Moon Phases (Agatha Harkness X Fem!Reader)

Chapter XXXVII.

When you walked into the Iron Maiden and climbed the first two steps, you did not expect to hear Jen shouting for anyone other than yourself.

"Lilla! Lilia!"

Her shouts echoed across the stone walls, and you let Agatha continue ahead as you turned and chose to check what was happening.

Yet when you found her hitting her fists against a dirt wall, shouting the name of a certain witch that was not amongst you... you realized.

Your lips pressed against one another, forming a flat line, and momentarily, you closed your eyes, offering a silent prayer and a moment of respectful peace for the brave witch.

Lilia was not close to you, and the way she often stared at you made you keep your distance from her. But in the end, she cared for the coven more than anyone.

Ultimately, she sacrificed herself so the rest of you could move forward, one trial closer to reaching the end of the road and the much-needed prize.

A prize, one would start questioning if it was worth it, after all the mental and physical torture... and the losses.

Jen needed a moment to recover. Tears were wiped with the back of her hand before she sat down by the steps, trying to process yet another loss.

One that she truly felt this time.

Billy joined her while you stood close. You could have left them behind and gone to find Agatha, but you chose not to. They needed to mourn and process everything before being able to continue.

Agatha would be fine, for she was not stupid enough to walk away. Yet you could not help but have this feeling... that something was not right.

"Rio." Jen started, unsure where to start. "Green Witch with a capital G. She told us who she was initially." She continued, earning Billy's attention, who was not catching up.

"Green Craft is about the cycle of all living things. Growth and decay in constant flow." You chose to enlighten him, leaning against the stone wall with hands folded in front of your chest.

At least you were out of that dress, which was perhaps the only positive thing you could think of right now. That and the fact that you were alive, one trial closer to getting out of this hellish road.

Billy looked at you, not surprised you knew. He had come to realise, with your past related to Agatha, that you knew far more than the rest of the coven members.

"So Agatha's ex is Death, " he concluded, trying to wrap his head around the idea that Death was a woman, one capable of falling in love. "Well, one of her exes," he looked at you again.

You kept your lips pressed to one another. "Pretty much,"

"That makes sense," he commuted. Somehow, it did make sense, though by now, he did question his sanity and mind.

"You knew, didn't you?" Jen asked next, her gaze on your form.

This time, though, she was too tired to judge. Too tired to throw any sparky remarks. She just wanted some more answers. After all the trials she had been through with the coven, she deserved to know.

You sighed. "I did,"

"And you didn't tell us,"

You chose not to react to her words in honour of her grief and Lilia's sacrifice. "You didn't ask me, not her, not anyone," you replied calmly.

It was Jen's turn to sigh. "No, we didn't." she placed the back of her head against the wall.

Silence enveloped the group of three, and no one truly knew what to say. Some were even hesitant to move, trying to savour this little moment of peace as much as they could.

Who knew what they would face next? How quickly will the next trial come to meet them?

As you three sat there, it was then that your fellow witches took notice that someone was missing.

"Where is Agatha?" Jen questioned, looking around but finding no sign of the magicless witch.

"Up ahead. She should be waiting for us, " you informed, one thumb pointing over your shoulder towards the way the steps were leading.

Jen scoffed. "Yeah, right?"

"She knows alone won't do her any good in the trials," you reminded Jen as you offered your hand to pull her up on your feet. "The Road needs us together. It's the only way."

Defeated, she accepted your hand and let you pull her up, surprised by your strength. You definitely did not look that strong, and yet again, if she were to be frank, you did not look at a lot of things.

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The Path led you back to the forest, unsure if it was the same place you had started or further down the Road. Everything looked the same, but you did not trail back to the question. There was no need.

As you three walked in a line, you could not help but start a conversation. However, the topic was not much to your liking.

"I mean, how did they even meet?" Billy wondered.

"Um, over corpses, I imagine," Jen answered before the duo looked at you.

You sighed. "I am afraid you are asking the wrong witch," you confessed.

"But you were first, right? You knew Agatha before Rio, didn't you?" She asked you next, remembering what Evanora's ghost was saying in the cabin.

Though Jen was still puzzled by that interaction, Evanora hated you, and Jen suspected it was because you had ultimately chosen Agatha. But something was telling her there was something more.

Pieces of your puzzle were missing, making it harder to get a good image of who you truly are and what your past is.

"I was," you answered, clearly not wishing to continue this discussion.

It was not easy for you either. Your feelings about the topic were mixed, and you needed time to finally make a decision about it—to make peace with it.

"You must have really hurt her if her next ex ended up being Death itself."

You took a deep breath at Jen's words. You had chosen not to react so far simply out of respect for her grief, but even you had limits to your patience.

Billy took notice, and he did not really like how that topic had changed to focus on you and your rather cryptic relationship with Agatha.

It was not right to talk about Agatha behind her back, as if she was not going to show you any time soon.

"Well... I don't care," he joined the conversation. "It simply shows more proof that Agatha has feelings."

His words made you smile faintly, but you hid it from Jen, who you didn't have to look to feel her disagreement rising.

"That was your takeaway?" She scoffed. "I do not understand your loyalty to her. Hers, I understand, but not you. "

"It's not loyalty. It's analysis." Billy quickly defended himself.

"Oh, look who grew up."

"I'm fully aware that Agatha Harkness can never be anything but a coven-less witch."

You did not manage to hide your expression at those words, which seemed to sting you as much as they would Agatha.

Yet before you could ask anything, someone else beat you to it.

"Ouch!" Agatha exclaimed as she came from behind some plans.

Your eyes locked, and you could once again see right through her. You could see that something was odd, something had taken place, but you were not sure what.

A part of you told you it had to do with Rio, but you wouldn't put your hand in the fire.

One thing was certain, though.

Agatha's mask was back on. Any moments of true humility, humanity, and empathy were long gone by now. She had locked them all away once again.