Chapter Eighteen: A Witch's Season Begins

"Fall has awoken with the sleep of the sun, the light has been broken; the fight has begun."

Summer went by faster than ever. With almost everyone out of town, and the world returning to a more normal state, especially as compared to the previous year, Heatherfield was also quite empty.

Most people like to travel and they do it whenever they can whether it would be for work or for vacation, it didn't matter.

Hay Lin and Eric Lyndon's flight had been delayed. They would be home a few hours later than anticipated but it didn't matter; the entire day was a day off anyway.

The young couple was returning from yet another destination this summer - Uruguay, but this time they were returning to Heatherfield for a longer period of time.

Hay Lin looked through the window as they flew through the clouds and sighed. Once, she had dreamed of becoming a flight attendant or even a pilot, with her natural anti-natural to gravitation gravitation toward air. Yes, she had an everlasting talent which could've come in handy had she chosen any professional field that has to do with flying but life had happened differently.

Plans and ideas changed all the time but what she couldn't deny was she felt good here. Amid the clouds, looking at the world from above...

"Hey, you." Her boyfriend spoke in her ear, making her jump ever so slightly. She had been submerged in her thoughts. "You're not nervous, are you? About meeting your friends again?"

Hay Lin wanted to deny but it wasn't that easy. She hadn't seen her friends in almost two months. She hadn't talked to them too much either. Not as much as she had wanted to anyway.

Because their group had suffered a severe breakdown two months ago. And nothing was the same anymore. Not would it ever be, unfortunately...

Eric Lyndon sighed realizing his lack of prudence. Of course, she was nervous. Of course, whatever he said wasn't going to change the graveness of the situation but he had to try.

It was now more important than ever for his significant other to be calm and well-disposed:

"Just keep an open mind, Hay Lin, that's at least something you can do naturally. It comes to you, naturally," the man advised. "I know that what happened left a bitter aftertaste in all of us but you're still the guardians."

Hay Lin smiled at him weakly:

"Yeah, you; you're right. We are."

"Hay Lin's coming back today. We...we are going to meet up. Well, without Irma and Will but you know. I just wanted to tell you."

Cornelia Hale looked up at him somewhat timidly and waited for his reaction.

The man that sat in the leather chair behind the big desk didn't even look up from his laptop.

Caleb Crossnic was how so many already knew him. Caleb Crossnic was as handsome as ever in his dark business suit. He was broad-shouldered, tan and his face was as usually overtaken by a harsh look of concentration. But that harshness no longer cleared off at the sight of her, and that frightened Cornelia.

She feared that what she had forced the man into would make him gradually resent her. He was already resentful at times; he had been for months but she hadn't noticed. She hadn't paid attention because she had other things to mind. More important, she had deemed them...

Bulshit.

Now that the tables had turned, she could see how forcing Caleb into business and the life her family had always envisioned for them had been a bad decision. She could see it, but there was no going back anymore and all that was left to do was fear the future and watch helplessly, day after day.

But I wasn't the only one who persisted you do this, Caleb! The blonde thought. Your own mother wanted you to have this opportunity. As always, she did everything to get back your grandfather's company, and now... Now you're growing distant. We no longer live like we used to. And I'm scared and lonely, and so angry because I'm so at fault for everything...

"We're going to meet at Quake's. Anyway, after that, we can take Killian and go to Meridian? I talked to papa, he said that he'll be cooking his specials. A night at Magjenzian sounds like heaven to me right now-"

"I can't." Caleb interrupted her, hand going through some papers on his desk. "I have a meeting this evening. I'll probably spend the night here."

The blonde felt her heart skipping with disappointment. Great. Even a night away at his parents' house on Meridian could no longer make him happy. Everything was unfair and fucking terrible!

Cornelia grabbed her purse and headed for the door, trying to suppress her tears.

"Cornelia," her fiancé's voice stopped her. "Don't even think about giving in to your sister. If you make that mistake, I will seriously just blow up."

Cornelia's upper lip trembled but she nodded.

Caleb nodded back. Their eyes met for a moment and she could see just how tired and angry he was. Angry with her and this situation...

"I will try to take you somewhere on Sunday."

She couldn't believe her ears. She turned around again, just blinking. Caleb forced a small smile.

For the first time in two months, he was putting himself out there. Maybe his anger had receded a bit? Maybe it wasn't hopeless.

"OK," she whispered as a single tear rolled down her rosy cheek. "Can I kiss you?"

He chuckled tiredly and stood up, walking to her. He took her face in his palms and gave her lips a gentle kiss.

Cornelia closed her eyes and breathed in relief. For the first time in weeks.

She kissed him back.

"Look, I know that I haven't been the perfect partner in a while. You think I'm mad at you, I'm not. Not that much anymore, I guess. I was mad at the start," Caleb admitted. "But mainly because I was overwhelmed by all this. Getting into business and corporations on Earth is a big morsel; I didn't want it but now that I have to deal with it, I better deal with it the right way, right? I have a deal almost hammered, I don't wanna say anything right now when it's too early, but I have some hope. I have some hope that we will rid ourselves of your sister's oppression soon,"

Cornelia felt both relieved and terrified at the same time. Relieved because he was opening up to her again. Terrified because she knew Lillian would do anything to sabotage Caleb again and keep holding them under her thumb.

If this deal, he spoke of failed, she already knew everything would go even more south.

One hour later, she was trying new clothes at "Chanel" to try to treat her stress levels before meeting with the girls.

This had always been one of her favorite luxury stores in Heatherfield; of course, she knew that. Lillian. They had been here together so many times.

Now her sister was here, as if she was following her to add to her mental tortures:

"Cornelia," the younger Hale said casually, as she stood to look at the same aisle. "Fancy meeting you here. How are you?"

Cornelia closed her eyes angrily. The image of her younger sister in her short black shorts and leather jacket, and that heavy raccoon eye makeup. It made her stress go through the roof:

"What are you doing here?" she asked coldly, refusing to look at her. "Are you following me? Are you trying to ruin my day as usual?"

Lillian tsked and moved back a little, abandoning the clothes:

"Still thinking that everything's about you? God, I hoped that you'll have come round by now but no; your unwed boyfriend and his folks keep pulling you back."

Cornelia bared her teeth:

"Yeah, you couldn't exactly buy them off and blackmail them like you did our family, I remember. When will you understand, Lillian? You made the biggest mistake of your life. You destroyed everything. Nothing is ever going to be OK again!"

Lillian smiled darkly and met her sister's eyes. They looked alike yet were so different at the same time.

Cornelia in her short pink "Waldorf Designs" romper and she in her black goth clothes.

They were more apart than ever.

"If by not OK you mean not revolving around Cornelia, then I guess you're right. That's what I did, Nelia, I just put an end to your long-year reign."- Lillian shrugged artfully. "I'm sorry that you don't like it on the other end, the shorter end. Where I've stood my entire life."

"Oh, please, don't start again." Cornelia seethed. "You sued our family and made them your debtors. You humiliated them, you sunk my brand, and for what? For what," she repeated angrily. "Because of your petty, deluded teenage brain! Because you're out of your mind, Lillian, you're horrible!"

Lillian got closer to her and offhandedly declared in her cold and collected voice:

"I've done nothing but give back the treatment I've received. To our family, to you, to everyone who treated me like dirt and tried to pull the plug on me back when I was most vulnerable. You all wanted to lynch me when I came clean about what happened between Matt and me, didn't you? I was a victim to the circumstances but that mattered to none of you." The younger Hale spat bitterly, looking at her sister's helpless rage sealed in her face. That face that had looked down at her from the high horse so many times. It was her turn. It was Cornelia's turn to feel spurned.

"None of you seem to like your own medicine. Then why did you give it to me over and over again when you still had control over me?"

"You're sick!" Cornelia shook her head. "You need medicine alright, but not the figurative kind! Yes, grandmother Hale held a contract over your head, a contract you signed because you wanted your inheritance, didn't you? Because you were too lazy to get your lazy ass a job!"

"Too bad the state of Connecticut recognized that and many others of our dear family's actions as illegal," Lillian smirked awry. "We both know how dad financed many of his projects over the years, didn't we? I just decided to be open about it unlike you."

Cornelia glared at her sister but didn't say anything. Ungrateful brat. She had mooched off of their parents and her while she could and now that they refused to respect her insane claims and desires, she turned around to bite them; to bite the hand that had fed her!

Yes, Harold Hale had taken some small wrongful actions over the years that could however greatly impact his social image and defame their family forever.

Not that the scandal Lillian had started didn't defame them already. They had settled outside of court, escaping the direst of consensuses, but what Lillian did on other fronts was still out there for everyone to see.

Their family had turned their back on the eldest Hale for the sake of their reputation. And Lillian didn't forget to point it out yet again:

"Besides, why are you defending the people who sold you out so cheaply, Nelia? I wasn't the one who decided that, dad did."

"Dad knew that I wouldn't drag everything but you would." Cornelia hissed. "He didn't choose your side because you're right, Lillian, you're a traitor and a-"

"And you wanted me to have an abortion. An abortion." Lillian snapped. "You knew what happened between me and Matt yet you couldn't be on my side yet again. You couldn't be on my side for once and asked me to sacrifice my unborn for the sake of your friends' relationship! That's why I really sunk your brand, why I took everything that I could from you. Because not I, you're the horrible one. The horrible human and sister."

Cornelia closed her eyes. Of course, they came to this. They would forever come to what she had said in a fit of rage and despair after coming to know that her best friend's boyfriend had impregnated her little sister.

"You have no future together, Lillian, this is madness! Whatever happened-happened! You can't have Matt's baby, this is insane!"

"You want me to...you want me to kill it? Nelia, I-"

"You what? It's not even a baby yet! It's only been a few weeks. Please think like an adult for once! We talked about this, you didn't even protect yourself, how can you be so irresponsible!? Giving birth to that baby will be just suicidal for so many people, think about it!

"You've never loved me," Lillian whispered bitterly.

Cornelia felt her heart break and her tears starting to run but she didn't say anything.

"You've never thought of me first as a big sister does. You've always been the one receiving, the one getting everything! The big selfish sister." Lillian snorted. "But this time you tried to take more than you had any right to, Cornelia Hale. This is why I will take everything from you now! You've had everything for years! It's my turn. How do you like the positive change in Caleb, by the way?"- she asked spitefully with a dark smile.

Cornelia almost flinched:

"Y-you-"

"I was planning to surprise you later but yes, I did set things up for Caleb to get a chance at paying off all those debts you got yourselves into due to your presumptuousness." Lillian shook her head. "I was going to give you some space to breathe and then tighten the noose again but I recalled you don't deserve that. You deserve your indifferent and cold, suffering man and your miserable life! I will break that stupid deal off right now and you will not get the chance to experience some good time together at all! I don't know why are you even here when you have so much money to give around your failures, Miss Hale. If I were you, Cornelia, I would seriously consider falling to my knees and begging already. Beg your little sister for mercy while you still can."

"How can you be so cruel to me?!" Cornelia cried. "Why? Just because I said that having that baby is a bad idea, I-"

"You did not have THE RIGHT to even suggest that, you entitled bitch!"- Lillian gave her a hard shove that made her sway back. "You've always taken everything first, everything best, and everything from ME! But you will not take this baby from me too. You will not take Matt away-"

"As if Matt will be with you because of that baby. Darling, you're just a wild child trusted with more than she could ever handle."

The new voice that interfered made both sisters turn around. The voice of Nerissa Crossnic.

She entered the store in a head-turning outfit and gilded expensive retro rectangular sunglasses.

The body-tight navy dress with a zipper going all the way down followed her curves, unzipped below her breast, displaying a generous amount of cleavage. The dress was obviously a stage costume with all the different little rhinestones, jewels, and safety needles glued all over and the extravagance of it all, but Nerissa wore it as a casual outfit and couldn't care less; she looked bombastic and she knew it.

She had long fingerless gloves on, the same material as the dress, and a huge gold chain necklace. Her sandals on thick heels were golden as well and her long mane was wavy and free.

A true diva had just entered and everyone had to know about it.

Everyone had to know she was back.

Nerissa was back in town.

A few shop assistants rushed to greet her and tend to her needs but she dismissed them and made her way to the two sisters.

Lillian crossed her arms on her chest, feigning even more indifference:

"But here's your mother-in-law coming to the save. I suppose that this means that you're not really losing much, either way, Nelia, you're lucky. As always."

Before Cornelia could say anything, the other woman who was now standing by her side replied:

"That's right, dear Heart. I'm back and that means that your insignificant influence on my son's life and that of your sister, as they come and go as an item, is done with." Nerissa purred holding the young girl's glance slyly. Even though on the inside she was over her bulshit. "And those...debts I hear you've discussed with our attorneys. Well, you best believe that they'll be a thing of the past also."

Lillian nodded with a smirk.

"Oh, I've never doubted you, Nerissa. Keep interfering in things, emasculating your son on the go... you do you. How was the tour?"

Nerissa smiled back at the open cattiness. She had to give it to the little bitch, she was effortlessly scalding yet cold and catty, and witty from time to time too.

"Ah, it was a grand success despite your poor attempts to sabotage it. I mean you are doing just that, destroying Matt's life to pieces, but his label and music are not as affected as your family is, are they? Or is it you don't push that much there because you live with the illusion that he will ever want a relationship with you?"

Lillian smiled even more awry.

"It's none of your business, Nerissa, but I will let you know if you'll have to start self-producing any time soon. Cobalt Blue isn't on my list as for now, don't worry."

Nerissa laughed with a high hand:

"Oh, you're so noble, my dear, must be your pregnancy shining through. A pregnancy you were awfully sure in, I must say. Times will come when we'll see whether the baby is from Matt at all."

Cornelia just watched the exchange between her sister and the older woman not knowing what else to say or do. She just thought. How had she allowed this? How had she allowed her sister to become what she was today?

"It's Matt's alright, but I suggest you don't test my nerves today, Nerissa. Not sure why you don't just take your daughter-in-law and don't leave already." Lillian snapped, visibly annoyed. That line had irked her. "I'm sure they don't have this type of drag fashion outfits you're so drawn to, here at Chanel, anyway."

"As sure as they don't have anything that we've seen you wear in the last year, emo-girl-gone-rogue."- Nerissa didn't remain obligated, hand on her waist. She threw another challenging look at the young Heart: "Why don't you leave me and your sister at peace here and don't go to, oh, I don't know, poison someone else's day with your pointless rigmarole?"

"Because I don't feel like it."- Lillian didn't back down. "Anyway, I think that you shouldn't talk about me poisoning, when that's all you've done in your 70 years, Nerissa. Lives, moments, families."

"In any case, your sexual relationship of many years with Christopher Lair shouldn't be undervalued when you claim to have suddenly fallen pregnant from another man you supposedly had drunk sex within a moment of weakness."

"You-"

Lillian glared at her.

"Nerissa, just...forget her."- Cornelia insisted but Nerissa shook her head.

She wasn't about to back down to some wild child and her delusions.

"Listen, Nerissa."- Lillian spoke in a warning voice. "Don't speak about things that you can't possibly know enough about. And don't stick your nose into my business again."

"Oh, so you think that we'll just forget that you trashed your sister's brand? Stuck your nose into our lives, cornered your family, destroying the perfect symbiosis that we had?"- Nerissa shook her index finger in the young blonde's face. "How did you even think that would be possible, I don't fathom. I was just busy on tour until now. On tour alone, because you anchored Matt here with your bulshit. Now that I'm back, I will personally see to your retribution, you little tramp."

Lillian gawked for the first time today. She looked between her speechless sister and her vicious mother-in-law.

Nerissa wasn't like the others she had dealt with. Nerissa was dangerous. More dangerous than all of them put together.

"Are you threatening me?"

"No, I'm just reading you a bedtime story, "- Nerissa snapped. "Get out of my hair before I have you kicked out of here. I don't want to have to look at you and your hideous makeup."

Lillian smiled with contempt:

"You'll have me kicked out?"- she challenged again. "Let's see you do that."

"Let's!"- Nerissa snarled and attempted to grab her by the wrists and drag her out but the older blonde stopped her.

"Enough!"- Cornelia interfered and caught the brunette under the arm. "Let's just leave now! I've had it with this!"

"It won't be as easy this time, trust me. Your mega meanness and insolence won't be enough to cancel out my wrath for Cornelia!"- Lillian called after them, not caring that everyone else was already staring at the scene they had caused. "Cornelia will regret how she's been treating me, one way or another!"

"Nerissa, what are you thinking!? Thanks, but no thanks, this is exactly what Lillian wants, she wants us to keep making scenes and disgracing ourselves!"- the Earth Guardian snapped a few moments later once they were both in Nerissa's car.

She had taken a taxi on the way here and now she could ride in the other woman's vehicle.

"I can't afford this right now; Caleb can't. We have to be careful-"

"Your bratty sister is out of control, can't you see her?"- Nerissa gifted her with an irked look. "She needs a hard spanking! How are you going to let that whelp play havoc with your life?!"

"I'm not allowing her anything, she has allowed herself everything! You've heard what she did to our family, haven't you?"- Cornelia growled tiredly. She was getting a splitting headache and still had to meet the other guardians. Great. Just great. "She bled them into being her debtors! She has full control of all their public actions and most of their money-"

"Oh, yes, I know that your father's otherwise threatened by five years in jail at the least because of some stupid decisions along the way of his career but that's a prerequisite in business and banking if one wants to be successful. Not every decision can be 100% righteous."- Nerissa snapped. "But how do you think Lillian had that case built against him, huh?"

Cornelia blinked in perplexity. Her mind was still disagreeing with the part about "it being inevitable to sometimes do illegal things in order to succeed''.

"She used her powers! Your father's no idiot, for her to uncover enough evidence for such old transactions and purchases-"

"OK, so what? He still did what he did."- Cornelia snapped. "Who cares if she used her magic or not, if my father was an honest man, she wouldn't have had the opportunity-"

"If she's abusing her powers like that do you really think that's the only thing she has resorted to them for?"- Nerissa interrupted her meaningfully and pushed her shades back. "No, Cornelia. I've seen a lot of this before. The change in your sister; I've seen it in the mirror. She has yielded to the darkness and that; that is only going to get worse if we don't exploit her weaknesses now and use them against her."

Cornelia gulped and stared at her reflection; she looked sweaty, tired, and pale. Ew, she thought and pulled out her makeup bag from her purse.

"Not everyone can handle darkness; it takes a lot of time, blood, and sweat to even partially get the hang of. Lillian is unquestionably not there. Not now, not any time soon; she has so much power and unfulfillment, and she is going to keep misusing her power until someone stops her."

"OK and how do we do that."- Cornelia sighed. "How do we stop her before it's too late? It's already too late! But how do we stop the Heart of Earth anyway; Will claimed the Heart of Kandrakar back before she left for Meridian. Not that I knew how to make the most of it anyway. Everything is just ruined! So many lives are...how do we change all that for the better?"

Nerissa listened to the growing desperation in the younger woman's voice with pursed lips.

Yes, it looked quite unfortunate. But it wasn't the time to lose hope ultimately. It was not too late yet:

"I'm here, aren't I?"-she said softly. "I will not let her play with your life and that of my son."

"She's my sister-"- Cornelia sobbed, tears streaming down her face. "My sister hates me and wants to get back at me, that I can take... but I c-can't take her losing herself to the darkness and becoming the very next villain in everyone's books. I can't..."

The ex-guardian didn't reply. It was perhaps a tad too late for that. She had been Lillian's age when she had lost it, she had been corrupted by the vast power of darkness, which resulted in her blasting Cassidy off a cliff...

"We'll save her from it."- Nerissa promised in the end.

No matter her differences with Cornelia or how much they fought or disagreed, she couldn't pretend that she didn't care about her at this point. They were family.

And family didn't let family down.

"We'll save Lillian from herself."- the Mage said, gently caressing her daughter-in-law's blonde hair.

Cornelia sobbed again, resting her head on her shoulder.

"H-how?"

Nerissa fell silent again. She didn't know yet but she was going to find a way. Find a way so efficient it would never result in a disaster like the one that had turned her life upside down back in the day.

Taranee looked down at the menu skeptically. Most of these food options did not please her current nutrient regime, despite it being a four-star restaurant they had chosen for this meeting.

Hay Lin arrived and they immediately picked up as if they hadn't been distant at all this summer.

Taranee smiled and ruffled her new short-cut hair. It was a different pixie cut with bangs: the sides and back were shaved closely, putting the longer top in the spotlight. She leaned on her shoulder and listened to her friend. She had missed her bubbliness.

The dark-skinned woman didn't feel rubbed the wrong way by Hay Lin of all people; they had just given each other space after the final mission with the Eye.

Given each other a lot of space due to external factors...

The young Asian smiled and told her stories about her travels and Taranee laughed and enjoyed them, adding something about her work-heavy summer.

It had been that for her for sure. She had cases and work in the counting-house, and just so many things to eat up all her time; things she had purposely wanted to keep busy with.

Because if she didn't keep busy, she would keep overthinking and pretty much crying over spilled milk.

"I don't know why you didn't just take that honeymoon time you and Nigel never got the chance to fully experience."- Hay Lin said in a mischievous tone. "Not to pry or anything but all work and no play..."

Taranee shook her head amused. Her friend was as fun and adorably childlike as always.

She wore a blue and white asymmetrical short summer dress with hot pink sandals. Her long dark hair was up in a few messy buns around her head.

Hay Lin looked beautiful and glowing; her smile was charming as ever and Taranee just felt compelled to reveal:

"Well, we would but I didn't want to travel too much this summer because the first few months were a little trickier for me but now everything's fine."- she took a deep breath and touched her stomach. "Hay Lin, I'm-"

"Wait, what? You're pregnant too?!"- Hay Lin suddenly squalled, flabbergasting Taranee.

"Huh? What do you mean too? Are you-"

"Yes! Oh, my God! That's crazy! How far in, Tara?"

"18 weeks, but-"

"Oh, my God! Same! I was just at my gynecologist earlier today, I was going to tell you girls at lunch but...wait,"- Hay Lin was beyond excited. Her eyes became even bigger as she twitched in her seat and grabbed her friends' hands. "You didn't tell anyone yet too?"

Taranee who was still overwhelmed by this coincidence shook her head:

"No, I...I had some problems in the first weeks and I guess I didn't want to talk about it before it was a better time, which it is now."- she quickly added, responding to her friend's look of concern. "The baby is alright now, I had some potential problems with holding it in but it's all resolved, knock on wood. How about you?"

"Taranee, I'm so happy for you!"- Hay Lin squalled and went around the table to hug her. "I've had no concerns so far. We actually didn't know until the seventh week, I just thought that my period is playing tricks on me again, you know how it's always been... OK, I'm blabbing!"- Hay Lin stopped herself and Taranee just chuckled at her.

It was an amazing thought. To be pregnant at the same time as one of her closest friends. It wasn't really that hard to picture.

After all, they were both in their twenties, had very stable relationships, and dreams of the future.

They had obviously gotten pregnant at the same time too which was freaky but adorable.

Talk about swimmer timing, Taranee thought with a smile.

"I'm thinking, since you haven't told anyone yet and I haven't told anyone yet, I mean from the girls and all, we could tell them together today!"- Hay Lin exclaimed. "How cool would that be!"

Then she reconsidered her words and her enthusiasm died a little.

Taranee looked down as well.

Yes, Cornelia was the only one of the girls who would actually join them today. She was actually running late. But Irma and Will...

"Oh, yeah, that's right. I forgot why I didn't just tell you all together the minute I found out about mine."- Hay Lin murmured to herself. "Because we're not all together anymore-"

"I've had so many moments when I just wanted to pick the phone and call all of you but I just gave up each time because I knew that they're not here. It didn't feel right telling only you or only Cornelia, who I had a little fallout with anyway."- Taranee shook her head. "No, nothing serious. Just some moments between the Hale defamation trials that were wrapped up just like that... I mean, I know where she comes from but I couldn't stand still when she accused me of not trying hard enough to help her family with Lillian's vicious attacks. Lillian used all unfair advantages she could to get the Hales where she wanted them because she knows them full well."

Taranee's tone had gotten colder and more hostile now that she was narrating this event that had stained this season for her. She still got angry whenever she recalled the mess:

"I am confident she used her powers to align things like that."- the Fire Guardian declared. "I am very confident. Her power is insane. She is insane..."

"After seeing how ruthlessly she handled the final mission regarding the Eye, I doubt there's anything she isn't capable of."- Hay Lin sighed bitterly. "And then the thing with Matt..."

The two friends fell silent.

None of them knew what to say about everything that had transpired before their ways had parted for the rest of summer.

After Lillian's power had led them all to the Eye of God's headquarters successfully, literally days after it had been revealed that she and Matt have spent a night together drunk, things had really gone south.

Nothing was the same after that night.

Not for the members of the Eye of God, who had all perished. Not for Will and Matt who were irreparably broken. Not for WITCH that was offhandedly disbanded.

Hay Lin met Taranee's eyes again and she knew she was thinking the same.

It had been a cruel summer but the aftermath of it all wasn't going to treat anyone better either.

There was a small cough that made the two turn around.

Someone else had arrived and they had already recognized her (Hay Lin by her breathing).

A pale-looking Cornelia smiled at them in a faltering fashion. That was a paradox on its own.

The other two stood up and gave her a hug on each side before she could say anything. Enough time had passed in processing what had happened.

It was time the guardians returned to their roots and supported each other through this crisis too.

Will laughed and spurred the horse on. It was evening time in Meridian.

She and Phobos were heading back to the castle after a long day of swimming in the bays and exploring the remote points of the kingdom like they always did on their days off.

They had done their fair share of exploring and wandering this summer. They had traveled to other kingdoms in Metamoor too, as they could do that, ever since the Heart was back at her disposal.

At first, the people of Metamoor, and especially Meridian, had been frantic about Phobos roaming their lands free but Will's vouching had somehow reassured them and quieted them down.

The Head Witch and Guardian Keeper of Kandrakar's word was hard to disregard by the commoner, even by those in the Meridian Council. At least openly. Assassination attempts still happened but Will and her new system were there to halt them.

A system she had successfully established in the capital; Will had her own trusted people and she used her quintessence to create different golems to fortify security when needed.

Over the years, and after vising so many different dimensions, she had learned a thing or two about successful management. Come on, that had been her college major too.

Business and management. Not that it didn't differ greatly from what she was doing now but she wasn't a leader for nothing.

Will scoffed to herself and her cheesy thoughts as the prince gently navigated their horse behind her. She could feel his body against hers as they strode towards the castle.

"Must we return to the castle tonight, my Heart?"- the prince mused in her ear. "It's such an enchanting night out. Why not just find another remote place to spend it at? I always find making love to you in nature to be even more rewarding."

Will smirked. That was true. Rivers, waterfalls, meadows - he was all over her, always. Ever since they had crossed that line in their relationship. But she knew she had to be rational:

"Not tonight, Phobos. We need to be at the Palace tonight. There are strange clouds in the sky all evening...Maybe those whack-ass wizards from the Meridian Council are sending another "natural" disaster that aims for your death..."

Many people hated Phobos's guts and that would probably take years to change even slightly.

But she was trying her best to make the general public see this other side of him that she had recognized. Phobos and she did charity work, they helped the poor and needy together, using their magic or just their muscles and brains to help with different small things. Small things went a long way.

Phobos snorted under his nose:

"Or even worse. I heard some maids discussing the Mage's return would be tonight. We're in for a night of scandals and theatrics."

Will couldn't help but feel a cold feeling overwhelm her at that.

Yes, she had done great in Meridian for herself and for Phobos this summer but summer was over.

As was Cobalt Blue's summer tour.

Which was why Nerissa was coming back.

Over two months of no special need of the guardians or the Mage in Meridian, or other realms under Kandrakar had created the perfect environment for Will's new reality.

But now...

Elyon had eventually offered her brother and his guardian support and her castle and she actually held Will's suggestions and ideas about Phobos and Meridian in high regard.

Something she expected to be, once again, brutally criticized for tonight.

Arel had spent the last weeks in the Meridian Palace too, at Elyon's request. After Avani's demise, there was nothing keeping him on Beta-Meridian, so after long pondering, he accepted her request and was now a part of her royal court.

Elyon was helping Beta-Meridian too, possibly planning to make them part of her kingdom under an independent government, which was great.

But now that he was part of Elyon's court, the young man had to get used to all the different, peculiar people who came and went by this castle and it could definitely be a lot to take in at first.

"You're only hearing about all this now? I was sure the Meridian Council has contacted you the minute they became aware of my decision to take Phobos back in."- the Queen spoke in a flat voice, looking through the big windows of the spacious royal sitting room they were in.

"Oh, they did, I was simply too busy to respond to their passing messages. Said something about a charter that allows him to live under Will and the kingdom's inability to hold him accountable for his past crimes, obviously. But of course, Will benefits from a special status because of her position, no surprise there. You got on their nerves this time."

Elyon smiled somewhat tepidly:

"Yeah, well, I'm kind of an expert in that by now."- she turned around to face the Mage. "So, if it was such a passing issue why address it now? You're here to oppose me as usual and put my decision under doubt?"

Nerissa observed her reaction and smiled ever so slightly:

"I suppose that it would be fitting on my part, wouldn't it? But no."

Elyon looked surprised.

"No?"

"Then what, you're just visiting?"

They both turned around and saw Will walking past Arel at the door.

"Oh, hello, my darling Will."

"Hi."- Will replied a little dryly, moving her eyes between the Queen and the Mage.

"Let's speak essentially, shall we?"- Elyon appealed.

Nerissa smiled again.

"Case and point: Lillian. "

Somewhere far away, the image of the three women dispersed and the mystic space was once again obscure, full of steam and clouds.

"So, everyone is uniting against me despite your proficient plan. I can't say I didn't see that one coming."

Lillian smirked bitterly, moving a larger strand of hair away from her eyes.

"It wasn't my plan but merely an idea I gave you when you were about to give up."- the male voice argued. "The way you structured all events after that is your merit-"

"Whatever."- she snapped, interrupting him. "I've already lost all that I could lose. But essentially, I got rid of those who had dirt on me and threatened me and my power. The Eye."- she narrated with unseen determination.

The man from the mystic space was almost daunted by what she had turned into but that was a good thing...

The more ruthless the Heart of Earth was to become the more she could rule over Earth as supposed to.

"With my power secured and everything else in pitiful ruins, I have no more reason to be considerate."- Lillian declared. "I will not be fazed by Will, by Nerissa or anyone else for that matter, because I will have things the way I want them, and whoever plots against me will live to regret it. For sure."- she finished in a whisper, her eyes looking up at the man whose eyes were still hidden from her sight.

She was beginning to resent that. She was beginning to distrust him more and more, and he could tell...

"I'm not stupid, whatever your name is."- the blonde then said as if to prove him right. "I know that you're trying to reap some sort of benefit for yourself from all this, you've been 'helping me' but I don't believe it was for free. So, I think you better come clean to me soon and just ask. If you try to double-cross me, I will not care to remove you from the big picture too. You're at least someone no one else even knows about."

"Soon, sweet Heart, all will be revealed. I'm not one longing for your downfall."- the man assured her.

Lillian observed the veiled figure with a derisive smirk. Yes, it would be revealed. All cards would be down soon.

But she wasn't going to be left at the shorter end of the stick.

Not ever again.