Lament of the Traitor King (Complete)

Chapter 55 - Every Happy Family is Much the Same

She was awoken by the feeling of being shaken. Netta turned to her left and found her her Sister gazing at her, saw the worried look written into the deep lines ingrained on her forehead.

They had been on the road, after Erwinnia had trudged a near-delirious Netta to civilization. At some point during the drive, Erwinnia - Winnie, as had always been her preferred name - had let Netta in on the plan to drive back to Coven Gardenia.  It was the only hope either had for sanctuary. Unspoken of, except in accidental lapses, was of what they had witnessed, survived.

Nevertheless, and in spite of the fear that was obvious on her skittish Sister's face, Winnie was trying to smile as she pulled them up the long drive. "We're here."

Netta turned and saw that they, indeed, were parked now in front of the home of the Gardenia Coven. Netta closed her eyes, wondering if she should be feeling relief, sorrow, or fear. Instead, she winced, feeling what she knew to be sleep inertia hitting her like a blow to the head.

The sun had set an hour before. The engine was off, and in the darkness, swirled lightly with the snow, Netta could hear the authoritative woman's voice before she could see anything.

"GET OUT OF THE CAR, NOW," a voice that Netta was sure that she recognized from somewhere demanded.

And then Netta saw them, vague figures that reminded her of her ex-Sisters in their hoods, before they stepped closer. In the light of a flickering driveway light, Netta saw them for who they were.

The breath hissed out of her lungs as relief coursed through Netta.

She could hear Winnie's voice in the car, shaking. "They - they know it's you? You are a member of their Coven, yes, so they won't kill me - you - on sight, right?"

Netta looked at the approaching figures, fear dancing now with her earlier, once assured feeling of relief. She opened her mouth and felt terror rob her of her voice.

She heard another voice yell out then. "The driver has Neith with her!"

The passenger's side door and wind tore its way into the car, followed quickly by woman's hands grasping Netta, pulling her out of the car.

Netta felt frozen . Looking to her left, she saw as two Witches took hold of Winnie, who let out a frightened scream.

"Wait!" Netta cried out, "she's with me!"

The inside of the home was an experience like a fever dream. Netta had been sat down on a kitchen chair and was surrounded by the members of the Coven Gardenia. They were asking a lot of questions, and lucky for her, Winnie was doing most of the talking. The attempts at coherent explanation of the events that they had escaped were not something she was capable of giving.

In a daze, Netta mostly followed Winnie's hurried, panicked explanation.

"- I saw two die, one crushed beneath the - um, during the catastrophe, then another was buried under the roof when it collapsed.  We ended up having to run away when Netta's Familiar made a - a distraction, which I was not planning to do, but hey, here I am, now, and did I mention that I kind of need to find another Coven to join with, before my Sisters hunt me down like a rabid dog?"

It was Lucia's voice, calmed down from her earlier demanding to sound soft, motherly, even. "You have done this Coven a great service by returning one of our own to us. If you need a new home, then we would be proud to welcome someone who was willing to turn their back on her Coven in order to do the right thing."