tea & spells
“I’m back.” Rio put a purple hyacinth behind Agatha's ear before she sat down on the couch.
“Hey.” Agatha followed her into the living room. “I made tea.”
“Thanks, but I don’t really want tea right now.”
“I didn’t make tea for you. This is my tea. I didn’t know you were coming, remember?”
“Then why are you telling me?”
“It’s a conversation starter.”
“That’s a lousy conversation starter.”
“Oh, is it? We are conversing. Success.”
Rio snickered dryly. Agatha sat down next to her.
“…Is there a reason you don’t want tea?”
“I— It’s fine, we don’t have to talk about it.”
“Did something happen at work?”
“I just— It’s nothing.” She sighed. “I don’t know, I've just been seeing things differently since I met you, I guess.”
Agatha flipped her hair dramatically. “I do have that effect on people.” She stopped when she saw that that didn’t cheer up Rio. “I’m sure it’s not your fault, my love.”
“But—”
“No “but”s. It’s not your fault.”
“How do you know?”
“The same way you knew my trial wasn’t my fault.”
“I just—” She sighed. “I hate my job so much sometimes.”
Agatha pulled her head to her lap. “I know. I know.”
They stayed like that for a bit.
“I found somewhere else we could live in.”
“Really?” Agatha let go. “Where?”
“Just south of London.”
“London as in England?”
“Yeah. If we can figure out how your mother cast these protection and concealment spells, we can go there immediately. I know how much you hate being here.”
“Then we’re in luck, because I finally found her secret library.” She got up, leading Rio into the study. “She redid the lock after I stole the book, so it took me a while but all her spells should be here.”
“So we just have to sort through these.” Rio looked over the hundreds of books lining the walls.
“Exactly.”
“Shouldn’t take that long, right?”
“Right.”
–
Rio sighed, staring at the endless pile of books. “I’ve had to go twice, and we still haven’t found it.”
Agatha paused. “Wait, twice?”
“Yeah.”
“But it’s been almost three days–” Agatha looked up. “Oh my god.”
“What?”
“You’re taking longer to have to go back.” She narrowed her eyes. “Are you ignoring it again?”
“No, I just haven’t had to. What do you mean longer?”
“Like you used to go once every 8 hours. That’s 3 times more often than now.”
Rio considered. “That’s good, right?”
“If you’re asking me…” Agatha laughed.
Rio groaned. “I hate not having answers.”
“Are you talking about the spells or you having to go less often?”
“Both, I guess.” She sighed. “It has to be here somewhere! There’s no way it’s that hidden. She wouldn’t have had time to hide it before she— “ She cut herself off, glancing at Agatha. “You know.”
Agatha nodded. “Yeah, I know.”
Rio sighed and looked back at the book, a small doodle in blue catching her eye. “Oh my god.”
“What?”
Rio turned it around, showing Agatha. “Is this it?”
Agatha exhaled in relief. “Finally! You’re so smart!” She kissed Rio.
Rio looked over at Agatha. “Is there anything you want to take?”
“Don’t think so. I can get new clothes there. My old ones are probably dust by now. Idiot humans love fire.”
Rio shrugged. “Fire is great.”
Agatha shook her head with a smile, focused enough on what Rio had said to miss her smile faltering. “You’re weird.”
Rio chuckled. “I know.”
Agatha leaned forward. “Yeah?”
Rio moved her lips closer to Agatha’s. “Yeah.”
Agatha’s lips met Rio’s in a passionate kiss. They pulled away, both smiling.
“How’re we gonna get there?”
“I’ve never tunneled that far or underwater, so I don’t want to risk that…”
They sat there, thinking for a minute.
“I know!” Rio looked up with a huge smile.