A/N - Warning for mentions of a non-consensual relationship, but no graphic detail :)
Time was ticking by back at the academy, as the darkening night only deepened Mildred's sense of unease. Each passing hour marked by the distant tolling of the clock tower only confirmed that something was wrong.
Deep within the academy, shadows lengthened and intertwined, dancing along the corridors and casting eerie shapes on the floors, and the faint glow of moonlight streamed through the high, arched windows, illuminating dust particles that floated lazily in the still air. The once bustling halls were silent, the whispers of students long gone despite a few stirring at the earlier commotion, replaced by the occasional creak of the old building as three witches stood in a silent office, realising that they were all alone.
"I really don't feel good" Mildred whimpered, pacing around the office for anxious nausea had infiltrated every part of her body. "Why haven't we heard anything? It's been an hour and she's not been in contact. Wolf only lives ten minutes from us...he could have been there and back at least twice by now."
"Do you think something's gone wrong? Can you sense it?" Ethel questioned, her voice heightened with a nervous edge as she glanced frantically between Mildred and Amelia. The three of them had been sat there in unsettled silence for the better part of an hour, unable to do anything else but wait.
"I don't think something's gone wrong - I know something's gone wrong." Mildred responded glumly, before feeling the need to further elaborate. "Look, I know this sounds unbelievable, but usually I can sense whatever anyone is thinking or feeling, I guess you could say it's that intuition if it exists. When I really sit down and picture HB in front of me, I can tell if she's angry, tired or upset, even when she's not physically there, but tonight...well, I just don't feel anything."
"Mildred, my dear, witches are not telepathic -"
"Actually, Miss Cackle, there has been one recorded case of a telepathic empathomancer before. It's not unheard of -"
"Ethel, let's not get ahead of ourselves. We need to stick to the facts. Mildred, I think you can sense all of that because you and Miss Hardbroom are very close. You have been through such similar experiences. When I look at you two, standing side by side, it is almost as if I am looking at the same person, but I have to remind myself that you are different. I can see how you empathise with her, but she is hundreds of miles away at present, so I am sure her silence does not automatically confirm she's in danger."
"But Miss Cackle -"
However, Mildred's defence was quickly interrupted as a sudden ring of the telephone shattered the silence, causing all three to jump. Miss Cackle hurried to answer it, her expression shifting from anxiety to hope.
"Con? It's Amelia!" she questioned, trying to keep her voice steady so she would not alarm her younger friend.
"Um...Amelia, it's Wolf," came the voice on the other end, trembling with urgency. "I need to speak to Mildred, this is the number she originally called me from, is she there?"
Miss Cackle's eyes widened, and she quickly handed the receiver to Mildred. "Mildred, it's Wolf."
Mildred grabbed the phone, her heart racing for Miss Cackle did not sound relieved. "Wolf, what happened? Where is she? Is Con safe?"
Despite Mildred's hopeful questions, Wolf's voice was filled with regret and panic as she spoke to Mildred from the other end of the country. "Mildred, I'm so sorry. I've made a terrible mistake."
"Wolf?! What's happened? Did you find her?"
"I did...but...but she already knew."
"Who knew? Miss Hardbroom knew?"
"No...not her, I was part of Raven's - well to you, it's Miss Ravenscroft's - plan. I was planning on going to visit your mother and then let her get back to you herself...but Raven cornered me as I was leaving. She made me lure Miss Hardbroom into a trap by bringing her back to the farm to talk to you on the phone, and she grabbed her then. She was the one who made me befriend you all those months ago...I never knew that it was for this though."
"Raven?" Mildred questioned, momentarily perplexed by the mention of this new character. "Wolf, do you mean to say that Elena's real name is Raven? How - no - why, do you know that? How do you know her?"
"Mildred, I know you'll be angry but it is too much to explain over the phone. Yes, her real name is Raven and she's my deranged aunt, but I never knew she was planning this or anything about what she's been doing for the last three months" Wolf hurriedly explained. "Look, she's taken your mother somewhere, I don't know where, but I think she's in trouble. I really didn't know it would go this far. I'm so, so sorry."
Mildred's blood ran cold. "Taken her where? Wolf, are you sure you do not know anything else?"
"Yes," Wolf replied, his voice cracking. "Raven is dangerous though, Mildred. She's not been right for years to the point where she threatened me if I did not befriend you. You have to save Miss Hardbroom. Please, believe me, I'm trying to make things right."
"I believe you, Wolf," Mildred said firmly, though her mind was reeling. "Stay safe and keep hidden. We'll handle it from here."
She handed the phone back to Miss Cackle, her face set with determination. "I can't put it lightly, Miss Hardbroom has been kidnapped. Elena's taken her somewhere. We have to go now."
Miss Cackle nodded, her expression grave but her heart set. "Mildred, we will leave immediately, but if Constance is no longer at home, we cannot ignore the reality that we have no idea where she is."
Ethel didn't waste a moment upon hearing Amelia's point, before rushing over to the desk where Elena's note lay. The gravity of the situation weighed heavily on her, but there was no time for hesitation as she started to piece the message together.
"But what if we do...Ravenscroft left so many clues in this one piece of paper, we just have to find them." Ethel began, glancing up at Mildred in urgency who also crouched down to her side.
After staring at the message for a few seconds, Midlred focused her attention on the last part again, understanding what Ethel meant "Take her back to where it all began" she murmured silently, her heart pounding in her throat, before she stood in the middle of the room, away from the other two witches who were debating with each other.
"That does not mean anything, girls. We don't know who Elena really is. We don't know where she met Constance. We don't know how, or if, she met Mistress Broomhead. We do not know if her location is related to her or to Mildred, and therefore we certainly do not know where it all began. It is impossible to guess from a range of jumbled clues!" Amelia lectured, failing to ignore the fact that Mildred had entered some sort of daydream as she stood in the middle of the room, her eyes firmly closed with her hands gripped in fists at her side.
Using the background noise as a way to tune out her thoughts, she thought as hard as she could. Mildred focused inward, reaching for the threads of emotional energy that connected her to those she cared about. She envisioned Constance's stern face, her sharp eyes, and the familiar bond that had grown between them over the years. As her breathing slowed, Mildred began to feel the familiar tug of the empathic link which she had been blissfully unaware of until now. Eventually, the voices of Amelia and Ethel came to an abrupt stop as the world around her faded, and Mildred slipped into a trance-like state. She could sense the emotions swirling around her—fear, anger, regret—but most of all, she felt love, honing in on the singular, distinct presence of Constance Hardbroom. The connection was faint, almost overwhelmed by the oppressive sense of danger and pain, but it was there, pulsing softly in the distance, and finally, Mildred began to remember. She began to remember what Miss Hardbroom had told her last year.
With her mind swirling, vibrant flashes of that October night came back to her as if she was there again, where Constance first confided in her, Mildred sat on her lap, where it all began:
"Witch Training College... I thought it would be the making of me, and it was for a few months until everything started to go downhill...'
Mildred squeezed her eyes tighter, trying to remember Constance's exact words, but only half of the sentences were reloading.
'She wasn't awful, Mildred - she was evil'
I know. You don't have to prove anything to me. Not anymore.
"Crying on my bathroom floor..."
Not it. Not the right bit. Nononoshitshitshit.
"I was one of the most talented there..."
Goddamnit, I know you were you brilliant witch, but what else did you say!
"Locked in dark rooms for hours at a time..."
I need answers, I don't want to see you in pain. I love you too much.
"I had entirely lost myself. I was miserable, Mildred."
It's okay. I'm here to look after you now.
"She quickly became controlling of every element in my life as she waded her way into everything I did."
I know, awful awful awful, but we're almost there -
'My family never needed me..."
BUT I DO! Tell me what you said, tell me where you are!
"She forced me away from the one friend that I had made and things turned nasty, cutting me off from the outside world.'
With that, Mildred's eyes suddenly shot open. She had made the connection. She had found what she had been looking for. It was then that Mildred figured it all out.
"Miss Ravenscroft has known Miss Hardbroom since their college days, probably under a different identity. They were at Witch Training College together in Weirdsister, and their individual relationships with Mistress Broomhead is what drove them apart, and it was a nasty process. That is where Constance is tonight - she's at Weirdsister College. That's where it all began" Mildred snapped, turning around to Amelia and Ethel who had stopped arguing and were looking at her in concern, for Mildred was still looking dazed.
"Mildred...how?" Ethel questioned, moving closer to her slowly. "How do you know all this?"
"If that is the case Mildred, Weirdsister is all the way down in Oxford. It's miles away! How will we get there in time?" Amelie spat in frustration, pacing the office rapidly.
However, Mildred had gone silent once more, ignoring the concern of those around her as tried to do something which she had only done once before. Closing her eyes, Mildred took a deep breath, centering herself. She envisioned the dark, cold walls of Weirdsister College, the place where Constance was being held captive. She pictured the dimly lit room, the oppressive atmosphere, and the cruel figure of Elena standing over her former tutor as she screamed in torture. The need to save Constance pulsed through her, driving her deeper into the trance-like state, as she thought about how much she wanted to go to her, how much she needed to be with her. How much she damn loved her.
"Mildred...can you...can you hear me" came the faint mumble of Ethel as Mildred felt her hand grip tightly around her upper arm. The sensation was distant, as if it was happening to someone else, not to her.
Suddenly, the room around Mildred began to blur and waver as she was pulled further into her concentration. The sensation of being pulled in multiple directions at once overwhelmed her senses. Her body felt weightless, as if she were floating in a void. The connection to Constance grew stronger, a glowing familiarity in the darkness. With a flash of intense light and a rush of cold air, Mildred felt herself being yanked through space. The sensation was dizzying, and for a moment, she felt as if she were spinning uncontrollably, but as quickly as it began, it was over. Once she opened her eyes, she found herself standing in the exact room she had pictured, hidden behind a door. The office was gone and so was Miss Cackle, as she realised she had done it again, just as she had done at the the Witches Guild last year. Taking in her new surroundings, the air was heavy with the scent of damp stone and old magic, but to her shock horror, Ethel was stood next to her, her hand still gripping tightly around her arm.
"Weirdsister College."
-x-
In the cold, dark chamber of Weirdsister College, Constance Hardbroom was forced up against the wall, her body racked with pain as she was held with a painful binding spell. Elena Ravenscroft, her true identity now revealed as Raven, stood over her with a twisted, sadistic smile, almost as if seeing Constance in pain satisfied her. The air was also thick with malevolent energy, and the walls seemed to close in, amplifying Constance's fear.
Elena moved closer, her arm hovering menacingly over Constance's eyes. "You always thought you were better than me, Constance," she hissed. "But look at you now. Helpless, broken. Death will not be so kind to you tonight. I shall see you suffer before you go."
With a flick of her wrist, Elena sent a jolt of dark energy through Constance's body, causing her to cry out in pain, but the physical torment was only part of the torture, as she was soon to learn.
Elena leaned in, her voice a venomous whisper. "Do you remember our time at college? She always favoured you, didn't she? You were always the perfect one, the star student. That was probably why you let her fingers slip inside of you, time and time again, craving the love you were deprived of, but she never loved you really, no one did - everyone knows you were nothing more than a filthy slut."
"SHUT UP!" Constance screamed, only to be further attacked by Elena. She was torturing her, and she hated it.
"Now, now, Constance. I shall have to teach you a lesson for speaking to me like that, won't I?" Elena scowled, before casting her fingers and reciting a spell that Mistress Broomhead had used last year.
"Returnus revolvous, relivious, resolvous"
"A clever spell isn't it. A spell which allows its victim to relieve the worst moments of their life, in excruciating detail."
A piercing scream shot through Mildred's head as she watched in horror from behind the pillar. Ethel clasped a hand over her mouth in horror.
The memories assaulted Constance's mind, and a particularly painful vision surfaced, one that Constance had tried to bury for years.
The memory took her back to her time at Weirdsister College, a place that was once filled with promise and ambition. Constance was an eager, talented young witch, always striving to excel and earn the favour of Mistress Broomhead, the esteemed head of the college. It was long before she knew what Hecketty was really like - long before any abuse took place. This was right at the start.
One evening, Constance found herself alone in Mistress Broomhead's office, summoned for a private meeting. She entered with a mixture of nervousness and excitement, hoping for praise or guidance. Mistress Broomhead sat behind her desk, her piercing eyes studying Constance with an intensity that made her uncomfortable.
"Constance, you are one of the most promising students I have ever seen," Mistress Broomhead began, her voice smooth and commanding. "Your potential is extraordinary."
"Thank you, Mistress Broomhead," Constance replied, her voice tinged with a hint of pride and apprehension.
Mistress Broomhead stood and walked around the desk, her gaze never leaving Constance. "You could achieve great things, Constance, but you must understand that greatness requires sacrifice and obedience."
Constance nodded, feeling a strange chill despite the warmth of the room. "I understand, Mistress."
"Do you?" Mistress Broomhead's voice lowered, taking on a more sinister tone. "True obedience means submitting to my will, no matter what I ask of you. So do it. Submit."
Before Constance could react, Mistress Broomhead's hand was on her shoulder, the touch firm and possessive. Constance's heart raced, confusion and fear mingling in her mind. "Mistress, I don't understand…"
"You will," Mistress Broomhead whispered, her other hand trailing down Constance's arm. "You will learn to obey, completely."
Suddenly, she felt Mistress Broomhead's hands exploring her body, unbuttoning her dress, caressing her skin with a force that made her gasp as she bent her over the desk, rough hands holding her in place. It felt wrong, but she couldn't stop it from happening. She was too scared to. Too young and too confused to know if she liked it or not, so she just froze and let it happen.
The memory blurred as the horror of that night came rushing back. The feelings of powerlessness and violation, the confusion and betrayal. Constance had been too afraid to resist, too overwhelmed to fight back. Mistress Broomhead had taken advantage of her trust, her ambition - her weakness - using her position of authority to force Constance into a non-consensual act that left deep, lasting scars.
"Constance," Mistress Broomhead whispered against her ear, her breath hot and enticing as she finally removed her fingers while tears streamed down Constance's face in humiliation. "You are mine. No one else can understand what we have" she warned, before she physically hit her, leaving bruising all across her torso. It was the start of three years in pain and mistreatment for the young, chestnut haired women who used to see so much light in the world.
Back in the present, Elena's voice cut through the haze of the memory as Constance finally came back to reality. "Remember that night, Constance?" she sneered, her eyes gleaming with malice. "Remember how she used you, manipulated you? You were her puppet. You were so desperate to feel a mother's love that you took it without any shame. Perhaps you even liked it, the way she was rough with you, you dirty, pathetic..."
Constance's breath came in ragged gasps, the pain of the past mingling with her current suffering as she sobbed against the wall. "You… you don't understand," she managed to choke out. "I never wanted… I never…I just needed someone to love me..."
"Oh, but I understand perfectly," Elena said, her voice dripping with venom. "You think you're so strong, so untouchable, but you're just as broken as the rest of us. The amount of people you slept with, including me, to make you feel like you mattered, but you didn't Constance. You do not matter to anyone. You should have just done us all a favour and killed yourself long ago."
Constance bawled like a baby, knowing how true Elena's words were. She wanted this to end. She wanted it to all end, but to her horror, Elena only continued to hurt her, physically and mentally as detailed flashbacks from her many assaults shot through her mind, as if they were happening all over again.
"I can't bear this anymore" Mildred whispered to Ethel, both having observed the torture from their place of safety.
"Mildred, we need to get help" Ethel choked, trembling behind her younger peer.
"Ethel, we are the help. I'm Constance's help, she needs me. So give it everything you've got because no one hurts her like that and gets away with it."
"But, Mil-"
"Not in front of me." Mildred spat, before she pushed forward.
The door to the chamber burst open, and Mildred and Ethel stormed in, casting fingers at the ready. Mildred's eyes locked onto Constance's watery ones, filled with determination and fury.
"Get the FUCK off her!" Mildred shouted, her voice echoing through the chamber as she sent a wordless spell which struck Elena square in the back."
Elena turned to face them, her expression one of cold amusement, trying to mask the shock that washed over her for this wretched child had figured out her plans yet again. "You think you can save her? She's already gone. As she told me herself all those weeks ago, some people are just too broken to fix."
Seething with rage about how much pain Constance was in, Mildred suddenly turned to meet her eyes. That statement was not true. Not under her watch, and she needed to believe it.
"Constance Hardbroom, I do not care what this lying bitch says, you are not too broken. For as long as I shall live, there will always be someone here to love you and to look after you. I promise, I will fix you" Mildred cried, as Constance only sobbed further in response, poorly attempting to nod her head in agreement but too weak to help herself.
Ethel stepped forward soon afterwards, her arm aimed directly at Elena. "We're not leaving without her."
"Then you will not leave at all. You will all die in here, you meddling little brats" Elena laughed, a cruel, wild cackle which boarded on insanity.
"Oh fuck right off! Don't flatter yourself. As if you would ever be that powerful" Mildred spat, shooting a bolt of bright, uncontrolled golden magic at her opponent, one she had not seen since her battle with Broomhead earlier this year.
All those years as the worst witch had brought so much confidence into Mildred's character. She knew she was different, but being different didn't have to be a bad thing, as she reflected on that damage that an empathomancer could really do, and Elena was sure as hell going to receive it.
In the ensuing battle, spells flew back and forth, the air crackling with magic. Mildred and Ethel's combined power eventually matched Elena's - the two best witches in the school proved to be a struggle for a woman who had been out of training for almost fifteen years.
With a flick of her wrist, Elena sent a bolt of dark magic hurtling towards Ethel. Ethel deflected it with a quick incantation, the force of the impact causing Elena to stumble back but not harm her. Mildred took the opportunity to cast a stunning spell, but she easily countered it, laughing cruelly.
"You'll have to do better than that! The worst of the worst!" Elena taunted, launching a brigade of spells at them. "It's true what my classmates used to say, Constance always attracted the weakest ones!"
In Mildred's outrage, the room erupted in a dazzling display of magic as spells clashed and ricocheted off the walls. Mildred and Ethel fought valiantly, their combined efforts forcing Elena to stay on the defensive, but her power was immense, and it was clear she was toying with them. They needed Constance, but the poor woman was struggling too much, barely remaining conscious on the sidelines despite her feeble attempts to cast from the corner.
As the battle raged on, Ethel saw her chance as Elena turned her back on her to attack Mildred. With a burst of energy, she cast a powerful binding spell, capturing Elena for she could no longer move. For a moment, victory seemed within reach as Mildred rushed over to Constance. Even if they could not defeat Elena, getting out of there alive would be more than enough for Mildred. Elena could be captured another way.
"Con, we're getting you out of here," Mildred said, her voice gentle but firm as she cupped both her hands around Constance's frail cheeks.
Constance nodded weakly, reaching her arms out to embrace Mildred, finally allowing herself to be supported by her students as Ethel dashed over to help.
"Oh no you aren't" Elena hollered, suddenly standing up and regaining control as the binding spell had broken the second that Ethel had diverted her attention from her opposition. "You'll have to do better than that. Did no one teach you interfering pipsqueaks the importance of concentration?"
"Just leave her alone! No one hurts my Con and gets away with it! You don't understand how far I could go, how much I would sacrifice to save her, because of the one thing you will never understand!" Mildred cried, almost pleading as she felt herself running out of options when she left Constance's side, desperate to defend her.
"She did this to herself you idiotic girl, so let me end her suffering. If you really don't want her to get away with it, watch her meet her end."
With a swift, fluid motion, Elena raised both her arms, the air around her crackling with dark energy as black clouds began to form around her, a spell that Constance was all too familiar with as dread filled her, experiencing severe dejavu from last year.
"CAUSA MORTEM!" Elena practically screamed, sending a bolt of deadly magic straight towards Constance.
Time seemed to slow as the spell hurtled through the air. Constance's eyes widened in horror, knowing she was powerless to stop it as she covered her face with her hands in a poor attempt to protect herself. She wondered if death was going to hurt, but just as the spell was about to strike, Mildred, driven by pure instinct and unwavering loyalty, threw herself in front of Constance to protect her.
"NO!" Mildred screamed, before feeling the dark magic hit her square in the chest as it shot up her arms and managed to clip Constance in the process, striking the two witches with one shot. The impact was like a searing fire, spreading through her body with unbearable intensity before there was a flash of blinding light, so intense it filled the entire chamber. The light pulsed and flared, engulfing everyone in its radiant golden glow as all four women fell unconscious from the sheer power of it. The overwhelming brilliance obliterated all shadows, and for an agonizingly long moment, nothing could be seen or heard as Weirdsister College fell silent once more.
A/N - Thoughts:
1) I apologise for the cliffhangers, I had awful writer's block this week so by creating them, I'm forcing myself to write quicker as I hate being on edge as much as you do!
2) I originally planned on using Agatha (posing as Amelia) to lure Constance out of her home, but I didn't see how it would fit in with the story as she is from a different time frame to Broomhead, so Wolf will suffice.
3) Can Mildred honestly survive the incantation of death? This isn't Harry Potter, so I do not know.