Skai

Recollections: The Coven [COMPLETED]

---

Lyss entered the VIP room and felt the presence of the apparitions grow stronger. She also noticed that the only visible exit was the one they just came from. The lounge was of poor taste, with too many curtains to hide separate rooms or doors. It smelled of cologne, liquor, and of many private dances.

She allowed the others to do the talking at first. She preferred to remain an unimportant guest tonight. Just a nameless face among the group of Coven sisters, if she wouldn’t need to step in to negotiate. As they greeted the man in the white shirt, Luis, an unfamiliar name in the Black Market and also not an abscised, Lyss let her gaze wander the room. The strongest apparition she could feel was coming from the direction of the bar. She watched Isla walk up for a drink and reminded herself to keep an eye on the newest Coven member after she drank it. Her gaze moved towards the man at the bar. Was he the one giving the strongest signal, or was it the woman behind the counter? They were too close to tell.

It was also unnerving that most of the others in the room were abscised. How they’d gotten their flesh suits, she didn’t want to know, but she also wanted to know why a bunch of spirits would wind up here. Was it the business? Were they the ones who made the cures or curses their buyers asked for? Or were they here just to protect Luis and his partners? Who, by the way, weren’t pointed out in the beginning just to confuse her sisters. Mr. Man Bun also mentioned Tampa, which meant he either heard about them through Kimberly or did some digging around to figure it out.

A small wave of paranoia passed through Lyss as she turned her attention back to Luis. How much did he know? Had her name been mentioned, too? She could have gotten nervous at that moment, but as Penny explained their position she aimed the anxious focus onto their negotiations. It was a great idea to mention that Annabelle would make her way to Miami if she wasn’t taken care of. An order of cures this big would make it easy to scam them, but Luis had a concern of his own now. A reason to have mercy on them with the intention of self preservation alone. Lyss silently thanked Penny for getting their point across so clearly.

The woman with the cowboy hat suddenly stood. Lyss turned her eyes onto the woman. Not an affixed or an abscised apparently , and now named Luis’s second partner by the way she considered the Dollhouse her club. At least Luis pulled her reins in before she kicked them out.

Claudette began to speak now. As she listed the various problems the Coven wanted solved, Lyss was surprised to hear of Claudette’s own curse. She looked at her sister from where she stood nearby and wondered why Claudette had never mentioned it before. After all, Lyss was an expert at keeping apparitions at bay. Maybe it was because Claudette hadn’t faced the apparitions since Lyss joined the Coven, or she was ashamed to mention it?

They were finally getting to the total bill of the Coven’s visit, but before Claudette or Lyss herself could accept their “generous” offer, she felt her back tense when a familiar voice entered the room.

Ellie… Babylon’s new plaything.

Lyss turned to face her old Coven sister’s body to see none other than Molly standing with her. Lyss’s eyes narrowed. She watched her strut on by and plop herself right next to the man bun. She whispered something into his ear and Lyss felt her face grow hot with anger. That bitch is going to ruin everything.

Madison began to shout at Babylon, and Lyss agreed with everything she was saying, but she needed to calm down in order to get this deal over with. Lyss was going to turn to her, to put a hand on her shoulder as a reminder to stay calm, that she wasn’t alone in her anger, but then she saw the yee-yee bitch pull out a rifle. Oh, fuck. Now would have been a good time to have Emily in the room to “accidentally” blow off the affixed woman’s fingers.

Herik, as if oblivious to the hostile cowgirl, reminded Luis that the price still had to be said. Lyss pressed her lips together. It was a smart move to try to continue the deal despite the tension, but the price had already been made. However many cures they needed for seven thousand each. One half price because he was “feeling generous.” That made the total come to about $45,500 if it included her cure for Maximillian and an extra healing cure for a safety precaution.

The bill wasn’t that horrible, but it was still an outrageous price.

And they drugged Isla, of course. Lyss had to take a breath through her nose and slowly release it through her mouth before she decided to step into the negotiating circle. She’d done this plenty of times, but she’d never been on the opposite side of the deal. Lowering the price would be difficult, but she had an idea of how to go about it. So, she turned to Luis and looked him in the eyes. It took a lot of effort not to look at Ellie’s face.

“Mr. Luis, I can’t imagine you would hold your clients at gunpoint. Would you mind asking your partner to settle down herself? I’m sure you’d like to keep your business.” She flashed Natalie a brief smile. “I can promise you that my sisters will behave if your new friend’s behave as well.”

That said, Lyss carefully moved her way to sit next to Claudette on the couch. She kept an air of composed patience about her as she leaned back on the couch and crossed her legs. She then folded her hands in her lap.

“We would like six cures total, including Annabelle Heart’s cure. While three of the cures are meant to repair curses, two of them will be simple healing cures that shouldn’t take too much time to prepare. I’d like to offer half of your usual price for a cure for those. Does that sound fair?”

"Dollhouse offers potions... so we can clear up this annoying terminology issue," Luis started, "Also, don't mind, Natalie, she's a little on edge."

Lyss nodded. “Noted.”

"But, the Dollhouse accepts these terms... would you like to meet again tomorrow for us to exchange?"

Lyss smiled as Luis accepted her terms, but she wasn't done. She'd managed to reduce the price by $7,500, leaving the bill at $35,500, but she wanted to knock that last $500 off for Isla's drugged state.

"I'm glad you've agreed, but I also would like to mention that since we've been in your establishment, one of your partners has pointed a gun at us and your bartender has drugged my sister. If you could perhaps make the total an even $35,000 I think we could ignore it."

"Oh booo hoo, nobody got hurt," Natalie added. "What are ya' gonna do if we say no?"

Lyss looked over at Natalie and raised an eyebrow. "I understand you're looking out for your business. I would do the same, if it was for my sisters, but this isn't how these negotiations are meant to go." She shrugged. "The rifle I can forgive, but I cannot forgive you for drugging my sister even if it was because of your apparition friend behind the bar."

"Now, now, Natalie... it's okay, we will take off the five hundred... but that's the final offer." Luis answered.

Lyss smiled widely and sat up in her seat. She leaned towards Luis and extended her hand. "I'm glad we could come to an agreement. Thank you, Mr. Luis." She even looked towards Natalie. "Thank you, as well."

The Promise - Second Star to the Right, and Straight on 'til Morning.

---

Eli looked over Lynn’s face as she waited for a “ok, mom” sort of response, but instead she noticed the ashy spots on Lynn’s skin. Another side effect of wearing the collar, she assumed. She didn’t have much time to think of it, or feel more sympathy for Lynn than she already did, because she heard the sound of metal against concrete and turned to see Packet moving the manhole cover from it’s spot.

It was time.

Inside Eli’s head, an internal clock began ticking. It wasn’t necessarily an alarm, and there wasn’t a deadline either. It was just a reminder of how much time was going to pass while they were beneath the surface. How long it would take them to get through this, to get back to the Ring, she didn’t know. Still, she could hear the quiet tik… tok… tik… tok. Time was so precious, now.

Her hesitation was clear on her face as she looked into the darkness of the sewer passage. She stood in place, almost frozen, but as Lynn took the first charge into the depths Eli moved to follow her. Part of her wanted to stay close to Lynn, like her friend had asked, but it was also for her own comfort as well. Lynn was just as much a protector as she needed to be protected. Eli gave the ceiling of The Promise one last glance. One last look into the eternity of space from the Ring’s point of view. The same sky that she’d seen for so many years. Then she descended beneath the ground and stood next to Lynn in the darkness.

One by one she watched them all climb down. The smell was worse than she remembered. The symphony of the sewers was louder this time. Sure, it was only the second time she’d been down and it was a different part of the sewers, but something was odd about it. She walked alongside Lynn with Packet in the lead. She felt her stomach tighten when Packet mentioned the breakout. While the others aired their grievances Eli agreed that the Promise Security wasn’t to be trusted. Then she thought back to when she’d walked these tunnels on her own and frowned. Had Packet known about them at the time?

As if on cue, a Rodent Of Unusual Size scurried past them. Archie jumped, which made Eli jump, and she had to hold her breath to keep from squeaking. She huffed and shook out her shoulders to release the tension. God, I hope we’re close. She didn’t want to catch rabies before she made it to The Spire.

She looked towards Packet as if to ask the question, but she noticed that they came to a stop at a fork in the sewers. Her brows furrowed. We’re lost? Her eyes scanned the area. The catwalk seemed more promising, but it could lead towards a security team or an exit from the sewers. To the right… well, it was just more tunnels. As promising as the catwalk, really. The door to The Spire was hidden in a tunnel, anyways.

Archie and Packet started to bicker and Eli gave them a concerned stare. Of all people to start fighting, it was these two? She would have thought that Lynn would have made a snarky remark by now. In fact, why wasn’t she?

Eli turned her head towards Lynn and, for some reason, the way Lynn was backing towards them with the shiv in her hand, Eli felt goosebumps rise on her skin. Was Lynn shaking? Why was she so scared? Eli followed her gaze into the darkness behind them but she saw nothing.

Aaaand, there’s the snark. Eli took a deep breath through her nose and slowly released it through her mouth. As much as she agreed that this wasn’t a good time to get lost, she was hoping that there would be less bickering and more collaboration going on when they all relied on Packet to flip the lightswitch and cut the cams. Natalie had a point too, but Eli wasn’t so sure that they should just pick a direction and go so easily. Packet should have known the way to go. Something was up, but they had to think logically before acting. Even if a sinister presence was lurking in the dark.

They’d taken on men with semi-automatics and survived. They’d survived the breakout. They could face whatever was lurking. If they could just take a breath. Eli took another breath herself, but all she could taste was the mucky water and stale air of the sewers. As much as she wished that it was just the lack of O2 that was making everyone snappy, the threat of an escaped convict luring them into a trap worried her too.

“Packet, did you happen to bring a copy of the map? Maybe we just took a wrong turn somewhere.”

“There is no map. There’s no paper trail. No evidence!”

Eli sighed softly and turned to look back at their options. Of course he wouldn’t have created any evidence. It made sense. If they were caught right now with a map to a Spire entrance it would look pretty damn suspicious. Without it they could at least try to play the “exploring teens” angle. But they couldn’t get caught. Not by Promise security or by the dark figure Lynn saw lurking behind them.

“Okay. As much as I’d like to trust your instincts, Archie, I’m not happy with taking a random chance on either tunnel. I wish we could trace our steps backwards until Packet finds a spot, but if Lynn saw something or someone back there I’d rather avoid getting into a fight before we even get to the Spire.”

Eli then turned to Archie and Packet. “Everyone just take a deep breath and try to think rationally, okay?” She looked Packet in the eyes. “How close to the inner Ring do you think we are? Maybe if we head towards the side closest to The Spire we’ll find the door.”

She then got another idea and turned to Keaton. “What are the statistics if we take either direction? Which one has a higher chance of taking us the way we need to go?” It was a long shot, but Keaton’s ability could really come in hand at the moment. Just like it usually did.

Recollections: The Coven [COMPLETED]

---

Just standing outside of the club, Lyss was already uncomfortable with the situation. It was going to be crowded, loud, and eyes would be everywhere. Madison was right. They’d been noticed by the girls standing outside the second they walked up. Was this just a trap? Walton couldn’t have been in on it. She needed Annabelle Heart’s “cure” just as much as these girls needed theirs. Lyss looked at her sisters ( and Herik) and knew that this was going to be one of the biggest deals that the Dollhouse has gotten in a while. Would it only cost Blake Schmidt’s fortune, or were the girls going to sell a piece of their soul to get what they wanted?

Lyss took up the rear of the group as they headed in. She glanced at the girls standing outside, and then turned her head forwards. Her chin held high enough to hide the anxious feeling she had in the pit of her stomach. Even as she passed through the door, she stood tall despite the nausea that set in as soon as she entered the building. The presence of apparitions was overwhelming. She hadn’t felt this way since her last deal. There were at least twenty apparitions in this building. Maybe more. Mostly abscised, but she could feel two affixed spirits. She barely paid attention as she handed over the entrance fee, and the moment they were inside of the main room she casually looked through the crowd. How many of these patrons were a part of the Black Market? Was she going to find any familiar faces in the crowd?

She hadn’t seen any yet, but either way she knew that she wouldn't have any friends here.

Lyss looked back at the girls and was also suddenly concerned that a few of them would be mistaken for a worker. They looked good, to be honest, but Lyss had made sure to wear an outfit that would separate her from the employees of the club. She even wore her most comfortable black, strappy block heels in case they needed to ditch. The best part of her outfit was concealed beneath her skirt. A leg holster strapped around her upper thigh with a knife. She was hoping she wouldn’t have to use it. Or that they wouldn’t search her too well if they did.

“I’ll talk to the bartender.” She said aloud as she turned to the girls. “Don’t drink anything. Don’t get distracted. I’ll be back as soon as I introduce us.”

Leaving no room for argument, Lyss walked over to the bar. She’d done this plenty of times before. Something about bars and private lounges made them the perfect spot to meet with buyers and sellers. Even if most of the men here tonight were Miami tourists or locals, it was easy for the business to be handled without any suspicion. Her partners always sent her to the messenger. A pretty face and a smile was always greeted warmly. It was easy for people to assume that they could get away with a scam, but Lyss was always stone cold underneath. This felt as familiar as making deals had always been. She wasn’t sure what this club was hiding, or if they had any malicious intentions, but she understood how the business worked.

So, Lyss leant against the bar and gave the bartender her best smile. She watched him move her way, and only spoke after he asked what kind of drink she’d like.

“I won’t be needing anything, thank you. Did someone happen to leave a package here?”

The bartender laid his hands atop the bar, and he gave her a sly smile himself. “From who?”

“Tom Jerry.”

She kept up the smile, even if she was shitting on the code phrase. One of the dumbest things I’ve ever had to say.

The bartender nodded, and set down his glass shining cloth before stepping out from behind the bar. Lyss stood tall once more and watched as he walked up to her. “I’ll show you and your friends back to the lounge.”

Lyss nodded. “Just give me one moment.” She gave him a grin before heading back over to the girls. “Alright, girls. Follow the bartender. Let’s get this over with.”

Recollections: The Coven [COMPLETED]

---

After the whole normal-for-Florida but horrifying-for-the-cashier standoff, Lyss hadn’t even gotten her coffee. In fact, she almost felt guilty for leaving without giving the poor clerk all of the cash she had in her pockets to help with his medical bills. At least she’d called 911 before getting back into the car.

For the next hour Lyss continued to stare out of the window, paying no attention to her sisters or anything for that matter. By the time the gas station scenario had left her mind, Lyss quickly fell into a road trip coma. She slept for so long that she woke up just in time to see the Miami skyline outside of the windshield. The fireworks lit up a familiar city, and Lyss was both filled with nostalgia and worry. She watched the city life pass by as they made their way to the hotel, searching for any faces she recognized. Fortunately, she saw none.

They checked into a hotel Lyss had never stayed in before. When she realized she’d need to room with someone, Lyss looked over at Claudette. “Hey, you wanna room together? We should talk about our plans tomorrow in the morning.”

Regardless of who she ended up staying with, Lyss made it into her room and immediately prepared for bed. She gave her roomie a quick goodnight before crawling into bed. She could still hear the fireworks outside. This city never slept. Yet somehow, being back in the city, she found herself lulled to sleep by the distant noise.

---

In the morning, Lyss awoke before sunrise. She quietly slipped out of bed and threw on some clothes before making her way down to the lobby. The breakfast bar wasn’t open yet, so Lyss took to grabbing a poptart from a vending machine and waiting on a chair while she snacked until the doors finally opened.

After a quiet breakfast, watching the sunrise through the nearby buildings through the closest window, Lyss slowly finished her second cup of coffee until it was an appropriate time in the morning to shower without waking her sister. Lyss came out feeling fresh, picked out an outfit that would withstand the heat without giving her a sunburn, and made her way to the balcony to sit and enjoy the Miami breeze while she watched the city slowly come to life.

It was past lunch by the time Lyss realized she’d been on the balcony for so long. She checked her phone in case any of the girls had messaged and saw the text from Claudette. Great. A whole extra night in Miami. She sighed softly and ran a hand through her hair. Most of the girls probably wanted to go clubbing tonight. She didn’t blame them. The clubs here were amazing, but she didn’t exactly feel comfortable leaving the hotel. Nonetheless going out tonight. What was she going to do if all of the girls wanted to go?

Maybe Claudette had something else in mind. Lyss still needed to talk to her about the Dollhouse.

So, Lyss stood up, stretched real big, and headed into the air conditioned room. The cool air was a blessing.

“Hey, Claud. Sleep well?” She smiled as she closed the balcony door behind her. “Do you think any of the girls would want to go to the beach?”

The Promise - Second Star to the Right, and Straight on 'til Morning.

---

Eli couldn’t help but smile as Archie shoulder bumped her. The smile didn’t last long, though. She saw the look on Lynn’s face. Eli was glad that Lynn wasn’t throwing a fit about it, but she was also sorry that Lynn had to do this. She would have put her own hand on Lynn’s shoulder if Archie didn’t do it for her.

“Stay close.”

Eli pressed her lips together and nodded. She took one step closer to Lynn in case she needed any help. Even though she was almost as uncomfortable as just watching her put the collar on, she couldn’t look away.

She’d spent hours thinking about what it felt like to wear a nullifying collar. She never really thought it would do anything but give her an acute headache or numb feeling, but she was sure it would feel much, much different for the others. The visible pain on Lynn’s face was enough to prove her theory.

Eli tensed. Her worry for Lynn was written across her face. She looked away for a moment unable to bear the empathy she felt for her friend. When she looked back, she was shocked to see that Lynn looked… normal. Like a girl her age should look, minus the dark circles under her eyes and frail figure. Still, no matter how small and fragile Lynn looked now, Eli knew that she was extremely strong. To have gone through so much pain, so many traumas, and to still stand here today brave enough to wear the collar that suppressed her true nature and give Packet that terrifying, Eli was in awe.

Eli smiled. She reached out to her friend, to her adopted sister (by her own means), and stroked her messy hair back. “I’m right here, Lynn.” She heard Nic’s voice agree with Lynn’s sentiments and pulled her hand back. She turned to look at him. At least someone didn’t look grim this morning.

She gratefully accepted the breakfast sandwich. She was still full from her big dinner yesterday, but she couldn’t pass up the offer of something that smelled so good. While she’d intended for her dinner to have been her potential last meal, the second she bit into the biscuit she was happy that this was actually it. She ate every savory bite in a matter of a minute as she listened to Nic assigning everyone a nickname.

”Eli… Eli, you’re Angel.”

Eli had to grin back at Nic. She wasn’t sure why he’d made such a face, and she didn’t exactly think that any of them needed nicknames but Packet, but his gusto for the mission gave her more confidence that they would make this work. Maybe if she kept a positive state of mind throughout this, they would have a chance of returning from The Spire.

Well, maybe… Eli’s eyes widened as she saw what Nic was handing the human flamethrower. What does he think she’s going to need those for?? What if they go off the second she removes the collar? Eli glanced between Nic and Lynn, and then glanced at the others. Was this what everyone else expected, or did Nic think of this himself? She was beginning to wonder if Nic had known how to make a molotov before he came to The Promise.

Natalie helped Eli with the codename situation, but never even mentioned the dangers of molotovs. Eli was beginning to feel like the mom friend, but she’d been called that before. And dammit, did she ever have a reason to be called the Mom.

“Nic… I’m glad that you’ve thought of everything we may need, but I’d rather save something like that as a last resort. I don’t want this to become that sort of fight. They’d label us as terrorists. Just… Save it for dire situations, alright?” She gave Nic and Lynn the best “I trust you” smile so she didn’t look too worried. “Thank you for the biscuits, too, Nic.”

Recollections: The Coven [COMPLETED]

---

While Lyss had made the drive from Miami to Tampa only months before, she wasn’t eager to make a round trip on her speedster to Miami and back so soon. Especially because her speedster would stick out like a sore thumb in the city she’d fled. She didn’t mind carpooling with one of the girls who had a car, but she wasn’t excited to be stuck in a vehicle with some of her sisters for four to five hours. Hell, she wasn’t even comfortable with going to Miami in the first place. She’d have to be extra careful where she showed her face in the city, and she’d need to be prepared to dip out if she was spotted by anyone from her past.

These thoughts only made the already uncomfortable car ride even worse. Lyss sat in the passenger seat next to Madison, with her sunglasses on and her eyes on the Florida scenery the entire ride. If anyone was paying attention, they may have noticed that she was on edge. She’d never admit the truth. Not unless she knew she was in danger. Instead would blame it on something like claustrophobia, car sickness, or just the white lie that she didn’t want to carpool in the first place but didn’t feel like driving herself. Thankfully none of them seemed to be in a chatty mood. She’d picked the perfect car to ride in.

If anyone had actually said anything during the ride she probably wouldn’t have noticed anyways. She was too busy thinking about how this could play out, and what they would expect from the Dollhouse anyways. She didn’t expect the transaction to be as simple as trading money for a cure. There had to be a catch. There was always something shady in any black market deal. She already wanted to warn the group about her worries, but she was also prepared to help with the deal and watch the girls backs in case it went to shit. She had no idea if any of them had ever experienced the black market before, but she was assuming that they hadn’t. Surely they had their own concerns about this. Then again, how would she explain how she knew all of this? Could she tell them her history in Miami without losing their trust completely? She wasn’t sure.

As Madison spoke up to break the silence, Lyss was torn from her thoughts. She looked around at the group as if she’d just woken from a nap and shifted in her spot. Her ass was starting to hurt from sitting in the car for so long, but it beat riding a speedster for hours. Fortunately the answer to her prayers happened after she listened to Madison and Grace talk. Lyss was more than relieved that they were stopping for a break. She needed to walk around a bit and grab something to drink.

While everyone else got out and either headed inside, talked to the others, or kept sleeping like Mariah, Lyss stepped out and stretched her arms above her head. She looked around the station’s parking lot. It was just an average town, but she was on edge enough to ensure that there were no suspicious eyes nearby.

Once she was satisfied with the conditions, Lyss grabbed her wallet from the front seat. She made her way into the store, sunglasses still on, taking a glance at those inside before she headed straight to the coffee ymachine. As she grabbed a paper cup from the stack, she heard Mariah talking with the clerk. They were flirting. Lyss smirked softly as she filled the coffee to the brim. She popped a lid on it. It didn’t matter if it had cream and sugar in it or not. Lyss just wanted the bitter taste and the caffeine. On her way up to the front, she also grabbed a bag of powdered donuts.

“What are you gonna do if you win big?” She asked Mariah as she walked up to the counter.

The clerk, a little offput that someone had interrupted his attempt to get a number, set to ringing up Lyss’s coffee and snack. Lyss offered Mariah a smile, and she would have winked if she wasn’t wearing sunglasses. “Are you going to treat us to drinks in Miami if you do?”

Recollections: The Coven [COMPLETED]

---

For a moment, Lyss felt like she’d asked too many questions. Then she realized that she didn’t give a fuck. If this was where the universe was taking her, to Annabelle Heart, she wanted to know all she could before she got herself involved. Hell, even Emily was agreeing to join the fight. It was shocking to hear, but Lyss was glad to know that at least one of her sisters was going to be by her side.

The ghost hunter didn’t react like she’d asked too many questions anyways. In fact, it looked like she was pleased to hear them. Lyss could sense a mutual respect between them already, and she felt better. The celebrity was beginning to show a deeper side to herself than capturing footage of apparitions and following leads.

Still, Kimberly hesitated instead of giving up the information outright. Lyss was confused at first, but then she understood what Kim was getting at before they’d even touched palms. She found herself intertwining fingers with a stranger with ease. Her eyes slowly closed and she was comforted by the touch of one of her sisters too. She wasn’t the only one that needed to see this. To know these horrible truths. They’d experience the horror of it together.

They’d experience their first recollection, together.

---

When the recollection had finally ended, Lyss immediately broke contact with the rest of them. She took a step back, her breathing heavy as her heart continued to race. At first she looked away from the group. Her mind was reeling. It all made sense now. The tragic history of Annabelle Heart and Luther Saul’s sinister plan. The Mother? She hadn’t heard of her before. Still, she knew that something much, much darker was happening in the background while Annabelle took the spotlight. Annabelle would just be the beginning of a war. It shed new light on the hungry woman. If anything, it looked like she was on the right side of this fight.

Yet they still had to kill her to finish this.

Once Lyss had calmed her breathing again, Kimberly had just finished her speech. Filled with a new sense of direction, Lyss looked first at her sisters and then Kimberly. “I... I understand now. Annabelle Heart must be stopped. The cure will only do so much, but we must strike while it is battling the curse.” She ran her hands over her forehead to push any stray hairs back. A simple soothing act to clear her mind of the images from the recollection.

“I’m afraid that it’s too late to save her soul, but we can save the souls of anyone involved with Saul after she’s taken out. ... I don’t know what this Mother figure is, but I can tell you that she is a much greater threat to the world than Annabelle Heart.”

And we barely have a chance of defeating her ourselves, but we have to try.

“I will be by your side to bring down Saul, but we’ll have to leave for Miami as soon as possible. The stronger the curse becomes, the harder it will be to stop her.”

“And we must help our own before we try.”

Recollections: The Coven [COMPLETED]

---

“I don…”

There it was. The disappointing answer for the Coven and for Max’s future. Lyss looked away from the ghost hunter. Her hope was just starting to fade, but as Kimberly changed her answer Lyss looked up at her with anxious excitement. Kimberly had a lead. The Coven could seek it out. If it worked for these girls and their families, it could work for Maximillian too. Maybe Lyss could solve the Coven and the DENs problems with one stone.

Everything looked like it was going to work out, until Lyss heard Kimberly mention the words “Dollhouse” and “black market.” Lyss immediately felt her stomach clench. She’d heard about the Dollhouse once in passing. Something about how they helped a fellow apparition dealer cure a curse that had fallen upon them during a job. She was surprised that she hadn’t remembered the encounter until now. Even so, if she’d remembered the dealer’s story, would she have shared it with the group? The Dollhouse operated in Miami. The central hub for the black market in the U.S. If the Coven wanted to go, to give this group a chance, Lyss would put herself at risk for being found. Could she risk a trip into the city if it meant helping the Coven? If it meant saving Max’s life?

Lyss swallowed as she watched Kimberly continue. It was only fair that if Kim got them into the group’s den, the Coven would help her in turn. What she didn’t expect to hear was the name Annabelle Heart escape the celebrity’s lips. For the second time in this conversation Lyss was uncomfortable. She felt the hairs on the back of her neck rise but she didn’t rub her neck again. It seemed like every corner the Coven turned Annabelle Heart loomed over them like a thunderstorm. The universe was bringing them closer and closer to her with every step. All of the signs were there that this was the time to act, but was the Coven ready? Was Lyss herself ready?

For a second there, Lyss thought that Maya had completely ignored the fact that Kimberly mentioned Annabelle until she asked if a cure would even work on Annabelle. Then Quinn, as insensitive as ever, asked if the cure would kill Annabelle. Lyss pressed her lips together and gave Kimberly an apologetic glance before turning to Quinn and Maya.

“There is a chance that the cure will work on Annabelle. It depends how much the curse has consumed her soul whether she will survive or not. There is also a large chance that the curse has become too powerful, and the cure won’t work at all.”

She looked back at Kimberly.

“You’re not the only ones looking for Annabelle Heart. There is an extra-normal organization called the DENs that is also trying to stop her, but they have been unsuccessful so far.” One of their own has fallen too, like poor Izzy. Their names would only fall into a long list of lives that Annabelle has taken so far.

“I think we have a deal, if Claudette agrees to what I have to say.” She gave Claudette a glance. The other leader needed to give her opinion too. “We will bring back a cure and give it to you, but I also think that we should ask for help from the DENs as well. They have many powerful agents, and they could be there to help us whether the cure works or fails. We cannot do this on our own.” She looked back at Claudette. “I don’t want to put anyone’s lives at risk, but I think it is time that we do something about Annabelle. She’s already taken Izzy. What if she comes for us next?”

She looked at Kimberly now, a question popping into her head. It was more of an itch that Lyss wanted to scratch.

“Do you know anything about the origin of Annabelle’s condition? Are you sure that she is cursed, and not just affixed to some powerful apparition?” She also wanted to know about the one who made her this way. “Is Luther Saul responsible for her rage?”

“I just want to fill in the details that I’m missing about this. I’d like to know everything you have about Annabelle Heart and what caused this in the first place.”

Recollections: The Coven [COMPLETED]

---

“Bad. Really bad. As in he could pass any second now. We have plans to give his Collecti-"

Maximillian was lying in his hospital bed. A tube ran out of his mouth and connected to a respirator nearby. A neck brace kept his head still, although his body showed no signs of movement any time soon. There were IV lines running everywhere. Lyss could hear the slow, but thankfully steady beating of his heart from the monitor nearby.

Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep-

The lights shut off and the room was encased in darkness. Lyss could only see Maximillian’s dark form in front of her but… there was something else. Standing directly behind his bed.

Skeletal fingers, elongated and dark with a substance Lyss didn’t want to identify began to creep over the edge. They moved slowly towards his head until they covered his beaten face. Lyss tried her best, but she couldn’t move. She was trapped in place like a deer before a car. She could only watch in terror as the deformed skull of a deer slowly lowered itself from the darkness and peered directly at her. For a second they were both still, suspended in a staring contest until the skull turned its head towards Max and-

BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEE-

Lyss gasped, her hand reaching outwards in an attempt to stop her, but she only found the empty space of the bed beside her. She sat upright and breathed heavily. Her heart was still racing. Her hands moved behind her head to rub her neck. It felt like she was being watched by those dark eyes.

Lyss turned to look behind her, but she could only see the headboard and the wall behind it. The room was empty. Only the dream and the fear remained. She let out a heavy sigh and turned forwards again. Her shoulders sagged.

She’d been to see Max the evening after Meifeng delivered the news. He looked awful. As much as she sympathized for Max, and as much as she couldn’t bear to see him this way, she could only think of the power that Annabelle possessed. Maximillian was the strongest awakened Lyss had seen in a while. If Annabelle Heart could cut him down so easily, how could Meifeng- or even herself now, think that they could stand a chance against her?

Meifeng had been there that day. She popped in right as Lyss was thinking of the DENs and their number one target. At first Lyss wanted to walk right out of the hospital. She’d expected Meifeng to greet her with harsh words. To kick Lyss out of the hospital because she didn’t necessarily belong beside Maximillian’s deathbed, but Meifeng was kinder than usual. Lyss could see in the Agent’s eyes that she was grieving too. Still, Lyss didn’t say anything at first. The two stood together in the quiet room until Meifeng began first.

"It was difficult coming to you for help... I know it wasn't a good idea to drop in on you all but every night she kills more and more people. I hate to say it but we may need to put aside our differences and work together."

Lyss didn’t know what to say. She stood there, staring at Max’s lifeless looking body, and wanted to say yes to the DENs agent. She’d willingly put herself in danger to stop Annabelle. Especially now. Yet… She wasn’t sure that the Coven would do the same. She didn’t want to put them in danger and it wasn’t her place to ask them to. For the first time, Lyss was completely honest with Meifeng. She told her she didn’t think that the Coven was ready for the fight. That Meifeng would have to wait, or she would have to find help elsewhere. It was up to the entire Coven to decide, and the Coven themselves were in a tough situation on their own.

She left the hospital room then. A pit of guilt and anger sitting in her stomach like a rock. There was nothing she could do for Max, or the DENs, without her sisters.

---

A text suddenly took Lyss’s mind away from the DENs and Max’s condition. She grabbed her phone from the night stand and saw Claudette’s message.

Claudette - Just Now
Please join the girls by the pool. It’s important.

Lyss sighed softly and she solidified why she hadn’t agreed to help Meifeng just yet. The Coven needed her, and she was more loyal to her sisters. Even if they weren’t the best in the world, they were all Lyss had. She needed to focus on them. To bring them together so that they could handle a threat like Annabelle in the future.

---

Lyss eventually made her way downstairs to the pool. She walked up to the group with her hands in the pocket of her black joggers. She’d just caught the beginning by the way Claudette was speaking. Quietly, Lyss took a seat and listened.

At the mention of Annabelle’s name Lyss felt her chest tighten. She could feel the eyes looking at her again, and she had to rub her neck once more to make the feeling go away. She was thankful that Claudette moved on from the subject. Instead of planning to join a dangerous cause, their leader suggested helping the members of the Coven that came to them for help.

“Does anyone have any ideas?”

Lyss had no clue. She only knew of a few sources from the Black Market, but they operated out of Miami. She didn’t even know if they were still reliable, or if they’d turn her in to her old partners the second they recognized her.

Maya prattled on as usual. Lyss could tell that the events of the training fight were still weighing on her. It seemed that it was still weighing on the others too.
Mentioning the DENs only gave Lyss a headache. They were the ones asking for help this time. If they couldn’t heal Max, how could anyone expect them to know of a healer? Lyss rubbed one temple, but she felt eyes on her. Real eyes. She looked up to see Emily staring, and instead of shrinking into her seat she raised an eyebrow. It wasn’t a shock that Emily looked at her with such distrust. What irked Lyss was the fact that Emily wasn’t even giving her a chance now.

Claudette thankfully explained the DENs situation. Although she didn’t exactly explain the gravity of it. Hunting down a cannibalistic extra-normal that killed hundreds over night was much more than a handful, but Lyss didn’t want to talk about that right now.

Herik, of course, was standing by Vashti like a bodyguard. His eyes were glued to Madison, and Lyss frowned. It wasn’t Madison’s fault that the Jaws went out of control, but after Babylon attacked Emily and Ellie, she knew that Herik was going to be aggressive towards anyone else with a rogue apparition tied to their body. At least Herik had a good suggestion.

“What about Kimberly Walton?”

Sure, the Ghost Hunter may have run into other extra-normals than their little Coven. It wasn’t a bad idea to ask her for help, or for any leads that they could follow. Hell, Madison even had her number for some reason. She must be helpful, if Madison trusted her so easily. And, almost like magic, Kimberly was there. She even brought friends.

Lyss hardly moved from her seat at their sudden appearance, but she straightened a little out of her slouched position. In front of the Coven, she didn’t mind relaxing anymore, but in front of strangers she couldn't show the weakness of it. She suddenly regretted keeping her hair in a messy bun, and wished that she’d at least worn a t-shirt that didn’t have toothpaste stains. For satan’s sake, at least she was wearing lipstick.

Lyss decided to sit back and let the others speak, which… wasn’t exactly the best idea. Her eyes flew back and forth between Madison, Kimberly, Vashti, and Isla and Kim’s friend by the pool, so much that she could feel her headache getting worse. Vashti’s words were pretty much the truth, but Lyss felt like she was being over dramatic about most of it. Sure, her curse was extremely dangerous and out of control, but she couldn’t just stand there and act like the Coven or Madison didn’t regret how things went down on the training grounds. She couldn’t just stand there and act like she was the only righteous soul among them. Lyss was beginning to feel the anger bubble within her when she noticed the rage in Madison’s face.

Oh, fuck.

Lyss sat up further in her seat and her hands rested on the arms. If a fight broke out, she would step in to stop it. She eyed Madison cautiously as she began to defend herself. Honestly, Lyss was agreeing with Madison at this point, but she had to agree that her sister was terrifying when she was angry. No wonder Vashti was so scared. Madison turned her eyes onto the rest of the Coven and continued to rant.

Lyss almost spoke up in her own defense. She almost tried to reason with Madison, and explain that she believed that the Jaws acted on its own…

… but she didn’t have the energy to do it at the moment. There were bigger things to fight about now besides Vashti’s whiney attitude about her curse and Madison’s pride. Lyss would deal with those later. The poor ghost hunter came to see the Coven because they asked for her help. They didn’t ask for a fucking therapist.

So, she let Madison storm off, and she let Herik go after Vashti. Hopefully loverboy would get her to stop whining. For now, someone needed to explain the situation, like Kim said, before they decided to ditch the Coven and get back to their own business. Which was…? Lyss didn’t know, and she would ask that later.

As the air settled after Madison’s dramatic exit, Lyss took a moment to breathe before standing. She looked first at Claudette. “I believe Madison. The Jaws acted on it’s own and she needs our help too. If you want her to stay, go after her. I can handle this.” She gave her best encouraging smile before she turned her attention onto Kimberly and her friend. Rowan, wasn’t it?

“Look, I’m… really sorry you had to experience that. We’ve been through a lot the past month and I think what happened between Vashti and Madison was the breaking point of it all.”

Lyss sighed softly and stuck her hands into her pockets before holding her chin up high. This was business, as usual. She didn’t expect anything else from Kimberly but a yes or a no. They just wanted to know if she knew anyone that could help. That’s it.

“We invited you here because we’ve run out of options. Many of our members are cursed, afflicted, or they have family members in need of a healer. We didn’t call you here specifically asking for your help, but if you know anyone that could, or any leads that could take us in that direction, we would be grateful.”

“So, can you think of anyone or any organization that works with curses and healing? I’m sure you’ve needed help before, too.”

And although Lyss was asking this information for her sisters, she couldn’t help but think of Max too.

Recollections: The Coven [COMPLETED]

---

“Drop the barrier.”

Lyss looked over at Claudette. She could still feel Vashti and the Leviathan crashing into her barrier. Every bump took more and more energy and she knew she wouldn’t be able to keep it up. Still, she worried that the Leviathan’s fear would turn into rage towards the one who trapped it.

She released the trap anyways. Claudette’s darkness was there to protect Madison, but that still left her trapped with the Leviathan too. Lyss heard rapid footsteps approaching and braced herself for any attack by holding her forearms up in front of her. Instead of seeing the lizard’s jaws appear from the dark, Lyss was shocked to see that Vashti herself emerged. Her sister was terrified. To the point that she didn’t even know what reality was anymore. Lyss was shaken by her terror. She stepped back and dropped her arms. Is she still aware of what the Leviathan does? Does she feel it’s fear too?

The others began to console Vashti, but Lyss wasn’t sure what to do. Twice in one day had she stepped in to help, and both times she’d somehow felt like the bad guy in each situation. First for using necromancy during a misunderstanding, and now for turning Vashti into an emotional wreck.

The chaos wasn’t over, still. Lyss watched The Jaws maul Vashti and she instantly worried that it was going to be another Babylon situation. Lyss ran towards the two women. No plan in mind but to try and trap only The Jaws and Madison this time. The sudden blast of sound from her left came before she could attempt it and Lyss was grateful. The Jaws retracted. Vashti was being taken to safety. Now they’d just need to make sure that The Jaws wouldn’t attack again.

The look on Madison’s face proved her innocence to Lyss. She’d seen that look before. The Jaws had taken over, much like the Leviathan took over Vashti time and time again. Had the apparition acted in defense? Was it getting revenge? Either way Lyss knew that Madison hadn’t ordered it to do this, but there was still a threat that it would happen again. She wouldn’t let another sister die because of a rogue apparition. Not after Ellie, and almost Emily, died because of an apparition with it’s own goals. Lyss pressed her lips together and turned to go to Vashti, to help her, but she heard the sound of a vehicle approaching and groaned.

What now??

Lyss didn’t even bother checking to see who it was. She has a feeling she already knew who. Instead she moved to kneel on the other side of Vashti. She gave Herik a concerned glance before checking the wound. She sucked in some air through her teeth as she saw the damage and rested a hand on the woman’s shoulder. “I’m sorry,” she murmured.

She looked up again and Agent Paige was there to play doctor again. Lyss nodded thankfully before moving out of her way. She stood and looked towards Meifeng and her eyes glanced over the other agents present as she moved back towards them. One agent in particular was missing. Was Meifeng leaving him out of this on purpose, or was something wrong. Why would the DENs just show up to the Coven’s training? It’s not like they were doing anything wrong.

A favor?

Lyss raised an eyebrow and then crossed her arms. She glanced over at Claudette to make sure she’d heard Meifeng right. A favor?? When she looked back at Meifeng she shrugged. “I wouldn’t say any of us are happy to see you at the moment anyways. Although I’m grateful that Agent Paige is here to help my sister.”

“What did you think we could help you with, Agent Liao?”