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“We lost Anacostia.”
Petra’s words resounded in Tally’s mind, bringing forth images of the woman who had become almost like a mother to her. The redhead’s chest became heavy with a grief that nearly shattered her in two, but as she glanced over and saw the tears trailing down Alder’s cheeks she was suddenly smacked with the realization that not all of the grief she was experiencing was her own. Wordlessly she crossed the short distance to stand in front of the visibly shaken woman leaving scant inches between their bodies, close enough to feel Alder’s warmth but far enough back that Alder could still pull away if she were uncomfortable. The older witch’s eyes had glazed over and her mouth was twisted into a painful frown.
Tally sucked in a deep breath to steady herself and then reached a shaking hand up to Alder’s face, allowing her fingers to brush at the tracks her tears were making down her sharp jawline. Gently as she could manage, Tally gathered the brunette’s tears on her fingertips. Her eyes locked onto Alder’s stormy blue ones and for a moment both witches were impossibly still, each waiting for the other to move.
To everyone’s surprise, Alder broke first, moving with unnatural speed and grace to pull the younger woman into her. She pressed her forehead into Tally’s in a desperate attempt to quell the ache of loss she could feel all the way down to her toes. Tally accepted the motion in stride and pressed back into Alder with just as much force, arms coming up to wrap around the brunette and pull her into a tight embrace.
Alder stood limply in Tally’s arms for a minute trying and failing to control the emotions swirling inside her. Without the Biddies to take on some of her loss, she felt completely out of her depth. Her body trembled against the younger witch’s, and Tally responded by holding Alder impossibly closer and beginning to rub soothing circles along her back. After what seemed to Tally like an eternity, Alder took a long, slow breath and gently released it, the warm air ghosting over Tally’s lips and making the redhead shudder and swallow hard against the sudden, inappropriately timed surge of desire that ran through her. Alder’s eyes studied her knowingly, but the woman said nothing, instead choosing to press herself closer and nuzzle her nose against Tally’s cheek.
Neither witch seemed to remember nor care that they had an audience. Petra cleared her throat uncomfortably and slid her gaze over to meet her daughter’s eyes. Abigail immediately responded with a tight nod and bumped Raelle with her shoulder to get her attention. “Let’s give them some space, Shitbird.”
Raelle frowned. “Aw come on, I’ve been waiting for YEARS for them to get their heads out of their asses. Plus, it feels wrong to split up after everything.” At her words Alder moved her head to peer over Tally’s shoulder and catch Raelle’s gaze. Her eyes although still clouded by her grief also betrayed a tiny flash of amusement and a whole lot of affection for the woman whose arms she was wrapped in. She tilted her head almost imperceptibly toward Raelle and closed her eyes reaching out through the mycelial connection to speak to the blonde without words. Alder’s eyes briefly lit up in an otherworldly violet hue as she communicated her message for only Raelle to hear.
Thank you, daughter, for trusting me and for not losing faith when it mattered most. You all deserve to rest now and take comfort in the loved ones who remain on this side of The Mother. Go, please, and revel in this new freedom. I will return your sister to you, you have my word. She and I have much to discuss.
The violet glow faded as Alder ended her message and closed off the connection she had opened to speak with the blonde. Raelle looked a bit dazed as she had never realized Alder could speak directly in her mind like that. She shook it off and rolled her eyes playfully at Alder who simply returned a small smirk from over Tally’s shoulder. Abigail frowned and shoved Raelle again. “What the hell was that? More freaky mushroom shit?”
Raelle laughed and shook her head. “Something like that, but you’re right, we should leave them alone.” She turned to gaze lovingly at Scylla, her wife. She still couldn’t believe she finally got to use that word. It felt surreal and too perfect to possibly be true. “I can think of better things to be doing with our time anyway.” She winked salaciously and grabbed her wife’s wrist tugging her into a dizzying kiss.
Scylla giggled and blushed as she leaned against Raelle. “You’re right. There are much better things we could be doing.”
Abigail groaned at the shameless flirting by her insufferable sisters and dutifully walked over to stand by her mother who was watching with a mix of curiosity and affection. “I will need all of you to report for a debriefing…tomorrow. For now, let us all take a moment to simply breathe. I’m heading in for some lunch. Would you like to join me? Adil and Khalida as well of course. We are all family now.”
Abigail beamed at her mother, a bit taken aback by the gesture. “Wow mom. Getting sentimental are we?”
Petra groaned and pulled her daughter into a hug. “I am alive because of Anacostia’s sacrifice and I don’t want to waste the time I have been gifted. Please, won’t you humor your mother and come to lunch?”
Abigail’s expression turned somber at the reminder of Anacostia’s sacrifice and she nodded, hugging her mom a little tighter. “Can Rae and Scylla come too?”
Petra nodded vigorously. “Of course. Family is always welcome.” She locked eyes meaningfully with the couple and smiled. Everyone finally headed off as a group to go and get some much needed food leaving Tally and Alder to themselves.
Alder returned her attention to the redhead who had not moved from her spot against her. Finally free from prying eyes, Alder buried her face into Tally’s hair inhaling deeply and nosing at her witchmark causing the younger witch to shudder and gasp softly. Alder answered with a small hum of agreement leaving a barely there kiss to the luminescent mark on the redhead’s skin. Tally’s knees instantly went weak and she would have sunk to the ground if not for Alder’s strong grip holding her steady.
Alder brought one of her hands up between them and grasped Tally’s chin, directing it so that their eyes could meet. When her blue eyes found Tally’s brown ones she found herself nearly bowled over by the sheer force of the affection and love she saw reflected back at her. She hoped beyond hope that the younger witch could see and feel how much she reciprocated her affections. They had never needed words to communicate. Tally always seemed to see through her silence and to understand her heart no matter how fiercely she had tried in the past to guard it from her.
Tears welled in the corners of Tally’s eyes, a mixture of grief and the overwhelming relief that comes at the end of a war. She brought her own hands up to cradle Alder’s face gently, mimicking the older woman’s stance. In characteristic Tally fashion, she could only stay silent for so long and as such she was the first to speak. “It’s going to be okay, Sarah.”
Alder choked on a sob and closed her eyes briefly to collect herself. When she opened her eyes again Tally began to trace her thumbs soothingly along her cheeks. The brunette drew in a deep breath and a soft look of wonderment briefly replaced the grief in her eyes. “That’s the first time you’ve said my name.”
Tally blushed, cheeks dimpling under the force of her smile. “It felt right. Is it okay? Have I overstepped again?”
Alder rolled her eyes and huffed out a tiny chuckle. “When are you not overstepping? Say it again.”
Tally somehow turned an even deeper shade of crimson at the command, but she was never one to back away from a challenge. She locked eyes with the older witch, peering at her through her lashes and in the most reverent and whisper soft voice she could manage she spoke, “Sarah.”
Sarah swallowed audibly, body shivering against Tally’s as she focused inward and finally removed the last bit of mental blocks she had put in place to keep the redhead from being too overwhelmed by their remaining bond. A sea of emotions rushed into Tally causing her to sway and rest her entire bodyweight against Alder.
There was so much grief and loss but beyond that Tally was swept away by a resounding feeling of deep relief and pride. And deeper into the waves still were emotions Tally could not have properly braced for in a million years. Longing, desire, unbridled affection, a fierce protectiveness, something that felt dangerously like love and all directed at her. Tally gasped against the force of it all and unable to resist any longer closed the scant inches between their faces and finally brushed her lips against Sarah’s.
As soon as Tally’s lips met Sarah’s, the bond between them erupted and cemented in a way neither had ever felt before. Work swirled around the two witches, glowing mushrooms sprouted at their feet, and as Sarah’s tongue licked into Tally’s mouth to taste her for the first time thunder rumbled overhead and the ground beneath them trembled as much as they did. Mycelial threads reached out from all over Sarah’s body to wrap the pair in a private cocoon as the kiss deepened. Rain began to fall from their storm, but the cocoon kept them safe and dry as they nipped and licked at each other’s lips delighting in finally being able to give in to the pull that had been dragging them toward each other for what felt like eons.
Sarah broke the kiss, panting and resting her forehead against Tally’s as she allowed them both to take in some much needed oxygen. She felt more alive than she had since her death, and probably more alive than she had in many centuries before that as well. Tally’s mouth dropped open in awe as she marveled at the softly glowing mycelial cocoon that had wrapped around them, but Sarah only had eyes for the redhead. Her eyes glimmered with a deep appreciation for the woman in her arms and she dipped her head down slightly to press a tender kiss to her cheek. Tally blushed prettily and returned her gaze to Sarah.
“Nálè,” Sarah purred reverently into the soft skin of Tally’s cheek as she pressed a gentle kiss to the dimple that had appeared in the wake of Tally’s blush. A high pitched whimper slipped past Tally’s lips as she easily translated the Mothertongue in her head.
“Yes, you are,” Tally replied easily as she leaned in to capture Sarah’s lips in a bruising kiss. The boldness of the kiss caught the older witch slightly off guard and all the power in the world could not have stopped the moan that tore from her throat. Tally swallowed Sarah’s moans, returning them with her own and getting lost in the feeling and taste of the woman she had loved far longer than she had dared to admit.
“Sarah?” Tally stared into Sarah’s perfect blue eyes, a sight she knew she would never tire of. She waited for the older woman to focus on her and then mustered every ounce of courage she had to finally say the words that had been swirling in her gut since Alder had first been taken into the Mycelium. “Lóù imé wèlá.” She beamed at Sarah as the words left her mouth, grateful that her voice had come out smooth and steady.
Sarah gasped and tears flooded her vision once more as she pulled the younger witch tightly against her chest and cradled her head with her hands. She shuddered and shook against the weight of their combined emotions swirling through the bond that was now stronger than it had ever been, a gift from the Mother for returning peace to the world. She felt the pulse of The Mother in her veins as she let Tally's words settle like a balm in her mind and she knew now that she had a love like this, she would never be able to give it up. She closed her eyes as she felt the telltale thrum of the Mother speaking directly to her.
Nor will you have to, my Daughter. You have more than earned a life of your own to do with as you see fit. I may yet call for your assistance still, but for now build a life. Start anew. Cherish this connection, for few are blessed with a bond such as yours. Protect one another and continue to make me proud as the World will look upon you all as Goddesses. As is my will, so it shall be done.
As the meaning behind the Mother's words fully hit Sarah, she breathed deeply and pressed her body as close as possible against Tally’s, sighing at the sheer inevitability she felt as she held the younger witch to her. Slowly, Sarah lifted Tally’s face to meet her eyes again and pouring all her love through the connection she replied at last, “I love you too, Tally Craven.”
The two stayed there wrapped in the safety of the mycelial cocoon, kissing languidly and reveling in the feeling of wholeness that encompassed them. After awhile their blissful, tender kissing was interrupted by a low growl from the redhead’s belly and Sarah broke the kiss with a soft chuckle. She placed a gentle open mouthed kiss to Tally’s witchmark and smiled against the shimmering skin. “We’d better get you fed. You’ll need your strength for later.”
Tally regarded her curiously. “Oh? What’s happening later?”
Sarah smirked slyly and slid her hand down Tally’s back to clutch at the Knower’s ass. “Oh I think you know perfectly well,” she purred seductively in Tally’s ear, chuckling at the sharp whimper her words pulled from the younger witch. Tally turned as red as her hair and she couldn’t resist placing one last lingering kiss to Sarah’s kiss swollen lips before finally stepping out of the brunette’s embrace so that Sarah could pull the threads of the cocoon back into her body.
As the cocoon dissipated, the witches stepped out to find that they were alone and the sun was hanging lower in the sky signaling that they had long missed lunch. Tally grimaced as her stomach rumbled again and Sarah laughed as she took her beloved’s hand and kissed her palm. “Don’t worry, darling. I’ll take us to dinner. How do you feel about nachos?” Tally laughed and acquiesced, linking her fingers with Sarah’s and letting the older witch lead the way. Nachos sounded perfect.