Chapter Text
Storming off into the forest, she probably could have used magic to get back to the manor but for some reason, the woman chose to walk. Maybe it was because with each step, each time she slammed her heel down into the earth, she felt a bit of tension boiling up. The path was familiar at least, sometimes when they wanted a break her husband and she would walk to the warehouse and take a moment for themselves. Could she even still call him that now? She didn’t want to think about it.
Her shoulders tensed, the knot forming in the back of her neck was almost an old friend at this point. Bitterly, she rested her fingers on it and tried to work the area in circular motions, eventually giving up. Alador was always better at this. Somehow he knew just how to pressure her, how to hold her close, how to- she shook her head hard and kept walking. Now was not the time.
Time- they ran out of time.
~~
Odalia Blight wasn’t sure when she started running, especially not in these shoes and over this landscape. She wasn’t sure when her vision started to blur either, or when white-hot tears started to stream down her face. Titan, she must have looked like a mess storming into the house, the Abomaton ready to help her with her things. It hovered around her as she pulled off her boots and threw them down, a short yell escaping her lips as she shut the door with a slam. The creature moved to place her shoes properly- but seeing the purple goo and soft magenta light was like looking into Alador’s eyes.
The way he stared at her chilled her to the bone. He thought she was a monster. And his opinion was the only one that mattered. Gritting her teeth, she kicked at the Abomaton’s metal surface to get its attention. “Leave me alone! All of you!”
She gestured to the rest of the servants, poised and ready to take a command. They seemed confused at her distress before walking off.
Empty. Odalia took in a shaky breath and wiped at her eyes. Her crying had started without her even feeling it- as if it was just something her body had to do but her emotions and brain had no control over it. Blotting at her tear-stained face, she walked further into the house. Every step she took seemed to ring hollow, sending shockwaves through her body.
Her blue eyes paused for a second as she observed the family portrait, every piece and pose- every hair on their heads was positioned to perfection. Touching her pendant, she didn't even use it to see into the future- at that moment the idea of it made her sick to her stomach- no she just held it and tried to feel like the woman in the image. She was whole- proud and some might even say happy. Her family was growing, not perfect but becoming close. She had succeeded.
And now, it was all gone. They were all gone.
Tearing her gaze away, she clenched her jaw so tightly she heard a little pop in her ears. Drawing a circle with her finger, a haze came over the portrait, one that she could remove at any time but at least it hid them away for now. She crossed her arms over her chest, squeezing gently as if to prevent the broken pieces of herself from falling to the floor, from falling apart.
Sighing heavily, her heart seemed to plummet as her shoulders lost their tension, sore muscles aching her neck as she turned to face the main room. Opening her eyes, she felt her bottom lip quiver.
There was Edric and Emira’s homework on the couch, still open and half-done. She walked over to it, looking over the pages and attempting to smile as she saw correct answers but also doodles in the margins of both their works.
Sucking in a breath, she stumbled away and hurried up the stairs, reaching the top and accidentally kicking a book. The hardcover, only best for her little bookworm, slid across the floor until it reached a stop by the wall. The woman walked over and picked it up, her fingers running over the cover of the Azura text. She never understood why Amity liked it, the writing was ridiculously flowery.
But she could remember what it was like to be young… and in love. When the girl would read excerpts out loud to her, something she hadn’t done in years, all Odalia could think of was that light-headed, butterflies-in-stomach feeling she’d get around her husband, then boyfriend. And she remembered how her daughter acted around that Luz girl, the smile she had on her face when she was around. Realization struck her like a blade, she set the book aside on a shelf and held her breath from the aching pain in her chest.
Making her way into her office, the one place she could think of for some escape- she stared at the pen Ed bought her for her birthday one year, displayed on her desk and never used. One of Amity’s hair ties sat atop a stack of paperwork she was still getting through and a pair of Emira’s earrings that she left at the kitchen table rested near her crystal ball.
A shriek of frustration left her, came up from cracks in her heart and escaped into the air. Her hand was sure as it flew to her pendant, the heavy stone always rested on her chest through the day. Most times she got used to the feeling and failed to notice it, others it was like a comforting presence- like her husband laying her head on her. In this moment, it was choking her, threatening to snap her neck or crush her with its weight.
But even as she moved to tear it off, even as she bent her arm at the right angle and braced herself for the brief moment of tension- as soon as she felt the chain tugging against her skin all the definite nature she had fizzled out. Her hand tightened around the necklace, her nails digging into her palm as she stood there and carefully, feeling the soreness of each of her fingers, let go.
She wanted to step back, but somehow Odalia found herself sitting in her office chair, one of the places she would feel the most confident and comfortable. But now she just felt small- she spent her whole life running from the feeling.
Curious, she raised one eyebrow once she saw the card, one of their business cards, tucked underneath her crystal ball’s stand. Sliding it out, she turned it over and gasped softly when seeing her husband’s handwriting.
Good luck today. I know you don’t need it… I don’t know how you do all that you do. Thank you.
With love, Alador
Most would probably think it was a pretty bad note, though to her- knowing how he was and how he expressed affection, through actions, not words, it meant the world. Her hand was shaking, so hard that she could barely make out the letters anymore. Or maybe that was also due to the tears that were welling up again, the difference this time being that she could feel every drop that formed.
One fell down her cheek. The day Emira refused to let her help with her hair.
Another burned her vision. Edric shrugged off her hand when she touched his shoulder.
She blinked and some clumped her eyelashes together. Amity vowing to never speak to her again.
Her chest heaved, a choked sob escaped and she bowed her head, resting it on the inner portion of her elbows. Alador glaring at her with icy coldness, as if he couldn’t even stand to look at her.
And she spent all this time trying to find an escape, trying to reach some point in her home where she could sit without the reminder of her broken family- where she could just be. But the walls were leaking with memories, they bled and tormented her mind. They echoed in every floorboard creak, appeared in the corners of her vision. They were everywhere and yet the manor rang hollow. And her home wasn’t so much home anymore.
Home was where she could hear the kids giggling upstairs, frantically whispering to each other to quiet down. Home was where Alador would fall asleep on her shoulder after a long day, snoring softly and turning his head into her neck. Home was where they were.
And as much as she didn’t want to admit it, as easy as it was to lie to herself. Oh, she’ll fix things after the Day of Unity. She’d be able to take their hatred if it meant they were successful. She was strong enough to stand on her own.
As much as she wanted to outrun it, the truth always kept stride. Her family was gone because of her, and so was her home.
And although she wanted some time to herself to clear her thoughts, Odalia realized that was dangerously close to her worst fear. Being completely and utterly alone.
Sniffing, her hands dropped still holding the card, resting on either side of the crystal ball. Her sobs filled the empty manor, ragged breaths, and hiccupy gasps. Her chest was tight, her ribs aching as if they became too small for her lungs. Her stomach did flips inside her, tangling with her intestines until she felt sick. But Odalia kept crying as if it was as necessary as breathing.
She let herself come completely undone because there was no one worth holding it together for anymore. Not even herself.
~~
Somehow she ended up at the location of the Bonesborough Brawl, now just an empty patch in the forest. It was mundane, unimportant- boring even. It was her memories that made it special. She sat there, leaning against a tree with one leg bent at the knee. Resting her chin on the joint, Odalia removed her pendant carefully and held it in front of her. She closed her hand around the cool stone, the smooth surface comforting in her palm.
Magic coursed through her as she breathed out, visions danced in front of her like dolls stuck in a game of time. She watched the figures move, flickering in and out of reality and colored in a magenta screen.
The cheering from the crowd was just as she remembered- or maybe she didn't. Because Odalia hadn’t been listening to the world that day. In fact, she was giving all her attention to her world. Her Alador. He had his picture taken for the paper, that belt slung over his shoulder and an adorable grin on his face. She stood in the crowd, eager- ready.
Everything moved so fast, she knew he was struggling to keep up. He moved from one motion to the next, shaking the hand of his opponent, posing for the picture, turning to face the crowd. But then their eyes met and she saw the mild confusion lift. And his next action, it was all his own in complete clarity.
“Odalia!” He called out, giving her a big wave as if her eyes weren’t glued to him the entire time.
“Alador!” She stood on her toes and waved back, grabbing the nearest witch next to her. “That’s my boyfriend!” Her voice was loud, she didn’t care. She jumped up to get a better look at his face, only to find that when her feet were supposed to meet the earth she was being lifted through the crowd by abomination goo.
Her shoes met solid ground once again, only to be scooped up into his arms and spun around. Odalia squealed, kicking her legs a bit as he squeezed her so tightly she felt as if she’d burst- but that could also be from excitement.
“Did you see?” He asked, his voice as if he was a child again, “Did you see what I did?”
“Yes! Yes I saw everything!” She replied and wrapped her legs around his waist, holding his face in her hands and pressing her forehead against his. “I knew you could do it! And I didn’t need my crystal ball to know that.”
Echoes of their laughter seemed to taunt her now, jeering at her from the past. Her eyes were still swollen from crying, it was a miracle she was able to report that ship missing without breaking down. Though- now that she was thinking about it, that probably wasn’t the best idea. A humming at her wrist, she glanced down and pushed back her sleeve to find her sigil glowing.
For some reason, call it intuition if you must, her stomach dropped at the sensation. Going back to the pendant, she harnessed its power this time to find her husband and youngest daughter.
Smoke and dust filled the air along with shots of magic- a fight.
Amity through the haze, being pulled aside by her father. “Take this,” The man uttered, ignoring her pleas of desperation as he disappeared into the chaos.
“No,” Odalia felt the syllable escape with her breath, first scrubbing through to follow her daughter’s path, making sure that she was at least somewhat safe and with her friends. But as she got closer to the Day of Unity, the more hazy her vision became.
Then, winding back, she found her husband again as he fought Coven Guard and Abomaton alike. His eyes were glowing, hair messy- although his skills were keeping him triumphant, she could tell that he was tiring.
~~
He gritted his teeth as he put up an abomination shield to protect him from the blast. “Stupid Alador! Stupid!” He muttered to himself again. Seriously, why did he make these things so strong? This was all his fault despite his past protests towards that Golden Guard. He was the adult, he should have known better-
But, sneaking a glance over his shoulder to watch as the children flew away, some of that guilt released him. At least she was okay.
“Daddy!” The toddler babbled as she played in the snow, hurrying after him and struggling to keep up. He had looked over his shoulder at her in surprise, her brown hair peeking out from underneath her hood as she stared up at him.
“Amity!” Alador walked towards her, scooping her up to see her rubbing her hands together. “Your mother hasn’t finished dressing you yet- aren’t you cold?”
“But I wanted to play with you! Why do Ed and Em get to come out and I don’t?”
A quiet chuckle as he glanced at the twins making a snow abomination behind him, “Well, they didn’t drive Mama up the walls while getting dressed today.”
He heard crunching behind him as Odalia appeared, breathing out a sigh of relief upon seeing their daughter in his arms. “Amity Blight! You’ll lose your fingers out here! Come inside and finish putting your winter clothes on.”
The toddler clung onto his neck, burying her face in his shoulder. “Nooo!” She whined and Alador looked at his wife with an apologetic gaze. Her blue eyes rolled at him, but she was struggling to hide the smile that pulled onto her lips.
“She has you wrapped around your finger, you know.”
“That’s what all you Blight women think.” He winked at her in that playful manner.
Her cheeks flushed slightly. From the cold- definitely from the cold. She walked closer, about to take her from his arms before Alador motioned for her to stop. He cleared his throat to get his daughter’s attention. “Your mother is still right though, Amity. You’ll freeze. Are your hands cold?”
The girl looked at him, blowing on her knuckles with a tiny nod. He lifted his finger, drawing a tiny circle and forming two covers out of abomination goo. A giggle let him know of his wife’s amusement at this solution. Amity’s yellow eyes grew wide, staring at the accessories that made her fingers nice and toasty.
“Wow! How did you do that?!” She exclaimed and held them up to show off, “Mama look! Look!”
“I see, dear. Your very own pair of mittens.” Odalia’s voice bounced with laughter as she spoke, exchanging a look with her husband. They both silently agreed, Abomination may be a good track for her.
“Mittens.” Her husband repeated, looking rather surprised when Amity turned her head in attention at the word. “Do you like that?”
His daughter nodded. He set her down and she ran off towards the feuding voices of her older siblings.
A blast nearly took off his arm, he ducked out of the way barely in time. He could feel the heat of it on his skin and he wondered if some of his hair had been taken off or singed.
“Alador Blight,” A Coven Guard spoke. The man felt the glow in his eyes dim- realizing now that he was truly surrounded. “Head Engineer of Blight Industries. Surrender now and your punishment will be minimal.”
“And if I don’t?!” After all, Odalia always taught him to question all parts of a deal before agreeing.
“Then prepare to face the Emperor.” They really didn’t know. He glanced down at his wrist, the sigil taunting him. He remembered how proud he had been of it, how excited he was to witness his children getting their own one day- and now his biggest relief was that they were still too young.
“I think I’ll take my chances, thanks.” His eyes returned to that purple-pink hue and although he fought hard as blasts were coming his way from every angle, it still shocked the man that he was still standing.
That was- until one of his Abomatons started to fight alongside him, taking attacks as it moved through the crowd. The eyes flickered in a strange manner, showing to him that someone had overridden the automatic programming and was manually controlling the device. But who-
He got knocked off his feet by a blast. Luckily he wasn’t injured but there was no time to get up as he raised his arms to protect himself. That’s when the Abomaton grabbed him, cocooning him in the goo and metal and ran off into the forest away from the guards who- after some deliberation, decided to end their pursuit.
“What the- unhand me!” Alador shouted but the machine did not listen, even to his voice. As he thrashed, he caught a glimpse of his wrist, the vein like tendrils crawling up his arm. His stomach plummeted.
Eventually, his order was followed and the man was set in a very familiar forest clearing. He took a moment to orient himself, looking over his creation being his second priority as he jiggled its chestplate. “What’s going on with you? You wouldn’t have done that! Not unless someone was controlling you and the remote was too far away- the only person who could possibly know do that is-”
“Alador,” Her voice was shaky, breathless due to shock and probably the intense amount of magic she had to use to make that happen. Her hand quivered, an impression of her pendant pressed into her palm as she forced herself to stand on weak legs while putting it back on. All she wanted- no what she needed- was to run towards him, to hold him close, to make sure he was okay. But she couldn’t.
Not when he stared at her like that, a mix of fear and distaste as the man took a small step back. “Odalia.” There was a pause as he glanced over his shoulder, noticing the slight purple pink tint of the Abomatron’s eyes now. “How did you do that?”
The last time he tried to teach her, as a way to protect herself in case something failed, it didn’t go too well. He did his best to make the inner workings more manageable for her to control with her magic but- it seemed like abomination magic, specifically his own, was the only way. At the time.
“I don’t know-” She stared down at her hands. “I just knew I had to.” Her hair was messy, out of place and struggling to be contained by her usual style as she stared across the distance between them. It felt like an eternity, like she was yelling at him from all the way across the Isles. He blinked, then blinked again, glancing down at his hands. Odalia felt her heart catch in her throat, she couldn’t read him.
Dirt caked his palms and calluses. “Had to get me arrested?”
“What?” A hesitant step forwards before she thought about it and returned to her original position. “No- Alador, that’s not what I wanted.”
“Then what did you want?!” His voice rose, much to both their surprises. The man cleared his throat before continuing. “We are running out of time. The Emperor- he lied to us.”
He whispered breathlessly, glancing down to see that the tendrils extending from his sigil were creeping up his arm and digging into his skin. He looked up, seeing his wife doing the same.
“I-” She always told him to be careful- feared for him because he was so trusting. Odalia let her hand close into a loose fist, remembering all those times she’d whisper to him at the night market about whether a deal was fair or not- or even when she’d fire an employee of his because she overheard them snarkily make a comment. That got a little out of hand when he got the fire flu- she got a bit paranoid.
But the point still stood. She stayed vigilant, she trusted very few- and yet in the end it was her that got tricked. “All I wanted was for our family to be safe.” The words quivered and trembled as she spoke, holding her wrist close to her chest.
“I know,” He eventually replied and let his eyes close for a second, “But- letting everyone else suffer?”
“No one else matters!” She retorted, shouting a bit and stamping her foot. Her frustrations only made the veins jutting out from her arm more prominent.
“But what about-”
“No one else matters, Alador! You’re-” Odalia paused, her bottom lip shook as she stared at him and it was almost embarrassing. “You and the kids, you’re all I have!” Her voice darkened and he grew quieter. “Even if I did tell someone, even if we did have enough for some battle- This was the only way I could guarantee that all of you would be okay. I couldn’t-”
And if the Emperor ever found out- it wouldn’t be her that he punished. It would be the people she cared about most, and then probably her too. A shiver ran up her spine and she wasn’t sure if it was the magic crawling up her arm or the fear of the future she so desperately avoided coming into fruition. “I couldn’t risk it. If we fought- the kids wouldn’t have stayed and waited, they would have wanted to fight with us and- If they or you got hurt because of me I would never forgive myself!”
Swallowing hard, she hung her head. Amity was off to save her friends and- and there was nothing she could do to protect her. “But I guess that doesn’t matter now. I- I was wrong. I made a misjudgment and I failed.”
A long pause, she felt her shoulders get heavier as the silence seemed to drag her down at its mercy.
“Never thought I’d hear you say that.”
Odalia looked up in surprise, his tone was light- almost teasing in the way he’d speak to her in comfort after a long day. And the way his eyes stared at her, they told her everything he didn’t say. ‘I forgive you.’ Even if she couldn’t give herself the same luxury. It brought a bit of moisture to her gaze that she quickly wiped away. Maybe her face showed her surprise because he slowly continued. “If saving everyone meant losing you and the kids- I wouldn’t have done it either.”
“I’m so sorry I didn’t tell you. Alador- I’m so,” She moved a bit closer, her hands clasped and rested on her chest. Her words were getting faster, flying out of her mouth beyond her control. “I didn’t mean it when I said I wanted a more competent business partner. I want you- I need you! Please don’t quit- Please don’t leave-”
“Odalia,” He started with that, her name. It danced on his tongue with such sweetness- so familiar. “I-” Taking a few steps towards her, he got in about three in before groaning and falling to one knee. His vision blurred, flashed pink for a brief second as his eyes glowed and the Abomoton behind him was accidentally reduced back to goo by his magic.
His sigil, the tendrils were tightening and glowing yellow, crawling up his arm. She was next to him in an instant, her own hand shaking violently. But the woman found the strength to help him lay down, to cradle his head in her lap. He stared up at her blankly for a moment- almost dazed as Alador struggled to get his bearings.
“Please don’t leave me- Please- Please-” She begged, hunching over a bit and holding onto him tightly. Her sobs became a quiet shriek of pain as her own sigil started to constrict.
His hand rested against her cheek, fitting so perfectly with the curve of her face. His thumb traced over her jawline, trailing up and wiping away the tears that fell from her eye. “Odalia, look at me.” He muttered, his sigiled wrist resting on his abdomen.
Her own arm was starting to tense up so tightly she couldn’t move it, locking itself in a bent position as she used her other to cradle his head. She listened, leaning into his touch and doing her best to get some sort of control over her breathing.
“I didn’t mean it either. I’m sorry.”
“How do I know you’re not just saying that because you don’t know what’s going to happen to us?” She whispered back, voice quivering as she leaned closer. His palm was rough against her skin, she didn’t mind in the slightest. “How do I know?”
“I guess you don’t,” He started, a faint smile pulling onto his lips as he felt the way her fingers gently pushed his brown hair from his eyes. They were so delicate, barely brushing over his skin. It was getting harder to speak, he could tell from how she was leaning that it was more difficult to sit upright too. “But you do know that I love you. And I have for a very long time. I promised you a very long time ago that-”
His words were cut off by a groan and twitch as his body seemed to glow in a yellow light. He gritted his teeth and the hand that cupped her cheek fell to his side. “Odalia!”
“Save your strength!” She stared down at her own wrist and the effects, starting to get light-headed. “I love you too- that’s all you have to say. Save your strength! I can’t afford to lose you.”
His yellow eyes were starting to burn. Blinking, trails of tears flowed back into his hair despite his wife’s efforts to wipe them away. Her touch was getting so shaky, jittery like moving pained her. But she persisted.
“I promised you that you wouldn’t be alone. And-” His hand, too weak to hold her face, managed to slip into hers. Their sigils pressed against each other as their fingers interlaced. It was as if their palms were made to fit together, the subtle curves and dips slotted together perfectly. “I don’t intend on breaking it because,” A tiny chuckle, “Well, you’d probably never trust me again. And I can’t afford to lose you either.”
Odalia leaned down, resting her forehead against his. Their noses brushed, she tried her best to smile. “Why is it that the one time I want you to shush is when you have the most to say?”
“Poor timing?” He replied, oh it was all such poor timing. After the Day of Unity, they said- after was when they would make things right with their family. But after didn’t exist anymore, it was only the distant before and the tattered now.
Her laughter turned into a quiet sob as she nodded, trying to focus on the way his breath would tickle her skin. He seemed to sigh against her, she felt the way his cheeks pulled into a smile. Every movement felt like her bones were made from pins and needles as she used her thumb to gently pet the side of his hand.
“It’s been an honor to spend most of my life loving you, Alador Blight.”
“Odalia Blight,” He opened his eyes to stare into her blue ones. They still quieted his mind, like coming up from underwater and being able to breathe again, “Trust me when I say the pleasure’s all mine.”
He tilted his face up with what was almost the last of his strength. She brought her lips to his and melted into his touch. With their kiss, the world around them melted away, and there was no sigil draining their magic, no bright beacon of yellow light shooting into the clouds, no struggled breaths as the two felt their chests become heavier and their muscles weaker- it was just them. And that was exactly enough.