know what was happening, Cornelia was well aware of every little detail she and her friends had to either keep the same or change this time.
Or so she thought.
They were already at the door when they almost bumped into Elizabeth Landon.
"Oh, hi, kids. Are you leaving? That's too bad, I was going to make some virgin pina coladas."
Cornelia immediately stopped dead in her tracks; Her mother hadn't been in the house the last time. So, if they were the only ones back who could change certain things now, why was she acting differently than she was supposed to?
"Caleb, can you please wait for me in the car? I'll be right there with you. We have urgent business to attend to, mom,"- the blonde quickly explained after a few moment-long conversation between her, her fiancé, and her mother.
"Sure."- Caleb immediately understood her without even knowing and excused himself.
"So, Cornelia."- Elizabeth smiled at her daughter once they were alone. "Is there something on your mind, sweetie? Is everything alright?"
They were in the spacious kitchen of the penthouse where Elizabeth left her coat, bag, and the painting she had brought back with herself from work aside and got an apron on before starting on her virgin cocktails.
"Yeah...it is, I just...wanted to check up on you. We haven't seen each other in a few days."- the Earth guardian murmured, crossing her arms on her chest.
She watched her mother haste around the kitchen in her chick outfit and perfect hair, and it felt bittersweet. It felt like she and Lillian were kids again, watching their mother struggle to make them breakfast while looking her best like always.
Cornelia knew there was huge pain inside her mother's heart, despite her displaying a seemingly cheerful mood. Aside from almost divorcing her father over his fraudulent business moves that had played havoc with their family thanks to Lillian, the whole thing with Lillian was especially hard on Elizabeth too.
Watching her daughter get bogged down in disdain and wrong choices just like that, not even knowing and seeing the complete picture had to be terrible.
"Yes, well, you know it was your sister's birthday and I didn't, I couldn't do anything for her but at least she texted me back and I'm just a little...a little overwhelmed but don't let that get to you, Cornelia."- Elizabeth smiled, holding tears back. "You have your life and your family to look after, after what she did out of spite, to your brand and just financially pushing you back..."
"That's one of the mildest things she did."- Cornelia shook her head and just walked to her mother in order to embrace her.
Elizabeth sobbed on her daughter's shoulder and held her tight. She felt fragile and broken and Cornelia could feel it through the hug:
"I j-just don't understand why,"- the older woman finally burst out in tears. "I don't know how could I allow her to..."
"Mom, it's not anything you're to blame for. She likes to say that to feel justified but she's out of line more than ever, OK?"- Cornelia insisted.
"Do you think that she'll ever come round? Or is there no coming round from where she got herself,"- Elizabeth asked somberly but her older daughter's attention was suddenly drawn by the painting covered in a dust bag, just sitting on one bar stool.
The painting that Elizabeth had brought home with her.
"Mom, what's that? A piece for the penthouse?"
"You mean the painting? A very beautiful piece, indeed. It is actually Lillian's."- Elizabeth replied, looking over her shoulder. "I don't know where she got it from, it looks like a real masterpiece but it's not signed, unfortunately. She had it at Christopher's new place...Anna wanted me to have it back since she was cleaning up her things after the, well, breakup."- Elizabeth sighed, running a hand along her jawline.
Cornelia furrowed her brows. There was something she couldn't quite put her finger on as she looked at the painting, even covered.
It was as if it was somehow calling to her.
A mere painting.
But that was just stupid; her new powers had to be playing with her, the Primrose Empathy thing.
And suddenly, Cornelia wanted to ask her mother all about her childhood, she wanted to get as much on Violet Martens as she could. Did she ever know about her? Did she ever suspect that she's a descendant of the last living Heart of Earth herself?
Cornelia shook these thoughts off, scared of herself. What had she been about to do just now? How had it even crossed her mind?!
"Cornelia, would you like a pina colada after all?"- her mother, who had gotten back to making the cocktails asked, but Cornelia was too distracted to reply.
She looked at her phone which had just buzzed. Caleb was letting her know that Will had lost Huggles and Napoleon along the way and that he was going to go after them himself with Blunk, who had sniffed his way to Heatherfield earlier that day.
Of course, that was a setup to keep him from knowing that they are changing the past, but that didn't matter.
Perfect, Cornelia thought.
Will was already doing her part in the change of actions while she was here, about to do the same thing that she had done the last time, obsess over investigating the past.
Cornelia tightened her fists. She had to grab a hold of herself. Her son was being held at gunpoint as she stared at a dumb painting and it was up to Will to save him and his grandparents from Violet's crazed relatives.
"I gotta jet, mom. Oh, and I'll take this with me, you don't mind, right?"- the tall blonde exclaimed grabbing the covered painting. "I want to evaluate it myself if that's alright. I mean, I didn't take that one art preservation class just to be on your good side during senior year."
"Why did my backfire like that, I don't get it! The passageways in Heatherfield won't open, nor any portals, I can't flee fucking Earth. And now this spell. This spell was supposed to work,"- Lillian Hale growled and rubbed the sore spot on her arm. A terribly painful sore she had got from her transporting spell fizzling.
Yes, she was unable to teletransport further than down the street, hence she had tried something different in an attempt to lose her sister and the guardians, but it had been a flop as well.
Matt, who walked by her side free but forlorn, just gave her a somber look. He had almost tried to ditch her at some point but she pulled him back and warned him darkly to not try that again; her magic was the source of his and she still had control over him despite her own powers being in disarray.
Because of that, she could seriously hurt him if he tried anything, even if Lillian didn't want it, he knew that:
"You almost killed your sister. Your powers are unsettled from our uniting that managed to bring her back."- he said dryly. "You're a mess, Lillian and you're only making everything worse. Just give up already, please; before it's too late for all of us."
"No, it's not just that,"- Lillian argued, pretending she hadn't heard the last part. "It's like something is messing with my energy from within...it's strange. Huggles and Napoleon."- she suddenly clicked. "Could they be trying to slow me down by reverting their magic and playing tricks on the source aka me from afar? Do you think it could be working that way? Yes, of course... Maybe you're doing it too, with them, through some mental link I can't reach. Maybe you're all trying to stop me this way."- Lillian scoffed.
Matt shook his head:
"Maybe. Or maybe you're paranoid because deep down you realize how bad this all is. Those who can realize that they're in the wrong often suffer from paranoia. And you know, Lil. How deranged this is, you're not going to just get away with it, you know that?"
The young Hale shook her head bitterly:
"I could dispatch all three of you and leave you powerless if I wanted to but I won't. I want Cornelia and the others to come to us so that they once and for all accept the new reality. Us. I just need to buy some more time to make it happen, Matt,"
It was Matt's turn to scoff. God, she just wouldn't give up. How had he not seen this? How obsessed she could be with him? Had he really been blind and stupid or had she gone this hardcore overnight for real?
She was a child to him, even now, and he despised himself for falling for her tricks that night and letting himself be bedded...
Ugh, it was just so wrong and bad to him, he still felt bad about himself because he had touched her like that. He had somewhat actively participated and he still couldn't understand why.
That night he had just been so drunk, he had seen a female body and an opportunity to vent, he hadn't seen the actual person he was venting in like that...
But Lillian had weaved this messy plan from the start and had done so much worse to get to this desperate point that it was beyond him.
At least the part about her having his baby wasn't true.
At least that...
"So, breaking my free will it is."- the man said. "You realize that none of it will be true, even if you succeeded, right? I will never love you."
He was just trying to stall at this point; hopefully, his friends would come faster or something else could maybe happen, anything really, just not this madness!
They were at an old junkyard. Matt couldn't even think about what was the purpose of this, he just needed a break. He didn't want to be a mindless slave, not ever again! He had been trapped in his own mind back when Nerissa had utilized him as a weapon when he had been a teenager.
But Lillian ignored him and didn't even turn around.
He growled and tried to pull her, to turn her around by the shoulder.
"LILLIAN!"
The man winced in pain as he felt a strong shocking wave zapping his body and bringing him to his knees the minute he had laid hands on the Heart of Earth. His mistress.
"Matt, what are you doing, I told you that I didn't wanna hurt you!"- Lillian yelled at him. "I have so much magical baggage right now, trying to fight you and the other knights and whatever is happening with my powers... I can be dangerous, we will discuss this when we get to-"
"No, nothing is up for discussion."- Matt interrupted her bitterly, pushing her hand away. "You're going to brainwash me against my will. You realize that I surrendered to you because I wanted to save Cornelia's life, but do I really mean nothing to you? My wishes and my opinion? Don't you see how disgusting this all is, how cruel- "
"On the contrary, I love you, I care about you more than anything else, that's why I'm doing all this!"- the blonde persisted. "I wouldn't have to do this if you could just understand, if my initial plan had succeeded... but it's too late for that now, isn't it. Neither did you ever get over Will nor did you see me for who I AM AND CAN BE!"
Matt glared at her. He could somewhat tolerate her words about her selfish love but the fact that she was greatly responsible for his and Will's fallout, and that she dared mention her name now made him snap:
"I saw you alright, for the selfish brutal brat that you are! This is going to be your punishment Lillian, no matter what you do, you will have a man next to you who doesn't love you back, who's a zombie! Who's never going to be yours. Your betrayal to me is just insane. It's insane and you'll never be truly happy with me because of it."
Lillian swallowed tears back but didn't say anything; they weren't alone anymore. The two Altermeeres she had talked to over the phone had arrived.
She looked Wixy and Bogus-William up and down and said:
"You said that you have a useful idea for me. It better be good. My powers are wilding and I will eradicate you if you waste my time."
The Altermeeres, identical to Will and William exchanged somewhat nervous glances. Meanwhile, Matt just watched from behind the blonde Heart, feeling sick. All of this was just that. Sick. So SICK.
"When you said you needed a place to buy you time and a place where you can become one and in control of yourself again, they couldn't think of it on their own because they don't know about it. But I do."
This new voice made Lillian jump in alert. But it was just Mara who came in between the Altermeeres.
"Mrs. Tubbs..."- Matt was flabbergasted again, "What the actual-"
But William's Altermeere spoke to his mistress over him:
"When you said what you needed, Mistress, we couldn't think of anything at first. But then we decided to give our old friend Mara a call."
"She knows that her fate and that of her son are still in your hands. Yes, Irma and Martin got back together thanks to you but everything can happen if the truth about Mara comes out."- Wixy exclaimed. The two Altermeeres looked over at the somber Mara. "She had no choice but to provide."
"With what."- Lillian who watched them closely the entire time asked.
"An old house. It was used by her superior in the Eye of God a long time ago. It's under a dome of concealing enchantment. It served as her getaway."- Bogus-William exclaimed. "But now that the Heatherfield branch of the Eye no longer exists..."
"I can hide there for some time until I get my affairs in order and until I'm ready for Cornelia and the others?"- Lillian realized and her heart skipped a beat. This was an opportunity she couldn't miss on right now. It was exactly what she needed.
Her subordinates nodded and Mara looked down at her shoes.
"Huggles and Napoleon won't be able to just find me there because of that enchantment. Depending on how many helped with it back in the day-"
"Hundreds of magic users. She...she used that lot to hide not only from magic attacks but from the other leaders of other branches of the Eye who didn't agree with her on something. B-because that used to happen a lot back then."- Mara said in a tired voice. "Heatherfield's a very important branch, you know..."
Lillian smiled. It was good she had gotten involved with this woman and her son, bullying them into being her helpers; it was excellent that she had broken the two Altermeeres out and made them her minions.
Everything that she had done wasn't going to be in vain.
She turned back to look at Matt's angry, defeated face. He was slowly beginning to accept his fate too.
Soon, everything was going to be just right.
"Is this the place?"
Taranee looked at the remote house they had reached and nodded; it was one of those houses you wouldn't expect to find near Heatherfield. Big and manor-like, away from everything else.
It was almost like its place wasn't here.
"Let's go, Hay Lin. We're expected somewhere else."
"Violet Knickerbocker...she married Mrs. Knickerbocker's son and got herself at the helm of the school to be able to do all this...all this to trip Lillian when she least expects it."- Hay Lin murmured.
"That's how she kept tabs on everyone, including the WICCA boys, how she was ahead of everyone and threatened Lillian."- Taranee agreed. "She's been pulling the strings this entire time, playing mind games and pushing Lillian deeper and deeper into her madness. Not that it pardons any of that brat's horrendous crimes."- she concluded. "Yet again, knowing this woman has no conscience, even for her own sister's normal life... for the Heart of Earth, who's also of her kin... We've seen this before, what the desire to have a Heart and power does to you but this... Even here, on Earth, it's gruesome."
Hay Lin nodded:
"I guess you've never really seen it all. There's always someone who is going to be worse and more degrading that the one before."
They had reached their destination through a fold. And they waited. Going back on their steps and dealing with Kandrakar had been easy; now they had been given a new task that was going to help them understand what was happening better. Something that they couldn't have known to do the previous time, even if it hadn't been for the entire fight with the Council members that had a lot to say about the two guardians' pregnancy and future.
The doors of Caren Retirement Day Center's lobby opened and the two young women instinctively turned around. The elderly woman in the wheelchair exclaimed loudly before the nurse that was pushing her could even open her mouth:
"Hay Lin! Taranee! I'm so happy to see you again, girls,"
"Mrs. Knickerbocker,"
"How are you doing?"
Mrs. Knickerbocker did spend a lot of her time here, in this center nowadays. Since she couldn't walk on her own, she was often driven in by her family and left to the care of the professionals, not permanently but still.
"It's like daycare but for seniors. Not very dignifying but I don't like to be a burden to my family."- the former principal revealed in her signature guttural voice as she smiled at her two former students. Them coming here to visit her definitely touched her heart. "I was the one who had the idea when I heard about this place; it's in Heatherfield, it's convenient and not too expensive, and this way I'm not constantly in my family's hair. I don't like having them waste their time and worries on me because I'm fine, I truly am. I'm just... Er, old."
They chatted a bit for a while. Knickerbocker was elated about their pregnancies and gushed about it for a few minutes seeing as to how she didn't see her grandchildren as much as she wanted to. (They were kids of her daughter who lived abroad; Violet's husband, the son, and Violet herself didn't have kids.)
Unfortunately, the two guardians couldn't spend as much time as they wished to with her now, because they had a task.
Taranee promised their ex-principal she'd find a way to give her a platform to shape young minds again, this time with the local college she was a faculty member of now. Then she looked over at Hay Lin and nodded, tipping her off that she was about to speak essentially:
"Mrs. Knickerbocker, I'm sorry that we have to leave so soon. We have something on our hands. But before that, could I ask you something, I dare say, outlandish?"
Kate Knickerbocker waved her hand and chuckled:
"Of course, Taranee, you two have always been remarkable students of mine and today you made my day with this visit. Shoot, what is it that you'd want to know?"
Taranee looked at Hay Lin again and Hay Lin nodded, giving her reassurance:
"I'm writing an article about Violet Martens for the faculty blog... Your daughter-in-law. Could you please tell me all that you know about her?"
"No, Nerissa. I can't explain right now. You have to trust me."- Will huffed, blowing the hair away from her face.
As expected, after coming to Nerissa's ancestral home to save her and Julian from the circumstances that had gotten the better of them once already, the ex-guardian was relentlessly trying to squeeze information out of her. She was saved alright but her brain was already working full-time to process it, to the redhead's annoyance.
Defused, Richard and Amanda Fragenson were knocked out cold in an impromptu cage of electricity at the bottom of the big living room, waiting to be taken away.
Will was about to do that when Nerissa stopped her again:
"How did you know that things are out of control here, she made me put on my own magic-blocking cuffs before I contacted anyone? And don't say it was a hunch."- the brunette growled.
"Well, it was, Nerissa, rest your case."- Will said. "Let's just stick to the plan now, you wait here with Killian, while we pursue Lillian. Please."
"The fact that the Eye bastards showed up here to distract me and then these two roaches were ambushing inside isn't just a coincidence, is it?"- Nerissa didn't give up. "They're in on it somehow. And you know about it, I know you, Will!"- she stressed almost accusingly. "You're not able to explain right now because the war with the Eye is not in fact over, you-"
"But why would she keep it from us if there wasn't a reason,"- Julian interrupted his wife, rocking the sleeping toddler in his arms. He was still under the weather, in spite of his grandmother's attempts to alleviate the symptoms of the sister-blood curse. "Will knows what she's doing. She overcame the sidereal bond with her own willpower only; let her be, whatever she is doing now, she's doing it for everyone's good."
Will smiled, warmed up by the man's words. He smiled back at her, making a reassuring sign with his head.
They weren't necessarily close all the time but they had a special relationship, coming together hard especially when it was about taming Nerissa.
"Of course, she does."- Nerissa murmured somewhat annoyed as she crossed her arms on her chest and looked the younger woman down.
Julian kissed her cheek before leaving the room:
"Don't brood over it, love. See you later, Will. Best of luck. I am going to try giving Killian another bath with Nerissa's potion, it did some good before though it cannot combat the curse itself."
"Bye, Julian, yeah, I hope so. Soon, he should be completely better. We're all rooting for that."- Will smiled but finished in her mind: And other things...
Then her eyes fell on Nerissa who was glowering at Richard and Amanda in their cage.
She eventually met the redhead's eyes and Will could already tell that she wasn't going to drop this. As usual:
"Look, Nerissa, we all have a lot of work right now, let's just-"
"Overcame the sidereal bond and its terms with your willpower, sure, however, you fail to remember that I buoyed you up. Greatly."- the raven-haired witch remarked testily.
"I know, you spurred me on. You did."- Will admitted. "I know where you're getting at, I-"
"What I'm getting at is that I want to know what's going on!"
Will growled internally. Nothing ever could slide by this woman, could it? She had to be in the know about everything, otherwise, she was going to snap.
And this time, it's not even a whim or silly reasoning, I literally cannot tell you what the fuck's going on for your own sake. For everyone's sake, Will thought, irritated.
"What's going on is that we're running out of time here. OK? So, we can either discuss it all later, as winners. Or lose to our enemies and lose BIG TIME."
Silence followed that statement, disrupted only by the sounds of the flickering bars of electricity.
That seemed to have finally somewhat persuaded the brunette because after a few more moments of intense staring:
"Fine, go."- Nerissa crossed her arms on her chest. "Let me know what has to be done next and when."
"OK, I promise, this is for everyone's sake."- Will nodded, a little surprised by the reconciliation; "I just need to think of something about-"
But before she could even turn towards the Fragensons, Nerissa dramatically muttered "quintessence", wrapping the stray ropes laying around her two enemies and sending them to fly across the room, ending in the cellar under the staircase, the door of which was slammed once the two were yeeted inside.
Will was about to say something when they were interrupted by the doorbell. The redhead immediately grew tenser; who was coming? Another pawn of the Eye? Everything was possible.
The Oracle had warned them to avoid making serious unneeded changes while in the past.
"Eli-"- Nerissa was on high alert when she opened with magic but the woman at the threshold was the elderly Elida... once again.
Will frowned.
"Hey, wasn't your neighbor supposed to be here already-"
Shit.
She immediately cursed herself in her mind. That didn't go unnoticed by Nerissa, who turned towards her like the wind and asked:
"What do you mean supposed to be here already? What is Elida-"
But Elida was about to speak for herself; she grabbed a hold of Nerissa's arms shakily.
It was now that the ex-guardian noticed just how pale and in pain the old lady looked to be in.
"Elida, look at me, what is it? Are you feeling unwell?"
"N-nerissa..."- the little old woman whimpered. "I...I..."
But she couldn't finish because her rapid breathing stopped and she slumped to the floor.
"ELIDA!"
Will rushed to their aid; Nerissa was already on the floor next to the fallen pensioner, trying to get her vitals in check. She did first aid, with her magic even but it was of no use; about a minute later, Elida was presumably dead, and not even quintessence seemed to be able to avoid it, to Nerissa's outrage and despair:
"No, no! How is this possible, my magic has never failed to hold on to life! I fucking brought Cassidy back from the dead after 40 years, why is she growing colder and heavier in my arms...Elida..."
Will didn't know what to say. She could only step back from Nerissa who let out a yell of helplessness and probably grief. The woman who had just died in her house had been one of the last connections to her life before the tragedy with Cassidy and Thanos.
"I promised that you'd be fine,"- Nerissa cried. "I promised you..."
Will knew that no matter how unfortunate and impactful all this was, she had bigger dragons to slay right now; she had to go on with her mission to save the Heart of Earth and Matt from falling into the wrong hands.
Violet Martens Knickerbocker stepped out in the chilly dusk. The school was almost entirely empty and was going to be closed for the night soon.
She was in a hurry; being at Sheffield was the last thing she had needed to deal with right now, in this so very important moment of her life, but she was still the principal.
She had to maintain that image for now.
Violet took another timorous look over her shoulder and hurried over to the vehicle waiting for her.
"Gosh, I wanna just grab her by the fried hair and trash her right now. I mean, we can totally pull it off. Even with her little bodyguards hanging around."- Irma ranted from behind the dome of invisible glamour.
She was on the roof of the school together with Will, in guardian forms, accompanied by Huggles and Napoleon, who worked the invisibility glamouring spell around them the entire time.
"We could. But we mustn't."- Will reminded, eyes focused on the principal and the cars that awaited her. The aligned black cars. The bodyguards. How hadn't people noticed how extra this was, for anyone who's merely a school principal?
Then again, not that many people could suspect that the school principal is also at the helm of an entire branch of an anti-magic criminal sect based in Heatherfield...
"We have to keep the time frame as undistorted as possible and then handle both her and Lillian. We're saving more than one thing here."- Will recounted again. "We have to be especially heedful."
Irma grunted with understanding.
"Let's go, Napoleon."- she then turned to the cat Knight. "Me and you are outstripping the bitch. Good thing we don't have to lose time trying to locate Lillian behind the dumb concealment magic. Again. The house she's going to meet Martens at is already located by Thalesis. That guy's an actual breath of fresh air with the Kandrakar gatekeeping policy we've always dealt with."- the water-witch remarked a little pointedly. "He's actually helping us."
Will had to agree. Without the Oracle, they didn't stand a chance. This time they had actually come closer to losing everything than ever before.
The large werecat nodded too and gave Irma his big paw. Meanwhile, Huggles caught Will; that way they could part but still keep projecting a smaller invisibility glamour aura around both themselves and the respective guardian with them.
As Lillian's Knights and protectors of the Heart of Earth, they were entitled to know about the entire going back in time thing, which was good. It wasn't hindering the mission; it was actually making it easier to be completed. The new Oracle had said so himself.
"I'm going in. Hay Lin and Taranee are digging around something they say might be big."- Will said to Irma before they parted ways. "If we take down Violet tonight we might as well take her down for good and isolate the rest of the Eye leaders from us and Heatherfield as they should be."
"Amen, babe. And good luck,"- the Latina replied. "Meet you at the stake where the witch will be burning again later,"- she had to smirk. "...what a bomb statement, never thought we'd ever be articulating one such before, did we now?"
"Cornelia?"
Cornelia gasped and shot right up...in the bed?!
It took her a few seconds to realize she was in her bed, in her old room back in the penthouse, and her mother had just come to wake her up from what seemed to have been a long nap.
It was already dark out.
"Cornelia, are you sure you're OK?"- Elizabeth felt her forehead and inspected her up close. "I made soup. Come, let's have some downstairs. Your father will be back soon, he will be happy to see you too,"
"Mom,"- the younger blonde interrupted her. "Why did I...I think... I know I had a bad headache but why did you let me sleep for so long, you should've woken me up earlier."- she went on carefully. She had to extract information from her mother without coming across as senile.
Elizabeth Landon smiled at her daughter and caressed her hair.
"Oh, sweetie, when you said you had to jet and then came back a few minutes later, you said that Caleb was taking care of whatever errands you two had, and then when I realized that you're not feeling well I sent you to bed myself. How could I not let you sleep in after that... You went out like a candle the minute you laid down, Cornelia. You must've been exhausted,"
Cornelia blinked a few times, assimilating it all.
The Oracle said that I'd have to wait out for a while in order to change the events that went out of control before he sent us back in time, she cogitated. I was supposed to wait for the others to call me and I was going to! But I had other plans in the meantime... Could've he put me under some sleeping spell because he knew I just can't stay still right now?
- Cornelia - Will's voice in her mind suddenly interrupted her thoughts. - It's time. Come to us. Actually don't. I'm going to summon you with the Heart now. You have to allow the teletransportation for that to work.
- Give me a sec, Will. - Cornelia replied mentally before jumping out of the bed. She could already feel the pull of the summoning spell asking her to teletransport to the Heart but she had to lose her mother first.
"Mom, I have to go. This time for real, I have so many things to do around the house... thanks anyway, for letting me rest. But I have to get moving now. We'll catch up later!"- and so she kissed her mother's cheek, grabbed her things, and nearly sprinted out.
"But Cornelia!"- Elizabeth protested. However, Cornelia was already out.
She didn't stop until she was out in the parking lot of Garden Plaza, where she hid behind one car, away from all security cameras, and teletransported.
"You forgot the painting..."- Elizabeth mused back in the penthouse, looking at the covered piece on the chair nearby. She then shook her head and decided that her daughter was just too much of a perfectionist, she always got her hands full and did so much every day that it was normal to come off as distracted and messy from time to time.
Lillian knew that decompressing would take much longer than these last few hours of semi-self-care time she had just had but nevertheless, she needed any break she could have, so she was somewhat content.
She had taken a shower, applied masks to her hair and face, exfoliated and now she was putting on fresh clothes.
The outfit wasn't exactly what the young Heart would pick out if she had more choices, but she could only choose from what she found in the old lair. So, the darkest, shortest dress made of what appeared to be real leather would have to work.
Lillian put on her short-shorts underneath just in case and then sat in front of the big mirror to do her makeup over again. (her makeup bag was one of the few things she had on herself, obviously.)
She thought about how things had taken a drastic turn again while she did her dark copper and black eyeshadow. Her hair, still damp, fell freely on her back.
How many times had she done the incredibly lowest, wrong, and terrible thing just to stay afloat? To get things her way. Yes, others had influenced many of her decisions but in the core of her being she knew that she had wished and allowed for most of this darkness that was 'plaguing her' in, and honestly, she wasn't completely sure that she'd give up anything, even if she was told that all could be undone.
Because that would mean giving up on Matt, and Lillian Hale was never doing that.
"And I won't give you up, Matt. Never."- the blonde said to herself in the mirror.
"We, Warren women, never give up on what we want, it's a family characteristic."
Lillian jumped in her seat so hard, she ended up on the floor, almost having suffered a heart attack at the sound of that uninvited new voice. She quickly took a defensive position, ready to fight anyone back, albeit with her powers acting up.
But the person she saw so casually resting against the frame of the door was someone she didn't quite make sense of at first.
The woman who had almost run her over the other day in the rain, when she had been too immersed in her own deplorableness...
She was the new principal Matt had talked about.
Violet Martens smiled and moved a platinum strand away from her face:
"Oh, come on, Lillian. You're a smart girl. You can sure understand what's going on around here if you put your mind to it,"
And Lillian did but she didn't believe herself. She couldn't wrap her mind around the realizations that were hitting her, despite their aircraft velocity as she stared at the principal's crooked smile.
This house was Mara's old superior's secret hideout. And Mara having been with the Eye of God could only mean one thing. It had been a trap and now she faced the woman, who had derailed her life and hunted her for her powers all along.
Suddenly it all made sense so perfect, it was gut-churning.
This house was, as was the room. Ominous. The young Hale had felt a strange vibe from it at the moment of their arrival but she hadn't had time to even think about it all, given the pressing need to hide from her sister and the other guardians as long as her powers were so uncontrollable.
Something very wrong and sinister could be felt in the air. Lillian felt as if the walls and ceilings were going to fall on her and it wasn't just because of the sudden surge of adrenaline from coming face-to-face with probably her biggest ill-wisher ever.
But she couldn't be seen all hyperventilating and weak, Lillian quickly understood. If she were to get out of the trap despite her crazing powers, she had to come across as more minacious than Violet, who could literally give Pennywise a run for his money if she were to be filmed in that very moment:
"Didn't I destroy you and your gnarly Heatherfield branch of the almighty Eye of God this summer?"- she asked icily in the face of the enemy. "Guess you slipped away, like the snake you are. You're a pathetic coward, Violet. I know who you are and now that you've revealed yourself as the big bad of the last year of my life, I can't say I'm not a tad disappointed."- Lillian hissed venomously, but her voice betrayed her: "I will kill you!"
"You don't know,"- Violet argued calmly despite the insidious look on her face. "You know nothing yet. Kill me? I beg to differ, sweetie."
She came so close that Lillian needed to step back. The tall and thin woman stared at her with mad yet cold eyes.
The tumult coming from somewhere downstairs made the young Heart flinch again. It sounded like a fight. Then two gunshots were fired loud and clear, and then, a woman's scream and a man's loud grunt.
"Matt,"- Lillian whispered.
"If you want to keep him alive, follow me,"- Violet ordered. ", and for everyone's sake, don't try anything flippant."
Lillian followed her out of the room silently. The older woman's back was turned to her the entire time. It enraged her more than it scared her. Lillian stopped and spat ''FUCK YOU'', giving the bitch who had fucked up her life her best shot:
"I hoped that you wouldn't do that."- Violet hissed when the magic just dissipated around her, like rain falling over an open umbrella.
"How?!"- Lillian cried, looking down at her hand in shock but the other woman grabbed her by the wrist and started pulling her after herself harshly.
"I do not have time for your denial, little bitch."- Violet huffed. "This ends tonight."
Lillian gasped at the impact of her strength, practically getting dragged around. She hit her knees in the floor and the stairs numerous times but Violet kept pulling her hand, walking fast and steady.
Everything was just a mess.
The living room was a mess too. Once the principal let go of her and she could lift up her head, Lillian's eyes immediately fell on Matt, who was all tied up and gagged in one armchair. Mara was next to him, shaking like a leaf while an unknown bald man kept a gun pointed at Matt's head.
There was also this...this whimpering?
And the gunshots?
"F-uck you. Fuck all of you!"
"Shut up!"- Violet demanded, hitting the whimpering woman across the face.
Lillian gasped when she turned around and saw a wounded Wixy holding her fading away brother's body. Bogus-William had been shot and was dying. Wixy was shot too but it didn't seem fatal:
"I think that we should just finish her off too."- the bald guy with the gun spoke. "Your idea is-"
"It's a good idea, Scanner, trust me."- Violet said, walking away from the Altermeere she had just slapped, missing Lillian's head with her heel at a hair's breadth. "We still need her alive."
Then her eyes fell on Mara and she smiled at her:
"And as for you, my old friend? What should I do with you?"
"V-violet, I did everything you asked of me as I've been d-doing for all these years. Please,"- Mara stammered, not looking the other woman in the eye. "My last mission was successful, w-wasn't it? You said that me and Martin will be free after that. You s-said-"
"I did say it and I meant it."- Violet interrupted her deplorable cries emotionlessly. "You will be free, Mara, once I achieve what I want. You're in luck that your idea about this house and luring Lillian to it was a success indeed."- she noted with a smirk at which Mara looked down, more relieved and quitted than ashamed, to Lillian's dismay.
"You fucking boomers are really brave to assume that any of your goals will be achieved with me around."
The atrocities she had just seen had given her new motivation and strength.
Lillian stood up at which her magic immediately threw everyone standing, except for Violet, on the floor, filling up the room with energy.
Violet also turned around, a calculating but reserved smile on her face as she stared into the enraged blue eyes of the Heart of Earth:
"You almost had me. You almost did. But you shouldn't have put all your money on my powers acting up. I am still the Heart of all Earth magic and I am a way too big of a bite for any of you, alone or together!"- the young Hale's voice echoed in the walls of the house. "I took down your entire branch, did you seriously think that I won't be able to take you!?"
"No, because I've already taken you."- Violet laughed over the mystic sounds of Lillian's angry magic. "To the stake, to be franker."
The young woman frowned in confusion as she watched the older smile even wider and then perform a strange gesture with her fingers. Like a snap or a tap on something invisible in the air.
Once she did that, everything around them changed and they were no longer inside the house.
Lillian was at a loss for words as she looked around herself.
They were at the same stake she had already been burnt at once though she didn't know it yet.