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the axeman cometh: part four
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Those fingers in my hair
That sly come-hither stare
That strips my conscience bare
It's witchcraft
And I've got no defense for it
The heat is too intense for it
What good would common sense for it do?
It's such an ancient pitch
But one I wouldn't switch
'Cause there's no nicer witch than you.
Witchcraft
Frank Sinatra
1:30 ───────────༓───────── 2:57
THE SADDLE BAG OVERFLOWED WITH FOOD AND DRINK, things that Misty had claimed as collateral, as the Cajun girl followed behind the redhead. Her brow furrowed as she looked around Corey's office. She could feel the change in the atmosphere that surrounded her in comparison to that of the rest of the academy. Her eyes locked on the single photo frame that sat on the dark oak desk, her features relaxing as she reached out to pick it up. Corey didn't panic or hurry to put it away. Instead, she let the woman hold it in her hands as she took to rummaging through the drawers against the wall.
Misty's fingers traced the photo protected by a delicate pane of glass. She let out a soft sigh as she took in the image of the trio laughing, smiling, enjoying each other's company. Her suspicions were confirmed with one simple glance at the frame in her hands; Corey was exactly who she said she was.
"You two belong together," the woman said. Her eyes flicked up to land on Corey's confused face. The redhead gave the other witch a sad smile when Misty wiggled the frame towards her, accompanied by an obligatory nod. She swallowed hard, finding what she was looking for.
The sound of the younger witches arguing over what was going on filtered into the room as Zoe clamored down the stairs after putting Madison to bed. The three young girls bickered back and forth as they tried to figure out what they were going to tell the Supreme.
"Better yet," snapped Queenie. She was following Zoe down the hallway with an angry thud. "What are we going to tell Cordelia?"
"It's not our place to tell anyone anything," Zoe snapped back. Her hushed, annoyed tone followed her defensive demeanor. It wasn't her problem to solve, though she knew she would have done the same if she were in Corey's shoes— or would it be considered Corey's cloak? The redhead cleared her throat.
"Thank you," Corey stood up from her spot on the floor where she had been rummaging elbow-deep through her belongings. The old hand-me-down radio felt heavy in her grasp. "For helping me bring her back." She shook her head, struggling to keep her emotions in check. She took in a deep breath, able to feel the blonde's eyes on the device in front of her.
"Is that," Misty pointed an outstretched finger. The smile on her face contradicted her furrowed brow. "Is that for me?" Corey let out a laugh, nodding. She took a step forward, closing the distance between them as Misty placed the frame back on the desk beside her.
"I know it isn't much, but it was my mother's," she shrugged. Corey struggled to make eye contact with the woman who had done so much more for her than she could have ever imagined. "I saw what Kyle did to yours, and I couldn't let you go back home without a replacement." Misty reached out and took the radio in her own hands, her gaze moving back and forth between the radio and the redhead.
"Stevie's radio," Misty's bottom lip slipped between her teeth as she held in the squeal that threatened to escape the back of her throat. "I can't believe I'm holding Stevie Nicks' radio." Corey could see the extra bounce and giddiness in the woman's stature as she held the device in her hands.
"We have extra beds if you'd like to stay," Corey tilted her head at the older witch. Her hands fiddled with her fingers at her waist as she bit the inside of her cheek. "Zoe mentioned that you were looking for your tribe?" She paused as Misty looked up at her, the smile wiped from her face. "A—and Cordelia would love to have you around," she shrugged. She tried to find a way to convince the other witch to stay with them.
"I was," Misty nodded. Her sad eyes focused on the floor for a moment. "And I am, but this ain't it." She shifted her weight, looking up at Corey once more. "I just got bad vibes; there's something foul in this house." Corey nodded, swallowing hard.
"Understood," she said. She knew the darkness that loomed over the academy. She felt it around Spalding and Fiona and Hank, when the latter decided to show his face. She wondered if Misty was safer out on the bayou, away from Fiona's uncontrolled need to snuff out the next Supreme.
"Zoe can take you home when you're ready, but my offer still stands." Misty gave the redhead a slight smile, her head tilted to the side as she pulled the radio against her chest.
"Much appreciated," she nodded once. She cleared her throat as she reached into the bag that rest against her side. "T-Maddie's gotta get that mud washed off before bed and slap more on come mornin'." Corey raised her brows, her eyes wide for a moment as she digested the words that had come from Misty's lips. The blonde pulled out a new jar of mud, holding it out for the redhead to take.
"Right," she swallowed hard. Her eyes narrowed as she took the jar in her hands. "I'll make sure she takes care of it, thank you." She gave Misty a small smile as she looked at the jar for a moment. She cradled it away from her body as if it was an infant she had never held before. She pulled it closer to herself, tucking it safely underneath her arm against her side.
"Speaking of, I should head upstairs and make sure she gets cleaned up." She pointed towards one of the open doors behind the older witch. Her head nodded in the direction of the hallway as she stepped away. She let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding in as she brushed past Zoe and the other witches in the hall.
"Corinna!" She could hear Cordelia calling for her from upstairs, assuming the redhead had locked herself in her room. "What is that vile stench coming from under your door?" She threw her head back as she climbed the staircase, a groan leaving her lips.
"Fuck," she muttered the word, just loud enough to be able to hear it herself. She sighed as she calmed herself down, taking in a deep breath as she continued to ascend the staircase. "It's nothing, Dee," she called out. She hoped that Madison had locked the door when Zoe left her in the bedroom alone. That the girl had remembered it wasn't just the rest of the coven that she needed to be protected from.
"I'll take care of it." Her shoulders fell as she caught Hank trying to pop her bedroom door open. "Really?" She groaned, her head falling to the side as he froze in his place.
"We thought—" Corey rolled her eyes. Cordelia's angry brow focused on her husband beside her.
"We thought," she chirped back. her own voice mocked his. Again, she groaned. "You thought, Hank." She moved to push past him but he blocked her path. "Delia wouldn't invade my privacy," her eyes landed on the blonde who refused to meet her gaze. "Or is the mutual trust between us broken because I won't let up on what I saw?" Corey reached out to grab the doorknob, something she should have thought twice about before doing.
"Hey!" Hank snapped. His hand wrapped around the girl's wrist in anger as he stopped her. The moment skin touched skin, she saw everything she never wanted to see about the man. Every negative feeling she ever had about her friend's husband was amplified ten-fold.
She wanted to use her powers to throw him off her; cause him to catch fire; make him forget how to breathe; let him suffocate in front of her for hurting Cordelia and not having the nerve to own up to what he did.
"Don't you dare talk to her like that." The redhead ripped her free hand away from him. Her face contorted as she tried not to gag at the images that burned themselves into her brain.
"God, you're disgusting," she groaned. She held back her urge to hit the man, knowing that Cordelia wouldn't have the power to stop her. Part of her felt like Hank deserved to suffer for letting the Headmistress and the rest of the coven believe that he was the family man he claimed to be. Her nose scrunched involuntarily as she shook her head.
"I can't believe you would do that shit." Though, she never would have put it past him. He reeked of an unfaithful, lying, altruistic aura from the moment they met.
"Corey?" Cordelia's voice was a whisper. The concern etched itself into her features. She could have dropped the jar, let it shatter against the floor as she tore into her friend's husband. Instead, she swallowed hard, taking a step back as she sized up the man in front of her.
"You think you're untouchable, don't you?" She let out a huff as she shook her head and swallowed down the lump that refused to leave her throat. "Masking your fucking escapades as business trips and trade deals." She rolled her jaw, noticing Cordelia recoil from the corner of her eye. Hank visibly panicked, taking a shaky step back.
"You've been gifted the sight?" The blonde tried her best to hold in her gasp. Her brow furrowed as she stared at Corey.
"What'd you see?" Hank demanded. His gaze hovered on Cordelia before his attention returned to the redhead. Corey let out a brief laugh, her arms crossing over her chest. She tapped the jar against her side.
"Who's the redhead with the terrible dye job?" She answered his question with a question of her own. Her eyes narrowed. She watched the man's face fall at her words. Corey knew she should've waited to have the conversation, but she needed to the couple away from her door. "And don't say my name, because you may be fucking me over, but I know you aren't fucking me." She shrugged, the emotion void from her tone.
"For someone trying to have a kid I would've thought you were better than that." Cordelia pivoted at the girl's words, taking off in the direction of her own room. Hank followed, calling after the Headmistress. With a sigh of relief, Corey's shoulders fell. She dug into her pocket for her keys. Before she could procure the keyring, she heard the click of the lock on the other side of the door.
Corey turned the doorknob and ushered herself inside her bedroom. She locked the door behind her, not entirely paying attention to the blonde that rested with her back pressed against the side of the bed. She moved across the room, gliding through the open bathroom door with grace.
Madison rubbed the fingers of one hand against her temple, her brows furrowed as she sat on the bedroom floor. Her other hand caressed the back of the cat in her lap. Faithful Ophelia, the anchor that held her favorite person against the floor. The blonde's legs were crossed in front of her, a proper bed for her feline friend, as she tried to recall what had happened. The last thing she remembered was being in the back of the taxi with Fiona. Everything after that, everything that led up to waking up on a slab of poorly supported wood in the greenhouse, was missing.
"Was I in a car crash?" She called into the bathroom attached to Corey's bedroom. Her hand fell from the side of her face and found itself nestled under Ophelia's chin. The redhead let out a light laugh, her head shaking as she walked back into the room. As the door knocked against tile, the sound of running water echoed against the bare walls.
"Not quite," she sighed. Her head tilted at the girl on the floor. "Though, maybe it's a good thing you can't remember right now." She knelt down, offering a welcoming hand to the blonde.
"I think that mud has been on your arm long enough to have worked it's magic." Corey gave the other girl a smile. When Madison refused to stand up, her brow furrowed. "I'm not going to hurt you, Maddie," she said, her voice soft.
"No, I know," the blonde shook her head. Her eyes remained locked on the cat in her hands. She found comfort in the ball of black fluff as she tried to find a way to explain how she felt. "It's just a lot right now." She shrugged, swallowing hard. "Everything is a lot right now." Her words were quiet, her own fear of breaking taking over.
"Then we do everything your way," Corey's outstretched hand patted against Madison's bare thigh. Ophelia stood in a stretch, leaving the blonde's lap vacant and cold. She looked up as Corey continued. "You're in charge, every step of the way." Green eyes locked with gold ones, a small smile peeking at the corners of Madison's lips.
"Sit in the tub with me?" Corey could see the sadness and confusion in the girl's golden orbs, the flecks of darkness overtaking the light. She squeezed the girl's thigh, her other hand moving to tuck a stray hair behind Madison's ear.
"Anything for you," she hummed.