Stone Cold

3: A Pentangle

A witch in a pink silk pajama appears inside Miss Cackle's office, a very frustrated and busy one with closed eyes and unsteady breathing talking to someone on the phone.

"How am I supposed to calm down when I woke up and found out that I can't find my daughter?! And someone told me she flew with her broomstick?! Without anyone stopping her? I. Need. My. Daughter. Back." Right after the call ended, she jumped out of shock. She immediately spotted her daughter and started moving towards Rie.

'What is Pippa doing in here?! I was supposed to summon Miss Asteria's parent. Don't tell me that...'

"Rie! Where have you gone?! I woke up and when I checked your room, you weren't there!" Pippa looked really worried that she haven't noticed that everyone in the room were staring at the two of them.

Rie looks really embarrassed, she tried smiling but the smile ended up being a grimace.

Miss Hardbroom cough, catching Pippa's attention.

"Oh, well met, Miss Cackle? Miss Hardbroom?" Her confusion grew further as she stared at her daughter who's now hiding at the back of Maud, trying to look away and avoiding her mother.

"Did you flew here, Henriette Penelope Asteria Pentangle?!" She was about to scold her daughter but managed to maintain her composure, waving her hand on her pajama as it change into a bright pink dress.

"I apologize, Miss Cackle. But may I know why did you summon me here? Did Penelope do something? Did she cause you any trouble? I apologize for my daughter's action, I would be sure to punish her when we get back home." Miss Cackle's amusement grew furthermore as she stares at Pippa's face. Meanwhile, Miss Hardbroom felt her heart just broke into pieces, her chest feels like it tightened and like it was shot by daggers, million times.

'She never changed. Her face never changed. Her voice, everything. Even the way she favours the color of pink.'

"Oh no, Miss Pentangle." Miss Cackle shook her head, now they know why Rie's so clever and good at potion. "Henriette has been a good witch here, and it just happen that she was accused of not being from a witching family." Miss Cackle meaningfully eyed Ethel who's staring in shock and awe at Miss Pentangle in front of her.

"But she really told Maud that she isn't a traditional witch, Miss Cackle!" Miss Cackle shakes her head at Ethel's words, she has told them enough and maybe she just doesn't really want to apologize to Rie.

"Yes, Ethel. I am not a traditional witch because I am supposed to be a modern witch, studying modern magic." Rie walks to her mother, hugging her tightly, burying her face in her mother's dress. Pippa hugged her daughter back.

"Enough, girls. Ethel and Maud, dismissed. Miss Pentangle and us have some matters to discuss privately." As Miss Cackle stated, she opened her office's door using her magic. One last look at Rie before Maud left her with her mother.

"D- uhm- Do you realize that your daughter applied for a place here?" Miss Hardbroom's voice are shaking but she managed to make it sound her usual self, only she have noticed the difference of it.

Miss Hardbroom never thought that she will face her love of life again, after what happened 13 years ago.

"S- She applied here?" Pippa broke the hug, sitting in front of her daughter to face her. "You applied here, love?" Pippa's expressions were unreadable. As Rie saw her Mum's face, guilt crept inside her chest, she felt like she had been selfish because of what she did.

"I- I am sorry, Mum. I won't accept it, I will study on Pentangle's, I really am sorry." While Pippa was looking at her daughter's sobbing and crying face, she managed to form a sweet and warm smile on her face.

"Oh no, sweetie. I knew right from the start when you started talking that you will be a traditional witch like your other Mum, instead of a modern witch like me." She brushed her daughter's tears as she hugged her again. "I would want you to continue to study here, love. You know that what matters the most to me is your happiness, but you're still my heiress, okay?" She smiled and grinned when she heard her daughter giggled.

Miss Cackle's heart was melting, watching Miss Pentangle and Henriette's moment was truly delightful. While Miss Hardbroom decided to transfer back on her chambers, she had enough.

As she arrived at her chambers, she broke down in tears. The tears she's been trying to stop ever since she saw Henriette.

Why is she a spitting image of her? Why is she Pippa Pentangle's daughter?

'How could she have a daughter when that night she promised to me that I am the only one she'll love?'

She remember the night when she was so drunk and so vulnerable, when she ended everything between Pippa and her, that night where she poured out all of her feelings to Pippa, grateful and glad that she loves her too. But when the sun comes out, she realized how she badly don't want herself to be Pippa's downfall, so instead of staying beside Pippa, she flew away, back on Cackle's. She sacrificed everything, even her love. She knew that she is the most important person to Pippa and she knew that Pippa would give her the world, but she can't be that selfish.

"Of course she would find someone new to love, someone who'll be there for her unlike you because you left her, that's so foolish of you, Hecate, for thinking she'll wait for the person who left her." She tried to suppressed her sobs but she ended up screaming her pain out.

"YOU ARE SO HOPELESS, HECATE!"

She closed her eyes, as she slowly removes the pin on her bun. She let her hair flow on her shoulders as she let her tears fall from her eyes down to her cheeks.

Little did she know that the person she's talking about was with her, transferring on her chamber without permission.

The blonde witch was shocked as she saw Hecate crying endlessly, shouting and screaming.

She knew that there was a Silencing Spell on Hecate's chamber.

'Why is she breaking down here? Maybe that's the reason why she didn't hear me knock.'