Sitting across from her cousin in the kitchen. Cordelia smirked at her brother who was currently leaning against the sink.
'Just for today' he mouthed warningly at her, for stealing his usual spot at the table.
Grinning, she brought her attention back to the book she was reading about the origin of Tibet magic.
"I don't understand you, niece..." Aunt Zelda broke the silence from the head of the table, while Aunt Hilda bustled about in the kitchen. "You'd rather a feral familiar than one bred for service?"
Cordelia looked at the mentioned cat, who was currently drinking water, liking that he was also a dark shade like Nyx.
"Salem doesn't serve me, Aunt Zee.
We're in a partnership. He'll protect me, I'll protect him."
"I agree with you. Nyx and I have a special bond, which is built around trust and respect." Cordelia added, making her younger cousin smile at the support.
"... Even though she tends to disappear off on her own. Probably needs a break from you." Ambrose added mockingly.
"Its called having autonomy." she responded, not taking the bait. "Not something you'd understand." she said, while flipping a page in her book.
"Enough you two." Aunt Hilda lightly scolded them, before the warlock could respond. She then turned to Sabrina. "Drink up, darling. I put a bit of cinnamon in it this time."
"And why did you name him Salem
of all things?" Aunt Zelda inquired again.
"I didn't. He named himself Salem."
"At least you have your familiar now.
And you're purifying yourself. Yeah, you're almost ready for your baptism." their blonde aunt added encouragingly.
"About that. So, I'm in the middle of getting this club started at school."
"Club? What kind of club?"
"Women protecting women.You know, sort of like a coven."
Cordelia snorted at the coverup, but immediately cleared her throat to hide it. 'It's cute that's she trying'
"Anyway, I was wondering if we could maybe, possibly postpone my baptism a little bit?"
Cordelia closed her book at that, and shared a glance with her brother, who was visibly cringing.
"Postpone it?"
"Oh, dear"
"Sabrina, you cannot postpone
your 16th birthday, especially not when it falls on the eclipsing of a blood moon which only occurs once every 66 years." Aunt Zelda started ranting. Aunt Hilda stepped closer and lightly consoled her sister.
"If it's just about a club, dear..."
"It's not, Aunt Hilda. There's also the Harvey of it all. We very recently took things to the next level."
Cordelia rolled her eyes, realizing her cousin doesn't really understand what taking things to the next level meant.
"He hasn't defiled you, has he?" the red-headed aunt asked pressingly. "Witch law forbids novitiates
from being anything less than virginal."
"Oh, wow." Ambrose chuckled moving across the room.
"It's funny how that law only applies to witches and not warlocks."
"Not now, Cordelia." Aunt Zelda berated her.
"Aunt Zelda. Not that it's anyone's business, but no." Sabrina finally answered.
"Praise Satan." Both of the older witches sighed in relief.
"However, now that you bring it up, I admit, I have reservations
about saving myself for the Dark Lord. Why does he get to decide
what I do with my body?"
"Because it is witch law. Covenant."
"Okay, but why?" the half-witch was met with silence from her aunt. "And if you don't know, maybe I can talk
to someone before my baptism,
someone who can help me understand these things so I can make an educated choice."
"Choice?" Aunt Zelda finally blew out. "It is our sacred duty and honor
to serve the Dark Lord. The extraordinary, delicious gifts he bestows on us in return for signing his book. And you, you would deny him that?"
"It's my name, Aunt Zelda."
"We all signed the book, and proudly, I might add." the red-headed matriarch stood up.
Cordelia scratched her book nervously, knowing that her aunt's last statement was not true.
"This is your mother's influence."
"Zelda, calm down. Your blood pressure."
"This is your fault too." the older woman pointed at her sister.
"Wah...I"
"We should've home-schooled her,
as is our custom."
"Sabrina, do you not want to join
the Church of Night as a full member?" Aunt Hilda tried.
"I think so, I just don't know why
I have to give up everything in my life that's human to do it."
"Witch law. The Path of Night or the Path of Light..."
"But not both." Sabrina ended off with her aunt, tired of hearing the same speech. She also stood up from the chair and held the back of it, as she mirrored her aunt.
Cordelia lowered herself in her chair, as her Aunt Zelda was currently using the chair to control herself.
Ambrose grinned jovially at his sister's expense.
"And yet, my father, a warlock, married my mother, and she was human."
"Yes, and it very nearly got Edward excommunicated."
Sabrina slammed her chair, "Which begs the question, why would I want to join an organization that would do that to anyone I cared about?!"
"Because it's what they wanted for you." the older witch said with definity, creating an unbearable silence in the room.
'Low blow, Aunt Zelds' Cordelia thought to herself, knowing that Sabrina's deceased parents was a weak spot for her cousin.
"Isn't that right, Hilda? Didn't Edward and Diana both say so?"
"Yeah, they... they did, lamb. Many times." her aunt answered gently.
"You are a Daughter of the Church of Night. Your father was a High Priest. You will be baptized under a blood moon, as we were, as all the Spellmans before you were..." Aunt Zelda squeezed Cordelia's shoulder at the 'all', making her look up in surprise, she then sent a comforting smile towards her cousin to ease the tension.
"...as your children will be. And that, niece, is final."
With that, the woman waltzed out of the room.
Both the siblings found their cousin sitting glumly on the porch.
Ambrose knocked on the wall getting her attention, while Cordelia went to go stand across from the blonde against the railing.
"Let me ask you, that spell we cast on Hawthorne last night, you enjoyed that? From the glint in your eye, you loved it."
"Yes. Of course." Sabrina answered the warlock.
"You realize that your gifts, that euphoria fade to nothing if you aren't baptized."
"I know. I just... need to be sure."
"In that case, you need to get
your hands on a malum malus."
"Ambrose, no..."
"She needs guidance..."
"Of course she does, we were both scared when we had to sign our names, but a malum malus can easily backfire..."
"What would you suggest then?"
"Guys!" Sabrina exclaimed. Getting both her cousins' attention "What is a malum malus?"
Breathing out, and avoiding his sister's gaze he explained, "It depends on who's translating. If it's a man, it's the apple of evil. If it's a woman,
it's the fruit of knowledge."
"What do you do with it?"
"It's an apple, Sabrina, you bite it." he teased and stepped closer to her. "And it whispers secrets to you. Grants you knowledge. Sometimes it might show you a glimpse of the future. Should you walk the Path of Night
or the Path of Light? The malum malus might illuminate one path over another. Is that interesting to you?"
"Yes, I'm interested."
"Sabrina wait..."
"Go to an orchard, find the oldest tree..." Ambrose spoke over his sister. "It'll have one. The older the tree,
the more it's seen, the more it knows, the more accurate its reading of the future will be."
"Groovy."
"Alright! My turn to speak." Cordelia said in frustration. Getting the blonde's attention "Cousin, the malum malus, though very enlightening, it can cause serious side effects and not to mention if you accidently pick a rotten appl..."
"And I repeat myself once again, what would you suggest? " her brother challenged her.
Crossing her arms defiantly, she stared her brother down as she responded. "The Feng Shui compass."
Ambrose immediately snorted at the suggestion, but Cordelia ignored him and looked at her cousin.
"It's a compass I got from my travels in China years ago, when I was studying the history of their magical community."
"What does it do?"
"As any compass it guides you, but Asian cultures first used the item for spiritual guidance, specifically. Now, since the one I have is magical, you can use it to determine where your true desires lie."
"And how you use it..." the witch continued, while taking a seat next to her cousin. "In your case, you take an item that best represents your mortal life and then one that represent your witch side. You stand in the middle with the compass in your hand, calm your mind and it will show you."
Sabrina bit her lip in contemplation. Seeing her hesitancy, the older witch spoke again,"... And if I might add, my recommendation you'll just need to head upstairs and I'll give it to you. While my brother's might be sending you to a deadend. "
"Sister, your method might be safer, but it is surely not accurate... The compass sometimes goes according to how you feel at that very moment..."
".. Not very stagnant." he said pointedly to his cousin.
"As if the malum malus has not been deemed inaccurate for the forecasting of prophecies." she rebutted, while rolling her eyes. Cordelia then turned to her cousin once again, who was thinking long and hard.
"Sorry, D, but I think I'm going to go with Ambrose's plan." Sabrina finally let out, while standing up.
The warlock grinned in satisfaction, which quickly disappeared when his sister flicked him on his forehead.
"Well, if that's what you choose to do. Atleast take Salem with you."
"Of course, come on Salem."
The familiar meowed in response and followed its owner.
"And make sure there are no worms in it!" Ambrose exclaimed after her.
"Oh, now you mention it." Cordelia sighed out while standing up and closing the buttons on her coat.
"I'm surprised you're not going with her."
"I have other matters to attend to." she responded, as she walked down the stairs and lit a cigarette.
Frowning at first in thought, then remembering, Ambrose sighed out. "Sister, you promised Sabrina."
Blowing a puff of smoke, "I didn't promise a thing." she responded, while checking the time on her father's old pocket watch, then teleported to her destination.
Arriving at the eerie gates of the Unseen Academy of Arts, a shiver ran through her spine as she looked towards the school forest, bringing back unwanted memories.
She knocked on the Academy's door. A young warlock opened the door, by the looks of it at least, as he nervously blinked.
"Hello, can I help you ma'm, I mean miss..."
To save the boy from embarrassment, Cordelia dropped her cigarette and stepped on it. "I would like to speak with Prudence Night please."
The warlock's eyes widened in barely hidden fear. "You mean the Weird sisters?"
Sighing out in annoyance at the ridiculous nickname. "Yes, the Weird sisters."
"Well I uhm..."
"What's your name?" Cordelia interjected, while moving her vintage round black sunglasses to the top of head, to look less intimidating.
"Uhm, Bronn..."
"Alright, Bronn, you look fairly new, which means you're probably deathly afraid of them and keep interaction to a minimum."
The boy nodded.
"So, how about you just let me in, and I'll find them myself?"
"I don't think I can... Non students and non faculty members are not allowed in the academy without the High Priest being aware..."
Dropping her kind demeanor, Cordelia pushed the boy inside of the academy mid-response.
"Wait you can't just..." Bronn said as he sent a spell her away, which the older witch stopped with just a flick of the wrist.
"Mwen rele ou" Cordelia casted, summoning the warlock to her, who eyes went wide as he was slightly lifted up and brought closer to her.
"It might not look like it, but I'm a 131 year old witch..." Bronn's eyes, if possible, widened more. "Since you weren't aware of that little detail, I'm going to let you go, but only if you tell me where they might be."
"They're usually in the library... or...or their rooms, or class."
Letting him down, Cordelia only noticed then that the Academy itself looked a bit empty. "Thank you. Where is everyone?"
"Well... In class." he replied guiltily.
The older witch scrutinized the boy, and then turned on her way to the library. "You cannot afford to skip classes young man, you clearly need it." she said while waltzing away, leaving a gulping warlock behind.
Luckily, for Cordelia the library was the first place she found the three sisters. They were sitting at the far back, clearly up to no good as they giggled menacingly.
Agatha and Dorcas noticed her first as she approached, while Prudence only turned her back, once her sisters went quiet.
"Cordelia Spellman..." Prudence let out a haugtly laugh, as the other two also stood up to stand next to her. "I will have to say, this is a surprise."
"It has been years since you've been at the Academy." Agatha spoke.
"What could've possibly made you come?" Dorcas added, knowingly.
Rolling her eyes, "I'm not doing this. Prudence, I want to speak to you alone. I'm not in the mood for your backup vocalists."
Both Agatha and Dorcas scoffed at the woman's audacity and smirked.
Cordelia shoved her hands in her pockets, disregarding the other sisters, and raised an eyebrow at Prudence.
Having a stare off, the latter finally sighed and looked at both of her sisters. They looked back at her with disbelief.
"I'll meet you outside."
Both girls scoffed in anger and purposefully bumped against the newcomer as they passed her.
Cordelia breathed in annoyance and amusement. Just as the door closed, she spoke again, "They know I can kill them easily, right?"
Checking her nails, Prudence's face remained unimpressed.
"... and you." she added for good measure.
"You might have the ability, but not the capability. You don't have it in you." Prudence dared.
"I've killed my own aunt Zelda just to prove a point. Don't test me Prudence."
The woman raised her eyebrow in surprise.
Even though, this happened years ago. She can still remember doing it, and vowed to never to do it again. The reason for murdering her aunt, was actually for her aunt Hilda.
There was a time when the red-headed woman would kill her sister relentlessly, just for the simplest annoyance.
One day Cordelia had enough of the mistreatment towards aunt Hilda and surprised her aunt Zelda with a shovel to her head. She had to ask help from her brother, since she wasn't very skilled in necromancy.
Cordelia couldn't help but smile at the memory of her aunt Zelda, usually prim and proper walking up the porch steps, dripping in mud.
Flashback
The newly revived matriarch looked at her niece sitting in her usual spot, as she used her aunt's cigarette holder as well. Finally, noticing her aunt she puffed out a smoke.
"You killed me." the older woman's, voice shook in anger.
"How was it?"
Zelda gasped out in disbelief, at her niece's nonchalant. Cordelia just smirked, not scared at all. Knowing, eventhough her aunt Zelda would kill her sister, she would never do it to her nieces and nephew.
"As you seem to be at a loss for words. I will just say that the next time you think of killing aunt Hilda, just remember this moment."
The older witch calmed herself, then straighted up. "You have made your point, niece." she finally let out, and with as much dignity reached for the door handle, but not without muttering lowly, "Well, played" and then quickly closed the door behind her.
End of flashback
Her aunt Zelda has not tried to kill her sister again after that incident.
"I'm guessing this is about your half-breed cousin." Prudence interrupted her thoughts, clearly annoyed.
"Yes, it is. I believe we need to come to an understanding.
"Oh?"
"My cousin, Sabrina, is off limits."
"What makes you think you can come here, and bark orders? You think I'm afraid of you?"
The older witch stepped closer, but the former just smirked at the proximity.
"Don't forget, I have over 30 years more life and magical experience than you. There's spells that I know, that you don't even know exist. Don't give me a reason to test them all on you."
"Oohh, you promise?" Prudence purred in response. As the former scoffed out and stepped back. "What happened to us, we used to be close?"
Looking at the short-haired witch in frustration, "That was a long time ago, before I realized what kind of a person you truly are."
The younger witch's demeanour dropped for a millisecond, "And what is that?"
"Manipulative, selfish, ruthless,... I mean how could you?"
Prudence annoyed expression turned into a frown at the question.
"The Harrowing? How could you possibly bring it back?"
Seeing the older witch actually getting emotional Prudence blinked, as she has not seen this side of her in years.
"Cordelia, I..."
"It doesn't matter, I don't want to hear it. Leave my cousin, that's all I came to say, and if you or your sisters even think of Harrowing her when she starts here, there will be heaven to pay."
With that, she didn't wait for a response as she waltzed out of the academy and evaporated back to her home.
Landing on the front porch, Cordelia breathed out, as memories began to return. She shook the unwelcome thoughts out of her head, as she opened the door, hoping to take a warm relaxing bath to end the brutal day.
However, that is not what the universe had planned for her as she walked into the house.
"Sabrina, niece. Is that you?"
Frowning, Cordelia stepped closer to Aunt Zelda's voice, which was coming from the living room.
"No, it's..." she paused, as she felt the tension of the room and recognized the man sitting across from her aunties and brother.
The fire crackling was the only sound that can be heard, before the man spoke.
"Ah! Cordelia, lovely to see you dear." Faustus Blackwood jeered.
Out of custom, Cordelia approached him and shook his hand, "Your Excellency, I'm pleased to see you in our home. Though I cannot withhold my surprise." she bowed her head.
"Honest as always, that's what I always admired about you..." he chuckled still holding her hand. "But might I say you have grown into a beautiful woman, and a spitting image of your mother." The man stroked her hand, making her cringe internally. If it was anyone else she would've slapped it away, but she had a role to play.
"You honor me, your Excellency." she smiled, while slowly retracting her hand and taking the open space next to her aunt Hilda. Also, next to her brother who was leaning against the fireplace wall.
"As I've mentioned to your Aunties; Sabrina seems to be having some doubts on her baptism and I came here to answer all her questions and to ease her of any concerns."
Cordelia nodded in kind at the explanation. Not understanding why a High Priest would do a house visit, just to recruit a half-witch. She felt herself grow uneasy for her cousin.
Ironically, the door to the house closed, and it could only be Sabrina, as her aunt Hilda called her over.
Sabrina cautiously stepped into the room, surprised at the tension.
'I hope I didn't look like that' Cordelia thought to herself.
"Is this the child?" he asked.
"It is, Your Excellency." Aunt Zelda spoke.
"This is our niece, Sabrina." Aunt Hilda added.
Giving her all his attention, he turned to the half-mortal witch, and spoke with determined voice. "Oh, my child. You have no idea how special you are, do you? How you've been chosen."
"Sorry, do I know you?"
Cordelia bit her lip, to hide a grin at her cousin's aloofness.
"Honestly. Forgive her, Father, she knows not what she says." Aunt Zelda spoke again in clear embarrassment.
"Sabrina, we are being honored tonight. This is Faustus Blackwood.
He's High Priest of the Church of Night. Dark Lord Satan's representative on earth." Aunt Hilda stammered through.
"Your aunts tell me you're having doubts about your baptism. That you may, in fact, not be signing
your name in the Book of the Beast."
"Uh..."
"No, no, no. That cannot be. That must not be."
Cordelia watched her cousin, as she was caught off guard and probably feared the man infront of her. She remembered that Faustus Blackwood never gave a good first impression, as he was rather intimidating. What her Aunt Zelda saw in him, she never understood.
"So... let us see what I can do to convince you."
Cordelia breathed, 'This is going to be a long night.'
Cordelia's room and style aesthetic: