Coven Two...Three... Four

Nicholas’ POV

Nicky’s life was the best. He had two loving mothers– who were finally together. He knew there was something between when he was in the woods with his mama and Mami would randomly come visit but never interacted with Mama. There were wolves who would cuddle him when his mothers weren’t there, and now he had this kind old lady teaching him. She was funny, sweet. She snuck him little chocolates, praised him when he completed a spell or if he read something correctly.  Sometimes she made him lunch when Mama wasn’t home and Mami was sleeping… but there was a problem, Nicky decided. It had been months and Mami wasn’t the same anymore. 

When she finally returned, they did everything together. Mami played with him, taught him green magic and the cycle. He helped her in the green house, held him when he couldn’t understand his Death side and he was just like her. He had her face and he was so excited to be just like Mami, well that was until she started sleeping more, not being able to play and her body was changing. He didn’t understand it, never in all his life did Mami change. He thought maybe Mama changed a bit, but he noticed she just looked younger. He tried asking Maestra Lilia about it, but she would always claim that was a conversation for his mothers, but Nicky was seeing them less and less. Something more was happening, something to do with the scary lady that was in the throne room. 

But today? 

Nicky would change it back to normal. 

He would get his mothers back. 

He didn’t have a plan, not really, just figured he would make it up as he went, gaging their reactions. It started small, something to get their attention. 

Nicky ran down the stairs, his little feet slapping against the stone as the wolves chased after him, urging him to slow down. He didn’t listen. Mami and Mama promised to have breakfast together as a family. He had cried about it last night– sure he wasn’t entirely upset enough to cry, but tears seemed to work– especially with Mami. Lately, he would use his tears against her to get what he wanted, but not Mama. Mama only wiped his tears, hugged him, and told him no. She was no fun sometimes, but when it came to magic, she was the most fun to practice with. Mama had more patience with him and he allowed the purple magic in his veins to come out in furious explosions. Mami on the hand was less patient, more precise, and didn’t like the explosions, so less fun. But all of that had stopped. 

He rounded the corner, barging into the kitchen just to find his Mami with her head in her hands, the table completely bare, not even the smell of Mama’s pancakes. He blinked. It didn’t make sense, they had promised. This time, for real, he felt the tears start to well up in eyes as his breathing became heavier. It wasn't fair. It wasn’t right. He swallowed it back, pushing his death magic forward and allowing his face to become skeletal. 

That’s when Mami looked up. Her gaze was knowing but laced with tiredness. Her eyes weren’t as bright and her belly was big. Mami leaned back, her hands rubbing her stomach before sighing. 

“I know, cariño,” she sighed, opening her arms up to beckon him forward. “Mama had an emergency this morning. She told me to tell you that dinner is going to be extra special tonight.”

Nicky didn’t move, he only stared at her before whipping around and running into the shadows and landing in the garden. He kicked at the dirt before his purple came forth, blasing patches of azaleas. He knew it was wrong, but he couldn’t bring himself to care as he sat there, staring out into nothingness. 

Mami didn’t go after him, and his Maestra was off today, leaving him alone. He didn’t mind being alone but today he did. He was going to get Mami to play with him again, no matter what it took. Standing up straight, brushing off his pants with all the seriousness a seven year old could muster, he marched back into the house. He found Mami sitting on the couch, a bucket of coal next to her and knitting something. Her hair was on top of her head in a messy ball, and like lately, she wasn’t in her usual garbs. She wore a tank top and boxers, something he learned that was a new choice of clothes. Mama had got him some, and he quickly fell in love with them. They were so much better than the itchy undergarments and they had different shapes on them. The one’s Mami had on now were new. They were black with flowers on them and seemed to be made to fit her round belly. Okay, new plan: figure out why Mami was getting big. 

Nicky climbed up beside her, staring at her expectantly. Usually she would stop whatever she was doing and turn to him immediately. She didn’t this time, her eyebrows were pinched together as she manipulated the wool, her tongue poking the side of her cheek as she worked. Oh, he didn’t like this. Scowling, he shifted his weight on the couch hoping that would do the trick. 

“Sí, mijo?” she said without looking up. 

He cocked his head, the gears in his head working on how to ask her. It seemed like such a strange question to ask his mami about her body, but it was so obvious now he knew he had to ask, plus Mama was always fussing over it too. Nicky had watched when they were together, Mama’s hands were always soothing the round skin, Mami and Mama having hushed conversations that he couldn’t pick up on no matter how hard he tried. He had walked several times on them kissing– grossly might he add. Mama always paid attention to Mami, of course– she looked at her the way people looked at the moon on clear nights, like she couldn’t help herself. But these days, Mama’s hands were always on her, always smoothing over her belly like she was checking for something. If Nicky tried to climb into Mami’s lap, Mama would swoop in and redirect him, saying, “careful, little dove,” in that soft but firm voice of hers. And Mami let her. That was the weirdest part.

Mami wasn’t the kind of person who let anyone- anyone-fuss over her. Before all this, she would always grumble when Mama tried to fuss over her, rolling her eyes and literally snapping her teeth at her. But now, she let it happen. Worse, she leaned into it. And when they thought Nicky wasn’t looking, she let Mama pull her into her arms, leaning her back against Mama’s chest, and the tension in Mami’s body would evaporate. It made something curl tight in Nicky's chest, something unsettled and prickly. He wasn’t jealous– no, never. Mami and Mama belonged to each other first, and he knew that. But this felt like something bigger than their usual orbit. Something he wasn’t a part of. And that wasn’t fair.

Unsure how to answer, he looked up at her face finding she was hardly paying attention. Okay, that hurt. He sat up and without another thought, he poked her belly, finding it harder than originally thought. Mami’s reaction was immediate. She jolted, her knitting jerking out of her hands as the loops of yarn unravelled slightly. Her head snapped toward him, eyes narrowing to a sharp glare. 

“Oye, niño,” her voice was low and dangerous, the way it got when she was one breath away from making him regret even breathing too close to her. 

But it didn’t deter him. In fact, it was a little thrilling when Mami’s death magic would flare, lighting up his own as he faced off with her, until it was too much. The first few minutes were fine, but he always regretted it later, but not today. He decided he wouldn’t today, especially if he finally got answers out of her. So, with all the precision of a kid, he poked her again. 

He barely hid his flinch as a hand slapped his away. 

“Qué carajo te pasa?” she snapped, glaring at him. (What the hell is wrong with you?)

Nicky only met her eye, scowling at her annoyed. 

“Se siente dura,” he muttered, mostly to himself, his little fingers itching to poke again. (It feels hard.)

Mami growled, eyes flashing green. 

“Porque no es una maldita pelota, Nicky!” she snapped, grabbing his wrist before he could do it again. (Because it’s not a damn ball, Nicky!)

Nicky gasped, his eyes widening as he gathered all of his acting instincts. 

 “Mami, suéltame!” he yelled dramatically, forcing tears into his eyes, figuring it would do the trick. (Mami, let me go!) 

It didn’t. 

“No.”

“¡Si!” he yelled at her. 

“¡No!” she bared her teeth at him. 

He stopped his tears, trying to pull back out her grip, but Mami was too strong, embarrassingly stronger than him. She held his wrist without even looking at him as she set the wool aside, but struggled to sit up. Now, Nicky was panicking. Normally, she would let go. He felt his heart in his head as she moved, calculated and cold as she turned to him. Out of all the lessons he learned, it was that: Mama was scary when she was pissed off, but Mami? She was horrifying. In his panic, he lunged towards her hand around his wrist, burying his teeth into her flesh. 

She tasted like dirt and oddly enough her skin didn’t break, but it was hard like bone, but before he could pull away, the world almost exploded. 

“¡MALDITO SEA, NICOLÁS!” Mami roared, her voice shaking the very walls of the house. 

He pulled his mouth away releasing her, but the grip didn’t let go of his wrist– no it tightened, a bruising heat seeping into his skin as he no longer felt the couch underneath him. He was dangling in the air, his little legs kicking for a moment before stilling the moment his eyes latched onto bright, fluorescent green. Her chest rose and fell with every furious breath, her jaw clenched so hard Nicky was surprised it didn’t crack. 

“¿Me acabas de morder?” she hissed, and Nicky was sure the skeletal visage was about show. (Did you just bite me?) 

His brain scrambled, tripping over itself for a response, but all he managed was his eyes growing wider, “Uh– no?” 

Okay, wrong answer as his mother growled again, the shadows creeping around them as the room noticeably dropped in temperature. Her free hand already had black smoke wrapping around it as she snarled louder. 

“¡Me mordiste!” she snarled, half in disbelief, half in fury. (You bit me!) 

Nicky was now losing his calm façade, his legs kicking out as he tried to bear all of his weight down to get out of her grip, but then a voice cut through the cold. It was gentle, firm, and calming all at once, and Nicky felt himself going slack, silently thanking the gods. 

“My love,” Mama’s voice snapped the tension from him to her. 

Mami’s eyes darkened for a moment, her grip still firm as Mama crossed her arms, her head tilted to the side as his mothers stared each other off. Mami was as stiff as ever, holding him firmly as if his mama’s mere presence would cast him out of her grasps. Mama, however, had a strange expression. She was relaxed, not overly worried, in fact he swore he saw a corner of her mouth raise before she bit her cheek, trying to hide it. 

“Put. Him. Down.” 

Mami’s nostrils flared. It was the only movement from her as her gaze never left Mama’s. There were a couple beats of silence before Mama lost her amusement as her blue eyes sharpened. 

“Rio.”

First name. 

Mama was serious.  

Mami clicked her tongue sharply but finally– finally– set Nicky back on the couch with a huff. He scrambled away like a spooked doe, his little legs carrying him far from the couch and towards his Mama. He dove between her legs, pushing through her skirt and behind her, letting her body shield him from his Mami. He peaked around her legs as Mama didn’t move from her spot, allowing his hands to cling to her skirt as she stepped there, arms still crossed looking at Mami. Mami was refusing her gaze, rubbing her wrist before sitting back and picking up her knitting again while muttering something under her breath too low for Nicky to hear. Then Mama was moving, leaving Nicky there exposed to the predator in front of him. She ignored his protests as she sat down next to Mami, and pulled her into her arms. Nicky wanted to groan, yell, or maybe poke Mami’s stomach again, because why wasn’t Mama paying attention to him? 

Mami melted into Mama, still muttering under her breath, and just before Nicky could flee, Mama turned a sharp gaze to him, “Nicholas.” 

Crap. 

Mama wasn’t supposed to be involved in this. She was supposed to be gone for the day and come back for dinner. She held her gaze on him, and unlike Mami, she didn’t growl, didn’t snap her teeth like an animal, didn’t stalk around the house like a predator, all Mama had to do was give you that look, and Nicky wasn’t so sure anymore who was scarier when angry. 

“Yes, Mama?” he squeaked. 

She tilted her head, a motion for him to step forward as Mami went back to knitting, seeming to longer pay attention to them. He studied them for a minute, seeing his Mami was pulled against Mama’s chest, her head resting back on her shoulder as Mama’s hands were back on her stomach, rubbing the sides of them, a faint purple glow emitting from them and seeping into Mami’s skin. That was strange. He had never seen that before. 

Maybe Mama has been casting a spell to make Mami like that? But why? he wondered as he took a few hesitant steps closer. 

His mama was about to speak when an audible loud crunch echoed into the room, pulling both of their attention to Mami eating coal again. 

That, or she has been eating too much coal, Nicky wrinkled his nose. 

Mama huffed, looking down at Mami with soft eyes before they hardened again, turning back to him, “Nicholas, why did you bite your mother?” 

“Cause she wouldn’t let go,” he bit out, making Mami snap her gaze up at him. 

Mami’s lip curled, “Because you wouldn’t stop poking my stomach.” 

“Cause you won’t tell me anything.”

Mami sat up now, Mama seeming to have given up, “And poking me instead of using your words is the way to get your answers?”

Nicky shrugged, “Not like you woulda answered.” 

Both of his mothers’ gazes darkened at that. 

Mama pulled Mami back, this time replying, “Oh, since you were so sure, mister, that led you to poking? Did you really believe that was going to give the answers to whatever the hell you wanted to ask?” 

Nicholas didn’t respond. 

“And the biting, Nicholas? What the hell was that?” Mama now snapped. “You are not an animal– we don’t bite–”

Nicky had it. Not an animal? That was rich coming from her when there was a predator in Mama’s lap. His fists balled up as his gaze snapped to Mami. 

“Tell her that,” he snapped, making Mami sit up again. 

“¡Perdóneme!” she snarled, but a rich sound made both of them turn to Mama. 

A couple soft snorts echoed from her as she threw her head back, a deep laugh echoing in the house. Nicky couldn’t help but laugh with her, smiling like a preening peacock. Mami however, did not find it funny. Her elbow slammed into Mama hard, causing Mama to wince, but ultimately keep laughing. Nicky adored his Mama’s laugh, and it was rare for her to laugh this hard. He knew Mama was embarrassed by her laugh, but the little snorts from her always had him laughing harder when he did manage to get that laugh out of her. 

“Agatha!” Mami groaned now, trying to get away from her.

She struggled to sit up, but Mama held her firmly, nuzzling against her neck. Mami groaned, unable to move from her spot. 

“Aww,” Mama feigned her coo. “Do you need some extra cuddles after getting clocked by a seven year old, my love?” 

Mami snarled for real this time, her eyes flashing green again as she tried to push Mama away, but Mama only grinned wider, tightening her grip on Mami’s waist. 

“Agatha, if you don’t let me go, I swear I will–”

“You’ll what?” Mama purred, nosing against the side of her neck. “Bite me?” 

Mami went rigid, her glare somehow sharpening, a look that would kill anyone else, but not Agatha, not Nicky. Nicky only watched, curious, but mostly pleased that he distracted his mothers from yelling at him and now Mami seemed embarrassed. Mama’s smirk was borderline evil, Nicky decided, watching the glint in her eyes as her voice dropped to whisper in Mami’s ear, but unfortunately for them, Nicky heard it. 

He watched as her lips grazed his Mami’s ear, “You do love using that sharp little mouth of yours, don’t you, my love?” 

Mami’s face grew red and with ease, she slipped into the shadows as Mama cackled loudly. Fortunately for Nicky, he had no idea what that meant. He chuckled too, about to turn away to his toys but just as he did, a hand caught him by the same wrist. He flinched, ready to find Mami again, but this time it was Mama and the amusement was gone. He swallowed hard as she led him to the couch. 

“Want to tell me why you bit Mami, Nicholas?” she asked coldly. 

He shrunk before her, his gaze only flitting to the side when he saw Mami reappear again, making her way to the kitchen. A finger lifted his head, forcing him to look up at Mama. She was pissed, her face sharp and her lips pursed as she stared him down. 

“Why did you poke her?” 

Nicky weighed his options in his mind. He could bite Mama, and Mami would probably laugh and he could run away. He could simply ignore her, but he was sure he would get the reprimand of his life, or tell the truth, which seemed scary. His eyes darted to see if Mami was near, but he was sure she was still in the kitchen 

He decided to bite the bullet, “Why does Mami look like that now?” 

His mama froze, her eyes darting upward as she sighed, turning sitting down next to him and pulling him onto her lap. That meant this was serious. He decided to keep talking, remembering what he had promised his mama those months ago- to always ask when something scares him or confuses him. 

“Mami has been different for a while. She doesn’t play with me, hold me, and she is always sleeping, more than she was sick. Is she still sick? Why is her stomach so round?”

At that, Mami was sitting down next to them, eating from a tub of ice cream without a care in the world. She didn’t look at them, just making herself comfortable as Mama glared at her. Finally, she turned her head with the spoon still in her mouth. 

“Wha-?” 

Mama sighed, “My love, our son is asking why you look like this?”

Mami blinked, “Why I look like what? Do I have coal dust on my face or something?” 

Both of them gaped at Rio, their mouths hung open as she just wiped at her face before turning back to her ice cream. Neither were able to say anything, too shocked at her response. Mami either didn’t notice, or didn’t care as she slouched back, resting the ice cream tub on top of her stomach. His mama sighed again, holding him with one arm as her other arm resting on the side of her stomach. Mami flicked her gaze down and then she sat up, almost knocking her ice cream to the ground. 

“Oh.” 

“Yeah, ‘oh,’” Mama mocked her, earning her another light slap. 

Mami’s eyes darkened again, “You have a lot of nerve speaking to your pregnant wife like this.” 

“That’s because you make it too easy, my love,” his mama retorted.

“What’s preg-pre? What’s that big word?” Nicky piped up now, tired of them acting so weird. 

His mama turned to her wife, “Do you want me to or shall you do the honors, love?” 

Mami didn’t reply, tonguing her cheek to think but ultimately kept quiet. 

Mama sighed dramatically, “It means Mami’s carrying a baby inside her tummy.”

Nicky’s eyes widened, staring at Rio’s stomach like it personally cussed him out. He stared at it, trying to figure out how in the world a baby could get in there. Why was there a baby in there? Why did Mami allow there to be a baby inside her? He opened his mouth before closing it, leaning back into his mother away from Mami. 

Mami caught it, eyeing him harshly, “You can ask questions, Nicky. I am not going to bite.” 

It got a soft laugh from his mama, but Nicky only stared at it, like it was a ticking time bomb. Mami groaned loudly, making her ice cream disappear. 

“You broke our son, mi amor.” 

His mama chuckled, holding him close and pressing kisses to the top of his head, “Nicky, love, go on. You can ask your questions.” 

With the might of a curious seven-year-old, he blurted, “Why? Why is it in there? Is it going to stay in there forever? How does it even fit? How did it get there? Mama, did you cast a spell on Mami? Mami, why are you fine with something inside your belly? Isn't it uncomfortable?”

He watched as his mothers shared a glance before turning back to him. Mama lifted him up, sitting him on the coffee table to make him face them. His mami sat up first, groaning first before Mama was helping her. 

“Oh, it’s very uncomfortable, mijo,” she said softly. “But that’s how baby’s grow. My body is giving them nutrients, strength, and magic until they are ready to join us. So no, they will not be in here for long. Your Mama carried you for nine months before you were born.” 

She said the last part stiffly as he watched his Mama flinch, but he had more pressing matters to understand as he turned to Agatha, “I grew in your tummy?” 

She nodded, “Yes, until with Mami’s magic, we brought you into the world.”

“But you don’t have this baby inside you?”
Mama shook her head, “No, it’s Mami’s turn.” 

It earned her an elbow in the ribs for reasons Nicky wasn’t sure of. 

“How did it get there? How did you make it?” 

His mothers eyed each other as Mami put a hand to her mouth, “Well, um–”

Mama stuttered over herself, her eyes darting to Mami who groaned at her. 

“Magic, mijo.”

Nicky didn’t like that answer, he stared between them trying to figure out why they were acting weird, why Mama looked embarrassed and while Mami was trying not to laugh. He sat up, becoming very serious as he looked his mami in the eye. 

“But how? And why?” he demanded. 

“Well, when two witches love each other very much, sometimes their magic entwines–”

“How?” he demanded.

His mami cursed under her breath, shaking her head and pinching the bridge of his nose, but to his surprise his Mama finally lost the red in her cheeks, placing a hand on her wife’s stomach. 

“A secret ritual, Nicky. You know what a secret is, right, honey?” 

He nodded, determined to show off his vocabulary, “Yes, it’s a thing that someone hides from someone else.” 

His mothers nodded approvingly, “Yes, so this ritual is only known by me and Mami. It was the same ritual we used to create you.” 

He shook his head, trying to wrap his little head around that. He still eyed his mami’s stomach and he still didn’t understand what it meant for there to be a baby. He wanted to know how it grew, how his parents decided to grow him– most of all he did want to know the secret, but something refrained him from pushing too much on it. Instead, he drew in his lips, watching as Mami’s hand rubbed the side of her stomach as his mothers talked to each other with their eyes. 

That was nothing new, and yet another secret that Nicky did not know. Whatever they were talking about, they didn’t want him to understand. He wondered if they thought he was oblivious when they ‘spoke’ like this. He wasn’t. Sometimes, when he wasn’t in trouble, he would make up his own dialogue and wondered if one day they would teach him this language where they spoke with their eyes. 

“Nicky, little dove,” Mama broke him from his thoughts.

He looked up shyly, finding only a quiet understanding from bright blues. He snuck as glance at Mami meeting endearing browns, the same color eyes he would see in the mirror. It only led to more questions. How did he look so much like his Mami with a few features of Mama– why did he look like a version of them mixed together? 

“You realize what a baby means, right?” his mama spoke softly. 

He shook his head, and Mami held the same gentle lilt in her voice, “It means, cariño, that you are going to be a big brother.” 

Nicky blinked and then blinked again, “You mean you are keeping it?” 

His mothers stared at him, his mama with shock and Mami… he swore something cracked in her eyes. Nicky was ready for it– a snarl, a growl, or being dangled in the air, but a hand from his Mama rested on Mami’s thigh, settling her. 

“Yes, Nicky. Why wouldn’t we, sweetheart?” 

Nicky felt his breath quicken as his eyes darted between them. This time real tears stung his eyes as he felt his form flicker before as he sniffed hard, trying to control his emotions. But his little mind raced. If there was another baby, how would he get any attention from them? His mothers would barely notice him, and even less than they did now. Was he not enough? Mama always said that he was her baby, but here she was, having another, one replacing Nicky, and with that thought, he let out a loud cry, startling both of his mothers who grabbed him before he could bolt. He didn’t fight it as his mother held him close. Four soft hands on him, two soothing voices shushing him, and lips pressed against his skull repeatedly as he cried. 

His face was pressed tightly against his mama as he managed to get out, “You– you’re re-replacing me?” 

Their answers were an immediate chorus, “No, no, cariño.” 

“You are our son,” his mama said. 

“Our darling prince of Death,” his mami added, pressed cold lips to the side of his head. 

His sobs hitched as he clung tighter, his small fingers grasping onto both of their shirts as if they might slip away like a will-o’-the-wisp. His mama’s arms wrapped around them both, encasing him in the unyielding storm of their love. 

“You are not being replaced, mi corazón,” Mami whispered, her voice an ancho, firm yet soft as the petals of the greenhouse. “You are our firstborn, the one made from scratch– from Death and Life. No one could ever take your place.” 

“But–” he hiccuped, his small body trembling in their arms.“But if there’s another baby, you won’t have time for me anymore. You won’t love me as much.” 

Mama shifted, pulling back just enough so he could see her face, those blue eyes filled with nothing but warmth. She wiped his tears with the loving touch he has known since the moment he was born. 

“Sweetheart,” she cooed, her fingers tracing comforting circles against his back, “love does not divide or fraction. Love is limitless– it constantly grows. Your mami grew a heart when she realized she loved me all those centuries ago. It grew even more when you were born, little dove. So, when this little one is born, guess what?”

He stared up at her with large eyes, tears still pooling as this time, cold fingers were there, wiping them away. Nicky gave the nod to continue to his mama. 

“You will have someone else to love, and most importantly, someone else will be here to love you in return.” 

Nicky nodded slowly, leaning back into his mothers’ embrace, nuzzling into them as Mami grew closer, pulling them all together, but Nicky was immediately shifted so his weight was on Mama. All of the reassurances now felt like nothing as he reached out for his mami, ready to cry, kick, and scream, but before he even had a chance, Mama took his hand. His eyes widened as she placed his palm against Mami’s stomach. 

“You have to be more gentle with Mami, sweetheart,” she murmured into his ear. “You can’t be poking her or biting her or jumping on her, but you can feel like this.” 

He gasped as his Mama placed her larger hand over his, a purple glow shimmering from her hand. The magic connected them together and Nicky finally understood how powerful his Mama was. It crackled through him, until it was just skimming the surface of burning until his skin grew used to the sting. The purple grew brighter and then Nicky felt it, a strange pull into his mami’s stomach. Nicky froze. The world stopped, because underneath his palm was a soul that was entwined with his mama’s purple and his mami’s green. His eyes lit up as the tears dried and he laughed, easily warming his mothers’ hearts. His mama let go, placing her hand next to his and he smiled up at his mami, seeing how she was glowing at him. 

It truly was magic…

That was until something from his mami’s stomach nudged against his hand. He yelped, drawing his hand back like he was burned, but his mama only gasped, both hands on Mami’s stomach. 

“You felt that?” Mami gasped as they both nodded their heads, Mama a little more happily as Nicky stared at the offending thing. 

“What was that?” Nicky asked, backing up against his mama who was utterly enchanted by Mami’s stomach. 

His mami took his hand this time, placing it back to her stomach where he felt another nudge against his palm, “That, mijo, is the baby saying hello.”