Honeybee | Wanda Maximoff {AU}

Chapter Thirteen: Trigona

Music is "The Only Exception" by Paramore.

Picture is Claudia Doumit as Sarai.

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Apinae Trigona

Commonly referred to as vulture bees, Apinae Trigona are the only known bees which do not rely on plants for food. Much like their namesake, A. Trigona are carnivorous, consuming the flesh of dead animals. This unusual behavior was only discovered in 1982, nearly two centuries after they were first classified.

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Chapter Thirteen: Trigona

Wanda locks eyes with me, grabbing my hand as I sit in the center of the room. A crystal grid surrounds me, candles light every corner of the pattern, and Stephen is preparing the words of the spell. The shop is closed to the public and the curtains are drawn. In the candlelit room, surrounded by pagan paraphernalia, I've never felt more fucking nervous.

"Are you sure you're ready for this?" she asks.

I take a deep breath and nod shakily. I take Melizza from my shoulder with my other hand and let the little honeybee crawl onto Wanda's shoulder.

"Beee careful," Melizza tells me, quoting my bad joke from earlier in the school year.

A soundless laugh escapes my lips, and Wanda laughs with me. Before we worked on this spell, she completed the blessing to let her communicate with Melizza. Now we can both hear the little honeybee.

"I will," I tell Melizza, wishing I could open my mouth and tell Wanda the same thing.

I've never wished more than right now that I wasn't mute. My disability has never bothered me, not from the moment I stopped talking to the moment before this. Sure, sometimes it's inconvenient, but I never wished I wasn't this way. I never wished that my time on the streets of Beirut hadn't made me the silent woman I am today. Not once.

But now I have something I want to say to someone I care about. I want to tell Wanda how much she means to me. She's become more than a roommate or classmate. She might even be more than a friend. No one has accepted me this wholeheartedly, no one but Hal Chapelo. She reminds me of him in so many ways. If only I had met her before he got sick.

"She knows," Melizza tells me.

Wanda turns to the bee. "Who knows what?"

"Nothing," Melizza replies, flying over to Stephen and landing on the dark curls on top of his head. He looks up at her and sighs, a small smile on his face. "I told you I liked this one."

"She likes you Stephen," Wanda giggles.

"Just don't sting me and we're all good," he chuckles.

"Oh, I would never do that," Melizza replies, knowing full-well that he can't hear her. "That would kill me as well!"

Wanda and I laugh with each other as Loki lights the last candle. He shakes the match out and turns to Stephen. "You about ready?"

Stephen gives a single nod, careful not to jostle Melizza. "Whenever you are, we're good to go." He look up at me. "Just like we explained, okay? You'll go into a trance, meet your grandmother, talk to her, then we'll pull you out after five minutes. No more, no less, so make sure you get what you need pretty quick. Time flows differently in the astral realm, so be cautious."

I nod, all sign of laughter wiped from my face. I let go of Wanda's hand and nod towards Loki, a silent order telling her it's okay to go. She backs up, keeping her worried gaze on me.