Rio All Along

Chapter Six

AGATHA

My knees that were just buckling with fear holt upright in solidarity, my head slightly tilting.

"Lavinia?!"

My sister gasps, quickly gathering herself together after seeing the two of us crouched below in this rustic wardrobe.

"What are you doing?!" Her eyes darting back between me and Rio, Lavinia becoming so suddenly flushed.

"Hiding from you— well not you— someone— there's a man, we're hiding from a man," I spurt, me and Rio still plastered next to one another.

Lavinia shakes her head, grabbing both of our hands to pull us up.

"Why are you here? Come home, Agatha," there's a soft look on her face, unsuspecting to her usual appearance towards me.

"Come home? I cannot return home!" I whelp, looking at Rio for some form of encouragement.

"Ah, Silas Scratch, she isn't happy about that one Agatha," Lavinia says almost sarcastically, her head spinning around the room observing it.

"Who else knows?"

I turn my head, huh?

Rio looks jittery, her fingers are moving rapidly through the air doing small movements, she's almost bouncing.

Why would Rio ask that?

"Yeah, she's right, who else knows!" I howl.

"Only mother, me, the coven, and then there's also the whole of Salem," she spits, she is spiralling with my head I can tell.

"You're bluffing," says Rio, who is now unknowingly reaching for her inky black dagger she has strapped around her thigh.

"Rio, don't," I quickly yelp, suddenly getting Lavinia's attention.

Her hand that was once reaching for her dagger, slowly retreats back into her pockets. Lavinia backs up ever so slightly, abruptly taken aback by Rio's eagerness to protect.

"Not to be the bearer of bad news, but how on earth do you expect to walk the road if you cannot even face your own coven?" Lavinia cries, now throwing her hands on her hips.

"Look, Silas Scratch is nothing to me, we're nothing of any sort!" I scream, alerting both their attention. Rio looks almost pleased, relieved.

"I shall return home when I want Lavinia, and when I do come back, I don't wanna see your face," pushing her to the side, I stroll out of the door down the stairs.

Rio is quick to follow behind me, flipping my sister off as she skips her way downstairs.

I swing the door open slamming it back in the process, leaving my coven sister stranded upstairs.

We leave the cottage, continuing the path that leads opposite Salem, I don't plan on returning home soon.

☙

Several hours have passed and we've been walking for what feels like centuries, treading through thick piles of snowfield was not on my list today that's for sure.

"Let's stop for a rest, I am not built for this shit," I say, planting my derrière on a jagged rock. Signalling Rio to come sit with me, I slap the rock beside me.

She walks over breathlessly, smoothly crossing her legs and she sits. I let out a sigh of relief dare to break the steady gaze I'm giving Rio. Pondering to myself, I just need to ask.

"Why do you hate me?"