The Eye of Carly's Hope: The Flat: S04E06

Tess focused with all her energy on boring hole through the witch’s spell to get an open line to her sister, and it worked.

***

Up in the flat, Frank helped the Marly cat back up through the smoke chamber. Once out, Marly shook her body and soot flew everywhere, then she stalked to the bathroom where she shifted back to human. Marly was in the shower when she heard a bit of a commotion going on in the flat.

Mill’s, Tess called with her mind, Mill’s can you hear me… please let her hear me…

Tess? Her sister said.

Oh, my gods, Tess said with relief.

Are you alright? Mill’s asked.

Everyone crammed into the flat knew something was going on, Mill’s the Elder gets a slight twitch in her right eye when she talks telepathically.

I’m alright, sis, Tess said, but they took the bones.

“What’s going on?” someone asked Mill’s.

“Shush,” Mill’s said, holding a forestalling hand up while twitching her right eye.

“Looks like morse code,” Frank said, and low laughter filled the room, “what’s happening?”

Someone pulled him aside to let him know Mill’s was talking to Tess.

“Ah,” Frank said, “that’s when her eye twitches is it?’

“Umm, yes,” Sally said and looking sheepish, knowing she’d told him something Mill’s possibly didn’t want him to know. Oh well, she thought, I won’t say anything if he doesn’t.

***

“What?” Mill’s asked and sounded shocked.

Frank rushed to her side and the witches gathered round.

“What’s she saying? Susan asked.

“Sam and Rhianna took the bones of dead gods,” Mill’s said.

“Does she know where they are?” Frank asked.

“Hang on,” She said. Tess?

Yes! Yes I’m here.

Do you know where the bones are?

No, Tess said. Look, I’ve got them arguing amongst themselves now right now, so don’t know how long we have before they realise their spell’s failing. They want the jewel from the Eye, and they put the hobgoblin in Sandra.

“What!? Oh no,” Mill’s said.

“What? What is it?” Susan asked.

Frank took Millie by the hand and rubbed her palm with his thumb to let her know he was there for her. Mill’s, worried their link might fail, raised another forestalling hand, saying, “Shush.”

What do they want with you? Mill’s asked.

They want my power, sis, all of it… and not just mine, yours, the twins…

Do you know how they intend getting them?

Don’t know, Tess said, but got them worried if they kill me my power would go to someone in my family, that they’d never get it… Oh, gotta go, they’re talking to me now.

***

“We’ll bleed you out,” Rhianna said.

“You’ll what?” Tess asked.

“Bleed you,” Sam said. “You know, to take your power.”

“Again, I ask, how do you know they will go to you,” Tess asked. “Have you even done this before?”

Rhianna and Sam looked at each other before Sam spoke.

“Once,” she said.

“When?” Tess asked.

“A long time ago.”

“How long?”

“Three, four hundred—”

“That’s enough,” Rhianna said.

“How old are you?” Tess asked.

“Seven hun—”

“Shut it, Sam,” Rhianna snapped. “She doesn’t need to know all our secrets.”

They’re over seven-hundred-years-old, sis, Tess said.

What? Mill’s said, her shock evident to all those in the flat.

Yeah. Seven hundred.

“Ecxmaltia alocote reatmas leas,” Rhianna said, and resealed the room.

Mill’s? Mill’s? Tess called, but saw her hole in the spell closed.

She hoped her sister got enough to work with. Tess had to keep herself alive, though she was already formulating a spell to cast if they attempt to did bleed her out. If it worked Tess decided she’d send her powers to Millie, her daughter, lost in the Tasmanian wilderness. Only Millie could save them now… all of them.

***

“Frank?”

“Mill’s?”

“Could you take Susan and go to the university to collect all my books on witches… The History of Witchcraft, Witches of the Dark Ages,” Mill’s asked.

Frank squeezed her hand, and said, “We can do that,” walked to the table, drank his cold coffee and grabbed a couple of biscuits for the road. He knew it was going to be a long day, but decided to treat what was going as he would any other case. Frank was certain he could help free Tess.

“Back soon, Mill’s,” he said, and he and Susan left.

“What about us?” Stacy asked.

“I need to contact Grace,” Millie said.

“In the Ether?”

“In the Ether,” Mill’s said.

She made her way to the bedroom and sat on the end of Marks bed.

“This’ll do,” she said. “You need to keep me grounded, Stacy, and Abbey?”

“Yeah?”

“Sit near the fireplace. Listen for Tess in case she gets through again.”

“Will do, Mill’s.”

“Marcy?”

“Yeah?”

“I’m going to need something sweet when I get back,” Millie said.

“I’m sure Frank will be back by then,” she said with a cheeky smile.

Mill’s smiled and shifted to the middle of the bed. Sat crossed legged. Closed her eyes and began a silent chant.