Wicked | Ambrose Spellman and Nicholas Scratch [2]

05 | gryla

five
gryla.

"WHY DO YOU summon me, witches?" Gryla questions an hour later. Zelda, Hilda, and Selene had set out a table of holiday foods to offer the witch they summoned, and because of it, she's skeptical.

"To take your children home," Zelda answers nervously.

"Oh. Is this where my Yule Lads have gotten to?" Gryla raises an eyebrow, and after a moment, the trio nod in unison. "What do you offer me in exchange?"

"Uh- well, we have some fresh baked Christm-Solstice cookies," Hilda stutters, intimidated by Gryla. "A cone of sugar, a pound of marzipan, some mince pies, and some yummy teacakes, and delicious fruit jelly-"

"That will do," Gryla declares, pointing at the silver bracelet on Selene's wrist. The girl pales, looking down at it, the only piece of jewelry her mother had ever kept ahold of. It's a silver chain with a crescent moon charm on it. The bracelet was charmed to keep her mother safe, and after she passed, it was passed down to Selene. And to Selene, it's priceless.

The redhead shakes her head. "It has sentimental value. Can you take something else?"

"I want the bracelet."

Selene exchanges glances with Hilda and Zelda before she takes the piece of jewelry off and hands it to Gryla. She then narrows her eyes at the woman. "Can you take your children now?"

"Mhm," Gryla mutters, putting the bracelet on before she pulls a bell from her purse and rings it. "Come along, laddies. Back to the mountains."

The ghosts of several children then run out the door with a loud thud, and Gryla makes her way to the front door. Selene watches her go, aching to snatch the bracelet off of her wrist. And just as Gryla's about to leave, Leticia begins to cry from downstairs.

Gryla stops in her footsteps and Selene's heart drops. Oh shit.

"You have a baby here?" Gryla demands, turning around to face them.

"Damn it," Zelda curses from behind Selene, and after a moment, she goes and retrieves Sabrina and Leticia from the basement. Sabrina holds the baby close to her chest in a protective way as the group stands in front of Gryla.

"That babe isn't yours, Zelda Spellman," Gryla points out, wanting to take Leticia. "I can smell it. I have a greater right to it than you do. I've been a mother, you haven't."

And you ate your child Selene remarks silently, the voices in her head going crazy about Gryla.

"Make her leave."

"Kill her."

"Don't let her take the babe."

"I delivered the child," Zelda breathes, hardly able to believe that this is happening. Selene has bonded with Leticia, but it's Zelda who has acted like a mother to her. "That's my claim."

"A midwife is not a mother," Gryla scoffs in agitation. "Lads, bring the babe to me."

Selene takes a step towards Sabrina and Leticia as she hears the laughter of the ghosts, knowing she can outsmart the Yule Lads if worst comes to worst. And just as the Yule Lads are about to come after Selene, Diana Spellman's spirit materializes behind Gryla.

Everybody stares at her in disbelief, but she looks calm. "I will decide who deserves the babe."

"By what right?" Gryla raises her eyebrows.

"A mother's right. I, too, lost my child. It was she who invoked my spirit, called upon guides both moral and infernal to ferry my soul here. The saint Lucia took my right hand, the demon Lucy took my left. I wear their crown on this, the longest of nights, and until the dawn remarks the world, I speak with their authority."

"I do," Zelda speaks up, overwhelmed by this entire situation.

"So mote it be," Gryla says quietly.

"Fine, then," Diana steps towards Selene. "Let there be a circle on the floor. Put the babe in the middle of the circle. You, Selene, are the babe's blood sister, so you will take one of the babe's hands. You, Gryla, will take the other. Whoever has the strength to pull the child out of the circle wins the babe."

"What?" Zelda gasps, tears shining in her eyes at the thought of something so dangerous.

Personally, Selene thinks this is all crazy and wants to rip Gryla's head off for taking her bracelet and now trying to take her baby sister. But she knows she can't kill the older woman, so she grits her teeth.

"Accepted," Gryla shrugs, almost like she doesn't care she could harm Leticia in the process.

But Selene does worry she could hurt her baby sister. Her back is as straight as a rod as she brings a box of salt from the kitchen, and uses it to make a circle.

"Sabrina, put the babe in the circle," Diana instructs, and Sabrina hesitantly does as told. Leticia coos innocently as Sabrina sets her down on the floor, and after a moment, Gryla and Selene each take one of Leticia's hands.

Leticia begins to cry from Gryla's cold touch, and after a moment, Selene lets go of her little sister, tears shining in her eyes. "I'm sorry, Zelda. I- I can't. I'm not gonna hurt her."

Her frail body shakes as she stands up, and Diana looks at her unemotionessly. "Then the baby is Gryla's."

"No!" Selene and Zelda cry in unison.

"Sorry, guys, but fair is fair," Sabrina states, having hatched a plan with her mother a little bit ago. But Selene, Hilda, and Zelda don't know that, so they're forced to watch Gryla pick up Leticia.

"A bright Solstice to you all," Gryla beams, happy that she's found a new babe to raise. "Follow me, laddies."

The laddies make a mess as they follow Gryla out the door, and once they're gone, Selene falls onto the couch behind her, tears streaming down her face. "Sabrina, what the hell?"

"Selene, it's okay," Sabrina insists, gently taking her friend's hands. "I would never give baby Leticia to Gryla."

"I don't understand," Zelda intervenes, almost a torn up Selene. Sabrina smiles at them comfortingly before leading them down to the morgue, where Leticia sits in her carrier, completely fine.

"Oh, thank Satan," Selene lets out a relieved breath, pulling her sister out of the carrier and hugging her. "I'm so glad you're okay."

Leticia lets out a joyous cry as Zelda turns to Sabrina, puzzled. "What did you give Gryla, then?"

"I pulled an old changeling trick. I enchanted Ambrose's teddy bear to look like Leticia. Gryla will be long gone and in the mountains before the spell wears off," Sabrina beams before smiling at her mother's ghost. "My mom helped me with it. After Leticia cried out, she appeared and told me the spell to make the switch."

"Well, she picked up a few tricks from Edward, didn't she?" Hilda remarks, making Selene chuckle.

"Diana, thank you," Hilda trails off, finding that Diana is gone.

Sabrina looks sad that her mother is gone, but then she walks over to Selene, flashing her the silver bracelet. "I also got this back for you."

Selene hands Leticia to Zelda before she takes it from Sabrina, her face lighting up. "Wha-how?"

"I figured out Transmutation," Sabrina informs, making Selene grin back at her. She puts the bracelet back on before she throws her arms around her best friend.

"I'm so happy right now I could kiss you, Brina."

UNEDITED