doomed jerusalem

Hope. They were right. Cal had never had an issue with hope before, had always managed to see thing turn out right, had always been able to believe in the best possible outcome. Sure, a few things had been hard, lately, but bad things happened all the time: it was no reason to give up on hope. Especially with this much reason to let himself be happy. He’d always been one to hope.

     “Things have been looking up for you too?” he asked, curious – it sounded like they weren’t just talking about this date, like other things had been going well. And since they’d been back from Maine, Cal hadn’t had a chance to hear much about the cases they’d been on, or much of anything work related. “You and your sister were out in New Haven last week, weren’t you? How’s it been, working with her?”

He sat back, easing into his chair, easing into the feeling of the easy conversation, grateful for the chance to talk about good things without feeling bad, for the chance to feel positive about things without feeling naive. Salem made it easy; they made it all easy. 

Talking to people was never something that felt easy to them, but somehow it all was just so natural with Cal that they hardly found themself even thinking about accidentally saying the wrong thing, or making a mistake. It was just free, in a way things usually weren’t for them. And they found themself wanting to tell him everything, another new experience for them.

“Yeah, we were; it was a strange house that an old wizard had tampered with, very interesting case. And it was actually really nice being together, which is a change. I, well, I wasn’t such a good sibling when we first met. I’m afraid I was pretty rude a lot of the time,” they admitted, looking down at their wine glass despite themself. No matter how easy it felt to be open with Cal, their family situation wasn’t something that they had ever talked to anyone about. But they found themself wanting to explain it to him, even just a little to start. 

“It was hard; I’d always been on my own, and she was this connection to the worst part of my life, even though she never even really knew our dad. I didn’t really know how to have family, I suppose? Or any sort of meaningful relationship, maybe...But it’s easier this time around, like I’m actually ready to have people, if that makes sense?”

     “I know why you’re asking me that,” the woman said – and all of a sudden Cal realized she didn’t even know this woman’s name, not yet, even after several minutes. “If I say it was all her idea, it’s better for me, right? You two arrest her and I get a slap on the wrist and a mark on my record for using my metamophmagic in front of a no-maj. But… I can’t say that. I can’t say it was all her idea and leave her to deal with this alone.”

What would the charges be, for Glory? Other than revealing magic to a no-maj – though, having met him, Cal still wasn’t certain that Michael was a no-maj – she’d be guilty of impeding an auror investigation. Not only had she lied to them, but she’d wasted the time and resources of the local auror division by impersonating whatever creature they’d been looking for regularly for centuries. Cal didn’t feel bad, thinking of the woman who had been so rude to them in the diner being punished for her illegal actions, but she didn’t like to think about this woman being punished for them, too, when it so clearly been orchestrated by Glory. 

But then again… she had broken the law, with her powers. One of the very first things Cal had learned, once she discovered her metamorphmagic powers, were the restrictions in place regarding the use of those powers around no-majs. She wouldn’t have dreamed of doing anything to jeopardize the secrecy of wixen culture by shapeshifting in front of someone, or shifting into something that might draw attention.

     “Alright,” she said, solemnly, with a look at the woman. At the end of the day, it wasn’t her call what happened. “Salem, what do you think?”

They let out a deep sigh, easily feeling how set on that she was. There was so much there, in her feelings for Glory, and in a way, they could understand. Wanting to anything they could to protect someone they cared for, wanting to make certain they weren’t going to be in it alone. She had helped of her own accord, after all, she had willingly let herself be seen using her powers by someone who was assumed to be a no-maj.

Even without having to reach out to Cal’s mind, they knew that she was going to let them have the final words, even before she asked the quesiton. They were the lead, after all, that was what the lead auror did. And yet, the prospect of sealing someone’s fate was a bit terrifying, even knowing what they knew.

If only it was easier, if only she had been willing to let Glory take the blame. But she wasn’t, and there was no way they could knowingly lie about this, when the woman standing in front of them was breaking the law that they were supposed to be protecting. That didn’t mean they were going to go out of their way to put it on her, though, when it was clear that it had been Glory’s idea all along. No, it was still possible to leave some of it up to them.

"What’s your name?” Salem asked after a second, looking at the woman.

She looked back with raised eyebrows, something like amusement in her eyes, before responding. “It’s Patricia,” she nodded.

“I’m sorry, Patricia,” they said, and they meant it.

“I knew what I was doing. And so did she. We’re in it together.”

“Then I think that’s it. We take both of you in,” Salem sighed, a little less than happy having to make the choice that would lead to trouble for someone who seemed to be doing it all just out of care for someone else.

She nodded along with them – she’d had the same thought, half-formed, about the fact that the magic shouldn’t be working anymore, but they had put it into words, and then put it to use, quicker than she’d been able to. There was, at the back of her mind, behind the conscious part of her that was focused on the case and on putting together an answer, that was feeling a warm mix of awe and pride at her sibling’s quick thinking, a spark of happiness at the sound of excitement in their voice. It was so much more than she’d ever seen of them, in the times post-Ilvermorny that she’d tried to reach out. No hesitation, no nervousness, no unavoidable tension at the unpleasant reminders her existence might’ve brought up. No, this was Salem in their element; this was the two of them, in their element, working together. 

     “So if we can figure out who cast the other half,” she added, grinning a little in agreement with their assessment, “we can ask them what it was meant to do, and find a way to reverse it?”

It was just a question of how to do that – contact the old wizard’s kids and see who he might have had enough contact with to try to do this? She hoped that would be a last resort, since it didn’t sound like they’d be easy to get anything useful from.

     “I think– I think we have to figure out where – or when – this other house is, Salem,” she suggested, and while she expected to feel hesitant, or nervous, at the thought of venturing into any of the house’s unexplainable rooms, instead she found herself a little excited, too.

Her smile at their words only made them smile, feeling like they were really doing something helpful with their theories about what might’ve been causing the strange occurrences. More and more lately they were starting to feel like maybe this was what they were supposed to be doing, helping solve problems, figuring out mysteries with the skill they possessed. What better use for it than this, after all? That was why their professors had suggested the academy in the first place, and they couldn’t do nearly as much in research.

It was all the better that they were with Beth. It felt nearly natural, like they were able to ease into things now, show her more of themself without having to worry any longer. It felt right, like maybe they had just needed something like this for things to really click into place, to really know what being siblings was.

Now, the question was how to figure out who had cast the second half of the spell and how to reverse it, which was much easier said than done. Beth’s suggestion, though, still managed to take them by surprise. It was the most logical option, though, and they needed to see it first hand to start to understand it, no matter how terrifying the prospect.

“Yeah? You’re probably right...there’s no way we’re going to be able to get anything easier than that. It might help us figure out who the other caster is, and find the missing auror,” they nodded, trying to prepare themself for actively seeking that out. “But how? Do we just wander around until it happens?”

With their course of action determined, Frank nods his head, agreeing that finding out what exactly was taken was the best way to move forward. Stepping over to the reception desk, a young wix greets them, flashing the pair of them a wide welcoming smile before they realize just why the two aurors had stopped down. 

“Oh, yes of course,” they nod, “Chief Snow said you would be coming down, here I’ll show you where the case files were.” 

It isn’t too much longer before the wix leads the two aurors through the extensive case file floor, weaving them through several rows of towering filing cabinets until they make it to a section blocked off by a heavy wrought-iron gate. 

“Have you guys done a check on the gate’s wards?” Frank asks as the wix begins to unlock the series of protective spells in front of them. 

“Yes, Griffin Jones, our night patrolman did just this morning. He said he couldn’t find anything wrong with them, no evidence of tampering.” Frank looks over to Salem at the mention of one of their three suspects. 

“And did he mention seeing anything out of the ordinary the night of the theft?” he asks, knowing what it’d said in the file, but interested what one of the man’s own coworkers thought of his claims. 

“No, but” the wix sighs as they pull open the gate to let in the two aurors. “Griff is getting up there in age, I don’t want to get him in trouble or anything, but he’s known to sleep on the job. Which who can blame him though, this place is dead as doornail at night, and he is pushing 80.” 

“Do you think maybe he’d slept through the robbery?” Frank asks. 

“Maybe? I wouldn’t put it past him, I mean don’t get me wrong, he’s a great guy, but I think he’s getting a bit too old for doing the night patrols.” 

As the wix leads them through the cabinets to the gates closing off the cold cases, they silently reach out to feel the thoughts on the front of their mind as Frank asks the questions. There’s no indication of deceit, or hidden knowledge at least in this case, and it seems as though they do believe that it’s possible the old man did just sleep through the robbery. In Salem’s mind, though, it would take too much to manage something like that, especially for someone who has been working in the same position for years. Even feeling comfortable and confident enough to doze off for a few, the thief would have had to be too skilled to manage to get through the wards as well without a noise, without obvious tampering.

Which makes them think, instinctually, right off the bat, that whoever took the cases did so with help. The sort of help that would have known how to get past the gate’s wards. It’s just an instinct, but they’re learning more and more that those can be helpful on cases without much information.

Theories already are forming in their mind, that he might’ve aided the person, that he might’ve stolen them himself, or perhaps even that the person had cursed him in some way to make their way in. It’s possible that he had been Confunded...but maybe that’s just old case solutions on the front of their mind.

“Do you think he’d have any reason to aid anyone in getting into the archive illegally?” they ask.

“Griff? Merlin, no. He may be old, but he’s loyal. He’s been working the night patrol for so long I can’t imagine he’d ever do anything like that. Like I said, if anything it was an honest mistake on his part,” they say, nodding.

Their words seem as genuine as the feeling in their mind, but Salem knows better than to put a suspicion to rest on pure emotion. It’s possible, and probable even that they don’t know the whole story. And there are bigger questions to answer first.

“Which files were taken?”

He followed suit, taking a sip of the wine, smiling a little as he tasted it. It was good – not that he was surprised by that, but it gave him a better sense of the kinds of things Salem liked. And Salem’s grin – a real, unselfconscious grin – only made him more excited to see how comfortable Salem could be, outside of the stifled office, away from the judging eyes of their colleagues.

     “I think they’ve been better for me than it sounds like they have been for most people,” he admitted. He almost felt bad about it – the worst of things for him seemed to have past, with Lobo now too preoccupied to get on his case, and Snow too busy to be a dick about every little thing he could find. He’d actually had a chance, the past few days, to work and to not be exhausted all the time. But he knew what it came at the expense of: he’d seen how distraught Moses was, after the Gala; he’d checked in with Culpepper to see how they were recovering, and knew they were still a little scraped up from it all.

But it was the first time things had felt normal for him since he’d gotten back out in the field. The same addictive feeling of adventure that had gotten him into being an auror in the first place. With the new leads on the Children of Morgana, and the mention of a possible case coming up in the Bermuda Triangle… well, things had come a long way since he was begging Salem into letting him tag along to Maine.

     “I know it’s… probably selfish of me? To feel like things are looking up, when everything outside of my immediate life has been a mess, but, I don’t know. I guess I’ve always been a silver-linings kind of person.”

It was hard not to keep smiling wider than usual every time they let themself look at Cal across the table from them, drinking the wine they had chosen, enjoying just being around them. They had the vague thought that this was something they could easily get used to. They couldn’t remember the last time they wanted to actually spend all the time they could around another person, their childhood of solitude having a lasting effect on them, but it was different now. Things were changing, and no small part of that had to do with everything Cal had given them, maybe without even realizing.

They hummed at his assessment, feeling a little bit like the same was true for them, as well. This was the first time they were starting to actually feel confident in what they were doing, like maybe it hadn’t just been a grand mistake, a misunderstanding, but that they were actually doing some good here, that they should be an auror. That feeling, along with having the chance to finally do better at being a sibling, getting closer to Beth, made things feel less bleak, even though the world was a mess around them. And Cal, well, there was plenty that had to do with him being around, too. 

“That’s not selfish, that’s hope. It’s a strange thing, to see the world as it is, and to still have that feeling, but it’s a good thing, I think. I’m glad things are looking up; I’ve kind of been feeling that way lately, too. And it kind of feels like they might just keep getting better.”

She was relieved to see that this woman didn’t seem the type to fight – if it had been Glory, down here, the whole thing would have been a lot messier. They were lucky; she hadn’t tried to flee, or to fight her way out, or to lie or trick them into thinking she wasn’t a part of it. She’d even saved them the trouble of implicating Glory in the entire scheme without even being asked whether or not it was true.

It felt wrong, a little, to arrest her, and hopefully they wouldn’t have to, if she would say that the entire thing had been Glory’s idea. Cal had no qualms about arresting Glory, still quietly seething just a little for the rude treatment the other woman had given her in the diner earlier that day. But even with the who and the how settled, there was still one important question left standing – and while some of the aurors she’d worked with might have been content to stop right there and call it a day, Cal’s curiosity always got the better of her.

     “I just have to ask–” she started, looking at the woman, and then gesturing to the whole set up of mirrors and candles down here. “Why? Why did you do it? What did you and Glory stand to gain from pretending to be that creature?”

She had a sneaking suspicion that it had something to do with Glory’s supposed memory charm, the one she had been so cagey and simultaneously so boastful about when they’d questioned her. Had that been all it was, a publicity stunt to make it look like Glory had really discovered something to prevent one from losing their memories? It seemed to simple – or maybe too complicated, an overly-risky plan for the reward.

Cal asked the question before they had a chance to, and they couldn’t help the small smile from flitting across their lips as they looked at her, knowing that yet again they seemed to be on the same page. It would’ve been easy enough to just end it there, to take her and Glory into custody, but they hated not knowing why everything they had found had happened, especially in this sort of case.

They could feel the moment of wrestling with the decision, trying to decide if it would be worth it to try to lie, but her eyes trailed to them again, and she let out a sigh, realizing even that would be worthless. They nearly felt bad, in a small way, that they were forcing her into that position of apparently giving up someone she cared about, but what she and Glory had done was much worse than anything like that. That was what they were here for, after all, and after seeing how Glory acted, they had no sympathy for her, at least.

“I did it for her,” she said, after a moment, a look close to fondness crossing her face. She paused for a second, looking between them, before the words slipped out of her mouth. “You have to understand, she’s brilliant, the smartest witch I’ve met, but she just pushes herself too far. She works too hard, gets to obsessive, and no one else seems to care. She concocted this plan, to get some attention, to show people just what her charms can do, and...well, I thought we could stop with her having seen a werewolf, but she just kept asking for more and more, I think it’s because the spell isn’t where she wants it to be, yet. I couldn’t say no, I had to try to help. I didn’t mean for a no-maj to see, believe me.”

So it had been to help with Glory’s so-called memory charms, and they had been right to believe it wasn’t quite as good as she tried to make it sound in the diner. They could understand, in a way, becoming so set on something you stopped seeing reason and logic. It sounded like that was what had happened with Glory, and it had been too hard for her to stop it.

“So it was all for Glory? It was all her idea?”

The scream in the distance visibly rattles them, their head bolting in the direction of the cabin where it stood just up the hill on the other side of the boat house’s door. Time was running out, no matter how much they willed it otherwise. They just wished they could figure out why this even happened in the first place, they were the only other squad at the penitentiary when they searched the place, and they should have picked up the scent of someone else following them if that is what happened. Suddenly, as they mentally go over their steps at the prison they remember the guard, the way she looked at them curiously as they asked her to lead them to the employee bunks. Yes, it must have been, she had to have alerted the other squad after she figured out where they and Salem were going. 

None of that mattered now though, not with Faye and Rose still fighting for their lives in the cabin, and the four of them needing to run for their’s. Letting out a shaky breath they nod at Salem’s suggestion, and take Esther’s hand just as she’d taken their’s when they first entered the cabin. 

“Alright, we go straight to headquarters. I’ll drop Ester off at the infirmary and you can take Myra to holding. We say we found them running in the woods, and that Myra had Ester hostage. What do you think?” 

It’s hard to think of the last time they felt so completely shaken, and there was no signs of any of it stopping unless they got out, and now. The problem with that, though, is what it means for them. Even with the decision agreed upon, it’s hard for them to go through with leaving behind half of their objective, with stepping into lies. But of all the outcomes, this is the best they can foresee.

They nod, still not completely certain of all that they’re doing, but knowing they have no other choice at this point. It wouldn’t do anyone good to offer the truth, now, and this way, at least everything Myra has done isn’t for naught. They just wish that they could’ve found a way to do more, found a way to give them both a happy ending, a strange thought, considering what Myra had done. But then again, perhaps not so strange, considering all she had done for them years and years ago.

“Sounds like the only thing left to do. Come and find me once you’re done,” they nod at Jo solemnly. If they were going to do this, if they were going to say everything Myra had asked them to say, they needed to do it together.

Salem takes Myra’s hand, holding on tighter than they mean to, maybe searching for a hint of that comfort she once was able to offer when they were still just a child. And she offers it, squeezing their hand back, just a little, and breathing, “Thank you,” just loud enough for them to hear under the shouts.

All Salem can do is nod, trying not to think too hard about the tears still warm in their eyes, before turning on the spot and apparating back to headquarters.

     “Not really, no,” she answered, shrugging and frowning. “From what the realtor told us, he was an old hermit, lived alone, very little contact with the rest of the town. People thought the house was abandoned, for a while, until he died and his children sold off the estate. It was up on the market for a little over a year before we moved to town for my work, the realtor was taking care of the entire thing. We tried to contact them, when things started getting strange, but never got a reply.”

Beth continued to look around the room, as Hazel spoke, trying to hide the fact that she was thinking as she worked through all of the information that Hazel had given them – especially the last bit, about the previous owner. That had been one of Salem’s theories, earlier, hadn’t it? That it had been owned by wix previously, who had done something that had caused this, some spell gone wrong?

Just then, the phone in the next room rang, the bell shrill enough that Beth jumped, a little, startled by the sudden noise breaking through the tense atmosphere that had started to build between them all.

     “Oh– I should get that. You two feel free to take a look around, I’ll be back in just a minute.”

Beth nodded, giving her a tight smile, and watched after her as she walked away, into the kitchen where the phone was, a few rooms over from where they’d ended their tour. Finally, maybe, they’d have at least a quick chance to talk frankly without worrying about their cover while she was out of the room.

     “Old man, no contact with the town… I’d be willing to bet he was a wizard, and that whatever he was doing locked up in here is why this is happening,” she said, turning to Salem as soon as she could tell Hazel was out of earshot. 

Everything she said fit with the hypotheses that they had come up with when talking through things with Beth back at the office, only now they were realizing there would be no way to go and just ask someone what had happened, considering that the last owner was long passed. They listened closely, frowning slightly at her words, but sensing no lies from the front of her mind, at least. 

When the phone rang, they started slightly, and glanced at Beth as she nodded, Hazel excusing herself. It felt a little easier to breathe again once they were alone in the room, no pretense, no need for the lies, at least for a second. That was certainly needed, because there was still so much unknown about the whole of the problem.

“Agreed,” Salem nodded, frowning slightly. “And from the sound of it something that his children were unaware of, or had no interest in being involved in. That doesn’t help much with the question of what he did...”

They trailed off for a second, looking around, waiting for something to hit them, and it did as they looked through the doorway that Hazel had mentioned had shown seemingly another time and place before, a room that shouldn’t exist in the house. Because if the old man had done this, it wouldn’t still work.

“The thing is, though, spells end once the caster has passed on, so I wonder...maybe whatever he was doing, he had help, and it worked. Maybe it only started malfunctioning like this once his half was gone, after his death,” they suggested, unable to hide the excitement from their voice. It felt like a real possibility, given the way things were adding up, especially with no prior reports of strange happenings before. That still left the problem of the man being long gone, and with no apparent contacts to question on what was going on before.

“That I am,” he nods, before getting up to greet Salem by the elevator, “thanks for coming down after such short notice, I figured the quicker we started the better, given everything else going on around here.” They could probably stay in the lobby all afternoon discussing just what had rattled their office that day, but he figured leaving the subject at that was probably best for the sake of the case in front of them. If someone really found a way to break into the case file rooms without detection that could mean their current troubles were just getting started, but hopefully with a partner such as Blanchard, they would be able to get this thing wrapped up before it only added to the drama at the office. 

“Did you get a chance to read over the file before you came down here? We’re the first aurors to look into this so there isn’t much in there, but it’s a start I suppose.” What would really help them out would be to know just what files exactly were taken, but hopefully their trip into the file room would help them come up with that answer. There should be some kind of connection between the cases though, some reason why out of all the files stored away on the massive floor that those three in particular were stolen. That was the hope anyway. 

They nod in agreement. That much is certain, even if they still aren’t exactly clear on what could’ve been going on at all, thanks to the limited information in the case file. They only know that it had to be related to everything else that had been happening somehow, even tangentially, given the timing of everything. That was the only possibility that made sense in their mind. But they had no idea how, and it was hard to suss that sort of thing out when the majority of the information in a case was written, instead of from people. They couldn’t very well use their legilimency on papers and case files, sadly. The few people who were listed as persons of interest didn’t seem to be particularly helpful in the why either, but then, that was why they were there, to figure it out. Salem only hoped that Frank had a better idea of how to go about it all than they did, unable to keep some of their nerves from surfacing, given everything going on around them.

“Yes, I looked at it a bit before coming down; there’s not much to go off of, is there? But I’d, um, well, I’d bet good money that it’s all connected to recent events. I suppose we can’t get much further without knowing what’s gone, though, right?” Salem suggests. The sooner they dive into it all, the better, not just for the sake of the case, but for their own peace of mind. They hate feeling like they might now be involved in something bigger than themself, thanks to the unfortunate happenstance that they had been assigned to the case, but then again, perhaps it wasn’t a happenstance at all. Thinking on it, there’s a strong possibility that there’s a reason they were put on the case. That thought only makes their stomach turn into an uncomfortable knot.

Jo remains frozen in place as Salem speaks up, their gaze shifting between the three wixes in front of them. Ester, having only been hit with the spell only moments before was still clearly confused, still trying to fight through the fog she was no doubt experiencing, as she looked curiously at her surroundings. Myra’s resolve only seemed to strengthen as Salem questioned her actions though. 

“And how far would we have gotten before the others came? You saw how quickly the other squad fired on us, how determined they were to bring us in dead or alive. If we ran it’d only prolong the inevitable, at least this way Ester won’t end up behind bars- or worse.” 

Ester’s head snaps in the direction of Myra at the mention of her own name, however, Myra’s spell had seemingly served its purpose, as she gives her the look of a stranger, and not that of a lover. 

“I didn’t mean to get you involved,” she sighs,”I’m not going to force you to lie, and risk everything too. But please….” she pleads, the resolve in her voice breaking momentarily as she looks at Ester then back towards them. “At least make sure she doesn’t get the blame.” 

“She won’t” Jo speaks up for the first time since they uttered Salem’s name. Pushing themself up off the wall of the boat house, they step towards their partner and Myra. Before they speak again they look at Salem, We can’t let her sacrifice be for nothing, they think loud enough for them to hear. “We’ll say we caught you running in the woods, and you had Ester at wand-point. You confunded her so she wouldn’t reveal the cabin you, Rose and Faye had taken her prisoner in.” Looking towards Salem they wait for their approval. If they were going to lie they were going to have to make sure they were both on the  same page. 

It’s clear that there’s nothing to be done now, it’s clear that Myra is right about what would’ve happened if they had run instead of making this choice, but that didn’t make it any easier to accept that they were a part of this now, that they were going to have lie for criminals. Because there was no way they could give them up now. At this point, they weren’t even certain that Ester’s memory would be able to be recovered, not knowing much about memory charms. Sure, they could probably break through some of it with their legilimency, but returning all of those memories, that love back to her in tact would be a much more difficult task. And for what? To damn her to a life behind bars, too? To make Myra’s choice for nothing?

She could say that she wasn’t going to force them to lie and risk their own well beings, yet alone integrity of what they did, but in a way, at least in Salem’s mind, she already had. To them, there was no choice left, because they didn’t have it in them to ruin that sacrifice, so that someone else’s life could be destroyed as well. And hearing Myra as she looked back at Ester only confirmed that. It wasn’t a feeling they had ever really understood before, not something they could ever have imagined feeling for someone else, but they were starting to understand, the lengths that one might go to in the hopes of saving someone they cared so deeply about.

And how could they be the one to judge that worth less than the cold and sterile law?

Even before they can say anything, Jo is speaking up, agreeing to keep Ester from taking any of the blame, agreeing to lie for them both. They can hear their thoughts, and they nod slightly as Jo looks at them. It feels like a grave choice because it is, they’re agreeing to lie to everyone, to Snow, to all the other aurors, to MACUSA, and to do everything they can to make sure that lie is believed. They’ve never been very good at lying, but too much depends on this one, and it feels like the one thing they can do for Myra, for everything she gave them when they were a child, terrified of everything around them.

“I’m sorry that you couldn’t make it further, I wish there was any way we could give you a chance at that, together,” Salem says, voice quiet, looking at Myra. “We’ll make sure none of it’s on her.” They pause for a second, letting the gravity of their agreement wash over them. But they can’t think on it too long, a distant scream from the main cabin interrupting their thoughts, reminding them that they’re still in danger. 

“We have to go, now, or else it’ll all be for nothing.”

She was relieved that her imperfect impression of Glory had worked, and even more relieved that the plan in general had worked, that the woman was expecting Glory at least enough that they weren’t going to scare her off, or startle her into attacking. And she had to hold back a smile, at the woman’s comment about Glory’s opinions, easily reconciling the Glory that she’d met earlier in the diner with someone who, given a plan, would absolutely interrupt it early to boss someone else around and assume that her ideas were better than anyone else’s. 

Still, she knew she wasn’t going to be able to keep up the facade for very long. So she took the opportunity to move towards the woman while she still trusted her, and then thought as hard as she could to Salem again, hoping they were listening. Get ready, just in case…

     “Well, about the aurors…” she started, and then put a hand out, on the woman’s shoulder. There was something so easy about the way she moved, thinking Cal was Glory, something so intimate and bright – whatever she was doing, she and Glory had planned it together. Whatever reason they’d had for doing this, for pretending to be whatever creature had terrorized this town for centuries, they were in it together, that much was abundantly clear. It was just a matter of understanding why. And she couldn’t do that, as Glory, not when she couldn’t keep up her imitation for much longer without more information. “Don’t freak out, okay?”

She took a breath, and then let her features return back to normal, her hair growing longer, her face fuller, the bags under Glory’s eyes fading to reveal her own eyes. It only took a second, she could tell from the woman’s face, for her to realize what was happening, and just as she’d been hoping, the look wasn’t one of panic, but one of recognition, and maybe just a little bit of resignation, too.

     “My name’s Callista Sole, I’m an auror with the Eastern Squad. I’m going to need to ask you a few questions.”

Her warning was loud and clear in their mind, and they held their wand at the ready, back still against the wall, prepared to jump into action if it sounded like things were going sour. It sounded like the woman was convinced she was Glory, though, that her guard was down enough that maybe this would be easier than they could’ve hoped, at least for now. They listened to Cal with baited breath, as she got ready to reveal herself, from what it sounded like.

They could feel the recognition in the woman’s mind as Cal shifted back to herself, and there was something else there, too. No angry, or fear, but something that told them she had been expecting something like this to happen, even if not so soon. Whatever it was she had been planning with Glory, she wasn’t as certain about the success as Glory seemed to be, from what they could read. And now, face to face with an auror, she seemed almost resigned to being caught in the act. That was a good sign, as there was no indication in her mind that she might try to lie her way out of things, although, they also could feel her hesitance to give up everything.

“What are the odds they put another metamorphmagus on the case,” she sighed, a little laugh. “I guess there’s no point in trying to lie, now. But...how did you know to do that? How did you know it was me, down here?”

Confident that she wasn’t going to try to run, or attack, Salem took the question as the perfect cue to finally come around the corner, still keeping their wand out just in case things changed, although they doubted she was going to try to leave.

“Salem Blanchard, legilimens,” they said, a little apologetically, mostly because she didn’t seem nearly as defensive and rude as Glory had been. If they had to guess, they would’ve bet money already on this having been Glory’s idea, that she had gotten this woman involved to help, but that it hadn’t been her plan in the first place.

If seeing Cal and hearing that she was actually one of the aurors Glory had spoken to was enough to lead her to resignation, the look now was closer to acceptance. There were things she could try to do, of course, to stop them from questioning her and learning the truth, to give her a chance to flee, but they could tell she wasn’t going to do it. She just shook her head slightly looking at them, and said, “A metamorphmagus and a legilimens, we never stood a chance, did we?”

“It wasn’t very fair, no,” Salem agreed, feeling a lot better now that they knew what they were facing. 

     “None,” she answered, crossing her arms over her chest after a moment of considering the question. “Not that we’ve been paying all that much attention to the outside of the house, not when so much is happening inside. But now that you mention it… other than one of the last investigators who disappeared reappearing in the backyard, everything’s been inside. Here– let me show you.”

She turned back towards the house, motioning for them to follow her, and then led them inside, and the first thing Beth noticed was that… at least, at first glance, the inside of the house looked just as normal as the outside. Hazel spoke, while she walked, leading them through the foyer and winding through the hallways of the main floor, indicating certain rooms or closets or expanses of wall as she went by them.

     “This is where we first noticed something was strange. Through the doorway into the dining room, which we rarely use, we would occasionally see what looked like a different room, a large sitting room-type area with another doorway into another room beyond it, but the second we would try to take a closer look, it would be back to being a dining room. And over here, on this wall, sometimes I’ve seen a closet door appear, when I’m on the other side of the room, even though this wall backs up against the back yard. One time, Jamie says they opened it and there was a full walk in closet there, completely empty, but with dimensions large enough that they should have been looking straight into the vegetable garden behind it.”

She continued like that for a few minutes, pointing out several more strange but similar occurrences, and Beth took careful note of each one in her notepad, trying to put together enough of a picture that she could think of something useful to answer. But each one just seemed to reinforce and somehow complicate the last, each one stranger and more extreme than the last.

They frowned at her answer, but nodded. So whatever was happening was locational, and confined to the inside of the house. That seemed like a good sign, even if it didn’t explain everything. At least this way, they knew that it wasn’t spreading its influence, or out of control in that way as well. 

Following her into the house, they took in everything they could as she explained the strange occurrences that had happened so far that both she and Jamie had experienced. The problem was that none of it seemed to make sense, the more they heard the more confused they were about all of it. Rooms that didn’t exist, doors appearing out of nowhere, places that didn’t seem to be able to fit into the house at all where other things should’ve been. Nothing made sense. 

As she was explaining, Salem reached out to her mind gently, just to make certain she was giving them everything. That was another problem, because everything she said seemed to be exactly what she remembered, nothing tampered with, no lies in sight, just the same confusion that they were feeling as she showed them through the house.

What they wanted to do, though, was pull out their wand and see if they could find any traces of magic, or anything of that sort in the places she had pointed out. For now, though, that wasn’t an option. When she was finished showing them around, they came back down to the living room, and Salem let out a little sigh, despite themself, feeling utterly lost on what could’ve been happening, and not even having seen any of it themself.

“Have you been in contact with the previous owners? Or had you heard of any strange rumors about the house before you moved in?” they asked with a frown. If it had only just started, that had to mean something, but if it had been going on before then, maybe it was something the other owners had done.

It only took her a second to put together what Salem was suggesting she do, and in the split second before she realized, she had the same idea: if this was the woman Salem had seen in Glory’s memories, and it seemed that she was, then it only made sense to approach her in a face that she knew, at least for long enough to not scare her away or provoke her into attacking them.

She didn’t have the clearest memory of what Glory looked like – the general details, sure, the curly brown hair, the heavy, tired eyes, the thin face and thinner frame – but it was dark, in the sewers, even where the candles the woman had set up threw their light across the walls, so she didn’t need the mimic to be perfect, just a close enough approximation to convince the woman for a minutes.

Once she thought she had it, she turned to Salem, waiting for a gesture of approval, and then took a deep breath before starting around the corner, moving towards the woman and her mirror and her circle of candles.

She stopped in her tracks, after a second – it had been a good idea, sure, but halfway to the other woman she had realized that she didn’t even know the curly-haired woman’s name, something Glory certainly would. What should she say? she thought, and sure, she could think it in Salem’s direction all she wanted, but it wasn’t like they could really tell her what to do from where they’d remained back around the corner. 

She had to say something. So instead of trying to summon a name, she thought back to everything Glory had said in the diner, trying to put together some semblance of her attitude. Rude, condescending – maybe not so much to someone she knew, but still…

     “A zombie? Really?”

They realized, as they watched Cal shift before their eyes, that they’d never actually seen her do so before. It was strange, to watch her change into someone else, shift into the woman they had met earlier in the day, but it also left them in awe of the things that were possible, that they could just naturally do, so easily, and how extraordinary they were. It made they feel all the luckier to be here with her, and not anyone else. Although, that was a feeling they had been having the whole time, given just how easy she made it all feel, how comfortable.

Still, there was no telling how this would work, and even so, what they were going to do once Cal had her attention. All they knew was that they needed to make certain she let down her guard enough to talk. 

Once she was finished, Salem gave her a nod, still amazed staring at Glory in front of them now. They didn’t dare look around the corner as Cal went, afraid that the woman might end up seeing them as well, and she’s bolt immediately. All they needed was a few seconds of Cal playing Glory, a few seconds to make her comfortable, before rounding the corner, too. 

For comfort, and because they couldn’t see what was happening, they reached out gently, able to feel both Cal and the woman’s minds in tandem. The problem was, though, that they had no way to do the same for Cal. And so when they heard the question clear in her mind, wondering what in the world she should say, no name for either of them. For a second there was panic, but it quickly washed away as Cal spoke, relief flooding over them as she improvised easily enough. And the feeling the woman gave of, first a small shock, then fond recognition, just confirmed this was the right move.

“Like you have a better idea. Why are you down here already, anyway? Have more opinions about how I should do my job that you couldn’t wait to share?” the woman asked, a laugh clear in her voice. “Did talking to the aurors go well?”

     “Well that sounds like good incentive to finish the first bottle, so you can find out what my favorite kind is,” he replied. In all honesty he wasn’t too picky about wine, though if he had his choice, the sweeter the better. Still, the fact that Salem had favorites was another little window into another piece of them that Cal had never known was there, a step into the life they led outside of work.

Which, no matter what Salem said, they did have a life outside of work, even if it was a solitary one. They all did, had to, or else they wouldn’t have been able to stay sane underneath the pressure of their jobs. Everyone had something that kept them going. For Cal, it was his hikes through the woods on weekends, the times he got to go back and see his family. For Salem, reading and research and good wine and… well, Cal was excited to find out what else.

     “You want to know a secret?” he said, picking up the glass of wine and holding it out in a cheers motion for them. “I haven’t really been on any real dates either. Not ones like this, at least.” His “relationships,” for the most part, had to this point been a lot more casual, a lot less formal, more physical and less romantic. And it had been alright, he’d never had a problem with it but… there was something different and exciting about sitting down to dinner, with Salem, and enjoying that for what it was. 

“I’m already waiting with baited breath,” they smiled. Sitting here, in a restaurant, outside of work, with Cal, they were realizing just how much they wanted to know about him. His favorite wine, his favorite foods, what he did in his time outside of work. They had already gotten closer to him than they did with most people, had seen what good of a team they made, but all of that had been on the case, at work. They wanted to know Cal. 

Already, they were learning something new, though. “Really?” they said, before they could stop themself, surprise clear in their voice. In all honesty, they had been imagining that this sort of thing was regular for Cal, for some reason. Maybe it was because he was so outgoing and warm and personable, that it was easy to imagine people clamoring to spend an evening in his company, those dates turning into something deeper. But then again, that sort of thing couldn’t be easy for any auror, with the way the job took them all. Either way, it just made them even more astonished that this was happening, that he wanted to sit down to dinner with them.

“Well, to tonight’s real date, then. And to more to come,” they grinned, raising their glass as well, and then taking a generous drink; they had a bottle to get through, after all. “How’ve you been holding up? Between all of the cases, and everything at the gala...it’s a lot lately.”

Jo looks on helplessly as Salem tries to convince the other two witches to come with them. No matter their partner’s plea though, it still appears that only two of the escapees will be leaving with them that afternoon as they watch the other two grab onto the other’s hand. If Salem was wanting to try to fight them into coming with them, then Jo was too, but deep down they knew that this was the best- and probably the only possible outcome if they wanted to get out of that cabin unharmed by the other squad. 

As Ester tugs their hand to follow her, Jo takes one last look behind them towards Rose and Faye, tearing welling up in their eyes as they watch the two women throw open the door, and rush out of it wands blazing together. 

With Rose and Faye out front fighting off the incoming squad, Myra and Ester rush towards the back of the cabin, ducking through a small kitchen and through a door that opened up onto the back porch. Myra is the first to pop her head out, holding her hand back to warn the other three to stay back until she assures the coast is clear. 

“I think we’re alright,” she nods, and motions the three to follow her out, as she begins running towards a small boat house that sat down a small hill against the lake’s shore. Ester holds up the rear as they make their way down, making sure should any spells come their way, she’d be the first in line to deflect them. Whatever Rose and Faye were doing out front though seems to serve as a good distraction though, as Myra makes it to the boat house without any trouble, opening its door with a quick flick of her wand, and holds it for the others to come in behind her. 

When they’re finally out of harm’s way, Jo doubles over, trying to catch their breath, and regain some composure after the chaos that ensued ever since the other squad’s arrival- an arrival they still were confused about given the fact only them and Salem knew of the cabin’s location. Looking over to Salem they nearly ask them their thoughts until they catch Myra walking over to Ester, tears streaming down her face, due to what Jo can only assume is the realization that the end of their journey together was about to end. . 

“Everything will be okay, we’ll get through this together,” Ester assures her, wrapping her arms around the other witch as she pulls her in. “I’ll tell them everything, they’ll know I came with you willingly, don’t worry.” 

“I know, sweetheart,” Myra nods, her hands shaking as she brings one up to cup the side of Ester’s face. “And that’s exactly what I’m afraid of.” Before Ester can react Myra pulls her in for a kiss, as her free hand moves to point her wand at her. “I love you,” she whispers against the woman’s lips, before flicking her wrist in a casting motion and uttering her intended spell. 

“Obliviate” 

For the second time that afternoon Jo looks on helplessly, feeling very much like the rookie they were. “S-salem?” they stutter out, looking towards them then back at Myra who was now stepping away from a clearly confused Ester. 

It’s clear that the fight raging on in front of the cabin is going to keep them all occupied for at least a short amount of time, just enough to get out of harms way and to apparate somewhere safer, back to headquarters even. It should be easy, it should be nearly over, even if Salem’s thoughts are still racing, just like their heart as they run into the boat house with no trouble, leaning back against the wall, trying to catch their breath as they finally have a split second of safety. It makes no sense, though, how it came to this point, how the other squads came to the cabin, but there’s no time to wonder what had happened, seeing Myra and Ester coming together for what could be one last time.

They watch silently, feeling a little like they’re intruding on a private moment, feeling a little more like they wish there was some way this wouldn’t be the end for them, that they could just let them leave somehow, give them the chance at the quiet life together it seemed they were looking for. But they can’t, no matter how desperately their heart aches as they watch the tearful goodbyes.

It feels like time slows down for a split second in the moment after she says those words, and that’s exactly what I’m afraid of. They can feel something coming, instinctually from the stress and the strain and the worry reach out around them, can feel Jo’s similar emotions, Ester’s determination, Myra’s heartbreak, and her plan. They’re just about to interrupt, but everything speeds up again and the spell hits before they even have a chance to move.

Myra steps back, and it’s clear from the nearly blank, confused look on Ester’s face that the spell worked as intended. They look over at Jo, feeling just as out of their depth as they look. There’s panic rising in their chest, and they need to keep going, need to leave, but they can’t think past what they’ve just seen.

It feels a whole lot like everything is completely out of their hands, like no matter what they do now, it’s not their choice. It’s the realization that there’s nothing to do to take what she’s done back, that things are out of their control, combined with knowing she cares so deeply for her that she would take all of the blame, so she might go free, that breaks something in their chest, and they can feel warm tears welling up in their eyes.

“What have you done?!” they nearly shout, desperately, looking back at Myra. Except they know exactly what she’s done, can read it clearly in her thoughts, can see her whole plan, a snap decision made with certainty, as clear as day. Erase the memories, erase any chance of her taking responsibility. 

“I’m sorry, but I have to give her that chance; I can’t let her ruin her life for me,” she explains, face still stained with tears, but gaze resolute.

“But we know,” Salem says, voice breaking slightly. Their thoughts were moving too fast, trying to comprehend everything that had just happened, and what that meant for them and Jo. “What are we supposed to do? How can we...I don’t know what we do. You could’ve just run, I can’t fight you, you could’ve escaped together if you didn’t want her getting caught. But now...it’s on us to lie.”

He laughed alongside them at the explanation – it felt so very right, so very them to be early to everything, and at the same time so very easy to not feel bad about showing up just on the dot, and instinctive feeling that Salem really, truly wasn’t annoyed to have been kept waiting, something to do with the easy aura around them. That was the thing, really, about whatever this was: it was the way Salem seemed at ease when he was with them, a confidence and a calmness that didn’t seem to manifest in them around almost anyone else. He liked this calm, confident Salem, the easy bluster, the lack of self-consciousness; it was a little addictive, lately, like he wanted to keep being around Salem just to see how relaxed they could be if he kept it up. 

     “Night of firsts, indeed,” he replied through the gentle laugh. “I didn’t even know this place existed until you mentioned it. And I hardly believed you existed outside of work events, so that’s a pleasant surprise.”

He joked, lightly, but in all honesty it was a novelty to see Salem away from work. They worked so hard, Cal knew, and he also knew as much as anyone that it was almost impossible to have a life away from the demands of a job like theirs. But it was something of a relief to see Salem on their own time, to not have the lingering worry of seeing anyone they knew, any of their coworkers, any of the many colleagues Cal had recently made enemies of.

“Honestly, I don’t, really, at least to anyone at work. I usually just spend my time home, reading, researching. I’ve never been the best at knowing how to socialize, big surprise, I know,” they said with a little laugh. “But I’m glad I’m out now, with you.”

They paused, unable to keep the small almost bashful smile from their lips looking back at Cal. In all honesty, they were still in awe that he wanted to spend the time with them, but that was the old, familiar insecurity talking. Maine had told them that they were a good time, they did well together, and it was obvious that he had felt that way too. But then the gala had confirmed that it was more than just that, that for once, maybe they were actually reading someone right without having to dig into their thoughts. For once, they felt things for someone they hadn’t ever really thought they could. And, for once, it made them feel good, like they could be better just by being around Cal.

“Here,” they offered, taking the bottle of wine and pouring him a glass, before filling their own as well. “I don’t know what kind of wine you like, but I want to know, so I started with one of my favorites and then if we get to bottle two, we can do yours. This is, well, it’s actually the first real date I’ve been on, so I’m kind of guessing at everything. Not to presume, of course. But...you make the guesswork feel nice.”