The Shadress (MCD x Reader)

Sp. 04- Katelyn's POV

Ivan's spirit dissolves into smoke as Lucinda finishes the exorcism spell. She collapses onto one knee as she finishes, gripping her staff which she has stuck into the ground for stability. The woman he possessed collapsed as well, but she was unconscious, head landing in the snow with a soft thud.

The snowfall, which had strengthened when we got closer to the warlock, immediately stopped, giving the air the appearance of being clear.

"Lucinda, are you okay?" Aphmau's worry spilled from her voice like water from a waterfall. She reached for the other and helped her stand. Her ears twitch from the quick change in temperature, as do mine.

"Yeah, yeah. Just exhausted." She tried to wave away the concern, but I could visibly see how shaky she still was. I'd be concerned if it wasn't for the fact that she just dispelled a strong warlock spirit from this realm.

I give her a moment to breathe as Aphmau leaves to check on the woman, Garroth joining her. "How did you know what you needed to do to exercise him? Exorcism spells usually have to be performed by a priest or a monk."

Lucinda took a deep breath and then shook her head. "I don't know where it came from. But there was a scroll on my workbench that had the spell and the ingredients needed to perform it properly. I know I was researching ways to do it, but I didn't recognize this one."

"Did Hailey perhaps figure it out?"

She shakes her head again. "It would have been cause for celebration if she did."

We drop the subject as Aphmau returns from checking on the previously missing woman. I note Laurence picking her up gently, and Garroth holds her nearly frozen child. The pair walk off without so much as a word, moving in the direction of Pikoro.

Despite the moon being high in the sky, the snow slowly starts to dissolve, melting back into water. "You'd think that it was mid-day with how fast it's disappearing," Aphmau remarks, a small smile on her face. "Is this permanent?"

"Yes." Lucinda smiles as well; she stands straighter as her strength slowly returns. "His spirit has officially been banished from this realm. The best he could hope for would be to freeze the nothingness that is purgatory."

"Purgatory? Not hell?" I raise an eyebrow and cross my arms. "I thought you were the 'White Witch.' Shouldn't you have the power to banish him to his afterlife?"

"He is too dangerous to be in hell." She glosses over the compliment. "Besides, purgatory is a safer place for him as well. If other witches and warlocks were to find out what he did in the name of power, I doubt he would last very much longer while dead." Clearly, she still cares about him just a little.

"What will happen now that Ivan's spirit is gone?" Aphmau asks. "Do you need to stick around?" Subtle.

"No, I don't think so. Hailey is fully capable of leading Pikoro by herself." A cheeky smirk slides across the witch's face as she speaks. "Do you want me to go with you?"

Aphmau looks away – embarrassed – before responding, "Yeah. I think having a witch in the alliance will help boost our credibility."

"Right. Just for the alliance." The two of them laugh at the remark, easy conversation and joy filling the space that had been so hate-filled when Ivan was around.

I wonder if the Shadress is ever gonna tell the others that this was her spell...