As Angel rested, Misty made it her mission to find Cordelia and let her know of the information her younger sister provided. Her goal led her out to the greenhouse, around the back of the academy. She stood in the entryway and watched as Cordelia made her way around the room, purposefully moving back and forth between plants and a blender that was half full of a nasty looking substance.
"Miss Cordelia?" She tentatively asked, making her way further in.
Cordelia looked up from her work and finally got her first look at the older swamp sister. She immediately took note of the voluminous, kinky blonde hair surrounding her head, as well as her clothes. She looked like a younger Stevie Nicks, she noted.
Misty gasped when she saw Cordelia's eyes. No longer were they clouded and grey and unseeing; now her left eye was a bright blue and her right was a deep brown. "Your eyes..." She whispered in disbelief.
Cordelia gave a shy smile and turned her gaze back in front of her workstation. "Myrtle helped me regain my vision." She explained shortly.
"Oh, of course." She replied, "Well, that was awfully nice of her." She said, brushing it aside for now. She had more important matters to attend to.
"How is Angel doing?" Cordelia asked politely. Since regaining her vision, she hadn't brought herself to visit the young blonde yet and she felt slightly guilty about that.
"Well, that's actually what I came to talk about." Misty said, stopping beside the Headmistress.
Cordelia looked at Misty, concern plastered on her beautiful features. "What's wrong? Is she alright?"
"Yes, yes. She's fine." Misty nodded, "A little shaken up but she'll recover."
"Oh," Cordelia sighed, relieved. "Well then, what is it?" She asked politely.
"Angel told me that she recognized the man who shot her. Or at least recognized his aura." Misty told her. "It was the same man who found us out in our swamp."
Cordelia froze. After her talk with her mother earlier and the talk with Myrtle the night before, this information concerned her deeply. She didn't want to let any of the other witches know of their findings but this was important as it pertained to Misty's sister.
She took a deep breath in. "Well..." She hesitated, "Myrtle, Fiona and I all believe this to be the work of witch hunters." She told Misty.
"Witch hunters? Those still exist?" She asked.
Cordelia nodded, "As long as there are witches, there will always be witch hunters to follow and try to kill us." She informed the Cajun.
Misty frowned deeply; just when she thought the world couldn't get any darker. "Well what do we do?" She asked.
"For now, we simply bunker down. Keep the girls here and try to keep them as safe as possible. I consulted with my mother about this and I believe she may have a plan of some sort."
"What kind of plan?" Misty questioned.
"I'm not sure. I didn't ask. Right now, my concern falls to my girls and their safety." Cordelia replied, she sent a guilty look to the blonde. She set the mortar and pestle in her hands down on the table. "Misty, I'm so sorry I couldn't keep your sister safe. I promised protection to you both and I broke that promise." She was earnest in her apology.
Misty could see that and she sent a small smile, "It wasn't your fault, Cordelia. If anythin' it's ours. Somehow he found out where we went." That didn't seem to be enough for the other woman, "I promise, I'm not mad at ya and neither is Angel." Cordelia hummed in contemplation and nodded.
There was a lull in the conversation, both women musing over their own thoughts. Misty wandered around the room, eventually finding an old radio near the back. She smiled and turned it on, fiddling with the knob until she got a clear signal. To her amazement, Kind of Woman by Stevie Nicks was playing, a large smile growing on Misty's face. She looked back to the other blonde and walked back towards the table, curious as to what was going on.
"What exactly are ya doin'?" She asked.
Cordelia smiled, "I'm making a mixture to help us due to last night's events. Potioncraft if you will."
Misty smiled in amazement, "Mind if I help?"
"Not at all." She replied, she walked over and grabbed some leaves handing them to Misty, "Tear these apart and place them in the blender."
As she worked on that, Cordelia went behind her and plucked some bay leaves from their stem. She went back to the table and handed Misty the leaves as she finished her previous task.
"I didn't know bay leaves had magic in them." She told the other woman.
"They provide protection." Cordelia explained, "Asafetida. Banishes evil." The two blondes looked at each other.
Misty nodded before bending down and taking a curious sniff of the concoction. "Oh wow!" She exclaimed, "That's some stinky shit." The two laughed.
"Now, you never use this unless under extreme circumstances." Cordelia said, her expression serious. "But given recent events. I believe it's necessary." Misty hummed in understanding.
"Looking good." Cordelia muttered as she took a wooden spoon to the dark green mixture and scooped some onto the base of a dying plant.
"Hey, can I try the incantation this time?" Misty asked.
"Go for it." Cordelia smiled.
Misty smiled and grabbed a small slip of paper that contained the words of the incantation. She began reciting them, her intonation a little off and uncertain.
"Stronger intent." Cordelia instructed.
Misty hesitated before starting once again, this time the plant slowly revived until it was flourishing. Purple flowers blooming all over.
"Damn! That is so cool!" Misty laughed in disbelief, "Now I know why Angel does this all the time." She continued to laugh and gave Cordelia a double high five. The women's hands and stares lingering just a little longer than usual. "We make a great team." Cordelia said, smiling earnestly.
"Wait, Angel can revive plant life?" Cordelia suddenly asked.
"Oh, yeah! She can go the whole nine yards, no words or nothin'." She replied, a smile on her face as she thought about all the times Angel brought back a plant's vibrant colors. She was certain their garden wouldn't be nearly as beautiful without Angel's green thumb.
"Your sister has a great deal of power within her." Cordelia said, "You should be proud of her."
"Oh I am, believe me. She's done so much more than I had at her age." Misty's wide smile turned proud. A certain twinkle in her eye as she thought of all her little sister's accomplishments.
Cordelia turned to the newly revived plant, plucking a grape off and popping it into her mouth. "Now, we need to make some more of this. For everyone." Misty plucked a grape herself and placed it into her mouth, she was amazed by how sweet and juicy it was.
Cordelia handed her a small bucket, "Go get some more of that mud back there." She said with a smile.
Misty nodded and began to walk off, before exiting she stopped and turned back to the blonde witch, "You're an awesome leader, Miss Cordelia. I've got so much to learn from you. Angel too, I know she would love it." Misty said with a smile.
"Fiona is the leader of this coven." Cordelia replied, unable to take the praise after last night's near tragedy.
Misty didn't reply, she simply shook her head before walking off to go gather more mud as requested.
Cordelia continued to tend to her plants, listening to the radio before she felt a presence enter the greenhouse. An unwelcome presence. She turned around, her gaze finding Hank standing in the doorway.
"Hey."
"Well, shit." She said, "I meant to change the locks." She continued to work, not letting Hank's appearance visibly unnerve her.
Hank approached closer and noticed her new eyes. "You have your eyesight back?" He asked, hugging her. "Oh. Oh, my god. Did Fiona do this?"
Cordelia stood there in shock before regaining her senses. "Let go of me." She said, Hank didn't move. "I said, let go." She said, forcefully pushing Hank away from herself.
She looked him up and down, "You're drunk." She said in disgust.
"Yeah, I needed the courage to come back." He said, Cordelia turning her back to him. She grabbed her shoulder and placed his hands on either side of her face. "Hey, what do your eyes see? Can you see my heart? Can you see it's bleeding?" She gave no response to him. "That I'm living in a hell of regret and remorse? That my life has no meaning without you? Come on Delia, what will it take?" He pleaded.
"More than you've got." She resentfully replied, her eyes hardening on the drunk man before her.
The two heard footsteps approaching them, Hank quickly turning to see a blonde woman enter the room.
"Who's this?" He asked, glancing back at Cordelia.
She stuck her hand forward and gave a small smile, "Hi. I'm Misty."
Hank's expression dropped as he recognized the name. He got brief flashbacks to him entering her shack and shooting off his shotgun into an empty bed. He also remembered the small blonde that supposedly lived with her. He briefly wondered if that was the same small blonde he shot the night before, and whether or not the witch in question lived.
"Can we have this conversation alone, please?" He asked, irritated.
Misty took a small step back but Cordelia stopped her, her eyes never leaving Hank's figure. "Don't leave, Misty. She and I have much bigger concerns than this conversation." Her mind drifting to the injured Angel currently resting in the house nearby. "I've told you how I feel. Take your stuff and leave." She demanded. Misty stood awkwardly to the side, she honestly felt like an intruder.
"No, I'm not going anywhere." Hank's irritation was growing. "I'm your husband! This is my home!" He shouted.
"Not anymore." Cordelia responded calmly. "I've spoken to a lawyer. I'm filing for divorce."
"Oh, that's bullshit!" He yelled, losing his temper. He reeled it in quickly and whispered to Cordelia. "Listen to me. All I want is to protect you. I know you don't believe it, but that's all I've ever wanted to do." He pleaded with her.
"Your shit's in a box in the closet." She replied, staring into his eyes. "Get it, and then get out." She was firm in her stance. After seeing the things she did, she wanted nothing to do with the man standing in front of her.
Hank shook his head, quickly glancing at Misty before turning his back on the love of his life and shamefully exiting the greenhouse. He knew what he had to do in order to prove to Cordelia that he was truly on her side. He would do whatever it takes, even betraying the Voodoo Queen herself.
"I think ya did the right thing, Miss Cordelia." Misty said, placing a supporting hand on the older woman's shoulder. "Something about that man just doesn't sit right with me."