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"C'mon Collar!" shouted Scylla as she stopped a few meters ahead of Raelle.
Raelle made up the distance between them and bent down with her hands on her knees. Her blond hair stuck to her face covered in sweat.
"You're slow," mocked Scylla.
"I hate you," murmured Raelle, catching her breath. She got upright and glared at Scylla. "Why aren't you tired? All you do is sit in the lab!"
Scylla shook her head with amusement. "Oh Collar, Collar. You need to work on stamina." She took a step in Raelle's direction and grabbed her by the hem of her sweaty shirt, pulling her close. "I can help with that." Her eyes dropped to Raelle's lips.
Led by the moment, Raelle leaned toward her with her eyes closed. But nothing happened. She slowly opened her eyes only to see smiling Scylla again a few meters ahead of her. She gave her an offended look but Scylla wasn't impressed.
"C'mon!" yelled Scylla, bouncing. "One more lap!"
Raelle groaned as the older girl was again on the run. Her own thighs were already burning from the exertion but she didn't want to look worse. Besides, this was nothing compared to Anacostia's training anyway. She could beat Scylla in her little game.
Scylla had a great time teasing Raelle. They were running around a lake near Fort Salem, which technically was army property but was located outside its walls. It made her feel safer and freer, although she was aware that it was only an illusion. But here there were no prying eyes from other cadets and sergeants. No one demanded of her absolute loyalty to a hated institution. And she could talk about it out loud without any consequences. If there was anywhere she could drop her guard, it was here.
Raelle noticed that Scylla became more relaxed and, as a result, lost her vigilance. A wicked plan was born in her mind. Maybe she wasn't the best runner, but she was still trained as a soldier. And Scylla, even if she had to have a similar training last year, now was focusing on her Necro stuff, which as far as Raelle was aware required sitting in the lab. So there was no way she could match Raelle in combat.
She slowed down, letting Scylla get even further ahead. Her Girlfriend seemed to not notice that. So when Scylla was about to pass her with probably another mischievous comment, Raelle jumped at her. Both rolled on the ground, almost falling into the lake. Raelle managed to sit on top of Scylla, pinning her hands to the ground.
"Who is loser now?" asked Raelle with triumph in her voice.
"Ok, ok! I lost, you won." Scylla grinned. "You can take the prize."
A victory filled Raelle's veins. Without thinking she leaned with obvious intention, releasing Scylla's hands to embrace her face. She enjoyed the sweet touch of soft lips only for a short moment before her sneaky girlfriend swapped them in place.
"Fuck Scylla!" gasped Raelle as she landed with her back in the mud. "Not fair!"
Scylla's self-satisfied smile was driving Raelle crazy. Not about to give the older girl this satisfaction, she shook her off, which didn't necessarily work out as she wished. Scylla may have been a Necro, but she was also a soldier, so they eventually ended up rolling in the mud.
While wrestling on the shore of the lake, something caught Raelle's attention. Her eyes focused on the nest, where she spotted an egg among the already shattered shells. A moment of distraction cost her a fall on her ass.
"Ouch, fuck," groaned Raelle, feeling the pain radiate through her bones. She held out her hand in a gesture of surrender. "Stop, Scyl. I give up."
"Disappointing, Private Collar." Scylla extended her hand to Raelle.
Normally Raelle would not let her girlfriend's mocking tone slip out, but her attention was already absorbed by something else. She had passed Scylla to crouch next to the nest. The little egg was moving, obviously, something was trying to get out of it.
"Scyl, come see, " said Raelle as the shell cracked. A tiny yellow-brown head suddenly appeared and looked straight into Raelle's eyes. "Aren't you cute?"
Scylla didn't hide her surprise. This was not the way they usually ended their teasing game. She came closer to see what made her girlfriend so soft. The little baby duck in a clumsy way tried to get out of its shell. Yeah, that was a cute view.
However, as the cuter view, Scylla considered her covered-in-mud girlfriend, who usually was a tough and bold cadet, now getting emotional over the, somewhat gross, miracle of birth. She crouched next to Raelle to get a better look at the little duck. The yellow-brown baby was looking at them with curious eyes.
"They looking for their mom," said Raelle and started looking around. "We need to find their mum," she added when she didn't find any adult duck.
Raelle didn't wait for Scylla's answer, probably didn't even expect one. She carefully picked up the baby duck in her hands and only then did she begin to look around for any other ducks.
Scylla had serious doubts that this was definitely a good idea. Animals, and ducks in particular, weren't part of her circle of interest, she thought grown-ups may not be happy about humans touching their babies.
"Rae, I don't think this is a good idea..."
"I'm not leaving them to die alone!"
"Okay..." Scylla put her hands in her pockets. Her girlfriend seemed so focused, that she chose not to interrupt her.
Raelle eventually got her way and found a small flock of ducks. It took a couple of tries for her to drop the little duck off, as it kept going back to her. The 'I told you so' was on the tip of Scylla's tongue. But finally the baby joined its species and, to the relief of both cadets, was accepted.
"Do you think they will like her?" Raelle asked worriedly. She watched as the adult duck took an interest in the new baby in her nest.
"It seems so," Scylla said, putting a hand on her shoulder. "She'll be fine, she's with her own."
"I know, but I'm worried," Raelle sighed. Though it was only a brief moment, she had grown attached to the baby and didn't want to leave them.
"Hey, you did your best." Scylla grabbed Raelle's chin and turned her face toward hers. The pout on her girlfriend's face amused her. She immediately leaned over to kiss her, which immediately made Raelle feel better. "We should go back. You're gross." She rubbed the dried mud on Raelle's cheek.
"Have you seen yourself?" Raelle snorted, looking at Scylla's mud-covered clothes.
***
Scylla sang a complicated work over a sliced part of a mushroom lying on a lab tray. A new assignment from Isadora for the Necro cadets. She had been working on it for some time and it seemed to her that she was close. All she needed was one more second.
BANG!
"IS COLLAR HERE!?"
All that work went to hell when unwelcome visitors burst into the lab and ruined Scylla's concentration. She glanced angrily at Raelle's two friends, whose faces showed no sign of guilt.
"Not here," Scylla growled. "And that sign on the door is there for a reason." The no-entry sign was perfectly visible. Impossible to miss.
At least Tally showed some remorse, but Abigail seemed unfazed by the ruining of Scylla's work.
"Where is she?" Abigail demanded.
Scylla pointed to a room where it was just the three of them. "Clearly not here."
"It's strange. Usually, when she disappears, she sucks face with you somewhere."
Abigail's rude comment made Scylla grimace. The failed experiment lay miserably on the lab tray, and it didn't look like it could be fixed. Scylla sighed."I don't know where she is," she said to the two cadets with an irritated voice. "Now can you get out of here?"
Abigail shrugged and left. Tally quickly said "sorry" and followed her friend. When Scylla was finally left alone and made sure the door was locked, she returned to her task. The failed experiment landed in the trash, replaced by a new quartered mushroom. However, with her thoughts swirling around Raelle, she couldn't concentrate. For the past few weeks, Raelle happened to disappeare, but Scylla didn't make a big deal of it. It wasn't like she needed to know everything Raelle did. She had her own secrets.
Despite everything, Scylla had her suspicions and abandoned her assignment to sneak out of Fort Salem. As she anticipated, she found Raelle at the lake. She was sitting on the bank, watching a flock of ducks from a distance.
"Skipping training again?"
"Shit!" Raelle jumped and looked around. At the sight of Scylla, she grabbed her heart dramatically. "Warn next time!"
Scylla sat down next to her girlfriend. "So this is where you were disappearing to lately?"
"I couldn't leave Daisy alone."
"Who's Daisy?" asked a confused Scylla, but she quickly guessed the answer herself as she followed Raelle's gaze. A flock of ducks was swimming in the distance, but one of the babies had separated from the group, swimming toward them.
"Say hello to Daisy," Raelle said, sounding excited.
Scylla couldn't tell that this was the same baby duck they saw a few weeks ago. They all looked the same to her. But she didn't want to break her girlfriend's heart, so she said hello to the duck.
***
The lake became their place. As Raelle began spending more time there, Scylla would show up there as well. For example, to drag her duck-addicted girlfriend back to the training center. Which said a lot about the state of addiction, because Scylla was the last person who would encourage anyone to return to Fort Salem.
There were also other concerning signs.
They succeeded in sneaking out of training for a while and naturally ended up at the lake. Scylla was leaning over Raelle lying on the ground and teasing her, kissing all over her on the face but purposely avoiding her lips. Until Raelle decided to take matters into her own hands and pull Scylla's head in for a proper kiss.
What started out as an innocent thing quickly turned out to be something much more than that. Scylla slid her hand under Raelle's shirt, enjoying the toned muscles. The body beneath her arched under her touch, and she smiled against her girlfriend's lips, breaking the kiss. Raelle's hands went to Scylla's brown hair, demanding her mouth.
QUACK!!
'No, no, no!" echoed in Scylla's head
Raelle stopped immediately and pushed Scylla away from her. Scylla landed on her back and looked up at the cloudy sky. This couldn't be happening. Not again...
The lack of Raelle's touch was a clear sign that they were done. Scylla sat up and glared at the duck cuddling up to her girlfriend. She couldn't believe that she had been abandoned for a stupid bird. Again.
She wasn't going to let that happen this time.
She hugged Raelle from behind, kissing the sensitive spot on her neck. For a while, it worked. Raelle tilted her head, giving Scylla more space, which she gladly took advantage of. But just as things started to heat up again, Raelle came to her senses.
Raelle pulled away from Scylla, "Not in front of the baby," she said. Even as she looked into disappointed and thirsty blue eyes of her girlfriend, she was serious about her decision.
"It's a duck." Scylla crossed her arms and pointed her head at the animal, which was beginning to look like a full-grown duck. If she had to guess, the duck was in its teens. But what did she know?
"Still a baby!" protested Raelle.
Raelle bit her lip as she looked at the excited Scylla. Her hair was disheveled, her pupils dilated and her cheeks flushed. Looking down, she saw lips swollen from kisses. The warmth between her own legs reminded her why Scylla looked that way, and that she was the reason.
The insistent quacking, on the other hand, reminded her why they had stopped. She couldn't risk hurting Daisy by seeing her and Scylla having sex. It would be wrong.
It was a stalemate. She could see that Scylla was not happy, but Daisy needed her attention as well.
Scylla kept telling herself that she wasn't going to be jealous of the stupid duck, but Raelle's obvious hesitation made her feel angry. She stood up and shrugged her clothes off the floor without bothering to look at her girlfriend.
"I'll leave you with your baby," her voice was stripped of the warmth she always had for the Raelle.
"Wait!" Raelle stood up, but Scylla was already moving quickly away. "Scylla!" she shouted after her.
She screwed up. She had a feeling that Scylla was not in the mood for conversation right now. She looked at Daisy, who tilted her head curiously. Raelle sat down next to her and looked into the murky lake.
"What am I supposed to do now?" she asked rhetorically. Daisy quacked in response, and Raelle patted her on the head. At least one of them could be carefree.
That same evening, Raelle was determined to apologize to her girlfriend. She even went so far as to steal Abigail's chocolate bars, which Scylla also liked. Her heart was beating too fast when she knocked on the door of Scylla's room.
"What are you doing here?" Scylla asked, leaning against the door frame with her arms crossed over her chest. She must have taken a shower.
Raelle pulled out the chocolate bars in front of her. "I came to apologize."
Scylla's eyes fixed on the food for a moment, but the grimace on her face didn't even twitch. The prolonged silence was torture for Raelle, but Scylla finally took the candy from her and let her in.
Raelle rubbed her mother's ring as she watched Scylla sit on her bed and unwrap the chocolate bar. It wasn't natural for them to be in the same room and not even look at each other. The silence was unnerving, and Raelle knew she should be the one to break it.
"I'm so sorry for earlier," her voice sounded like she felt. Pathetic. "I didn't mean it."
"I think you've made your priorities clear," Scylla replied coldly.
"I didn't want to do it in front of Daisy." Scylla rolled her eyes at the mention of the duck. "I don't think it would be comfortable for you either."
"Why does everything have to come down to that duck?" groaned Scylla, tossing the uneaten candy bar onto the nightstand. She was tempted to throw something heavier, preferably at Raelle so that she would finally come to her senses.
"And what is that supposed to mean?" Confusion appeared on Raelle's face.
"You're missing trainings because of Daisy." The duck's name barely passed through Scylla's throat. "You can't meet me because Daisy. Finally, we meet and Daisy! I'm done with it!"
A very quick check of her conscience made Raelle scowl. Scylla might have been right. She had indeed spent a lot of time at the lake lately, with or without Scylla.
"I'm sorry." She scratched her neck, not sure what else she could have said. Everything in her mind didn't sound good enough. "I had no idea you felt that way."
"Well, now you know."
"I am sorry," Raelle repeated herself. "I promise it won't happen again. How can I make it up to you?"
Raelle's remorseful expression softened Scylla's heart. Sure, she was upset with her, and she was definitely annoyed by the duck's constant presence, but at the end of the day, Raelle was Raelle. Her wonderful girlfriend who showed her the light in the darkness that Scylla would have gone into without her. She missed her closeness, being intimate with her.
Despite some resentment that still lingered in her mind, she was ready to forgive Raelle. And since Raelle wanted to earn that forgiveness, Scylla already had an idea.
"The bars are a good start," Scylla said, sitting more comfortably on her bed. "But I think you owe me something else."
The change in Scylla's attitude sent a wave of heat through Raelle's body. She could feel her cheeks burning under the expectant gaze of the blue eyes. She stepped over to the bed and leaned toward the Scylla who raised eyebrows, waiting.
"What do I have to do for you to forgive me?" The gaze between them was intense. From this distance, Raelle could see the pupils absorb all the blue in Scylla's eyes. "I will do anything."
"Anything?" Scylla's voice was no louder than a whisper.
"Anything," confirmed Raelle. Her eyes slid to Scylla's lips.
A mischievous smile flashed across Scylla's face before she grabbed Raelle's head and pulled her into a passionate kiss. She already had a plan in mind for what she wanted to do that night with her girlfriend, who was more than willing to prove her loyalty and how sorry she was.
***
The lights in the theater room began to come back on as the credits continued to play on the screen. Most of the people were gathering to leave, except for Raelle and Scylla, who were sitting in the back. They were the last to leave the theater, holding hands.
"I feel like I haven't been to the movies in forever," Raelle said as they walked through the mall. It was true. Between basic training and the war college, she hadn't had much time for civilian entertainment.
"Same here," Scylla agreed. It was her idea to sneak into town, but it was Raelle's idea to go to the movies. Everything had gone well so far. No one had caught them or bothered them. It was nice to get out of the military uniform and into civilian clothes for a change. "Would you like some ice cream?"
"Isn't it too cold for ice cream?" Although the ice cream stand was open, it was not very crowded. After all, it was late fall and people were looking for something warm.
"Live a little!" Scylla winked at Raelle. "When's the next time you get to eat ice cream?"
Raelle couldn't disagree. She followed Scylla, who was already leaning over the ice cream flavors. The final choice was chocolate for her and mint for Raelle. They took a table a little off to the side. Between them and the rest of the customers was a row of empty seats, except for two men who sat near them. But like them, they did not seem to want to attract the attention of other people.
"Mhmm, so good," Scylla groaned, enjoying her ice cream. That made Raelle amused.
"You really like chocolate."
"In any form." Scylla looked around as if searching for something. "We need to find hot chocolate later."
Raelle laughed, making fun of her girlfriend's obvious addiction. They joked a bit about the food at Fort Salem, promising to make a decent supply of sweets before returning. However, their good humor was interrupted when Raelle overheard a conversation between men at a neighboring table.
She looked at Scylla to make sure she had heard. The happy atmosphere was gone, and both girls were now focused on the ongoing conversation at the next table
"They will burn in front of all of America."
"This bitch will finally be used for something. Too bad she was with us for so long."
"Who would ever guess that getting into Fort Salem would be so easy?"
The two witches exchanged horrified glances. Each successive word sounded worse and worse. Scylla kept a neutral face, and Raelle could only be glad that she was sitting with her back to the two men. She wasn't as good at hiding emotions, especially anger, as her girlfriend.
Scylla moved her arm across the table and squeezed Raelle's hand to comfort her. Out of the corner of her eye, she glanced at the two men in black coats. There was no way they could recognize them, but it was better not to draw attention to themselves.
"We have to warn them," Raelle whispered, thinking of Fort Salem. She might not have been a fan of the institution per se, but she had friends there. People who didn't deserve to die.
Scylla suddenly leaned over the table and pulled Raelle's head in for a sloppy kiss. Raelle gave in easily to the feeling of soft lips, tasting chocolate on the other girlfriend's tongue.
The two men had just finished their conversation. On their way out, they barely noticed the two young women kissing. They did not know that they were two witches who had listened in on their plan to attack Fort Salem. They weren't even worried that someone might have overheard them.
Scylla was the first to break the kiss. Raelle instinctively leaned forward, chasing after the brunette's warm lips. Scylla's giggle made her realize there would be no continuation. She opened her eyes and saw a laughing girl. She smiled herself, but after a moment they both turned serious.
They had a problem to solve.
They hid in the restroom, where Raelle tried to contact anyone from Fort Salem. Tally, Abigail, even Anacostia, but no one answered. It was as if something was blocking them. The frustration on Raelle's face was obvious when she left the stall.
"Maybe I'll try," Scylla said, squeezing her girlfriend's shoulder. Raelle nodded, but it was clear that her mind was elsewhere.
Scylla thought of people she knew in Fort Salem who could actually take a message from her. Not much of a choice, but she had to try. A wrinkle of effort appeared on her forehead as her work failed to reach any target. She felt as if she had stumbled into a total void as if there was no one on the other side who could hear the message.
It was worrying.
"It's not working," she informed Raelle, who looked even more concerned. "f we hurry, we can still have time to warn everyone."
Raelle's looked doubtful, but there was no time to dwell on it. They had to get back to Fort Salem. It was hard not to look suspicious when they had to act calm, but really they wanted to go on the run. Raelle was glad that she had Scylla with her, because she didn't know how she would have managed without it.
Shortly after getting out of town, they encountered another obstacle that almost got them caught. Many TV trucks and police cars were parked on the road to Fort Salem. This was not surprising, since the military base was being visited by government officials. So Raelle and Scylla decided to play hooky that day because even Anacostia wouldn't have time to chase them.
The problem was, these people were not who they said they were. Scylla recognized the men from the mall, high-fiving several people. They looked like good buddies. Add to that the fact that the two witches' work began to fail when they got too close, and it was clear that this was more complicated than they thought.
"Fuck, fuck, fuck," Raelle muttered, pacing. They checked all the roads to Fort Salem, and every one of them seemed to be blocked.
Watching a frustrated Raelle did not help Scylla's thinking. She wasn't going to lie to her girlfriend that everything was going to be fine when everything had been going so badly. Contact with Fort Salem through work was impossible and they couldn't physically go back there. Trying to send a message by any other means seemed doomed to fail as well. Maybe if she had a crow, a raven or some other bird...
Suddenly, an answer popped into her head. Her gaze fell on the empty lake, but those damn ducks had to be around somewhere. Scylla knew they hadn't gone anywhere because Raelle kept visiting them.
"Where is your duck?" - She asked Raelle, who stopped in her tracks. The Fixer looked at Scylla in surprise.
"Daisy? Why are you asking?"
"We have to get the message to the fort somehow." Scylla's words did not please Raelle. It was obvious from her expression, but Scylla continued. "No one will probably pay attention to the duck, and Abigail and Tally might guess that she came from you."
"I'm not sure..."
"Raelle, we have no other option!"
"How can you be sure it will work?"
"I don't!" Scylla gasped, throwing her hands up in the air. "You got a better idea?"
A storm of different emotions reflected on Raelle's face. Finally she whistled softly and after a while a brown duck came towards them. For the first time, Scylla breathed a sigh of relief at the sight of the damm duck.
"Do you have anything to write with?" Raelle asked Scylla as she crouched next to Daisy and stroked her feathers.
A few minutes later, Daisy was ready for her first mission. They tied a message to her leg and hung Raelle's medal around her neck. Both witches hoped it would be enough.
Scylla watched as her girlfriend crouched down beside the duck and said something to it, looking into its eyes. It was a set of instructions, but she sensed a sincere affection for the animal in the Raelle's tone. And Daisy herself looked as if she understood everything.
Scylla gained respect for the duck.
As Daisy headed for Fort Salem, Raelle had tears in her eyes. She didn't want to cry. Objectively, she knew it was a good plan, but she couldn't help treating Daisy like a member of her family. She would be just as worried about her father or Scylla if either of them had to go on a potentially dangerous mission.
Familiar arms wrapped around her, giving her a sense of security. Raelle let Scylla hold her for a moment,listening to calming words whispered into her ear.
"It's going to be okay," Scylla said softly, turning Raelle to face her. She planted a gentle kiss on her forehead. "Now all we have to do is wait."
***
Abigail smoothed her uniform for the thousandth time. The appearance of President Wade and several other government officials was a big deal. They had to present themselves at their best. Meanwhile, Gregorio was making jokes as usual, Adil seemed completely uninterested, and Tally was distracted by her own investigation, not to mention Raelle, who had completely disappeared somewhere. Maybe M were the only one who looked like they really cared.
The day could not have been more exhausting. The presence of an obnoxious TV crew didn't help. But the most surprising sight was a duck walking right up to her.
Abigail had no idea how the wild duck got there. In fact, she was about to ignore it, but then she noticed a medal around its neck, the kind worn by cadets at Fort Salem. A red light flashed in her head.
Could it be Raelle's duck?
She discreetly took the animal to her room, where she checked the medal. Damn you, Collar! Abigail felt anger rise up at her sister as she thought about what that Shitbird had done again. But her fury was directed in a different direction when she found the note attached to the duck's leg.
What sons of a bitch!
She didn't like the TV crew from the start. She went immediately to inform Anacostie, and preferably her mother, of the assassination attempt. Unfortunately, the door to the main building was blocked by people she didn't know. At least now it made sense.
"Let me pass," she demanded. Usually, her persona was enough to get what she wanted, but this time it didn't work. "Do you know who I am?" The mocking look of the guards was an insult.
Abigail's patience was at an end. She wanted to remind them who was in charge and get rid of these lackeys. But her vocal cords failed her, and the nasty grin on the guards's face told her that this was somehow their fault.
It didn't matter anyway. She was a soldier and had received proper training, so she was prepared for such occasions.
The guard did not seem to expect a fist coming at him, for he did nothing to stop it. With a groan, he retreated and grabbed his bleeding nose. His friend had learned his lesson and jumped into the fight. Abigail's veins filled with adrenaline as she faced her opponent.
In the meantime, the first guard had come to his senses and was boiling with rage. He saw that the witch was preoccupied with his colleague and decided to take advantage of it. He drew a folding knife and took a step toward the fighters. The witch's back was turned to him. Perfect.
Abigail heard a loud quacking behind her, the flapping of wings, and then a groan of pain. She smacked her opponent with her head and turned to see the commotion. Raelle's duck was attacking the face of a guard whose nose Abigail had broken moments before. The man swung blindly at his knife.
The scream of a wounded animal filled the air.
Instinctively, as if one of her sisters had been wounded, Abigail sprang to her attacker and knocked the knife out of his hand. She kicked him to his knees and then with another swing of her leg, sent him unconscious. Then she knelt down beside the wounded duck. At the same time, the door opened to reveal Petra Bellweather.
"What's going on?"
"We're under attack, Mom."
***
"Let's toast to Daisy!" In a room full of cadets, M raised their glass of alcohol.
"To Daisy!" repeated a chorus of voices.
Sitting on the couch, Raelle also toasted, but without as much enthusiasm as her colleagues. Daisy sat anxiously on her lap. After her brave actions on the intelligence mission and later saving Abigail in battle, she was hailed as a war hero and immediately became the Sekhmet Coven's mascot.
Daisy, like Raelle, did not seem to like the commotion the people around them were making now.
Raelle ran her hand down Daisy's back in a calming gesture. Although the fixers had taken very good care of her, she was still worried about her baby's well-being.
"Do you want to get out of here?" Scylla whispered in her ear, resting her chin on her shoulder.
Thank the goddess for Scylla, who smoothly apologized to the company and led them outside. After the latest incident, security on the grounds of Fort Salem had been put on heightened alert. The guards subtly shook their heads as Scylla and Raelle approached the woods where there was a passage in the fence they had slipped through earlier.
"Now I feel like I'm in a cage," Scylla whined when they had to settle for the fountain in the courtyard instead of going out into nature.
"Who would have thought that our reward for saving their asses would be to be grounded here," Raelle commented. In fact, they were lucky they weren't punished more severely for leaving Fort Salem on their own.
Scylla laughed grimly and crossed her arms over her chest. She looked at Daisy, who floated calmly in the fountain, letting Raelle, who sat on the bank, stroke her from time to time.
"I owe you both an apology," she sighed, and Raelle gave her a questioning look. "I underestimated Daisy. Now I understand that she is important to you and my jealousy was irrational."
"I knew you were jealous!" Raelle exclaimed. Scylla's raised eyebrows were enough of a warning to her not to pursue this, no matter how tempting it might be.
"Anyway," Scylla continued, "I'm glad we met Daisy and she's here with us now."
Raelle got up from the bank of the fountain and approached Scylla. She took her hands between hers. "I'm sorry too," she confessed. Today, she had come so close to losing Scylla, Daisy, and everything that really mattered in her life. "I haven't always kept my balance, and it hurts that I made you feel like you weren't important. But you are important. Like the most important person in my life."
"I know that." Scylla's eyes glistened with unexpected tears, but a smile was on her face. "I also know that when you care, you get very involved. You care about Daisy. You care about your unit, your friends. I don't have your time for exclusivity."
Raelle nodded. "But you have every right to feel bad if you think I'm not giving it to you enough." She squeezed Scylla's hands. "And you have to tell me if you ever feel that way again."
"It works both ways," Scylla pointed out.
A smile brightened Raelle's face. "Of course."
They hugged each other tightly. Scylla rested her chin on Raelle's shoulder and closed her eyes, sinking into her warmth and familiar scent. She held the love of her life in her arms and wished she never had to let her go. But then she heard a loud quacking. Not long ago she would have been annoyed by the sound, but now she calmly opened her eyes and looked at Daisy. This duck had saved them today.
In the past, Scylla has spent so much time antagonizing her. Unnecessarily. In many cases, it wasn't even Daisy's fault. And even if she didn't understand the phenomenon of the Raelle-Daisy relationship, she could see that it was a package deal. So maybe it was high time to try to understand.
Sensing a change in her girlfriend's mood, Raelle loosened her grip. She noticed that Scylla was looking at Daisy, but to her relief, she didn't see any jealousy or anger in it.
"You can pet her," she suggested to Scylla. "She'll like that."
Scylla had her doubts, but in her most recent resolve, she decided to give it a chance. She approached the fountain with her hand outstretched. She and Daisy locked eyes, and Scylla could have sworn she saw a challenge in the duck's eyes.
"Come on, Daisy," Raelle encouraged. "Scylla wants to get to know you."
Daisy looked at Raelle and then back at Scylla. Eventually, she allowed herself to be petted, and Scylla thought it wasn't so bad. Until Daisy tried to peck at her fingers. She immediately pulled her hand back and looked reproachfully at a laughing Raelle.
"Sorry," Raelle said, holding back a giggle. "I guess she thought you had something to eat," she explained, but Scylla already knew better. It was done on purpose!
When Raelle started to pet Daisy with ease, Scylla looked at the duck with narrowed eyes. She had always thought that Abigail would be her biggest problem, but the High Atlantic had just gotten a worthy opponent. But for Raelle, she'll make it work.
***
Raelle hung up the phone with a grim look on her face. She had just informed her father that she would be going on a mission for at least a month. Theoretically, it was not dangerous, a peacekeeping-type mission. They were supposed to protect a US research facility somewhere in a desert forgotten by civilization.
She just didn't want to go.
Edwin wished her good luck and asked her to send him a postcard when she got a chance. Although he didn't admit it, Raelle could tell that he was worried about her, no matter what mission she was sent on.
She had one more goodbye to say that day. Scylla. Even though they had spent the last night together, trying to make the most of the time they had left, they hadn't seen each other since breakfast. And Raelle didn't want to board the plane without one last kiss.
Scylla was waiting for her at the fountain, sitting on the edge and running her fingers through the water with an enigmatic expression on her face. Next to her swam Daisy, who occasionally tried to peck Scylla's hand. Scylla always chased her away with a light swipe of her hand, but she didn't seem to mind the situation. It was more like their way of having fun.
Raelle's heart melted at the sight.
She stood at a distance from them, watching the interactions between her two favorite beings on Earth. Eventually, Scylla raised her eyes to Raelle and her face lit up for a moment. She got up and walked over to her, hugging her tight.
"We just saw each other an hour ago," Raelle laughed, patting Scylla on the shoulder. However, she fully understood why her girlfriend did it.
"And I won't see you for another month," Scylla muttered.
"Good point." Raelle looked over her shoulder at Daisy floating in the fountain. "I'm glad you two get along."
Scylla rolled her eyes, but there was no irritation in it like before. Raelle leaned over once more to kiss the corner of her lips, then moved to the fountain. Daisy immediately swam to the shore and let Raelle caress her.
Ralle sat down on the edge, just like Scylla had done earlier. "My baby. I have to go away for a while, you know? But I will come back to you. Scylla will take care of you, okay? You have to be nice to her."
Scylla watched this with her hands crossed. Raelle's relationship with her duck always remained a mystery to her. Sometimes she wondered if Daisy really understood Raelle, or if everything was just a coincidence. And even if her girlfriend's pet annoyed her sometimes, she enjoyed Raelle's happiness.
When Raelle finished her motherly monologue to Daisy, she stood up and shook off the invisible dust. Her hand unconsciously reached for Scylla's, but she never let her baby out of her sight. "I'll miss you. Love you."
Scylla's heart warmed. "I love you, too," she replied without hesitation, but she didn't like the confused look on Raelle's face.
"Uhhh... I was talking to Daisy."
Scylla's lips formed a tight line. She should have known better. "To the duck," she clarified.
"Don't be jealous." Raelle nudged her gently with her shoulder.
"I'm not."
"Yes, you are," Raelle teased. She wrapped her arm around Scylla. "I love you too, even if you make it hard sometimes."
"I'm making it difficult?" Scylla looked at her girlfriend with raised eyebrows. She had much more evidence that it worked in quite the opposite way.
"Yes." Raelle nuzzled Scylla's jaw with her nose. "You're lucky I like you." Saying these words, Raelle was fully aware that she was also lucky that Scylla liked her. Maybe even more.
Scylla shook her head in amusement. Her girlfriend's sense of humor was sometimes unclear to her, but she didn't mind.
"Gather yourself, shitbird!" Hearing Abigail's urging voice, Raelle hid her face in the crook of her girlfriend's neck. But it didn't last long, as Abigail's screams came closer and closer.
"I can still hide you under my bed," Scylla whispered in her ear.
The offer was tempting, perhaps a little too much. But they both knew it was only a fleeting dream. So Raelle pulled away from her girlfriend before Abigail took her from her by force.
"Give us a moment, Abigail!" she shouted back.
Abigail didn't look happy. "You have one minute!"
Raelle thanked her with a nod and returned to Scylla. The goodbye was very real now. She reached for the other woman's cheek. "A month is not that long." She brushed her thumb over the corner of Scylla's lips. "I'll be back before you know it."
"I wish I had your optimism." Emotions weren't one of Scylla's strengths. Usually, she didn't show them, but now her sadness was clearly visible. She pressed her face into Raelle's hand. "I'll miss you so much."
"Me too. I will think of you every minute I am there."
The corners of Scylla's mouth raised slightly. "Now you are exaggerating. I don't want you to get in trouble because of me."
Both women laughed. Perhaps Raelle had exaggerated, but she would certainly be thinking of Scylla every moment she could, and Scylla knew it well. "That won't stop me anyway." Raelle said with a smile.
They leaned toward each other at the same time with obvious intent. Their lips were already inches apart for the expected kiss.
"COLLAR!" Abigail's irritated voice made Raelle jump in horror. She had to go.
Scylla, aware of how difficult this was for her girlfriend, took matters into her own hands. She pulled her by the collar into a firm kiss, then pushed her away toward the waiting coven. "Go now," she told her. "I'll take care of Daisy."
"I love you, Scyl!" shouted Raelle, walking backward towards her unit.
Scylla raised her hand. "I love you too!"
When Raelle disappeared from sight, Scylla turned to the fountain where Daisy was calmly floating. She wondered if the duck was aware of what was going on around her, that Raelle had really left and would no longer be around. Nothing indicated that she was.
"So we were left alone, huh?" she said to the duck that made her feel so stupid.
"Quack!"
"Great," Scylla muttered to herself. It's going to be an interesting month.
***
It had only been two weeks since Raelle had left on her mission. Scylla didn't realize how much the fixer had changed her life, basically cured her. In the past, Scylla would have had no problem being alone. She would simply check off all her activities on her daily schedule, one by one, and then hole up somewhere in an empty corner of the Necro complex or in her room, working on personal projects.
This time, every free moment was torture for her.
Lonely mornings and quiet evenings, when Raelle usually told her about her day and shared funny stories about her coven, now they it getting longer. She never liked to eat in company, but even that was changed by Raelle, who always dragged her to the cafeteria. So much so that she stopped smuggling food into her room. It was strange to come back to that.
This month was going to suck, but at Raelle's request, one more task was added to her schedule.
Daisy.
Although Scylla accepted the duck's presence in their lives and promised Raelle that she would take care of her while she was gone, she still didn't know what to do with her. After all, it was a wild animal. She believed that she knew better how to take care of herself.
But Scylla always kept her word.
Daisy sometimes stayed at Fort Salem, but was more often found at the lake where she was hatched. Scylla could relate. She also preferred a quiet lake outside the military complex. As time passed and the increased patrols calmed down, she was able to sneak out there again.
Most of the time she sat on the bank with a book or a smuggled lunch. Unlike Raelle, she didn't call to the duck or intentionally try to interact with her. She did, however, share a sandwich with her once or twice. Daisy accepted this arrangement and otherwise did not impose herself too much on Scylla. And they probably would have continued this unspoken agreement if not for the incident.
During the third week, Daisy stopped appearing at Fort Salem. Since the attack, she had served as the unofficial mascot not only of the Sekhmet coven but of the entire fort. As such, the soldiers eagerly fed her and played with her, and Scylla knew full well that this duck loved to be the center of attention. So she took her long absence as a bad sign.
And she promised Raelle that she would keep an eye on her.
It was a late spring afternoon, but as the sun set, so did the temperature. The light breeze that had been a saving grace during the day now made Scylla button her army jacket up to her neck. It took her a few minutes to reach the lake, and then she started looking around for ducks.
Usually, that wasn't a problem because they were either swimming in the lake or lying somewhere on the bank. But this time Scylla had trouble seeing the flock, let alone Daisy, which made her heart beat a little faster.
It was irrational! It's not like the ducks suddenly disappeared.
She wrapped her arms around herself and walked closer to the bank, stepping into the reeds. Her shoes slipped on the sloping, muddy surface. She preferred not to swim in the lake. Besides, she had not reached her goal. She began to move sideways along the lake but quickly stopped when she wobbled for the first time on the unstable ground.
"Daisy?" she called, hoping the duck would come to her on its own.
She returned to the stable part of the bank and called Daisy again. A quacking sound answered her, so she called her name again. Cursing that the damn duck wouldn't come to her on its own, she walked towards the uncertain sounds.
"There you are." She let out her irritation as soon as she found Daisy among the thick reeds.
"Quack!"
"I see you're okay." She looked at Daisy to make sure that she was all right and that she could go back to her room with a clear conscience. But the longer she watched, the more she realized that she had messed up. "Raelle would kill me if anything happened to you. Could you please move to this week... Oh Goddess, what is this?!"
She was screwed. Raelle will kill her.
"Did you...?" Her brain short-circuited. Logically, she knew what she was seeing. But she couldn't understand the chain of cause and effect between Daisy and what was happening.
Daisy was sitting in the nest. Not just any nest. A nest, Scylla guessed, of the future mother. She counted about a dozen small eggs. And she didn't think the eggs belonged to another duck and Daisy was charitably incubating them.
She ran her hand over her face. This couldn't be happening. She looked at the unimpressed Daisy. Of course, the damm duck didn't see anything bad. She was an animal. She was probably doing what her instincts told her to do!
"Okay. I know you're not going to like what I'm going to do..." She slowly held out her hands to Daisy in a gesture that meant she wasn't going to do anything bad to her "...I'll take your nest to Fort Salem, okay? I'll be able to keep an eye on you there."
The moment her fingers approached the eggs, something possessed Daisy. She bit Scylla's hands, causing her to step back with a hiss. It wasn't strong enough to break the skin, but it hurt like hell.
How did Raelle get along with that duck?!
"Daisy, please!" She tried again and again, but each attempt ended with aggression from Daisy.
"Quack! Quack!"
"Okay, okay!" Scylla raised her hands. "You win. The nest stays here."
She could have sworn that as soon as she announced her defeat, Daisy looked at her haughtily, as if she really wanted to show her that she was in charge. Scylla clenched her jaw so as not to accidentally use work on the duck.
Gathering what was left of her dignity, she returned to Fort Salem. For the next few days, she was busy with the preparation of protection talismans. If she couldn't bring Daisy and her nest here, she would try to give them the best protection there. That was the least she could do.
Let's hope Raelle takes this as a mitigating factor in this whole mess.
***
Raelle's knee was bouncing rapidly as the plane approached Fort Salem. The month in the desert had taken its toll on her, and she thought she would never look at the sand the same way again. But that was behind her. Soon she'd see Scylla and Daisy again, and maybe she'd even be able to visit her father. Now there were only good times ahead.
If only the plane could go faster.
"Calm down," Abigail snapped at her as Raelle squirmed and accidentally punched her.
"Don't be so gentle," Raelle replied.
"I'm not the one who acts like someone has had too much coffee."
Another retort was on the tip of Raelle's tongue, but then Tally shot them a withering look.
"Stop! Both of you!"
"She started! " Raelle and Abigail said at the same time. Their timing only irritated them more, while still making some of the coven laugh.
"You are both acting like children," M said.
Both soldiers seemed to calm down, and Raelle tried to limit her squirming. But her excitement was too great for her to sit still for the rest of the flight, which Abigail didn't fail to reproach her for. Eventually, everyone reached their destination and Raelle almost jumped out of her seat. She wanted to find Scylla as soon as possible, but before she could, her arm was grabbed, brutally reminding her of the final briefing.
When she finally heard the long-awaited "dismissed," she immediately ran into the arms of Scylla, who was waiting nearby. She grabbed her tightly and buried her face in the crook of her girlfriend's neck. She was her home. "I missed you," she whispered fondly.
"I missed you too."
Raelle moved away from Scylla and looked around for Daisy. She didn't know why she expected her baby to be here as well, but she quickly thought of many reasons why she couldn't come here. Nothing bad could have happened, right? "Where's Daisy? Is she okay? " she asked.
In a moment, the smile vanished from Scylla's face. She swallowed nervously. "About Daisy..."
Dark thoughts filled Raelle's mind. Before Scylla could continue, she interjected, "What about her?"
For the past week, Scylla had been planning how to explain to Raelle that Daisy was about to have little ducklings. But now that she was standing in front of her, all words left her mind.
"Maybe it would be better if I showed you," she managed to say.
***
"You let some dusty drake impregnate Daisy?!"
Scylla shrank in on herself as Raelle exploded at the sight of Daisy incubating the eggs. Of course, when she put it that way, Scylla felt bad for not keeping an eye on Daisy. But then again, how was she supposed to? She wasn't going to keep her in her room all day when she was on duty.
"I'm sorry," she said ruefully, "but she doesn't look unhappy."
It simmered inside Raelle. Not long ago, Daisy was a cute, innocent baby duck, and now she was about to become a mother. Raelle wasn't ready for that! Besides, when she examined the nest, she realized how dangerous it was for the fragile eggs.
"And you didn't take her to the Fort Salem?" she accused Scylla.
"I tried!" Scylla threw her hands up. "But Daisy wouldn't let me touch her! But I made protective runes. They were safe."
Only now did Raelle notice the pebbles with runes painted on them scattered around. Her anger eased somewhat, knowing that Scylla had actually made an effort to ensure the safety of Daisy and her unborn babies.
"Thank you. But we still have to get them to Fort Salem. I want to keep an eye on them."
Scylla sighed. "I told you I tried, but..."
Her next words died in her throat as Raelle easily reached into the nest. She used the jacket to make a makeshift net for the duck eggs, and Daisy calmly let it all happen.
"Are you going to stand there or help me?"
Scylla shook her head in disbelief. Of course, Daisy let Raelle do everything. She tried to approach the nest, expecting the stupid duck to attack her, but this time, like the most innocent creature on earth, Daisy did nothing. But Scylla knew very well that it was just a game for Raelle.
Eventually, the nest was moved to Raelle's room and her unit. While Tally was excited about this, the same couldn't be said for Abigail. Scylla leaned against the door frame and gave Bellweather a sympathetic look.
"We lived in the desert for a month and now you bring a duck into our room?" Abigail complained.
"But they need protection," Raelle defended her actions.
"Then why can't she stay with Necro? " Abigail pointed at Scylla, who immediately turned pale. "She lives alone, she has more space!"
"Leave me out of this," Scylla grumbled.
"Don't exaggerate, Abs," Tally chimed in. "I think we have enough room."
With Tally's support, Raelle finally got her way. She made a nest near her bed, and Daisy made herself comfortable. She looked happy, enjoying Raelle and Tally's attention. Abigail was much less enthusiastic, sitting on her bed in silent protest.
Scylla sat down beside her. "You don't know how grateful I am to you for taking them under your roof."
Abigail gave her a sideways glance. "Of course you are."
Across the room, Raelle and Tally burst out laughing, and Daisy quacking loudly as if laughing with them. Abigail grimaced.
"Why couldn't Shitbird have chosen a normal pet?" she whispered to Scylla. "Like a dog."
"I wish I knew," Scylla simply replied.
***
Three weeks later, the first eggs began to hatch. After Daisy and the entire nest settled into Raelle's room, Scylla designed runes that would inform them that their birth had started. Enchanted stones hung around her and Raelle's necks.
Scylla was working in Necro's lab when her stone vibrated. She seriously considered ignoring the call, but she promised Raelle that she would try to be there. So she discreetly packed her things and slipped out of the laboratory. Screw the future consequences if Isadora found out.
It took her a few minutes to reach Raelle's room. She expected to see her girlfriend, who wouldn't miss the birth of her grandchildren, as she had been calling Daisy's future children for several days. But except for the duck and her nest, the room was empty. Worse, the first shell had just cracked.
She approached the nest cautiously, fearing Daisy's reaction. This time, however, she received no scolding from the duck, who was probably just preoccupied with her eggs. Scylla crouched beside her and watched.
After a few minutes, she saw the first head break through the shell. A small yellow-brown fluffy ball rolled clumsily out into the world and immediately looked straight at Scylla with its adorable eyes.
A wide smile spread across her face.
***
When Raelle's stone vibrated, she was in the middle of physical training. She and the rest of the coven had to run twenty laps around an obstacle course. The moment she felt the vibrations, she stopped and her hand went to the pebble. Her first thought was to go to her room, to Daisy but the Sergeant's stern voice stopped her.
"What are you doing, Collar?! " the woman screamed.
"I..." She didn't know what to say. The Sergeant would probably not understand her problem. "I'm not feeling well, ma'am."
The sergeant raised her eyebrows in disbelief.
"You don't look like it. Get back to training!"
"But..."
"Ten extra laps for all!"
The entire coven groaned at the new command. Abigail pushed Raelle to continue running, threatening that if they got another lap because of her, she would end up in the hospital. Like it or not, she had to finish the training. But as soon as they were released from training, no matter what, without even taking a shower, she ran to her room.
The sight she found was unexpected but utterly enchanting. She wished she had a camera to capture the moment. Scylla was sitting on the floor with her legs crossed, and on top of her was a small flock of yellow-brown ducklings. Her girlfriend was smiling goofily at each of them. And next to them was proud Daisy, surprisingly accepting of the fact that Scylla was holding her babies.
Raelle automatically smiled too. "Well, well, well," she said, surprising Scylla.
"Raelle! You're finally here."
Raelle sat down on the ground next to her. "I'm sorry I didn't make it in time for the hatching," she said regretfully. "But I see you took care of everything. I'm proud of you," she praised Scylla and immediately turned to Daisy and petted her. "I'm proud of you too."
"Quack!" Daisy snuggled against her side.
"Have you thought about what to call them?" Raelle asked, looking at the little ducklings, some of whom had become interested in her and were now trying to climb on her. She eagerly picked up one of them and closed it to her face. "Maybe we'll call this one Alex?
"Actually, I already named them," Scylla confessed, her cheeks turning a light pink. "You're holding Amyloporia right now." Then she lifted the one she was holding. "This is Paxillus here."
One by one, Scylla began naming the baby ducks, and with each name, Raelle's eyebrows rose higher and higher. Her brain worked hard until it came to the only logical conclusion that made her want to laugh.
"Did you just name our grandchildren after mushrooms?" she asked, surprised but amused. Especially when Scylla's cheeks turned bright red.
"Uh, yes...?"
Raelle actually burst out laughing and immediately realized another detail.
"You just admitted that they are your grandchildren, too."
"What?" Scylla looked at her confused until she understood the implication. "No, no! I mean, they're cute, but... Ugh!" she sighed in frustration.
"Oooh, Mom's embarrassed," Raelle said to Daisy, and the duck quacked, which sounded like laughing.
Daisy approached Scylla and, for the first time, allowed her to pet her without an ulterior motive. Scylla cautiously put out her hand and was surprised when she wasn't pecked within a minute. It was something, but she preferred not to push her luck any further. She preferred to take care of the little ducklings that had not yet shown any murderous intentions towards her and that she could raise to never do so.
Raelle smiled goofy and it didn't matter that her muscles were a little sore after the workout and her clothes were sticking to her uncomfortably. She didn't want to be anywhere else right now. Here with Scylla, Daisy and a flock of little ducklings was all she could ask for in life.
This was the picture of a happy family that Tally and Abigail found when they returned from the showers. Naturally, Tally squealed with joy and assured everyone that she was going to be the best aunt in the world. Abigail was happy, too, but mostly because she thought that would be the end of sharing a room with a semi-domesticated wild duck. Her hopes were raised when she saw that Daisy didn't want to hurt Scylla.
"Does that mean that Necro will take custody now? "She asked hopefully.
"Well, I dunno," Raelle said. "What do you think, Scyl?"
Scylla shrugged. She hadn't thought that far yet. An hour ago she would have tried to get out of such an idea, but now? She could consider it. "I don't see why not. But maybe we should ask Daisy where she wants to live."
"Quack! " It didn't explain anything, but the four witches burst out laughing. Whatever the future held, they would face it as a family.
***
A few weeks later, Raelle and Scylla found themselves back at "their" lake. They had organized a small picnic. After a simple dinner, they lay in each other's arms on the blanket. Daisy and her babies were swimming in the distance. It soon became clear that the ducks, despite Raelle's pleas, preferred to live on the lake rather than settle for the fountain at Fort Salem. It took a lot of persuasion on Scylla's part to convince Raelle that it was better this way. In return, her girlfriend ordered more frequent visits to Daisy and the little ones.
There was a time when Scylla might have had a problem with that, but now she was looking forward to meeting a bunch of little ducks. She loved Amyloporia, Paxillus and all the rest. She finally understood how Raelle felt about Daisy.
"I love you," Raelle whispered.
Scylla smiled and kissed her on the tip of her nose. "Love you too."
"Quack!" Suddenly, Daisy and the babies appeared beside them. Both witches sat up and smiled at their duck family.
"We love you too," Raelle said for her and Scylla.