Chapter Twenty-Four: Fanu
"Oracle, you foresaw this? All of this?!"
"Thalesis, is that true?"- Halinor exclaimed, anxious but firm going for the Oracle.
"This is a catastrophe!"- Kadma yelled too. "You shouldn't have done this all with a high hand, without even thinking to consult us, this is against everything we wanted to establish here, in the new Kandrakar!"
The Hall of Nothingness was overtaken by a heated argument between all parties just a couple of hours after Cornelia, Lillian, Elizabeth, and Violet were sucked into the unknown by the strange painting.
"All of you, please calm down! I only did what was necessary at the moment, to save the girls from a cruel trap that would butcher all their lives irreparably only to get to the Heart of Earth,"- the young Oracle declared firmly, despite all the commotion and the collective judgment towards him. He frowned lightly and concluded with a sigh: "The time loop convergence spell was the only way to go. Regrettably, what happened at the end has always been a possibility, a possibility hidden between many others. Not one seer could ever be completely certain of the outcome; often times things change, especially in a situation like this, especially when going through a time loop so prodigious...I warned the guardians not to make unnecessary changes to their past actions that we weren't striving to make changes about, but to our disadvantage, the dark entity used this all as an opportunity to gain precedence."
"The thing in the painting. It followed us through the loop,"- Taranee murmured.
"About that thing. What the fuck is it? Why is it so strong, where did it come from?"- Irma listed heatedly, counting all the obvious things they needed to know on her fingers. "Come on, people, key information here. We need it to rescue Corny and her family!"
"That entity is, I'm guessing, the same you predicted has corrupted the Heart of Earth and will strip her of the powers she no longer is fit for?"- Leo Wyatt asked cautiously causing all the more necks to snap in shock.
The guardians looked at each other, then at the Council members and the Oracle.
"Wait, you knew about this so-called entity,"- Taranee exclaimed.
"It shouldn't have been able to do all that. Our darkness aneroids, our magic, we should've been able to keep tabs on it!"- Kadma tightened her fists, peeved at the failure.
Thalesis had mentioned the unknown entity corrupting Lillian and they had all reluctantly agreed to let it run its course because the Oracle demanded that's the only way to strip the wilding Heart of her powers.
However, all that wasn't supposed to clash with the Eye of God situation. Things had gone out of control and escalated so fast, it had evaded even Kandrakar, despite them already knowing about this. Sort of...
"It's because of the time loop."- Thalesis closed his eyes in letdown. Letdown he felt with himself... "It used it to pass under the radar. It's too clever; the situation was too dire and many lives were at stake, I-I suppose that I couldn't sense it because the danger was too great as were the stakes... Nevertheless, I couldn't let down my guardians by allowing their closest and even an unborn baby to die in the name of the Heart of Earth... I solemnly apologize. To all of you,"- the man turned to the guardians, then toward his colleagues, bringing his hands in a prayer-like position and looking down. "Perhaps my judgment was subjective and I do agree that what happened is because of me. I apologize for not meeting your expectations and justifying your trust, venerable Halinor."
The girls looked at each other again, not knowing what to say. Yes, perhaps it was true but then again, if it wasn't for the Oracle's self-asserted actions, their lives would indeed be ruined. Not only that, Violet would have won too.
It was "subjective" but it was still somehow more earnest and caring towards them than the previous ''unanimous'' Council would've allowed.
"No, Thalesis, you did the right thing,"- Halinor said in the end, pushing her long blonde hair back.
She was the head of this Council now, and constantly felt many emotions because of the great responsibility, but at the same time, she felt like she had to carry it all out. What happened did spark her worry, even if she didn't want to talk about it.
"I just wish you had.-"
"- told us as well. About the situation."- Kadma finished her words, violet eyes locking with the young Oracle's green orbs. "Trust we would've understood the gravity and allowed it, yet at the same time, we would've been getting ready to combat any outcome. Like the one we're facing now."
"I wish I could've, your Majesty, but the time loop had to be opened at a certain moment. When I felt the possibility ripening, I had to astral-project the guardians, there was no physical time to talk about it with any of you. I am sorry,"- Thalesis said again.
Eventually, Kadma felt her arguments refuted and simply nodded.
The Hall was overtaken by thick silence for a few seconds until a new voice erupted:
"Commendable. Old problems were resolved and new problems were created, what else is new? Can you discuss the politics of the new Kandrakar once we get a clear idea of what to do next and save Cornelia from the dark power that hijacked her?"
It was Caleb. He had come from one of the remedy rooms in the Fortress, followed by his mother and Yan Lin. There, Yan Lin had been able to concoct an herbal gel that would remove the lasting effects of the sister curse Violet had put on her niece's son.
The curse had almost completely lifted itself after Violet was taken away.
But unfortunately, she wasn't the only one taken and things were far from over.
"I will try deep scrying and meditation to find something to trace the malevolent entity that took Cornelia, Lillian, and their relatives. After all, I did partially sense it while it was still in the works, however, whatever it is, it is quite clever,"- Thalesis shook his head.
"We can try locating Cornelia though it probably took them into a realm or even parallel realm of its own liking,"- Halinor said. "We will keep trying to send a message across to her. Through telepathy. Through harmony. Through Kandrakar...no matter how hard it is,"
When she opened her eyes again, Cornelia found herself in an unknown rustic-looking house. Weak sunlight falling on her face through the windows...
Cornelia tried to remember what had happened last and suddenly it all came, galloping through her brain.
Lillian. Violet, the battle near the stake. Their mother and then the painting...
The painting...Cornelia thought, her head throbbing with pain.
"The painting did this."- Lillian's voice drew her attention. "Yes, Nelia. I am sorry...this is my fault,"
Lillian stood by the ajar door of the rustic house, her back turned toward her sister, gazing at the distance.
"You got that right. It is your fault!"- Cornelia barked. "But what do you mean "the painting did this?" What does this damn painting have to do with us apart from it being full of dark magic? And where's mom!? You have to tell me everything that you've been keeping from me in your delusional hopes of besting your enemies and bagging Matt! Now, Lillian!"
Lillian sighed tiredly as if all this was very hard on her. It enraged Cornelia because she had chosen this for herself and for all of them. She didn't get to act like that after everything.
"Lillian!"- Cornelia demanded, turning her sister around. Then she noticed what she was wearing...what they both wore.
Woebegone village dresses, worse than the worst of Meridian village 'fashion'. Made of one of the worst, most unpleasant materials that had ever touched her skin.
"Ew, what is this-"- the Earth guardian exclaimed, repulsed.
"Cornelia, we have to find mom."
"No, duh we have to find mom, don't try to deflect what I'm saying by repeating only what floats your boat!"- her big sister looked down at her sternly. She loved her, no matter what. It was her sister in question. Almost losing her at that stake...it had been very scary but the fact Lillian was now a magical criminal wasn't reassuring either because that was something that would remain with her for the rest of her life.
It would remain with both of them...
And it cannot be undone, not through magic, not even with a time loop, Cornelia thought sadly, looking into the blue eyes of her younger sister. Not unless we want to see time and reality crumble and mess with so many lives...no, it's not something a guardian should do.
"Tell me, Lillian. What's the deal with the painting? Why did it make mom come and why did Violet act as if it's part of her crazy plans? I thought that she wanted to burn you at the stake and then somehow harness the raw power from your body? Like Jane Warren when she was burned-"
"Cornelia,"- her sister interrupted her rant softly, touching her shoulder. "Let's look for mom first. I will explain everything-"
"No, Lillian, see, I don't trust you anymore!"- Cornelia snapped, pulling her arm away. "I don't trust you or Violet, and if your insanity endangers mom in any way-"
"Why is it that you constantly accuse me of wishing our family so ill?"- it was Lillian's turn to interrupt her. "Because I took them to court and whatever, is this even comparable to physically endangering them to you?"
"Oh, maybe because you proved to be vicious and uncaring many times over the last months!"
"...we have to find mom before Violet does and she'll be alright! Besides, she has no idea what's going on, all this will be overwhelming for her. We'll have to tamper with her memories once this is all over! Nelia, trust me, Violet's been breathing in my neck ever since last fall, even if she wasn't openly my enemy up until recently, I know her, alright? I know how she thinks and what she'll do, and I know it's hard but you have to trust me at least until we and Earth magic are out of harm's way. Until then, we have to get along and remain incognito. "
Cornelia sulked but didn't protest more. She put on the tattered cloak her sister was handing her and soon enough they were both out of the house and in the open.
Elizabeth's life was most important right now. Then she'd deal with the rest of their problems...
For some reason, Lillian's calm demeanor and collected actions really bugged her sister. It was obvious she knew about this painting, knew more about what was happening to them than she wanted to tell.
After a short while, they found themselves at a slightly more central town square of sorts and Cornelia was smitten at first, but soon she realized it was because this place actually looked familiar to her. This setting was familiar, the houses, the town square, the ambiance... But why?
"The painting made mom come to the stake because it needed someone to take it to us,"- Lillian suddenly revealed, passing seemingly undetected through a crowd of people talking lively. "It needed to fulfill Violet's demand and maybe I would've known what was happening earlier if it wasn't for all of you, especially my Knights, trying to play tricks on me, disbalancing my magic as to hinder me from taking off with Matt,"- the younger Hale concluded, almost accusingly.
"What?!"- Cornelia gasped a tad too loudly, winning herself a reproachful look from her sister.
"What part of incognito did you not get, Nelia?"
"If this painting is on your side why does it care about Violet?"- Cornelia snapped again, this time quitter. "What even is this painting?"
"Is this the first enchanted painting you're encountering?"
Cornelia thought about that for a moment. No, it wasn't. It definitely wasn't. There was the Meridian painting, in which Phobos had trapped Elias Van Dahl in a fit of prissy prince tantrum-rage. Then there was the Fanu painting that...
"Fanu,"- the blonde whispered to herself and then met Lillian's eyes. They confirmed her suspicions without say. "God...that's why this place is so familiar to me, this is Fanu! You...you stole that from me too?!"
"I didn't steal anything."- Lillian argued almost insulted. "This is not the same painting but a similar one, and yes, I did reach out to it, because I discovered your endeavors in Fanu, but only after I had dreams of this place. Prophetic dreams."
Cornelia shook her head to herself. Her sister continued to amaze her, not necessarily in a good way.
Fanu was a small city-state of flowers and plants, surrounded by eternal and seemingly endless fields. The people of Fanu take care of the flora and then make soaps, paints, oils, and many other natural goods; their whole lives are centered around their production and the extraordinary nature of the realm.
In her teens, an old man had reached out to Cornelia through a painting that had called to her at a small open market in Heatherfield. (A/n: this plot is from Lene Jorgesten's original WITCH Book "The Pristine Rose")
Arriving in Fanu, the girls' task was to free the people from the evil influence of the Degenerate Rose, which was consuming all the goods of Fanu and turning the inhabitants into alienated and icy versions of themselves, and the nature into a wasteland.
That had proven to be difficult, because the Evil Rose Azor put on a glamoured appearance and used her powers to prey on Cornelia's then negative emotions that she had been feeling for weeks, turning her into a mindless slave, just like she had done with the Lord of the White Rose. (the protector of Fanu's source of power and vitality)
Thankfully, the other WITCH girls had managed to free her of the dark influence and together they had overpowered Azor, saving the entire city-state from her vicious roots.
"I have my ways, Cornelia. I had to either study your past on my own or learn more about it through Matt to get ready for this...Nevertheless, when things looked dire, I knew that this has been my true salvation in disguise all along."
"So, you manifested a painting like the one that found me,"- the Earth guardian remarked icily. "Only the one that found me was sent by a local man, praying to my Earth power because he wanted to save his home, and in your case, it's just a whim-"
"The paints that people here produce make the creation of these portkey paintings possible."- Lillian interrupted her calmly. "You know what a portkey is, right? An object, enchanted to take you to a certain time or place. Or, in my case, both. This was the last thing I had against the Eye of God and it only came to me relatively soon..."
They had reached an open field; with no more buildings in sight. Cornelia was still confused and irritated by the painting story but this added to it. Did the little shrimp expect to find their mother here!?
But the horses that came galloping towards them were an eloquent sign. Three horses approached them.
"Mom!"- the older Hale exclaimed but the man and the woman paid no attention to her. They went straight to Lillian:
"Your Grace, your mother,"- the man spoke respectfully. "We fetched her before your evil aunt could."
"Thanks, Edgar. Thanks, Mildred."
Edgar and Mildred helped Elizabeth, who appeared to be half-unconscious off her horse by removing the straps around her ankles and wrists that were attached to the saddle of the animal that had transported her.
Cornelia made her way to the front and took her mother in her arms as much as she could, not even waiting for another word.
Lillian's helpers exchanged a few more statements with her; they were a man and a woman presumably in their early 40s and they talked to her as if she was royalty. Cornelia, who had moved a few steps away with their mother, gave them their back demonstratively, but still tried to keep an ear on what they were discussing.
Something about the right time and Violet's future plans. The Earth guardian frowned to herself, tension in her head. More future plans? She had been under the impression that burning Lillian at the stake had been the bitch's final idea...
Now this man and woman she was hearing of for the first time were also on board with Lillian? When had this happened and why hadn't the Oracle known anything of it...
"The witches!"- a sudden yell caught up with them.
The witches...Cornelia turned around in confusion but Edgar picked her up and threw her on one of the distressed horses before she could even distinguish the small but loud angry mob that was coming their way.
"Hey, what the-"
"You can ride a horse, no?"- Mildred asked her hastily.
Cornelia, who was still trying to get over how fast and strange all that was happening was, barely had the time to nod:
"I can, but-"
"Crap, we don't have time for this,"- Lillian hissed as she got on the horse behind Edgar once he was finished securing Elizabeth with her straps again, behind her elder daughter.
It all took literal seconds.
Then Mildred was on her horse as well and she led the gallop away.
"I'm getting tired of this bulshit, Lillian, if you don't tell me what the fuck's going on right this instant, I'll take mom with me and leave, I'll leave you to your dumb games here!"- Cornelia yelled as they galloped, getting her horse in line with Edgar's.
Lillian pulled a face but didn't say anything to her sister's outrage.
She had had it with her.
Cornelia narrowed her eyes and spurred her horse again, this time making it outstrip Mildred's too, and then skillfully stopping sideways, cutting off the other two hooved animals abruptly, startling both them and their riders.
Not only could she ride; she could ride like a pro! After all, she was with a medieval-like rebel leader for so many years now.
"Good Lord!"- Mildred yelped, shocked by the sudden cascade.
"Cornelia! Are you crazy? We're trying to get away from these people, what are you doing?!"- Lillian shouted. "You're just-"
"No, I am not going anywhere with you before I've received the answers I demand,"- her sister cut her off. "I didn't go through a time loop to save your life just to have more of your shitty attitude and lies and be part of another twisted scheme! Own up to your shit once and for all, or you'll just ditch you here with your new friends!"- she concluded, giving the man and the woman the stink eye.
"Cornelia,"- Mildred tried to reason with her but the blonde didn't give her a chance:
"Shut the fuck up, Mildred, I'm talking to my sister!"- she snarled, making the other woman flinch. "Whoever you people are, you're sadly mistaken if you think that I'll be part of whatever fucking shit is going on around here. I don't care if this is Fanu or not, I'll find a way out of the stupid painting and then I'll take it directly to Kandrakar with all of you in it-"
"Oh, my God, you just never listen to anything but yourself, do you?!"- Lillian decided to finally shed some light, seeing that she had no choice. She looked tense and nervous, and without her heavy eye makeup on looked almost like a pristine rose.
Cornelia scoffed at the odd epithet that had come to her mind. Pristine Rose, what the fu... Then she scoffed at her sister's words.
"Even if you had your powers here, Cornelia, you can't escape the painting, because we're not inside the painting itself. I told you it's a portkey! If it were that simple, I would've long sent at least mom back home, she has no business being here! But I can't. Only the Heart. The Heart of Earth can take us back and close this, as well as prevent all time loops that are possible because of the one you and your friends opened!"
"What?! But you're still the Heart of Earth-"
"No, Cornelia, not yet."- Lillian argued almost deplorably. "Because we're back in time. We went back to the very month Jane Warren became the Heart of Earth, unwittingly making sure the power flows up the roots of our family tree for centuries to come..."- she revealed to Cornelia's utter and unimaginable dismay.
One week later...
"Snow in October...Gotta love Heatherfield,"- Leo Clarkson murmured to himself.
"Leo, you live in San Francisco."- the woman holding him under the arm chuckled softly. "Does the weather there ever make sense?"
Leo nodded with a small smile. His sister had a point.
The light moderate snow shower simply glazed the city. It was a little unusual but nothing too striking for Heatherfield, known for its hot summers and freezing winters, especially in the last decades.
Heatherfield...she had missed this place so much. Now, because of having to establish a new Council due to the tragic vanishing of the previous one, because she was the last standing element of it, the ex-guardian was once again separated from the city she loved so much. She sighed; maybe this was her destiny. Spending most of her life in the Fortress of Infinity.
Today was an exception.
Halinor and her brother weren't out of Kandrakar and their daily routines just to stroll around.
They had just walked a few blocks after coming out of the portal and made their way to the Crossnic manor behind the gates of which a certain raven-haired woman was just getting in her car:
"I still don't think you should go, love,"- Julian said, holding the large navy umbrella over his wife's head.
Not that she needed it or that the light snow threatened her thick mane; it was his way of being caring and gentleman-like as usual, especially toward her.
"It's her funeral, Julian, I cannot miss it. I still hope to see her spirit. Elida wasn't supposed to die,"- Nerissa shook her head but still had a smile for him, despite her sour mood. She had been like that ever since her old neighbor's death. Added to Cornelia's disappearance and their incapability to retrieve her, Lillian, and their mother, it conduced to the general feeling of abjectness stuck with them all.
"Then I should come with you. These people will be there and you-"
"No, darling,"- the woman shook her head. "You have to stay here, keep an eye on Caleb and Killian, and wait for Halinor, she said she was coming by today with some possible development news..."
"That I have."
Nerissa and Julian turned their attention to the new arrivals that had just made it to the manor.
Halinor smiled at them reassuringly as the large recently-installed gates opened up for her.
She let go of her brother and approached her friends.
"How are you all holding up, Rissy?"- the blonde wanted to know, gently touching her shoulder.
Halinor was holding a vintage umbrella in her gloved hand, to match her long chic crème-colored coat.
Nerissa, who had a large black fur coat on, shook her head barely noticeably:
"We've seen happier times. Tell me you have something."
The smile on the blonde's face almost faded but she nodded:
"We can't sense them still. It's been over a week. They should be alive because nothing turns up,"- Leo began.
"That we already know,"- Julian pointed out. "Anything else at all?"
"Yes, Halinor, this doesn't really do anything for us."- Nerissa crossed her arms on her chest. "We already know that, we know that nothing is bearing fruit and no potions, spells, or meditations were able to reach them, you have to have something more to add after an entire week- "
Brother and sister exchanged glances before Halinor spoke again:
"There is something, Nerissa. But I trust you won't do anything unhinged about it because it is sensitive," - the former fire guardian stated seriously.
Nerissa frowned:
"What can possibly be more sensitive than my daughter-in-law missing from home?"
"Another time spell,"- Halinor replied flatly, though her eyes were very much worried on focused on her old friend.
Nerissa just raised an eyebrow:
"Another time spell like the one the girls performed to prevent the tragedies?"- Julian spoke up instead. "How? Is this not magic near-impossible..."
"It is,"- Leo interjected. "Usually. But when the guardians opened the time window with the Oracle, the entity from the painting took notice and managed to seize the loop too...We believe that's why the painting disappeared as well, it was just a transporter and it transported Cornelia and her family not only away but back...back in time."
There was grave silence in the front yard for a few seconds as the two pairs just looked at each other at the release of this new information...
"Is this certain?"- Nerissa whispered.
"Well, almost, I mean it would explain why the Earth Aurameere is being shifty-"- Leo murmured, looking over at his sister.
"And why Lillian's Knights have been experiencing oddities with their powers,"- Halinor added. "Because the entity took the present Earth Heart and Guardian back to a time when there were others holding these positions..."
"Of course..."- Nerissa whispered to herself, now that all this was sinking in.
For the first time in a week, she was experiencing a sudden rush of adrenaline and hope... Hope that there was in fact something she wasn't powerless to do to help her son's family...
"It never did make sense how anyone, let alone that insane Violet hoped to take hold of the power of the Heart of Earth against her will."- the former keeper hissed, deep in thought. "How she has hoped to break down someone as obsessed and engulfed in darkness as Lillian when her magic is in question. Now maybe she has the loophole she needed all along..."
"Nerissa, time magic is already dangerous enough. We don't know what terrible mistakes they've already committed, regardless of what time period they've found themselves in,"- Halinor exclaimed warningly, rubbed the wrong way by the look on her friend's face. She knew that look of bad ambition... Nerissa could do serious damage in her desire to help. "We have to form a sure strategy to pull them out without changing the course of time and affecting the present, please, do not try anything alone!"
What other time period would she choose other than the one during which they burned the last living Heart of Earth, Nerissa thought fervently. She had gone through all the information Taranee had compiled on Violet so many times during the last week, but today was the first time it was actually useful. Jane Warren...Of course!
"I have to go."- Nerissa declared. "I'm running late for Elida's funeral."
"Nerissa..."- Leo whined suspiciously.
He also knew her. They all did.
But she didn't care and had already taken off with her car.
Halinor let out a groan and then turned to Julian:
"See, that's what I was afraid of. I know her, I know her brain's already working full-time in a not-so-advisable direction! I just wanted to give you guys and Caleb some reassurance by shedding light, and that's my mistake every time with her..."
Julian, who was well aware of the fact his wife could hardly ever be held down in such a situation, could only pat the woman's shoulder with an apologetic smile:
"Because you have faith in her. Have some more even now, trust that she'll do whatever she'll do without endangering our reality too much or...you know. Work on pulling out Cornelia and her close ones faster."
"She thinks that killing me in this time will make her first in line for the powers of the Heart of Earth...because we're of the same lineage. Her other alternative is getting the power right here and now, by somehow taking Jane Warren's place, but I doubt that she'll do that. It could severely change her own future and even have her killed..."
"Yeah, something tells me Violet's long past those security considerations...if she can get the power of the Heart, she'll just go for it and figure her way out of any situation from then on."
Cornelia huffed and relaxed back on the small couch.
A week had passed ever since she and her sister lived in Fanu, under fabricated identities, having a relatively peaceful life except for the occasional strategy talks.
Actually, it was pretty nice. They got to bond again, putting aside most of the bad for a while.
The two sisters spent most of their days making flower jam, cooking, painting, and talking. They talked a lot and got to reconnect and bond like they hadn't in years. They were sisters, after all, and as much as Cornelia reminded herself to be heedful, to not forget what Lillian had done, their stay here could not not affect her. They barely left the small house they had settled in, courtesy of Edgar and Mildred. Edgar and Mildred brought in everything for them, from supplies to clothes and some local forms of entertainment like books and even a card game.
Mildred and Edgar were local mages - they had responded to Lillian's manifestation months ago, by painting the portkey painting and sending it to her, and they had been in contact ever since. Together, they had established that the malevolent entity that had taken root in Fanu was probably in cahoots with someone else from Lillian's time- Violet, as it had been revealed too little too late, unfortunately.
Cornelia asked about Saha, her friend, the old man who had requested her help back when she and her friends had been called to Fanu, but of course, in the current timeline, that event was centuries away from happening. And Saha wasn't even born yet.
Fanu was under threat. Something evil was brewing in the air; And it all made sense to Cornelia, who knew details now, though she wasn't sure how much of it she had to share with the spouses.
"Don't worry, we know that changing events is perilous."- Mildred had assured her during the first days here. "All we care about is keeping things as they have already happened in your time, so that things remain the same. Violet is the one aiming for change; hazardous change, spoiling key things...this is why your sister is so important to us, Cornelia. Why you both are so important. Only you can help us stop that madwoman from destroying both of our realities..."
But Cornelia knew that it was in fact even more complicated than this. If the evil entity was working with Violet, it meant it wants change too. Keeping things as they have already happened was going to be an even bigger challenge now because the last time Cornelia and her friend had restarted a day. A single day.
Now, she was sent back, over 350 years back in time. Keeping things from getting spoiled. She was really getting jet-lag from all this time travel.
"Alright, I'm going to check on mom. Make sure she's fine and all,"- Cornelia announced, standing up.
Her mother was another thing to make her restless. They were keeping her in a separate room here, mostly sedated with herbs for over a week now. It wouldn't work out for much longer.
"OK, Nelia,"- her sister smiled at her.
Cornelia stopped for a minute to give her a small smile in response. Yes, she would indeed miss their stay on Fanu once it was over.
Will dug into the fries in front of herself. She was nervous, tense, and unsure. Unsure of what to do with herself and so much more from now on.
She was at Golden. A favorite diner from her teen years which had then been turned into a posher place and recently reverted to being an ordinary diner again due to the new owners' inability to keep up with their own high prices and inflation.
Honestly, most people preferred it like that as it was not only more accessible to everyone but also a fond nostalgic memory of good times.
But naturally, Will wasn't here to dwell on the business changes around the diner.
It was a gloomy day out. The light snow had stopped falling, leaving a thin glaze after itself. Will had met up with Matt, who after a week of shying away, wanted to talk to her.
Actually, that wasn't completely true. She had been the one to ask him to not immediately jump into discussing things after Lillian's truth was revealed and he had respected that as usual. But Will knew that putting it off wasn't going to do it for either of them. Because things had changed again. Changed drastically.
And they had to talk about it.
"Hey, did you try my cheeseburger? Will, it's the bomb, seriously, try it,"- Matt said, coming back from the restrooms.
Will smiled at him unwittingly. They had just brought their food two minutes ago; he had only gone into the men's room to wash his hands.
This was just a reference to how he had flirted with her by offering her to take a bite from his food during their very first dates, as teens, here, at Golden.
"Delicious,"- she hummed, her mouth full with the bite she had just taken from his cheeseburger.
Matt beamed in response and took his seat, across from her.
"Will, look,"- he began after a few moments. "I get it. I get that things are...different. But we have to start somewhere, OK? I don't want to make this tedious or uncomfortable, not any more than it already is at least..."
Will washed the bite down with coke, masking the gulp in her throat. It wasn't just a gulp. She felt like she had a rock stuck in there.
"Matt..."- she began with a deep breath. "I know you, I know what you're going to ask of me and honestly, If I have to be straightforward, I'm not sure that I can live up to your expectations of today."
Matt's entire face dropped like a wounded puppy's. Oh, great. Was she trying to break his heart again?!
Will cursed herself and all this shit mentally.
"I know I was the one who let you go, Will."- he sighed. "Because I thought that I was a wreck, I didn't want to pull you down to the bottom with me anymore. Now I know that all of this was part of Lillian's plan to break us apart. To get to me...and that still hurts. I've always thought highly of her, almost like an older brother up until she orchestrate everything to...to have me...sleep with her."- he finished uncomfortably, meeting the redhead's eyes once again. She looked keyed up. He timidly touched her hand laying on the table. "But now I know she did that because she knew you were coming to make up. You had chosen me over Phobos, you had overcome the unfair sidereal bond, the thing Lillian, Avani, and William of all people used to ruin your life...Our life. To try to claw at us all and each get some sort of twisted advantage. Now that I know I didn't sleep with her just because I was a wreck. I know that because she admitted it back at Violet's hideout..."- Matt made a pause again, trying to think of the best way to finish this. He couldn't. He was an excellent songwriter. Still, he couldn't think twice about it anymore, he had to just say it: "...I feel confident enough to say I want you, Will. I want you back. I need you like I've needed you ever since you disappeared. Now that I know we both were victims of other people I no longer feel like a dumbass, who doesn't deserve you."- he whispered.
Will felt her heart fluster with a strange mix of emotions.
"You never could be that to me, Matt. You will always be much better to me than I was to you, even if you start a hate cult against me tomorrow-"
"No, but you didn't choose to be this way! I can never even dislike you in the slightest,"- Matt interrupted her gently. "The sidereal bond, spending all that time with Phobos, being vulnerable and marked to share an experience with him. I get it, Will, I really get it but I also love you. And I know you love me too, together we're stronger than all this! You already overcame the bond, right? So, now..."
Will closed her eyes in defeat. If only it were that simple. She understood Matt perfectly. And she had love for Matt. So much love. But she was no longer indifferent to Phobos and she couldn't act like that didn't matter to her.
Hell, he mattered to her for months before she dared admit it to herself.
"Matt after we broke it off... after she provoked me at Shell Beach and I left for Meridian with Phobos..."- the Guardian began, her throat dry. "I...slept with Phobos."- she admitted awkwardly but Matt didn't twitch. "I've been sleeping with Phobos ever since. We have...we have a relationship now."
"OK,"- Matt simply shrugged. Their eyes were locked in an emotional gaze. "I can't say that doesn't hurt me but, in the end, I did sleep with Lillian first. Due to her evil plan but that doesn't change the gravity of it...And I mean, this was to be expected in the situation I put you in, Will, with the sidereal bond and everything. It's my fault for pushing you into his arms. As I said, this experience with Phobos... You were meant to have it on a certain level, right? That doesn't mean that it's meant to be endgame. We're endgame though, Will. You're my Will. My will to live. My Will to Love."
His earnest, emotional words made her eyes water. God, she felt so disgusted with herself for everything she had put him through. She loved Matt so much.
She cupped his face in her hands and he kissed her.
But something still didn't feel right.
Will felt her stomach tightening with new guilt and new pain...for Phobos. Because now she was betraying him, just like she had betrayed Matt. Influenced by the bond and all that...
"Will?"- Matt's relief was short-lived when he sensed her getting tense again, pulling away from him.
He watched her look down in shame and hurt.
"Will?"
Phobos wasn't someone indifferent to her now, she remembered. Phobos... This wasn't right. Being with Matt in these circumstances wasn't. But being with Phobos also made her feel this way every now and then. When she thought of Matt.
"I'm terrible,"- she muttered, suddenly feeling as though she didn't have enough air to breathe. "I'm disgusting!"
"No, Will, you're amazing. You're a victim to a cruel scheme and the circumstances, none of this is your fault!"- Matt insisted, worried for her.
She was hyperventilating. He tried to go around the table and embrace her but she suddenly stopped him, standing up.
"Don't, Matt, please. I can't. I can't do this to either of you!"
"Will, I will take anything, I just want you back!"- Matt cried almost desperately but she pulled back again.
She shivered and pulled back. The man could just look at her, longing, looking at her shoulder-length red hair and big brown eyes. Her beautiful face twisted in so much agony he just wanted to take away. If he could just erase the past year...
They had been so happy before that. So happy together, despite all their trauma and problems from the past. Mind slavery, family dramas, a miscarriage... They had seen it all together.
Matt refused to believe that this stupid preordained bond she happened to have with Phobos would be the end of them...
And Will? She felt like shit. She could feel people turning around to look at her but that was the last thing she could care about right now. She just hugged herself tighter in her burgundy sweater and slowly slumped back into her seat, mind blank.
It had to be blank. That was the only way she didn't feel this overwhelming guilt and the helplessness of it all, tearing her apart between two men so different yet so important to her.
"I will give you time, as much time as you need,"- Matt tried to reassure her again. "I'm not asking anything of you right now. I know you need time to figure things out for yourself... Just know that I'll be waiting for you. No matter what."
Will let out a grateful sigh and did take his extended hand again after all. Matt put his second hand on top and smiled through tears.
He meant every word he said, and that only made everything so much harder.
Meanwhile, Lillian Hale's bitter tears flowed down her cheeks like two rivers. Only this time, there was no dark makeup to color them in black. The clear, salty tears stung even more.
She had been in the kitchen, cutting some herbs up for their mother, who was with Cornelia upstairs. They were over 300 years back in time and still, the dirtbag who was supposed to be helping her, the mystic douchebag had made sure she sees this interaction between Will and Matt from the present.
"Why,"- she asked through gritted teeth, her voice shaking. "Why would you want me to see this?! I knew you were my enemy, I KNEW that my failure is all on you, why did you feel the fucking need to rub salt in now, huh? WHY?!"
"Quiet down, sweet Heart, you don't want your sister hearing you now, do you?"- the mischievous voice beyond time and space teased. Then, as the images of Will and Matt faded away, she could see his dark outlines inside the giga-powered view fold. "Your sister. You had to see this little emotional scene on her courtesy."
Lillian refused to look at him, not that she could see his face. He was a coward, who was still hiding in the shadows. But she listened, her jaw tense. She listened to his last words before coming undone in her rampaging rage:
"Living in once-upon-a-time Fanu with her threatened to break through and cast away much of your darkness. She's a powerful force, your sister, and sisterly love isn't to be underestimated. Darkness is your calling, Lillian. And we need you engulfed in it. We need you, sweet Heart,"
The fold closed and Lillian allowed herself to internally scream, slumping down on the ground in silent wails over her forsaken dreams and life, and all that she had sacrificed only to receive abiding pain.
"Matt, dear Heart, can you please park my car and come back here fast? I wanted to speak with both of you. It concerns Cornelia,"- it was Nerissa. She had arrived at Golden and apparently, she had watched for a while. Oh, she had for sure. Because when Will turned around, she immediately knew it.
Ah, great, she thought as Matt removed his hand from around her shoulders standing up. They had spent the last hour cuddling, looking at old pics and stuff on his phone.
Still, information regarding Cornelia was of major importance right now, so they both didn't mind the ex-guardian.
"Right away, where's your...car,"- Matt took the keys from her but he didn't need her to answer that. He had already seen it through the window. Nerissa had stopped tightly in front of the diner's entrance. And if someone wanted to come in or get out, they'd have to walk around the large vehicle.
"Wait for me before you talk about Cornelia, OK? Do we know how to get her, I mean them back?"
Nerissa smiled at him:
"We're about to find out together, I believe. Thank you, dear, we're waiting,"- she fixed the collar of his jacket for him and sent him off.
"Driving's the one thing you just can't get the hang of, huh?"- the redhead joked wearily, even though she knew this had been a mere way to get Matt away for a few minutes.
Nerissa eyed her with a knowing smirk.
Nerissa was much fonder of Matt than she had appeared to be before, now that he was her producer and a constant ticket to fame and her hit music career but for some reason Will thought it wasn't just about that.
She genuinely has love for him, Will thought. She could read the ex-guardian pretty well for the most part by now and she could sense her feelings.
And as she watched Nerissa take her big coat off and sit in front of her, she couldn't help but think that Nerissa could do the same with her.
The proof of that wasn't delayed when the brunette looked her in the eye again and said:
"I was going to snap at you, scold you for the pitiful deflecting. But it's more than that to you, isn't it?"
"How much did you overhear,"- Will sighed.
"Not much,"- Nerissa shrugged. "Yet enough."
Will looked at her going on her phone silently.
Nerissa was calm, confident, and relaxed, for the first time since Cornelia's disappearance really. So, that was definitely a good sign. She wasn't tetchy and glooming anymore but Will was still waiting to get her just desserts from her:
"What are you doing?"- she asked.
"Letting Caleb know that he can come our way. I had to make him kill some time while I pry."- the sorceress shrugged casually, tapping on her phone's screen with her long nails. "I gave you two more, you know. For that cuddling, I went out for about an hour after you were done talking about your future."
"Okaay..."- Will trailed. She felt like a teenager being taunted by her mean older sister. Or pushy grandmother. Or crazy frenemy. It was a mixture of all that with Nerissa. "Let's get it over with before Matt and Caleb have joined us, alright? You wanted to talk to me and only me anyway. So, just say it,"- the Keeper crossed her arms on her chest. "Tell me I'm a, hmm, let's see, a witless slime? A worthless cretin maybe? Yeah, you'd say that. Say I'm moronic for even considering Phobos at this point. Go for it."
Nerissa just looked at her eyes, smiling cattily but warmly.
"He said it well enough. Matt, that is. You and Phobos aren't endgame,"
Will blenched and then made a face. Not much my ass. You heard everything.
"I can't explain what I feel to any of you. I feel Matt in my heart, he's a part of it. But Phobos is in my soul-"
"You don't need to explain, I know what you mean,"- Nerissa interrupted her fluently.
"You do-"
Will was skeptical but also intrigued. Why was Nerissa handling the Phobos topic in such a different fashion now? Different from what was expected of her in all paragraphs.
"I've been in love with such a man. A powerful man, energy dark, vast like the cosmos and he wasn't good for me but I loved him. And I thought that he was my soulmate. Maybe he was, at the time."
Will just listened in disbelief:
"Uh, what-"
Not that she wanted to be rude but she didn't really see the relation between the two situations except for the "vast dark energy" part. Still, she was too flabbergasted by the revelation to react.
Nerissa rarely ever went into detail about her love life apart from Julian's my true love and all that jazz.
"He was a lot like Phobos with you,"-Nerissa shook her head. Then she frowned at herself as if what she had said had somehow slipped. "I don't even know why my memories of him are so...quaint. But they are there. And I know that at the time I thought that he was going to be my future..."
"OK, not to be dicky but you were younger than me, you hadn't met Julian yet, you met Julian at a much more mature stage of your life after...a lot of unresolved trauma."- Will pointed out, brown eyes locking with green. "It's a bit different,"
"Oh, by any means, of course, it is, I don't..."- Nerissa seemed to rethink her words. "I don't particularly know why I stressed on it. Aha, yes... My point was that dark energy has the ability to charm the quintessence wielder. Malyna. You. Me. It's not just about that, it's about Matt."- she said seriously. She could spy Matt and Caleb coming their way through the window.
They had just stopped to exchange a few words outside, across the street.
Nerissa turned her eyes towards her successor again and said seriously:
"He is to you what Julian is to me. He's unconditional, warm, and full of love and energy. Good energy. You know why I started calling him ''Dear Heart'' from the start? Because I recognized that in him. It's a very rare gift and he has it just like Julian, it's unconditional love. He's an Unconditional Heart. A human heart that can take more magic and darkness than any magic user's and for the right person, filter it to their advantage. I could see that without being an intuitive empath,"- she spat a little poison for Avani in the end, though her speech was enthusiastic and emotion-driven for the most part.
So strong that it made the hair on Will's neck stand up. Nerissa was an excellent storyteller but in this particular story, her successor could really see the relation and where she was coming from.
"Is that why you tried to make him evil and attack me as Shagon all these years ago?"- Will asked, even though it was obvious to her at this point. She had always known that Matt was her weakness, even as a teen, something Nerissa had harnessed against her as a low-blow move that could be expected from the then-her. The now-her would maybe hesitate just a little for certain people. It was a logical step, in Nerissa logistics, especially.
Will simply hadn't known that Matt was also meant to serve as her... darkness converter.
Fuck, that had sounded wrong. He was so much more and that...And she hurt him like no one else.
"In part, perhaps."- Nerissa winked and then became serious again:
"You'll need that in the future, trust me because no matter what, the burden of Xin Jing does weigh on you. It will slowly consume you in one way or another, it can destroy you! Unconditional Hearts are God-given, my dear Will. And you can never stop loving them once they've touched you."
That much I already knew, without knowing the terminology about what Matt is to me, Will thought, tear-filling eyes moving toward the window. Their conversation was cut short by Matt and Caleb entering the diner.
Nerissa raised her hand to let them through the glamour curtain she had raised before starting this talk of magic, energy, love, and Hearts, and gave Will one last meaningful nod. This wasn't the end of it.
"OK, ladies. Let's find Cornelia,"- Matt sat next to Will and Caleb respectively next to his mother.
Will noted that he had finally shaved; apparently, the real possibility of getting to his fiancé finally had brought him out of the dumps.
"I'm all about it, but how?"- Will asked. "Not even Halinor and the Council could-"
"They did come to us with new information and it all fell into place,"
"They think she and her family were sent back in time,"- Caleb explained.
"Back in time!?"
"Yes, and I know just when and most probably where."- Nerissa went further on, pulling an old folded map from her purse.
"How? Scrying and all sorts of locator-spells and potions didn't do it-"
"Yes, maybe not but with this map,"- and Nerissa spread it across the table, then stopped her index finger on the area that had seemingly been traced out with chalk.
The map was obviously very old and dated.
"Is that...where Heatherfield is?"- Matt exclaimed, squinting at the area.
"It looks different,"- Will pointed out.
"That's because it's a map from the late 1600s. And this is not just Heatherfield as we know it today. If you look closely there's this fine, fine print."- Nerissa turned on the zooming feature on her phone and positioned it above the map to show them. "And that's a small sisterly dimension to Heatherfield known as Fanu."
"Fanu, wait a second, we've been to that place,"- Will suddenly remembered. She had done the scrying thing with the Heart of Kandrakar as instructed by Nerissa and it did confirm the theory by stopping exactly on Fanu and shining brightly.
"Cornelia felt their cries for help when we were still in school, and-"
"Why would Violet take them there?"- Caleb exclaimed impatiently. "And where'd you get this, mom?"
"Because that's where Jane Warren, the woman who bequeathed the powers of the Heart of Earth to our Hale sisters, got them in the first place. This is Violet's map."- Nerissa pursed her lips. "I got it from Amanda,"
"Amanda Fragenson?!"
Violet's other sister... The woman who, together with her husband, had been thirsty for revenge on the Crossnics because of Nerissa's actions to take back hold of her father's legacy.
Everyone was outraged by the revelation but what mattered was there was finally a real clue:
"Don't look at me like that, Caleb, when I saw Amanda and her husband, even if detained and supervised, at Elida's funeral today, I had already spoken to Halinor and I got this feeling. I knew that there was something more Amanda knew about her sister that Taranee and Hay Lin hadn't managed to find while snooping around her."- Nerissa's eyes sparkled.
"I doubt she just cooperated but it doesn't matter," Caleb reevaluated. "If Violet wanted to take Lillain to Fanu from over three centuries ago then they're all there right now. How are we going to get them all from there?"
"Before it's too late,"- Will pondered out loud. "I bet that has to do with the dark entity the Oracle's been talking about! Violet joined hands with it to change the course of time and become the Heart of Earth before that Jane Warren person. That must be how she pulled it off. I mean, that's why she was so bitter, right, because she's of the same lineage and older than Lillian, and despite that, the Heart was reborn with her, so many years after Jane Warren's murder."
"But won't that cripple reality as we know it? Even for her?"- Matt exclaimed. "She's insane, not even Nerissa tried to change past events like that in her villain era...No offense, Nerissa,"
"Because it's a fool's errand, changing the course of such milestones is sure to result in catastrophe every time,"- Nerissa remarked.
"We have to compile and plan and get to action ASAP."- Caleb stated firmly, determined green eyes looking at everyone consequently. "How do we open a portal to them? Will a magic bean work? Lillian had a potted stalk hidden in her room the last time I rummaged through it,"
"A magic bean enforced by the Heart's magic should be able to open a passageway,"- Nerissa agreed. "We have to do that tonight. Before Violet's rewritten history in a manner tarnishing beyond repair."