Protector | Ambrose Spellman and Nicholas Scratch [1]

16 | bastard children

"I wanted you to meet my friends first," Sabrina replies before sitting down next to Harvey. "So, what are we talking about?"

"My ancestor Dorothea," Susie quips, amazed with what she's discovered about her. "She was an early settler in Greendale, and was also a pirate who helped a group of women fleeing religious persecution from Scotland."

"Dorothea Putnam?" Prudence raises a curious eyebrow. "We learned about her at my school. She was a true hero to those women. A hero to the marrow."

"So I'm discovering," Susie laughs before turning to Harvey. "Did you turn up anything, Harvey?"

"Yeah, but it's kind of messed up," Harvey sighs, shifting uncomfortably. "Basically, the Kinkles got ownership of the mines in a land grab. Kicked some people out who lived in the hills and took them over."

"What does that mean?" Sabrina asks hesitantly.

"By 'kicked out', he means killed. And by 'took over', he means stole," Prudence clarifies in utter disgust. "What did you say your family name is?"

"Kinkle."

Selene instantly connects the dots, realizing that Harvey descends from a family of witch hunters. Prudence makes the same connection, but she is angry. "So you're a descendent of the Von Kunkles, then. Those 'hill people' your ancestors killed were witches. Which makes your family witch-"

Prudence rises to her feet, taking a threatening step towards Harvey, but Selene is quick to move towards Prudence, muttering a spell that should calm her slightly. Sabrina, on the other hand, tries to fix Prudence's mistake. "Come on, everybody knows witches aren't real."

"Your family committed atrocities, and the blood-atonement is demanded," Prudence remarks, clearly angrier than any spell can fix. Selene

"Kidding!" Sabrina exclaims. "She's kidding!"

"Wait, hang on," Harvey begins, but Sabrina jumps to her feet, grabbing Prudence's hand.

"I'm going to show her the rest of the school, but we'll see you guys later!" Sabrina chuckles nervously, pulling Prudence towards the library exit. "Bye!"
——

Later that night, Selene is sitting on the couch in the living room of the Spellman household when Zelda hurries her stepmother into the room. "Selene, I need your help. Hilda's at the ridiculous book store, so I need you to fix a pot of her calming tea. Once you're done, come downstairs."

Selene nods, rushing to the kitchen and making the tea as fast as she possibly can. Once she's done with the tea, she heads down to the basement where Zelda is trying to calm Lady Blackwood down.

"At first, there were cramps, then I saw blood. I was spotting," Lady Blackwood heaves, clutching her stomach. "My babies, are they all right?"

"Tranquil thoughts, Lady Blackwood, you're fine," Zelda breathes.

"I can't lose my babies," Lady Blackwood shakes her head fearfully. "Faustus would never forgive me. I don't want to fail him."

Selene pauses at those words, caught off guard by the woman's choice of words. But once Zelda sees Selene pause, she grows angry. "Nonsense, Lady Blackwood. You won't lose your babies. Selene, pour the bloody tea!"

"Done!" Selene exclaims, handing her stepmother the cup of tea. "Here you go."

"It's not poison, is it?" Lady Blackwood sobs, terrified of losing her babies.

"Why would I poison you?" Selene asks, confused. "It's just chamomile with a tincture that should calm you down a bit."

"Drink up," Zelda insists as the woman downs the cup. "Finish every drop, that's a good girl."

"What's happening?" Lady Blackwood questions. "What's wrong with me?"

"Your blood pressure is abnormally high. You're having a panic attack," Zelda answers calmly. "Have you done any intense spellcasting lately? Sometimes that can stress a pregnancy."

"It was dangerous, but I had to do it," Lady Blackwood then turns to her stepdaughter. "You understand, don't you?"

"Uh, of course."

"You know better than anyone what they're really like," Lady Blackwood smiles at her stepdaughter. "Always whispering and plotting and I think they're gonna kill my babies."

Selene then takes her stepmothers hand. "Nobody's gonna hurt your babies. Ever. Who do you think wants to hurt them?"

"Those Weird sister's," Lady Blackwood states as Zelda helps her lay down. "Those sluts. I won't let them conspire against me. My children will come first."

"Why?" Zelda asks, as puzzled as Selene. "Why should the orphans wish you any harm?"

"All three of them, they think they're so clever," Lady Blackwood rolls her eyes, as Selene slowly retracts her hand from her stepmother's. "Planning to take what belongs to my children. They would've done anything. Hurt them, curse them. So I had to hurt them first. Kill one, and the others are no threat of consequence."

At this, Selene can't help but think of Prudence being chosen as queen. The duo remain silent as they care for Lady Blackwood, but once she leaves, Selene and Zelda walk to the kitchen. Selene already has a theory forming in her head, and she knows it's a long shot, but she might be right.

"I think my stepmother believes my father might also be the Weird sister's biological father," Selene admits hastily. "I mean, my father did have mistresses while he was married to my mother. I read about them in his journals. What if one of his mistresses had children that he never legitimized?"

"Those children would be a threat to Lady Blackwood's babies, because children born of a High Priest, whether they're legitimate or not, can lay claim to that title," Zelda quips as Selene's eyes widen.

"So Lady Blackwood thinks the Weird sisters wanna make a play for me and her babies inheritance," Selene's eyes widen, before she looks down at her hand, which had recently had burn marks all over it from the curse. "Oh, my God. She might want me out of the picture, too."

"Why would you think that?"

"A couple of days ago, I was cursed," Selene points out, rubbing her hand nervously. "I thought it was Prudence, but she said she didn't do it. What if my stepmother did it?"

UNEDITED