Lizzie’s sitting cross-legged on the couch in the middle of the building, sorting through the various artifacts and objects the Blacksmith had collected over the years. She looks up and gives Waverly a small shrug in return.
“They could use some work. It’s kind of like carbon dating. A witch’s wards can remain after she’s died, depending on her level of power, but they’ll start to deteriorate over time if they’re not regularly maintained. My siphoning some of their power didn’t help either. I can give them an upgrade before I leave, but I have a feeling some of these items would be better kept in the hands of the living than by the ghosts of the dead.”
“Probably a good idea.” Waverly moves to sit next to her on the couch, crossing her legs under her. “And the magic items – are any of them what you’ve needed?”
Lizzie shakes her head as her phone rings again, and she sighs, swiping ignore on another call from her father. “So … I guess I owe you a much better explanation than I’ve been giving you.”
“I mean, it would be nice.” Waverly shrugs. “Just because you’re really fun to make out with doesn’t mean you owe me anything.”
“No, but … I want to,” Lizzie pauses, shifting to face her more. “My bio mom was a member of the Gemini coven. And for as long as the coven has documented, there’s been this thing called the Merge to determine leadership – on their twenty-second birthday, the Gemini twins cast this ritual and one absorbs the other. This ritual happens even when there isn’t a coven to lead – it’s a curse, on the Gemini twins. And guess who a Gemini twin who just turned twenty-two is?” She balls up a fist and jerks a thumb back at herself. “This girl.”
Waverly reaches over gently, taking Lizzie’s hand and giving it a small squeeze. “I’m sorry. That’s terrible.”
Lizzie nods, one hand coming up to swipe against her cheek. “So that’s why I’m here. I figured the Ghost River Triangle is the last place any of them would look for me, and as long as Josie isn’t here with me, I can’t merge with her, and I keep avoiding their calls because they’ll try to convince me that we can save the day with teamwork and hope, but … I can’t risk killing my sister. I know how damaged I am and I won’t survive if I do that to her. And I won’t let her live with having killed me. So, it seems like the best place to be, for now, until we have a solution, is far, far away from her.”
In a twisted sort of way, it makes sense. Wynonna did the same to Waverly when she was a child, taking the damage far away, where it wouldn’t affect her, but at the end of the day, she also knows how lonely that was for both of them. “Did you think the Perely sisters might have something that would help?”
“Yeah. A really old book.” Lizzie slumps back against the couch. “The curse had to start somewhere, and there were rumors that the Iron Witches had kept a log of prominent curses. I figure if we can find out when the curse began, we might be able to find out who cast it and how to undo it. It was mostly looking for a lead, but I’m desperate enough to take what I can get at this point.”
“Well, what I know is that we’re going to need some help sorting through all these magical items and how best to handle them. So if you stick around and help us with that, I will see if I can get us into Gretta’s house. Maybe the records are there, and if not, we can try to track her down and see if she took it with her.”
Lizzie looks hopeful, and she moves closer to lean into Waverly’s shoulder. “So you’ll help?”
“Of course. That’s what I do.” She turns and gives her a quick kiss before brushing her free hand against her cheek lightly. “And also? You’re that damaged.”
“You don’t know me that well yet.”
Waverly shrugs, staying close. “Maybe. But I’d like to find out.”
Lizzie leans in to kiss her again and lets Waverly distract her from the pile of magical artifacts surrounding them. Sure, they’ll have to get back to that later, but for now, there are other things they need to take the time to explore.
sing it loud so i can hear you ~ tvdverse/wynonna earp ~ 3,342 ~ part 2
“Are her wards okay?”
Lizzie’s sitting cross-legged on the couch in the middle of the building, sorting through the various artifacts and objects the Blacksmith had collected over the years. She looks up and gives Waverly a small shrug in return.
“They could use some work. It’s kind of like carbon dating. A witch’s wards can remain after she’s died, depending on her level of power, but they’ll start to deteriorate over time if they’re not regularly maintained. My siphoning some of their power didn’t help either. I can give them an upgrade before I leave, but I have a feeling some of these items would be better kept in the hands of the living than by the ghosts of the dead.”
“Probably a good idea.” Waverly moves to sit next to her on the couch, crossing her legs under her. “And the magic items – are any of them what you’ve needed?”
Lizzie shakes her head as her phone rings again, and she sighs, swiping ignore on another call from her father. “So … I guess I owe you a much better explanation than I’ve been giving you.”
“I mean, it would be nice.” Waverly shrugs. “Just because you’re really fun to make out with doesn’t mean you owe me anything.”
“No, but … I want to,” Lizzie pauses, shifting to face her more. “My bio mom was a member of the Gemini coven. And for as long as the coven has documented, there’s been this thing called the Merge to determine leadership – on their twenty-second birthday, the Gemini twins cast this ritual and one absorbs the other. This ritual happens even when there isn’t a coven to lead – it’s a curse, on the Gemini twins. And guess who a Gemini twin who just turned twenty-two is?” She balls up a fist and jerks a thumb back at herself. “This girl.”
Waverly reaches over gently, taking Lizzie’s hand and giving it a small squeeze. “I’m sorry. That’s terrible.”
Lizzie nods, one hand coming up to swipe against her cheek. “So that’s why I’m here. I figured the Ghost River Triangle is the last place any of them would look for me, and as long as Josie isn’t here with me, I can’t merge with her, and I keep avoiding their calls because they’ll try to convince me that we can save the day with teamwork and hope, but … I can’t risk killing my sister. I know how damaged I am and I won’t survive if I do that to her. And I won’t let her live with having killed me. So, it seems like the best place to be, for now, until we have a solution, is far, far away from her.”
In a twisted sort of way, it makes sense. Wynonna did the same to Waverly when she was a child, taking the damage far away, where it wouldn’t affect her, but at the end of the day, she also knows how lonely that was for both of them. “Did you think the Perely sisters might have something that would help?”
“Yeah. A really old book.” Lizzie slumps back against the couch. “The curse had to start somewhere, and there were rumors that the Iron Witches had kept a log of prominent curses. I figure if we can find out when the curse began, we might be able to find out who cast it and how to undo it. It was mostly looking for a lead, but I’m desperate enough to take what I can get at this point.”
“Well, what I know is that we’re going to need some help sorting through all these magical items and how best to handle them. So if you stick around and help us with that, I will see if I can get us into Gretta’s house. Maybe the records are there, and if not, we can try to track her down and see if she took it with her.”
Lizzie looks hopeful, and she moves closer to lean into Waverly’s shoulder. “So you’ll help?”
“Of course. That’s what I do.” She turns and gives her a quick kiss before brushing her free hand against her cheek lightly. “And also? You’re that damaged.”
“You don’t know me that well yet.”
Waverly shrugs, staying close. “Maybe. But I’d like to find out.”
Lizzie leans in to kiss her again and lets Waverly distract her from the pile of magical artifacts surrounding them. Sure, they’ll have to get back to that later, but for now, there are other things they need to take the time to explore.