Chapter 2
Waking up in between Rio and Agatha brought a small smile to your face. It’s a luxury that you thought was long forgotten. You were careful to rise without waking them. Your back cracked as you stretched, the ground of the road was not comfortable in the slightest.
“So you’re a familiar?” Lilia speaks, staring cautiously.
The way your eyes cut over to her is soft. It’s softer than you want it to be. You look at the ground and then the sky, deciding not to look at the witch.
“Yep,” a rough sigh comes out with the simple word.
“It typical that familiars have a second form. A pet or a-"
“Do they look like pet owners to you?”
The others begin to stir, before the conversation can go any further. You’re grateful for the interruption. You were not here to dig in to your past. Well, not any more than reigniting your relationship with Rio and Agatha.
“Look alive, witches. Let’s get this show on the road,” Agatha yawns as the words leave her mouth.
Though you’d rather do anything else, you prepare yourself for the journey.
“What’s wrong?” Rio falls into step with you as you begin to walk the road.
“I still don't want to be here,” you admit kicking some of the dirt up with your heel.
Rio takes your hand in hers, “We can leave whenever you want.”
You dismiss the thought with exasperation, “I’m not abandoning Agatha.”
Rio squeezes your hand, “I don’t want to leave her either, but I don’t want you to be burdened by whatever this is.”
“Woah,” Alice’s voice, makes you look away from Rio.
The other witches also stop, most with their mouths agape. The sight before them unfathomable. This was drastic change from the other trial they had come in contact with.
Instead of a house, there was large mansion. The building was purely white with gold accents. The pillars that stood on each side of the building seemed to go all the way.
The color leaves your face staring at the building. You drop to the ground and begin to scramble away from the building. You shake your head vigorously. Your eyes wide in horror, you try to find the breath in your lungs but you struggle.
“No, no, no, no,” you begin to mutter under your breath.
Agatha and Rio are by your side at a moments notice. Agatha’s hands rest on your face and you can feel Rio’s arm wrap around you.
“Breathe baby,” Rio whispers in your ear.
You search Agatha’s face frantically, “Agatha, I can’t… I can’t. I’m not even a witch, I’m not in the coven. Why?”
“It’s not real, sweetheart. We know it’s not real,” she whispers for only you and Rio to hear.
You close your eyes and begin nodding your head. You swallow hard, trying to focus on the feelings of their hands on you.
“I’m guessing this is her trial,” Jen says, breaking the moment between the three of you.
Agatha glares at the witch, “She’s not going in there.”
Teen interrupts, “I don’t think that’s how the road works.”
The scowl on her face only deepens, “Then make it work Teen. She’s not a witch, she’s not in the coven, she shouldn’t have a trial.”
Alice interferes, “Is it possible it’s not her trial? The three of you are close.. could it be Rio’s or Agatha’s.”
“It would be mine, if not hers,” Rio offers up.
Lilia interrupts, “We have to go into this trial.”
“NO!” Your voice didn’t boom when you yelled, instead it cracked in desperation.
The conversation dies there, but not because of your outburst. You feel the energy shift all around you.
“The seven are coming,” Agatha mumbles under her breath.
“Nope,” Jen immediately turns to run into the building.
Lilia goes in after Jen. Alice and Teen hesitate, but they follow the other two women forward.
You can hear the seven getting closer.
“My love, we must move forward,” Agatha tries to hide her panic, but you see through it.
“We will protect you,” Rio helps you to your feet.
You look behind you, the seven quickly approaching. You look at the building once more, before rushing ahead inside.
Agatha looks at Rio, “Take her out if things get too much.”
Rio shakes her head, “We do not know the repercussions of leaving in the middle of a trial.”
“We both know what happens in there Rio. I can’t bare to see it.”
Rio grabs Agatha’s hand as they rush towards the building together, “She is stronger than we give her credit for.”
As they enter the building a bright light almost blinds them. They see the coven members dressed in all white. Most of them having full halos. Agatha looks similar. Rio however is dawning an all black hooded cloak. If it weren’t for your distress, she would’ve laughed.
The clothes felt wrong against your skin. There wasn’t much around. The walls were painted with clouds. The only other thing in the mansion was staircase in the middle of the room. It looked like it led nowhere, but you knew better.
“Where’s the trial? Do we just get to leave?” Teen says focusing on the stairs.
You try to keep your breathing normal, “Just give me a minute. I know what we have to do.”
“What is this place?” Alice looks around.
Lilia’s eyes sparkle, “I think this is Heaven.”
The coven turns their attention to you.
“Are you-”
Agatha interferes, “We’re already in the trial, save your questions to the end.”
Rio adds on, “Or better yet, don't ask any questions.”
“Let’s get this over with,” you wipe your hands on the white pants.
You stand at the bottom of the stairs. Agatha stand on the left and Rio on your right. The link their arms through yours.
“Up we go,” Agatha directs the coven.
When you get to the top, you can see an abyss waiting for you at the bottom. You can’t see the bottom, and you know what you have to do.
“It’s easier if you don’t look,” you turn your back to the abyss.
“Are you seriously just going to-”
Before Jen finishes her question you are leaning back first into the abyss. Your lovers at your side trusting you completely. The rest of the coven is hesitant, but they eventually all jump into the hole.
It's like you’re being pulled down. It feels like it’s never going to stop. When it does, it’s abrupt. You’re expecting flames and heat, but instead there’s only dirt around you.
The space is shaped like a cylinder. There’s a gracious amount of space. The floors and walls were both constructed of dirt. You looked at the ceiling and it too seemed to be dirt. It was like you all were buried alive.
“Take me back upstairs,” Lilia says looking around the dark and dirt filled hole.
“So, Y/n what now?” They turn to you, looking for guidance.
You use your hands to dig into the ground. You pull out a scroll.
“How did you-”
“Where else would it have been?” You snap at the Teen.
Rio peers over your shoulder, “Fly free with your clipped wings or submit to the sin of the earth.”
The dirt begins to rise as Rio finishes reading the paper. You look up again, this time being able to catch a glimpse of the white room where you had come from.
“Taking us down, to go right back up. How clever,” Agatha says.
“So is now the time we ask the questions?”
“Stand back,” you ignore the question, hoping to get this over with quickly.
The group listens to you. With much discomfort you pushed out the muscles on your back. There were a few loud pops and cracks. You bit your tongue to mask the pain. Your wings popped out and everyone in the room gawked.
“They’re-”
“White?” Rio says with confusion.
You wrapped them around your body, surprised to see white wings sprouting from your back.
“Questions later, fly up,” Agatha says and you do as she instructs.
You begin to flap your wings, dirt flying about in the space. You shoot up to the exit in less than 5 seconds. Instead of freedom you find yourself smacking hard against a piece of glass. You pound on it, hoping to break it.
“I can’t break it,” you call back down.
“Then we’re missing something,” Jen calls out.
The dirt begins to rise in the room at a faster pace.
“Start digging, maybe we’ll find something else,” Teen starts digging, the rest follows.
“Shit,” you hear Agatha cry out.
You decide to fly back down. You land close to her. “What is it?”
She pulls a pair of scissors out of the ground. Her palm bleeding from the cut on her hands.
You scramble back again.
“Didn’t it say something about clipped wings?” Alice recalls.
“That’s why they’re white,” Agatha connects the dots.
“Fuck no,” Rio stands in front of you. “I’m not letting you clip her wings.”
“We’re going to die,” Teen argues with the Death.
Agatha shares a look with Rio, “Get her out of here.”
You shake your head, “No, I’m not leaving you here. Give me the scissors.”
“Y/n, you don’t have to do this,” Rio tries to reason with you.
“Just heal the wounds when it’s over,” you say to her softly.
Agatha still has the scissors in hand, “I won’t let you.”
You get close to her. Your hand reaching for the scissors as you lean in. You can see her squeezing them firmly in her grip, deepening the cut in her hand.
“It’s not real,” you whisper to her just like she had done with you outside.
Her grip loosens just enough for you to pull the scissors from her hand. The dirt is piled at the mid thigh level now.
You once again fold your wings over your body. You turn your head to get a good look at your back. Your eyes follow the seam of where your back is lined with your wings.
Your hand shakes as you open the scissors, opting to use them like a letter opener. The nerves are piling up inside you. Your eyes close and you get a glimpse of your past. You see yourself kneeled over in pain with your back covered in blood.
“We’re running out of time,” Lilia says, as the dirt begins to climb higher.
You scream as you cut off your wing in one swift motion. The pain makes you want to fall to your knees , but its impossible with the dirt surrounding you. Tears fall rapidly as blood pours from your back. Snot drips from your nose as you sob at the pain.
You’re in too much pain to notice, but the dirt begins to rise at a slower pace. No one is happy, or joyful as they look at you in agony.
“Fuck,” you mutter as your body shakes violently at the pain.
The scissors had slipped from your hand at the sheer force you made the cut with.
“Rio,” it comes out of your mouth through gritted teeth. She’s close to you, and you know she carries a blade. “I- you have to do the other one.”
Rio’s eyes widen, “ I don’t want to hurt you.”
“Please, my love. I- I can’t die like this. Please, I just got you back, please.”
Your pleading breaks Rio’s heart. This didn’t feel fake, it was real. The wound pouring from your back, the tears in your eyes. The panicked look in Agatha’s face as she watched this unfold. The suffering felt real.
Rio pulls her dagger out, wading through the sand to get right behind you. It was hard, with the sand covering most of her torso. The sand burned as it pressed into your open wound.
Rio’s hard was cool and soft as it touched the bottom of your wing. She felt through the sand to find the seam of the wings. Once she found it she took a deep breath.
“Forgive me, my love,” her cut was much more swift than yours.
You fell forward as the yelled ripped through you throat. It burned your esophagus. You folded forward, Rio’s arms try to hold you from underneath your stomach, not wishing to touch your back.
The wings lay in the dirt beside you. The dirt that had covered everyone started to sink down back into the ground. Once it was all gone, one side of the wall began to open up. Stairs appeared, indicating the trial was over.
Rio is quick to carry you out of the trial and back on to the road. She hopes that bringing you back to the road will erase the injuries. However as she feels the blood coating her clothes, she knows they are here to stay.
She lays you on your stomach and you groan. She straddles the back of your legs. The weight of her is lost on you, all you can feel is the burning from where your wings were supposed to be. You squirm under her when her tongue connects with your back.
She licks the brutal cuts on your back, the taste of your blood clouds her thoughts, but she doesn’t dwell on it. Her own tears gather as she waits for the wounds to heal.
Agatha rushes to her side, “Is she going to be ok?”
Rio holds her breath, but as she sees the wounds slowly closing she nods, “She’s going to be ok.”
Agatha pulls Rio into a chaste kiss, “Are you ok?”
Rio’s forehead rest against Agatha’s, “No, I’m not.”
The rest of the coven watches the scene unfold with intrigue.
“So your familiar is an angel?” Teen can’t help, but ask.
You whine under Rio as you feel a new pain simmer in your back.
“Off,” you mutter, and Rio gets off of you.
You stay laying as you feel a well-known ache spread through your body. You dig your palms into the ground and let out a huff of irritation. In the spots that Rio had just healed, a set of wings popped out.
This time, they were black like tar. It hurt just as much as before. You prop yourself on your knee before standing to your full height. Just like when your voice had echoed, your eyes were purely black.
“I was an angel,” your voice vibrates through the road.
“What happened?” Jen asks, mesmerized by your wings.
Agatha and Rio are seconds away from forbidding the coven from asking questions. You use your wings to bring them into your sides.
“I fell in love. The higher ups, said it was… impure. Which was a falsehood; there had been nothing in my life or after that was as pure as this love. They wanted to have me banished to hell. I was ungrateful, wasting my eternal happiness by fraternizing with… Rio.”
“Why not Agatha?” Alice questions.
You look at Rio, who gives you a nod, “They didn't like my relationship with Agatha much either, if I’m being honest. Rio was different, forbidden because she is Lady Death.”
The coven members all look to Rio, their eyes wide in shock. Rio simply waves her up, wiggling her fingers in response, “Guilty.”
Lilia speaks next, “But if you’re her familiar, why would your relationship be an issue?”
“I wasn’t her familiar then,” you explain. “I became Agatha’s and Rio’s familiar because Rio interfered during my banishment ceremony. These ceremonies were somewhat of a public shaming. My wings had been forcefully yanked out of my back. Brute strength just ripped them right out of my back. They were in the middle of speaking when she appeared. I’ve never seen her so furious, yelling at Life and God and the other angels. She made an offer for my soul.”
Rio clicks her tongue a few times, “No, no I made a threat. They were going to give me your soul or I would take every soul that passed to hell. There would’ve been no more angels. A demon uprising would've been imminent. They didn't really have a choice.”
“Wait, I know this story. An angel who was swayed by darkness due for banishment, but saved by Death itself. You’re the first fallen angel,” Teen speaks enthusiastically.
You chuckle, “Not exactly the first, there’s one before me, but I am the first with this look. The black wings, dark eyes, echoing voice.”
“So what happened after you threatened them?” Jen is extremely invested.
“She took me to Agatha. I was powerless without my wings. They were trying to figure out what to do. When Rio went to heal the wounds they left on me, we didn't expect new wings to sprout, but they did. The power was different, stronger. They helped me navigate it.”
“It took us some time to realize what the agreement meant for her. They did not believe in our relationship, which is why they made her our familiar. It was a punishment,” Agatha adds some more context.
“How is that a punishment?” Teen’s confusion shines through.
“It burns to be away from them. Literally boils my insides,” your wings fold back into your back.
“Ok, kids, question time is over. We’re setting up camp for the night,” Agatha claps her hands together.
You can see them want to protest, but an eyebrow raise from Rio quiets them all. They begin to set up a camp similar to the night before.
“Come with us,” Rio tugs at your arm.
You follow her and Agatha away from the rest of the coven.
When you feel like you’re far enough from the rest. Your shoulders slump and your body trembles, getting the last of the aches out.
The two witches stop both worried for you.
“I’m fine,” you say softly.
Agatha can’t help but pull you into her, “You’re not, neither of you are. I think it’s time you left the road.”
Your head rests on her shoulder. Your lips press a gentle kiss against her neck, “I don't want to spend any time apart. Especially now.”
Rio is careful as she presses her front against your back, wrapping her arms around you. You grab her arms pulling her flush against you. The warmth of the two women, soothes the aches in your body.
“Baby,” Rio tries.
“Just hold me for a few minutes, please,” you beg the both of them.
The both tighten their grip.
“We’re not going anywhere sweetheart,” Agatha kisses the top of your head.
“Not ever,” Rio doubles down.
You breathe them in. Finding comfort in their presence. Agatha’s hand find a place in your hair, rubbing the tension away. You lay your hands over Rio’s keeping them against your skin.
“Aggie what do you need from this place?” You whisper against her skin.
“My purple.”
You raise your head to stare at her, “I can get them to blast you. Then we can all go home, together.”
“I tried that already, sweetheart. They know about my powers,” she admits to you.
“What if there's nothing at the end of this? We don't know what this is?” Rio tries to reason.
Agatha meets Rio’s gaze, “I do know what this is, you know too. We all know that the road isn’t real. Yet, here we are standing on it, going through trials. This magic is familiar to me, the sigil prevents it, but I know who that boy is. He’s just like his mother.”
“We can find another coven,” you suggest.
Agatha lets out a humorless laugh, “My reputation proceeds me, sweetheart. There are no more witches who wish to gather with me. Lilia, I trust her divination. This is the only way.”
“Then we have to stay,” you turn around to look at Rio.
Rio averts her gaze, “We must go after the next trial.”
You steel your gaze, “Why?”
The Green Witch looks to Agatha for help.
“Sweetheart, it’s not safe here. You just had to clip your own wings. Rio has work to do, and she can’t do it in here. Go with her and I will see you when this is over.”
“Agatha, I-"
She kisses you, softly, “I will come back to you. I won’t be going anywhere. It will be us three, I promise.”
“One more trial don’t say goodbye yet,” you say against her lips.
“I’m never going to say goodbye again, ok? It’s just a promise to meet later.”
You look at Rio, “And we’re staying together, right.”
Rio’s hand reach to cup your face. Her eyes are serious when they look into yours, “I’m never leaving you again.”
You press your lips hers, need seeping through your kiss. When you break the kiss, you find yourself between the two women again.
“Let’s get back to the camp, and rest. I’m sure you’re exhausted, sweetheart.”
“Carry me?” You ask.
Agatha rolls her eyes but scoops you up anyway . You hang on to her like a koala causing Rio to laugh.
“You have wings,” Agatha grumbles.
You nuzzle deeper into her, “They’re not as comfortable as your arms.”
“She got you there, my love,” Rio moves in closer to walk shoulder to shoulder with Agatha.
“You’re carrying her next time.”
The three of you share a laugh. A nice moment to end a chaotic couple of hours. The stress of the road ahead not lost on you, just pushed aside for a moment. There had been enough pain for the day. You didn’t want to dwell on the near future, opting instead to think of the moment it was over. When you’d finally get to have Rio and Agatha to yourself.