Chapter 2
After the encounter with Rio, Agatha tried to settle in the house, she had cleaned up the major part of the mess with a spell, boxes with her stuff were scattered around, waiting to be opened and emptied. The purple witch decided to prioritize her books, reading them in search of informations, clues, something useful in that situation.
An old fan she found in the basement was blowing a pleasant breeze.
She was sitting in her living room, a cup of cold tea was forgotten on the table; her traitorous mind had kept replaying the last hours with Rio.
The road, the bonfire speech and then their fight…
The weight of her regret threatened to crush her, suddenly she felt suffocating.
Agatha stood up and paced the room, hot sweat ran down her back, as she tried to shake off the uncomfortable feeling. Her eyes kept reading the same phrase, but her brain refused to elaborate further.
Someone knocked on the door. She wasn't expecting anyone.
Caught off guard, Agatha paddled carefully to the entrance with furrowed brows and opened the door slightly. The hot, moist summer air hit her, flowing inside the house. Ari was standing there in a worn out large t-shirt and cargo shorts, a jacket hung lazily on his shoulder and a smirk crossed his stupid face. Maybe it was because she had spent the last two days studying, taking a break only to sleep and eat, perhaps it was because he presented at her door with iced coffees and take-away, but Agatha decided to let Ari in; he had the decency to not comment on her house clothes or her poor cured state.
-Well, if you can handle a location spell, I guess you're not totally useless.-
Agatha mumbled, as he slipped off his shoes, then guided him towards the living room.
-Hey, you’re the one who chickened out before I could ask your address.-
Agatha glared at him, regretting her choice already; his jab had hit the mark, though.
The woman carefully transferred some books from the coffee table to the floor and settled the newly acquired bounty on it. The man walked around, studying the room and arching his brow: “Did you just move in?”
He asked, rubbing some dust from a shelf with his fingers, eyes wandering the boxes.
-None of your business. What do you want?-
The man scoffed, wiped his hand on his shorts, tossed his jacket aside and took the place in front of her. As he opened the containers, he said: “Rio is getting curious, she kept questioning me about our ‘friendship’ after you left.”
He mimicked a pair of quotation marks, his voice sounded slightly annoyed. Ari started eating and invited her to do so with a gesture of his hand. Agatha kept staring at him, hands placed on her hips, waiting for more. He raised his hands in a surrendering pose.
-Listen, I just figured that it would be better to know each other. -
The man said. Agatha nodded slowly, he was waving a white flag and his idea made sense. They ate in silence, the only sounds were the hum of the fan and the light thumping of Señor Scratchy in the other room.
Agatha studied him, the way he crossed his arm around his leg, bracing himself, sitting with his back straight as he was ready to bolt; despite his intentions, his posture betrayed a certain stiffness.
«This little shit.»
She thought, trying to convince him she was relaxed, as she leaned on the sofa behind her. He kept staring at her waiting for something, so Agatha decided to put him to work; more hands could be useful and it would keep his mind busy.
-You know what would be better?-
The woman passed him a pile of books: “This. Unless you’ve got better things to do than help your friend.”
Sitting back, Agatha pointed at him with serious eyes and added: “Don't stain them or I'll incinerate you.”
Ari’s throat bobbed as he opened a book and read, before looking up at her with a frown: “So, you wanna resolve her amnesia with magic?”
-If it is caused by magic, then magic must resolve it.-
The woman said, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. Which indeed, it was.
-Maybe it's not.- He shrugged, matter of fact. Agatha felt the desire to choke him right there: “Keep reading, blondie locks. We're looking for every spell concerning memory loss and eventual solutions.”
She said with an eye roll.
The purple witch pointed toward two piles of books and explained to him how to part and sort them; the two of them sat in silence. The last thing she needed was a naive baby witch. It was crazy to think that Rio’s memory loss could've been caused by something without magic. It must’ve been someone powerful for sure. Agatha savoured the moment she would get her hands on that power already.
Their attention was broken by the sound of Señor Scratchy shuffling to the room: “Hi, who's this cutie? “
The man said with the baby voice, trying to pet him. The bunny sniffed him, then bit his finger in response and hopped onto Agatha's lap; the woman chuckled.
-He's my familiar, Señor Scratchy.-
Ari huffed, examining the offended limb: “Like owner, like pet.“
Agatha felt his eyes linger, his posture shift, she arched her brow: ”What?”
-I'm not saying we should exclude magic, but maybe you two can just spend time together… You said you know each other…- His tone suggested he wasn't totally buying it. Nevertheless, Agatha didn't want to share the whole truth with him.
-Read.-
He sighed: “Let's start from the beginning. I'm a protection witch.”
«Stubborn little shit.»
-Yeah, I know, I felt it when I siphoned your magic... Speaking of that, you should have your full power back already, by the way.-
The woman shuddered, a glimpse of that cabin flashed before her eyes. She dismissed him with a wave of her hand, but not before she caught Ari rolling his eyes with her peripheral sight: “Oh thanks, how merciful. I don't craft, so it's not a problem, by the way.”
He remarked his last words, mockingly.
Agatha's lips twitched.
«What the hell does he mean, ‘I don't craft?’»
She must've looked confused because he continued: “Sometimes I cast little spells, but I don't practice witchcraft. Also Rio is not aware of it. Of this world.”
-She’s not?!-
Her voice raised in confusion, it was unthinkable that such a powerful and ancient being wasn't aware of her full potential. Agatha inhaled deeply, trying to recompose herself; she couldn't let slip this detail, not now.
Despite that, if she was the reason that Eastview's gardens were flourishing as though fit to win some fancy prize, her magic was still flowing, albeit unconsciously. Agatha’s mind started to circulate, chasing odds and suspicions. Was she still attending her other job? Was she even aware of her identity?
-Is she a green witch? I mean, that could explain the gardening thing.-
Ari's words brought her back to earth, if only he knew.
His babbling sounded muffled as she lost herself in her thoughts again: “She's so good with everything that's green or alive, flowers love her.”
A green witch.
Agatha scoffed. If her Rio heard that, she would cackle the most wicked laugh and present herself properly, in all her glory, just to scare the shit out of him.
Agatha shook that thought aside and asked Ari how the two of them met. His mouth left half open, as she interrupted something, then he clenched his jaw. The man didn't seem happy to share more details.
-C'mon blondie locks, I need more informations.-
Suddenly his face became serious, he was no more relaxed: “Why should I trust you, Harkness? Your legacy precedes you. “
And just like that, his mask slipped.
-Then why are you here in the first place?- Her voice raised, matching her confusion and annoyance. The man kept playing with the takeaway lids: “Because I care for Rio. And if she's going to work for you, I wanna be prepared.”
The purple witch sighed dramatically as he remarked that last word: “You're such a protection witch, aren't you?”
Ari stood, pointing his finger to her, the two of them facing each other, the rabbit ran away: “Oh, now we’re talking stereotypes, how lovely.”
This guy was seriously testing her patience.
-Am I wrong, blondie locks?- She said with a mocking tone, Agatha tapped her chin dramatically: “I bet the few spells you cast are meant to serve others, like every doormat-protection-witch I've met.”
Agatha spat, Ari's eyes became glassy, his face reddened, she could feel his magic crackling under his skin. Suddenly he turned and stormed away: ”I knew it was a waste of time. You don't even know me!“
-Oh, and do you?-
She shouted as the man stepped outside, slamming the door behind his back; Agatha exhaled, pinching the bridge of her nose. She could sense a migraine starting, but she didn't have the time for it. The woman sat on the couch glaring at the jacket, rolled her head back and closed her eyes, as her eyelids grew heavier and heavier. Maybe she should've slept more last night. Then, suddenly, Rio's terrified look crossed her mind, red teary eyes and the way she seemed to care about her friend.
Soft fur tickled her bare feet, Agatha chuckled bitterly: Rio had never allowed herself to have friends. Not after the dinosaur extinction or the many plagues which slayed the human population. Rio would've dismissed it by saying that human beings' lives were too fragile, too aleatory. She didn't want to care. And yet Rio allowed herself to fall in love with one of them. Agatha wiped the tear that escaped her control with the back of her hand and sniffled, a muffled knock brought her back down to earth.
She didn't like that man, even if he fought his doubts and risked his life for Rio; albeit she felt he could be useful. The damage was already done, Rio believed the two of them were intimate. She could play along and use that situation to her advantage and, eventually, get rid of him once she had her wife back.
The purple witch groaned and opened the door, she expected for him to gather his things and leave again. Ari was standing in front of her, his fingers fidgeting with a loose thread of his shirt, his head was ducked down: “I don't know you.”
He simply stated, Agatha's breath caught as the guy continued his speech, arms crossed on his chest: “All I know about you are voices, superstitions- largely. I'm aware you killed many of us- but still… I wanna help Rio. With you or without you. And your knowledge seems far more extensive than mine.”
-I won't apologize.- Agatha said dryly and
Ari chuckled, relieved: “I wasn't expecting anything else.”
He stepped inside again, this time he seemed more lighter and less stiff. The two of them fell into an easy rhythm of leafing through pages of ancient spells, mainly written in Latin. Agatha had the feeling that they should go deeper in the past before they could find something useful, but she wasn't still capable of summoning her previous pocket dimension back. Damned Scarlet witch.
—
Agatha's thoughts kept swirling in her mind, studying the guy immersed in his reading: “You never mentioned magic to her? Or she didn't find your grimoire? Really, blondie locks?”
The woman couldn't believe it, he shrugged: “I told you, I'm not witchy in the old fashion style. And… Idonthaveone.“
He said quickly, his cheeks turned pink.
-You what? I didn't hear you.- She had heard him, but the idea of embarrassing this little baby witch was too funny.
Ari cleared his throat, inhaled and said: “I don't have one. A grimoire.”
-But you said you cast spells, sometimes.-
She bit back with a cocked brow, the man's eyes wandered, landing on his phone resting beside the empty coffee cup. Agatha was hit by the sudden realization: “Really? Your phone? Holy mother…”
She muttered almost outraged, even the little Maximoff had the decency to use real paper for his spell’s book.
-It's easier! And stealthier. This is the reason she hadn't discovered anything yet- He groaned, flustered. Agatha scoffed, but didn't say anything else, leaving the silence to coat them once again.
–
-Are you gonna tell me how you know each other?- He asked cautiously.
-None of your business.- The words left her mouth quickly, maybe too much. Agatha sighed.
-C'mon Harkness, I'm not blind. You care about her.-
-Do I?- She asked, feigning disinterest.
-Yes, or you would've killed me. You just stopped and then you got all sof...-
Agatha raised her brows, daring him to keep talking; maybe he was less naive than she'd thought.
He shut his smart mouth and returned to his book, Agatha pursed her lips. She needed to know more, get closer to Rio and make her remember.
-So, you said we need a cover story. Maybe I’m an old family friend.-
-That sounds fine, Rio won't question further.-
Agatha frowned, the man stayed silent so she nodded: “Okay. Where are you from?”
-My parents are from south Italy. I was born and raised in New York, then moved here. Nothing special.-
Lilia
The tower trial crossed briefly her mind, two soft brown eyes saying goodbye, she wondered if he knew her. Agatha pushed the dangerous thought aside. Ari stayed silent again, as if it cost him to share about his past; Agatha felt a strange sense of sympathy: “And? Keep talking, blondie locks.”
His eyes widened with realization, his mouth was agape: “You're distracting me!”
-I was politely asking you more for our cover story.-
Agatha deflected, turning a page she definitely hadn't read.
Ari chuckled: ”Of course, Harkness.”
He shook his head: “You're a family friend who moved from the city, you found this messy garden. And…“
Agatha sighed, but he kept talking. They came up with a story soon enough, but again when she asked for more detail about their friendship he stiffened: “She was looking for a roommate, I had an extra room and needed the money.”
He brushed off her question quickly. Too quickly. This mission would require her a lot of patience, Agatha thought.
By the end of the day neither Ari nor Agatha had given up more than the necessary information, but at least they had sorted a good amount of books; the purple witch could have kept reading all night. Maybe prepare some spells.
-I should go, it's late.-
Ari said glancing at his phone, Agatha was tempted to ask him about her, about Rio. The man was on the doorstep already, he turned before leaving: “You should sleep. We can keep working another day. I have a shift tomorrow, but does Saturday morning sound good?”
Agatha nodded, perfectly aware that rest wasn't an option, not for her.
After he was gone, she settled for the night, heating some leftovers and snuggling on the sofa with a book in her lap. Scratchy hopped on her side and the woman sighed; she lifted her little friend to her chest and kept petting him, caressing his fur gently as her eyes scanned the page.
-
The air was buzzing with magic. Agatha could feel it tickling her skin, leaving goosebumps in its wake. She woke up, Scratchy wasn't on her lap anymore. She padded carefully through the room, it was dark outside. The street lamps were black outed, her sight took a moment to adjust to the darkness. Something felt off. The woman noticed the basement door ajar, a soft humming emanated from within, as a weak light hinted that someone was downstairs. Agatha stepped carefully and descended down the steps. The basement door closed behind her with a soft click.
Except she wasn't in her basement anymore.
Colorful lights hung from the roof and walls, the tv was stuck on static and the floor lamp flickered.
Three bodies were lying in the middle of the room, empty shells stripped of all their vital force.
-She’s here.-
It was a soft murmur, barely audible, Agatha felt a cold shiver bristle the hair on the back of her neck and ran down her spine.
-Take her.-
A familiar voice hissed as dark shadows surrounded her, circling the woman like predators. Agatha summoned her magic but her purple wasn't there. She was in danger.
Her heart pounded fast in her chest, cold sweat rolled down her neck.
She ran toward the door, it was locked. The dark shapes loomed nearer.
-Leave me alone! I’ve done nothing.-
Agatha pleaded, trying in vain to push the door open.
-It’s your fault.-
-You must be punished.-
The voices whispered. Cornered, the woman covered her face, crying and pleading. The shadows pounced.
-I can be good! Please. NO!-
–
Agatha sat up on the sofa panting, she summoned her magic and a flick of purple gleamed on her palm, casting soft shadows in the room. Relieved she wiped her face with the back of her hand, it was wet from both sweat and tears.
Her bunny was thumping his little legs on her chest, maybe he sensed her distress or he was just hungry. The book was on the floor facing the ceiling.
The dim light of the early morning beamed through the curtains as Agatha exhaled and slowly rose, she placed the book on the coffee table and fed her familiar. Then she headed upstairs, her heart still racing from the nightmare as she turned on the shower, hot steam waited for her when she stepped inside. Agatha let the warm water run on her body, easing the tension on her muscles, she reached for her shampoo sitting in a corner with her other things. The house was frozen in time, everything as she left behind two years prior. Despite the warmth a shiver ran down her spine, the memories of the road still vivid in her mind. The woman washed herself, rinsed the suds and the remains of her bad dream, then she stepped out, wrapping herself in a towel. Agatha rifled through the closet and took her old silk robe, the one she was wearing when Rio bursted inside her living room as a hurricane when the Scarlet witch spell was broken. A bittersweet smile curled her lips while she was tying the robe.
The purple witch padded through the house, old dusty trinkets were scattered around, the shelves were full of books. Romances, thrillers, detective stories, she emptied the old cup of tea and made herself a new one; she needed to go to the grocery store later. Agatha took a deep breath, grounding herself. It was temporary, she only had to pretend to be an honest Westview citizen until everything was fixed, then Rio and her could leave that cesspool of a town behind their backs and move away.
-If she forgives you.-
A voice in her head treated, she had barely the time to silence it, that someone knocked at the door; the purple witch groaned. If it was Ari she would kill him on the spot.