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Chapter Text

☘︎ *⚜*☘︎

𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫'𝐬 𝐍𝐨𝐭𝐞

This is a rewritten version of His Darkest Obsession. 

I want to start first by apologising for never finishing my previous version of this story. I know you guys were really wanting me to finish it, but I kept hitting the same wall over and over again, because I really wasn't happy with how I had written the main character. She felt too inconsistent to me and I felt like I was jumping around too much, so I really wanted to try and change that.

I've been making some major edits to the story, so for the first season, it will generally be the same, with edits to the main character to try and make her character flow a little better. I'll also be changing up the relationship between her and Wednesday a little because I kind of want to make it a little bit more of a slow-burn and sickening obsession (as the name implies).

I hope this story was worth the wait!

𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐖𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬

This story will have the same content warnings as the Wednesday show, though I don't think Netflix actually lists any content warnings at the start of the show besides, fear, language, and violence. Those warnings are the same for the readers of this story.

I'm going to make this story a little more graphic in terms of the violence and obsession, just because I think it fits with the type of story I'm trying to write. This will be a little darker than most of my stories, but this is centred around Wednesday Addams, so I think that's to be expected.

There are supernatural and paranormal elements to this story, so if you are uncomfortable with reading that, I suggest you leave this story behind and find one that is more comfortable for you.

There will be death in this story, but I think if you're here because you've watched the show, then you're expecting that. But anyways, there will be death.

These content warnings apply to most of the chapters, so I'm not going to put warnings at the top of each chapter, but they are divided by episodes, so expect that each chapter will follow one of the episodes. (ie. if there's death in one of the episodes, there will probably be death in the chapter.)

𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐫:

I do not own Wednesday, all rights belong to the original creators. 

I do not own any of the images or videos used, all rights belong to the original creators.

☘︎ *⚜*☘︎

𝐖𝐞𝐥𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐍𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞...

☘︎ *⚜*☘︎

Chapter Text

☘︎ *⚜*☘︎

The scariest monsters are the ones that lurk within our own souls.
~ Edgar Allan Poe

☘︎ *⚜*☘︎

I remember my mother's fear. It was the first thing I knew as a child.

I knew it before the sound of the river and the sound of the willow. I knew her fear before I knew myself...

The night was thick with fog and the sound of howling beasts. Clouds hung overhead, dark and ominous as the first tears of the night slipped through the edges, falling to the cold autumn ground below. Each broken shape sounded like a breath of relief as it landed amongst the fallen leaves of decaying trees. The drops began to fall harder and harder, until a torrential rainstorm flooded the forest, sweeping away the fallen leaves of red and orange into a nearby river. Though the river was normally calm, a comforting presence to the creatures of the forest, as the rain fell and broke the surface, the river began to surge, mimicking the rapids of a wide and powerful river.

And yet, even as the citizens of the village who lived on the edge of the forest battened down their hatches for another long night, a young woman shrouded in a cloak as black as night made her way through the village square, pulling her hood further over her forehead. She had lingered too long. Her trip to the village had been in vain. But it was only when the sky was dark and the clouds blotted the light that she would dare to enter the village. Especially when the bundle in her arms was ever so precious to her.

The woman tightened her hold on the bundle in her arms, holding it tight enough that it wouldn't fall from her grasp, but loose enough that she didn't wake it, and pressed it to her chest as she swept the edge of her cloak around it to keep it dry. She had entered the village slowly, taking great care to remain in the shadows, but now, she rushed through the village, her eyes and ears trained for any sudden movement, any burst of light, or any unexpected sound. Her feet made no sound as the soles landed on the cobblestone path beneath, but still she feared the beasts who lived in houses of wood and stone.

The forest greeted the woman with dark and twisted branches that snapped at her feet as she pushed them out of her way, leaving the path as soon as she entered the trees. Her feet found a hold in the cold autumn soil, and she pulled herself along, moving with an almost unnatural grace across the roots and under the lowest branches, trying to focus on her footfalls as she listened for any sound of aggravated villagers. When a twig snapped, the woman froze, turning back the way she had come, her silver eyes shimmering as she peered through the trees.

There was a fire on the edge of the trees. A fire that moved and danced, far too high amongst the branches to be natural. Then came the raised voices. Voices that called her 'witch' and 'sorceress'.

Pausing for only a moment more, the woman lowered her gaze from the mob and swept a hand across the bundle in her arms. She pulled away the fabric to reveal a small child, asleep in her arms and wholly unaware of the danger they were in. When the baby cooed in her sleep and nuzzled closer to her mother's warmth, the woman had no idea that as the baby's cheek met the skin of her chest, that her most treasured possession could feel her fear, or that it would plague her for the rest of her life.

How do you tell your mother that you knew her fear before you could speak?

How do you tell her that you have nightmares of the night when she had taken you into the village, unaware that it would be the last time she ever saw you?

Shouting echoed through the forest and the woman whirled around, eyes widening when she saw the familiar glow of torches dancing on the bark of the trees around her. She quickly covered the baby once again and plunged into the dark shadows of the forest, cheeks flushing with exhaustion, her feet starting to burn from the twigs and rocks scattered across her path.

The villagers would have a difficult time following her through the thicket. Even as one of the wood, she was struggling to keep her footing as she leapt from one root to the next, moving like the very creatures that she had been called a witch for loving. The foxes that darted from one root to the next, their ever watchful amber eyes peering out of the dark. The bats that emerged from the cave to the north when the night fell, their screams piercing the dark. The spiders that seemed to flock to the woman like bees to their queen. Or the spider that had curled around her calf when she had made a visit to the village only a few months past? Yet, the villagers didn't stop. They pressed the woman further and further, forcing her to keep moving until she reached a familiar grove of hawthorn trees. There, she allowed herself a chance to breathe.

Just beyond the hawthorn trees was her sanctuary. A place of refuge where creatures of the old blood could hide themselves from those who could not understand. The shadow beyond the trees was her goal, and she surged across the grove, her thighs burning as tears began to burn her eyes.

"Aisling!"

There was a familiar sound on the other side of the trees, and the sight of a blue fire. The blue fire was the sanctuary. The Haven, as it was called by those of the old blood. Even through the shadows and the rain, the woman could see the cloaked outline of her dearest friend, and the only one not of her kin who understood her.

"There! Through the trees!"

The woman cursed in a language that only furthered the shouts of the villagers.

"Witch!"

"Sorceress!"

Two of the better comments the villagers had made about her. The others stung just as little as the others, but the lack of sting did nothing to curb the murderous wishes of the villagers. The villagers who were now too close for comfort. She turned quickly and fled, tearing through the remaining trees, and just as the villagers caught a glimpse of her, she and the woman who had called her dove through the veil.

On the other side of the shimmering veil – the veil disappeared as soon as the two women had passed through, leaving the villagers both terrified and confused at how the woman had managed to escape – Aisling and her companion found themselves standing in a large cavern, illuminated by hanging vines with glowing blossoms and the odd fire scattered around the cavern.

"Are you all right," Emmy asked, turning to Aisling. She reached out for the woman, holding her gently as she led the woman and her child to the small cave where they lived. Emmy could not stay long. Each second she spent in the Haven was a risk to her life. Only those of the old blood could survive in the Haven, and Emmy was not old blood.

As the fire grew, it illuminated the small home that she had built for herself. The familiar walls lined with stone and ivy, a few bits and bobs that she had collected over the past three decades, and a bed that she would now share with the young baby.

As her gaze fell on the baby, the little bundle started to wriggle and squirm, two little hands popping out of the fabric as the baby cried for her mother.

"Shh," the woman said, pulling the cloak from her shoulders and draping it over a woven chair. "Shh. You're all right. Mama's here." She scooped the baby up and sat down on her bed, leaning her back against the stone behind her. "Mama's here." She unwrapped the baby and pressed a kiss to her forehead. "And Mama will stay right here."

She started rocking back and forth, smiling down at the little child as she started to sing. "Hush now, mo stóirín, close your eyes and sleep. Waltzing the lake, swaying the trees. Stars are shining bright, the wind is on the rise. Whispering words of long-lost lullabies. Oh, won't you come with me?" She pressed a kiss to the baby's forehead, whispering softly in the language of her kin. The language that her daughter would one day know as her own. The native tongue learned not through speaking but by being. The language taught to their kin through the petals of flowers and the sound of the wind as it rustled the trees.

She sighed and leaned her head back against the stone as she thought of the land she had come from. A land different from this one. A land where she and her daughter would have been free. "Castles in the hills, cradles in the trees, don't cry, I'll see you by and by. Oh, won't you come with me? Where the moon is made of gold, and in the morning sun, we'll be dancing. Oh, won't you come with me? Where the forest meets the sky, and as the clouds roll by, we'll sing the song of the sidhe."

She leaned down and pressed her lips to her daughter's forehead. "I love you, my little one."

How could you talk to your mother when she was dead?

☘︎ *⚜*☘︎ - FIFTEEN YEARS LATER - ☘︎ *⚜*☘︎

A young girl gazed up at the large gate before her. Tall, iron, and connected to two large stone walls that seemed to stretch on forever in either direction. She glanced over at the cobblestone road that led through the gate. Children her age were all being driven up to the school in vehicles, some outrageously lavish cars that would have looked conspicuous in a grand city full of wealthy families, others in beat-up pickup trucks that seemed right at home in the little town just down the lane from where she stood now. She had not come in a truck, or a car, or even on a bike. She had come on foot, with no one to tell her goodbye, or to tell her 'I love you. See you when the semester is finished'.

She pushed these thoughts aside. This wasn't her first year at Nevermore Academy. Most students came once they turned fifteen, or just before they entered the ninth grade in any of their normie schools, but there were a few that were slightly younger, whose powers were too powerful and frightening to the normies who lived around them. This was her second year, for she was the sort of creature who was feared even by the other "monsters" who attended Nevermore.

Shrugging her bag further up her shoulder, she clutched the pendant hanging from around her neck, finding a sadistic comfort in the burn of the pendant against her palm, and stepped out of the trees on the edge of the property, revealing herself to the families in the cars as she approached the road. Between a small break in the vehicles, she slipped through the gate, crossing into the middle of the road before returning to the grassy edges on the other side of the gate.

As her feet met the grass she let out a sigh of relief. She always hated the gate. She glanced over her shoulder at the two ravens towering over the name of her school. Nevermore Academy. She still wondered how Emmy had found out about this school. There were others closer to home, but she still insisted on sending her to this one. She had many questions, but none that she ever felt like asking the witch.

'How did she even convince the council that it was safe for me to return?' She had a never-ending list of questions for her guardian.

Turning away from the gate, she continued alongside the road, ignoring the looks she got from her peers and their families as they watched the lone girl making her way up the road towards the school. It was only the first day and already she knew that she would be branded as a strange girl. No matter where she went, or what charms she used, she was always branded as the strange one. The one who stood too still. The one who was so beautiful that it almost seemed eerie, with ears that seemed too stretched, eyes that changed with the weather and wind, and the teeth that seemed just a bit too sharp. The one who never seemed to speak. The one who... She stopped herself from thinking of any more possibilities. She wasn't ashamed of who she was, or where she had come from. She held her head high. But that didn't mean she didn't hear the whispers and rumours.

'An outcast even among the outcasts.'

She soon made it to the school and stopped just in front of the low wall that bordered the stone edges of the courtyard. Cars were coming and going, dropping off their children before turning around and disappearing into the fog that was slowly creeping across the campus. She smiled at the familiar sight of the rolling chill and reached out her hand towards it as if calling it to her side. As the fog curled around her fingers, she felt a shudder of delight. Beautiful fog.

There was usually fog in the forest back home. Fog or rain. One of the two. When it was sunny out, she would disappear into the Hawthorn grove, where those like her sought the lingering damp touch of the forest, preserved by their magic. On days when the fog was thick or the rain was attempting to penetrate the rocky core of the earth, she would venture out into the forest and enjoy the weather that the world had brought to her.

She climbed over the wall, not wanting to disrupt the flow of traffic once again. She slid down the wall with ease onto the other side and smiled as she recognised a few of the faces who were lingering outside the doors to her school. There was Principal Weems, the incredibly tall blonde shapeshifter who she had been introduced to her first year at the school.

Then there were her three siren friends, Bianca, Divina, and Kent, all of whom waved to her when they saw her coming. She called them friends loosely. They knew who she was and what she was, but she still held them at a distance for fear of what might happen if her charm broke or if her power surged beyond her control. Such were the consequences of being her.

"Y/N," Divina called, waving to her a little more aggressively than the others.

Y/N waved back and crossed the courtyard towards her friends, her ivy sandals clicking on the cobbles, each footstep controlled. She didn't run. She never ran at Nevermore. She never ran anywhere unless she was running with the foxes and squirrels that lived in the Hawthorn grove with her. The only creatures immune to her magic. But as she reached her friends, she smiled at them. She could do that much.

Kent immediately wrapped his arm around her shoulder and pulled her in for a tight squeeze.

"We missed you over the summer, bug."

Bug. His affectionate nickname for her that he had given her the year before after realising how many insects had infested her room during her time at Nevermore. Butterflies, moths, bees, spiders... Any bug that was able to find a way in found its way in.

Unlike many of the students in the academy, Y/N had been given a room all to herself on the top floor, in one of the towers. The only other one she knew of who had a room similar to hers was Enid Sinclair, a werewolf who had yet to "wolf out" as the werewolves said.

She had spoken with Enid a few times, but that was usually during class when Bianca wasn't around pushing Enid's buttons. Y/N had no major problem with the werewolf, but she was a little too... colourful for Y/N's taste. A little too bright, a little too loud, and just... too much, especially for a girl who had grown up surrounded by the muted tones of a forest drenched in rain and fog. The only colours Y/N ever used were green and brown, and the blue uniform that she was forced into every day from nine to three thirty. Her least favourite part of the day.

"How were your summers," Y/N asked her friends, moving away from Kent a little. It wasn't that she disliked him, or was uncomfortable with his arm around her, but she always worried. Always worried that her powers would get out of control and he would start to spiral. Just like her father had.

"Boring," Bianca sighed. "Just like every other summer."

"Same," Divina muttered. "But we took a trip to visit some cousins up north, so that was fun."

Kent scoffed. "Speak for yourself. Opal spent so much time chasing me around I pulled a muscle in my tail!" He gently pulled Y/N back, noticing her hesitation, and gave her a small smile. He wasn't scared of her, or the possibility of her powers growing too powerful for her to control. Y/N returned the smile and allowed his arm to rest on her shoulders.

Divina stuck out her tongue, teasing her brother. "Oh, you poor little guppy."

Bianca rolled her eyes and turned back to Y/N. "Are you living alone again this year?"

She nodded. "Still technically part of your hall though."

"Good. I expect you to help us win the Poe Cup again this year." At these words, she glanced over to where Enid Sinclair was hopping out of her car. Her mother was lingering by her daughter, giving her a pitying smile, while her father stood a little farther back, his hands tucked into his pockets. Y/N had hardly ever heard him speak, but he seemed a little more at ease with the fact that Enid had yet to become a fully-fledged werewolf.

"Do you already have it planned," Y/N asked as their little group made their way towards the doors.

Kent bid goodbye to the girls before heading off in the direction of one of the boys' dormitories. The girls were all part of the same hall, so they headed up the same staircase that would lead them to the back of the school where their dorm was located.

Bianca scoffed good-naturedly. "Of course. I've been planning since the last one." She linked her arm through Y/N's, who in turn linked her arm through Divina's. "Now, I expect you to be my co-pilot, and I've already told Kent -"

Y/N drowned out the rest of Bianca's Poe Cup speech. It wasn't for another few weeks. There was no point in stressing out about it until they started working on their boat. Which wouldn't happen until the end of the month.

Once the girls got to the main floor of their dorm, Y/N split off and headed to a small door at the end of the corridor, which she pulled open to reveal a tall winding staircase, already frozen over with frost from the night and the lack of insulation. But that had never bothered her. Not when she had magic to keep her nice and warm. She shut the door behind her to keep the rest of her hall-mates from freezing and headed up to her room in the tower.

The room in the tower had been one of Weem's conditions for allowing Y/N to attend Nevermore with the rest of the outcast students. That and the pendant already resting around her neck, pressing against her skin with a dull burning sensation that she had grown accustomed to the year before. It was a little uncomfortable after not having worn it for two and a half months, but she could already feel her body getting ready for another long four months of wearing the pendant before she was able to take it off.

Y/N pushed open the door to her room and let out a sigh of relief. Everything was just as she had left it the year before. She hadn't brought much with her. Only what she was able to fit into a duffle bag. Emmy would send a few things later if she got the chance, but Y/N wasn't counting on it.

Emmy hardly ever dared to go anywhere near a normie town, let alone in it to try and send Y/N any mail. It would be four months before she could see Emmy again, but such were the tribulations that came with having a witch for a godmother, even one as gentle as a hedge witch. Witches were still outcast after all, and though Y/N had the Haven, Emmy had no such protection.

Half of the room was what anyone would expect from a dorm room. A simple bed pressed up against a large spider-web window, with a wooden desk around a small corner that sat beneath a window. A wardrobe for her to put her things, and a few lamps and other things that she might need. She had asked Weems and had left her laptop, phone, and a few other modern things at the school over the summer in a box that now sat on her desk, waiting for her use. She hadn't wanted to bring them home, where the magic of the Haven would have shattered them. And she wouldn't have used them even if she had brought them.

The other half of the room, however, looked more like a greenhouse than a dorm room. Plants had grown through gaps in the wooden planks, a few potted ones had been scattered out among the floor, and a trio of small tree-like plants stood in one of the corners. The room had been dilapidated before Y/N had arrived. Ivy had already been creeping in, morning glories festered on the wall, and weeds had sprouted from nearly everywhere, turning the room into more of a forest than a dorm. But that had been perfect for an outcast like Y/N, and she had fallen in love with the room instantly. So Weems had given it to her and had allowed her to do whatever she pleased to make the dorm her own. Half the time she slept amongst the plants rather than sleeping on the bed that had been provided for her.

As she was unpacking, there came a knock at the door and Y/N pulled it open, smiling when she saw Divina on the other side.

"What are you doing here," she asked, pulling the door open to let Divina in.

Divina shrugged and flopped down onto Y/N's bed. "I just wanted to come and visit. Bianca's all worked up about the Poe Cup."

"It's not for another few weeks. Why is she so worked up about it now?"

Divina pushed her torso up to lean on her arms. "Have you met Bianca Barclay?"

Y/N rolled her eyes. "Fair enough." She pulled some of her clothes out of her duffle bag and hung them up in the closet. "You'll be on the team right?"

Divina nodded. "Of course."

"And Bianca's plan for Kent?"

"Same as last year. Use him to sink the other boats."

Y/N smirked over her shoulder at Divina as she shut the doors to her wardrobe and kicked her duffle bag under her bed. "You know, you're lucky there aren't any rules or we would be in serious trouble."

Divina waved Y/N's concerns off. "We'll win again and then we'll have peace from Bianca."

"So long as Kent plays his part." Y/N frowned and turned to Divina. "Don't you think we should have a backup plan in case anything happens?"

Divina shrugged. "I'm sure Bianca will think of something to make sure that we win."

"I don't doubt that."

☘︎ *⚜*☘︎

A few weeks had passed and Y/N was certainly feeling the strain of a sudden dump of school work that she hadn't at all missed during the summer. She had liked the long days where she could run barefoot through the forest without worrying about her pendant breaking and her powers accidentally luring in some unsuspecting victim. Now, she was forced to feel the strain of the impure iron against her clavicle, reminding her every waking second that she was an outcast. And the school work didn't help but pound in that message, especially when they studied outcast history. Divina and Kent always tried to make her feel better during this class, as they were subjected to a similar power, but it didn't help when the professors droned on about Y/N's special kind of outcasts and their history.

'They are cursed. We are cursed.'

Fencing was the one escape Y/N had from all the mundane and irritating classes that filled the rest of her days. Besides the botany class that Thornhill taught, fencing was one of the only activities Y/N enjoyed. Mostly because she always got to spar with Bianca, and they never held back on each other. They often fought without their masks on, though they kept the tips in place to keep from wounding each other. Y/N was nothing like a vampire, but both she and Bianca knew that any blood spilt was a risk.

Today's fencing practice, however, was a bit of a drag. Y/N had been paired up with Xavier, who was still somewhat hung up on the fact that he and Bianca had just broken up. He was hardly paying attention to the matches as they passed, so Y/N eventually gave up and focused on Bianca's match with Rowan beside them.

It was no surprise when Bianca won, knocking Rowan back as he stumbled from the shock of her sudden strike. He fell back and ripped off his mask, turning to the coach who had been overseeing the match.

"Coach, Coach, she tripped me."

Y/N rolled her eyes. Rowan and Y/N had never gotten along. Mostly because she was friends with Bianca and the other sirens, and Rowan was not. Once upon a time, he had been okay with them, but after the end of the last semester, Rowan had been noticeably cold towards them, and a few of the other students around campus, though Bianca had yet to tell her why. She also found Rowan's tendency to whine like a child insufferable. He was one of the few whom Y/N considered cursing, and as she thought about it now, her hand settled on where her pendant lay beneath her uniform, weighing the risks.

'What a prize it would be to see him be driven mad...'

She shook away the thoughts and lowered her hand. Cursing Rowan was a step too far, as much as she wished it wasn't.

Bianca removed her mask.

"It was a clean strike, Rowan."

"Maybe if you whined less and practised more, you wouldn't suck." Bianca turned to the coach. "Coach, can I please go back to practising with Y/N? She's the only one around here strong enough to give me some real competition."

Y/N smirked and sent a teasing smile at Bianca, who sent one right back as she asked, "You wanna spar, Y/N?"

"I'll spar with you."

Y/N whirled around. She hadn't noticed anyone standing behind her, and her heart almost leapt out of her chest when she realised it was a boy who had challenged Bianca to a fencing match.

The special case. The mid-semester transfer that Bianca had told her about. He had been given special permission to stay in Ophelia Hall in a room next to Enid's because it was his mother's old dorm.

Y/N had only seen him in passing when Enid had been giving him a tour of the school, and hadn't found him remarkable enough to waste more than a second watching him. Now that she could get a better look at him, Y/N realised he was stunning. A little dark and brooding, with cold and sharp edges that reminded her of the iron dagger she had found embedded in the trunk of one of the Hawthorn trees before the start of term, but handsome nonetheless.

"Oh," Bianca sighed, sizing the boy up. "You must be the psychopath they let in."

"And you must be the self-appointed Queen Bee. Interesting thing about bees. Pull out their stingers, they drop dead."

Y/N rolled her eyes. It was only the first day and already the two were at each other's throats. Y/N hoped Bianca's ego wouldn't get the best of her like it usually did. She noticed how Bianca's face fell a fraction at the boy's jab.

"Rowan doesn't need you to come to his defence," Bianca said. "He's not helpless, he's lazy."

"And a crybaby," Y/N muttered, glaring at Rowan as he scrambled to his feet.

"Are we doing this or not?"

Bianca tilted her head to the side and backed up to her side of the mat, allowing the boy to take his place on the other side. Y/N noticed that his fencing uniform was entirely black, a stark difference from the standard white uniform that the rest of the team wore.

"En garde."

The first point ended up going to the boy.

"Point to Wednesday." So that was the boy's name.

Y/N knew that Bianca wouldn't be happy about her lost point. The only one Bianca was willing to lose to was her. Anyone else she saw as competition. Someone who needed to be knocked down a peg or two. They started fighting again and in a matter of seconds, Bianca had stolen the second point.

"The score is even."

Bianca smirked and pulled off her mask. "That first point was clearly beginner's luck." She and Wednesday circled each other. "Let's finish this."

"For the final point, I would like to invoke a military challenge," Wednesday said. "No masks, no tips. Winner draws first blood."

Y/N glanced over at Bianca. There was no way she was going to back down from a challenge like this. Her pride was too high, and she wouldn't dare look weak in front of the entire fencing team. Though Y/N doubted that Bianca would have backed down if it was a private match either.

Bianca took a few steps closer to Wednesday.

"It's your decision, Bianca."

Bianca only took a moment longer to consider it. "Let's see if you bleed in black and white." She tossed her helmet to Y/N, who caught it with ease and tucked it under her arm.

A moment later, the fight started. The two were engaged in a dramatic sword fight, complete with kicks, flips, and every other sort of attention-grabbing stunt they could pull until the entire team had gathered around them to watch. But in the end, Bianca ended up drawing first blood, and Wednesday raised his hand to his brow, where a clean line had been drawn with the tip of Bianca's rapier.

Y/N inhaled sharply at the sight of the blood, resisting the urge to steal some and spread it across her lips. Though she was not a vampire who craved blood, nor was she willing to kill to get blood, blood was addicting. Especially from a fresh wound. And mortal blood...

"Your face finally got that splash of colour it so desperately needed," Bianca smirked. She chuckled and lowered her rapier before giving Wednesday a mocking bow and heading over to Y/N to retrieve her helmet.

Y/N adorned her helmet as Bianca took hers, and as the other pairs returned to their fights, Bianca and Y/N started their own, bouncing back and forth on the mat as they held each other at a constant stalemate. Bianca would advance, and Y/N would retreat before swiping a wide arc with her blade and forcing Bianca back a few steps. This continued until the practice was dismissed, and they left to change into their uniforms in the locker room.

"He was good," Bianca said, buttoning up her blouse.

"But you still beat him," Y/N said. She tucked her pendant beneath her blouse and tried to hide the wince as she felt the weight of the iron pressing against her skin. She would have to file the edges down later and talk to Weems about possibly getting a new charm. This one was getting old, and the magic was starting to fade. Most magic had a longer life, but constantly battling against a creature's magic as powerful as Y/N's had worn the charm thin.

"He got a point."

"And you got two," Y/N said. "You're not going to win every single time Bianca."

"I know, I know. But I still like to."

Y/N rolled her eyes and grabbed her duffle bag. "Are you heading back to the dorm?"

Bianca nodded. "You're going for a walk I assume."

Y/N shrugged. "It's raining. You know me."

Bianca smiled. "I sure do. See you later, Y/N."

Y/N waved to Bianca and headed out of the locker room, heading out to the courtyard. Normally, she would have continued walking for a little bit until she was deep enough in the woods that she could remove her charm, but today, she stayed close to the school. There had been more and more reports of attacks in the woods as of late, and she wasn't sure if her magic would work on a bear or not.

So, she made herself comfortable on one of the benches, before dropping her water-proof bag beside her and leaning back against the wall of the school, allowing the rain to trickle down the curves of her cheeks. It was comforting to feel the kiss of the rain on her skin once again. It felt as though it had been ages.

She must have sat out there for an hour before finally feeling ready to return to the stone confines of the school. Oh, how she hated being trapped by walls of stone and iron.

☘︎ *⚜*☘︎

The day after, Y/N decided to head down to Jericho for some time to herself. Not that she didn't have that whenever she was at school, but she needed something warm to drink, and new sights to see. There were only so many times she could visit the greenhouses before she got tired of the plants and their whining about how Thornhill didn't give them what they wanted. But what did she know? She was a normie. She couldn't understand the words the plants spoke. As far as she knew, Y/N was the only one in the school who was able to do that.

So, with a book in hand, and an umbrella in the other in case of sudden rain, Y/N left the school campus and made her way down to the village, and to the Weathervane. It was one of her favourite places to visit in the town. That, and the graveyard not too far from city hall where she could have some time to think quietly. Even down in Jericho, where most of the normies were wary of Nevermore students - and they had learned her face well enough to know she attended the school - she could hardly find a moment of respite. The graveyard offered her a place where people were forced to be quiet, not only because of the haunting atmosphere but out of respect for their dead who had been buried in that land.

The Weathervane blended perfectly with the rest of the brick buildings in Jericho. Built on a corner, the Weathervane was the only cafe in Jericho. Or at least, the only one that Y/N had found. She was sure that there was another hole-in-the-wall cafe elsewhere in the town, maybe on one of the less travelled streets up by the residential area, but this was the one Nevermore students frequented.

She pulled her scarf a little further up her neck as she crossed the street towards the building. The bell over the door chimed as she stepped in, and she let out a sigh of relief as she felt the warm aroma of coffee and tea embrace her. The door swung shut behind her, trapping the cold air outside, and Y/N walked further into the building. One of her normie friends, Tyler, was working at the counter.

'If you can call anyone a friend...'

"Hey, Tyler," Y/N said, nodding to the boy as she approached.

He glanced up from the latte he had been making and smiled through the shaggy brown curls that had fallen over his eyes. He quickly finished the latte, called for someone named Jane to come and get it, and met Y/N at the register.

"Hey, Y/N," Tyler said, smiling awkwardly. "The usual?"

She nodded. "Of course." She peered over at the display case. "And one of the scones."

Tyler nodded and punched in her order. She handed him the money and went to sit down in her usual booth just beside the counter. She set her book down on the table and opened it to where her f/c bookmark was holding her place, one hand propping up her chin while the other held the pages open. Tyler brought over her order a few minutes later, and she gave him a thankful smile before turning back to her book.

She had about an hour or so to kill before she had to head back up to the school, and about ten minutes into her much-needed break from Bianca and the other outcasts at Nevermore, the espresso machine started hissing. Y/N glanced over with a raised eyebrow, wondering what was wrong with the machine. But as soon as she glanced over, the machine exploded and Y/N jumped, nearly spilling her coffee. She quickly put her bookmark back and got to her feet.

"Tyler," she asked, batting away the steam. "You okay?"

"Yeah."

Y/N walked over to the espresso machine and watched as Tyler pulled off the grate on the top to try and get to the mechanism inside.

"What's wrong with it?"

"No idea," he confessed. "Don't suppose you know how to read Italian, do you?"

Y/N shrugged. "Sorry." Had it been the language of the Emerald Isles or the immortal language of her kin, she would have been able to help him. But seeing as how it was neither, Y/N was about as much help as a squirrel.

Tyler sighed and glanced down at the instructions again, trying to make sense of what was written. Y/N headed back to her table and started reading again. She would be no help to Tyler, and with her luck, she would just end up making the situation worse. She drowned out the fizzing and hissing of the machine, allowing her ears to fill with a sort of hum, like the sound of a bee buzzing by in the distance. A trick she often used to drown out the world when she would rather focus on her book.

Unfortunately, that trick didn't work to block out the shifting of scenery in front of her. A shadow crossed her vision and she glanced up from her book. The new boy was sitting across from her, staring at her as if waiting for something. What he was waiting for, she wasn't quite sure. She shut her book and leaned back in her seat, taking a sip of her drink as she did so.

"Wednesday Addams, right," she asked, trying to break the tension that was so thick it could have been decapitated. With a guillotine.

"Correct. And you are Y/N."

Y/N frowned. "You know my name?"

"Enid told me." Wednesday sat up a little straighter. "So. What sort of outcast are you?"

"Excuse me?" Were these usually the sort of questions he led conversations with? No pleasantries or beating around the bush first? As she watched him, she guessed that he wasn't the sort of person who would enjoy small talk. He struck her as more of a blunt, straight-as-an-arrow sort of guy. Y/N appreciated the bluntness, but she didn't often advertise what she was. And she certainly wasn't willing to tell the new boy her darkest secret.

"I don't think you need to know what I am." She turned back to the book in her hands, hoping that the boy would take her reading as a sign that she didn't want to speak to anyone, let alone him.

"I've ruled out that you're a siren, even though you seem to hang out with them almost exclusively. I've also decided that you're not a gorgon, werewolf, vampire, witch, or any of the other usual outcasts. So what are you?"

Y/N sighed. "Something you've never seen before." Upon realising that she had finished her drink, she slid out from the table and went to put her cup back on the counter. Tyler was there to take it from her.

"I see you met Wednesday," he muttered as he took the cup, glancing over her shoulder to where the boy sat, watching them like a vulture.

Y/N's eyebrows flicked up her forehead as a near-silent sigh slipped between her lips. "He's trying to figure out what sort of outcast I am."

Tyler grinned playfully at her. "Does anyone know?"

"A few people."

"A few?"

"Four. Technically five if you count my guardian."

"I'm guessing I'm not one of those four." Tyler walked over to the display case of pastries and pulled out a pastry, which he then dropped into one of the small paper bags tucked between the register and the espresso machine, and handed it to her. "On the house."

"You're gonna get in trouble if you keep doing this," Y/N said, pulling out the pastry and taking a bite.

Tyler shrugged. "It's worth it."

"Oi!"

Someone was standing at the register and Tyler sighed. "Gotta get back to work."

Y/N nodded and turned back to her table, meeting Wednesday's eyes almost instantly. Why was he staring at her? Was it odd for her to talk with a normie kid, even if Xavier had told her time and time again that he didn't like seeing the two of them hanging out? She scoffed internally at the thought. As if she would let Xavier tell her who she could and couldn't hang out with. The boy thought he was allowed to dictate everything in Y/N's life.

She slid back into her seat in front of Wednesday and set the pastry down on top of the bag. "If you're just going to stare, why are you here?"

"It's easier to try and piece you together if I'm sitting right in front of you. The seats would obstruct my view from anywhere else."

"Am I allowed to read?"

Wednesday didn't answer, so Y/N took that as a yes and reopened her book, allowing the hum to fill her ears once again.

She flipped through one page after the next, smiling as she lost herself in the pages and the ink written across the fibres. She felt as though she could feel the tree behind the pages and its voice in the words as she drew her hand across the page. As if the ink was its sap and blood. She knew it wasn't, but after living in a forest, she had learned that every tree had a voice, whether people were willing to listen or not.

Hawthorns were the dreamy ones, who sang to the night sky and who imagined what it would be like to dance together in the light of a full moon. Yews were reclusive and brooded more than they spoke about anything else. When they did speak, they often told her important woodland information, like where to find the best witch hazel or where the mandrakes were hiding.

Then there were the oaks and willows, who were both the happy sort, who would tell her about every little creature that had danced through their branches as she sat with them, falling asleep against their bark. Emmy had asked her which ones were her favourite. And in all honesty, she wasn't quite sure. Some days she preferred the gentle touch of the willows, but others, she rested in the branches of the yews, listening to their every word.

Buckled black shoes entered her peripheral and Y/N glanced over to see a trio of boys standing beside their table, eyes flickering from her to Wednesday. She rolled her eyes and shut her book. The world was not being kind to her today. Tyler was, but it seemed as though the rest of the world was determined to distract her from her reading.

"Good afternoon, boys," she said, gathering up her things and sliding out from her side of the table.

"Where you goin', freak?"

"Back to school," she snapped, her irritation already getting the better of her. "I'm in no mood to deal with you three." She wondered how much satisfaction she would find if she were to take off her necklace and allow them to fall prey to her powers. She decided that it wouldn't be enough satisfaction to risk the wrath of Jericho and Nevermore so she left her necklace and pushed through the group, heading for the door. The world had stolen all of her patience today.

"See you, Tyler," she called as she bumped the door of the cafe open with her hip. "See you later."

Tyler waved to her over the counter as she left.

☘︎ *⚜*☘︎

That night, as Y/N stood outside her tower, watching the full moon as it rose over the tops of the trees, she heard the sound of a cello playing and frowned. No one had played the cello in all the time she had been here. Yes, there had been a few students who had played the violin, or the guitar, and there had even been one who had brought an entire drum kit with him, but she had never heard a cello being played in the halls of Nevermore. She smiled at the sound and leaned down to rest her arms on the stone railing, her eyes fluttering shut as she allowed herself to bask in the sound of the instrument.

But all too soon the music came to an end and Y/N let out a tired sigh. She drew herself back into her room and shut the spider web window behind her before pulling off her pendant and allowing herself to breathe.

Every day from three to nine, she wore the pendant around her neck to keep her powers from reaching beyond the borders of her room. Like her pendant, the edges of her room had been sprinkled with iron shavings, and the doorstep had an iron beam nailed into place. She was surrounded by a border of iron, and though it wasn't enough to harm or kill her, she could feel the way the iron started to sear her as she stepped over the iron beam every day. As she slept every night, with her bed hovering close to the edge of the room, she could feel the iron wailing to her as it tried to burn away her powers. This place was as much a prison for her as it was a refuge.

She sat down on her bed and stared at the charm as it lay in her hands. It had been shaped to look like a butterfly, with a series of runes carved into the butterfly's body. A part of the spell that dulled her powers. The spell had been heightened by the use of iron. She got to her feet and approached the floor-length mirror on the opposite side of the room. She pulled down the collar of her shirt and sighed as she rubbed her fingers over the familiar burn pattern that sat where the pendant had rested. A rune was burned into her skin. It wouldn't fade. Two months every year wasn't enough time for the area to fully heal, scar, and fade. It wouldn't leave until she had graduated, and that day couldn't come soon enough.

A soft yip drew Y/N's attention, and she smiled at the familiar sound, lifting her gaze to the overgrown moss log that lay on the ruined side of her room. Rising from her bed, she crossed the room and knelt beside the open end of the log, lowering her gaze to peer through the opening.

"I wondered how long it would take for you to show yourself."

The words had hardly left her lips before she was bowled over, a searing pain striking her in the neck. She yelped at the pain, pressing her hands against the fluffy form that had attacked her. She pushed the creature off her, throwing it into the soft moss as she clutched the wound at her neck.

"Do you always have to bite me, you blasted thing?" Y/N rose to her feet and went to the bathroom to inspect the wound. It was significantly deeper than the last bites Y/N had endured, as if the creature was upset with her for staying away for the summer vacation.

"Are you really so pissed off that you felt the need to nearly take a bite out of my neck," Y/N snapped, glaring at the tiny shadow as it sat in the door of the bathroom, its wide eyes unblinking as it watched her.

Y/N glared at the dark-furred fox as it sat in the door, using her other hand to summon a cluster of yarrow.

The fox had found her a few months before the end of the last semester, and it hadn't left. It had no name – Y/N didn't name the creatures who clung to her like parasites – but it stayed. She offered it no food, no companionship, and yet, the blasted thing stayed with her. And though Y/N preferred the company of animals and other creatures to the company of the bipedal beasts that she was forced to endure for hours on end each day, the fox was nearly as annoying as the bipedal beasts were. It bit her, it bothered her, and seemed to have no shame as it pranced around her room, doing whatever it pleased.

'I told Emmy not to get a cat for a reason, and now I have to deal with this wretched thing.'

"One of these days, I'm going to poison you," Y/N muttered. She grabbed a bit of gauze and wrapped it around her neck, making sure to pin the paste of yarrow – she had chewed the flowers into a paste while glaring at the fox – to the wound. "I'll feed you azaleas and feed your rotten corpse to the rats."

The fox didn't seem at all bothered by her threats as it hopped into the bathtub, curling up on one sloped end, and draping its tail across its nose.

There was a knock on the door and Y/N's eyes widened. She quickly adorned the pendant again before walking over to the door and pulling it open. She breathed a sigh of relief when she realised it was just Divina.

"What are you doing here," Y/N asked. This time, she didn't step aside to let Divina in.

The siren shrugged. "Just wanted to make sure you got in all right. We didn't see you for the afternoon and Bianca was getting worried."

"She could have called," Y/N muttered. "We have phones for a reason.

"Yeah, but we all had choir practice, and then she wanted to get some extra studying done." Divina pursed her lips. "I got kicked out."

"So, clearly she wasn't too worried."

Divina chuckled. "We all know you can handle yourself, Y/N." But her expression faltered at the sight of the bandages around Y/N's neck. "What happened?!" She grabbed Y/N's shoulder and gently cupped Y/N's chin, turning her head from one side to the other, trying to see any sign of blood.

"Nothing, Divina," Y/N sighed, batting away the siren's hand. "The parasite's back." She jerked her thumb over her shoulder to where the fox sat. It was now sitting on the end of Y/N's bed, looking incredibly pleased that it had managed to inflict such a wound.

Divina pouted. "Oh, be nice, Y/N. It's not a parasite." She stepsided Y/N and entered the room, extending her hand to the fox.

Y/N glared at the canine as it sniffed Divina's hand, licking it gently and completely fooling the siren into believing that it was harmless. Y/N sneered at the fox and sent it a gesture that would have made Emmy smack her hand. The fox seemed unbothered and flopped down onto Y/N's bed, curling up into a little ball as it pretended to be asleep.

"Are you sure you don't need to see the nurse for that," Divina asked, rejoining Y/N at the door.

Y/N sighed. "I'm fine. It'll be scabbed over by tomorrow."

Divina didn't seem inclined to believe Y/N, but she nodded nonetheless. Then she reached out and squeezed Y/N's hand. "I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"

Y/N nodded and squeezed Divina's hand in return.

As soon as the siren left, Y/N rounded on the fox. "You're a parasite and you know it."

All she got was a foxy smirk in return.

☘︎ *⚜*☘︎

The Harvest Festival was one of Y/N's least favourite mandatory events of the year. A night when she, and the rest of the Nevermore student body, were forcibly escorted down to Jericho to celebrate the night with carnival rides, games, every sort of food imaginable, and forced social interaction. It was a night that Y/N usually spent with an arm looped through Divina's, and her other through Kent's, but tonight, Bianca had pulled them off to go on some of the rides, and Y/N had opted to stay behind.

Carnivals were never really her thing, and certainly not the rides. Especially not with a new bite on the other side of her neck that throbbed every time she turned her head. Roller Coasters and other thrill rides were not the sort of experience she was looking for at the moment.

So as Bianca, Divina, and Kent gave themselves whiplash and drove themselves batty on the rides, Y/N wandered through the fairgrounds, wondering if there was anything that she could keep herself entertained with until the Nevermore students could return to the school. She pulled a timepiece from her jacket and sighed. Two hours and forty-five minutes left. At least. But that all depended on how Weems was feeling towards the end of the night. The last time they had gone to the Harvest Festival, Weems had stayed for an extra two hours.

She was so bored she contemplated sneaking into the forest to find the parasite that she knew had followed her down. The stupid thing refused to leave her alone once it found her. It was as clingy as a leech.

'If I were to name it anything, I would name it leech.'

"Y/N."

Y/N grimaced but forced a smile when she heard an all-too-familiar voice behind her and turned to face the boy. "Xavier Thorpe," she said, inclining her head a little as the boy approached.

As always, his hands were tucked into his pockets, but his pained expression seemed a little less pained at the present moment. "How have you been?" She cursed internally. Was she so bored that she was willing to entertain Xavier Thorpe? Had she sunk so low to speak with the dreary boy?

Thorpe shrugged. "Okay, I guess."

"Thinking about the breakup?" It wasn't her business to pry, but she couldn't help herself. Bianca hadn't told her anything about the breakup, and Y/N loved gossip. Especially when she had nothing better to do. And Thorpe had irritated her enough recently that she couldn't help but bring up what was likely a bitter memory.

Thorpe shrugged again and Y/N fought back an eye-roll. He needed to stop shrugging. She hated it when he did that. She hated it when anyone did it, but it was especially annoying with the aloof Xavier Thorpe did it. "Amongst other things."

"As always," she said half-mockingly, "the mind of an artist is forever tortured."

Thorpe rolled his eyes. "C'mon. I'll get you a panda plushie if you shut up." He didn't give her much of an opportunity to answer and led her over to one of the carnival games where Wednesday Addams was already throwing darts at the board, popping each balloon in quick succession.

"Jeez, you get any better at this, you'll be taking home a whole pack." He paid the vendor and picked up a handful of darts.

Wednesday noticed Y/N standing behind Thorpe and eyed her for a moment. He knew that she was aware of his staring, yet she didn't even spare him a glance as she watched Thorpe aim for the balloons. He was still curious about what sort of outcast she was, but not curious enough that he would contemplate derailing his plans of escape to try and piece it together.

"Pandas don't travel in packs," Wednesday said, picking up his last dart. "They prefer solitude."

"All right," Thorpe muttered, throwing another dart. "Subtle hint taken." He threw the rest of the darts, one after the other, and the vendor handed him a panda, which he then handed to Y/N, who took it with a smile that Wednesday could tell was false.

"You should know I'm waiting for someone."

"Oh yeah, who's the lucky girl... or guy?"

"What does it matter to you?"

Tyler appeared from the crowd and waved to Y/N as he made his way over to the booth. Y/N nodded to Tyler in return, her smile fading a bit, but much more honest than the false smile she had offered Thorpe. As he approached the game, he noticed the tension between Wednesday and Thorpe and slowed his steps. "Didn't mean to interrupt," he muttered.

Thorpe scoffed. "You're not." He stalked off without another word, pushing through Tyler and Wednesday as he headed off in the direction of the Ferris Wheel.

Y/N rolled her eyes. She could tell that it was time for her to go as well and nodded once more to Tyler and Wednesday before turning to leave.

Before she could, however, a cold hand wrapped around her wrist and pulled her back. She glanced behind her and frowned when she realised Wednesday was holding her wrist.

"What?"

"I'm leaving."

Y/N nodded. "Perfect. What does that have to do with me?"

Wednesday stared at her for a moment before pulling her closer. "You're coming with me."

Y/N scoffed and pulled her wrist out of his vice-like grip. "Highly doubtful." She rubbed her wrist as she took a step back. "Piece of advice, Addams. If you want a girl to come along with you, asking is a better tactic than dragging her along like a rag doll." She headed off in the opposite direction in search of her friends. She had endured enough of Wednesday Addams for one night. She had endured enough of people for one night.

She wandered through the carnival grounds, biting her lip as she looked for something to do. It had only been half an hour or so since the carnival had started and already she was bored out of her mind. She needed something to do. Anything. But nothing seemed to pop up.

She could join Enid and Yoko for some frozen yoghurt, she could try and find Thorpe and call him out for being rude to Tyler and Wednesday – no way, she wasn't that desperate for something to do – she could go try to find Divina, Bianca, and Kent – though they were probably so far lost in the rides now that she wouldn't find them until they all returned to Nevermore – or if she was truly desperate she could go look for Thornhill to try and educate her about the proper way to care for the plants in the greenhouse. The venus flytraps were growing tired of worms again and again. She contemplated the last option for a moment but decided she wasn't that desperate. Maybe she would just go look for the scales. She had to be able to find at least one of them, right? The carnival wasn't that big.

She turned to head in the direction of the rides, but before she could, she heard the familiar sound of the trees in the woods calling to her. They whispered her name, drawing her attention as their ethereal calls floated to her ears on the wind. She frowned and turned to the woods. Why were they calling to her?

"Y/N. Come."

Y/N bit her lip. Weems wouldn't be happy if she left the grounds, but she hadn't been in the woods for what felt like forever. And they were calling her. She glanced at the fairgrounds around her. Weems was nowhere to be seen. Or Thornhill or any of the other teachers for that matter.

"Y/N..."

Letting out a frustrated groan, Y/N abandoned the panda plushie on the side of the bridge and crossed the bridge that would take her to the woods. As she neared the other side of the woods, she realised she could hear someone talking. Urgently. She stopped dead in her tracks and shut her eyes, allowing her senses to be overwhelmed by the messages of the trees.

"Deep in the woods."

"He needs your help."

"Go to him."

"Y/N."

"Beware the monster."

"This way."

Y/N opened her eyes and smiled when she saw a faint trail of magic stretching out in front of her, and the familiar orange eyes of the parasite standing on the edge of the forest. The pendant had been enchanted to withhold the dark powers she held, but the powers that connected her to the forest still ran free. She started walking again, slowly at first, before picking up speed as the forest urged her to move faster. As she entered the trees, the parasite joined her, bounding alongside as they ran through the foliage, the panda plushie long forgotten on the edge of the fairgrounds.

Her feet were silent as she darted over the leaf litter, moving with the grace of a deer as she allowed her powers to guide her. It felt as though she were running in the forest around her home with her mother again. For a moment, Y/N didn't mind the presence of the parasite as it darted in front of her, guiding each step as it bounded from one root to the next, as much at home in the forest as Y/N was.

But the happiness faded away when Y/N arrived where the forest had been guiding her. Rowan was standing in the middle of a clearing, his hand in front of him as he used his powers to pin Wednesday to a large tree. Y/N stared up at Wednesday with a horrified expression, meeting his eyes as he glanced over at her.

"Rowan! Let him go!" She took a step towards Rowan, ducking when his hand shot out towards her. She could feel his telekinesis surging over her head as he tried to grab her. But his power didn't have the chance to reach her.

Rowan screamed as the parasite pounced on him, surprisingly powerful for such a small creature, piercing his shoulder with its canines and forcing the boy to the forest floor. As soon as Rowan was on the ground, Wednesday dropped from the tree and Y/N rushed over to him, helping him into a sitting position. "Are you all right?"

'It sounds like you care.'

'As if I would care about someone like Wednesday Addams.'

Wednesday nodded, unable to form words. As he stared at Y/N.

Y/N suddenly let out a scream as she felt the forest around her cry out in agony. She whirled around and her eyes widened in horror as she watched the claws of a horrid beast shredding Rowan's chest. Y/N could do nothing but watch in horror as Rowan wailed in pain, her arms instinctively cradling the parasite as it leapt into her arms, its teeth bared in the direction of the monster.

Y/N crumpled to the forest floor as she listened to the pain of the forest. Many people didn't know, but when a life was taken in the forest, human, creature, or plant, the forest felt it. And as an extension of the forest, she felt the forest's pain too. She could almost feel the monster's claws tearing through her flesh, and she cried out at the pain.

But then the pain stopped and Y/N glanced up. The monster stared at her and Wednesday before snarling and running off.

"Y/N..." Wednesday's voice sounded like he was trying to call her from beneath a ghost-infested lake.

Mary, mary, quite the contrary
How does your garden grow?

Even when the parasite bit her on the wrist, drawing blood to the surface of her flesh with ease, Y/N hardly felt it. Her only reaction was to tighten her hold on the little creature, her muscles flexing as she tried to keep herself awake.

Will silver bells, and cockle shells
And pretty maids all in a row?

It was only a second later that the darkness claimed her.

☘︎ *⚜*☘︎

Chapter Text

☘︎*⚜*☘︎

I became insane, with long intervals of horrible sanity.
~ Edgar Allan Poe

☘︎*⚜*☘︎

Mary, Mary, quite the contrary
How does your garden grow?

With silver bells, and cockle shells,
And pretty maids all in a row.

My mother was the one who taught me the nursery rhyme.

She had been the one to teach me how to dance through the tombstones of the village where we lived, learning the names of each corpse, and the flowers that grew where the bodies lay.

Flowers will always grow where a body has fallen.

☘︎*⚜*☘︎

"How could you miss a dead body?"

"'cause it wasn't there. No footprints, no blood, no sign of a struggle. Nothing, nada. My search party looked all night."

Sheriff Galpin seemed less than thrilled as he entered the school accompanied by the eldest Addams child and the headmistress of Nevermore Academy. Perhaps that was because a teenage boy was bugging him about how he had missed the dead body he had witnessed being slaughtered the night before.

"Well, your search party must have left their seeing-eye dogs at home. I saw that monster kill Rowan right in front of me. As did Y/N."

"Get a good look at this monster thing?"

Weems led their little interrogative party up the stairs towards her office.

"It didn't stick around for a chat."

"Maybe it was one of your classmates."

Weems suddenly turned to the sheriff, her eyes burning at the accusation. "Sheriff, I find that question offensive."

"I don't care, 'cause I got three other dead bodies in the morgue. Hikers just ripped apart in the woods."

"The mayor said those were bear attacks."

"Well, the mayor and I disagree on that."

"So you automatically assume a Nevermore student is the murderer, even though there's no evidence a crime was even committed."

Galpin rolled his eyes. "I'm sorry. I forgot, you only teach the good outcasts here, right?"

Weems simply sighed. She wasn't in the mood for this.

The three continued to Weems' office. "My guess is Rowan ran away. State troopers have put out an alert, and I've contacted his family, but they haven't heard from him either."

"Dead people are notoriously bad at returning calls."

"What were you doing out in the woods with him, Mr Addams," Galpin asked, turning his attention away from the headmistress to the young boy standing before him. He fell back into one of the seats in front of Weems' desk. "And what about your friend? Y/N, you said her name was?"

"I heard a noise in the forest and went to investigate. That's when I stumbled upon the attack."

"What about Y/N?"

Wednesday only hesitated for a minute. "I suppose she saw me leaving."

Galpin raised an eyebrow.

"She's observant."

Weems smiled affectionately and supported Wednesday's claim. "Especially when it comes to things that happen in the woods." She turned to Galpin. "It's part of who she is."

Galpin nodded. He didn't entirely believe them, but he didn't know enough about the girl still currently unconscious in the infirmary to press any further. For all he knew, they were telling the truth.

"Then what happened?"

"I ran into Bianca Barclay, and I told her to go for help. Next thing I remember, I was awaking in my dorm."

"And just to be clear, this monster wasn't a bear or some other wild animal?"

"I've hibernated with grizzlies. I know the difference."

Sensing that this was turning into more of an interrogation rather than a simple questioning, Weems got to her feet and thanked the sheriff, giving him the not-so-subtle hint to leave her office. "I think Mr Addams is done now."

"Actually, I would like to speak to Sheriff Galpin." Wednesday paused. "Alone."

Weems glanced between the two for a moment. "I'm not sure I can allow that."

"I'm sure I could take him to the station and get a formal statement."

No one said anything for a moment. Weems stared. The corners of Galpin's lips perked up for a split second.

"Let's go." Galpin got to his feet.

"Fine." Weems stepped out from behind her desk. "You have five minutes, and everything is off the record. Play nice..." Her eyes lingered on Galpin for a moment before shifting over to Wednesday. She wasn't sure who she was more worried about. Her student, or the sheriff. "Or I will call the mayor."

She left the room and exited through a door on the side, giving both men a wary smile before shutting the door behind her.

"Someone is trying to cover up Rowan's murder," Wednesday said, as soon as the door closed. "That's the only reason to scrub the crime scene."

"Is that your professional opinion as the son of a murderer?"

"My father's twice the man you are, and the only thing he murders is the occasional opera in the shower."

Galpin sighed. "Addams, it's been a long night. I'm tired of your games."

"I'm not playing games. I'm telling the truth." Wednesday took a step closer to the sheriff. "You want to reject my claims but you can't."

"Why is that?"

"Because you and I both know there's a monster out there."

The two stared at each other.

"And Rowan is his latest victim."

Galpin glared at Wednesday, and for a moment, it looked like he was about to say something, but before he could, the door to the office opened, and Galpin's right hand stepped through the door.

"Sheriff?"

"What?"

"You're gonna want to see this." And then she pushed the door open to reveal Rowan. In the same clothes he had been wearing the day before, and not a speck of blood on him.

Wednesday stared at the boy in shock. Had he witnessed Rowan's murder the night before? Or had it all been a hallucination? Was he losing his mind? He was disappointed if he was. He had thought that it would have been more entertaining.

☘︎*⚜*☘︎

"How are you feeling, bug?"

Y/N glanced up from her book and smiled when she saw Bianca, Divina, and Kent standing a little ways away from her infirmary bed, looking hesitant to approach. Most likely because she was reading a book. She shut it and set it on the bedside table, giving them the silent okay to approach. They did, with Divina and Bianca sitting on either side of Y/N, while Kent sat down on one of the chairs beside her bed.

"I feel fine," Y/N said, though a tired slur clung to her words.

"You sure?"

"I'm sure, Divina," Y/N said. "Weems suggested I take the morning to make sure that I'm feeling okay, but I'll be okay after a few hours." She paused for a minute. "What happened?"

"Rowan's missing," Bianca said.

Y/N nodded. "Yeah. He was murdered by the monster. Were they able to recover the body?"

The sirens glanced at each other.

"There was no body to recover," Bianca said after a minute.

Y/N frowned. "What do you mean?"

"The cops couldn't find a body, bug," Kent said. "They're not even sure that Rowan was murdered."

"What does Wednesday say?"

Bianca scoffed. "Wednesday is sticking to his opinion that Rowan was murdered."

"And you don't believe him?"

Bianca grimaced. She knew that if she said she didn't believe Wednesday, it was the same as saying that she didn't believe Y/N.

"You know I can't lie, Bianca. And the forest can't lie either. Rowan was murdered. I witnessed it. And so did Wednesday."

"I know, Y/N," Bianca said softly, setting her hand on Y/N's shoulder. "I know. It's just a little hard for me to wrap my head around without seeing Rowan's body."

Y/N sighed. "All right."

The bell rang and the sirens all got to their feet.

"We'll see you later, okay," Bianca said, smiling at Y/N.

"Yeah, see you later."

☘︎*⚜*☘︎

"So you finally got discharged, huh?" Xavier released the string of his bow, sending his arrow flying into the right side of the target.

"What? Were you so lonely without me to scold you for the hundredth time that you are holding your bow incorrectly?!"

Thorpe quickly shifted his hands and Y/N scoffed before strapping her guard over her forearm. She had learned her lesson the first time she had shot a bow and had ended up with a bruise on her arm for two weeks after, accompanied by a near-constant burning pain. The last time she had made the decision to practice without a brace, she had been rewarded with a large bruise that had become even more painful when the parasite decided that her arm looked like its next meal. She had gone to get a brace immediately.

Once her brace was sitting on her arm properly, she picked up her bow from where it was lying against the hay bale and notched an arrow. She drew back the string and fired the arrow into her target, smirking when she hit the ring closest to the centre. She wasn't a master at it yet, but she was getting there. Slowly but surely.

As Thorpe fired another arrow, she walked up to her target and pulled out her arrow. She trusted that Thorpe wouldn't fire at her on purpose, though she wasn't entirely sure she could trust him to not miss the target. So she only stood by her target for a moment before retreating to the hay bale.

"Huh. You actually showed up. Ever shot a bow and arrow before?"

"Only on live targets."

Y/N glanced up from inspecting the tip of her arrow and frowned when she saw Wednesday standing beside Thorpe, his eyes locked on her. She rolled her eyes and looked away. If there was one thing she had learned about the Addams boy during his few days at Nevermore, he was pushy, brash, and didn't seem to know how to take no for an answer.

'I can't believe I prefer the presence of the parasite over him.'

It was the truth. Y/N would prefer to be nipped and bit by the fox and pestered by the creature than have to deal with Wednesday Addams.

She picked up her bow and set the arrow again. She held the arrow there for a moment as she listened to Thorpe instruct Wednesday on how to properly shoot a bow. And while it was possible to drown out Thorpe's voice, the yipping of the little parasite who had followed her down to the range was harder to silence. Her gaze flickered from the target for a moment to watch as the fox hopped up onto the hay bale in front of her, and her lips twitched.

'Careful you little parasite, or you might become my next target.' She shifted the bow so her arrow aimed at the fox, and her lips curled into a malicious grin. The fox didn't so much as flinch, even when the arrow when sailing by its ear, landing with a thunk in the tree just behind it.

Y/N shot the fox another rude gesture, and the fox started laughing.

"Square stance. Load the arrow like this, yellow side out. Three fingers." He held up his gloved fingers and Y/N smirked. She didn't use a glove. "Pull back..." Thorpe pulled back the string and released, "and let it fly." His arrow sunk into the edge of the target and Y/N rolled her eyes.

"Very impressive, Thorpe." She quickly notched another arrow and released it, this one hitting the edge of the red centre. She smirked and grabbed another arrow from her quiver.

Thorpe ignored Y/N and turned to Wednesday. "Any questions?"

"When's the last time you saw your roommate Rowan?"

"Oh, you mean the one that was killed by a monster?" Thorpe had phrased the question as a joke, managing to irritate both of his companions. Even the parasite looked like it was contemplating taking a bite out of the artist. He picked up another arrow. "The Harvest Festival. I haven't talked to him since. But his side of the room was all packed up this morning. Rowan's always been a little off, but, uh, the last couple weeks he's been more erratic."

"You don't say." Y/N released another arrow. This one hit the second ring and the parasite began howling with laughter and yips. Y/N's glare snapped from the target to the canine. "Shut it, or I'm shooting you next." She tuned out both the boys and the insipid little creature as best as she could, and focused on her arrow.

The first time Y/N had fired an arrow was the time Emmy had taught her how to hunt. They couldn't afford to go to the village to get food, so they learned how to use the mortal earth to provide them with what they needed. Branches, sap, and vines woven together to create a thick cord gave them everything they needed for a snare, branches whittled down to a streamlined shape accompanied by a sharpened and chipped rock made their arrows, and a long branch with taut vines provided them with a bow.

Y/N smiled faintly at the memory of her guardian. The one person on this earth who truly understood her. The call she felt whenever she walked through the forest and found a ring of mushrooms around a willow. The way the rivers calmed her thoughts as she waded through the rippling waters. And the way she felt when she fell into a deep slumber in their hollow beneath the Hawthorne Grove or surrounded by the old blood.

Y/N was pulled out of her thoughts when a pair of cool lands slid around hers, holding them and adjusting them on her bow. She froze as she felt Wednesday's chest against her back, and she glanced over his shoulder to see him staring ahead at the target.

"Focus."

"I can do that on my own, thanks," Y/N snapped, shifting a bit to force Wednesday's hands off her. She relaxed the string and pulled her pendant out from beneath the collar of her shirt. Was the charm weakening that fast already? If it was, then she needed to go talk to Weems. Immediately.

Y/N set down her bow and pulled off her brace, tossing it directly at the fox, who quickly scampered out of the way. Y/N hissed at it in annoyance, muttering incoherent curses under her breath.

Thorpe frowned. "Where are you going?" His eyes fell to the charm that lay exposed. He had rarely ever seen the charm, but he had seen it enough by now to know that it was enchanted. Bianca had told him as much when they were dating.

Y/N offered no explanation and instead responded, saying, "I'll be back in a minute. "

Thorpe watched as Y/N headed up to the school, the frown on his brow deepening with each step she took.

"What's up with Y/N?"

Thorpe sighed when he remembered Wednesday was still standing behind him.

"I'm not sure," he muttered. "Y/N's a private person. As far as I know, Weems is the only one who knows what sort of outcast she is." He pulled another arrow. "She doesn't give out a lot of information about herself."

"What has she told you?"

"Nothing." He released the arrow. "All I know is what Bianca told me.:

"What did she tell you," Wednesday pressed. He wouldn't leave until he had at least a little more information on the secretive girl.

Thorpe glared at the boy but sighed. "Bianca told me she's cursed. With what, I don't know, so don't bother asking. But the charm helps keep the curse under control." He shrugged. "She said it keeps everyone else safe from her curse."

He turned away and Wednesday was able to take the hint that the conversation was done.

At least, for now.

He wasn't about to give up his search in the quest for answers about Y/N, but there were other pressing matters to attend to. Like appeasing Weems enough that she loosened the reins, and finding a club that didn't make him want to gouge his eyes out.

☘︎*⚜*☘︎

"Principal Weems?"

Y/N poked her head in through the door and glanced around the office. The headmistress was sitting at her desk, typing something up on her computer. But she shut it when she noticed Y/N standing at her door and pushed it aside.

"Y/N. What can I do for you?"

Y/N pulled out the charm and held the pendant up to Weems. "I need a new charm. This one is weakening."

Weems frowned. "It shouldn't be." She motioned for Y/N to come around the side of the desk. "I thought we just redid the charm at the end of last year."

"We did."

Weems took the pendant from Y/N's hands, though she allowed it to remain on Y/N's neck. She carefully inspected the runes on the necklace and frowned. "The runes are still deep enough. The charm should still be fairly strong." She dropped the charm and leaned back in her seat. "Why do you think it's weakening?"

"Addams."

One of Weems' eyebrows flickered, half confused and half amused by Y/N's expression. Y/N pretended not to notice the amused quirk in the corner of Weems' right eye. "What about Mr Addams?"

"I feel like he's trying to flirt with me. In his own..." She struggled to think of a word. Sadistic seemed appropriate. Or masochistic. Flirting with Y/N usually ended badly for whoever was trying to flirt with her. Surely Enid had informed her half-roommate of that much. Nearly every new student was warned about Y/N and instructed to stay well out of her way.

"His own way," Weems asked, trying to hide her smile.

"I guess."

"Maybe he is. And maybe it has nothing to do with you, Y/N." She reached out and gently took Y/N's hand, squeezing it tight. "Your charm is fine, dear. If you are worried about it, we can schedule weekly check-ins to make sure that the charm is still there, but I doubt it needs a replacement so soon."

"But Addams -"

"Maybe he feels something for you beyond your curse, as you call it."

"Doubtful."

Weems sighed. "Y/N. Not everything is a consequence of who you are. You know that."

"I'm not as convinced as you are."

Weems squeezed Y/N's hand. "Relax, dear. The charm is fine." She gave her a small smile. "Why don't you go practice your archery some more." She glanced out the window. "Poor Mr Thorpe seems lonely."

Y/N sighed and nodded. "Thank you, Principal Weems."

Weems smiled as she left the room. "No worries, dear."

☘︎*⚜*☘︎

"How do you lose him in a bathroom with no windows?"

Thing shrugged, hiding behind a large potted Venus fly trap in the greenhouse. Wednesday had a botany class with Thornhill next, and Thing had managed to grab him to tell him that he hadn't been able to keep track of Rowan like the ebony-haired boy had wanted him to. Wednesday was not pleased.

"A lefty wouldn't have failed me," Wednesday snapped.

Thing's palm lowered to the wooden surface of the table, sulking.

"Don't sulk."

At that moment, Bianca, Kent, Divina, and Y/N made their way over to the side of the room where Wednesday was talking with Thing, all immediately noticing the boy. Despite his shadow-coloured clothing, he stuck out like a sore thumb.

"Now I'm going to have to find new evidence myself," Wednesday hissed, "since you lost our only lead."

"I see you finally made a friend," Bianca said, smirking as Wednesday turned to her. "Even if it is a plant."

Y/N frowned and elbowed her in the side. Had Bianca forgotten that Y/N had more friends in the foliage than she did in her peers?

"I go for quality over quantity," Wednesday retorted.

Y/N took a seat at the front of the classroom, the furthest to the right that she could. Like she always did. Close to the plants, far away from Thornhill. The botany class at Nevermore was never a class that she had to pay attention to. She knew all the answers, and if there happened to be one that she didn't know, the plants would tell her. One of the more wonderful things about being who she was.

She stared at one of the orchids closest to where she sat, reaching out towards it as she rested her chin on her other hand. Her fingers brushed against the fragile petals and as they did, she felt the plant reaching out towards her, the invisible vines of its being curling around her wrist and holding her hand there. Her lips curved into a smile as she felt the plant start to whisper to her. Thornhill had been force-feeding them a new type of fertilizer for the past week or so, and none of the plants were happy about it. This orchid in particular was downright upset.

Y/N turned away from the orchids and glanced around the classroom, looking for her teacher.

"Miss Thornhill?"

Thornhill, who had been talking to a pair of vampires, turned and smiled when she noticed Y/N. It was a forced smile Y/N could see that clear as day. She didn't hide the fact that she disliked Thornhill. Her feelings towards the woman bordered on animosity, and she was peeved that Thornhill didn't take any advice from her on how to properly care for the plants in her greenhouse. One would think that the girl who could talk to the plants would know what they needed rather than the normie who had no clue.

"Yes, Miss L/N?"

"What sort of fertiliser are you using for the plants?" She pulled her hand away from the orchid and folded her hands together on the desk.

Thornhill pointed to a bag that was leaning up against the leg of her desk.

"How long have you been using it?"

Thornhill shrugged. "About a week. Why? Did the plants complain again?" She didn't hide the condescending tone in her voice, or the glare in her eyes. She didn't appreciate how Y/N constantly tried to one-up her with her knowledge of plants.

"Yes."

Thornhill sighed. "Y/N, as much as I wish they did, the plants can't talk. They don't have a voice." She turned away and headed back over to the other side of the classroom to talk to some gorgons who had been poking at the Venus fly trap.

Y/N glared at Thornhill as she left before turning back to the orchid.

"You okay, bug?"

Kent took his usual seat beside Y/N, scooting a little closer when he noticed her creased eyebrows and thin lipped stare. He knew by now what Y/N looked like when she was contemplating poisoning someone.

"Fine," she hissed, feeling simultaneously sad and furious that her plant friends were suffering. She reached out and gently stroked the petal of the orchid again.

"Thornhill?" Kent had overheard the conversation between the teacher and the student, but he asked regardless.

Y/N nodded stiffly, knowing that Kent already had his answer. "You know she doesn't believe me."

Kent wrapped an arm around Y/N and gave her a side hug. "Maybe it's because she's a normie. She can't hear the plants like you can, bug."

"I know, I know."

Y/N thought about Kent for a moment. Their relationship was strange. He was one of the only ones Y/N allowed to see past the rough, thorny exterior that she forced nearly everyone else to endure. He hugged her, he sat close enough to her that their sides brushed occasionally, and he had no fear of her dark powers. He was the only one Y/N trusted. But why? He was the same as everyone else.

The two sat quietly for a moment as the rest of the students filed into the class one by one. And just as the irritation was starting to slip out of Y/N, a chill fell over the two and Y/N glanced up to see Wednesday standing behind Kent, glaring at the boy.

"Move."

Kent frowned and turned around. "Excuse me?"

"You heard me. Move."

Kent glanced over at Y/N. "Why would I?"

"Because I told you to."

"That's no reason for him to listen to you," Y/N snapped. Wednesday Addams had a talent unlike any she had ever seen before. The talent to get on every single one of her nerves.

Wednesday said nothing and simply glared at Kent until he removed his arm from around Y/N and got up to go and sit in the empty seat beside Xavier. As he sat down, he met Y/N's eyes and felt the slightest bit guilty for leaving her with Wednesday. But before he could correct the situation, Wednesday sat down beside Y/N and set his things on the desk. Y/N scoffed, rolled her eyes, and turned her attention to the front of the classroom, where Thornhill was starting class.

"Wednesday, we're thrilled to have you join us on our journey into the world of carnivorous plants." Her eyes flickered over to Y/N, who was now staring at a Venus fly trap sitting beside her. The young girl reached out and gently tapped the plant, smiling at it when it snapped at her finger playfully. "Y/N, how many times have I told you not to touch the plants?"

Y/N pulled her hand away and folded them under her arms, staring at the table in front of her. She hated Thornhill.

'Maybe I should get the parasite to follow her around for a little while.' Y/N smirked at the thought of the parasite going after Thornhill for a change. Her clothes wouldn't last ten minutes, and she would be a mess of tangled hair and bloody fabric by the end. She would be alive, but she wouldn't be unscathed.

"Now, who can tell us the name of this beauty?" Thornhill gestured to the Ghost Orchid sitting on her desk, kept beneath a glass lid. Another thing that the plant hated.

Y/N fought the urge to smash the glass and wriggled around in her seat for a bit. Where was that blasted parasite when she needed him? Why did he only have to show up when she needed peace and quiet?

Y/N met Divina's eyes across the room and Divina sent her a comforting smile. It was all she could do when the girls sat so far away from each other, but it was enough to calm Y/N down enough that she didn't contemplate slipping a bit of wolfsbane into her supper.

"Dendrophylax lindenii," Wednesday said, answering Thornhill's question.

"Otherwise known as the ghost orchid," Bianca informed the rest of the class, glaring at Wednesday a little bit.

"First discovered on the Isle of Wight in 1854."

Thornhill gave Wednesday an impressed smile. "Very good, Wednesday." She glanced over at Bianca. "Looks like you may have competition for first chair, Bianca."

The corner of Bianca's mouth twitched and Y/N rolled her eyes. Leave it to Thornhill to poke the beast.

"Wednesday, perhaps you can identify the ghost orchid's greatest qualities."

"Resilience and adaptability. It's able to thrive in even the most hostile environments."

"But its mere presence can change the ecosystem, causing the established plants to reject it." Bianca was staring right at Wednesday as she said this, and Y/N sighed, simultaneously rolling her eyes. This was going to be one of those classes. Where someone dared to one-up Bianca, and Bianca was left in a rage until she complained for hours on end to Divina and Y/N. And even then, her anger could surge past on occasion, forcing the scales and Y/N to endure her irritation for days on end.

"Usually because the native species is allowed to thrive unchecked. Nothing a weedwacker couldn't fix."

"You can most certainly try."

"Are we still talking about flowers," Xavier asked, breaking up the tension between the two.

Y/N smirked and glanced over at the flowers closest to her. They too found the tension between Wednesday and Bianca amusing, and the bleeding hearts hanging on the walls found it downright hilarious.

But bleeding hearts found nearly everything hilarious.

"Thank you, you two, for those illuminating insights. Clearly, the plants aren't the only carnivores in class today."

Thornhill continued the class, and as she droned on about the Ghost Orchid - everything about which Y/N already knew - Y/N turned to the plants and started whispering to them quietly, off in her own little world. She was so lost in conversation with the Cape Sundew that she didn't even realise she had drawn the attention of the boy next to her.

Wednesday certainly found her much more interesting than Thornhill's lecture and soon switched from taking occasional glances at her to giving her his complete and undivided attention. He had never met someone who talked with plants as avidly as Y/N was now, whispering to them as if the plants were communicating to her in a language that only she could understand. There was one point about halfway through the class, when Y/N lifted her finger to her lips to stifle a snicker, and Wednesday quickly realised that Y/N could understand what the plants were saying.

His mother adored carnivorous plants, but even she couldn't speak to them. He wondered what Morticia would think of Y/N. He had a sneaking suspicion that they would get along splendidly.

'I'll have to introduce them if I get a chance to.'

"Wednesday?"

Wednesday turned back to the front of the class.

"Are you paying attention to the class or Y/N?" Thornhill seemed just the slightest bit peeved.

"I found it intriguing to watch Y/N speaking with the plants," Wednesday said. Y/N snapped out of her stupor upon hearing her name, and she turned to Wednesday with a seething look. Thornhill never liked it when she spoke with the plants in class.

Thornhill sighed and turned to Y/N, who was still talking with the Cape Sundew. "Y/N. Stop pretending that you can talk to the plants and pay attention please."

Y/N pursed her lips, her hands curling into fists on the desk. She hated Thornhill. And she hated Wednesday Addams. She glared at Thornhill before sliding her things back into her bag, rising from her feet, and walking out of the greenhouse, slamming the door shut behind her. Wednesday watched her retreating shadow through the glass until he could see her no more. Only then, did he turn his attention to Y/N's friends who were whispering to each other on the other side of the room. He noticed that they all looked worried.

Free from the greenhouse, Y/N stormed up to her dorm room, where she slammed the door shut behind her, not caring if she splintered the wood. She ripped off her pendant, threw it into her bed along with her school supplies, and flopped down into the greenery on the opposite side of her room. She hated Thornhill. Her hands curled around an ivy vine. She hated Thornhill.

"Are you all right?"

"No," Y/N huffed. She sunk her hands into the greenery and a moment later, a morning glory popped up in front of her. She lifted her hand and gently stroked the petals, trying to forget the nightmare of a class that she had just escaped from. She had never left in the middle of class before. Not for anything. She had come close a few times, but she had never actually left.

A sharp yip drew Y/N's attention, and the girl smirked, pushing herself up and turning to the parasite as it hopped up onto her bed.

"You want something to do, you little pest?"

The fox stared at Y/N curiously. This was the first time Y/N had asked it to do anything.

"Mind causing some havoc for me?"

The fox matched Y/N's malicious sneer with ease.

☘︎*⚜*☘︎

"Are you sure you're okay, bug?"

Kent had followed her, Divina, and Bianca down to the lawn to work on their canoe, and hadn't given up on making sure that Y/N was okay.

"I'm fine, Kent," Y/N said, glancing up from the beetle that she had been drawing on the side of the boat. "I promise."

"You're sure?"

"I'm sure. Now get out of here before one of the other teams accuses us of cheating." She gave Kent a light punch in the side of the leg, to which he glared at her, before limping off in the direction of the dorms. Y/N rolled her eyes and turned back to her paint job.

"Has anyone called for food yet," Divina asked from the other side of the boat.

"I think Bianca did," Liana answered. She was busy trying to scrub golden paint off of her hands.

Liana was the fourth and final member of their team. Divina was in charge of the front of the canoe, while Bianca and Y/N were co-captains, and Liana brought up the rear. It was the same team that had won last year, and they had no intentions of losing this year.

"Good," Y/N said. "I'm starving."

"Oh, shush, you big baby," Bianca joked, bumping Y/N's leg with her shoe. "Now move over. I need to get in there."

Y/N shuffled over to the side, pulling her can of paint with her as Bianca sat down beside her. She glanced down at the cans of paint she had with her and frowned when she realised that her black paint had gone missing. She sighed and turned, frowning when she saw Ajax snickering behind her, holding her bucket of paint.

"Really, Ajax? How old are you, five?" She pressed her palm into the earth and thick roots sprouted from the ground, wrapping around the gorgon and pulling the paint from his hands. The roots returned the paint to Y/N before releasing Ajax and dropping him to the ground. Leave it to Ajax, and by extension, Thorpe, to try and cause chaos while the Gold Bugs were finishing up their boat. Not that she could blame them. Bianca's team always won.

The vines set the paint down next to her before retreating into the ground, and Y/N returned to her duties of decorating the boat. Divina and Liana had done a perfect job on the front of the boat and were now working on the left side, while Bianca and Y/N worked on the right.

The girls worked in silence for a moment or two, before growing tired of the quiet.

"Hey, Bianca?"

"Yeah, Divina?"

"You have your phone with you, right?"

"Always do."

"Can you turn on some music? I feel like I'm about to go crazy from the quiet." The girls laughed, but Bianca complied and soon music was drifting around their little area, the melody accompanied by the voices of Bianca, Divina, and Liana along as they worked on their paint job.

Y/N did not sing. She didn't know any of the songs that her friends knew. The songs she knew were the nursery rhymes that her mother had taught her, or the songs that were labelled as folk songs. The songs that were truer than people knew.

But sadly, their happy mood was ruined when a shadow fell over the canoe and all three turned to see Wednesday standing behind Y/N, staring down at her over his nose. Y/N sighed and turned away, dipping her paint into the bucket beside her.

"Hello, Addams."

"I need to talk to you."

Bianca sneered at the boy. "You can't expect her to want to talk to you after the stunt you pulled in class today."

"What stunt?"

Bianca glared at the boy but Wednesday looked away. He stood there for a minute before reaching down and grabbing Y/N's wrist, pulling her to her feet and dragging her away from the canoe, ignoring her protests.

"Hey!"

Wednesday wasn't intimidated by the threat of wolfsbane in his meal or death by vines.

"What do you want, Wednesday," Y/N asked, rolling her eyes as Wednesday finally allowed her to stop. He released her wrist and glanced over to the Gold Bugs' boat, where Divina and Bianca were glaring at him.

"Wednesday, if you don't give me an answer, I'm gonna forget that you pulled me over here and go back to working on our boat." She waved her paint-covered paintbrush at him threateningly, and Wednesday took a step back as a blob of golden paint fell onto the grass below.

Wednesday huffed. "You're so impatient."

"Yes. Because I don't like you, and you dragging me away from my work isn't earning you any points." She crossed her arms. "So, spill. Why did you drag me over here?"

Wednesday huffed. "Well as much as it pains me to admit it, I need your help."

"Why couldn't you have asked over by the boat?"

"Because I won't give Bianca the satisfaction of knowing that I need your help." He glanced over at Bianca, who was still glaring at him. She wasn't even pretending to look busy.

Y/N rolled her eyes. "And what makes you think that I would help you?"

"I asked you instead of dragging you along like I wanted to." He took a step closer to her. "You told me that I should have asked at the Harvest Festival."

"Yes, you should have. And you should have asked now before dragging me away from my friends." She turned to go back to the boat, but Wednesday grabbed her hand before she could leave.

"Please."

For a moment, Y/N said nothing. But she could tell that Wednesday Addams wasn't the sort of person who would take 'no' for an answer. "What's in it for me?"

"Nothing."

Y/N stared at Wednesday for a moment. "I'll help you..." She paused for a moment, allowing Wednesday to grin triumphantly, before adding, "But this one time. You leave me alone after this, or I'll send the parasite to tear up your room."

Wednesday released her, still unbothered by her threat. "I'm glad you see it my way. Otherwise, I would have had no choice but to drag you."

"Oh, so I didn't even get a choice in the matter?" Y/N's fingers twitched at her side and the ground beneath her feet rippled as she felt the roots rising towards her.

"No."

Y/N rolled her eyes and walked off to her friends to tell them that she was leaving.

"Where are you going," Divina asked as Y/N pulled off her apron. "I thought you were hungry."

"I am. But Wednesday Addams is being particularly insistent right now." She draped her apron over one of the seats in the canoe. "I shouldn't be too long."

"You're going somewhere with Wednesday Addams?" Bianca sounded as surprised as Y/N felt. She still wasn't entirely sure why she was going anywhere with him.

"Yes."

"Why?"

"I haven't worked that out for myself." She sighed and unpinned her hair. "I'll see you later."

"Stay safe," Divina called after her, as Y/N returned to the tree where Wednesday was waiting for her.

As the two headed off, Divina turned to Bianca and Liana. "What do you think he needs Y/N for?"

Bianca stared after the dark-haired boy. "I'm not sure. But I don't like it."

☘︎*⚜*☘︎

Wednesday led Y/N around the back of the school and into a small patch of trees, where they walked in silence until they reached a colony of bee hives that Y/N had forgotten existed.

During her first two months as Nevermore, she had spent most of her free time with the bees, listening to their complaints or any of the colony gossip that they were willing to provide her with, but when Eugene had started pestering her for information on who she was and if she wanted to join the Hummers, she had left and hadn't gone back. She didn't have anything against Eugene, but she had no interest in joining his club. The white suit that she would have to wear didn't sit right with her. Especially when the bees weren't at all inclined to sting her.

Wednesday led Y/N to the large house in the middle of the hives and pulled the door open. Y/N stepped over the threshold and Wednesday shut the door behind her. To Y/N's surprise, Enid was already inside, dressed up in a beekeeper's uniform. Y/N frowned.

"Enid? You hate bees."

"I do," she muttered, putting on the net. "But Wednesday needs me to cover for him." Y/N stepped up to help her adjust the netting around her neck. "Weems has been hovering around him like a vulture to make sure he stays out of trouble."

"So you're helping him possibly get into trouble?" Y/N found the situation amusing, and smirked at the werewolf.

Enid shrugged. "Don't ask me why I'm doing it."

Y/N's grin only grew, revealing the edges of her teeth. While they were far from the sharp teeth of the vampires and werewolves, they were sharp enough that Y/N often drew blood when she bit her lip. And though her teeth weren't filed into points, nearly everyone at the school knew how sharp Y/N's teeth were. The frequent trickles of blood on her lips was enough of a warning. "I won't."

Wednesday turned to Enid. "If Weems comes sniffing around, keep your distance, look grim, and don't say a word."

"Payback is going to be a bitch," Enid declared.

"I'd expect nothing less." Then, Wednesday turned to Eugene. "Blab and I will squeeze you like a honeycomb."

"Snitches get stung. It's hive code."

He glanced over Wednesday's shoulder and upon noticing that Y/N was watching the two of them, lowered his voice and whispered something to Wednesday that made him frown. Y/N didn't want to know what it was. Thankfully, Wednesday decided that it was time for them to leave and started walking towards the door. He held it open and allowed Y/N to walk through before following after her.

"Where are we going, and why," she asked as he led them into the woods. She wasn't quite sure why they weren't using the path.

"We are going to the crime scene to see if there is anything left over from the attack."

"You mean where Rowan was killed?"

Wednesday frowned. "You believe that Rowan was killed?"

Y/N returned his frown. "I believe what I saw was real. The trees don't lie." She set her hand on an oak as she and Wednesday passed over the roots. "Just like me, they can't."

Wednesday followed after the girl, watching her carefully as he started piecing together the information that he had collected about her. He didn't know much, and there were still too many gaps for him to properly decide what sort of outcast she was, but he knew a bit.

The first thing he knew was that she was cursed and that the pendant around her neck was working to counteract the effects of the curse. What effects those were, he was still unsure about.

The second was that she hardly ever hung out with anyone besides the sirens, so he hypothesised that they had connected over something that made her similar to the sirens. Again, what that was, he had no idea. Possibly something to do with the fact that the sirens too used magical pendants to keep their siren song quelled. Maybe Y/N had a power similar to that.

Thirdly, she was connected to the earth in a way that he had never heard of before. She could talk to plants, she could feel the pain inflicted on those who were within a forest's boundaries, and to some extent, she seemed to be able to grow plants on a whim. He had seen her summon roots from the grass in the courtyard to ensnare Ajax when he had pissed her off.

Fact number four, Kent's nickname for Y/N was 'Bug.' What significance that held was something that he was also unsure of.

And now, fact number five. She couldn't lie.

He had no clue as to what sort of outcast she was. So, he asked. "What type of outcast are you?"

Y/N stopped walking and glanced over her shoulder again, looking annoyed. "I'm not telling you anytime soon, Addams. There are only five people in the world who know, and I'm not about to make it six." She stepped over a large root and down into a small ravine. "The fewer people who know the better."

"I'll take a stab that Weems is one of the five. And then your parents, most likely, narrowing the number down to two. And the last two must be your siren friends."

Y/N rolled her eyes. "Oh, how intelligent is Detective Wednesday Addams." She provided no confirmation or denial and continued walking. "And you're wrong. My father doesn't even know I exist. And my mother is dead."

This news, while it shocked Wednesday, wasn't horrifying enough to dissuade him from his questions. "If you would tell me, I would stop asking."

"Or you could just stop asking anyway and leave it alone."

Wednesday smirked. "Where's the fun in that?"

About ten minutes later, they arrived in the general area where they had witnessed Rowan's murder. Wednesday immediately pushed his thoughts of Y/N to the side and started looking around for any sign of the struggle, leaving Y/N to admire the forest around her. The autumn fog had settled in and clouded the forest around them, and as she approached a large pine, she could feel it flourishing in the cooler temperatures. Many of the trees were enjoying the change in blistering heat that they had endured over the summer.

While Wednesday went to search for any sign of Rowan, Y/N wandered through the trees, admiring the knots and broken bits of bark on each one.

"Yip!"

Y/N scoffed, turning away from the tree and setting her hands on her hips as a familiar dark shadow came bounding towards her, a faint trace of blood on its teeth, and a scrap of familiar fabric clutched between its teeth.

"I take it you did as I told you to?"

The parasite confirmed this by spitting the fabric at Y/N.

"Good. Now get."

The fox snarled at Y/N, and she snarled in return. "I said, get. Go bother somebody else."

The fox lunged for Y/N, its jaws clamping around her ankle, causing her to yelp and kick at the fox, but it darted out of the way before Y/N's leg could even twitch. It gave another mocking bark before disappearing into the forest, leaving Y/N with nothing to do but curse and limp around the clearing looking for evidence.

As she was admiring a large oak, a hand suddenly wrapped around her arm and yanked her back. Before she could call for Wednesday, a hand clapped over her mouth, muffling her screams.

"Shh. It's just me."

Y/N recognised the voice instantly and stopped squirming. Tyler pulled her behind a tree and the two watched in silence as Sheriff Galpin walked by on the other side with his dog, most likely searching once more for any sign of Rowan, or Rowan's murder. Once he had disappeared, Tyler released Y/N and she stumbled forward.

"Sorry about that," he muttered, sticking his hands into his pockets. "I didn't want Elvis to pick up on your scent."

"While I appreciate the effort, I doubt he would have smelled me." Y/N grinned at Tyler. "One of the wonderful things about being me is that I smell like the forest. Human scents don't stick to me." She put her weight on one foot and winced when she felt the pain of the fox's bite in her ankle. On second thought, she didn't know how Elvis would react if he smelled her blood...

"Really?" Tyler seemed impressed, and Y/N smirked.

But then Y/N frowned. "How did you throw them off?"

Tyler reached into his pocket and pulled out a handkerchief of coffee grounds. Y/N chuckled. "Seems that your job serves more than one purpose."

Tyler laughed.

"Y/N?"

Y/N glanced over Tyler's shoulder and her half-smile faded when she saw Wednesday making his way towards them. He glared at Tyler as he approached, and walked around the boy to stand behind Y/N. One hand hung by his side, while the other slid around Y/N's waist and settled on her hip. Y/N glared at the boy. She had a new target for the parasite...

"What are you doing here, Galpin," Wednesday asked.

"Uh... stalking my dad, I guess." He gave the two Nevermore students a weak grin. "You must think it's weird."

"No, I consistently stalk my parents," Wednesday answered. Then he started walking away, taking Y/N's hand and pulling her along. He wasn't quite sure why, but he didn't want her to stay with Galpin.

"Hey, wait, what really happened the other night at the festival?" Tyler followed after the two.

Wednesday didn't say anything.

"Look, I swear I won't say anything to my dad."

Wednesday stopped and turned to Tyler. "I thought Rowan was in danger. Turns out I was wrong. Then he proceeded to use his telekinesis to try and choke me to death."

Tyler cursed. "Wh... Why would he do that?"

"No idea. That's when Y/N arrived and got me down, but then the monster came out of the shadows and gutted him."

"Woah. Woah. So... So you really saw it?" Tyler hesitated for a moment to give Wednesday a chance to answer, but when he didn't, he asked another question. "And it didn't try to kill you? Either of you?"

"It actually saved us from Rowan. That's the part I'm trying to figure out. I came out here to find something that can prove he was murdered and that I haven't lost my mind. Yet."

Y/N sighed, rolling her eyes. "You haven't lost your mind, Wednesday. The forest never lies. Rowan was murdered, no matter what the others say."

Suddenly, Wednesday stopped. He stared at something on the ground before walking forward and crouching down beside something shining on the ground. Y/N followed him and crouched beside him with Tyler on her other side.

"These are Rowan's. I knew it was a cover-up." He reached out to pick up the glasses, but as his fingers brushed against the frames, his body went rigid and he threw his head back, eyes wide as he stared up at the forest above. Y/N jumped back as if she had been burned, stumbling into Tyler, who fell to the forest floor.

"What's wrong with him," Tyler exclaimed, shocked by what he was witnessing.

"I don't know." Y/N placed her hand on Wednesday's shoulder and shook him once. "Addams? Addams?" Y/N's other hand drifted down to the forest floor and as her fingers brushed against the dirt, she felt her vision leaving her as a vision flooded her mind. A vision of Rowan using his telekinesis to knock over a Gargoyle, of Rowan fighting with Xavier and throwing the boy back against the wall of their dorm, Rowan tearing a page out of a book, the gargoyle falling towards Wednesday...

The vision soon ended and Y/N stumbled back into Tyler once again, but thankfully, the boy was ready for it this time and managed to catch her. She pressed the heel of her hand against her forehead as the images continued to play, over and over and over in her mind. It was painful to watch. As if her eyes were spinning inside her head as if her very mind was spinning like a top. She hated it.

"Are you guys okay," Tyler asked.

☘︎*⚜*☘︎

Wednesday didn't let Y/N go when they returned to the school, despite her protests that she needed to get back to the lawn to help Bianca and the others finish up their boat in time for the race, or go to the infirmary for her headache. He had ignored her and had dragged her off to the library, where she was forced to endure his coercing. The last thing she needed was for one of the librarians to get mad at her for scolding him. They had walked in on two vampires making out in one of the dark corners, and though Wednesday seemed rather scarred from the encounter, Y/N had brushed it off as just another trip to the library. It wasn't uncommon to accidentally walk in on people making out. Not when the library was nearly always empty and lacked security cameras.

Once they reached the centre of the library, Wednesday released Y/N and pulled a slip of paper from his pocket. Y/N jumped when a hand lacking a body suddenly crawled up onto the table, and Wednesday slapped his hand over her mouth to keep her from screaming.

"That's Thing," he whispered to her, holding her tight against his chest. He waited until he felt her calming down, and until her heart stopped pounding hard enough to send shocks throughout the rest of her body. Once he was sure that she was calm, he released her mouth, though he kept her close to him. "You don't have to be scared of him."

"I'm not scared. I was just startled by the sudden appearance of a sentient hand." Y/N frowned at the appendage for a moment, before crouching down in front of the table and staring at it directly. "So you're... Thing?"

The hand seemed to nod, and Y/N swallowed her nerves, reaching out her hand in greeting. "Y/N." For a moment, Thing didn't seem to know what to do, but then he linked one of his fingers around hers and shook her finger. Y/N nodded at the hand before standing and glancing over at Wednesday, who was staring at the books on one of the bookshelves.

Thing hopped down from the table and skittered up the shelves, sorting through the books as Wednesday observed them. He pulled out one with a light purple side to show it to the boy.

"The cover was darker. More like a day-old contusion. Keep looking."

Thing gave him a thumbs up and climbed up another shelf.

"I don't usually find students in here looking for actual books."

Wednesday and Y/N turned to see Thornhill walking down the stairs towards them. Y/N immediately felt like stalking away and scooted away from the group intending to take the chance to escape to the lawn where her friends were probably waiting for her. But before she could, Wednesday wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her into his chest, keeping her pinned there as he turned to Thornhill.

Y/N was at least pleased to see that one of Thornhill's wrists had been bandaged tightly and that her cardigan was unravelling behind her. The parasite had done his job after all.

"Most sneak in to make out."

"Tempting," Wednesday said, glancing down at Y/N, who glared at him in response. She lifted a heel and stomped on his foot, pushing him away from her when his grip on her slackened. She had no interest in staying for this conversation, especially if Thornhill was involved. Thankfully, she was able to push herself away this time, and she walked away, heading out of the library and back to the lawn where she found her friends.

"Where were you," Bianca asked, holding out a drink for her. Y/N took it gratefully.

"Wednesday insisted on dragging me everywhere with him," Y/N groaned.

"Why did you go with him then," Divina asked, sitting down on the chair beside Y/N.

"No idea." She glanced over at Bianca. "Remind me not to go with him next time."

"Gladly."

☘︎*⚜*☘︎

The Poe Cup was finally here, and Y/N woke bright and early to the sound of birds chirping outside her window, and the sound of the forest greeting her. She slid out from her bed, her feet landing on the vines that had spread across her room in the night, and walked across the vines as they brought her outside. Even though most students preferred to sleep in on a day like today, most were already awake, getting ready for the Poe Cup Finale. And Y/N knew that Bianca was probably already waiting for her. So, she grabbed her costume, slid it on, grabbed a black hoodie, and headed down to the lower floor where she found Bianca and Divina leaving their room.

"Hey, we were just gonna come get you."

"Well, know you don't have to. Where's Liana?"

"She's already down at the lake, finishing up the last few touches." Bianca glanced over each shoulder before leaning in closer to Y/N to whisper, "Can you go check up on Kent and make sure he remembers the plan?"

Y/N nodded. She bid the girls goodbye and headed off to the boy's dorms opposite them. It was always rather easy to sneak up to the boy's dorms, no matter what dorm it was. So, she pushed open the door to Kent's dorm and slipped in, shutting the door behind her before slipping across the hall to the first room on the right, where Kent was living for the year with a gorgon by the name of Bennet. She knocked on the door, and immediately the door opened and Kent pulled her inside.

"Did anyone see you," he asked, glancing up and down the hall of the dorm before shutting the door.

"No. They never see me." Y/N took a seat on his bed and flopped down. "Bianca wanted me to come and make sure you remember the plan."

Kent scoffed. "Of course I do. I wait at the dock for you guys and once Bianca gives me the signal, I sink the other ships."

Y/N grinned and pushed herself up so she was resting on her forearms. "Good. Now, if you will excuse me, Bianca will be looking for me." She pushed herself off the bed and headed over to Kent's window. She pushed open the windows and took a seat on the ledge.

"What are you doing?"

Y/N just smirked before falling backwards out of the window. Kent rushed to the window, screaming Y/N's name. But he breathed a sigh of relief when he realised that Y/N had already called two large roots as thick as a tree trunk to catch her and carry her down to the ground below. She glanced over her shoulder once she reached the ground and bowed teasingly to Kent.

Kent just laughed and went to get ready.

☘︎*⚜*☘︎

Y/N slid into her seat in front of Bianca and glanced over the side of the boat to make sure that her makeup was still okay. Bianca wouldn't be happy if she managed to ruin it within the first five minutes of her putting it on. She tugged at the neck of the skin-tight bodysuit and shifted uncomfortably. The Poe Cup was fun. The outfits were not. Still, it could have been worse.

"What do we have here? The runt of the litter."

Y/N glanced behind her and rolled her eyes when she realised Bianca was talking to Wednesday, the only male participant in the canoe beside them. Y/N had forgotten until now that Wednesday had been granted special permission to live in his mother's old dorm, though in a room of his own. Y/N tried not to laugh when she noticed the two cat ears sitting on top of his head. He looked - dare she say it - cute.

"For the record, I don't believe I'm better than everyone else. Just that I'm better than you."

Wednesday glanced at Y/N for a split second and Y/N sighed before turning back to face the front of the boat.

"I want to welcome you all to the Edgar Allan Poe Cup," Weems said, striding up to the podium. "This is one of Nevermore's proudest annual traditions, dating back a hundred and twenty-five years. Each team must row across to Raven Island, pull a flag from Crackstone's Crypt, and hustle back without sinking or being sunk. First team to cross the finish line with their flag wins the cup and bragging rights for a year, along with some special privileges. Let the Poe Cup begin!"

As Weems fired the pistol, Y/N dipped her oar into the water and pushed the boat forward, stroking in time with the other three. They paddled out of the dock and out onto the lake, where they turned and started heading down a wide river. Y/N glanced over to the side of the river and smirked when she saw Kent standing on an old rickety dock. Upon Bianca's nod, Kent pulled off his shirt and dove into the water, transforming into a siren. Y/N smirked and turned back to the race.

One of the boats attempted to decapitate the Black Cats, but all four ducked down and the axe swung over their heads, slicing nothing but air. As soon as the axe settled into place on the side of the boat, the boat suddenly started moving sideways instead of forwards, despite the attempts of the canoers to continue pushing their boat forward. With a little assistance from the siren below the water, the boat smashed into one of the buoys and the four fell into the river.

Y/N smirked. One down, two to go.

The Gold Bugs continued rowing towards the shore, and sadly, they were the last to reach the island. But as they were pulling up, they noticed Enid sneaking back from the jesters' boat, slipping back into her seat. Y/N quirked an eyebrow. No doubt Enid had sabotaged their unattended boat somehow.

The Gold Bugs pulled up to the shore and Y/N and Bianca hopped out, leaving the other two to watch the boat as they ran to get the flag. They passed by Xavier and Ajax on the way there and picked up the pace. Neither one wanted to lose. They quickly found the crypt, and to their surprise, Wednesday was there, lying on the ground in front of the crypt with his team's flag inches from his hand. Bianca grabbed their flag.

"Taking a catnap," she taunted.

They ran back to their boat, sliding the flag into place at the front. Then, they pushed off the shore and started paddling after the joker canoe. They quickly caught up. And to their delight, they soon passed the boys as their boat started filling with water.

"Seems that Enid has more killer instinct in her than she originally thought," Y/N said, smirking as they passed the boat.

But when she glanced over her shoulder, her smirk fell. The Black Cats were right behind them. She gritted her teeth and started paddling faster, urging the others to do the same. She dared to glance over at the Black Cats and her eyes widened when she saw iron spikes shooting out of one side of the canoe. She had never had to worry about iron in this race before.

Suddenly, Kent slammed into the Black Cats from below and started pushing them towards a buoy across the lake. Y/N breathed a sigh of relief. But all too soon, the Black Cats started paddling towards them again, spikes still poised and ready to strike. And this time, the spikes shot through the side of the boat, one of them nicking Y/N's leg. She dropped the oar and cried out in pain, clutching the wound as the iron spikes were pulled from the side of their boat. She didn't even care about winning. And though it was a thought somewhere in the back of her mind, neither did Bianca.

"Y/N!" She dropped her oar and got off her seat, moving forward to check her friend's leg. She gently pulled Y/N's hands away from the wound and her eyes widened when she saw the gnarly cut. The skin around the wound was starting to blister, and though iron burned Y/N, it hadn't burned her enough to cauterise the wound. Bianca grabbed Y/N and with Divina's help, the two dove into the water, each holding one of Y/N's arms over their shoulder as they swam to shore.

While the rest of the school celebrated the Black Cats' victory, the Gold Bugs dragged Y/N onto the dock and laid her out, wondering what to do about the wound. Bianca and Divina both knew from experience that regular medicine wouldn't work on her. They needed her healing magic. Fairy magic.

"Y/N," Bianca said, brushing away some strands of hair on Y/N's face. "What do we do? What do you need?"

Y/N gritted her teeth. The pain was worse than anything she had ever felt before.

Weems was by their side in a second. "Get me her bag."

Divina ran off, weaving through the celebrating crowd. In a minute, she had returned with Y/N's bag, and Weems dug around for a moment before pulling out a poultice that Y/N always kept with her, per Weems's instructions. She took it from the bag and set it on Y/N's wound, holding it tightly as she watched Y/N's reactions. For a moment, nothing seemed to happen, but as time passed, the poultice started to take effect and soon Y/N's face relaxed and the pain subsided.

Weems kept the poultice on for another minute before pulling it away and breathing a sigh of relief. There was still a faint scar on Y/N's leg from where the spear had scratched her, but the wound was gone. Everyone around the girl breathed a sigh of relief.

"Y/N," Divina whispered, crouching beside the girl. "You okay?"

"Yeah," Y/N mumbled. "Thanks, Principal Weems."

Weems just smiled. "I'm glad you're okay, Y/N." Then, she got to her feet and went to continue the celebration.

"I'm gonna kill Addams," Bianca hissed.

Y/N waved off Bianca's concern. "I'm fine, Bianca. Just... give me a minute to catch my breath." Divina helped her sit up and Y/N leaned against the siren as her body calmed.

☘︎*⚜*☘︎

"The first Poe Cup took place in 1897, as a way to not only honour Nevermore's most famous alumni but to celebrate those values that all outcasts share. Community, perseverance, and determination. And we certainly saw those values on display today." Weems took the Poe Cup and handed it to Enid, who took it and immediately started cheering with the rest of the team. Sans Wednesday of course. "Congratulations to Ophelia Hall. As a former resident, I will be happy to see the cup back on the mantle after all these years."

As everyone started celebrating, grabbing some cake and some drinks, Y/N slid into the seat beside Kent, hissing in sympathy when she noticed his black eye. "What happened?"

Kent sighed and dropped his head onto her shoulder. "Some random sentient hand punched me in the eye and knocked me out," he muttered.

"Thing. Wednesday's friend," Y/N sighed, taking a piece of cake from Divina and ignoring the siren's protests.

"How's your leg," Bianca asked, sitting down on the other side of Kent.

"Fine."

"Are you sure?"

Y/N grinned. "I'm not a fragile piece of glass, Bianca." She bit into the cake, her teeth glinting in the light of the afternoon for a moment.

"Sure, sure, whatever you have to tell yourself to sleep at night."

☘︎*⚜*☘︎

Chapter Text

☘︎*⚜*☘︎

I remained too much inside my head and ended up losing my mind.
~ Edgar Allan Poe

☘︎*⚜*☘︎

No one ever thought that flowers were the most mournful plants in the forest.

The trees were the dreamers.

The lively ones embodied by the joy held within the emerald leaves from basking in the sun.

Flowers were the one who sobbed and howled late into the night, their cries haunting the woods.

To the unfortunate normie who ran across a weeping rose, they might feel a fraction of the flower's sorrow.

If they listen close enough, they might hear the wail of a woman, mourning her deceased lover.

It wasn't spirits who haunted the forest.

It was the flowers.

☘︎*⚜*☘︎

There were many nights when Y/N couldn't sleep. Some nights, when the forest's voice grew too loud, it was impossible. Though tonight, it hadn't been the forest's voice that had stirred Y/N from her restless slumber. Nor had it been the pest lying at the foot of her bed, leaving dark furs tangled between the threads of her mossy duvet. Even with the new bite on her ankle and the blood slowly seeping into the man-made fibres of the mattress – which Y/N didn't care enough about to clean – Y/N knew that it hadn't been the pain of the bite that had woken her. The pain had long since faded and had fizzled away into nothing more than a slight humming sensation, a signal that her magic was already at work knitting the wound back together.

Tonight, it was something else. Something that wouldn't let her rest until she figured out what it was.

Slipping out from beneath the moss that covered her bed, Y/N reached for her pendant, slipping it over her head without bothering to undo the clasp around the back, before rising to her feet. She didn't bother with her shoes, nor did she bother to change out of the nightgown currently draped around her body. The sort of nightgown that might make her seem like a mournful spirit haunting the woods to any normie unfortunate enough to be run across her in the night.

Y/N snickered at the thought as she headed for the balcony, carefully stepping through the spider-web window and out onto the crumbling stone balcony of the tower. If she scared a normie tonight, she wouldn't complain. Weems had warned her not to terrify the normies intentionally, but if they just so happened to stumble across her path while she was out after hours... Well, she couldn't be held accountable for that.

Reaching the edge of the balcony, Y/N summoned a powerful wave of roots from the depths of the earth in the forest, summoning them to burst through the cobblestone, acting as a net to catch her as she all but threw herself over the edge. The roots rushed up to meet her, catching her with a gentle grace before lowering her safely down to the cobblestone.

Standing in the courtyard, Y/N extended her hands, baring her palms towards the earth as she listened to the magic that ran through the cracks in soil and stone like tree roots, searching for the place that called to her.

Making her way through the forest, igniting her palm with an old spell that her guardians had taught her over the summer, she wandered through the trees, admiring the knots and grooves in the bark as she listened to the wailing of the flowers as the forest drew her deeper and deeper into its haunting shadows.

And then something sharp bit into her ankle, and Y/N shrieked at the sudden pain.

The parasite laughed.

Y/N huffed, glaring at the parasite as it perched on an exposed tree root, looking quite pleased that it had managed to slink out of Y/N's dorm and follow her into the fog-infested woods. "And just what do you think you're doing here?"

The fox yipped at her.

Y/N muttered a curse in a language that only those of the forest could understand, drawing a somewhat insulted look from the fox. If foxes even had the ability to look insulted. Its mouth gaped slightly and its eyes narrowed, almost as if it were about to pounce on her. But she started walking again before the fox could pounce, leaving it behind on the root to decide whether or not it wanted to follow her deeper into the gloom.

Unfortunately, it decided that it was too boring back in the dorm. Especially without the outcast to bother.

Thankfully for Y/N, the fox decided to let her walk in silence, keeping its yips and chirps stifled as they made their way through the woods, the white fire in Y/N's hand casting eerie shadows on the trees around them. Neither were frightened by the shadows. Both knew that Y/N was the scariest thing in these woods, even if the monsters that the normies whispered about were real. Neither knew if they were.

The two walked for several long minutes of quiet, with only the crunching of the leaves beneath Y/N's feet to break the silence, and the odd hoot of an owl flying overhead. Once, she had heard the familiar squeak of a bat as it flew overhead, and she had paused to watch the beast, but turned away as the bat disappeared into the forest, its chirps guiding it further and further away from the soil-bound duo.

Eventually, however, they came to a large iron gate, the likes of which Y/N had only seen at the entrance to the Nevermore property. It was caked with rust and the scent of decay lingered beneath the ivy that had grown over the iron, tangling through the vertical bars and completely covering the plaque that would have been displayed. Y/N could only see a small corner of the plaque peering out from beneath the ivy.

She frowned at the sight, reaching out in hopes of brushing it away. But as her hand neared the plaque, her skin began to burn. She pulled her hand back immediately, eyes widening as she glanced up at the iron gate.

Lifting her flame higher, Y/N tried to make out the iron letters that had been set in the iron at the top of the gate. Sadly, after ages of neglect, only a few letters remained. EE HA E. Lowering her gaze to the leaf litter below her feet, Y/N wondered if the letters had fallen on her side of the gate, or if they had been knocked out by normies who had been all too eager to vandalise the gate. But, feeling no iron beneath her feet, Y/N sighed, lifting her gaze once more.

"What is this place?"

The forest, for once, didn't answer. As if the forest itself didn't know. Or perhaps something was keeping it from answering her as it wished. After all, the forest had woken her with the intent of dragging her out here. That much was clear. Standing now before the gate, Y/N was certain that this was where the forest had wanted her to go. No longer did she feel the inexplicable pull of mystery, and no longer did she hear the teasing and mocking whispers in the back of her mind, urging her to rise from bed and search the forest for what the trees and flowers wished to show her.

"Think we can get inside?"

This, Y/N asked of the parasite.

Sadly, this was the one time that the parasite decided to be more interested with a twig that had gotten caught in its tail rather than what lay in front of it.

"Useless beast," Y/N muttered.

She gazed at the iron gate for one more moment, wondering what lay beyond the gate and why it had been abandoned, before turning and heading back to Nevermore. Tomorrow was Outreach day, and she desperately needed sleep if she had any hopes of making it through the day without cursing every normie that crossed her path.

They were agonizing to deal with at the best of times. Dealing with normies after a restless night? Impossible.

☘︎ *⚜*☘︎

"Weems needs to expel Wednesday Addams."

Y/N smirked at the sound of her friend's voice and quickly double-checked to make sure that her pendant was on, before returning to the interior of her dorm. She loved waking up a little early to watch the sunrise. Not all the time of course, but now and then, when the sunrise was particularly beautiful, the plants would wake her to watch the sun. Sadly, she had to share the sunrise with the parasite who still refused to leave her alone.

Y/N hummed. After what she had witnessed the night before, she should have known that Bianca would have come to see her. It was only a matter of time before Addams got into Bianca's head. She shut the window behind her and pulled off her sweater, tossing it onto the parasite and smirking when it yipped at the sound of the nightshade clinging to the fibres.

"What happened this time?"

Bianca turned the chair around to face Y/N as the girl took a seat on her bed, though she quickly jumped up again when the parasite lunged for her exposed wrist. It was rewarded with a hiss, to which it bared its teeth in return. Bianca, already used to the hostility between the two, answered Y/N's question without batting an eye. "You know how we had a meeting last night?"

Y/N nodded, her eyes still fixed on the shadowy pest. She knew who Bianca was talking about. Or rather what.

Bianca, Divina, and Kent were all part of an "elite" student society. The three had invited her to join the semester before, promising her wild and exciting times, but Y/N had declined. Virgin mojitos and late-night skinny dips weren't her cup of tea. But that hadn't stopped the three from telling her everything that went on down in the secret room beneath Edgar Allan Poe's statue.

"So we were going down for our meeting last night, and lo and behold..." Bianca trailed off.

"Wait, let me guess." She didn't need to guess. She already knew the answer. "Wednesday was there." She snickered and got to her feet, heading to her wardrobe to get her clothes for the day. "What a feat. I thought that the snapping pattern would have been enough to keep anyone out." Y/N cast a snooty grin over her shoulder at Bianca before pulling open the door to her wardrobe.

Today was Outreach Day. A day when the students of Nevermore were invited down to Jericho to mingle amongst the normies.

Y/N's least favourite day of the school year.

It was one thing for her to head down to the Weathervane for a cup of coffee and to catch up with Tyler when she had a chance, but it was another thing for her to be confined to the town for the entire day, suffering through odd looks from the normies. It was because of her first Outreach Day experience that she had started covering her slightly pointed ears with her hair, and wearing enchanted contacts to hide her bright green eyes. There had been far too many stares, odd comments, and rowdy normie children who had thought that her ears were fake.

"Xavier wanted to invite him to join the Nightshades, but he turned us down."

"You mean, like I did," Y/N joked, draping her blazer over her arm.

"You're different," Bianca muttered. "Wednesday is just stuck up. And he said that amateurs like us give kidnapping a bad name."

Y/N smirked. "You'll hate me for saying this, but I have to agree." She grabbed the ends of her shirt and pulled it over her head, tossing it aside as she grabbed one of her uniform shirts from her wardrobe. "Your so-called 'elite' club is nothing more than a handful of students who happen to come from centuries old families." She paused before adding, "Virgin mojitos and skinny dips aren't the scandal that they used to be Bianca, if they ever were. You want to be called an elite secret society?" She glanced over her shoulder. "Steal a body from a morgue."

Bianca said nothing, unable to find a fallacy in Y/N's earlier words and stunned at her later suggestion.

Bianca soon left Y/N to get ready and returned to her dorm to ensure that Divina wasn't sleeping in later than she was supposed to. Once she was ready, Y/N grabbed her bag, threw it over her shoulder, and headed out of her dorm. She met Divina and Bianca on the main floor of their dorm before heading down to the lobby where they found Kent waiting for them. He was still supporting the black eye that Thing had given him the day before, and Y/N smirked at the sight of it.

"Aw, poor Kent," she purred mockingly. "How does it feel?"

"Better. It's still sore but better."

Y/N stuck her hand into her bag and pulled out a poultice. "Try this."

Kent took it without hesitation and placed it over his eye, smiling at her as the group headed out to the quad where most of the students were already waiting.

But Weems wasn't there yet, so Bianca led their group over to the rest of the sirens, all of whom bid Y/N good morning as she passed them. While she might not have any of her outcasts at Nevermore, the sirens were the next best thing. They understood her plight, as they suffered from a similar power.

As they waited for Weems to address them and lead them down to Jericho, Y/N found her mind wandering back to the strange iron gate that she had found the night before. She had decided by the time she returned to Nevermore that she wouldn't tell any of her friends about what she had found for a handful of reasons.

One, if Weems overheard that she was leaving her dorm after hours and sneaking out into the woods, let alone while a monster was currently stalking the woods, killing seemingly anyone who entered them, she wouldn't be happy. Y/N would be put on lockdown and wouldn't be able to leave. That wouldn't stop her or dissuade her from leaving at all, but even just the thought of it made Y/N shudder.

Another reason was that Bianca, and all of her other siren friends, were terribly nosy. They thought that whatever Y/N's business was was their business, even though she had explicitly told them several times that there were some things she played close to the vest, simply because she preferred it that way. This was one of them. She didn't need her friends knowing about the iron gate or about the fact that she often left the Nevermore grounds when she couldn't sleep. They didn't need to know what she got up to in the dark of the night.

And the final reason? Y/N felt as though the gate was her secret. One that she didn't want to share with anyone else. The secret was hers and hers alone. She had felt a pull towards that gate. The forest had called her to see it and to find it. And though she was sure help wouldn't hurt, she wanted to solve the mystery herself, even if it took three times as long.

It was hers. After having to share so much with her friends and the other students of Nevermore, Y/N wanted something that was just hers. And she would go to great lengths to keep it that way. Let the normies and outcasts alike think that the forest was haunted. She preferred it that way.

Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, Y/N turned to Kent. "Feel better?" The bruise had nearly disappeared.

Kent nodded and handed her back the poultice. "Thanks for that. What is it?"

Y/N grinned as she tucked the poultice into her bag. "A little fairy magic."

Weems arrived a moment later and Bianca rejoined her friends, taking her usual place beside Divina.

"All students will report for their volunteer jobs at 10:00 am sharp, followed by a community lunch at 1:00. As you know this year Outreach Day culminates in a very special event, the dedication of a new memorial statue in the town square, which will also include performances by Nevermore students. As representatives of our school, I trust you will all put your best face forward."

The teachers started going around and handing out the volunteer assignments. Bianca, Divina, and Kent were all assigned to Pilgrim World, which they were all right with, while Y/N was assigned to the Weathervane. She breathed a sigh of relief and as Weems approached her, she sent the principal a thankful smile. She loathed Pilgrim World. It was a pathetic excuse for a tourist attraction, and after enduring a long day of normies the previous year that had left her hating the normies as much as the failed attraction, she was happy that she could at least spend this Outreach Day amidst the smell of coffee, tea, and fresh baked pastries.

'Maybe something good will come from this day after all.' She doubted it.

Once Weems had finished addressing the student body, the students headed for the buses, all of them eager to get the day over and done with. Save maybe for a handful of extroverts who wanted to show off in front of the normies. Y/N followed after them, but as the rest of the students piled onto the shuttles, Y/N started walking, heading down the road that would lead her to Jericho. It would take her a little longer this time, as Weems didn't want her cutting through the forest, but she knew that with a little magic, she would be able to make it down in time for the welcome speech. Not that she would put in that effort. If she was a little late... Well, that wasn't the worst thing in the world now, was it?

Sure enough, Y/N arrived in Jericho long after the shuttle, and was rewarded with the fact that she caught only the tail end of Mayor Walker's speech to the outcasts. Instead of heading to the bleachers to join her friends, Y/N turned and instead headed to the Weathervane. It was the one tolerable place in this bleak town.

Inside, Y/N found Tyler cleaning a few tables that had been left a mess as hurried businessmen headed for work, leaving a coat of crumbs and syrup on the table. She rolled her eyes at the scene. If people were planning on sitting for breakfast, they should at least account for the time that it would take to clean up. If you were in a rush, you should take your food to go.

"Y/N." Tyler glanced up from the table as soon as the bell above the door chimed, and smiled when he saw his outcast friend standing at the threshold of the cafe. "You working here today?"

Y/N nodded. "You have a uniform for me?" She approached the flower pot on the edge of the counter and extended her hand towards the flower. The flower extended a root from the soil in offering and Y/N took it with a silent nod of gratitude and snapped it free from the plant, coiling it like an elastic around her hair. In return for the offering, Y/N taped her finger against one of the flower's leaves, easing its pain and immediately regrowing the root that had been lost.

When she noticed that Tyler had yet to say anything, she glanced over her shoulder. The boy was staring at her.

"Tyler."

Tyler jumped, shocked out of his staring. He mumbled an apology as he rushed off, his cheeks burning hot as he grabbed a spare uniform for Y/N. He passed it to her over the counter, still unable to meet her eye.

Y/N only smirked before heading into the back of the building to change.

By the time she had finished getting changed and emerged from the bathroom, her temporary co-worker had arrived, and was currently arguing with Tyler over the counter in hushed whispers. She sighed. ThorpeThorpe was going to make this day miserable.

"Thorpe."

Her calling of his name stopped the argument dead in its tracks and both boys turned to her. Thorpe visibly relaxed a little at the sight of her.

"Get changed." Y/N grabbed the extra uniform that Tyler had set out and tossed it at Thorpe.

Happy for the excuse to get away from the normie, Thorpe headed into the back room to change. But not before sending one last withering glare towards Tyler.

Both Tyler and Y/N watched Thorpe as he headed into the bathroom, only breathing once the door was shut and locked. Then, Y/N turned on Tyler.

"You two had best figure out how to make this day bearable, or so help me, I will call your father in here to escort you both to Pilgrim's World for the day." It wasn't an empty threat.

☘︎ *⚜*☘︎

The next few hours passed without much incident. Y/N had burned her fingers on the steel cup that was used to steam the milk for lattes, and she had stomped on both Tyler's and Thorpe's foot when they had started arguing behind the counter after accidentally bumping shoulders, but other than a few squashed toes and a blister on the end of her finger, everyone was still in one piece.

Y/N wondered how long that peace would last.

"Principal Weems."

Y/N glanced up from the espresso machine upon hearing the voice of the mayor. One of the normies that she had purposefully avoided since the incident the year before.

Weems had been the one to repair her pendant and bring it back to her, but the mayor had been the one to call her down to Jericho to tell her the consequences of the boy's actions. He had been kind, but his eyes had accused her of losing control. Not that she had any control to begin with.

Her hands settled on the counter as she waited for the espresso.

"Well, it looks like another successful Outreach Day is upon us," he said, glancing out the window of the Weathervane. "And uh... thank you for your generous donation to my re-election campaign."

Weems' eyes flickered over to where Y/N was standing. She could feel the girl's eyes on her. "Consider it a token of our ongoing cooperation."

Y/N smirked, all too aware of how much Jericho depended on Nevermore. Having a school of outcasts so close was good for the economy of the town, especially considering how small it was. Without the students constantly visiting the town, she doubted there would be any chance of the town surviving.

The three fell into a steady rhythm once again, with Thorpe cleaning up the tables, Y/N making the orders, and Tyler talking to the customers at the till. Neither Thorpe nor Y/N felt comfortable enough with the normies to take their orders.

It was around eleven o'clock when a surprise guest entered the Weathervane, walking to the corkboard at the back of the cafe where people posted about all sorts of stuff. Y/N frowned at Wednesday as he passed her. He wasn't supposed to be in the Weathervane, so why was he here? Thorpe also noticed the boy.

"I thought you were supposed to be at Pilgrim World," he said, handing a few dirty cups over the counter to Y/N.

Wednesday turned away from the information board. "I deserted it while my sanity was still intact."

Y/N rolled her eyes as she dropped the dishes into the sink.

"You want a coffee," Thorpe asked. "It's one of the many perks of this wonderful assignment."

"It's not that bad, Thorpe."

"Speak for yourself."

"I am." She smirked over her shoulder. "One day out of the year I get to make coffee for a day instead of attending boring classes." She finished drying a mug and hung it up on the rack above the microwave.

"I'm actually here for Y/N and Tyler," Wednesday said.

For a moment, Thorpe said nothing. "I told you he was bad news."

"Twice," Wednesday corrected. "But who I speak to is my business." He turned to Y/N. "Go get Tyler."

Y/N glared at him. "What am I, your lap dog?"

Wednesday stared at her without saying anything.

"Ask politely and I'll help." She crossed her arms and leaned back against the counter, glaring at the Addams boy. He certainly did think highly of himself if he thought she would offer an ounce of assistance when he demanded it.

"Please."

Y/N rang the small bell on the edge of the counter and went back to work. Wednesday stared at her, watching her as she pulled out a blueberry scone from the display case and popped it into the microwave before setting the timer for fifteen seconds. Tyler came out a moment later and Wednesday was forced to turn away.

"You rang," the boy asked.

Thorpe scoffed and went to help Y/N. As he walked behind the counter, Y/N punched him in the side. Lightly enough that it wouldn't hurt, but firm enough for the boy to know how irritated she was with his child-like behaviour.

"It's been a year, Thorpe, and he hasn't done anything since."

Thorpe glared at her. "He destroyed my mural."

"Are you really gonna let this keep stewing, or are you gonna let it go? You're acting like a child." She sniffed. "A child with a horrible preference for insipid grudges."

Thorpe sneered at her. "Standing up for your normie boyfriend, I see."

Y/N sneered right back. "Jealous, Thorpe? It's not a good look on you."

"I'm not jealous."

"Really?"

"Yeah."

Y/N stepped closer to Thorpe. "Keep lying to yourself all you want, Xavier Thorpe. But you know how I feel about people who lie to me." She pushed past him and snatched a wet rag from the edge of the counter, along with a bucket of sanitiser. She wished Kent had been assigned to the Weathervane instead of Thorpe. Kent and Tyler could at least be civil with each other. The day might even have been fun if Kent had been assigned to the Weathervane, though Y/N guessed that she was pushing it a little bit hoping for an enjoyable day.

She finished the first table, and as she was moving on to the second, a cold hand clamped down around her wrist, startling her and causing her to nearly spill the bucket.

"Hey!"

She wasn't surprised to see that Wednesday was the one holding her wrist. Of course, it was. She pulled it away from him. "What do you want?"

"You're coming with me."

Y/N rolled her eyes and continued cleaning the tables. "Yes, Your Highness. I'll be right out with your horse and chariot too. Oh, wait..." She tossed the rag into the bucket and stood up, glaring at Wednesday over her shoulder. "You're not the boss of me. How about you ask instead of ordering me around?"

"I need you to come with me."

Y/N grabbed the bucket and headed to the next table. "Why?"

Wednesday pulled her up from the table so her back was brushing against his front. "Because you're the only one who believes that Rowan was killed in the woods, and I need to know that I'm not losing my mind."

"I'm still not hearing a reason as to why I need to come with you. Where are you going anyway?" She pulled her hand away and turned to face him.

"That's on a need-to-know business."

"Well if you want any chance of me coming with you, you need to tell me. I'm not following you out into the woods with no explanation."

"I just gave you an explanation."

"A brief one. Answer my question and I'll go."

Wednesday took a step closer to Y/N, backing her into the edge of the table. "You like playing games, don't you?"

Y/N smirked. "What do you think?."

"And you enjoy irritating me in every single way."

Y/N leaned closer. "Oh, I most certainly do."

The two stared at each other for a moment, ignoring the strange looks they were getting from Thorpe and Tyler behind the counter, but after the moment was over, Wednesday pulled himself back. "Let's go." He started walking towards the door.

"I still haven't heard an answer to my question. And there is no way I'm traipsing through the woods in this." She gestured to the Weathervane uniform she was wearing.

"Go change."

"Where are we going?"

Wednesday fought back a groan, but relented. "The old meeting house."

"The one in Pilgrim World or the actual one in the woods."

"The real one."

Y/N sighed and glanced over at the table where Weems had been sitting. Both she and Thornhill had left now. She was tempted to say no. Sneaking out with Wednesday was sure to end in disaster, but if she remembered correctly, the old meeting house wasn't too far from the strange gate that she had stumbled across last night. Maybe this was the excuse she needed to go and wander around a bit without worrying about being interrupted. Wednesday was sure to get lost in his own thoughts and not notice if she wandered away.

"Fine. Just give me a minute."

☘︎*⚜*☘︎

"If Weems finds out about this, I will be saying that you dragged me out of the Weathervane and threatened me," Y/N protested, stepping over a root that was jutting out over the path that she and Wednesday had been following.

"I would expect nothing less."

"Good."

Silence fell over the two as they moved off the path and into the wild territory of Cobham Woods. Y/N glanced around at the trees surrounding them. Hardly anyone had been out here lately. She could feel the lack of mortal presence as her hands drifted against the leaves and bark. She could count the people on one hand. A man who was currently living somewhere in the woods - Y/N guessed that he was using the old meeting house as a crash pad - and Sheriff Galpin. But Galpin's presence had dulled significantly compared to that of the first man. He hadn't been out here in a while.

"There."

Y/N glanced up from the leaves beneath her feet and breathed a sigh of relief when the meeting house came into view. Tyler had been right. It was hardly a building anymore, let alone a proper meeting house. The skeleton remained, save for the beam that would have stretched across the top to support the roof, along with the front doors and a few of the wooden beams used in the walls, but other than that most had fallen prey to the elements and the years that had passed since its use.

As Wednesday walked inside the ruin, Y/N felt herself being drawn elsewhere. She turned away from the old wooden structure and off to the right, where the fog mingled amongst the trees. It felt as though the forest was calling to her. More so than usual. She glanced over her shoulder at the meeting house. Wednesday would be busy for a while. She could slip away for a moment or two without him noticing. And even if he did notice that she was gone, he was obviously far more interested in the meeting house than her.

So, as soon as Wednesday entered the meeting house, Y/N left, abandoning Wednesday to do what he wanted as she headed back in the direction of the iron gate, summoning the magic of the forest to find her way there. One of the lovely things about being born with a connection to the earth was that navigation came easy. She could read the stars before she could read English, and she could read the veins of the earth before she could speak. They were far more instinctual to her than any human language.

It took only a few minutes for Y/N to reach the old iron gate. It seemed to be halfway between the meeting house and Nevermore. Perfect for Y/N if she ever wanted to escape from either the town or the school for a moment of reprieve from her irritating peers and the normies of Jericho.

As she drew nearer to the iron gate, she reached into her bag, pulling out a pair of thick leather gloves. The only gloves that would be able to protect her hands from the iron. Leather from the hide of a dragon. Dragons had gone extinct centuries before her birth after being hunted to extinction by normies during the era of exploration, and as a result, the scale armour that had once been so prized by those born of the old magic had been lost to normie museums and treasure hunters. All that remained were a few pieces of dragon leather that were kept in secret havens around the world for those who needed them most.

Outcasts like Y/N were high on the list.

Tugging on the gloves that had been tailored to her hands, Y/N swiped away the ivy and vegetation covering the plaque on the iron gate. Now, in the light of day, the forest seemed a tad more welcoming, though Y/N still felt terribly unwelcome by her surroundings. As if she were being watched. But, with the birds still singing overhead, and a small family of foxes playing on the other side of the gate, Y/N knew that the area was safe. At least, it was safe from things that could harm normies.

RESTRICTED AREA

AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL ONLY

ALL TRESSPASSERS WILL BE REPORTED AND IMMEDIATELY ARRESTED

Y/N smirked. "Restricted?" She took a step back and pulled the enchanted gloves from her hands, tucking them back into her bag as she extended her hands towards the trees on either side of the gate. With only a fraction of effort extended, Y/N commanded the trees, coiling their branches and roots around the gates, wrenching them open with ease and a sickening groan of rusty metal.

"Well, I suppose I have a key." She released the trees and they bowed to the girl as she passed through before standing straight once more, stretching their trees towards the gate as if they were guarding the place from unwanted visitors.

Y/N was more than welcome.

Beyond the gate, Y/N found herself standing on an old cobblestone path. One that was all but invisible beneath grime that had been swept across the stones, weeds sprouting up everywhere, and the decades upon decades of decaying leaves. Still, as Y/N walked, she could feel the stones beneath her feet and hear the familiar sound of her boots' heels as they clicked on the stone.

The path was long and wide, stretching across a vast lawn towards an old crumbling mansion in the distance. Shrouded in fog and all but reclaimed by the woods, it was nearly impossible to see the manor from afar, but as Y/N drew closer, she realised just how grand the building must have been before it was abandoned.

Three floors, arched windows, a large staircase leading to the entrance, a lower floor that seemed to be for servants of some sort, made of white stones and decorated with half-decayed flower boxes... It was the sort of place that Y/N might have wanted to live in. Had she been a normie. Honestly, the sloping roof and state of decay appeared more to her outcast side, while living in the building as it might have looked like in its prime appeared to her human side.

Such were the trials of being both normie and outcast in terms of lineage.

Y/N took a step towards the building with the intent of going inside to inspect it further when she heard her name being called from a distance. She whirled around, not hesitating for a moment longer, and darted towards the iron gate.

"Y/N?"

Wednesday. Apparently, he had stopped looking through the meeting house now. Y/N had hoped to have more time at the manor, but it seemed that the world was wanting to do nothing but tease her today.

'Pity.'

As she left the iron gate behind, she paused for a moment, waving her hand as she instructed the trees to shut the gate behind her, and as the gate creaked shut, she coiled her fingers inward, summoning a fog that completely erased all trace of the gate and the manor that lay beyond.

"There you are."

Y/N turned, shoulders tensing when she saw Wednesday and Thorpe appearing, the former drenched with rain and mud. What had happened to him? For the first time, Y/N realised that it was starting to rain heavily. She had been so enthralled with the manor that she hadn't noticed.

"Why did you run off," Wednesday snapped, grabbing her wrist and pulling her to his side. The umbrella wasn't big enough for all of them, so Y/N pulled herself out again. The rain didn't bother her. It comforted her. Being under the umbrella made her feel... confined.

Y/N grinned at Wednesday. "That's need-to-know information." She tapped his chin mockingly. "And you don't need to know." She walked on ahead, leaving the boys to follow.

A short while later, Y/N decided to ask Wednesday about what he had been hoping to find.

"Did you find anything in the meeting house?" Y/N was hoping to distract him from bothering her with questions. He was getting to be more irritating than the parasite.

"I had a vision." Wednesday wasn't quite sure why he was being so honest with Y/N. He had withheld the information from everyone else, so why had he willingly given up the truth for her?

"What was in your vision?"

"That's a need-to-know basis." He would tell her later. When Thorpe wasn't around. "And I discovered that the monster is human." He glanced over at Thorpe again and scooted an inch away from the boy. He would risk the rain again. He wasn't sure that he trusted the boy. No, that wasn't true. He didn't trust Thorpe. Not one bit.

"Human? What do you mean?"

"Footprints. They changed from monster to human."

"Really?" Y/N pondered the new information for a bit.

The three made their way back to Jericho, where they were greeted by a sunny sky and warm drinks in the Weathervane. They were just in time. Had they been a minute later, Weems might have discovered that all three of them abandoned their posts to go and explore the old meeting house. And while Y/N might have been able to talk her way out of getting punished for leaving, she couldn't say the same about Wednesday or Thorpe.

"How busy was it," Y/N whispered to Tyler as they made their way to City Hall where the rest of the town and Nevermore were gathering.

"Not too bad. Everyone was busy with Outreach Day." He slid into a seat on the edge of the Nevermore bleachers, ignoring the stares he was getting from the outcasts. Y/N took a seat next to him and glared at the other students until they turned away.

"Sorry for leaving," she said.

Tyler shrugged. "It's fine."

"I'll buy you a coffee next time I stop by the Weathervane."

Tyler grinned. "Perfect."

The conversation ended as Kent made his way up the bleachers towards them, taking a seat beside Y/N and looping an arm over her shoulders. He stared at Tyler over the top of her head but quickly stopped when he noticed Y/N frowning at him.

"How was Outreach Day," Kent asked.

"Fine. Wednesday dragged me out to the woods though to look at the old meeting house."

"Really? What for?"

Y/N shrugged as Mayor Walker approached the podium with Principal Weems to start the ceremony. "Your guess is as good as mine." Then, she and her friends turned back to watch the ceremony.

"Thank you," he said, smiling first to the citizens of Jericho and then to the Nevermore students. "It is my honour to celebrate our town's history, and Jericho's noble forefather, Joseph Crackstone. Now, he believed that with a happy heart and an open ear, that there was nothing our town couldn't achieve. So together as one, our community and our friends at Nevermore Academy, we've built a monument to celebrate his memory. Now, may the spirit of Joseph Crackstone be memorialized for eternity."

The band started playing and Y/N glanced over, snickering when she saw that Wednesday seemed less than thrilled at having been volunteered to perform with the normies. Mayor Walker gave them a few minutes to perform before pressing the button to start the fountain. Everyone started clapping, save for Y/N and a few other Nevermore students. She wasn't about to clap for this man. She had known her fair share of outcast-hating normies, and she wasn't about to clap in celebration for Joseph Crackstone.

"That was a little pathetic," Y/N muttered to Kent, eyeing the weak water spouts on the four sides of Crackstone's statue.

Kent snickered.

Suddenly, the fountain exploded into a blazing inferno and Y/N jumped to her feet, her eyes widening at the sight of the flames rising into the afternoon. Her skin suddenly felt hot and feverish, as if the fire had sunk beneath her skin, coating every nerve with a sticky, warm, sap. She scratched at her neck as she backed away from the fire, numbly following Kent as he pulled her to safety, not bothering to try and break her out of her stupor as he tugged her away.

'Witch!'

'Sorceress!'

'Burn the enchantress!'

'Burn them all!'

☘︎*⚜*☘︎

Unable to sleep, Y/N decided to go to the old manor again. At least there she felt a little less confined. With walls crumbling due to the aggressive vegetation that surrounded the old manor, the walls had been all but ripped apart, as had the stone that bordered the gates. In fact, the gates seemed to be the only part of the old building that seemed to be somewhat intact. And since she had yet to investigate what lay inside the manor, she was eager for some answers.

So, as the other students prepared to head to bed for the night, Y/N got ready to escape. She would leave the same way she had the night before. Throwing herself over the balcony, caught by the familiar embrace of roots pulled from the forest. This time, however, she grabbed the parasite by the scruff, knowing that he would follow her regardless. At least this way, she wouldn't have to worry about him waking up the rest of the dorm as he snuck out of her room.

'I still have to figure out how he keeps breaking in and out of my room, stupid thing.'

The parasite squirmed and writhed in her hand, as if being in her hands was physically painful, but the girl refused to release him even when he clamped his teeth down around her opposite wrist. And the parasite was peeved when he was rewarded with nothing more than a slight wince from the girl. Once, she had at least yelped whenever he bit her. Now, she just flinched. How boring.

As they reached the ground, Y/N released the parasite, allowing it to run away into the woods, where it turned and hissed at her. But, before she headed into the forest, she paused, sensing that something was... different. She stood in the school courtyard for a moment, wondering what was different now than it had been the night before.

But then, she realised, and she smirked. Nothing to be concerned about, that much was certain. But she wouldn't visit the manor tonight, it seemed. She would just enjoy the forest for a little bit and try to figure out the parasite a little more.

She was still confused on where the parasite had come from. One day she had been alone, and the next, she couldn't shake the insipid creature. It was everywhere she looked, lurking like a spectre that had attached itself to her at the hip. In a way, it had. The first time they had met, it had greeted her by sinking its teeth into her hip when it had found her sleeping in the woods.

"Are you going to give me any answers," she asked, kicking a rock in the direction of the parasite as it skipped along, happy as a clam.

It yipped.

'No.'

Y/N stooped down to pick up a rock and chucked it at the beast, causing it to yelp and run off into the fog. Y/N smirked, leaning back against a tree, tilting her head slightly to listen to the sound of approaching footsteps.

'How predictable.'

"Wednesday Addams."

The raven-haired boy slowly turned to the phantom-like girl as she stepped out from behind the tree, illuminated by white flames dancing across her skin. Wednesday's eyes widened at the sight of the flames on her hand. How was she doing that? Was she a witch? Wednesday doubted it. He was certain that there was magic in her blood, a unique magic unlike anything he had ever heard of, but it wasn't the magic of a witch. Or a sorcerer. He wasn't even sure if there were any sorcerers alive in the twenty-first century. Neither of his parents had ever mentioned anything. The closest you got were seers like him.

As much as he loathed to admit it, Y/N looked terrifyingly ethereal as she stepped out from behind the tree, gowned in a simple black shift, tight around the waist, her feet bare against the leaf litter, her hair untethered and wild as it flowed down behind her. And in the light of the moon, as the clouds pulled away to reveal a shaft of moonlight, her eyes flared green.

For a moment, Wednesday faltered. Just what was Y/N?

"What are you doing out here," Y/N asked, not lowering her burning hand.

Wednesday hesitated. He didn't want to give her the truth. The truth was that he had noticed her leaving her dorm and had been unable to curb his curiosity. With the monster running amok as of late, seeing Y/N head into the woods was both suspicious and worrying. He doubted that she was the monster, considering all the evidence that seemed to point to Thorpe, but her heading into the woods was certainly suspicious. And, he had been curious about what she was doing in the woods if she wasn't the monster. Or at least, in league with it.

'She was there when Rowan was killed by the monster,' Wednesday reminded himself, recalling the evidence.

"I could ask you the same," he said, standing stiffly beside the tree.

"Yes, you could." Y/N smirked. "But I'm not going to give you an answer, Addams."

"I think I deserve one," Wednesday argued.

"Why?" Y/N's smirk only grew, seemingly finding his lack of an answer to her previous question amusing. "Because you followed me all the way out here?"

Wednesday loathed the burning in his cheeks and the back of his neck. Had she noticed him tailing her?

Y/N cackled, her laughter simultaneously haunting and mesmerizing. "You are so predictable, Wednesday Addams." She sighed, lowering her gaze. "I knew you would follow me out here. I saw you on your balcony practicing your cello."

It was why she had been so cautious to return to the gate and the manor. That was her secret. It wasn't something she wanted to share with anyone, let alone the antagonistic new kid who seemed to be nothing but a pain in her rear.

But, feeling tired, Y/N decided that it was time to head back to her dorm. So, she bowed to Wednesday in a mocking fashion, grinning up at him from beneath her lashes. "Well, I guess I'll see you tomorrow, Wednesday Addams." She turned to leave, lifting her hand teasingly before shutting her fist around the flames, snuffing them out instantly and plunging both her and Wednesday into darkness.

"Hey!"

Wednesday lunged forward to grab Y/N, seizing her around the neck.

And in a split second, everything went south.

Wednesday's fingers curled instinctively around a metal chain, closing around the chain to try and keep Y/N in place. The girl cried out as the metal cut into her throat, her entire body shuddering as the force of being caught yanked her back. And as she stumbled, she heard a terrifying snap. She felt the burning sensation ease, and as she fell to the leaf litter, she heard another heartbeat along with her own.

Wednesday Addams'.

She knew it immediately. Even if she hadn't know who had ripped off her charm, she would have known his heart. His name was carved into his being, imprinted on his heart, and now, scratched across Y/N's mind like nails on a chalkboard.

Y/N was on her feet in an instant. Her emerald eyes blazed in the night, an ominous warning as they found Wednesday's frozen from standing only a few feet away, her necklace dangling from his fist.

"Give it back, Addams." Y/N lunged for the boy, not trusting him or his mind to think right as he fell under the influence of her magic. The magic that was as much a curse on her as it was a curse on those who met her without the protection of her charm.

Tackling Wednesday to the leaf litter, Y/N tore the charm from his hand, not pausing to make sure that it was mendable before scrambling off of him. Before she could however, Wednesday's hand shot up and seized her by the wrist, nearly pulling the joint out of her socket as she stumbled back, crashing onto the boy's body, unintentionally pushing him deeper into the decaying leaves.

"Let me go!" Y/N pushed herself up and used her free hand to push herself away. She moved to try and pry Wednesday's hand off of her, but before she did, sharp teeth clamped down around the limb, causing Wednesday to cry out. He released Y/N as the pain flooded his mind, competing with the mounting addiction.

Y/N didn't hesitate. She scooped the parasite into her arms, tearing his teeth free from Wednesday's limb, and clutched the fox close as she ran deeper into the woods, summoning roots and branches from the trees to help her along, carrying her far away from the boy as he lay amongst the leaves, leaving him reeling as he felt the strange obsession swelling in his blood.

'What's wrong with me?'

'Where's Y/N?'

'What just happened?'

'Where's Y/N?'

'What bit me?'

'Where's Y/N?'

'How do I get back to the school?'

'WHERE'S Y/N?!'

"Y/N!"

☘︎*⚜*☘︎

I don't believe in mandatory volunteer work, sugar-coated history, or happy endings, but most of all... I don't believe in coincidences.

To paraphrase Agatha Christie, one coincidence is just a coincidence, two are a clue, and three are proof.

Rowan's drawing of me and Crackstone happens sometime in the future. Goody Addams' warnings about Crackstone were in the past. And the monster is here in the present.

Three coincidences that I know are connected.

That monster could be anyone. The sheriff thinks that they only exist behind the walls of this school. The truth is, there are monsters everywhere. And sometimes the monsters we least expect are the most dangerous. They don't need teeth and claws to terrify. They hide in the shadows until no one is looking. And then they strike.

But I'm looking now.

And I won't stop until I find the truth.

Y/N listened quietly to Wednesday's thoughts as she lay on her bed, staring up at the morning glories growing above her. There was a part of her that was glad that she could hear what he was thinking, but the other part was a little disturbed. He hadn't thought anything strange as of yet, as most of his thoughts were focused on the monster and Goody Addams, but Y/N knew that soon those thoughts would be replaced by thoughts of her.

Now that Wednesday had fallen prey to her curse, they were both subjected to another level of torment. She would eternally be in his thoughts, both while awake and while asleep, and she would be forever trapped with his voice in her mind.

She cursed and rolled over, hugging a pillow of moss tight as she burrowed her nose into it, trying to block out the macabre thoughts of the teenage boy as she cursed him in every language she knew. For once, she sought comfort with the parasite as it nuzzled against one of her hands, its damp nose worming its way into the crook of her skin, yipping softly as if to try and comfort her.

Y/N allowed the parasite to curl close to her, shifting slightly so it could rest between her chest and the pillow rather than suffering in the cold breeze that fluttered in through her window.

'At least it was only the clasp that snapped,' Y/N thought. She had a few replacements in her desk drawer. She had ordered several after the necklace snapped unexpectedly the first time, and would wake early the next morning to replace it.

"Curse you, Wednesday Addams," she muttered. She stretched her hand out over the side of her bed and as she curled her fingers into her palm, a small cluster of lavender blossomed, knocking her out almost instantly.

Sleep would be her only reprieve from the thoughts of Wednesday Addams.

☘︎*⚜*☘︎

Chapter Text

☘︎ *⚜*☘︎

Beauty of whatever kind, in its supreme development, invariably excites the sensitive soul to tears.
~ Edgar Allan Poe

☘︎ *⚜*☘︎

Dr Kinbott tells me I should get out more.

Says I need to open my mind to new people and new experiences.

Who am I to argue with her professional clichés?

Y/N rolled over in her bed, glaring at the moon, still high over the horizon. Of course Wednesday Addams would be awake when the rest of the school was still asleep. And from the sounds of his thoughts, he wasn't doing anything he was supposed to be doing.

Reaching into the cursed bond that they now shared, Y/N's mind combed through the strands of living magic that each person left behind. It wasn't something many outcasts knew was there. But Y/N did. And it only took her a second to know that Wednesday had made his way into the Jericho City Morgue.

'Probably looking for the monster's latest victim.'

There had been another warning issued to the students of Nevermore, warning them about the presence of the monster. It had been closer to Nevermore this time. It had killed the man who had lived at the old Meeting House in the middle of the woods. Where Wednesday had been searching for answers a few days earlier.

Y/N's half-numb hand stretched out towards the chain for her light and after groping around on her nightstand for a moment, she found the chain. With a single click, her room was flooded with the warm light of her bedside lamp, and she pushed herself up, ignoring the parasite when it tumbled off her chest. If Wednesday was up, that meant no break for her. Wednesday's thoughts were too loud for her to sleep through them, even with the help of her magically enchanted lavender.

Her eyes found the pendant and she grabbed it, slipping it on over her head. Wednesday's thoughts slowly trickled away until they were a gentle hum in the back of her mind. She sighed in relief and slumped over, allowing her forehead to fall into her hands. It was cruel how the only break she got from Wednesday came from a pendant that would switch the pain of her mind to physical pain that hung from around her neck.

She sat there silently for a moment before turning to look at the clock. 3:06 am.

"I hope you trip and fall into a vat of paint, Wednesday Addams," Y/N muttered, pushing herself up. There was no way that she would be able to get back to sleep now. But there was hardly anything else for her to do this early. She glanced around her dark room, biting the corner of her lip as she tried to figure out how to busy herself until classes started.

Maybe a bath would do her some good. She hadn't had the time to enjoy a proper bath as of late, and now that she had a few hours, it seemed like a good idea. She smiled at the thought of a bath and slipped out from beneath her covers, summoning a warm carpet of moss from the other side of her room to keep her feet from meeting the frigid floorboards.

One of the wonderful things about living in the tower, along with the solitude that it offered her, was that it came with its own bathroom. One that Y/N tried to take advantage of as much as possible. Too bad the parasite had been ruining the serenity of being alone lately.

She gathered up her things - a bathrobe, a change of clothes, a cloth, and a towel - and headed to the bathroom. She shut and locked the door behind her, kicking the parasite out of the room before it could slip in between the crack in the door, before carefully laying her things out on the counter. She ignored the angered yipping and scratching of the parasite on the other side of the door, her lips curling at his whining.

Then, ever so slowly, she removed her pendant from around her neck. She set it down atop her change of clothes and let out a sigh as the burning sensation subsided. Thankfully, Wednesday wasn't thinking about anything too pressing at the moment, and his thoughts were quiet. Maybe she would actually be able to get some peace for a change.

She stripped out of her night clothes and tossed them into the laundry basket in the corner of the bathroom. Then, she turned on the taps. The room should have been cold, cold enough to bring goosebumps to her skin and make her shiver all over, but it was warm. The plants covering the walls and the floor protected her feet from the chilly tiles of the bathroom, and she had grown moss over the edges of the window to block out any draft that might manage to slip in. And as the bath started to fill, steam filled the bathroom.

Soon the bath was full and Y/N shut off the tap. Then, she gingerly lifted one foot and stepped down into the steaming water. Warmth surged up her body and she felt her body relax, nearly to the point of feeling like she was about to collapse right there by the bath. She managed to keep a firm grasp her wits though and she brought her other foot over the edge before sliding entirely beneath the surface of the water.

Y/N let out a sigh as she sank deeper into the water of her bath, relishing in the heat of the water as it rolled over her bare skin. She hadn't had the opportunity to take a bath in what felt like ages, but Wednesday's thoughts - while they had disrupted her sleep - had brought her another form of peace. A bath, hot enough to sting a bit when first entering the water, but pleasantly warm the longer Y/N soaked in the water.

Y/N was well aware that she had lost track of time as she lay in the water, but she couldn't find it in herself to care. Not as the water swelled and sunk over her skin, lulling her into a foreign state of peace. A feeling that she hadn't felt in much too long.

Sadly, her peace was interrupted all too soon when someone knocked on the door of her room.

"Y/N."

Y/N groaned at the sound of Wednesday Addam's voice. She glanced towards the door of her bathroom and was glad she had made the decision to lock it. How he had gotten up here wasn't too hard to figure out, as the dorm leaders weren't the most alert when it came to other students visiting, but it was still slightly unnerving that he had appeared in her room unannounced at... she turned to the clock on the wall half-hidden by ivy and waved her hand, silently commanding the ivy to move aside. It was only 4:30 in the morning.

"What do you want, Addams," Y/N asked, dropping her head back onto the rim of the tub. She wasn't leaving. If Wednesday wanted to talk to her, he could do it through the door.

There was silence on the other side of the door.

"What are you doing?"

"Raising an army of spiders," Y/N snapped, her anger starting to mount as her peace had been interrupted. First the parasite, now Addams. Would she ever catch a break? "What do you think I'm doing?"

Wednesday said nothing, and for a moment, Y/N thought he had left.

"Come out here. I need to talk to you."

"At 4:30? Piss off, Wednesday. Go back to sleep."

"Now, Y/N."

Y/N hummed, the sound loud enough for Wednesday to hear through the wooden door, and stretched her arms over her head, the water splashing softly and lapping at the sides of the tub as her limbs disturbed the peaceful surface. "I'm trying to relax. Can't this wait?"

"No."

Y/N rolled her eyes and slowly drew herself up from the water. Drops of water rolled off her body and clung to her hair. She would have to finish her bath after she got rid of Wednesday. She grabbed her bathrobe from the counter, along with her pendant, and put them both on, before unlocking the door and stepping out.

"What? I was in the middle of taking a bath."

Wednesday stared at her for a moment, black eyes roving over her form. It was clear that she wasn't wearing anything underneath the robe, though she had made sure that it was tied tightly around her form, the tie cinched tightly around her waist.

"Take a picture and leave, Addams. I'm not in the mood." She pushed past the boy and stomped over to her vanity to grab her hairbrush. "You already woke me up."

"How did I wake you up?" Wednesday watched as the girl took her hairbrush.

Y/N turned to him, the hairbrush clutched in her hand like a lifeline. "Your thoughts are annoyingly loud."

"My thoughts?"

Y/N smirked, twisting the hairbrush between her fingers and setting her other hand on her hip. "Did I forget to tell you that little tidbit of information?" She took one slow step towards him and then another until she was standing mere inches from him. "I can hear every thought you think."

Wednesday's eyes widened a fraction. "What?" He was seething. She hadn't mentioned that. True, she had run off almost immediately after he had torn the pendant from around her neck, but he had seen her a few times in the days that had passed and she had neglected to inform him that she could hear what he was thinking.

Y/N's smirk only grew. "I can hear everything." She leaned so close that her breath fanned his ear. "None of your secrets are safe from me."

She took a step back, but Wednesday grabbed her arm and pulled her back towards him with so much force that she slammed into his body. His grip was iron around her bicep, his breath like vipers as it slithered from his lips, coiling around Y/N's senses. It felt as though she had just been drenched in a bucket of ice water.

"You're lying."

Y/N smirked and pressed her hairbrush into the boy's chin, forcing his chin up. "You know I can't."

"Why didn't you tell me before," he hissed. "That is important information."

"Why? You can't control your thoughts very well, Wednesday Addams."

Wednesday's free hand shot up and gripped her throat. "It would have been nice to know that all my thoughts were on display for you." He brought her face closer to his. "You are the last person I want to know my secrets."

"Why?" Y/N's lips parted for a fraction of a second as Wednesday's fingers pressed further into her neck, his nails threatening to draw blood. "You don't want me to know what you really think about me?"

Something sharp clamped down on Wednesday's ankle and he let out a sudden cry, releasing Y/N as he turned to see what had bit him. He recognised the ebony fox at his feet instantly and pulled his foot back to kick it, but it darted away before he could, curling protectively around Y/N's ankle, its tail coiling around her calf.

"Is it yours," Wednesday snapped. He already knew the answer. Obviously it was. He had never been told that he could bring a pet to school, but from what he could tell, Weems often allowed the rules to be bent a little when it came to Y/N. And the fox was obviously comfortable with her and incredibly protective of her. Wednesday had hardly threatened her and yet, the thing still felt the need to draw blood.

"Why are you here anyways, Wednesday," Y/N asked, reentering the bathroom, the parasite trailing behind, glancing over its shoulder every few steps.

"I went to the morgue."

"And this concerns me, how?" Y/N ran the brush through her hair, trying to work out the tangles that had come from a night of tossing and turning. She glared at the parasite when it hopped up onto the edge of the sink. Why was it still bothering her? The bed was empty. Why wasn't it sleeping?

"I went to make copies of the victims' files."

"Wonderful decision, Addams. I'm sure Sheriff Galpin would be thrilled to know that you broke into the morgue to conduct experiments and autopsies, but I still don't see how this involves me."

Wednesday paused. Why had he come here? There was no reason for him to come here. He didn't need a place to hide his files, and he could have bothered Enid about his observations and connections between the victims. He had done that before. Poor Enid had been subject to many macabre rants and revivals by way of smelling salts that he knew she was less than interested in hearing. But this time, he had come to Y/N. Why? He had to sneak into another dorm entirely and climb a tower to get to her. How had he even known where to go? He hadn't known where her room was before.

But a flash of light on the metal locked around her neck made Wednesday's mind start to spin. He had pulled off her necklace earlier and now, he could hardly think of anything else but her.

"You took your necklace off, didn't you?" He eyed the iron charm around her neck. The pieces started fitting into place.

"Yes. I always take it off when I'm taking a bath." She didn't even look at him.

Wednesday growled low in his throat and stomped into the bathroom. He grabbed the brush and tossed it away. He forced Y/N to turn around to face him before slamming both of his hands down onto the counter on either side of her, sending a single sharp glare as a warning to the fox as it snarled at him. "You are driving me mad," he sneered, drawing close to her. "I shouldn't even be here."

"I agree," Y/N answered in kind, matching his glare. "You're being nothing but a bother to me."

"I could say the same." Wednesday lifted his hand and gripped the pendant in his fist, subconsciously testing the strength of the new clasp. "What is this?"

Y/N scoffed. "It's the one thing that keeps you from going insane."

Wednesday's breath seized in frustration. "That's not an answer."

Y/N leaned closer, her breath teasing the lingering desire in the back of his mind. "That's the only answer you're going to get." And with that, she pushed him backwards, nearly sending him flying into the tub. "Now get out." She pointed to the door.

Wednesday didn't move.

"Out, Addams."

Wednesday stood there for a moment longer, eyeing the charm swinging back and forth across the s/c skin. What would happen if he ripped it off?

He didn't have another opportunity to think as Y/N grabbed him by the jacket and hauled him out of her room, ignoring the sound of his shuffling feet and the occasional choking sound due to her rough treatment of his collar. "Get out," she snarled as she shoved him from her room. Then she slammed the door shut behind him and locked it.

Wednesday didn't move from the landing outside of Y/N's room until he heard the sound of the bathroom door shutting behind her and the sound of the water splashing as she reentered the bath. 

He glanced down at his hand and smirked. In his hand lay a single woven band of thorny branches. A bracelet. It had been sitting innocently on her desk, taunting him, begging him to take it. He slipped the band over his wrist and returned to his dorm, forcing his thoughts to anywhere other than Y/N L/N.

☘︎*⚜*☘︎

The Rave'N dance. It had finally come to that time of year when the dance was announced and the students of Nevermore were sent into a whirlwind of excitement as they volunteered for the decorating committee, tried to find a date, and headed down to Jericho to get dresses, suits, corsages, and anything else that they might need.

Y/N had planned to go with Kent, seeing as how she actually enjoyed her time with him.

Until a dark-haired, pale-skinned boy made his opinion known to both offending parties.

"You can't go to the dance with Kent."

Y/N glanced up from her book, frowning when she saw Wednesday standing before her, arms crossed over his chest, sneering down at her as if she were the scum on the bottom of his shoe. Y/N wasn't surprised to stumble across Wednesday in the library, seeing as how he was someone who enjoyed the peace of the silent void as much as she did, and the restricted section was sure to entice him as much as it did her. But since he had disturbed her, Y/N wasn't very forgiving.

And neither was the parasite, who had followed her into the library, eager for a field trip away from the room of poisonous flowers and overgrown moss. The little monster snarled at Wednesday as it pushed its head up. Wednesday didn't miss the predatory look on the beasts' face, and returned the hostile greeting with a sneer of his own.

Y/N snapped her book shut and rose to her feet, the scent of earthy decay following her. "And just what makes you think you have any right to say who I can and cannot go to the dance with, Wednesday Addams? Last time I checked, I'm not your girlfriend, nor am I your pet."

'If anything,' Y/N thought bitterly, 'You're mine.'

Unbeknownst to Y/N, thanks to the silence her charm had brought, Wednesday's mind was spiralling. 'Mine. Mine. Mine. Mine. Mine...' He said none of this.

"Kent has decided not to go to the dance with you anymore."

Y/N stood silently in front of Wednesday, her eyes locked on his as she took a step closer to him. Wednesday Addams wasn't the sort of person to lie. If anything, he was the sort of person to tell the truth all too bluntly, to the point where whoever was on the receiving end of his harsh honesty wished that he had lied to them.

"What did you do?"

'Threatened him.'

"Nothing."

Y/N smirked. "It appears I was wrong. You do lie." Her hand shot out with the speed of a viper, gripping Wednesday's cheeks and pulling the boy's face down to hers, her nails digging into his flesh. "I want the truth, Addams. What. Did. You. Do?" Each word was punctuated with a slightly tighter grip that threatened to draw blood.

Wednesday said nothing, his throat clogging both at the proximity and the pain. Had he been anyone else, he might have whimpered. It felt like needles were being forced into his skin. But he was Wednesday Addams. His family performed electro-shock therapy and other morbid torture methods on each other for fun. This was nothing.

And everything.

Y/N's smirk only turned more sinister at the lack of an answer. "Is Wednesday Addams jealous, perhaps?" Her grip on his cheeks softened ever so slightly, one of her fingers tapping his cheekbone with a sharp point. "Were you upset that I didn't ask you to go with me?"

"No."

It was perhaps the biggest lie that had ever passed between Wednesday's lips.

Y/N released Wednesday entirely and took a step back, staring at him for a moment before walking away. "All right, Addams. Whatever you say."

'Lie. It was a lie. Please come back. Go to the dance with me. I'll beg if I have to. Please. Please. Please. Please...'

Y/N heard none of Wednesday's silent desperation.

☘︎*⚜*☘︎

Standing at the edge of her balcony, dressed in nothing but a sheer nightgown made of moonlight threads, Y/N pressed her hands against the stone wall, her emerald gaze searching the courtyard below. The Rave'N Dance had everyone in a tizzy. Bianca had already made her ears bleed by complaining about how her relationship with Thorpe had ended and how she wasn't sure who she wanted to go to the dance with, and though Y/N normally would have been at least a little sympathetic to her friend's plight, she was a bit too annoyed by Wednesday to really care.

Wednesday had gone out of his way to warn Kent about going through with his offer. Kent had pulled Y/N aside after classes that day to tell her that Wednesday had cornered him, threatening him into backing out of his promise to Y/N. Now, she didn't have a date.

But Y/N wasn't bothered by that. It would be easy for her to get a date. She had simply asked Kent to save herself the headache of asking someone or waiting for someone to ask her. He had agreed without hesitation, knowing that he was one of the few people Y/N trusted enough to spend the dance with.

Thankfully, she had a backup plan.

She turned to the parasite as it hopped up onto the wall beside her, already waiting for its mission.

It was odd how dependent Y/N had come to be on the little parasite. In the previous year, she had been nothing but annoyed at the creature and its constant presence. And while it still bit her and gnawed on her joints like they were chew toys, Y/N found herself growing almost fond of the little beast. She was still far from wanting to keep it around and name it – she shuddered at the thought of taking it home with her – but she was... content. They had settled into what could only be described as a stalemate. Not quite a truce, but not quite enemies either.

Lifting a bit of parchment, Y/N extended the paper to the parasite. "Take this to Tyler."

The parasite didn't need any further instruction. It snapped up the paper, its teeth catching on Y/N's finger and drawing a single drop of blood from her flesh. The blood seemed onto the edge of the paper almost like a signature, and a moment later, the parasite had disappeared into the night, its ebony fur concealing it among the shadows.

☘︎*⚜*☘︎

"So I heard that you're going to the dance~"

Y/N glanced up from her book and frowned when she saw Enid standing below her. Y/N had chosen a secluded spot on the wall around the main campus to read quietly. It was one of the few secret places on campus where students didn't go to make out, and in the year of her enrollment, it had become a quiet sanctuary for her. Until now.

"And," Y/N asked, shutting her book and swinging her legs over the wall. "What about it?"

Enid glanced at the wall that separated her and Y/N. Y/N took the hint and with a wave of her hand, Enid was scooped up by a tangle of vines and lifted onto the wall.

"Who are you going with?"

"Tyler," Y/N said, leaning back against one of the stone pillars. "Why?"

Enid's nose wrinkled. "I thought you were going with Kent."

Y/N shook her head with a scoff so aggressive that Enid visibly flinched. "Addams threatened him into ditching me, though what he could have used against Kent is beyond me."

"So you chose a normie to go with?" Enid hesitated for a moment, gnawing on her lip. "Why didn't you ask Wednesday?"

Y/N's gaze snapped to Enid, considering the girl for a moment before saying, "I'd rather be drowned in a vat of acid."

Enid held up her hands. "All right." She shifted a bit in place, glancing down over the edge of the wall. "I was just wondering if you wanted to go dress shopping together. Bianca told me that she and Divina already had their dresses, and seeing as we both still need one, I thought maybe we could go together."

Y/N pondered the idea for a minute. It didn't seem like such a bad idea... Enid was one of the few outcasts at Nevermore that she could tolerate, though Enid was a little more peppy than Y/N normally preferred. Honestly, she would prefer to spend time with someone like Addams. If only he wasn't such a bore. "Fine. When do you want to go?"

"Why don't we go now? There's a shuttle leaving soon, if you want to take it down to Jericho."

Y/N shrugged. She had nothing better to do, and she did need a dress.

The two girls hopped down from the wall with the assistance of Y/N's vines and soon made their way over to the front courtyard where the shuttle awaited them. Y/N's footsteps slowed at the sight of the automobile, but as she watched Enid skipping excitedly towards it, she gathered her nerves and followed the werewolf into the bus.

To her surprise, Wednesday Addams was sitting alone in one of the front seats, staring out of the window. He didn't seem to notice her at first, but as she passed his seat, his eyes caught her reflection in the window and he turned towards her. She quickly walked past the seat and followed Enid towards the middle of the bus, where they slid into an empty seat. Immediately, Enid started rambling about what sort of dress she wanted to get.

Y/N tuned out Enid's ramblings as the shuttle started. The gentle hum of the engine was unsettling for her, as was the iron hull of the shuttle. Her hands settled on the seat in front of her and her fingers curled into the faux leather as she leaned forward, pressing her forehead into the seat in front of her. Everything smelled terrible. Everything smelled like blood, like smoke, and like everything wrong with the world.

The ride couldn't end fast enough.

The shuttle rumbled down the road towards Jericho and Y/N interrupted Enid, requesting that she open the window. The werewolf did so without hesitation and Y/N breathed a sigh of relief as the cool forest air flooded the bus.

☘︎*⚜*☘︎

"Now, the dance committee's suggesting all white to match the theme, so I thought that this would be the best place for us."

Y/N stared at the shop in front of her. Hawte Kewture. She had seen the shop in passing many times, but she had never actually thought about going in. A formal dress required a formal occasion, and Y/N had never had any formal occasion that required a dress. Most of the time, the mortal fairy parties that she attended were parties full of fairy wine, elderberries, and things that would make mortals and common outcasts like werewolves and vampires sick. Sick and mad.

It was one of Y/N's favourite parts of the parties. Normies and outcasts alike always thought they were capable of handling what Y/N's kin ate and drank. But food grown from the lands beyond the veil were the sort of food and drink that would drive outsiders off the precipice of sanity.

"I'm relying on your expertise, Enid," Y/N said as Enid took her by the hand and pulled her into the store. "I've no clue what I should wear."

Enid smirked. "Perfect. A blank canvas for me to work my magic!"

Y/N was happy that Enid was excited about the dance. Having an enthusiastic shopping partner certainly made the trip down to Jericho a little more bearable. Hopefully she could leave all the dress shopping to Enid and simply sit back and relax. Dress shopping was far from her forte, considering the only things she wore were her school uniform and dresses made of moss, willow branches, and tangles of ivy grown from the forest she called home. On rare occasions, she and her kin would dance beneath the moon or the sun in rings made of stone, their forms draped in ethereal light that was blinding to any mortals who dared to watch.

Inside, the store was a whirlwind. Outcast and normie girls alike were getting ready for the dance, as both were invited to attend and while some outcasts were more hesitant about normies, many couldn't be bothered to care. If normies didn't care, why should the outcasts?

Enid pulled Y/N over to a rack of pure white dresses that had been set out at the request of Thornhill and the Nevermore dance committee. Enid released Y/N's hand as they made their way over and started picking up dresses, holding them up to Y/N's body and squinting at her through a fashionable but judgemental lens. And soon, it wasn't just Enid who was helping Y/N pick out a dress, but a few other girls from Jericho and Nevermore as well. Soon, the entire store knew that Y/N had never worn a formal normie dress and everyone was eager to help her pick out a dress that was sure to make her shine.

"This one," Yoko suggested, holding up a bundle of white fabric sprinkled with silver glitter.

"What about this one," asked a normie girl.

Enid took both and added them to the dresses that she had already collected. "To the changing room!" She and the other girls marched Y/N over to the line of changing rooms on the other side of the store and pushed her into one of the rooms with the dresses before finding spots outside.

"Make sure you come out and show us when you try one on," one of the normie girls called.

Y/N nodded and slid the curtain shut behind her, making sure to tuck the golden rope around the hook on the side of the changing room to hold the curtain closed. She carefully hung up all the dresses on the hooks before stripping out of her school uniform.

The first dress was too short for Y/N's liking, only going down to her knees, with a sweetheart neckline and no sleeves. And while the girls all agreed that Y/N looked absolutely stunning in it, they decided that it wasn't the right dress for her.

The second dress wasn't received much better, and Yoko commented that it didn't suit Y/N quite right around the hips. The girls all agreed with this and urged her to move on to the next one.

Dress after dress was put through the wringer as Y/N tried them on, unsure about some, disliking others completely, and still others that she didn't bother trying on. And slowly, the pile was growing smaller and smaller until only three dresses remained.

As soon as Y/N tried on the first of the three, she knew that it was the dress for her. It fit perfectly, hugging her body in all the right places, with a tulle skirt that flowed out around her legs like the ripples in a lake. And the rest of the girls all immediately agreed that this was the dress for her and Y/N was subjected to the unique torture that was an impromptu photoshoot right there in the store – the girls also felt the need to drag her along for a second photoshoot down in the city graveyard, where Y/N was posed around the statues as if she were a spectre wandering among the dead.

Unbeknownst to Y/N, Wednesday Addams had also noticed the dress's perfect fit when he happened to catch a glance at her through the window of the store. He hadn't meant to stop outside of Hawte Kewture, nor had he meant to watch as Y/N fiddled with the ruffles and fringes in the fabric, twirling around as the girls in front of her all cheered at having found her dress for the dance. He also hadn't expected the regret building in his stomach as he watched the girls congratulate Y/N. A few of the normie girls were even taking pictures, no doubt to upload to social media to brag about going to the Nevermore Rave'n.

Thing tapped Wednesday on the shoulder, and Wednesday turned to glare at him.

"No, I'm not going to the dance. I don't want to go and there's no way I'm letting Y/N even think that I'm jealous that she's found another date."

Thing didn't seem to believe him, but he didn't push any further as Wednesday left the front window of the shop and headed down the street.

☘︎*⚜*☘︎

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK

"Be out in a minute," Y/N called, glancing around for her shoes. She quickly spotted them tucked underneath her bed and rushed over, flopping down onto her bed. Once the buckles had been done up to her satisfaction, Y/N got to her feet and headed towards the door.

"Tyler." Y/N glanced at the clock on her desk. "You're early." She stepped back into her room and grabbed her clutch. She wasn't sure she would need it, but it was better safe than sorry, especially when it had a special antidote for anyone who accidentally drank any spiked punch. The magic of her kin had certain wonders.

Tyler shuffled nervously from one foot to the other, his hands starting to sweat as his eyes fell on Y/N's form. She was stunning.

'Where did she find a dress like that?' Tyler had never seen any like it.

When she stood and turned to him, Tyler forced his gaze to a respectable height and pushed away his thoughts and questions. "Yeah, I wasn't sure what time it started, so I thought it was better to be safe than sorry."

"Well, I appreciate the thought." Y/N turned off her light and headed out to the door.

Tyler smiled awkwardly, a few curls dangling between his eyes. "You look amazing."

"Thank you," Y/N said, looping her arm through Tyler's. "Shall we go?" It felt strange to be this close to Tyler knowing that they were going to a dance together. Standing beside him in the Weathervane was one thing. Standing beside him with their arms woven together felt too intimate. But it was expected.

Tyler nodded and held out the corsage that he had gotten for Y/N. "Do you want it?"

Y/N grimaced at the sight of the dead flower. "Uh..."

Tyler quickly caught onto her hesitation and hid it behind his back. "I forgot. Nature... dead flower... probably not the best idea I've had lately." Y/N watched as he set it aside, balancing it carefully on the post at the top of the stairs.

"Now, shall we head down? The dancing should start pretty soon."

Tyler nodded and the two headed down to the main foyer, where a few other students were waiting for their dates. On their way out, they passed Kent and his date – Kent sending an apologetic look to Y/N, which she returned with an understanding smile that seemed to ease his worries immediately – along with Divina and Bianca, the latter of whom was waiting for Thorpe, while the former had decided to go without a date for the evening. Y/N waved to them as they passed, and they waved in return, though Y/N noticed Bianca and Divina eyeing Y/N's date with a wary eye.

"Y/N."

Y/N turned around and was surprised to see Wednesday standing at the door with Eugene, looking as though he was heading out for a spy mission. A small backpack was slung over one shoulder, and in his hand, he held a flashlight and a map. Eugene's backpack was much larger and equipped with bug catchers and nets.

"Addams. Ottinger. You both know Tyler, right?"

Neither boy said anything as they stared at Tyler.

Y/N quickly noticed the tension, and felt a sadistic satisfaction seeing Wednesday and Eugene squirm. "Well, hope you boys have fun with... whatever you're doing." She guided Tyler around the two outcasts and into the yard where they followed the trail of illuminated lights to the hall where the dance was being held. Thornhill was waiting to greet the students at the door.

"Wow! You look stunning, Y/N!"

Y/N hated Thornhill's overly sweet and affectionate tone. "Thank you, Ms Thornhill." She said nothing more as she pulled Tyler into the hall, where the music was already in full swing.

It's a shame, I never fell again. It's a shame, I never felt the same.

The music wasn't the sort that Y/N usually listened to, but she could appreciate it just the same. She didn't listen to a lot of music when she was at Nevermore, finding that the only music she could stand to listen to for the most part came from the wailing of the trees in the woods. There were a few normie songs that Y/N enjoyed, but most of the music she sang were the songs of her kin. Songs that told tales of their long-lost homeland, their kin who thrived beyond the veil, and their centuries of tormenting normies and outcasts.

The decorating committee had outdone themselves with the dance hall. Pure white curtains hung all around the walls, with a large Yeti ice sculpture standing over the DJ table where MC Blood Sukaz was already hard at work. No one was dancing quite yet, but the party was in full swing as students mingled about, grabbing drinks and some of the snacks on the table, eager for the night to start.

"Wow," Tyler breathed, eyes going wide at the sight. "This is amazing."

"I agree." Y/N noticed the drinks on one of the tables. "You want to get a drink?"

Tyler nodded and the two headed over to the table to help themselves to the punch.

He was a lonely cynic, no hero nor a villain inside.

As the music changed, Y/N started dancing to the music, wanting to enjoy the night as much as she could, her hips swaying from one side to the other as she poured herself a glass of punch. She set the ladle back down in the bowl and turned to the dance.

She quickly noticed Enid standing awkwardly beside Lucas Walker, the son of the mayor of Jericho, whom she had invited in an attempt to make Ajax jealous, and Bianca and Thorpe sitting at one of the tables not too far away. Thorpe was staring at her, gently running his finger around the rim of an empty glass. Y/N quickly looked away. No doubt Thorpe wasn't pleased with her choice of a date, but Y/N wasn't in the mood to care. She wouldn't care at the best of times.

"You seem tense," Tyler said, taking a sip of his Yeti-tini.

Y/N smirked over the rim of her glass. "I always am, Galpin." She winked at the boy teasingly, taking another sip of her drink.

Tyler glanced over Y/N's shoulder and met Thorpe's gaze. He quickly looked away, understanding Y/N's irritation.

The two moved away from the food and drinks and found a table near the dance floor where they could sit. Neither was really sure what to talk about and instead, they watched as more and more students flooded into the hall, some immediately heading to the dance floor to start the dancing while the night was young, while others decided to save their heels from early torture and found themselves a place to sit.

That was until Divina and Kent came over to bid their friend a proper hello.

"Y/N," Divina exclaimed, wrapping her arms around Y/N. "You look amazing!"

"Thanks, Divina," Y/N said, setting her hands on Divina's arms to return the embrace. "You two look great as well."

"Thanks, bug." Kent had a plate in his hand and he set it down beside Y/N, sliding into the seat while Divina took the seat beside him.

"Tyler, these are my friends, Divina and Kent. Guys, this is Tyler Galpin."

"I remember you," Divina said, forcing a smile. "Y/N's mentioned you a few times."

"She has?" Tyler wasn't sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing.

"Well, you're one of the few normies that Y/N trusts so you're easy to remember," Kent said, taking a bite of his food.

"Really?" Tyler smirked at Y/N, now feeling a fraction more comfortable with Y/N's outcast friends.

Y/N was proud of the siren twins for making an effort to be nice to Tyler. She knew that they weren't crazy about him, but so far they seemed civil with him. Which was more than she could say for Thorpe, who was still glaring at her from across the hall.

The group talked for a little bit about nothing in particular, but soon, Y/N felt someone's eyes burning the back of her neck. She turned and wasn't surprised to see Thorpe still glaring at her from his seat beside Bianca, who was more interested in the sudden appearance of a certain dark-haired outcast. Y/N sighed and set down her drink.

"Tyler, can you watch my drink for a minute? I need to go talk to Thorpe."

Tyler looked over at Thorpe and nodded. "Sure."

Y/N got to her feet and stomped over to the boy, wondering if it would be worth driving her stiletto into his heel or setting the parasite on him. Perhaps later she would give the parasite the mission that he was sure to love.

"Do you mind," she hissed, leaning down on Bianca's chair to glare at Thorpe. "I'm trying to have a fun night, and your staring is quite annoying." Her fingers curled around the edge of the chair, her nails digging into the structure, feeling more like talons than nails.

Thorpe rolled his eyes. "I can't believe you brought him. He's bad news Y/N."

Bianca, finally managing to focus on something other than the sudden appearance of Wednesday Addams, decided to give her two cents on the topic of Tyler Galpin. "Y/N can do what she wants, Xavier."

"Why are you standing up for him?"

"I'm not. I'm standing up for Y/N. She's not a little girl, and she doesn't need you to make decisions for her."

"Thank you," Y/N hissed. "I'm glad to see one of you has at least an ounce of intelligence."

Thorpe sighed. "Fine. Go enjoy the dance." Then, he got up and walked off to get something to eat.

"What an arse," Y/N huffed, glaring at Thorpe's back as he left. Then, she turned to her friend. "Thank you, Bianca," Y/N muttered, taking Thorpe's spot. "I know you aren't crazy about Tyler."

"I'm not crazy about normies in general, Y/N. But I do care about you, and if you want to have a fun night, I'll do whatever I can to make sure you have the best time." She took Y/N's hand and squeezed it. "Now go back to your date before he accuses me of stealing you."

Y/N offered Bianca a rare smile and squeezed her hand. "Have fun. Don't let Thorpe ruin the night for you just because he's got his head too far up his backside."

Bianca glanced over at Thorpe's tense form. "I'll try."

Y/N squeezed her shoulder before returning to her table. She took a seat beside Tyler and took a sip of her drink, trying to wash away the anger burning in the back of her throat. Leave it to Thorpe to ruin the night.

Noticing Y/N's downcast expression, Tyler got to his feet and held out his hand. "Wanna head to the dance floor?"

Y/N smiled. "Why not." She took Tyler's hand and the boy pulled her to her feet before leading her in the direction of the dance floor.

But before they could reach the illuminated floor, Y/N was pulled away from Tyler and slammed into someone's chest. She didn't even have to look up to know who it was.

"Addams, let me go," she hissed, pushing her hands against his chest to try and push him away. "I'm not in the mood for your games."

"I think you're the one playing games," Wednesday retorted, eyes flickering over to Tyler, who was eyeing the two of them nervously. He turned back down to Y/N and gripped her chin between his fingers. Then, he slowly lowered his lips to her ear, his eyes locked on Tyler's as he whispered, "You haven't left my mind since that day in the forest. If you had wanted to go to the dance that badly, you should have asked me." The emphasis he added to the last word made Y/N shiver.

"You really think I wanted to go with you?" Y/N pushed Wednesday away from her, her glare icy and unforgiving. "First you threaten Kent so he won't follow through on his offer, then you tell me that you aren't interested in going, and now you say I can't go with Tyler and that I should have asked you! Make up your mind, Addams." She turned to go. "I'm not your puppet." She stomped back through the crowd, over to Tyler, and pulled him away, moving closer to the centre of the dance floor, where she knew Wednesday wouldn't follow.

"What was that all about," Tyler asked once Y/N released him, daring to risk a glance over his shoulder at the looming shadow on the edge of the dance floor.

"Nothing important," Y/N huffed.

We were speeding together, down the dark avenues.

Y/N's frown disappeared in an instant and she turned towards the front of the room, laughing when she recognised the song. It had been one of the first songs that Divina had played for her, and it had become one of her favourites. One of the few normie songs she enjoyed.

"C'mon," Y/N exclaimed, pulling Tyler into the light. "Let's dance."

But besides all the stardom, all we got was blues.

Y/N took Tyler's hands in hers and started dancing, leading him through spontaneous steps across the floor, her eyes shut as she allowed the music to move her.

But through all the sorrow, we were riding high.

And the truth of the matter is, I never let you go, let you go.

We were scanning the cities, rocking to pay the dues.

But besides all the glamour, all we got was blues.

But through all the sorrow, we were riding high.

And the truth of the matter is, I never let you go, let you go.

As the song reached the chorus, Tyler took Y/N by the hand and spun her around in a circle, smiling as her hair spun out, moving with the same elegance as the pale skirt around her hips. She was stunning. Impossibly stunning. And dare he say it, she was ethereal. She almost seemed to glow in the light of the room, her skin catching the light and making it dance across his eyes as if she were a suncatcher in the early morning.

Y/N twirled again and Tyler released his hold on her, watching with awe as she moved into the centre of the dance floor. She was enchanting. And as he stared at her, it felt like all time stopped. The music became muffled in his ears as he watched her dance, swaying her hips and her arms, moving as though she were submerged in the sea. Even her hair seemed to ripple as if lost in the currents of the ocean.

And it was then that Tyler realised that Y/N was truly magical. She wasn't just the sort of magical that would have her labelled as a freak by all the other outcast-hating normies in Jericho. No, she was truly magic. Enchanted. As if she had magic in her veins instead of blood, as if her skin were made of enchantments as if her hair had been woven together by the threads of legend.

As if she wasn't from this world at all.

'Dangerous.'

Across the dance floor, Wednesday stood solemnly, watching as Y/N twirled on the dance floor, either ignorant or willfully so that she was capturing not just his attention, but the attention of everyone in the hall. And to his horror, Wednesday felt the same stirrings that he had felt that day in the woods. The same feelings that had afflicted him when he had stumbled across Y/N. When he had fallen prey to the magic in her blood that had soared into his mind when he had ripped the pendant from her neck.

He took a step towards the girl, his mind filled with thoughts of what would happen if she removed her charm again. Would he be willing to give into the passionate and all-consuming urges that plagued his mind ever since that evening in the woods? Or would the more rational side of him win? There was a part of him that hoped that the rational side would lose. A small part, but a part nonetheless.

Wednesday took another step towards Y/N, and then another. Before he knew it, he was standing behind her, so close that he could feel the warmth of her body as she danced in front of him. Why he was standing in the middle of the dance floor, he didn't know. Why was he standing so close to this girl? He didn't know the reasons for that either. He wanted to blame it on her curse, but he was smart enough to know that this wasn't entirely the fault of her curse. He had felt this way even before he had torn off her pendant. It hadn't been as strong, but the feelings had still been there, no matter how hard he tried to ignore them. She was like a wonderful sort of infection, one that he was content with having in his heart, no matter how much it irritated him to admit it to himself.

Y/N turned, her eyes still shut, and continued to dance, now facing Wednesday.

Wednesday tried not to look at her lips. But in the pale white glow of the lights, it was nearly impossible to look at anything else. Her eyes weren't open to distract him. It was cruel how hypnotic she was.

Thankfully for Wednesday, the song came to an end and Y/N stopped dancing, her eyes finally opening. They met Wednesday's instantly and finally, he was able to look at something other than her lips.

Not that her eyes made it any easier for him to ignore his desires.

Y/N stared at him for a moment. Wednesday hated that he couldn't tell what she was thinking. Normally he at least had an inkling of what someone might be thinking. But as Y/N stared at him now, he couldn't figure it out.

Y/N turned away before he could do anything though, and returned to Tyler's side. Wednesday's hands curled into fists at his sides. Tyler's gaze met his for a split second before he took Y/N's hand and led her away towards the refreshment tables to get a drink. Now what was Wednesday supposed to do?

He followed the partners over to the refreshment tables and from the shadows, he watched as Y/N poured a drink for herself and one for Tyler. They were speaking quietly and Wednesday cursed. He wasn't close enough to hear what they were saying. He moved closer and from the other side of the table, he got himself a drink, careful to make it appear as though he was focused on his drink rather than the conversation across the table.

"Thanks for accepting my invitation," Y/N said. She lifted the glass to her lips and took a sip. "And I'm glad the parasite didn't nip you when he came to visit."

Wednesday nearly broke the glass in his hand at the mention of the parasite. He knew exactly what Y/N was referring to. The insipid fox that had bit him twice. It hadn't bit Tyler? Did it like the normie boy that much more than it liked him?

Y/N and Tyler turned to him and Y/N's face soured at the sight of the dark-haired boy. "Do you have a problem, Addams? Is it such a crime that I asked Tyler to the dance?"

'Yes.'

"No."

Y/N smirked, eyes twinkling with a coy cruelty. "Sure, Addams. Whatever you have to tell yourself to sleep at night." She lifted her glass to her lips and Wednesday cursed himself as his eyes followed her lips, watching as they curved around the rim of the glass. When she pulled the vessel away, her silver-painted lips had been tinted blue. Wednesday nearly shattered the new glass in his hand as he tried to control the urge to reach across the table and swipe the liquid away. Whether he wanted to do it with his finger or his lips, he wasn't sure.

As if the universe was being almost kind to him, the song changed again and Y/N smiled, setting down her drink on the table. "Wanna go dance again, Tyler?"

'Almost kind.'

Tyler glanced over at Wednesday but nodded and the two headed back to the dance floor. Now Wednesday did break his glass, snapping the stem in two. The pieces of glass fell to the floor, the ringing of the glass drowned out by the music.

"Wednesday? You okay?"

Enid was standing beside him. When had she left the dance floor?

"Fine," Wednesday snapped. Y/N and Tyler were on the dance floor, dancing together to a new song.

"Y/N looks great, doesn't she?" Enid smirked when she noticed Wednesday's eye twitch.

"She looks fine." An understatement. Not that he would give Enid, or Y/N for that matter, the satisfaction of knowing just how addicted he was to the way Y/N looked tonight.

Enid hummed and left, heading out to go and find someone to dance with.

Wednesday also decided to head out onto the dance floor. If he was here, he might as well try to accomplish what he came here for. And that was to make sure that Y/N paid attention to him. Not Tyler, or anyone else.

Steeling himself, Wednesday made his way out onto the dance floor. Y/N was dancing in the centre of the dance floor with Tyler, so Wednesday positioned himself behind Tyler, far enough away that he wasn't in the spotlight, but close enough that Y/N would be able to see him over Tyler's shoulder.

When the sun goes down and the moon comes up.

I turn into a teenage goo goo muck.

Wednesday started dancing, first just moving his shoulders, and slowly adding more movements with the rest of his body. It felt strange to be dancing, but when he met Y/N's eyes over Tyler's shoulder, he couldn't help but smirk. But too soon, her eyes flickered away and Wednesday bit back a snarl as Y/N was twirled around by Tyler. He continued dancing, his movements bordering erratic as he focused on Y/N. He couldn't match her graceful flow, but his dancing was enough to draw her attention back to him. Only this time, Tyler noticed as well and turned to see what had stolen Y/N's attention.

Wednesday smirked upon meeting Tyler's eyes.

The song soon came to an end and Y/N decided to take a quick break from dancing to go and see how her friends were. So, she sent Tyler off to get them some refreshments while she scoured the floor for her siren friends. Kent and Divina seemed to be having a grand time on the dance floor, as neither of them had decided to put themselves through the agonizing torture of wearing heels, but it concerned Y/N that she hadn't seen Bianca dancing at all.

"Hey, Tyler," Y/N said, glancing around the room for her siren friend. "Have you seen Bianca?"

"Who?"

Y/N's eyes quickly found Bianca moving through the crowd, heading for one of the doors. "Can you wait here for a moment?" She didn't wait for an answer as she slipped through the crowd, following after her friend.

"Bianca!" Y/N pushed the streamers out of the way as she stepped out of the dance hall and into one of the side rooms. Bianca was sitting on the decorative seat in the centre of the room and Y/N joined her, sliding into the seat beside her.

"What's wrong? I thought I would have seen you and Thorpe on the dance floor by now."

Bianca said nothing. Her arms were crossed over her chest and her gaze was on the floor. Y/N sighed and turned away. Settling Bianca's anger was like sailing a storm at sea. If the storm got too rough, it was best to wait it out at shore. Bianca's anger was the same. Y/N had spent many a night curled up in Bianca or Divina's bed, waiting for Bianca to tell her what was wrong.

"Xavier wanted me to use my siren song on you."

Y/N froze, her fingers wrapped around the tiny buckle of her heel. She glanced over at her friend through her curls, eyes wide and horrified. She couldn't have imagined that Thorpe would have asked Bainca to siren-song her. They had never been on the best of terms, but to ask Bianca to siren her? That was enough to get both him and Bianca expelled from Nevermore.

"What did he want?"

Bianca sighed and leaned back against the plush cushions. "He wanted me to make you hate Galpin and Addams." Her fingers drifted over her charm and Y/N's eyes followed her movement.

"Are you going to?"

Bianca glanced at Y/N. "What do you mean?"

"Are you going to siren-song me? To hate the boys?"

Bianca scoffed. "Whatever feelings I had for Xavier left when he asked me to siren-song you." She reached out and took Y/N's hand in hers, squeezing them together. "There's no way I'm using my siren song on my best friend."

"Am I your best friend," Y/N asked coyly, squeezing Bianca's hand in return.

Bianca smiled. "Of course. You're the only one who knows my secret, and I know yours. I think that's enough proof of our best-friend status."

Y/N grinned, in a rare moment of happiness. "Fair enough." She shot to her feet. "And as your best friend, I demand you come back to the dance floor and dance with the rest of our friends, because may my wings be ripped from my back if I let you have a miserable time out here by yourself." She held out her hands and Bianca took them with a laugh, allowing Y/N to pull her up.

The girls returned to the dance floor, and though Y/N noticed Tyler and Wednesday talking to each other just out of the way of the light, Y/N continued to the dance floor with Bianca, eager to try and make her friend feel better. They started dancing together, singing along with the songs as they flickered past, joined by Divina, Kent, Enid, and all their other friends.

And soon, Bianca's frown was replaced with one of the most beautiful smiles that Y/N had ever seen.

☘︎*⚜*☘︎

All too soon the night was growing old and MC Blood Suckaz gave the announcement for the last dance of the night.

"Yo! Yo! Yo! Almost eleven o'clockity, so haul it out on the dance floor one last time, before the Rave'N says 'Nevermore'."

Who needs to go to sleep, when I got you next to me?

"Y/N! Bianca! Come on!" Enid grabbed Y/N's hand and pulled her deeper into the crowd. And from the edges of the dance floor, Wednesday and Tyler watched as Y/N ran off, laughing as she bumped into Kent. Immediately she was swept up in the dancing. She danced differently than she had before, but even now she moved with the same grace and mystery that she had before.

All night, I'll riot with you.

I know you got my back and you know I got you.

Y/N grabbed Divina's hands and started dancing. The girls twirled each other around, whooping and laughing with the rest of their friends as they relished in the energy of the Rave'N. Y/N could still feel the eyes of Tyler and Wednesday burning into the bare skin of her back, but as Divina twirled her around, she couldn't find the heart to care.

Kent took his twin's place beside Y/N and twirled the girl around, grinning when he noticed the blissful smile on the girl's face and the near-silent words of the song slipping through her lips. It had been a while since he had seen her looking so free. It was a refreshing sight.

So come on, come on, come on.

Let's get physical!

Light out, follow the noise.

Baby, keep on dancing like you ain't got a choice.

Kent continued to spin Y/N around, the arm around her waist keeping her steady as he spun her around, ensuring that she remained on her feet as Kent threatened to spin her so fast that she collapsed in a dizzy puddle.

Could she even get dizzy? She had never been dizzy before.

So come on, come on, come on.

Let's get physical!

Hold on just a little tighter.

Come on, hold on, tell me if you're ready!

Come on

Baby keep on dancing.

Suddenly, Y/N froze, her face turned towards the ceiling of the hall. The horrid scent of chemicals filled her nose.

The first drop of paint fell on her forehead. Her skin shivered at the sensation. Working with paint on a paintbrush was one thing. Having the paint on her skin was another thing entirely. She reached up and wiped it from her forehead, her heart thundering in her chest as she stared at the red paint on her hand. It looked like blood.

"Y/N?"

Kent and Divina were behind her, each one with a comforting hand on her shoulder. They noticed the red paint on her fingers.

"Let's go, bug." Kent gently took her by the bicep and forearm, pulling her away from the dance floor.

And not a moment too soon. A second later, the sprinklers overhead exploded with red paint, drenching the snow-white dresses and suits still on the dance floor. Divina and Kent didn't look back as they pulled Y/N away from the room and out into the cool night. They didn't stop until they had reached Y/N's dorm and the door was shut behind them.

"You okay," Divina asked, gently setting Y/N down on her bed and taking a seat beside her.

Y/N nodded and slumped against Kent, her eyes fluttering shut. The dance had taken a lot out of her.

"That's the last time I go to a dance," Y/N muttered, nuzzling against Kent warmth.

"Well, to be fair, you were dancing a lot," Divina chuckled, picking up a brush from Y/N's desk and taking a seat behind Y/N, beginning to gently brush out the tangles in her friend's hair. "I don't think I've ever seen you dance that much."

"I don't think I've ever seen Y/N dance," Kent added. He noticed the parasite making its way over to them and stood from the bed, handing Y/N over to his twin as he knelt to take the clothes that the parasite was dragging over.

"You went snooping through my things again, didn't you?"

The parasite yipped, nipping the skin of Y/N's ankle.

Divina took the clothes from her brother and helped Y/N over to the small en-suite bathroom that was mostly hidden by ivy and moss.

Once Y/N had shut the door, Divina turned to Kent. "I've only ever seen her dance when it was just me, Bianca, and her. She doesn't dance for anyone else."

"She was dancing tonight," Kent said, taking a seat on Y/N's chair and draping his arms over the back.

"And now you know why she doesn't often dance." Divina sighed, tugging on a strand of her hair. "You saw how everyone's attention was focused on her." She took a seat on the bottom of Y/N's bed. "Even with her pendant, her magic is too powerful to be completely controlled."

The twins fell silent and a moment later, Y/N emerged, her dress draped over her arm as her pajamas hung limply around her body.

"Feel better," Divina asked.

Y/N nodded. "Thanks."

"No worries, bug," Kent said. He enveloped her in a tight hug and Y/N sighed, slumping against him as exhaustion consumed her.

"Okay, and that's enough for you," Divina declared, clapping her hands. "Off to bed."

"Get out of my room and I will," Y/N retorted.

The siblings laughed and headed towards the door. "Night, Y/N."

"Good night."

☘︎*⚜*☘︎

Chapter Text

☘︎ *⚜*☘︎

There are some secrets which do not permit themselves to be told.
~ Edgar Allan Poe

☘︎ *⚜*☘︎

☘︎ * - 20 YEARS EARLIER - *☘︎

A young Emmy yawned as the morning light greeted her. Finally, a day of sun after what had felt like ages and ages of nothing but rain and storms. She hoped her garden hadn't gotten too waterlogged. She was a hedge witch and had formed a special connection with the plants, but she wasn't nearly powerful enough to keep her plants from getting too much water if the rain was as torrential as it had been.

Not bothering to change out of her nightgown, Emmy got to her feet and headed out into the morning sun. As she pulled open her door, the scent of fresh rain and a washed earth wafted towards her, dancing on the breeze. She sighed as the petrichor embraced her, before disappearing over her shoulders to fill her house. Before heading out into her garden, she made sure to prop her door open with a rock, making sure that as much of the beautiful scent could fill her home as possible.

Emmy wandered out into her garden, her fingers drifting across the leaves of the morning glory curling around the well-built just off the cobblestone path. Robins and wrens chirped as they basked in the spring warmth overhead, nuzzled together in pairs on oaken branches, hidden beneath a blanket of leaves. And as Emmy approached her vegetable garden, she noticed a fluffy brown tail poking out from beneath a head of lettuce. Emmy chuckled at the sight and knelt on the edge of the vegetable garden, moving ever so slowly.

A tiny bunny was hidden beneath the lettuce, using it as shelter as it nibbled on a carrot that it had pulled from the ground. Emmy stifled a giggle. Then, her hands shot out and wrapped around the tiny creature, pulling it from the garden as it wiggled in her hands.

"I'm not gonna hurt you," Emmy laughed, holding the little bunny tight. "I just wanted to give you a proper meal." She bent down and picked up the carrot, holding it up for the bunny to sniff. As the carrot was brought nearer to the bunny, it started to settle, possibly realising that the woman holding it was no longer a threat. Or it could have been the presence of an enchanted fairy making her way towards the garden.

"I think she likes you."

Emmy glanced up from the bunny and her eyes widened when she saw a familiar woman making her way into the morning light. As always, she was gowned in a dress of leaves and flowers, with vines hanging limply around her arms and waist and spiralling down her bare legs.

"Aisling."

The young fairy didn't move any further. She remained on the edge of the forest, half concealed in shadows, half exposed to the light.

Emmy waited for the overwhelming desires to flood her like they had the last time. The desires that had resulted in her lying unconscious in a bed of poppy flowers on the edge of the forest. But instead of the overwhelming sensation of all her nerves burning with longing, there was nothing more than a subtle hint of something in the back of her mind. She could feel the enchantment clawing for a grasp on her mind, but as the moments passed, the grip of the claws seemed to weaken until there was hardly any burning at all.

Emmy let out a relieved laugh and glanced up at the fairy, who was still watching her with an apprehensive stare.

Aisling dared to take a step into the light. As her foot crossed the threshold of Emmy's garden, the roots of the plants surged towards her feet, greeting the fairy as she passed over the soil. Vines from grapes and pumpkins spiralled towards her, brushing her ankles and tugging at the hem of her dress. Soon Aisling became so swarmed with plants and roots that she couldn't move a step further. Unlike the plants of the woods that obeyed her without a second thought, these plants had been grown by a hedge witch and would not listen to her magic any time soon.

"Away with you!" Emmy swept her hands across the gardens and in seconds, the magical plants returned to their proper places, though some attempted to fight the magical restraints and return to the fairy's side.

Aisling still didn't move. "How are you feeling?"

Emmy was silent for a moment as she tried to think of how she felt. "In control."

Aisling risked a small smile. "Really?"

Emmy nodded. "Really." She wrapped her arms around herself as a breeze surged down the valley forest, embracing the two magical women. "Would you like some tea?"

Aisling glanced over her shoulder at the forest behind her. Her safe haven. Her sanctuary. For so many years she had wandered the forest, alone save for the presence of the animals and plants.

"Aisling?"

"Yes," Aisling said, turning back to Emmy. "Tea sounds lovely."

☘︎ * - PRESENT DAY - *☘︎

How well do we really know our parents?

Take my father. I've always considered him an open book. A man given to misguided schemes and exaggerated displays of affection. But when he was a student he was accused of a murder that took place right up there.

Y/N glanced up from her paper and frowned. Why on earth had Wednesday's father been accused of murder? True, she had never met the man, and if she was going off of how well she knew his son, he might have committed a crime. Wednesday certainly seemed to have a particular taste for the macabre and the morbid. Who's to say that his father was any different?

Which leads me to wonder, what really happened that stormy night thirty-two years ago?

Y/N slammed her textbook shut and leaned back in her chair. She was never going to get any work done with Wednesday's exceedingly loud thoughts. She thought of her mother and how she hadn't had the safety net of the charm, and how many people had succumbed to her charm, allowing her to steal their heart before she managed to escape. Once, before she had left for Nevermore, her mother had told her about the pain of having so many voices in her mind. Like a never-ending storm that grew louder and louder with each passing day. And Y/N could barely handle one.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door and Y/N quickly slipped her pendant over her head, hiding it beneath the neckline of her shirt. She glanced towards the clock on her desk. It was nearly ten, which meant that the parents of students would soon be arriving for parents weekend.

"Y/N! Come on, I know you're in there!"

Y/N huffed at the sound of Divina's voice and rose from her seat. She ignored the angered yipping of the parasite, who had been startled awake from its nap as the bottom of the chair grated across the wooden floor.

In all honesty, Y/N had been hoping to hide out in her room for the weekend to suppress the envious feelings of seeing her peers with their families, but Divina and Kent had made her promise to come and hang out with their family. Rather, they had asked, and Y/N had never been able to turn down the guppy eyes of the twins.

"One second, Divina!" Y/N grabbed her phone from her nightstand and tucked it into her pocket. Then, she headed to the door and pulled it open.

"Come on!" Divina hardly let Y/N shut and lock her door before pulling her down the steps of the tower. "Kent's already waiting with our parents! They can't wait to meet you."

Y/N sighed and rolled her eyes, but she couldn't help smiling. At least she wouldn't be alone this year like she had the year before.

Divina and Y/N made their way through the halls and out into the courtyard, where they wove through the growing crowd of happy families until they found Kent standing with two adults who bore a striking resemblance to the siren siblings. As they drew nearer, Divina slipped her arm through Y/N's and gave her arm a comforting squeeze.

"There she is!" The woman standing with Kent immediately scooped Divina up, rubbing her nose against her daughter's cheek and peppering her skin with kisses.

"Mom! Stop!" Divina batted away her mom. "Not in public, please!" She stumbled away.

"Oh, what, you don't want Mommy showing you how much I've missed you!"

Divina shook her head, still smiling despite her mother's attempt to embarrass her.

"We missed you little guppies so much," their father said, looping an arm around Kent's shoulders. "You two just had to pick the furthest school away, didn't you?"

"Last time I checked, you were the one who chose to send us here," Divina argued. "But it's nice to see you too, Dad."

Their mother was the first one to notice Y/N, standing awkwardly behind Divina. "Oh. This sweetie must be Y/N!" She emerged from the family group and wrapped her arms around the young fairy. "We've heard so much about you!" She winked and wrapped an arm around Y/N's shoulders. "Kent here can't shut up about you. It's all, 'Y/N this' and 'Y/N that'..."

"Mom!" Kent's cheeks were as red as blood and Y/N smirked when Divina elbowed him in the side, her gaze flickering between Kent's burning cheeks and Y/N's triumphant expression.

It was no secret to Y/N how Kent truly felt about her. She was a little saddened that she didn't return his affections in full, but despite the fact that both knew how Kent felt about her and that Y/N knew how he felt, there had never been any awkward tension between them. Kent was happy to have Y/N as a close friend, possibly even his best friend, and was happy to see her happy. Even if that meant he had to take a back seat in her love life.

The older siren snickered and released Y/N. "Oh, don't worry guppy, Y/N knows I'm joking."

"It's nice to meet you," Y/N said, smoothing out her hair. She found a twig poking out from between a few tangled locks that her brush had missed and tossed them aside.

'That parasite needs to stop leaving twigs in my hair...'

"And it is so nice to finally meet you as well, sweetie! You can call me Delta. And this is my husband, Caspian."

As Caspian extended his hand in greeting, Y/N observed the similarities between the siren twins and their parents. All four had the same brown hair and the same green-blue eyes that were a tell-tale sign of siren magic and heritage, but Delta's seemed to be more silver than they were green while still retaining a blueish hue.

The other families filtered into the courtyard and soon Weems emerged to welcome the parents to the school.

"Welcome to Nevermore! If you have not met me before, I am Larissa Weems, the headmistress of this school and a Nevermore alumni myself. Nevermore was created as a safe haven for our children to learn and to grow, no matter who or what they are. I realise most of you have heard about the unfortunate incident involving one of our students. But I'm happy to report that Eugene is on the mend and is expected to make a full recovery. So let's focus on the positive and make this Parent's Weekend our very best yet."

Scattered applause filled the courtyard as the families started engaging with each other, greeting old friends, reuniting with children and other relatives, and seeking out Weems to inquire about what the next few months would bring in terms of curriculum and other extracurricular activities.

With Weems' announcement finished, Y/N turned back to the siren family. The twins were being interrogated about what had happened since they had last spoken to their parents and what had been planned for the coming weekend. And once again, Y/N felt like an outsider looking in. Delta seemed to notice Y/N lingering on the outskirts of their conversation and pulled Y/N closer, looping her arm through Y/N's and questioning her about who she was, outside of what she had heard from her children. Which was far more than Y/N had expected. Apparently, there was little that Divina and Kent hadn't shared with their parents about Y/N. But Y/N didn't mind, even when Caspian let it slip that they knew about Y/N's curse and who she was. She trusted the twins, and that trust extended to their parents, for some strange reason.

'Why do I feel so comforted by people I've only just met?'

As Delta started grilling Divina about a siren boy that she had mentioned in her last call home, Y/N noticed Kent gently tugging on her sleeve. She allowed him to pull her away from his family for a quiet conversation between the two of them. He pulled her into the shadows of the courtyard, beyond what his parents could hear, and released her with an almost guilty look.

"I'm sorry about what my mom said," he muttered. "I..." He wasn't sure what to say. He hadn't exactly noticed how much he talked about Y/N, but it was hard not to when she was his best friend. And the girl he fancied.

Y/N laughed, a true smile slowly spreading across her lips. "It's fine, Kent. Don't worry about it." She poked him in the shoulder. "I'm just pleased you think so highly of me." She refused to make the situation awkward, and Kent felt the same. Neither was willing to let their friendship deteriorate because Kent had developed a crush on her.

As Y/N turned away to return to his family, Kent took her hand and pulled her back. "Please just let me know if they say anything that makes you uncomfortable. I want you to enjoy this weekend, not feel awkward every time you hang out with my family."

"I doubt they'll say anything that will make me so uncomfortable that I won't want to hang out with you guys."

"Are you sure?"

"One hundred per cent positive." Y/N squeezed his hand. "Now c'mon, guppy." Y/N released Kent's hand and ran off into the crowd.

"Oh, no. You don't get to call me that. Only my mom gets to call me that." Kent chased after Y/N, following her back to where his parents were standing, oblivious that Kent and Y/N had disappeared.

"Oh, Y/N, there you are."

Y/N froze, slowly turning to the voice that grated on her nerves like nails on a chalkboard. Kent nearly crashed into her as she came to a sudden stop. Both teens turned to see who was calling Y/N, an boht tensed at the sight of Thornhill walking towards them, a sickeningly pleasant smile on her lips.

"Miss Thornhill."

Y/N could feel Kent standing behind her, his hand gently brushing against her forearm, a reminder that he was behind her. Y/N could also feel the rest of his family approaching, no doubt picking up on the change in her mood.

"Principal Weems would like to see you in her office right away." Thornhill glanced at the sirens standing behind Y/N. "If you're able to step away from your friends for a moment."

Y/N nodded and Thornhill headed off.

"Do you want us to come with you," Divina asked, approaching Y/N's other side.

Y/N shook her head. "No. I'll find you guys once I finish with Weems, okay?"

The siren twins nodded and released Y/N, watching quietly as the fairy made her way through the families, disappearing into the shadows of the school hallways.

☘︎*⚜*☘︎

Y/N came to a stop outside of Weems' office and sighed, lifting her hand to her pendant. She could already guess what Weems wanted to talk to her about. It was Parents' Weekend after all. The campus was filled with happy families and smiling faces. And if Weems had a visitor for Y/N... She lifted her hand and knocked on the door. The knock seemed to echo in the abandoned hall.

"Come in."

Y/N gripped the handle and pushed open the door, her other hand rising to cup the wood as she stepped into the woman's office. Sure enough, sitting in a chair across from where Weems usually sat was a middle-aged woman with a row of black lilies woven through her emerald hair. The woman turned to face her and Y/N grinned at the sight of the familiar hedge witch.

Weems met her at the door, holding the door open as Y/N stepped through. "Your guardian wishes for a word in private. I'll be just outside if you need anything." She gave Y/N a comforting smile before stepping through the door, allowing it to fall shut behind her.

Y/N immediately turned back to the hedge witch.

"Emmy!"

Y/N all but leapt into Emmy's open arms, squeezing the hedge witch tight as the older woman swung her around, cooing with laughter as she stroked her hand through Y/N's tangled locks, easing out the knots that the parasite had twisted in the night.

"It's good to see you too, sweetpea." Emmy pressed a gentle kiss to the side of Y/N's head. "How are you?"

Y/N wasn't sure how to answer Emmy's question. Tormented by Addams. Peeved with Addams' persistence. Suffering from his horribly vivid thoughts. But overall, doing well. She said none of this though.

"It's school. I'm doing well, but I'm exhausted and ready for the break."

Emmy laughed, releasing Y/N and tucking a lock of hair behind her ear. "You always say the same thing, sweetpea. But I'm sorry to say that you'll still have to wait a little while before returning home."

Y/N sighed. "I know."

"Ahem."

A second figure stood from the opposite chair and Y/N paused at the sight of her kin's council elder. The man turned to Emmy for a moment. "If you wouldn't mind, Emmy, I would like a word in private with Y/N."

Emmy didn't hesitate and nodded to the man. She squeezed Y/N's hands and gave Y/N a peck on the forehead before stepping out. "I'll come find you after, all right?"

Y/N nodded, watching as Emmy left the room. Once, she left, however, Y/N turned back to the elder and lowered her head in a graceful bow. Releasing a fragment of her mortal disguise to reveal a pair of silvery wings that blossomed from seemingly nowhere, tearing through the back of her uniform as if it were nothing more than mist. Her ears began to sharpen even more, stretching farther back than they usually did, decorated with metal cuffs that shimmered like moonlight in the dim light of the office. And when Y/N lifted her gaze, Aspen could see the familiar silver glow in Y/N's eyes and the speckled stardust sprinkled across her cheeks.

The elder, named Aspen in the mortal tongue, greeted Y/N in a language that neither Weems nor Emmy could understand. Even if the women had dedicated their entire lives to learning the language that passed through his lips, they never would have been able to understand it. It was the language of the sidhe. The fairies. The outcast that had all but been lost to legend, recorded in only a handful of records that were often passed off as fairytales rather than fact.

"The light of sun and moon shine on our reunion, child."

Y/N nodded in turn to Aspen's greeting, repeating the greeting to the elder.

Aspen was one of the few kin that she had come to see as family rather than fellow fairies. When her mother had passed at the hands of the villagers, Aspen had taken Y/N in, raising her in the way of their kin when she was in their haven. Y/N had spent much of her time with Emmy in the mortal world beyond the shield, but when she was behind the shield, Aspen was her guardian. He had taught her about who she was, who her mother was, and the land they had come from. The land that had been lost to them when the normies chased them away from the veil.

Aspen was one of the fairies who never bothered hiding that he was an outcast whenever he was outside of the shield. Most fairies Y/N knew, both seelie and unseelie, wore the disguises of mortals when out beyond the shield hoping that the disguises would either help them blend in with the mortals or entice them a little easier. Aspen, however, never let go of the namesake staff that he had earned when he joined the council, nor did he ever wear anything other than the robes of woven moonlight and sea foam. Y/N had pestered him relentlessly as a child, trying to get him to wear "normal" clothes, but Aspen had refused adamantly. Y/N respected his stubbornness. Especially since he had been the one to teach her how to be so stubborn.

As she stood, Y/N's mortal disguise returned, concealing the truth of her otherworldly self. It was not for the eyes of most mortals.

"Why have you come to Nevermore, Elder?"

"The Lady of the Lake has requested an audience with you, Child of Starlight."

Y/N frowned at the mention of the fabled enchantress. She was... odd. Immortal, ancient, born of the old magic as all fairies were. She was tied to water, and was the one fairy who Y/N knew was capable of crossing between the land of the mortals and the land of their kin at will. She had no need for the veil. She was the only one who could cross simply by passing through an arch or sinking beneath the surface of the lake she guarded.

To the mortals, she was called Nimue. They had thought her dead centuries ago, killed at the hands of the mysterious King Arthur and the knights of the round table. Little did they know that she had faked her death with the help of a few trusted kin of the old magic, returning to the land of the fairies for a few years to wait for the death of the knights.

Y/N had never met her.

"The Lady of the Lake? Why?"

Aspen turned from Y/N, striding across the office to the window overlooking the grounds. Y/N followed him, her eyes glancing across the surface of Weems' desk, taking a quiet inventory of what she saw. Nothing too condemning, but she did notice that one of Nevermore's old yearbooks was out on the desk, opened to a page of students performing on a stage. Uninterested, Y/N returned her attention to Aspen.

"You found the old manor in the woods, yes?"

"How did you know?"

Aspen turned to Y/N with a soft smile stretching across his wrinkled and scarred lips. He was by far one of the oldest fairies in the haven, and as far as Y/N knew, he was the one who chose to age. Slowly. He had been alive for centuries and only looked to be in his mid fifties, though his cheeks and brow were littered with the wrinkles of a mortal elder. "Our kin is far more connected to that manor than you realise, Child of Starlight. The Lady of the Lake wishes to speak with you about that manor. And about your magic."

"My magic?"

"What you are."

Y/N frowned at Aspen. "I know what I am."

"You know a part, Child of Starlight. You do not know the full extent of your magic and what you're capable of. The Lady of the Lake wishes to help you."

Y/N turned from the elder, staring out at the grounds of Nevermore, her gaze no longer on the students mulling about the courtyard. Instead, her gaze fell on the forest that stretched far beyond the grounds, in the direction of the abandoned manor.

She still had more to uncover? What did Nimue want to teach her?

☘︎*⚜*☘︎

Y/N couldn't stop thinking about what Aspen had told her. She couldn't stop thinking about the invitation from Nimue.

Meet me where the starlight falls on the sea, where the drowning demons wait, where no mortal dares tread. One fortnight. Then I shall answer your questions, Child of Starlight.

Y/N doubted most of her peers knew what "fortnight" meant. It wasn't a term that was commonly used in the twenty-first century. But she had been raised by immortal fairies who concealed themselves as much as possible from the outside world. She hadn't truly known the extent of the progress that the human world had managed to achieve when she was a child since she had grown up in the haven, which was still somewhat trapped in the Dark Ages.

'Two weeks. Two weeks and you'll have your answers.'

'Answers to what though? I thought I knew everything I needed to know..'

Y/N scoffed, settling down on one of the stone walls outside the school to think. "Apparently not."

"Are you talking to yourself?"

Y/N had expected Kent or Divina to be the one to find her first. But she should have known better. Of course Wednesday Addams had been eavesdropping on a conversation that he had no business prying into. Even if that conversation was between her and the not-so-silent voice in her head.

She sighed. "What do you want, Addams?" She didn't bother turning to look at Addams. She knew him well enough by now to know he was standing directly behind her, staring at her with this usual dead expression.

"What did Weems want?"

Now Y/N turned to look at him. "You've got some nerve, Addams. Last time I checked, I don't owe you an explanation for anything, let alone why Weems wanted to see me."

"Who were the people standing outside?"

Y/N scoffed, turning away from the boy. "Piss off, Addams. I'm not in the mood."

Y/N got to her feet and walked away in the direction of the woods. She could not deal with Wednesday right now. She doubted that she would be able to deal with the boy anytime soon. She was in no mood for his quips or his emotionless mannerisms. She wanted the earth. She wanted the forest. She didn't want the stone-cold boy who never seemed to give her mind a moment of respite.

"I can tell you're in no mood. You're stomping around like a child who doesn't get their way."

Y/N froze. Slowly, she turned to Wednesday. "Excuse me?"

Lightning flashed overhead as a storm began to brew, rain falling on the pair as Y/N's anger started to swirl.

"You're acting like a child. Stomping around and screaming like a toddler. My brother has better control of his emotions than you do."

Wednesday had never known fear. He had fears, yes, like the drawing that Rowan's mother had drawn of him and the fact that he might be responsible for something horrible. But that wasn't the sort of fear that froze him in his place, chilling him in his cold black heart and leaving every nerve awaiting pain and torment. And not the good sort.

But as he stared at Y/N, standing there in the courtyard with rain and lightning flickering in the background, Wednesday learned the true meaning of fear.

The young girl standing in front of him was no longer the Y/N that consumed Wednesday's thoughts and dreams. She was the Y/N that Wednesday saw in his nightmares. Terrifying, powerful, and addicting in a dangerous sort of way that even he wouldn't dare engage.

A darkness overwhelmed her as shadows crept across her flesh, illuminating her skin with the ashy haze of a raging fire, the only break in the ash stemming from her emerald eyes that shone brighter than fresh grass on a summer day. The rain seemed drawn to her, and as lightning struck the iron fence behind her, illuminating her silhouette, Wednesday felt his knees threaten to give out on him. Still, he held strong, watching, wondering what Y/N would do.

"You are a fool if you think for a moment that I would indulge in any of your questions, Wednesday Addams." Y/N snarled in a voice that was not her own. Her eyes flashed and her hair started to swirl, whipping around her skull as if trapped in a hurricane. The wind started to spin around the two and vines burst from the ground like whips, lashing towards Wednesday. The boy drew a hidden rapier from his umbrella and started slicing at the plants as they surged towards him. 

"You are not one to understand what I am, nor will you understand the mysteries of my kin. You know not of my curse. You know not what I seek." Y/N took a step towards the boy. Roots and brambles ruptured from the ground at her feet and encircled her body, forming a chokier of thorn and a crown of blackberries, bitter nightshade, stinging nettle, and lily of the valley. Wednesday recognised the flowers instantly.

"You are a poison, Wednesday Addams," Y/N said, her voice still hollow, echoing around the two of them as if they were trapped in a cave, miles and miles below the earth's surface.

As Y/N continued to approach, Wednesday felt his resolve crumbling. He fell to the ground as vines encircled Wednesday's wrists, pulling him into a kneeling position on the cobblestone, forcing him to remain still as Y/N stood over him.

"Y/N," Wednesday whispered, unable to say anything more. All he could do was watch as Y/N approached.

Flowers sprung at her feet only to die a moment later, and behind her, Wednesday watched as the vines curled and twisted into the shape of humans, armed with thorny spears and swords. Y/N's personal army, controlled by the fairy magic that ran deep through her veins.

Y/N came to a halt in front of Wednesday and a thorny vine forced Wednesday to face Y/N. "You do not get to call me a child, Wednesday Addams. Nor do you get to follow me and use me as you have been. I have been lenient in the past, allowing you to use my help as you see fit. But you will use me no more. You will suffer through your curse by yourself." She leaned closer to Wednesday, so close that Wednesday felt the effects of the curse, despite the iron charm still around her neck. His eyes fluttered shut as her lips drifted over his, and his body fought to free himself of the vines, yearning for the electrifying embrace of the fairy. "You shall think of me every waking and slumbering moment. You shall never be free of me." Wednesday gasped as vines encircled his throat and as Y/N's suddenly dagger-like nails dug into his cheeks, forcing him to look at her. "You shall long for me every moment, but you will never have me." She pulled away, and Wednesday gasped as the desires left him. 

"And as a reminder..." a vine lashed against Wednesday's cheek and he flinched at the pain. "A scar. You shall never forget me."

Mist flooded the courtyard, racing across the stone and up the sides of Nevermore concealing the grounds. And in the mist, the vines released Wednesday, the rain and lightning stopped, and Y/N left.

As the mist faded, leaving the students inside wondering about what had happened, Wednesday remained in the courtyard, eyes focused on the rapier in front of him. And to his surprise, a tear slid down his cheek, brushing against his lips, still warm from Y/N's breath. Slowly, he lifted his hand to his cheek. Blood trickled from the wound, staining his ivory skin.

"Y/N..."

Shakily, Wednesday got to his feet. Y/N was right. He would never forget her. He could never forget her. As obsessed as he was before, he felt himself burning with longing. The charm did nothing now. It had never done anything. Wednesday Addams had been loath to admit it, but ever since the very first day, the first time he had encountered Y/N, he had been consumed by her. She had already haunted every moment of his consciousness and subconsciousness, fighting the monster and the macabre for a hold on his mind.

Wednesday had never been in love before. He knew nothing about it. He knew that his mother and father loved each other, and as a consequence, they couldn't keep their hands off each other. But what did it feel like to be in love? Wednesday had no idea. But he had a hypothesis. Perhaps it was the butterflies that he had endured as Y/N towered over him like a living embodiment of his dreams and nightmares. Or maybe it was the way his heart ached for her now that she was gone, screaming for her to return to him. Or maybe it was an obsession that he was feeling. But he knew now that this had nothing to do with her curse. Maybe he had used her curse as an excuse in the beginning, but he knew now, he wanted Y/N. He didn't care if she was cursed or if she feared that it was because of the curse that he wanted her. He wanted her.

And as he headed inside, he muttered the words he never thought he would say. "She will be mine. And I will be lost in her."

☘︎*⚜*☘︎

"What did you do?"

Y/N sighed as she stared into her tea, drawing her finger around the top of the tea and watching as it rippled. "What are you talking about?" She didn't need to ask. She knew what Emmy was asking about.

"Hmm. Let's think. Maybe the sudden storm that only seemed to drench Nevermore for ten minutes?"

"I got angry."

Emmy chuckled, her sharp words fading into amusement. "I figured out that much, sweetpea. I could feel your anger down here in the village." She took a sip of her tea and reached out to take Y/N's hand. "What caused your anger? You know better than to get angry, especially with so many normies around. You remember what happened last time."

Y/N huffed, pouting like a child as she slid down in the booth, crossing her arms over her chest. "You're never going to let that go, will you?" She blew a stray piece of hair out of her eyes. "I thought it was funny."

"Nearly setting the normie village on fire with lightning? Might I remind you that you couldn't leave the haven for weeks after that right? And I couldn't leave my cottage"

"It was the normie girl's fault."

"I know, sweetpea. I know." Emmy sighed and drew her free hand over her tired expression. "But you have to be careful. The normies back home are dangerous because they know what you are. But the normies here are dangerous because they don't." She squeezed Y/N's hand. "You are more dangerous than your mother ever was, you know that."

Y/N sniffed and took a sip of her tea. "I know. I know."

"Do you?"

"Yes. My curse for being half-mortal."

Emmy grew silent and pulled away from Y/N, unsure of how to handle the simmering anger in the young fairy. She had no children of her own. Y/N was her only child in a way, but Emmy had never been the one to soothe Y/N's anger. That had been a task for Aspen.

"What made you angry?"

"Wednesday Addams."

Emmy frowned. "Addams? Is he the son of Morticia Frump and Gomez Addams by any chance?"

Y/N nodded hesitantly. "Yes. Why?"

Emmy's frown disappeared and she chuckled. "Morticia was one of my best friends when I attended Nevermore." The witch reached into her bag and pulled out a small folder. Y/N knew this folder well. It was a folder of some of Emmy's most prized possessions, most of which were photos. Among them was a picture of a young Emmy and another young girl with raven black hair and skin like the clouds. Emmy gazed at the picture for a moment before handing it to Y/N.

"Morticia and I were the best of friends when we were in Nevermore."

Y/N took the photo from Emmy and smiled immediately upon seeing a younger version of Emmy in the picture. She still had the same bright emerald hair, adorned with leaves and bits and bobs, and in the picture, she and Morticia were both wearing their uniforms, though Emmy was wearing shoes that Y/N knew for a fact were not conforming to the dress code. But most of Emmy's shoes had mushrooms and moss growing on them. Such was the price of practising hedge-witchery. Emmy was sitting on one of the stone walls around the campus, while a young raven-haired girl was standing beside her, both posing for the camera. No doubt this was Morticia Frump, Wednesday's mother.

While Y/N was busy admiring the picture, Emmy fiddled with her hands nervously. "There is something you should know, Y/N."

Y/N glanced up from the photo of Morticia and Emmy, handing it back to the witch. "What?"

"There is someone else who is here to see you." Emmy's gaze dropped to the photo and she tucked it away into the folder, slipping it back into her bag.

"Who?" Y/N already knew the answer, somewhere in the back of her mind, and as Emmy glanced at the table behind her, Y/N felt her heart drop into her gut.

"Your father."

Y/N's whole world froze, and for a moment, it felt as if the world itself had stopped spinning. Shivers rolled up and down Y/N's body, and for a moment, she felt her magic threatening to consume her once again.

"What?" The seething anger could be heard in the edge of her voice.

"Your father came to see you," Emmy whispered. "He wanted to spend the weekend with you."

Y/N didn't wait for another word. She was up off the bench in a second. She slapped down some money as payment and left the cafe, storming out into the chilly afternoon. Sixteen years and her father had never shown an interest in getting to know her, and now, all of a sudden, on just a random Saturday that had been an all right day until now, her father finally cared enough about her to show up.

"Y/N, please wait!" The bell over the cafe doors chimed as Emmy followed Y/N.

"No!" Y/N whirled around, glaring at Emmy. "He never once cared for me!"

"He did, Y/N." Emmy pleaded. "He does care about you. But –"

"No," Y/N hissed. "He never wanted me. He never cared."

Y/N turned and fled, summoning the mist to shield her tracks. She wanted to be alone. She didn't want to speak to Emmy, and certainly not her father. All she wanted was her mother. She wanted to feel her mother's arms around her, telling her the stories of their kin, the stories that Aisling had been told long before she departed from Avalon. But she was gone. Along with nearly every comfort Y/N wanted most.

Emmy stood outside the cafe, watching as the mist concealed the young fairy, only disappearing once Y/N released the mist. The hedge witch sighed and rubbed her forehead. She didn't have long. Her plane would be leaving in a few hours and it would take her at least an hour to make it to the airport. But she didn't feel right leaving Y/N with no blood family.

"Emmy."

The hedge witch turned and sighed when she saw an older gentleman standing behind her.

"I'm sorry. She..." Emmy groaned and rubbed her temples again. "She's headstrong. Like her mother. And it's been sixteen years..."

"Let me handle this," the man said. "I should be the one to talk to her." He set a hand on Emmy's shoulder. "I'll call you once I sort it out."

Emmy didn't like the idea of leaving Y/N with a man she knew nothing about. "Are you sure? She's..."

"Quick to anger? Suspicious?" The man chuckled. "She's just like her mother then. I promise Emmy if I could handle Aisling for three years, I can handle my daughter." He headed off, his feet carrying him with a strange sense of surety. "I think." His resolve faltered for only a single moment.

The man made his way through the town, searching for his daughter. He knew what she looked like, but if she was anything like her mother - which she had so far proven to be true - then she would know hiding spots good enough to keep her from searching eyes. But thankfully, he had years of practice in searching for fairies. He chuckled at the memories of searching around their village for the fairy he had loved and continued walking.

Eventually, his feet took him to the edge of a graveyard. He paused at the gate and stared into the foggy depths.

"You're just like your mother, you know," he said, stepping into the graveyard. "She often hid in the graveyard behind our village. It was the one place we would never go because she knew we fear the dead." Once, he had been a boy, afraid of the graveyard, just like everyone else in his village. But Aisling had shown him the beauty of the graveyards. How the headstones held stories of long-deceased loved ones, and how there could be a beautiful serenity lost amongst the stones. During the first few months of their courtship, they had met in the graveyard exclusively.

The man continued walking through the graveyard, searching for a stone that might hide his daughter from him. And soon, he recognised a familiar stone. In the centre of the graveyard, hidden behind a veil of ivy, was a statue. A statue of a woman. Her name had been erased from the stone at her feet, washed away by rain and age, but the man smiled in recognition and walked around to the back of the statue. Sure enough, the young fairy was crouched behind the statue, her eyes finding him in a second.

"What do you want," Y/N hissed, glaring at the man who stood before her. Y/N could easily see the relationship between her and this strange man. "For sixteen years you don't reach out. Why the sudden interest?"

Y/N's father rubbed his hands together nervously before eventually sticking them in his pockets. "I... I'm sorry, Y/N. I didn't even know you existed until a week ago. Emmy was the one to tell me about you." He sighed. "Aspen asked that she reach out to me when Nimue asked to see you." He dared to take a step closer to his daughter, eyes searching for any sign of apprehension, but instead, what he saw was confusion. And disappointment.

"You... you never knew about me?"

Her father shook his head. "No. After your mother and I..." He paused, not entirely sure of how to tell his daughter about their brief romance. "Your mother never trusted that my feelings were genuine. And it certainly didn't help that the rest of my village thought that she had bewitched me." He sighed and took a seat on a nearby bench, dropping his head into his hands. "For years, your mother and I kept our engagements a secret from the village, hoping that one day she might be able to live in the forest without being hunted every waking moment. But one night..."

☘︎* - SIXTEEN YEARS EARLIER - *☘︎

A young man stood at the door of his house, gazing out into the night, eyes searching the edge of the forest. The night was waning fast, and the moon was already high in the sky, shielded by clouds threatening to split and send the world below into a torrential downpour.

The man sighed and slumped against the doorframe. She had said that she would come tonight. He already had everything laid out and carefully prepared. But maybe she wasn't coming. Maybe something had happened.

The man drew a hand across his face. He knew that it wasn't her fault if she felt she wasn't able to come tonight. Not everyone was strong enough to resist the curse she carried in her blood. He was surprised that he was able to deny the temptations it brought, at least, the uncontrollable temptations. What indulgences he took he knew were true. He knew his mind well enough to know he was under no curse.

Sadly, the same could not be said for the others in the village. And after the mayor's son had fallen to the curse a few weeks earlier, the security in the village had doubled, if not tripled. The mayor had even installed a curfew. No one was to be outside of their houses after the sun had gone down and the night had come. In the mayor's mind, the sunlight was when the monsters stayed in the woods, far away from their village. But in the shadows of the night, they came.

The man chuckled as he thought about the mayor. If only the man knew how foolish he was. The light did not dissuade the 'monsters' as he called them, and surely not the one he awaited nearly every night.

But perhaps she wouldn't come tonight. It was risky. True, that had never stopped her before, but there was always a look of doubt in her eyes. He could see it clear as day. She doubted whether his feelings for her were genuine, no matter how often he tried to convince her they were. She doubted whether this was a good idea, sneaking into the village time and time again for a moment with him. She doubted whether this romance they shared was worth it. Worth having to hide.

He was sure. He was sure every second. He was sure that he would fight for her and that he would never stop loving her, even if she decided to end it. He would respect her and leave her be, but he would love her, even from afar.

But his mood quickly took a turn for the better when he saw a cloaked figure emerge from the shadowed road. She had come. He quickly left the door of his house, shutting and locking it, before rushing to the back of his house and unlocking the door. She didn't dare come in the front door. It was too risky with streetlights and such. And while the patrols often drove by the front of the house, they hardly ever went around back. And even still, he had planted trees, just as an extra precaution.

The door creaked open a moment after he unlocked it.

"Aisling," he whispered, watching as his love lowered her hood, revealing pointed ears and hair adorned with dew. He quickly took her in his arms, holding her tightly and breathing in the scent of the forest lingering on her skin. "I was worried you wouldn't come tonight."

"I almost didn't," Aisling confessed. "The security is getting harder and harder to evade."

The man sighed. As much as he loved seeing her, he knew it was getting more and more dangerous. "I love seeing you, Aisling, but if you feel it's too dangerous. Don't come." He pulled away and brushed away her ruby hair. "It's safer in the woods."

"I know," Aisling whispered, cupping his hand against her cheek. "But... I want to see where this leads. I've been alone for so long, I just want to know what it's like to be loved." Her eyes searched his. "If this is true..."

The man smiled and leaned forward, brushing his lips against her forehead. "I do love you, Aisling. I will say it as many times as you need. I love you."

Aisling smiled at his words. "I want to believe you, I truly do. And I hope that one day I will."

The man chuckled. "Hopefully that day will come sooner rather than later."

"Hopefully." Aisling stretched up and pressed her lips to his cheek. "But for now, let's just enjoy -"

She was cut off when a knock came from the front door. The man turned, eyes wide with horror when he heard another knock.

"Hide," he hissed, pushing Aisling away. "Don't come out until I tell you it's safe."

"It's no use," she whispered, already pulling up her cloak. "They'll feel my curse."

"No, no they won't." He took her hand and pulled her into a small room. "This room has iron along the door. Stay near the back and they won't feel you."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm sure. Fairies can't touch iron right? Maybe it'll dull your powers."

Aisling bit her lip and glanced down at the iron along the bottom of the door. She wanted to trust the man. She already trusted him, but was she willing to trust him with her life? "I'll... I'll try." She stepped over the door, hissing at the burning sensation and quickly made her way to the back. Then, she shrunk down against the wall and curled in on herself.

The man shut the door behind him and adjusted himself, trying to look put together. Then, he headed for the door.

"Can I help you," he asked, pulling the door open.

The mayor himself stood on the other side of the door, glaring at him.

"Take him."

Officers stormed into the house and cuffed the man's wrists behind his back.

"Hey! What... what are you doing?!"

"Don't worry, son, you'll be released from her curse soon enough. But for now, we'll take you somewhere she can't hurt you." The mayor started walking away, motioning for the officers to follow him.

"I'm not under any curse," the man objected, writhing in the cuffs. "What on earth are you talking about?"

"The witch! You've succumbed to her curse. And until we kill the witch, you shall stay in the local jail, where you will never have to fear about succumbing to her curse." The mayor gestured to the car and the officers shoved him in.

"I'm not cursed!"

The officers slammed the door, locking it behind the man.

"Search the house."

The man watched in horror as the officers turned back to his house, pulling out their weapons as they entered.

"No... No!" The man beat the windows and the door, willing the lock to break.

Everything outside the car was silent for a moment, save for the man attempting to break out, but suddenly, there was a blast of light from inside the house and the man fell back against the seat, momentarily blinded. When he forced himself up, he watched as Aisling emerged from his house, fear etched into her features.

"Aisling!"

Her eyes met his and for a moment, she stood there, weighing the risk. She loved him, as much as it pained her to admit it, she loved this mortal man. But at the sound of the officers behind her, shouting for her to freeze, she fled. Pulling her cloak over her head she ran off, disappearing into a sudden mist, leaving the love of her life behind, screaming her name as he wept in the back of the car.

☘︎*- PRESENT DAY - *☘︎

"I never saw Aisling again after that night," the man said sorrowfully. "Not that I could blame her." He scoffed. "My parents decided to ship me off for my own good and sent me abroad to study. It took every ounce of their savings, but they were convinced that time away from the village would give me the clarity I needed to see that I was cursed." His eyes remained focused on his hands and he sighed. "When I returned I hoped that Aisling might come to see me, maybe even just once. But..."

"She never returned to the village."

The man looked up and nodded. "I'm so sorry, Y/N. Had I known..." He trailed off. "Did your mother ever tell you about me?"

Y/N shook her head and shuffled on the base of the statue. "She died when I was a sprout." She glanced towards her father, wondering how he would react. She didn't know how the curse affected someone when the fairy died. Did it drive them mad?

Instead, all she saw was heartbreak, and the familiar sheen of unshed tears tucked into the corner of his e/c eyes. "I..." Her father seemed to struggle to find the right words. "I think I..." He slumped against a tombstone. "I think I knew... somewhere. Somehow. But I always hoped..." He didn't have to finish his sentence. Instead, he dropped his head into his hand, his shoulders shuddering as silent tear-less sobs shook his body.

Biting her lip, Y/N pushed herself off the statute where she sat, moving to join her father. She sat down beside her father and tucked her hands under her thighs, fidgeting a bit as she thought of what to say. Instead of saying anything, Y/N reached into her pocket and pulled out her phone. She quickly typed in her password and opened her photos app. She scrolled and scrolled until she found the picture. Then she tapped it and handed the phone to her father. He took it and instantly his eyes filled with tears.

It was a picture of Aisling. It was the last picture Y/N had of her mother. Emmy had taken it shortly before her mother had died. The photo had been taken on an old camera that Emmy had tucked away, but with the advancements in technology, they had scanned the photo and uploaded it so Y/N always had a copy on her.

Y/N hadn't understood then, but her mother had insisted on taking the photo. And while it had annoyed her in the moment, Y/N was glad that her mother had insisted. It was one of the few pictures she had of her mother.

"You look just like her," the man muttered, a tear slipping from his eye. He laughed. "And you act just like her too." He handed the phone back to her.

"Look," he said after a moment. "I know... I know that you probably have reservations about me, Y/N. I can't blame you for that. You don't know me. But... I would like to get to know you. And I would like to be a part of your life if you'll let me be." He got to his feet. "I got a place to stay in town for the weekend. If you want to talk, I'll be around." He tucked his hands into his pockets and started to walk off, but Y/N's voice called him back.

"Wait."

He stopped.

"I... I think I'd like to get to know you."

He breathed a sigh of relief and turned to his daughter, tears threatening his eyes once again. "Really?"

Y/N nodded. "I think it would be nice to have a father." She chuckled. "But it does sound a little weird calling you 'dad'. Um... is there something else I can call you?"

He chuckled. "F/N. You can call me, F/N."

☘︎*⚜*☘︎

Y/N's father decided to remain in Jericho for the weekend. He had been hoping that the initial meeting would have gone well and had booked a place in the village. So, once the two had finished their initial meeting, Y/N's father called Emmy and Aspen asked them to meet them back at the school for one final goodbye. To Y/N's surprise, Emmy and Aspen were already up at the school, after the former had found an old friend wandering around Jericho.

"Y/N. This is Morticia Addams."

Y/N didn't look at the boy standing beside his mother. She had promised him that she would think of him no more, and she was going to keep that promise. But that didn't mean that she couldn't meet Emmy's old friend.

"Hello, darling," Morticia cooed as Y/N and her father approached. "I am Morticia. Emmy has told me all about you." She stepped aside to reveal her family. "This is my husband, Gomez. And our two sons, Pugsley and Wednesday. I assume that you have already met Wednesday though."

"Once or twice." Y/N said nothing more, and Morticia easily picked up on Y/N's feelings towards her eldest son.

"Well, would you like to eat with us, Y/N? We were just about to sit down."

Before Y/N could say anything, her father stepped forward and placed a hand on her shoulder. "My apologies, but some of Y/N's friends have already invited us to eat with them. Maybe tomorrow we could join you."

Morticia nodded graciously. "Of course. And you are?"

"Y/N's father."

Wednesday's eyes widened in surprise. He didn't know much about Y/N's family, as Enid had known basically nothing, but he had managed to pick up on subtle clues that her mother was the one who had cared for her since birth and that her father was out of the picture. Had he been wrong?

He stepped forward to say something. "Y/N -"

"Good day, Morticia. It was nice meeting you. I hope to see you around this weekend." Y/N gave Morticia a small curtsy and turned away, her father following close behind but not without a warning look over his shoulder, aimed in the direction of the eldest Addams boy.

Morticia turned to her eldest son as soon as Y/N had left, staring at him with an inquisitive and almost peeved expression

"Do I wanna know what that boy did?" F/N slid into the seat beside Caspian, while Y/N slid into the seat between Kent and Divina.

"It's nothing," Y/N muttered.

"Wednesday getting on your nerves again," Divina asked.

Y/N helped herself to some food as she answered. "Not anymore. I am no longer concerned with Wednesday Addams."

Divina took the hint and dropped the topic. Instead, she turned to Y/N's father. "I'm Divina. And this is my brother, Kent."

"Nice to meet you two." Y/N's father shook hands with both sirens. "I'm Y/N's father."

"And I'm Emmy. This is Aspen."

The hedge witch suddenly appeared behind Y/N, setting a hand on her shoulder. "Aspen and I are going to head out now, Y/N. When you come home after the semester, we'll talk about living arrangements and other precautions." She eyed the charm on the fairy's clavicle. "And maybe we can try and find a way to protect you from your curse without burning you." She gently picked up the charm and moved it aside, revealing the burn on Y/N's skin.

F/N's eyes widened at the gnarly burn on his daughter's skin. "What is that, Y/N?"

"It's a charm," Y/N explained. "To hide my curse."

Her father sighed. "At least when you come home, you won't have to wear one anymore." He reached across the table and took his daughter's hand, squeezing it.

The doors to the courtyard were suddenly pulled open and everyone glanced towards the doors, surprised to see the Jericho police entering the courtyard, each with a grim look on their face.

Weems stood up to greet them. "Can I ask what this is about, Sheriff?"

The sheriff said nothing and just walked past the principal, his eyes set on a table near the far end of the courtyard. Where the Addams family was sitting.

"Gomez Addams."

Everyone watched as Gomez got to his feet, turning to face the sheriff.

"How can I help you, Sheriff?"

Sheriff Galpin pulled a pair of handcuffs from his pocket. "You're under arrest for the murder of Garrett Gates." He cuffed Gomez's hands behind his back, and as he did, Emmy left Y/N's side and slowly made her way over to Morticia. "You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law."

Y/N heard the younger Addams boy calling for his father as he was escorted away.

"You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford one, one will be appointed for you."

As Gomez and the police left the courtyard, Y/N searched the courtyard for Emmy, and upon finding her with Morticia, got up and went to join her.

"I'm so sorry, Morticia," Emmy said softly, rubbing her friend's back in comfort.

"It's okay, Em. We always knew this would happen. One day." Morticia lay a hand on Emmy's. "I'm just glad you're here."

Y/N now stood beside the two women. "If you don't mind me asking, Mrs Addams, who is Garret Gates?"

Morticia sighed and gave the young girl a soft smile. "You have a plane to catch, don't you Emmy? You should get going."

Emmy shook her head. "Not if you need me here."

Morticia shook her head. "As much as I appreciate your kindness, I am sure that Y/N can help me with everything I need." She turned to Y/N. "And you may call me Morticia, little dove."

Y/N nodded.

Emmy sighed and pulled up the sleeve of her dress, checking the time. "All right, if you're sure."

Morticia turned to Y/N and smiled at her before turning back to Emmy and nodding, "I'm sure."

☘︎*⚜*☘︎

Y/N had no idea why Morticia would rely on her for help, or what that would entail. For the first few hours after Gomez's arrest, Morticia disappeared, leaving Y/N to wonder where she had gone or what help she was expecting from her.

But as night settled, and just as sleep was claiming Y/N, her hand stilling on the back of the parasite as it curled up on her pillow, she was awoken by the sensation of someone gently stroking her cheek. Y/N was awake in an instant, her hand curling around the wrist of whoever dared to wake her, the other summoning thorns and roots from the mossy floorboards underneath, poised like a thousand needles, ready to strike.

"Wednesday Addams," Y/N snarled, her brambles moving even closer to the pale-skinned boy. "I thought I told you I would have nothing more to do with you and that you had to suffer your curse alone."

Wednesday scoffed and flexed the wrist that was pinned beneath Y/N's knee. "You really think I would leave you alone? I've grown used to your presence. It'll take much more than a threat and a storm to keep me away."

Y/N smirked and leaned closer, gripping his cheeks and pressing her nails into his flesh. "Maybe I need to give you another scar as a warning not to bother me anymore." The thorns pressed against Wednesday's skin, and he flinched away at the sudden pain. He wasn't quite sure why he flinched. He had endured much worse than this and had enjoyed it, so why was he flinching now?

"I need your help."

"I don't care," Y/N snapped. "You don't get my help anymore, Addams. You get to do it on your own."

"Not for me. For my mother."

Y/N paused. "Why does your mother need my help?"

"We want to prove my father's innocence."

"And how does this require my help?"

Y/N shifted a bit, the tension easing out of her body, and as she did, Wednesday suddenly became aware of the rather... compromising... position he found himself in. And he also became aware of the frazzled beauty of the half-asleep fairy, who was currently without her pendant.

"Y/N..."

His eyes started to haze and Y/N whipped around, snagging her pendant from the bedstand and slipping it on.

But the pendant didn't seem to do anything. Wednesday still said nothing and simply stared at the young girl, his eyes tracing the features of his face as he started to try and pull his wrists free from her.

"Y/N..."

"What, Addams?"

"Kiss me... Please... Before I lose my mind."

Y/N scoffed, the sound waking the parasite from its slumber. "You've already lost your mind, Addams. A kiss won't do anything."

The parasite immediately snarled upon seeing the boy, but Wednesday didn't even glance in the parasite's direction.

"Please..." Wednesday begged, not ashamed that he was begging. "Please..." He would beg for the rest of his life if he had to.

Y/N leaned closer, her nails dragging down the side of his face and up along the bottom of his jaw, until they forced his chin up. And still, she leaned closer so close that their lips almost touched. Wednesday parted his lips in anticipation, his eyes fluttering shut as he waited for a kiss...

"No."

Y/N pulled back and got to her feet. She headed to her wardrobe and grabbed her jacket and a pair of runners. She wouldn't bother changing out of her pajamas for this. If she had her way, it would be a half-hour assistance, nothing more. As she readied herself to help Morticia, Wednesday continued to lie on the floor, panting as if the fairy had stolen his breath, even though nothing was keeping him on the floor anymore.

"Come on, Addams. The faster we help your mother, the faster I can get back to bed."

Wednesday didn't move immediately, but upon Y/N clearing her throat, he scrambled to his feet and set himself right. Without another word, he led Y/N from the room.

The two walked through the forest in silence, one thinking about the sleep she was losing, the other wondering which was more important to him; Y/N, or the monster? He wasn't sure. And he hated that he wasn't.

Wednesday trailed behind Y/N, his eyes focused on the leaf litter beneath their feet, only glancing up at the fairy every few steps. After about ten minutes of walking, he decided to break the silence, which he had found stifling.

"Aren't you cold?"

Y/N glanced down at her legs, which were bare, save for the shorts that she had chosen to wear to bed. She shrugged. "No."

Y/N continued walking, and Wednesday took the hint, feeling a vindictive anger rising in his chest. He sniffed. Fine. If she was going to play this game, he could play it too. After tonight, he would no longer allow Y/N to distract him from his mission. Or from anything. He forced his eyes away from her and sped up, now walking in front of her as he led her to the graveyard where Morticia was waiting for them.

About fifteen minutes later, they arrived at the graveyard, where they found Morticia standing beside Garret's grave, staring at the headstone.

"Hello again, Morticia."

Morticia turned away from the headstone and smiled. "Hello again, little dove. I'm surprised to see you. I didn't think Wednesday would be able to convince you to come." Wednesday walked past his mother and grabbed a shovel, pressing it into the soil beneath the gravestone.

"I didn't come for him, Morticia. I came to help you and your husband."

Morticia smiled and approached Y/N, giving her son a wide berth to dig. "What has my son done now?"

"Nothing of any importance," Y/N answered.

"I doubt that. But I will apologise on his behalf. When it comes to handling the delicate emotions of others, Wednesday is..."

"Inconsiderate?"

Morticia laughed quietly. "That's one way of putting it."

Wednesday rolled his eyes. "This would be a lot easier if you two weren't gossiping and distracting me from my work."

"Oh, I'm sorry, Addams, do you find me distracting?" Y/N walked up to the boy and pushed him out of the way. He stumbled, nearly falling onto another grave.

Y/N paid the boy's grumblings no mind and instead shook her hands out over the grave, summoning the magic of the earth to her hands. And as she called to the magic, the magic answered. Her hands curled as she drew the magic to the site before her and as she felt the magic take hold of the soil, she turned her palms away from each other and pushed the soil away, revealing the coffin below with not a speck of dirt on it.

"There," she said. "All you had to do was ask."

"She would have been useful on your other grave-digging adventures," Morticia said to her son, a teasing smirk on her lips.

Wednesday ignored his mother and hopped down into the hole, landing with a thump on top of the coffin.

"Beware the woman with light. She comes to watch the grave."

YIP YIP YIP

"Hide, Child of Starlight."

Y/N's ears twitched at the sound of the forest and the hurried yipping of the parasite and glanced over her shoulder. A few gravestones down, she could see the flicker of a flashlight. For once, she was glad the parasite had snuck out to follow her.

Without warning the others, she darted away, hopping nimbly over the headstones until she was able to conceal herself behind a tree.

Santiago showed herself a moment later, catching the two Addams in her light. "Well well, what do we have here? Guess there's gonna be an Addams family reunion in lockup tonight. You're both under arrest."

Y/N watched from her hiding spot as Morticia and Wednesday were escorted away by the cop, leaving the grave site unattended. As the cop car pulled out, Y/N emerged from the tree and slowly made her way back over to the grave. She peered down into the hole, wincing when she realised that Wednesday hadn't closed the lid.

"Did he take anything?"

"He requires proof of his father's innocence. The woman with light stopped him from completing his task."

Y/N rolled her eyes. "Why, oh why, does he leave everything for me to do myself?"

A vine sprouted from the side of the pit, spiralling down towards Garret's body and coiling around his hand. It snapped a finger free and brought it to the surface, where Y/N gazed upon the blueish flesh with a sigh. She recognised it instantly. Nightshade poisoning. While immune to the poison herself, she recognised it easily. Emmy had been the one to teach Y/N about the different flowers and plants and after ten years of drilling it into her head, Y/N knew the plants as well as she knew the stories of her kin's homeland.

Using another vine, Y/N shut Garret's coffin before piling the soil back onto the coffin and pulling grass back up to the surface, hiding the evidence that anyone had disturbed the grave. Then, she and the vine carrying Garret's finger headed off, sticking close to the edge of the village as they made their way towards the station.

"C'mon, parasite."

Bark bark!

"Well, too bad. If you wanted to keep sleeping, you shouldn't have followed me."

Bark!

"OW! I did not ask you to follow me out here! Now keep your teeth to yourself, or I'll strangle you."

☘︎*⚜*☘︎

"Get comfortable. You can post bail in the morning."

Wednesday watched through the bars as Galpin strutted off, pleased with his work for the day. He didn't dare look behind him. He could hear his parents kissing much too passionately for his liking and wished that Galpin had been kind enough to put another cell between his parents. At least then they would be more focused on their situation than each other.

"Not even the long arm of the law could keep us apart," Gomez whispered.

"At least we'll have one last night together."

Wednesday scoffed, his eyes focused on the window on the opposite side of the precinct. "I've seen jackals with more self-control than you two." As his parents stopped kissing, Wednesday turned to address them. "Neither one of you are strong enough to serve hard time. And thanks to Y/N, you won't have to."

Morticia and Gomez gasped at the sound of creaking hinges and turned towards the window that Wednesday had been staring at, watching with wide eyes as they slowly crept open. Vines snaked in underneath the wooden rims and curled over the walls, up towards the security cameras, where they spiralled over the lens, shielding the station from view.

And then, another vine carried Y/N into the station, allowing her to hop over the windowsill and onto the floor of the station. She guided her vines over the windowsill and into the station, her eyes trained on Wednesday.

"Here," she said, guiding a vine forward.

Wednesday held his hand out and the vine dropped Garret's stolen finger into his hand. But as it was pulling away, Wednesday reached out and grabbed it, smirking when Y/N turned back to him.

"As much as you try, you won't be able to stop thinking about me," he said, smirking at Y/N's fierce eyes and curled lips. "You're just as obsessed with me as I am with you."

"Please," Y/N hissed. "Do you think I'll dream of you tonight? Do you think I dream of you every waking moment?" She tsked the boy behind bars. "No, Wednesday. That would be you. I'll have dreams of the parasite before I have dreams of you."

Yip!

Something didn't sit quite right with Wednesday about her statement.

"I hope this clears your name," Y/N said, addressing Morticia and Gomez. "If it does, I'll see you up at Nevermore tomorrow." She nodded in their direction before leaving, hopping out the window of the station and taking the vines with her.

Y/N landed back on the pavement of Jericho and turned towards the vine-covered town. She smirked at the sight. There was something so wickedly comforting about seeing the normie village tangled in vines that could crush their homes in a matter of seconds. It would be sweet vengeance for their years of hating outcasts, hating people like her. As she ran her hands along one of the vines, she could feel it begging to crush the village, leaving it as nothing more than a pile of rubble. A part of her wanted to indulge in the vine's desires. They were hers, after all.

"Y/N."

Y/N's thoughts of destruction vanished instantly as she whirled around. Tyler was approaching her, his hands tucked into his pockets.

"Tyler."

"What are you doing down here?" He checked his watch. "It's almost midnight."

Y/N huffed. "Addams needed my help with something." Noticing that the parasite was yawning and stretching, she bent down and picked the little furball up, tucking it in her arms and allowing it to doze in her gentle hold.

Tyler chuckled. "You and Wednesday seem to have a strange relationship, I'll say that much. Seems like one minute you guys like each other and then the next you're absolute enemies."

"Blame Addams. It's his fault. And I don't even tolerate him, so I don't know what gives you the impression that I like him."

The boy smirked. "You'll see soon enough." A gust of wind swept across the duo and Tyler shivered, crossing his arms together. As he did, he realised just how little Y/N was wearing. "Aren't you cold in that?"

Y/N shrugged. "Not really." A sudden gust of wind whipped her legs from behind and she shuddered. "Maybe a little."

Tyler laughed. "Do you want a ride back up to the school? Might be nicer than walking."

"No, it's okay. I'll be back up there in a few minutes." As she said this, a root sprouted beneath her feet, lifting her up off the pavement and into a waiting throne of twisted brambles. "And I'm pretty sure my magic will be faster than a car."

Tyler gazed up at the girl and smiled. "Whatever you say. See you later, Y/N."

"See you, Tyler."

☘︎*⚜*☘︎

As much as it was strange to say, Y/N was sad to see her father go the following day. He had spent nearly every waking moment with her, learning everything about her that he could in the two days that they had been given together, and though they had only known each other for a short while, he seemed hesitant to leave.

"Are you sure you don't want me to stay in Jericho a little longer," he asked as Y/N walked him to the exit where the other parents were bidding their children goodbye. "I don't have anything going on for a while."

"I'm sure, F/N," Y/N said. "But I'm happy for the offer. I'll see you once the semester ends."

F/N smiled and without thinking, reached out and gently caressed his daughter's hair. "You look just like your mom." A tear bubbled in his eye and he quickly brushed it away. "You know, I wonder what it might have been like, if we were a complete family, even if it was only for a little while."

Y/N wasn't sure what to say. But her father didn't expect an answer. He simply leaned forward and gently gave his daughter a kiss on the forehead. "See you later, little sidhe."

Y/N watched in silence as her father headed off, hopping onto the Nevermore shuttle with some of the other parents who were heading back down to the village. He waved at her through the window and Y/N waved in return, waving until it turned a corner and she could see it no more.

"You okay, bug?"

Warm hands gently settled on her shoulders and Y/N smiled when she saw Kent standing to her left and Divina on her right.

Y/N noticed tears on her cheek and hastily brushed them away. "Yeah. Yeah, I'm okay. It's just weird, saying goodbye to someone and feeling sad about it when I've only known him for like thirty-six hours."

"I don't think it's weird," Divina muttered. "There's probably something familiar about him. Something in you that knows that you're connected?"

Y/N shrugged. "Maybe." She yawned, still feeling tired from the previous night's excursion. "I'm gonna turn in early tonight. I'm exhausted."

She gave the twins a hug and they quickly returned it.

"Night, bug. We'll see you in the morning."

☘︎*⚜*☘︎

Chapter Text

☘︎ *⚜*☘︎

Believe nothing you hear, and only half of what you see.
~ Edgar Allan Poe

☘︎*⚜*☘︎

“Crackstone is coming.”

As Wednesday opened his eyes, he found himself lying in the dewy grass, with a misty night hanging over him. He lay there for a moment, reminding himself of how he had arrived at this situation. Enid and Thing had tricked him into attending a birthday party. For him. He grimaced at the thought of having to wake from this vision to rejoin the party. He might have to break a few of Thing’s fingers after.

“Crackstone is coming.”

Rising from his bed of grass, Wednesday surveyed the grounds around him. To his left was a warped iron gate, rusted with age and infected with tendrils of ivy. And standing on the other side of the gate, was a familiar witch.

“Goody.”

“You are the Raven in my bloodline.”

Wednesday thought back to his mother’s words. A Raven. Plagued by negative visions. Visions that allowed him to see the darkness in the world.

“Wednesday.”

Goody now stood beside the boy.

“I was told you could teach me how to control my ability,” Wednesday said.

“There is no controlling a raging river. You must learn to navigate it without drowning. Time is not on our side.” Goody turned towards the gate and Wednesday followed her gaze. “To stop Crackstone, this place you must seek.”

“Do you always speak in riddles?”

“Do you always seek simple answers?” Goody turned to her descendant again. “The path of a Raven is a solitary one. You end up alone, unable to trust others, only seeing the darkness within them.”

“Is that supposed to scare me?”

Goody couldn’t hold back the faintest smirk. “It already does.”

☘︎ *⚜*☘︎

Y/N watched silently from the shadows of the hall as Weems welcomed Mayor Walker and his son, Lucas, into the school. As it turns out, Lucas had been responsible for the explosion of paint that had brought the Rave’N Dance to a bitter and sudden end. Well, him and his cronies. The same boys that often tormented Y/N when she went down to Jericho. Y/N wasn’t fond of them, though as she watched Lucas head off down one of the halls with a Nevermore caretaker, she noticed his face was visibly twisted in regret. Did he honestly feel bad for what had happened at the Rave’N?

Her gaze flickered to Mayor Walker and Principal Weems as they headed down the stairs to the lobby. The mention of Lucas’ name had stolen her attention from the boy himself, and she moved closer, following the mayor and her principal as they headed out of the gothic manor.

“You know, Lucas feels terrible about what happened at the dance,” Mayor Walker said, his steps slow and measured as he descended the stone steps.

“Forgive my skepticism, given his latest act of vandalism.”

Y/N had all but forgotten about the worlds that had been burned onto the Nevermore lawn. She hadn’t been there to witness the incident in person, but she had heard whispers about it floating around the school, and Kent had taken her to see them when she asked. The words ‘Fire Will Rain’ had been scorched into the lawn just outside of Principal Weems’ office, and though the fire had been put out almost immediately, the words had still left a black stain on the grass.

“But he had nothing to do with burning those words onto your lawn,” Mayor Walker argued. “He’s been grounded for the last week.”

Y/N knew this was the truth. Lucas’ mother kept plants all over their house, tending to them diligently. Far more diligently than Thornhill ever did, and the plants there were far happier than Thornhill’s ever had been. It was this that made Y/N hold a shred of warmth toward the normie woman. If she was liked well enough by the plants she cared for, then she was liked the same by Y/N.

But plants, especially roses, were terrible for gossip, and they had been complaining almost nonstop about how Lucas was just lounging around the house, bored out of his mind after being grounded for his prank at the dance.

Weems seemed hesitant to accept what Mayor Walker was saying, but she relented after a deep sigh. “Fine. He does his community service here, and we forget it ever happened.”

The two left the building, stepping out into the cold morning light, and Y/N moved a little further down the hall, straining her ears to listen to their conversation. She relaxed a part of her glamour charm, allowing her ears to lengthen and grow a bit sharper. The conversation flowed a little more clearly now as Y/N reached out with her magic. She wasn’t supposed to, but she had done a lot of things this year that she wasn’t supposed to. Accidentally cursing Addams for one.

“I’m in your debt, Larissa.”

“I don’t need your gratitude. Just find the delinquents responsible. Perhaps start with Lucas’ cohorts.”

It was a good suggestion, all things considered. But Y/N knew it hadn’t been Lucas’ peers who had burned the words onto the lawn.

“Right after we track down whatever attacked the Ottinger boy,” Mayor Walker retorted, standing his ground for the boys.

His shift in the conversation irritated Y/N a bit, seeing as how the boys were always a pain in the side of any outcast who dared to visit Nevermore, but she could understand Walker’s desire to stand up for children who truly hadn’t had anything to do with the vandalism. Innocents weren’t meant to be scrutinized and subjected to judgement. If you could call the troublesome teens innocents. Y/N certainly wouldn’t.

“Although,” Walker continued, “all fingers would point to one of your own students.”

‘Clearly he hasn’t looked into the sort of outcasts that attend Nevermore,’ Y/N thought bitterly.

“Careful, Noble,” Weems hissed. Y/N didn’t have to see her principal to know that her lips were pressed thin and that facial muscles between her nose and upper lip were twitching. “My charity has its limits.”

Y/N stood at the top of the stairs for a moment longer, her hands resting on the stone railing as she listened to Mayor Walker leave the grounds, Principal Weems watching him with what Y/N was sure was an irritated sneer. The two loathed each other as much as they tolerated each other. Jericho was entirely reliant on Nevermore to stay afloat, and though Nevermore didn’t necessarily need Jericho to survive, it certainly helped having a small town so close.

Eventually, Y/N tired of standing around and moved on, heading down the same hall that the mayor’s son had disappeared down a few minutes earlier. She was intrigued by Lucas. She had felt him when he first stepped onto the property, his footsteps echoing through the web of magic tangled through the grass and roots, each one carrying the weight of his deceit and truth.

As a fairy incapable of lying, it was easy to tell what was fact and what was fiction. Fiction fell heavy with each step, each breath tinted by the shadows of the lies and shame. Truth, though heavy, was noticeably lighter and far more gentle. Truth could sometimes be as painful as a lie, but it had never fallen with the same weight.

Y/N followed Lucas through the corridors of the school, listening carefully as the caretaker explained what he was supposed to be doing for his community service. Cleaning windows, sweeping floors, tending to the dusty closets and cabinets that no one had dusted in years… The regular torturous cleaning jobs that the caretaker either ignored or put off for far too long.

Without classes to interrupt her stalking – there was no easy way to name what she was doing, as she was stalking in the most literal sense of the word – the hours of the morning bled together, each one filled with Y/N’s ever watchful stare of the normie boy. She didn’t know why she was watching him, as he was incredibly boring to watch, but still, she stood there, like a gargoyle watching over a cathedral, making sure that pigeons didn’t get too close to the inner sanctuary.

The only interruption in her staring was the arrival of Bianca, who was bored out of her mind and searching for her friend and hopefully some entertainment.

“What are you doing?”

Y/N turned to her friend, unashamed that she had been watching the Walker boy for the better part of the morning. She told Bianca what she had been doing immediately.

“You’ve been watching him since he got here?”

Y/N nodded, glancing over her shoulder at the boy. “He feels… different.”

Bianca shifted, leaning her weight on one hip as she peered around a pillar that was blocking the normie from view. “How so?”

“He feels… lighter. But not… not in a good way.”

“Is there a bad way?”

Y/N nodded. “I’m not sure what it is. But something feels off.”

“Why didn’t you just ask him if he’s done something different today?”

Grinning, Y/N crossed her arms. “Because watching is more fun.” Her grin faltered a second later as she turned back to watching Lucas as he carefully tended to the dust on the stained glass windows. “And I’m not sure he would know himself.”

Bianca allowed Y/N to stare for a minute or two longer. “Well, sorry to break your stalking session, but I need your help.”

“With what?”

“I need to practice my fencing, and since you’re the only one who can match me…” She trailed off, her smile blooming when she noticed Y/N’s expression.

“All right, all right. I’ll come along. But I’m not going easy on you.”

“I didn’t expect you two.”

The girls headed in the direction of the gym, passing behind Lucas as they made their way towards a hallway on the opposite side of the stairwell. But as they passed behind the normie, Bianca suddenly froze beside Y/N and the girl turned around, curious as to what had made her friend stop dead in her tracks. When she followed Bianca’s gaze to Lucas Walker’s wrist, she immediately recognised the yellow bracelet on his wrist.

It hadn’t taken much for Bianca to tell Y/N all about MorningSong, the cult that her mother was a part of. A cult that Bianca had escaped by coming to Nevermore. Y/N had been surprised that Bianca was willing to trust her so quickly, considering that the two had hardly known each other when Bianca had told her how she had gotten into Nevermore and the life she had left behind, but Y/N guessed that it had something to do with the pendant she wore. A pendant that snuffed out her magic like Bianca’s shut out her siren song. The two had bonded over the powers that they needed sealed away, and after Bianca had told her about her mother and about MorningSong, Y/N had in turn told Bianca the truth of what she was.

They had been attached at the hip ever since, and it hadn’t taken long for Divina and Kent to join their little circle of cursed outcasts.

“Where’d you get that,” Bianca asked.

Lucas faltered at the sudden address, turning slightly to glance over his shoulder at the two girls standing behind him. He seemed almost amused that they were talking to him and that Bianca had skipped the pleasantries to ask him something.

“The bracelet,” Bianca clarified, noticing the semi-confused expression. “Where’d you get it?”

“Lucas,” the boy said, reminding Bianca of the existence of manners. “Nice to meet you.”

“Bianca.”

“I know.”

Bianca turned to gesture to Y/N and introduce her, but Y/N interrupted her.

“We already know each other.” The tone in Y/N’s voice was one of warning. She and Lucas had never been on the best of terms due to his peers tormenting her every chance they had, but she had never had a problem with Lucas specifically. He was just a bit pigheaded sometimes, but then again, who wasn’t?

Lucas gave Y/N a wary smile as he lifted his hands. “Not here to cause any problems, Y/N.”

“I know.” Y/N wasn’t currently mad at the boy, and her tone eased into one of teasing. “But I’ve got my eye on you, normie-boy.” The slight tilt in the corner of her lips betrayed her amusement, and the tension seeped out of Lucas’ body almost instantly.

Relieved that Y/N wasn’t about to curse him, Lucas turned back to Bianca to answer her question. “Last week at the Weathervane, my dad said I had to get my act together. After he left, this woman in the next booth told me about this self-help app, MorningSong. Said it could help me refocus my life.”

He took the bucket of cleaning tools and moved away from the window to stand closer to the girls. Bianca turned to face him, while Y/N leaned against the stone, less interested in what Lucas had to say and more worried about how this conversation would affect Bianca.

“Usually I’d call BS on something like that, but for some reason –”

“You believed her.”

Bianca had told Y/N how MorningSong often used her mother’s siren song to pull in members. It wasn’t Lucas’ fault that he had fallen prey to the song. Everyone did. Y/N didn’t know anyone who was capable of withstanding it.

“Yeah, and she turned out to be right, so I signed up.”

Y/N barely contained a scoff. Anything said to someone under the influence of a siren song would sound “right”. It didn’t mean anything.

“And they sent me this.” Lucas proudly displayed the bracelet on his wrist and Y/N’s eyes shot to Bianca.

The girl hesitated for a moment before speaking. “I guarantee MorningSong doesn’t give a da** about your well-being. They’re only interested in your money. Do yourself a favour. Delete that app. The more you listen to them, the more they sink their claws into you.”

“How do you know?”

“I just do.”

Y/N smirked. Watching the two talk was more entertaining than she had originally expected.

“Which is why I’m warning the normie idiot who ruined my killer dress with his bulls*** prank, to not get sucked into MorningSong.” Bianca gave Lucas a once over. “Because you’re just the type they’re looking for.”

Lucas, though amused, sniffed a bit, his boyish grin still plastered on his lips. “I’m guessing that’s not a compliment.” He glanced over Bianca’s shoulder to Y/N, who gave him a deadpanned shake of her head. It wasn’t a compliment.

“What do you care anyway,” Lucas asked.

“I’m trying not to turn into my mother,” Bianca said, taking a few steps back to join Y/N. “She’s like the ghost of bi***iness future.” Bianca smirked at Lucas and the two girls turned to leave, thinking that the conversation had run its course, but before they left, Lucas called Bianca back.

“Hey.”

Y/N watched with a soft smile as Bianca turned back.

“I’ll be at the Weathervane later, if you wanna stop by,” Lucas said, the boyish grin now slightly gentler. “Maybe we can exchange notes on self-improvement.”

Y/N glanced at Bianca, silently hoping that Bianca would decide to take Lucas up on his offer. Strangely enough, all of the hostility Y/N had previously felt for the Walker boy had all but drained away. What had done it? Had it been how he seemed to see Bianca as something more than just a siren?

Bianca said nothing, but gave Lucas a smile that hinted that she was at least considering his offer. Then, she turned back to Y/N and the two left Lucas in the stairwell.

Once they had left, the door closing them off from Lucas’ eyesight, Y/N reached out to elbow Bianca gently in the side.

“Hey! What was that for?” Bianca rubbed her sore arm, glaring playfully at Y/N.

Y/N scoffed. “Oh, I’m sorry, did you not see the way Lucas was looking at you?”

Bianca said nothing and pointedly refused to meet Y/N’s eyes.

Y/N’s smirk grew. “Oh, so you did see? Please tell me that you realise that this is a date.”

“I know.”

“So, are you gonna go?”

Bianca glanced up at Y/N, shifting a bit closer to the fairy. “Do you think I should?”

Y/N shrugged, bumping her shoulder against Bianca’s. “Up to you, Bianca. But I’d certainly push you to go.”

Y/N walked on ahead as Bianca’s pace slowed slightly, her mind whirring over the pros and cons of going to meet Lucas. On the one hand, this could just be one massive prank to lure a siren out of the safety of her school and torment her in front of a town that already hated her. But on the other… Lifting her gaze, Bianca noticed Y/N waiting for her at the end of the hall, a gentle look in her eyes. Y/N could read people far better than Bianca could. She had explained that it had something to do with her connection to the old magic that ran through the world and how people were connected to the earth beneath their feet.

‘If Y/N thinks it’s a good idea… maybe I should go.’

☘︎ *⚜*☘︎

Wednesday wasn’t at all surprised to find Y/N already sitting in one of the booths at the Weathervane when he entered the cafe. It seemed that everywhere he went lately, she was already there. As if some invisible force was trying to pull them together. Wednesday didn’t believe in fate. Or at least he hadn’t. Now…

Shaking his head, Wednesday stood in the door of the cafe for a moment, weighing his options. Take a seat with Y/N and try and interrogate her more about the curse she had unintentionally put on him – the one that Wednesday strongly suspected was the cause of the pull between them – or take a seat on the opposite side of the cafe to try and ignore her. She had made it clear that she didn’t want to see him.

But when Tyler took a seat across from her, sliding a fresh drink in front of her, Wednesday’s mind snapped like a guillotine’s blade slicing off the head of a criminal. He wasn’t about to let Tyler take his place in Y/N’s life. Not when he felt as though he were fighting tooth and nail just to remain close to her.

He slid into the seat beside Y/N without a word, setting the book he had brought with him on the table. He met Y/N’s furious glare head on when she turned to look at him and in turn shot the same glare towards Tyler. Tyler had been helpful in his recent escapades, but that didn’t mean he was willing to overlook the fact that Tyler was sitting with Y/N.

‘My Y/N.’

Y/N was all too thankful when Tyler remained seated in the booth across from her, offering a congratulatory ‘Happy Birthday’ to Wednesday.

This only seemed to irritate the raven-haired boy. “Birthday, yes. Happy, never.” He shifted for a moment in his seat, gaze flickering to Y/N as she took a sip of her drink. She had yet to wish him a ‘Happy Birthday’ and strangely enough, she was the only one Wednesday wanted to hear the wish from.

“Is there anyone Thing didn’t tell,” Wednesday asked.

“Well, who do you think delivered the cake?”

“You made it?”

Wednesday’s skin crawled in a way that was unpleasant, making him shiver as he never had before. Why wasn’t Y/N paying attention to him.

Tyler nodded. “Did you get a piece?”

Y/N nodded, setting her cup down on the table. “Enid brought me a piece after the party.” She didn’t bother mentioning that Enid had betrayed the information that Wednesday had been less than thrilled with the surprise party.

“Did you like it?”

Y/N nodded again, taking another sip of her drink. Wednesday’s eyes fell to the rim of the cup as she pulled it away, pupils dilating a fraction when he realised that the lipstick covering Y/N’s lips had left a smear on the edge of the cup.

‘Is it actually lipstick? She doesn’t seem like someone who would use lipstick. Is it berry paste? Or is it from a flower? Is it poisonous? Would she kill me if I tried to find out…’

“I liked that it wasn’t too sweet,” Y/N said, setting her cup down. Her lip trembled as if she were trying to fight back a smirk, and Wednesday faltered when he realised he had noticed him staring. “Probably the best chocolate cake I’ve ever had.”

“I’m glad you liked it. I went with a 98% chocolate ganache knowing Wednesday’s… preferred colour palette.”

‘To bad he didn’t want to try any,’ Y/N thought. ‘He missed one heck of a treat.’ She took another sip of her drink, humming at the taste, and set the cup down, purposefully angling the cup so the red smear of her lip colour was only just visible. Just enough to tease the raven-haired boy who seemed like he was barely containing himself from reaching over and kissing her senseless.

‘What fun it is to poke the beast.’

“Is that Enid’s gift?”

Tyler’s question forced Wednesday to turn, glancing at the snood that he had draped haphazardly over the edge of the booth, hoping that some normie would come along and snatch it up.

“It’s perfect if you’re fleeing a war-torn country on foot,” Wednesday huffed.

“Come on,” Tyler joked. “Don’t like a day that’s all about you?”

“Every day is all about me. This one just comes with cake and a bad song.”

“How unfortunate for you.” Y/N was entirely amused, finding a sadistic joy in the fact that birthdays made Wednesday so uncomfortable.

“You don’t hate birthdays?” Wednesday hadn’t given much thought to how Y/N might feel about birthdays. She had never discussed them as far as he knew, nor had he ever heard another student mention her birthday.

Y/N shrugged. “Never had one.”

This time, Tyler asked before Wednesday could. “You’ve never celebrated your birthday?”

Y/N grinned. “Birthdays are irrelevant among my kin. When you live for centuries or longer, should you be blessed to return to the land of our kin, your birthday is just another day. Not aging takes all the importance out of birthdays.” Leaning back slightly in her seat, Y/N sighed. “We’re more likely to celebrate a death than we are to celebrate a life.”

“When is your birthday?”

Tyler was answered with nothing more than a shrug.

“You don’t know?”

Y/N shook her head. “Birthdays aren’t recorded when there’s no need for them.” She sighed and finished her drink with another sip. This time, instead of setting it down, she turned to Wednesday, silently demanding that he get out of her way. When he didn’t move, Y/N huffed, her fist closing around the paper cup in her hand and crunching it into a tiny ball. Without another word, she hopped over the back of the booth, strangely elegant considering the tight quarters in which the little group was sitting, and landed perfectly on the other booth. Then, she slid out as if she had always been sitting there, and headed to the trash to toss out her cup.

Tyler joined Y/N at the door before she could leave, abandoning Wednesday at the table to stew over his jealousy. He couldn’t hear what Tyler and Y/N were discussing from where he was sitting, but from the look on Tyler’s face, Wednesday knew he had every reason to be suspicious. And every reason to have Thing follow Y/N until Wednesday could corner her.

☘︎ *⚜*☘︎

“How do you manage to end up at the centre of every terrible thing that happens here?”

Only half an hour before, Wednesday had witnessed Mayor Walker being hit by a car in the middle of town. A hit and run that was clearly an attempt to silence Walker and end any attempt at spreading information to the sheriff. Wednesday had encountered Walker leaving the old Gates mansion, which was where Goody’s vision had led him, and had overheard Walker calling Sheriff Galpin to ask if they could discuss some theories.

Now, Wednesday was standing in Weem’s office, listening to the headmistress as she paced back and forth in front of the fire. He was impatient. He had been here for ten minutes already, listening to Weems as she called Galpin to discuss what had happened.

“Incredible luck,” Wednesday said, without a shred of hesitation.

“As of now, the school is on full lockdown, and your off-campus privileges are revoked until further notice.”

Dismissed, Wednesday left the principal’s office. But instead of going to his dorm, Wednesday made his way to Y/N’s. For now, he not only had the mystery of the monster to solve but also the mystery of Y/N. He had learned more about her, but rather than receiving the answers he so desperately craved, he had been rewarded with nothing more than a graveyard of infuriating questions, none of which he could answer.

According to Thing, who had been stalking Y/N for a few days now, she usually left in the middle of the night with her fox companion, disappearing into the misty night so quickly that Thing was never able to follow them. And though disappointed, Wednesday didn’t fault Thing for not being able to follow Y/N. He doubted anyone would be able to follow her, save for the fox she called a parasite, who quite literally seemed to leech onto her.

Wednesday was careful as he made his way to Y/N’s dorm, careful not to alert the attention of the dorm mom or the other residents in the hall. The last thing he needed was Bianca or Divina to find out that he was up here searching for answers about Y/N.

He made his way through the hall towards the door at the end that would take him to Y/N’s room. As he reached the door, he glanced over his shoulder at the doors behind him. Upon seeing none of the handles turning and no lights under the doors, he pulled open the door and disappeared into the chilly tower, quietly shutting the door behind him. For good measure, he locked the door before heading up to Y/N’s dorm.

As he made his way up the stairs, he thought of what he might find in the tower. He had been up there twice before, but he had never actually gone with the intention of looking for anything. He could remember that it was covered in plants, all of which listened to Y/N as if she were their mother and friend, but beyond that, he could remember hardly anything. Of course, he could remember which door led to the bathroom, and at the thought of that… encounter, his cheeks flushed.

Finally, he made it to Y/N’s door. He hesitated for a moment, glancing down at the handle for a moment before turning it and pushing the door open.

Y/N’s room hadn’t changed since the last time he had been in it. Her bed was still pressed up against the corner, plants dominated the room, and the desk tucked into the little alcove was still covered in random pieces of paper.

Wednesday decided that her desk would probably be the best place to start and made his way over to the wooden piece of furniture, careful of where he stepped. Once he reached her desk, he started filtering through the papers. Some were for school, like an essay that Y/N was working on for Thornhill’s class, and another for their history class. Wednesday smirked when he realised that Y/N had been doodling in the margins of her papers. Flowers, of course, along with a few other plants took up the majority of the margins, though Thornhill’s paper noticeably lacked these beautiful doodles. Wednesday’s thumb traced the doodle of foxglove and he smiled at the drawing before setting the papers back down.

The next few he picked up seemed to be personal notes that Y/N had left behind. Things like to-do lists that only had a few boxes marked off, and half-unfolded lists of things that Y/N had to pick up in Jericho. But at the bottom of this small pile, was a small sticky note with hardly anything written on it. Instead, there was just one word, and what Wednesday guessed was an incomplete phone number at the bottom.

“Odyssey,” Wednesday muttered. He flipped the sticky note over to see if there was anything else written on the back. There wasn’t. He sighed and put the note back in its place. Then, he took a seat in Y/N’s chair and started rifling through her drawers.

Tap tap tap.

Glancing up, Wednesday huffed, rolling his eyes when he noticed that Thing had appeared, once more unable to follow Y/N as she disappeared into the forest.

“How long do I have until she gets back?”

Tap tap.

“Good. That should give me all the time I need. Now go watch. I need to know if she comes back early.”

As Thing headed out onto the stone balcony, Wednesday started going through the drawers. Her first drawer was mostly stationary, with some piles of sticky notes, some paper clips, and a small handheld mirror. Wednesday picked up the flower-shaped mirror and turned it over in his hand. On the bottom were the words, I will love you forever. Wednesday assumed – and hoped – that the mirror had been a gift from her mother, or from the woman that had visited Y/N during Parent’s Weekend. Really, he hoped that the mirror had come from anyone other than someone who he would have to compete with for Y/N’s affection.

The second drawer proved to be more useful. Upon opening it, Wednesday found a small pile of journals. Leatherbound, worn, with pages that smelled like a rainy and foggy forest. An entirely natural scent. He smirked and pulled them out, setting them on the desk in front of him.

“Oh, Y/N,” he whispered, “you are far too trusting. Leaving such valuable information out in the open.” He tsked as he picked up the first journal. It was a thick leather journal with a cord around the middle to hold it shut. He unwound this and opened to the first page.

June 21st

It was the summer solstice today, and I think it’s been the best one yet. Aspen thinks he is getting close to the veil, and if I’m being honest, we all need the hope. Our magic grows stronger with each solstice and equinox, threatening to overflow and consume the mortal world, but we force ourselves to pull it in. Keep it contained.

I long for Avalon. More so than I ever have before. It’s nearly impossible for me to keep my magic contained as is, and I doubt my magic will be able to be contained for much longer when I return to Nevermore.

I long for the other side of the veil. I want to know what it’s like to live without fear. Without having to wear a pendant that burns me. I want to know what it’s like to be free.

The journal entry was short, just like most of the other entries in the journal, and Wednesday quickly leafed through them, eyes skimming the pages for answers.

August 31st

I return to Nevermore tomorrow, and I dread it. It will be nice to see the sirens again, but having to wear the charm for so long… I’m already dreading it. Honestly, the sirens are the only good thing about Nevermore. If not for them, I doubt I would even consider attending the school. I appreciate the effort from Weems, but wearing the charm is painful. And I worry that my magic will soon be too strong for it. Aspen doesn’t say anything, nor does Emmy, but I know they both worry that my magic will break the charm while I’m at school.

On the bright side, Aspen has told me of a man who might help him reach the veil. He told me his name is Odyssey. Aspen said that he is like Nimue. Ancient, powerful, and capable of crossing between this world and Avalon without needing the veil. Aspen said that there is a way for fairies to cross between worlds without needing the veil even if they are not born with the gift, though without Odyssey we have no idea how.

Aspen said he might know someone who can reach out to Odyssey, but last he heard, Odyssey had been living in Avalon. Ever since Faulkner tried to use him to cross into Avalon, he hasn’t returned. Even with Faulkner dead, Odyssey refuses to return.

I can’t blame him, but we all long for the shores of Avalon.

Wednesday paused, his eyes flickering away from the journal, now rising to the small note on Y/N’s desk where the name Odyssey was sitting. Slowly, he reached out and picked up the note. Odyssey was trying to take Y/N away? Take her to a land where Wednesday couldn’t reach her?

He clenched his fist around the note, crumpling it, and tucking it into his pocket. He would throw it into a fire as soon as he got the chance.

He continued reading.

September 22, 2022

Thorpe was particularly annoying today. No doubt this is because of his recent break up with Bianca, but since when does that mean he has to be an a*** to me? Just because I’m friends with her? Emmy would scold me something fierce if she was reading this. For her sake, I’ll go talk to Thorpe tomorrow about it, and hopefully, we can put this all behind us. I do not like him, but I was willing to tolerate him. If he keeps acting like this, however… I don’t know what I’m going to do. Something that might get me expelled, that’s for sure.

But something odd happened today. Which made the day a little more… interesting? I won’t say good, I’m not sure if it is good yet, but it is certainly different. Weems told us that a new student will be transferring to the school in a few days. Someone named Wednesday Adams.

Wednesday smirked when he saw that Y/N had scribbled out her first attempt at writing his name, and in a red pen had written Addams beside the incorrect spelling. At least she was willing to correct herself when she spelt his name wrong.

Enid said that she’s going to do some research on this Wednesday kid, so I might go ask her about that tomorrow. Or not. I doubt this new kid is going to make much of an impact on me. He’ll stay away, just like all the rest.

September 25, 2024

Wednesday was here today. I would say his family seems colourful, because they are certainly… odd, but every single one of them was dressed in black and white. Or that’s what Bianca told me. I didn’t see them for myself today. Thornhill was such a big pain on Friday I spent the entire weekend in the forest to try and ignore her. But now….

I wonder what Wednesday’s like. I guess I’ll find out tomorrow. According to Bianca, he’s joining the fencing team, so we should see how that goes.

September 26, 2024

Wednesday beating Bianca might not be a good thing. Yes, she beat him overall, but he managed to score a point on her today. She was not happy about it. But this surprised absolutely none of us.

September 27, 2024

I met Wednesday officially today. He came up to me in the booth while I was in the Weathervane. Apparently, I intrigue him, whatever that means. He wasn’t interested in conversation. He seemed more interested in trying to figure out what sort of outcast I was. Not like I’m about to tell him that.

Wednesday ground his teeth at the reminder. He had a clearer picture of what Y/N was now, after knowing her for a few months, but he knew he still didn’t have the full picture.

I’ll have to keep an eye out for Wednesday. He’s certainly strange.

Wednesday skipped ahead a few entries, skimming them until he noticed something rather interesting written in one of them.

October 15, 2024

Aspen might have made contact with Odyssey. Possibly. I hope, but I worry that I might be too hopeful. He said he had reached out to his shared contact, but he hasn’t heard anything more.

I beg for the chance to return to Avalon and be free of this mortal prison.

The first part of the entry had been written in black ink, but the second part had been written in blue. Wednesday suspected that Y/N had written it two separate times.

My father came to the school today. It’s my first time meeting him. I think… I think we might be able to repair the broken bond between the two of us, but I wish my mother was still alive to live with us. It seems like my father really did love her. But once again, normies get in the way. He told me that it was because of the normies in his village that Mother was forced to run. He’s the only one I know of who was never affected by the curse. Emmy was able to fight it off, but he was never affected to begin with.

I almost wish Wednesday hadn’t been affected. It would be nice to have someone who wasn’t. Though I doubt he would still be just as insufferable even if he hadn’t been cursed.

November 13, 2024

It’s Wednesday’s birthday today. Thing told me that Enid’s throwing a party for him. I’m sure he’ll hate that. Thing wanted me to come, but after what happened during Parent’s Weekend, there’s no way I’m going.

There’s a part of me that wants to believe that what Wednesday feels for me is more than just the curse. That he’s obsessed with me for me rather than my magic. I’ll use obsessed here because I doubt what Wednesday feels is a romantic inclination. He doesn’t seem like the type to fall in love. He seems to hate me whenever I have my charm on as if I’m nothing more than gum on the bottom of his boot. He seems obsessed, but he seems annoyed that he’s obsessed.

I might ask Weems for some time away from school. Maybe I’ll be able to track down the old magic assemblies in the area to try and find a way to break this curse, at least temporarily if not permanently. It’ll be a belated birthday gift for Wednesday. That should make him happy. At least as happy as he gets.

He will finally be free of me, and I will be rid of him.

There was nothing past his birthday. Wednesday flipped through the book just to be sure, but upon finding nothing, he turned back to his birthday and read through the entry again, sighing at the end. There wasn’t really anything important in Y/N’s journal. But his eyes kept going back to the mention of ‘old magic assemblies’. What were those? What even was old magic? Was it the sort of magic that Y/N had?

Shutting the journal, Wednesday quickly breezed through the few others before putting the others away in the drawer. He decided to take her most recent journal with him and tucked it into his bag. He quickly went through the rest of her room, picking the room apart until he found himself standing in front of the door again. With nothing more in her room to explore, Wednesday left, but he still did not return to his dorm. There was something else he needed to check.

Curfew was technically in effect, so as he slipped into the library, Wednesday knew that he would have to be quick.

“Thing. Help me look for anything on the old magic.”

Thing hopped out of his bag and scampered down his leg before scuttling off through the aisles of books. Wednesday joined him, and they searched the library by the light of the moon until they found what they were looking for.

The book that caught Wednesday’s attention was a large dusty book with an old leather cover and an emerald gem set in the middle of the front cover. It seemed more like an ancient tome than a textbook, but inscribed on the side of the spine were the words, Undergrove’s Guide to Ancient Magic. Wednesday took the book down and clutched it in his arms as he called Thing back. He hoped that this book would be enough to answer his questions.

☘︎ *⚜*☘︎

Tyler had asked Y/N out on a date, and surprisingly, she had agreed to go. If for no other reason than to piss Wednesday off. She had completely transparent with Tyler and had told him as such, informing him – gently – that she wasn’t wanting to date when she feared that her magic would slip out of her control, and Tyler had been graciously understanding. Instead, he had offered her the chance to piss Wednesday off, and she had accepted without hesitation.

‘Let Addams think that Tyler and I are romantically inclined,’ Y/N thought, slipping out of her dorm and down to the courtyard of the school grounds. She hadn’t missed Thing following her every move as of late. The only times she lost him were when she fled into the forest, pulling blankets of fog and towering roots to cover her tracks as she headed to the abandoned manor. ‘Serves him right for everything he’s put me through in the last semester.’

Tyler was waiting for Y/N just beyond the iron gates at the edge of the Nevermore property, and he grinned when he saw Y/N approaching, stepping out of his car to greet her.

“Hey.”

Y/N smiled. “Hey, stranger.” She didn’t hug him, but Tyler hadn’t expected her to. He had only ever seen her hug Kent, and though he was a fraction jealous, he wasn’t too jealous, especially considering that she had agreed to let him take her out tonight.

“So,” Y/N asked, sliding into the passenger seat of Tyler’s car. “Where are we heading?”

Tyler shrugged. “Not sure. Honestly, I wasn’t expecting you to say yes.” He turned the car on, keeping the headlights off, and started driving away from the school. “I’m guessing Jericho is a no-go?”

Y/N smiled and nodded. “If at all possible.” She sighed and leaned one elbow on the window ledge, crossing one leg over the other. “Is there anywhere that you think might be fun to explore?” Her smile turned teasing. “Find a place open enough and I might be able to show you a little more magic.” She lifted her fingers and wiggled them, causing the trees outside the slow moving car to shudder in anticipation.

Tyler seemed fascinated by the idea of seeing more of Y/N’s magic and nodded, turning off the main path when they reached the intersection. “I’ve got the perfect place.”

The two drove off, one entirely ignorant that a dark-haired boy and sentient hand were tailing them in the shadows of the woods.

It only took a few minutes for Tyler and Y/N to reach their final destination. The old Gates manor. A once-grand house that had been all but consumed by the forest and time, with rotting wooden boards littering the floor and cobwebs dangling from the ceiling.

“This big enough for you,” Tyler asked, turning off the engine and stepping out of the car.

Y/N grinned, rising from her seat as she opened the door, as fluid and graceful as a stream in the woods. “Perfect.” She shut the door and took a step forward, lifting her hands to summon her magic, her eyes turning a brilliant shade of emerald as her magic flooded her veins shooting out through her skin to reach for the plants that surrounded them.

Tyler let out a cry of shock as he was swept off the ground by a throne of roots, clinging to two forming armrests as they lifted him and Y/N over the iron dates and down into the dead plants on the other side. But as Tyler watched – stumbling slightly when the throne of roots sank into the soil – the flowers beneath Y/N’s feet began to bloom, each one as lively and vibrant as if it were a warm spring day, shimmering with the dew of a cool night.

Awe filled Tyler’s voice as he lifted his head to meet Y/N’s gaze. “What are you?”

Y/N, who was quietly growing a patch of oleander, paused, and turned to Tyler. “You really want to know?”

In the bushes, concealed on the other side of the gate, Wednesday ground his teeth together. She was going to tell a normie before she told him? He was the one she had cursed! He was the one who was currently obsessing over her every waking and slumbering moment. He couldn’t escape her. And here she was, willing to tell the normie barista everything that Wednesday had been begging for?

But Wednesday remained silent, refusing to give himself away. This was possibly the only way he would ever get his answers. If she told Tyler, he would hear everything, and then finally –

“You can come out, Addams. I know you’re there.”

Wednesday froze as the emerald eyes found his small trails of emerald magic spilling from her irises like tears. Still, he didn’t move. Was she bluffing? Surely she was. There was no way she could see him. He had been so careful not to –

The trees behind Wednesday suddenly lifted their roots and pushed him out from behind the bushes, kicking him as much as trees were able. He stumbled into sight of the two, glaring at them through the bright light of Tyler’s flashlight.

“Put down the light, Tyler.”

Tyler hesitated for a moment but slowly lowered the light, allowing Wednesday to see the pair without the hindrance of the light.

“What are you doing here, Wednesday,” Y/N asked with a sigh, her head rolling in a slow circle, exposing the haunting skin of her neck that shimmered in the light of the pale moon. Wednesday swallowed at the sight of it, digging his nails into his palm to try and keep himself in place.

“Let me guess,” Y/N hummed, not waiting for Wednesday to asnwer. “You’re here looking for information on what happened to Mayor Walker. Aren’t you?”

That made Wednesday smirk. “You know me so well, mi muerte.”

Y/N froze at the nickname, her eyes flaring emerald. “Watch yourself, Addams. You don’t get to throw around endearments as if I’m your girlfriend.” She took a step closer to Tyler, looping a single finger around his index finger and tugging him in the direction of the Gate’s manor. “Do what you will, Addams. Tyler and I are going to go.”

“No.”

This time, rather than wait to give Wednesday a piece of her mind, Y/N stretched out a hand, drawing in the mist of the night like a shield, causing her and Tyler to disappear from view, leaving Wednesday alone at the front gates.

Wednesday cursed.

‘I’m going to kill Galpin if I ever see him again,’ Wednesday thought bitterly, heading towards the garage of the Gates manor. ‘And I’ll make Y/N watch.’

Despite the irritation flooding the back of his mind and the desire to search the grounds until he found Y/N, Wednesday instead turned and headed in the direction of the garage, hoping that he would find what he was looking for. He was sure that this was where it would be.

As Wednesday went searching for something to use to open the garage, Y/N and Tyler made their way to the other side of the property, where an old ruined pavilion was standing, covered in deceased ivy vines, waiting for someone to come and restore light and life to it. As soon as Y/N drew near, the ivy sprung to life, with white flowers blossoming on the emerald vines, coiling higher and higher as the vines pulled themselves away from the entrance into the pavilion.

Tyler could only watch in awe as Y/N’s magic flooded out of her. He never could have imagined that she would be this powerful. He had known she was powerful. Why else would she hide what she was so fiercely? But this? This was the sort of magic that Tyler had only ever read about in fairytales. This was the magic that Tyler had thought was confined to the storybooks that had lined his bedroom wall when he was a kid. The sort of stories where the prince saves the princess from the dragon, where a witch might try to gobble them up, and where fairies were as benevolent as they were mischievous.

Tyler followed Y/N into the pavilion, almost in a daze as he watched her cultivate the plants around her. When she swept aside the plants covering the bench, he took a seat. Y/N sat beside him with a sigh, leaning her arms on the arm of the bench, leaning her body to one side.

For a moment, the two sat there in silence, enjoying the peace of the night. Then, Y/N spoke.

“Thank you for taking me out tonight.” Her voice was hardly above a whisper. “I needed this.”

Tyler watched her, a small smile on his lips. “It seems like you did. Is Wednesday that annoying?”

Y/N scoffed. “Oh, he is absolutely insufferable.” She rolled her head and sat up a little straighter, this time leaning back against the back of the bench and draping one arm over her waist while the other remained on the bench. “I can’t stand him. Every time I see him, I know it will just be another long and agonizing encounter.”

“He doesn’t leave you alone?”

Y/N scoffed. “You’ve met Addams. Does he seem like the sort to let go of something that intrigues him?”

“You intrigue him?”

Y/N laughed, this time, her laugh sounding like bells in the wind. “He said so the very first time he spoke to me. He is so desperate for answers that he is willing to forgo manners and propriety.”

Tyler was at a loss for words. Y/N was so… different. Everything about her was different. The way she spoke, the way she dressed, the way she carried herself… She felt so out of this world that Tyler realised she couldn’t possibly be of this world. Not the same world as him. Not a world of technology and cement. She belonged to the natural world. One far more ethereal than the one he had grown up knowing.

“What are you, Y/N?”

Y/N glanced at Tyler, and for a moment, she considered telling him. It would certainly get under Wednesday’s skin if she did. Spilling information to the normie boy rather than him? Wednesday would never let her hear the end of it.

CRASH

Tyler and Y/N shot to their feet, turning towards the old manor. They might not be overly fond of Wednesday, but the sound of breaking glass was worrying. And as much as they were annoyed with him, they weren’t about to let anything happen to him.

Without uttering a word to each other, the two left the pavilion, rushing across the property back to the house. And as they drew near, Y/N reached out with her magic, reviving the plants closest to the doors and pulling the roots above the ground to wrench the doors open.

“Woah.”

The two came to a stop just inside the house, eyes scanning what they could see of the floors to see if there was any sign of danger. When they saw nothing, Y/N turned to Tyler, pressing her palm to his chest to push him back out of the house. “You have no way to protect yourself. Stay out here, and if anything happens, call your father.”

“And just let you go in there by yourself? That’s not happening.” Tyler tried to take a step towards her, but Y/N pushed him back.

“Stay there, Tyler Galpin, or so help me, I will get my vines to carry you back to your house and tie you to your bed.”

Tyler’s gaze fell to the vines below his feet, his bravado faltering when he saw them twitching in anticipation. They seemed almost eager to get him out of there. So, he nodded, backing away from the door, and pressing his back against the shadowed edge of the balcony. He pouted, but relented.

Satisfied that Tyler wasn’t going to barge in to play hero, Y/N headed into the house, the roots of her plants remaining outside to watch Tyler as she went in search of the troublesome Addams boy.

It didn’t take her long to find him.

He was crouched in a bedroom that seemed out of place in a house as old and dusty as the one they were in. It wouldn’t have looked so out of place if the room had been covered in cobwebs like the rest of the house, but there wasn’t a single web in the room. It looked as though it had just been cleaned.

“Finally ditch your date,” Wednesday snapped, not lifting his gaze from the ornate music box he was observing.

“Don’t pout. Tyler and I heard someone breaking glass and thought you might be in trouble.” She approached Wednesday, crouching beside him to admire the music box. “Now what’s got you so intrigued?”

“I think –”

“Y/N! GET OUT! IT’S HERE!”

Y/N shot to her feet in an instant and was about to run to the door when Wednesday seized her by the arm, wrenching her back and pinning her against the wall, his arm pressed against her throat.

“What are you thinking,” he hissed. “That monster will gut you the second it sees you.”

Y/N tried to say something, but Wednesday pressed his hand over her mouth before she could get a single sound out. She shrieked indignantly behind his hand, half tempted to lick his palm to see if he would release her. Sadly, she doubted it would.

“Stay here, and don’t make a sound.” Wednesday released Y/N, and as she gasped for breath, he darted to the door of the bedroom and pushed the door shut. Then, he grabbed a chair that had been sitting on the other side of the wall and pressed it carefully between the handle of the door and the floor.

The handle rattled and Wednesday waited for a moment, hoping that the chair would hold the door shut. When the door failed to open against the chair, Y/N began pounding on the wood and Wednesday smirked sadistically.

“WEDNESDAY ADDAMS, YOU LET ME OUT OF HERE, RIGHT NOW!”

He approached the door, pressing his forehead to the wood. “Sorry, mi muerte,” he whispered, just loud enough for his voice to carry through the wood to the fairy on the other side. “Not this time.” He pulled away from the door, smirking when he heard Y/N continue to pound. She wasn’t very good at being quiet, but if he was being honest, Wednesday doubted that the monster would go for her.

“ADDAMS! OPEN THE DOOR!”

Wednesday turned, his smirk growing a fraction each time Y/N shouted his name.

“ADDAMS!”

Y/N pounded furiously on the door as she heard the monster growling and snarling on the other side of the wood, refusing to let it go after her friends. Let it come after her. She would strangle the stupid thing before it could get within an inch of her.

Huffing, Y/N stepped away from the door, lifting her hand to her neck to rip the chain free, sending a silent apology to Tyler, wherever he was. Hopefully he wasn’t close enough to feel the effects of her magic. Or hopefully – Y/N knew her hope was foolish – he wouldn’t be affected by her magic at all.

With her magic free, Y/N tucked the charm into the pocket of her trousers and extended her hands to either side of her, summoning the vines and old plants that surrounded the house, guiding them into her prison and towards the door that held her prisoner. Y/N’s emerald magic began to swirl faster and faster, summoning more and more plants into the room. Before long, the once spotless bedroom was filled with plants of all kinds, and at Y/N’s command, they surged forward, pushing through the door, splintering the wood of both the door and the chair and allowing Y/N to step out into the hall.

The monster was waiting for her.

Y/N stared at the monster, her eyes narrowed, her shoulders set, her magic ready to summon the old magic that ran through the earth and use it against the creature. She didn’t know what this creature was, but there was nothing that could withstand the old magic. All outcasts had been born of the old magic, though many had lost the truth of their roots in the progression of technology and the development of the world. Few groups clung to the old magic, and even fewer were capable of commanding it.

Reaching into the threads beneath them, Y/N stretched her magic towards the monster, wondering what it was behind the bugging eyes and veiny skin.

PAIN

POISON

PAIN

POISON

SHE WILL KILL US IF WE FAIL

No… No… She promised she wouldn’t…

PAIN

POISON

PAIN

REMEMBER THE PAIN

REMEMBER THE IRON

The pain we felt? I remember… But I…

Y/N frowned. ‘We?’ What was this creature? Why were there two voices in its mind?

ATTACK!

KILL!

SHE WILL BE PLEASED!

No!

YOU DO NOT GET A CHOICE, SLAVE!

KILL!

KILL!

Y/N was barely able to leap out of the way as the monster suddenly came rushing towards her, its claws swiping the space between them like a rabid beast. Leaping onto the wood, Y/N reached for the magic of the old world, releasing her mortal appearance in favour of summoning her truth. And as the wings on her back blossomed, unfurling like a flower in spring, she took to the air, speeding through the halls faster than the monster could move.

GET HER!

KILL HER!

RIP THE WINGS FROM HER BACK!

WE WILL GIVE THEM TO MISTRESS!

SHE WOULD LOVE TO HAVE A FAIRY’S WINGS!

No! Please!

Y/N lifted her arms to shield herself as she burst through a window at the end of the hall, darting up into the night sky like a beacon, her wings shining with all the power of the stars and the moon, the silvery sheen in her skin reflecting the light as if her skin were embedded with tiny flakes of snow. The monster was not so lucky, and as Y/N rose into the air, it plummeted to the ground, shrieking and crying in frustration as its prey escaped.

Rather than going after the monster, Y/N flew over the property, searching for any sign of Wednesday. She didn’t bother hiding her presence now, and instead shouted the boy's name.

“WEDNESDAY!”

“Y/N!”

The scream of the monster cut through the air like a blade and Y/N cursed, diving back down towards the house. Stupid beast moved faster than she thought it would. Thankfully, she was faster.

She dove down to the lowest level of the house, where one of the basement windows just barely poked up above the ground. There, she knelt, pulling open the window. Inside, she saw jars upon jars of preserved body parts, and strange vials of stranger liquid that she couldn’t take the time to recognise. And in the middle of it all, was Wednesday.

“Wednesday Addams, you get over here right now!”

Wednesday turned to her, and as the monster came crashing down the stairs, snarling and swiping at the dark haired boy, Wednesday darted for the window, reaching his hand out for Y/N. She seized it with surprising strength and hauled him out, gripping his wrist carefully as she pulled him out of the basement and back towards the forest. There, she dropped him quite suddenly on his rear before turning and heading back in the direction of the Gates manor.

“Y/N! Where are you going?!”

“I’m getting Tyler!” Y/N turned back to Wednesday for only a moment, allowing the boy to see her in all her fairy glory. A sign that burned itself into Wednesday’s mind, taking hold of his mind and throat, squeezing both until all he could think of was Y/N. “Get back to the school and stay there, Addams!”

And just like that, she was gone.

☘︎ *⚜*☘︎

Chapter Text

☘︎ *⚜*☘︎

Deep in earth my love is lying and I must weep alone.
~ Edgar Allan Poe

☘︎*⚜*☘︎

I enjoy funerals. I’ve been crashing them since I was old enough to read the obituary section.

Mayor Walker was murdered, and I know the killer is here, standing innocently among us, plotting their next move.

And watching everything I do.

Wednesday glanced around the grave site, carefully inspecting each umbrella-shadowed form. Mayor Walker’s son and wife were crouched beside the coffin, rain mixing with tears streaming down their cheeks. The sheriff stood behind the mayor’s wife, shielding her as best he could from the rain. Tyler was a few steps away to the right. Xavier was standing just in front of Wednesday. And Y/N was standing a little ways away from the main group, the only one without an umbrella as she allowed the rain to fall on her skin.

I know I’m close to the truth. I have all the pieces of the jigsaw. I just need to slot them into place.

I must look past the tears and masks of grief.

Until now, I may have been outmatched and outmaneuvered, but the final gambit has yet to be played.

The killer will make a mistake, and I’ll be ready.

A dark shadow formed in Wednesday’s peripheral vision and he turned, peeking out from beneath his umbrella.

Someone was standing on the edge of the forest, watching him. But as soon as Wednesday turned, the figure darted off.

Wednesday followed.

The stranger led Wednesday away from the graveyard and into the forest, weaving through trees and darting over mud puddles, until Wednesday lost sight of the stranger in a small gap in the trees. The rain had eased now and Wednesday lowered his umbrella, fingers wrapping around the hilt of the concealed rapier as he surveyed the clearing.

A thump echoed behind him as his target fell from the branches of one of the trees.

Wednesday drew his rapier and lunged for the stranger, only to have the tip of his rapier caught between the stranger’s palms. Electricity crackled between the stranger’s palms and Wednesday jumped back, dropping his rapier as he did.

“Still as sharp as ever, my young protégé.”

Wednesday grinned, his eyes wide and seemingly alive for the first time in years. “Uncle Fester.”

The man pulled off his cap, revealing a pale bald head and wild eyes. Sure enough, it was Uncle Fester, Wednesday’s favourite relative. A man who disappeared more than any normie might have thought possible, leaving behind a trail of odd occurrences like half-finished asylum reports and a string of stolen vehicles that followed a trail of thefts.

“How long have you been stalking me,” Wednesday asked, motioning for Fester to follow him back the way he had come.

“Just blew into town this morning and was hit by a wave of nostalgia,” Fester answered.

“I thought you didn’t go to Nevermore.”

“I didn’t. Your dad got all the brains. But I used to drop in on him. Usually from the ceiling with a dagger clutched between my teeth. Just to keep him on his toes.”

Wednesday chuckled. “Of course.”

Fester slowed to a stop. “He filled me in on what’s been going on. Monsters, murder, mayhem. What fun!”

Wednesday gave Fester a weary smile. It was much more fun when he wasn’t actively involved in the case, or being blocked at every turn.

“I told him I had a job in Boston, but I’d be checking up on you.”

“What kind of job?”

“The kind that means I need somewhere to lay low for a couple of days.”

Wednesday smirked. He had just the place.

☘︎ *⚜*☘︎

The graveyard had emptied almost immediately after the Walkers had left. Y/N couldn’t blame everyone for leaving. It was a gloomy day, shadowed with the sort of weather that most people loathed. Rain, fog, and a gloomy overcast that everyone guessed would linger for several days. It was only Y/N who remained, staring down at the coffin as it was lowered into the cold earth.

Standing at the edge of the grave, alone with the wind, Y/N extended her hands, reaching for the lingering magic at the edge of the grave, coiling her fingers towards her palms to pull the dirt over the coffin as it lay in the ground. She would not let a man like Mayor Walker lie in the cold earth alone, however.

For all his faults, Mayor Walker was a good man. He had tried to keep the peace with Nevermore as best as he could considering the tensions between the outcasts and the normies with the monster on the loose, and had been more than willing to let Lucas suffer the punishments of his actions. Y/N did not like many normies, and though Walker had annoyed her, she had liked him better than most. He had truly tried to make an effort with Nevermore. Yes, the effort usually fell flat as Nevermore students preferred to stick to what they knew best and the people they knew best, but at least he was willing to make an effort, which was more than Y/N could say for most of the normies.

So, as the soil fell over the grave, knitting itself together as if it had never been disturbed, Y/N knelt at the edge of the grave, pulling the black lace gloves from her hands and tucking them into her pocket. Slowly, she slid her hands into the soil, allowing her palms to rest on the surface as her fingers sank beneath the fresh grass. For a moment, nothing happened. But then, small buds began to burst as the rain began to subside, each one blossoming in its own time until Mayor Walker’s grave was covered with white peace lilies, a representation of the peace that Y/N hoped the mayor would find in death.

“Your son is cared for,” Y/N whispered, guiding the plants to stretch their roots towards the coffin below. “I will ensure his safety.” Pulling her hands from the grass, Y/N stood, remaining at the edge of the grave for a moment longer. “Thank you for making an effort, Mayor Walker.” She inclined her head once in a lingering bow before departing from the grave, heading away from the rest of the procession as it turned in the direction of the Walker house.

There would not be enough space for the whole of Jericho and Nevermore combined. And Y/N had paid her respects to the family before the funeral, offering them what little comfort she could that Noble Walker would find peace in death. The pain was fresh for the family, but in death, Noble Walker would know a peace unlike any other. The peace of a breath finally released for the last time. A final rest.

As she left Jericho behind, heading into the woods still shrouded with fog and the lingering scent of rain, Y/N was joined by the familiar dark shadow of the parasite, who fell in quietly alongside her, its paws light on the ground, for once a silent presence as they headed to the manor.

☘︎ *⚜*☘︎

Wednesday pushed open the door to Eugene’s honey hive shack and stepped inside, holding the door open so Fester could follow him. “This place belongs to a friend.”

“You’ve actually made a friend. That poor kid will be going home in a body bag. Them and your little obsession.”

Wednesday silently cursed. Had his mother and father told Fester about Y/N? He had hoped that they wouldn’t, but clearly, his hoping hadn’t done much. Apparently, Fester knew. Wednesday didn’t bother telling Fester that Y/N was more likely to send him home in a body bag rather than the alternative. Instead, he watched as Fester unloaded his bag and started exploring the shack.

“Oh. I like a hideout that comes with snacks.”

The young teen cursed his forgetfulness. Of course, Fester would have thought the hibernating bees were a snack for him. “Those bees are hibernating. They’re practically Eugene’s children.”

Fester either didn’t hear or didn’t care.

“That means do not eat them!”

Fester glanced back at his nephew and sighed, dropping the bee that he had picked up back into the hive.

“You know, when you give me that death stare of disapproval, you remind me of your mother.”

Wednesday immediately dropped the glare.

“Speaking of scary things, you know what kind of monster you’re dealing with?”

Wednesday reached into his pocket and pulled out the drawing he had swiped from Xavier. “I haven’t been able to identify it.” He handed it to his uncle.

“Ooh. It’s called a Hyde.”

“As in Jekyll and Hyde,” Wednesday asked, taking the picture back.

Fester nodded.

“You’ve seen one before?”

“Oh yeah. In ‘83, during my vacay at the Zurich Institute for the Criminally Insane. Where I got my first lobotomy. You know lobotomies. They’re like tattoos. Can’t just get one.”

“Tell me about the Hyde.”

Fester glanced away as if trying to recall what he remembered. “Olga Malacova. Jeez. She had it all. Beauty, brains, and a penchant for necrophilia.” Fester started giggling. “Olga was a concert pianist until one night she transformed in the middle of a Chopin sonata. Massacred a dozen audience members. And three music critics.”

“What triggered her? Or did she just change on her own?”

Fester shrugged. “No idea. I only saw her in group electroshock therapy.”

Wednesday huffed. “There’s never been any mention of Hydes in any outcast book. And Nevermore is reputed for having the best collection.”

“You try Nathaniel Faulkner’s diary?”

Wednesday shook his head ever so slightly.

“Before he founded Nevermore, Faulkner travelled the world, cataloguing every outcast community.”

“How do you know this?”

“You think your parents can’t keep their hands off each other now, oy vey. I showed up unannounced one night in Gomez’s dorm room. Let’s just say I wasn’t interrupting a pillow fight.”

“Uncle Fester.”

Fester stopped laughing.

“The diary, where is it?”

“Nightshades Library. Your dad parked me there and said I should settle in for a long stretch. And that’s when I found this nifty little safe. I was hoping for a stash of cash or jewels but instead, I found a diary.”

Wednesday pondered the information for a moment. “We’ll sneak into the Nightshades Library tonight. In the meantime, lay low.”

Wednesday turned to leave, but before he left, he turned back to Fester. “If you are discovered, I will disown you and collect the reward tied to your capture.”

“I’d expect nothing less.” Fester waved as the teen left, the door to the shack swinging shut behind them.

Wednesday threw open the door a moment later, glaring at Fester when he caught the man lifting the lid of the hut where the bees were hibernating.

“Leave the bees alone.”

Then he shut the door again and left.

☘︎ *⚜*☘︎

Wednesday had debated about going to find Y/N. He had run off in pursuit of Uncle Fester immediately after the ceremony for Mayor Walker had ended, but hadn’t been so caught up to miss that Y/N had remained behind while everyone else left. He had intended to speak with her and ask more about what happened with Tyler after she had deposited him at the edge of the woods, and to ask what it was that he had seen when she had saved him from the Hyde, but rather than going to find her, Wednesday decided to return to his dorm to try and collect his thoughts.

So, he took a seat at his desk, his fingers typing out each letter of his manuscript with careful precision as he allowed his thoughts to circulate over what had happened as of late.

He could guess that what he had seen at the Gates Manor was Y/N’s true form. She had not told him she had another appearance, but he had heard enough about faerie lore to guess that a part of Y/N’s magical charm was a glamour charm of sorts. One that concealed the true ethereal beauty of a fairy in all their glory. Wednesday had also read enough books to know that most mortals who gazed upon a fairy’s true form were instantly ensnared, unable to pull themselves away from the haunting whispers and the dreams that seemed to chase them even during their waking hours.

But what exactly was she? There were many types of fairies from what Wednesday could remember, and for the first time in his life, Wednesday cursed himself for not reading more into Arthurian Legend. Surely there would be some sort of information pertaining to Y/N and her origins in a legendary manuscript like that.

Wednesday made a note to study up on the legends and mythology of the Emerald Isle once he had dealt with the more pressing matters at hand. Like the monster. And how Thorpe had shown up on the edge of the Gate’s Manor mere moments after Y/N had dropped Wednesday off and gone to help Tyler. Tyler had survived by some miracle, and Y/N had taken him back to Jericho to hand him off to his father and fill in Sheriff Galpin on what they had been “up to”. She hadn’t told him anything more.

But what Wednesday was more interested in was how soon Xavier had shown up after the cries of the monster had ceased. He had been there every time the monster had been seen. He had watched Thorpe chase Rowan into the woods the night of the Harvest Festival. Thorpe had been there when Wednesday had been exploring the old meeting house in the woods, appearing seconds after the monster had vanished. And he couldn’t seem to stop drawing the monster. Perhaps it was all just a coincidence, but Wednesday wasn’t inclined to believe it.

My novel started out as a twisted fiction, but somehow reality has turned it into my own personal looking glass.

My visit to the Gates mansion has left me with so many questions.

Setting aside the most recent page of his novel atop the stack of papers lying on his desk, Wednesday turned his attention to the drawer in his desk where he had hidden the music box he had swiped from the Gates Manor. Now in the light of day, Wednesday could observe the box a little more clearly. Wooden, decorated with golden details, carved with elegant curves and rounded edges, and finished off with a polish.

Wednesday stared at the box for a moment as he thought.

If Laurel Gates died 20 years ago, then who was sleeping in her bedroom?

Why do they have photos of me?

And what is their connection to this Hyde?

Whoever it is, they’re clearly willing to kill for their secret.

Goody predicted this quest for answers would become a lonely pursuit.

Of course, Goody’s nowhere to be found when I need her.

Wednesday tucked away the music box and rose to his feet. This wasn’t getting him anywhere.

☘︎ *⚜*☘︎

That night, Wednesday made his way towards the Nightshades library, eyes searching the grounds for any lingering students. Wednesday had half a mind to ask Y/N to tag along, but he strongly suspected that she would be sneaking out of her dorm again and disappearing into the woods like she did almost every night. Wednesday had now relieved Thing of his duty of tailing her. Y/N had likely caught on to what Wednesday and Thing were up to by now and he had called off Thing. He wouldn’t find anything out about Y/N just by having Thing follow her.

Approaching the statue, Wednesday cursed. He should know more about her. Rather, he needed to know more about her. If there was any hope of him overcoming this infatuation that left pitiful feelings in his stomach, he needed answers. Y/N was distracting him from the matter at hand, tormenting him with images of her ethereal truth and the whispers in his mind that never seemed to cease.

Snap, snap.

He would have to ask her tomorrow. Or tonight if he decided it was urgent enough to risk her midnight wrath if she happened to be in her dorm.

The statue of Poe slid aside and Wednesday stepped around the stone man, descending into the dark room that housed the sanctum of the Nightshades. He still couldn’t believe that they were supposed to be an “elite” secret society. They were nothing more than a group of high school children looking for a little rebellion. Although he wasn’t sure he would call them rebellious.

“Uncle Fester?”

The room seemed empty.

Sadly it wasn’t. Thorpe stepped out from behind one of the pillars and glared at Wednesday. Wednesday returned the glare.

“Who’s Uncle Fester?”

Wednesday offered no explanation. Instead, he asked, “What are you doing here?”

Thorpe scoffed. “Since I’m an actual Nightshade, I don’t have to explain myself.” He crossed the room to return a book to its place on the shelf. “What’s your excuse for creeping around in the middle of the night?”

“Research.”

“On the monster?” Thorpe turned to face Wednesday. “I’ll save you some time. There’s nothing in here matching that thing.”

Wednesday eyed the tortured artist, his eyes narrowing ever so slightly. “Isn’t that convenient?” He turned to leave, hoping that when he returned Fester would be there to meet him, but Thorpe continued to speak.

“You know what your problem is?”

Wednesday sighed, already dreading this conversation. Why couldn’t people just leave him alone? Still, he turned back, indulging Thorpe. “I would love to hear your piercing insight.”

Thorpe scoffed and crossed his arms. Defensively. Childishly. “You don’t know who your real friends are. I’ve been on your side since day one. I literally saved your life. I believed your theories when nobody else did. And what do I get in return? Just nothing but suspicion and lies.” He paused for a moment before continuing. “And not only do I get suspicion from you, but now you’ve roped Y/N into thinking I’m a suspect.”

Wednesday fought desperately to keep his smirk at bay. Had Thorpe really been so delusional that he thought he ever had a chance with Y/N? She tolerated him at best, and Wednesday knew for a fact that Y/N had lost all interest in the boy when he had dumped Bianca.

“Fine. You want honesty? Here it is. Every time the monster’s attacked, you’ve been right there. Starting with Rowan at the Harvest Festival. Then on Outreach Day, you arrived just minutes after the monster had disappeared, yet you say you didn’t see it.”

“I didn’t realise proximity was a crime.” Thorpe started walking away, now the eager one to leave the conversation, but Wednesday wasn’t finished.

“Then there’s your drawing obsession. You have drawn the monster dozens of times, yet you’ve never seen it. Or so you claim. You even drew where it lived. Then when Eugene went to investigate, you tried to kill him so he wouldn’t spill your little secret.”

Thorpe took a step toward Wednesday. “You think I would hurt Eugene?”

“Let’s not forget your oh-so-convenient appearance after Tyler had been attacked at the Gates mansion.”

“If I am the monster,” Thorpe hissed, taking another step toward Wednesday, “then why haven’t I killed you?”

Wednesday smirked. “Y/N.” It wasn’t hard to figure out. “You have a little crush on her and want the satisfaction of winning her affection and pulling her attention off of me. If you are the monster, I suspect that if you get what you’re after from her, you’ll kill me.”

Thorpe said nothing and simply walked away. Wednesday noticed his hands clenching at his sides and he smirked. He was furious that Wednesday had been able to see through him. It wasn’t hard. Thorpe clung to every word Y/N said, even if it wasn’t spoken directly to him, and though he wasn’t obsessed enough that Wednesday wondered if he had been subjected to the same magic that he was, it was clear that Thorpe was head over heels in the worst sense.

As Thorpe left, Wednesday heard a thump behind him.

He turned, eyes wide when he realised that Fester was standing behind him. “How long have you been lurking?”

“Long enough to feel the tension,” he emphasised this by electricity crackling between his fingertips, “between you two. Yowzah! Seriously, you could cut it with an executioner’s axe.”

A rapid tapping filled the silence in the library.

“I’d recognise the patter of those fingertips anywhere.”

Thing had joined their little group and was standing beneath an illuminated lamp. And from the way he was shaking, Wednesday assumed he was pissed.

“Hello, Thing!”

Thing started tapping, his fingertips slamming into the surface of the wooden desk.

Fester frowned. “You can’t still be mad about the Kalamazoo job. It wasn’t my fault!”

Thing leapt at Fester, his fingers wrapping around the man’s neck.

“You said you could crack that safe in thirty seconds. Five minutes later we were still standing there. You’re all thumbs!”

“Enough!”

Fester turned to his nephew, Thing’s fingers pulling one corner of his mouth to the side.

“Let him go.”

Thing let Fester go.

“Show me the diary.”

Wednesday approached the portraits hanging on the wall over the desk. Fester gestured to a large portrait in the centre of the wall. Ignatius Itt, according to the bronze plaque beneath the painting.

“Here we are. Iggy was Faulkner’s right hand. Trained a generation of Nightshades. And behind Iggy Itt.” Fester pulled the portrait aside to reveal a safe embedded into the stone wall.

Thing clambered up a small pile of books to get to the safe.

“Do I have time for a snooze or can you crack this one quickly?”

If Thing had eyes, he might have glared at Fester. But he didn’t so instead he got right to work, spinning the dial on the lock as he waited for the familiar clicking sound of the tumblers behind the metal. After spinning for a moment, Thing tried the handle on the safe. Still locked. He tried again, spinning the dial left and right as he listened for the clicking.

“This is turning into a replay of Kalamazoo.”

Thing got it a second later and snapped his fingers. He bowed to his companions before hopping down, out of the way of the safe so Wednesday could open it.

Sure enough, sitting inside the safe, was an old leather-bound diary, wrapped in cord and yellowed with age. Wednesday pulled it out of the safe and grinned. Mission accomplished.

☘︎ *⚜*☘︎

Back in Wednesday’s dorm room, the boy sat at his desk, flipping through the pages of his notebook as Fester wandered around the room, exploring what few nooks there were.

“These are some sweet digs. How’d you swing your own single?”

“This is Mother’s old dorm,” Wednesday said, not entirely caring about what Fester was interested in. “Weems thought it might give me more incentive to like this place.”

Wednesday flipped over another page and his eyes widened when he recognised the monster staring at him through the ink. “Here it is.”

He set the book down on the desk so Fester and Thing could see and started reading. “Faulkner describes Hydes as artists by nature, but equally vindictive in temperament. Born of mutation, the Hyde lays dormant until unleashed by a traumatic event or unlocked through chemical inducement or hypnosis. This causes the Hyde to develop an immediate bond with its liberator, who the creature now sees as its master. It becomes the willing instrument of whatever nefarious agenda this new master might propose.”

“Anyone willing to unlock a Hyde is a next-level sicko.”

“That means I’m not looking for one killer but two. The monster and its master.”

Silence filled the room for a moment as Wednesday started flipping through the evidence he had collected so far. Faulkner said that Hydes were artists. His mind immediately went to Thorpe. Vindictive in temperament. It could still be Thorpe. Had he not just snapped an hour or so before at the explanation of the logical hypothesis that Wednesday had thought up? The one part catching him was how one went about unlocking a Hyde. There were three possibilities, but Wednesday wasn’t sure which one Thorpe would fall into if he was the monster.

Wednesday sighed and leaned back in his chair. This would take some observation and some thinking.

“Well, I’m off to the hive,” Fester said, clapping his hands together. “You wanna meet up tomorrow to try and find this monster?”

Wednesday nodded. “I’ll come find you.’

Fester giggled as he headed off. “This is so exciting.”

Once Fester was gone, Wednesday started flipping through the diary once more, interested in a page near the beginning of the book that he had noticed while searching for any mention of a Hyde. A page where Faulkner had written extensively on the fae outcasts that he had come across.

A woman had been drawn on the page, bearing a remarkable resemblance to Y/N. At the top of the page was written, Fairies and Fair-Folk.

Wednesday began reading.

Fairies are most common in the United Kingdom where there are supposedly many portals between our world and the realm of Avalon where all fairies first originate, but can be found worldwide. Fairies are classified into two main groups: the Seelie (Fair Folk) and Unseelie (which I will label here as the Unfair Folk). Fair Folk are usually benevolent fairies, eager to help humanity and mortal outcasts if said mortal completes one of the legend rituals, while the Unseelie population is composed of trickster fairies and malevolent fairies who would do a mortal more harm than good.

Note: I have not discovered all types of fairies and this is only a general overview of fairies, which I hope to add to later if the fairies will permit me. Or, should I be so fortunate, I will be able to find a portal to the realm of Avalon and further my observations and experiments there.

I have stumbled across a few Seelie fairies during my time in Ireland, one of which I was able to observe at great lengths during my time in the United Kingdom.

However, I also had the misfortune of falling prey to a few Unseelie fairies during my time there, and it is only due to sheer luck and my supply of iron that I live now to write this. Many Unseelie fairies lure mortals into traps intending to use their mortality, blood, spirit, or flesh as sustenance for their being. One I noticed was the Red Cap which I noticed dousing its cap in the blood of corpses after a rogue Werewolf had gotten the best of them.

Wednesday finished reading and set the book down, his eyes still on the picture drawn in the top left corner of the page, no doubt drawn by Faulkner himself. He gently traced the picture with his finger. He suspected that Y/N was one of the Unseelie fairies. It was a possible explanation for the obsessive nature of the curse. Fairies that were capable of cursing humanity. But what was she exactly? What sort of fairy?

He recalled the mention of Faulkner in Y/N’s diary in relation to the name Odyssey. Odyssey was a fairy, Wednesday guessed. One that had interacted with Faulkner directly, and was so scarred from their interactions that he had left for Avalon and had never returned. So who was Faulkner to the fairies? Foe most likely.

He shut the book and tucked it under his arm before getting to his feet.

“I’m going out, Thing.”

Thing started tapping on the desk.

“Yes, I’m going to see Y/N. I have questions that she needs to answer.”

Thing tapped again, trying to warn Wednesday that Y/N would likely not be in the best of moods if he woke her, but Wednesday ignored the sentient appendage and headed out.

☘︎ *⚜*☘︎

Y/N knew Wednesday would be coming to see her. She had woken to the sound of the questions in his mind, and seeing as how he was awake during the witching hour, and she knew that he wasn’t likely to leave her any time after to sleep. So, she rose as his questions filled her mind like a serpent’s whispers, readying herself for the day, before stepping out onto the balcony to wait.

On the balcony, Y/N used a pinch of her magic to summon roots and vines from the plants inside her room, guiding them outside onto the balcony and twisting them into a thorny throne. One reminiscent of the dark side of the fairies that people were so quick to forget. She all but fell into the throne, allowing the parasite to hop up onto her lap, her fingers drawing lazy shapes on its fur as she thought. Her charm had silenced the onslaught of questions from Wednesday, but she could remember the questions as if they had been her own. Most of them were centred around her and what she was. What exactly she was.

She had heard his thoughts earlier that night. His Uncle Fester was in town and he had mentioned a dreaded artefact that might hold clues concerning the monster that Wednesday was hunting. Nathaniel Faulkner’s Diary. A cursed book that made Y/N’s skin crawl. Her discomfort only grew when she woke to the triumphant thoughts in Wednesday’s head.

‘So he found the dairy.’ Y/N wished that someone with the blood of the old magic had found that wretched artefact. They would have had the desire to burn it into a crisp same as her. They did not want Faulkner’s knowledge of the outcasts to be preserved. They wanted it destroyed.

The fairies wanted to see the information of their kin and their land torn from the hands of mortals, outcasts and normies alike, banning them from ever seeing the white shores of Avalon.

The odd witch or sorcerer born with a connection to the magic wanted to see the pages with stolen spells burnt and destroyed, erasing any chance for mortals to attempt spells that would drive them mad. Y/N had met several witches and sorcerers in the Havens scattered throughout the world, and the few she had met had all shared the same sentiment. Faulkner’s diary of stolen secrets was a danger, not only to those born of the old magic, who had suffered at Faulkner’s hand due to his yearning for knowledge, but to those around those foolish enough to attempt something they didn’t understand.

Sadly, fairies were the one of the few outcasts who still had a Haven beyond the reach of mortals.

The mermaids who still relied on their magical origins were confined to the sea, either having lost their ability to cross land in search of the veil that would lead them to their land, or were terrified of the possibility of coming across mortals who would exploit them. Some were still all too happy to drive mortals mad when they came too close to the shore, savouring in the taste of human despair and fear as they drowned those foolish enough to indulge in their curiosity.

Other fairy-like outcasts like elves and nymphs had lost their connection to the lands from which they had come, the veils falling at the touch of mortals, but were capable of surviving in lands protected by fairy magic. Most creatures of the old magic were, but the lands of Avalon wouldn’t satisfy the longing they had for their own homes. It was for that reason that several of the kin Y/N knew chose to remain in the mortal world rather than searching for the veil with the rest of the fairies.

The only other kin Y/N had met who still had a connection to their lands beyond the veils were the outcasts who were often known to mortals as demons or undead spirits. Outcasts like kelpies, kappas, ghouls, ghosts, and phantoms. They did not share the same land, but their lands had been untouched by humans, protected by mausoleums that acted as newly formed gateways between the realms of the undead and the realm of the living. They were the only ones who had no need to search for a way home. New veils were being created all the time. They never wanted for a way back to the realm of the undead.

Wednesday’s presence hardly startled Y/N as he sat beside her, seeing the second chair on the balcony as a silent welcome to join her. The journal clutched in Wednesday’s hand, however, was a less welcome presence, and Y/N glared at the journal with loathing.

Wednesday didn’t miss the girl’s glare, and he lifted the journal, choosing to skip the pleasantries in favour of getting answers. “Why do you have a problem with this journal?”

Y/N stared at Wednesday for a long while, seemingly considering whether or not to give Wednesday the full truth or omit details that she hoped to keep private. But after a long moment of silence and the unrelenting stare from the Addams boy, Y/N decided that the full truth might allow her a reprieve from the boy. But before she did, she offered a deal.

“I will give you answers to three questions,” she said, lifting her hand to display three fingers, the appendages wiggling warningly. “Three questions, and that’s all. And I will only give you those answers if you promise to leave me alone after this.”

“I don’t get anything out of this deal, then,” Wednesday asked.

“You get some answers to those burning questions,” Y/N sighed, her lips curling into a mocking grin. “I think that’s enough. And I’m kind enough to not count the one you just asked.”

Wednesday opened to object, but quickly shut his mouth a second later to think of a question rather than risk the wrath of the fairy. “Answer my first question.” He lifted the journal again, leaning forward slightly, his bag rigid as he waited for Y/N’s answer. “Why do you have a problem with this journal?”

Y/N pursed her lips and leaned back in her throne, hand falling across the parasite’s back to stroke the soft ebony fur. “Faulker was cruel.” She paused for a moment before continuing. “Faulker has a history with the fair-folk, and with those born of the old magic.” Her gaze shifted from the moon overhead to the journal in Wednesday’s hand. “I have never met the man, thank the stars, but I’ve heard many stories about him.” Sneering, Y/N took the journal from Wednesday, using brambles to swipe it from him before he could object.

“Faulkner was knowledge hungry, and normally that wouldn’t be a bad thing, but there are places in the world where mortals are forbidden to walk. Places where the old magic thrives. Like the Havens where we live, and the veils that lead to Avalon or the other lands that have yet to be touched by mortals.”

The vines curled around the diary and pulled it open, revealing the page that had caught Wednesday’s attention.

“Faulkner tried to get into Avalon. Many times. He was peaceful before he discovered that fairies were connected to another land, unlike anything that you might find in this world. When he discovered that fairies could cross through the veil and that they had the ability to take humans with them, Faulkner became desperate to cross.” Y/N scoffed, and Wednesday watched as Y/N’s hand lashed out, guiding a thorny branch to rip the journal apart. He hadn’t even had time to react. The journal was torn to shreds before his eyes, leaving him gaping at the sight of the paper falling to the stone floor beneath their feet.

“He became wicked. He captured fairies when they were unaware, using any method he could think of to pry information out of them, either about Avalon, or about fairies themselves. It was the only reason he knew so much about my kin.”

Though he had been upset by the sudden destruction of the journal, Wednesday’s anger shifted from the shreds of the journal to the author. He thrived on the ideas of torment and torture just like the rest of his family, but they enjoyed it. He doubted the fairies who suffered at Faulkner’s hand had enjoyed it. And the thought of a man chasing the fairy beside him and torturing her for information made his blood boil.

‘I’ll kill anyone who lays a hand on her,’ Wednesday promised. ‘I will give them a slow agonizing death. One where they feel every ounce of pain that they caused her.’

But Wednesday did not voice this promise, knowing full well how Y/N would react to such a declaration. Instead, he asked a second question. “Are humans able to survive in Avalon?”

Y/N seemed relieved to move on from the conversation of Faulkner, though she tensed slightly at the mention of Avalon. Wednesday suspected that fairies kept the secrets of Avalon under tighter lock and key after the issues that Faulkner had given them.

“Yes,” she said, turning to Wednesday. “Though it comes with a caveat.”

Wednesday didn’t need to ask for a further explanation. Y/N felt gracious tonight and gave it to him willingly.

“Atlas told me once of a man who was allowed into Avalon, though he knew it as Tír na nÓg. He was allowed to enter into Avalon as he had fallen in love with a woman named Niamh who was born of the old magic, but when he returned to the human world and touched the ground, the three hundred years that had passed caught up with him in an instant.” Y/N snapped her fingers, and Wednesday jumped when a spark of silver magic flashed. For a moment, he worried that Y/N had turned him into an elderly man on the edge of death. But a quick glance down at his hands relieved him.

“Some might be able to survive returning from our lands,” Y/N said. “But after the death of Oisín and Niamh’s heartbreak, fairies were forbidden from bringing mortals who were not willing to sacrifice everything they had in the mortal world.” She turned to Wednesday, meeting his gaze for the first time since he had joined her on the balcony. “Mortals who accompany us to Avalon are never allowed to return to this world. They are forever bound to the shores of the otherworld.”

Wednesday sat quietly as Y/N spoke, his mind spinning over the mention of Oisín and Niamh. He had been willing to follow Niamh to the world beyond the veil, but his death had made it so fairies were forbidden from bringing guests beyond the veil. Would he be willing to give up everything he had here to follow Y/N? He knew that he was obsessed with her, but was he obsessed enough that he would abandon his mortal life for her? Wasn’t that something you would do for someone you loved rather than someone you were obsessed with? Was there much difference between the two? YN was in his mind every waking and slumbering moment, whether or not he wanted her to be. A constant plague that refused to let him go. According to the poets and musicians, that might imply that he loved her. But did he? He didn’t think so.

As his thoughts fizzled, he noticed Y/N staring at him.

“What?”

“You’ve been quiet for a while. What are you thinking about?”

“Nothing.”

Y/N smirked. “Keep lying and I won’t answer any more questions.”

“Nothing important.”

“You’re still lying.”

Wednesday glared at Y/N, irritated by her smugness. “You know, for someone who can’t lie, you’re awfully good at picking up on lies.”

Y/N shrugged. “Call it a fairy-given gift.” Her fingers trailed along the back of the parasite, soothing the beast when it started to squirm in her lap, its claws scratching at the fabric of her uniform. “You have one more question.”

Wednesday knew he had to be careful about this last question. But it hardly took him a moment to think about it. It was the question that had been on his mind since he had first met Y/N. The question that had taken hold of his mind in an iron grip.

“What are you?”

☘︎ *⚜*☘︎

Y/N was all too grateful that she didn’t have any classes the morning following Wednesday’s intrusion. She was exhausted from all the questions, and was more than happy to spend her morning heading down to Jericho to escape the bustle of the school.

But even as she walked, the exhaustion continued to cling to her. Her mind wouldn’t forget the man that had drawn Wednesday into her dorm that morning.

Faulkner. Y/N hated the man with a passion. Much of the old magic felt this way towards the man, even in death. Last Y/N had heard, the reapers had banned Faulkner from crossing the river and had cursed him to remain as an aimless spirit forevermore, stripped of name and body. Now he wandered the world in search of name and soul, which he would never find.

“What’s got you so lost in thought?”

Y/N frowned at the sudden voice and glanced up to see a familiar truck parked on the side of the road. Tyler was seated in the driver’s seat, a familiar grin on his lips.

“Nothing in particular,” Y/N said with a shrug, forcing Wednesday and Faulkner to the back of her mind. “Where are you coming from?”

Tyler jerked his thumb over his shoulder, gesturing in the direction of Nevermore. “Snuck out for an impromptu walk through the woods. If you’re heading to Jericho, I could give you a ride.”

Y/N was hesitant. Automobiles were low on her list of favourite modes of transportation. She didn’t trust anything that didn’t have a conscience. But it was Tyler, and if she was being honest, she didn’t quite feel like walking all the way to Jericho. So she nodded and clambered into the passenger’s seat of the car. But she didn’t buckle the seatbelt across her chest. That was too much to ask for. It was bad enough being in a metal contraption where she couldn't feel the earth, but buckling herself in was asking for something bad to happen.

“Sure.” It was rude to turn down the offer, especially when it was her friend. Had it been anyone other than Tyler, she would have declined it in a heartbeat, but Tyler was a friend, and she hadn’t had much time lately to talk to him. She had been so consumed with Wednesday that she had hardly seen the normie boy.

Tyler undid the lock on the door and Y/N pulled it open. She hesitated for a split second just outside the vehicle, but forced herself to get into the car. She shut the door behind her and immediately rolled down the window, setting her arm on the ledge. She was willing to confine herself to this metal death trap, but she had to have the window open. That much was non-negotiable. Thankfully, Tyler didn’t ask about it, nor did he seem to mind.

“So, where to?”

Y/N pursed her lips. She hadn’t been heading down to Jericho with any set destination in mind. “The cafe.”

Tyler grinned. “Perfect. I was heading there myself.”

Y/N said nothing as Tyler started the engine. The rumbling of the vehicle beneath her feet was an unsettling reminder that she had willingly confined herself to this situation.

Tyler filled the silence in the car without hesitation, talking avidly about everything that had been happening as of late. He hadn’t been able to forget their trip to the abandoned Gate’s manor, and though his father had banned him from interacting with Wednesday – who Gates saw as a bad influence on his son despite the fact that Tyler had been the one to take Y/N to the manor – the monster, what had been happening in Jericho with his father at the centre of the investigations, and so on. Y/N was more than happy to let Tyler tell her whatever was on his mind instead of trying to fill the gap.

Soon – but not soon enough for Y/N’s liking – the two arrived at the cafe. As soon as Tyler had turned the car off, Y/N was out of the vehicle, nearly throwing herself onto the pavement as she scrambled to get out of the car.

“You really don’t like cars, do you,” Tyler asked, his usual dorky expression plastered on his face.

Y/N glared at him. “No. Not in the slightest.”

It took Y/N a moment to erase the feeling of being in a car, but once she had, she and Tyler headed into the cafe. Maybe a hot drink would help her clear her mind a bit.

Y/N slid into a booth near the back of the cafe as Tyler headed behind the counter – already dressed in his uniform and getting to work on Y/N’s usual drink. In a matter of minutes, the drink was ready, and Tyler brought it over to the girl before heading back to serve the other customers who were flocking to the Weathervane to try and beat the midday rush of customers.

Y/N’s finger trailed languidly around the edge of her mug as she stared out the window. Faulkner still lingered in the back of her mind, but less as a complete thought, more of a relation to her current goal of leaving the mortal world behind to join her kin in Avalon. She was desperate to get away from this world of metal and synthetics where she had to fear that everyone she came into contact with would suffer from her curse. In Avalon, she would be free.

A moment later, Y/N’s silent introspection and thinking was interrupted by a familiar dark presence, and a man she had never seen before. One that rubbed her the wrong way when he picked up the ketchup bottle on the table to peel off some of the dried condiment and eat it.

Wednesday didn’t even greet the girl before pulling out a bit of paper that he had scribbled some notes on.

“Kinbott has to be Xavier’s master.”

Y/N glanced at Wednesday, wondering why he was suspecting Kinbott. She had never actually interacted with the woman, seeing as how her interactions with normies were limited, both at her request and Weems’ suggestion, and her lack of a need for counselling. If she needed council, she would go find some aspen trees.

“The Hyde lays dormant until unleashed by a traumatic event or unlocked through chemical inducement or hypnosis.”

Y/N twitched uncomfortably in her seat. Trapped between Wednesday and the window, she was forced to watch as Uncle Fester drank the entire bottle of ketchup that was sitting on the table. It was almost nauseating to watch, almost as nauseating as listening to Wednesday recite notes from Faulkner’s diary.

“She must’ve figured out he’s a Hyde and used hypnotherapy to unlock him. That would explain their secret sessions.”

“Why are you so convinced that Thorpe is the Hyde,” Y/N asked, her voice a bit sharp as she turned to Wednesday. “Thorpe’s been at the school longer than I have and the killings only just recently started. Why would Kinbott wait so long to unlock him?”

“Give him an alibi.” Wednesday didn’t so much as glance at Y/N as he answered and the girl rolled her eyes.

Thankfully for Y/N, Tyler came over a moment later with a quad for Wednesday, and Y/N took the opportunity of the distraction to hop over the back of the booth and down onto the other side, now free from the uncomfortable booth that seemed preoccupied with discussing Hydes and drinking ketchup. Once on the other side of the booth, she felt significantly freer, and slid out the end to stand beside Tyler.

“Tyler,” Wednesday said, “this is my Uncle Fester.”

Tyler reached out to offer Fester a handshake, and Y/N watched with wide eyes as blue electricity shot from Fester’s hand, flooding Tyler’s nerves, causing him to retract his hand in a matter of seconds. Fester seemed to find the whole thing hilarious, but Tyler moved a step closer to Y/N, slightly wary of the electric and eccentric man in the booth.

Then, Tyler caught a glimpse of the drawing on the table. One that Wednesday had pulled out along with his notes. The same one he had swiped from an unsanctioned trip to Thorpe’s art shack earlier. At the sight of the monster on the page, he leaned over the table, one arm slipping around Y/N’s back to rest on the edge of the seat behind her as his other hand pulled the paper closer for him to see.

“It’s called a Hyde,” Wednesday explained, watching Tyler’s reaction carefully.

“Woah, that’s it. From that night.”

Wednesday eyed Tyler for a moment. “I heard that your father gave you explicit instructions not to be near me.”

Tyler pulled back and nodded. “Yeah, but my dad’s not here, and I’m on a break.” He didn’t need to mention to Wednesday that he was standing at the table to spend a bit of time with Y/N rather than Wednesday. Neither boy was ignorant to the affection Tyler harboured for his outcast friend.

“Well, apparently a Hyde needs to be unlocked by someone. Its master.”

Tyler cursed at the mention of a second possible party.

“Tyler!”

Tyler whirled around, his back straightening as he turned to the door of the cafe, eyes widening slightly when he noticed his father standing there. He quickly pulled his arm away from the booth, taking a step away from the table.

The three teens glanced at the seat where Fester had been sitting, only to find it empty. Y/N frowned, her eyes flickering around the vicinity, wondering where Fester had disappeared to, but finding nothing, she turned to the sheriff.

“What’d I say,” Galpin muttered, gaze flickering between the teens. He had no problem with Y/N being around his son, seeing as how she had risked her life to go back for him and the time she had spent at their house after to make sure that Tyler’s wounds would heal properly, but he couldn’t say the same for the Addams boy. He didn’t want Tyler anywhere near Wednesday Addams.

As the sheriff approached, Tyler spoke up in defense of the Addams boy. “For the record, Wednesday was keeping his distance. I was the one who came over.”

The Sheriff said nothing for a moment, but eased off after a moment, deciding that he had more important things to worry about. He lifted a stack of papers and handed one to Tyler. “Putting these up around town. It’s a bank robbery suspect, and he’s a real creep. You haven’t seen him, have you?”

Wednesday was the first to answer. “No.”

Tyler quickly agreed. “Yeah, he’d be pretty hard to miss.”

When Sheriff Galpin turned to Y/N, she said nothing, nothing in her expression betraying the fact that she had been sitting with the man a moment earlier. Unable to lie, the only thing she could do was keep her mouth shut and her body language relaxed.

Tyler glanced at Y/N, noticing that his father was waiting for her answer, and stepped in, sparing her from any direct questioning. “I’ll pin it on the bulletin board.”

Thankfully, it seemed to do the trick and Y/N was relieved when Galpin walked off, leaving the three teens behind.

Wednesday waited until the sheriff had left before thanking Tyler for not ratting out his uncle. “But you didn’t have to do that.”

“Yeah, your family’s very…” Tyler searched for a polite description of the Addams family. “Colourful.”

“Ironic considering Fester’s the black sheep. He’s harmless.” Wednesday turned back to the table to start packing up his things and Tyler took this as a sign that their conversation was over. He left Wednesday to tidy up what he needed, but instead of leaving, he turned to Y/N, motioning for her to follow him to the bulletin board for a word in private.

As he pinned up the sign, Tyler glanced at Y/N, trying to keep his nerves in check. “So…”

Y/N glanced at Tyler, handing him another pin to keep Fester’s wanted poster up.

“Our last date was kind of ruined by the monster –”

Y/N smirked, elbowing Tyler gently. “Aw, you sad our night was interrupted, Galpin?”

Galpin’s cheeks flushed violently and Y/N couldn’t help but let out a soft laugh at the sight of the boy’s burning expression. The boy cleared his throat and continued, daring to glance over at Wednesday, who was unabashedly staring at them, his lips pursed, his hands clenched at his side. Tyler cleared his throat, forcing himself to stand a little taller. He wasn’t about to be intimidated by Wednesday Addams, who Y/N had shown no interest in whatsoever.

“Meet me at Crackstone’s Crypt,” Tyler said, keeping his voice quiet as he leaned closer to Y/N. The last thing he wanted was for Wednesday to overhear and stalk them on their date. Again. “Nine o’clock.”

Y/N smiled. She had intended on returning to the manor again, seeing as how nearly every night she had been searching the manor for whatever Aspen wanted her to find, but she wasn’t turned off by the idea of spending some time with Tyler. She felt as though she owed him that much for not watching his back at the Gates Manor.

“All right, Galpin.” For good measure, noticing that Wednesday was watching, Y/N stretched up onto her toes to press a quick kiss to Tyler’s cheek. “I’ll see you tonight.”

Wednesday’s fists curled tighter, his nails digging into his palms. Y/N was truly going to be the death of him.

☘︎ *⚜*☘︎

“You’re going out with a normie on a date?”

Y/N wasn’t surprised that Kent had managed to find out about her date with Tyler, seeing as how she had invited Divina and Bianca to her dorm to help her get ready. She had never been on a date before and was in desperate need of assistance. Bianca and Divina had been incredibly helpful, thank the stars, and had styled Y/N perfectly. A blend of practical and gorgeous that suited the cold fog-filled night and the mysterious setting of having a date in a crypt. Possibly a bit morbid, but for an outcast, the setting seemed appropriate.

Y/N had nearly been to the door of the school when Kent had caught her. He was standing at the door leading to his dorm, hands tucked into the pockets of his hoodie, his slippers still on his feet.

“Divina told you?”

Kent nodded slowly, stepping away from the door to join Y/N in the lobby. “Are you sure you trust him?”

Y/N gave Kent a gentle smile and nodded. “I’m sure, Kent.” She reached out and gently squeezed his arm, hoping that the act would ease his worries a bit. “I’ll check in with you when I get back, okay?”

For a moment, Kent did nothing. He said nothing. He just… stood there. Y/N could see the thoughts flickering behind his eyes and the fidgeting in his hands, even concealed in his hoodie pocket. But after a moment of tense silence, Kent sighed. “Okay.” He pulled a hand from his hoodie and took Y/N’s hand, squeezing it gently. “Text me when you get back. And call me if you need anything.”

Then, he pulled away, and gave Y/N a quick once over. “You look amazing.”

“You think? I asked Bianca and Divina to help.”

Kent nodded, swallowing the lump in his throat and forcing himself to breathe. He hated that this was so painful. “Galpin’s lucky.” He forced himself to remain on the spot as Y/N left, giving him a final wave before leaving the school and disappearing into the night, the fog concealing her as she left. The doors shut behind her, and Kent forced himself to turn away, heading back to the safety of his dorm, his breathing measured and even.

‘I wish it wasn’t so painful.’

Outside of the school, Y/N’s fingers began to squirm as she left Nevermore behind. She had hoped that Divina wouldn’t tell Kent about the date, but had completely forgotten to ask Divina to keep it a secret. She had gotten so caught up in finding something to wear that she had forgotten how Kent might react when he found out. She knew he would have found out regardless, but she had hoped to break it to him gently rather than him catching her leaving for the date. The fact that he had taken it so well only made it hurt more.

‘Curse you for being so sweet, Kent.’ Y/N’s footsteps became aggressive as she stomped through the forest, her emotions running wild as she contemplated turning back to apologise to Kent. But would that do any good? They were both aware of Kent’s feelings, and though they were good friends, that was all Y/N felt for him. And Kent wasn’t the sort of guy to chase away any guy who showed any sort of interest in Y/N. He supported her through and through, just as he always had.

Now, Y/N cursed herself for not being able to return Kent’s affections. But she had promised Tyler that she would meet him, and didn’t want to leave him standing in the cold autumn night. So, she pressed on, promising herself that she would talk to Kent the following day.

By the time she reached the crypt, Y/N had managed to push Kent to the back of her mind, and she was glad for it when she noticed Tyler standing in front of the crypt, clearly waiting for her. And as pained as she felt, she was happy to spend some time with the normie.

“Hey.” She smiled, her step now a little lighter at the sight of her friend.

Tyler returned her smile. “Hey. I was worried you wouldn’t show.”

Y/N frowned and reached into her pocket to pull out her phone. Had talking to Kent held her up that much?

“You’re not late,” Tyler said, noticing the concern in her expression. He shrugged when she met his gaze. “Just worried you would realise you’re way out of my league.”

Y/N’s smile returned with a teasing smirk. “Why don’t you let me be the judge of that, Galpin?” She looped her arm through his and pulled him towards the crypt doors. “Now are you going to show me what you have planned or are you going to leave us standing out here in the cold?”

Tyler pulled his free hand out from behind his back, revealing a flower. But apparently, he had learned his lesson from the dance. This time, the flower was in a small pot. It would surely have to be repotted once Y/N got back to her dorm – she had no intentions of putting it in a pot when it could grow wild if it so desired – but she appreciated the gesture of bringing her a live flower rather than one that had been cut.

“What a gentleman,” Y/N teased, taking the flower from Tyler, lifting the bud to her nose to inhale the scent. She lowered it and glanced at Tyler. “Thank you for bringing me a living flower rather than a dead one this time.”

Tyler shrugged. “I was going to bring a rose, but figured something alive might be better.”

“You know me so well.”

Tyler smiled. “Well, before I show you what I have planned, I need you to close your eyes.”

Y/N gave Tyler a jokingly suspicious look. “Promise you didn’t bring me out here to kill me?”

The boy nodded, his smile softening a fraction. “I promise.”

Shrugging, Y/N shut her eyes. “Don’t let me trip, Galpin. I’m trusting you.” She balanced the flower carefully in her free arm, keeping the other firmly looped through Tyler’s as he led her into the crypt, forcing her to endure the silence as they entered the stone sanctuary. Strangely enough, Y/N didn’t feel intimidated by the lack of forest around her. Perhaps because Tyler was with her, or perhaps because she had the flower in her arm. But something about the space was comforting.

Tyler told her to wait for a moment and Y/N did as instructed, standing atop the steps that led deeper into the crypt as Tyler pulled the doors shut behind them. Still, Y/N didn’t feel trapped. Something cold curled around her free arm, which had been left bare due to the sirens’ wardrobe suggestions, and Y/N let out a sigh. She knew why she didn’t feel so alone. This crypt, as unlikely as it was considering that Crackstone had dedicated his life to hunting outcasts, was a veil. Not a veil that Y/N could pass through, but one that the undead used frequently.

‘Welcome, Child of Starlight. Our kin welcomes you.’

Y/N smiled at the whisper in her ear and the familiar chilling sensation on the back of her neck. She recognised the voice and the almost water-like feeling on her skin. A banshee. An old magic undead that she was well acquainted with. This was not one she knew personally, but many kin were connected through something that ran through the earth rather than something that was exchanged through meetings. Y/N knew the banshee’s name, and nodded slightly in greeting, not wanting to alarm Tyler by telling him that they were in the presence of a banshee.

‘We will leave you in peace, Child of Starlight. Call to us when you leave and we shall return.’

The frigid touch vanished almost instantly and was replaced by a warm hand pressed against Y/N’s lower back. Tyler’s. It was a stark reminder that Y/N was not alone in the crypt even as the undead spirits retreated. Tyler was still here.

“Okay, you can open your eyes.”

Y/N’s eyes slowly fluttered open, and she felt her breath catch in her throat as she stared at the sight around her. Tyler had outdone himself. He had decorated the crypt with small fairylights and candles, all of which glowed with a soft golden light that made the crypt feel far less mysterious and almost cozy. On the steps in front of the coffin was a picnic basket with an assortment of pastries and other treats that would keep them fed throughout the night.

“Do you like it?”

Unable to contain her smile, Y/N turned to Tyler. “It’s gorgeous.”

And then Tyler pulled down a sheet, blocking the door from view.

“You didn’t.”

Tyler shrugged. “You’re an outcast who stays as far away from normies as you can. I figured you’ve never been to a movie theater before.” He took her hand and pulled her over to the blanket. “Figured I’d do my best to give you the full experience.” He was the first to take a seat and pulled out two buckets of popcorn. “I’m guessing you’ve never had popcorn either.”

Y/N bit her lips guiltily as she shook her head. Tyler made no comment and handed her the bucket of popcorn, gesturing for her to take a seat beside him.

“What sort of movies do you like?”

Y/N took her seat, taking a bite of the popcorn to see how it tasted. She hummed at the taste of the popcorn and took another piece, this time cursing quietly when a bit of the unpopped kernel ended up stuck between her teeth.

“Sorry,” Tyler muttered, trying to stifle a laugh when Y/N turned away to try and flick out the kernel. “Guess it’s not entirely popped.”

Y/N managed to get it out after a second and turned back to Tyler, picking up her popcorn again to continue eating. “I haven’t seen many movies. Living in a place where most technology doesn’t work kind of limits my options.”

“Well, let’s start with something…” Tyler paused, unsure of how to describe the movie. “We’ll see what you think of it.” The movie started to play and Y/N frowned when the crypt was suddenly filled with the sound of a cheerful song that was terribly out of place in the crypt.

Tyler laughed at the confused expression on Y/N’s face, though he tried to stop when she turned to him.

“You like this movie?”

Tyler shrugged. “I thought it might be a good way to introduce you to the world of movies.”

Bianca and Divina had told Y/N about Legally Blonde. It wasn’t something that she had considered watching. Her summers were mostly filled with reading or researching, trying to either find a way through the veil or trying to escape any sort of summer heat. She had never expected that she would actually watch the movie.

An hour and a half later, the end credits began to roll and Tyler turned off the movie projector as Y/N stretched out her sore limbs. She had been sitting on the stone steps for far too long. She had been tempted to grow some roots into more comfortable chairs, but had decided against it, not wanting to interrupt the movie.

“How was that,” Tyler asked, joining Y/N as she stood, standing on one of the lower steps of the crypt so they were eye-level.

“Interesting,” Y/N said, reaching into her hair to pull out the pin that Bianca had used to do her hair. “It wasn’t what I would normally use to entertain myself, but… I enjoyed it.” She smiled. “Thank you.”

For a moment, the crypt was silent. Y/N could read Tyler’s expression like an open book and said nothing, knowing there was something he was wanting to tell her. A second later, he broke. “Okay, don’t hate me. I’m just gonna come out and say it.”

Y/N’s heart fell. “Tyler –”

Tyler took her hand, rubbing his thumb across the back. “I know. I know. But I need to tell you, Y/N.” He paused for a moment, waiting for Y/N to nod so he could continue. “I want us to be more than friends.”

The fairy felt her heart leap into her chest, and as her panic started to rise, Tyler took her opposite hand, squeezing both a little tighter as he tried to ground the fairy.

“You don’t have to say anything, Y/N.” His voice was hardly more than a whisper now. “I know how you feel about dating. I don’t know why you feel that way, but I just want you to know how I feel.” When Y/N didn’t object, Tyler took a step closer, one hand rising from hers to cup her cheek, his thumb caressing the skin beneath her eye ever so gently. “I know what I feel, Y/N. And I’ll wait for you to figure out whether or not you want to give this a chance.”

The doors to the crypt suddenly flew open and Y/N flinched, her eyes flashing green for a moment, her hand shooting out and summoning the roots of the flower beside her to form a protective barrier between her and whatever had just entered the crypt. But she breathed a sigh of relief when she realised that it was just the Sheriff.

Y/N huffed, her breath pushing a loose strand of hair out of her face. “You nearly gave me a heart attack, Sheriff.” With one hand still tangled in Tyler’s, she pressed her opposite hand to her chest, her fingers pressing against her skin to try and ease the pounding of her heart. As her heart began to settle, she dropped her hand with a sigh, turning to Tyler to make sure he was all right before recalling the roots of the flower beside her.

“Tyler? Y/N?” The sheriff was at a loss for a moment. “What are you two –” Then, he noticed the candles and fairylights, and his expression shifted into one that bordered on horror.

“What are you doing here, Dad,” Tyler asked. He didn’t release Y/N’s hand, and instead intertwined their fingers, hoping that their interlocked limbs might help calm Y/N a little more. He could still feel the tension in her muscles as she stood beside him. The initial panic had ebbed but the lingering tension remained.

“The school groundskeeper found a motorbike by the lake. It matches the description of the one the bank robber stole.” The sheriff sounded tired as he gestured vaguely over his shoulder in the direction of the Nevermore dock. “There’s a canoe missing. Figured he might be holed up on Raven Island.” He glanced between the two teens once more before waving his hand dismissively and leaving with the two officers who had followed him into the crypt.

Once he had departed, Y/N turned to Tyler. “I should get back to the school.”

Tyler nodded running a hand through his hair. “And I should head home before my dad kills me for sneaking out.”

“I was wondering why he looked so surprised to find you out of the house. You didn’t tell him we were going out?”

“You thought I was going to after what happened at the Gates’ place?”

Y/N paused. “Fair point.” Her gaze lowered to where her fingers were still tangled in Tyler’s, and for a moment, she paused. Then, she met Tyler’s gaze, immediately noticing the worry lingering. “Whatever happens after this, Tyler, I enjoyed tonight.” She stretched up onto her toes and pecked his cheek. “Thank you.”

Tyler returned the gesture, his lips barely skimming her cheek out of respect for her pending answer. “Thanks for giving me a chance.”

☘︎ *⚜*☘︎

“Y/N?”

Y/N, having returned to her dorm after her date, woke to someone shaking her, and she shot up, summoning vines covered with thorns and deadly flowers, only to pause when she saw Wednesday’s tear-stained face at the edge of her bed. Y/N immediately faltered. She had never seen Wednesday cry before. She had hardly ever seen him show any sort of emotion, and yet, here he was, crying beside her bed like a child who had been startled by a nightmare.

“What are you doing here, Wednesday,” Y/N groaned, dropping her head into her palm.

“I…” Was Wednesday really willing to admit that he needed to see her? Telling Y/N this would be giving her blackmail material, which was the last thing he wanted to do, though she knew that Fester was his uncle, and that was Blackmail material in and of itself. She could easily turn him over to the Sheriff for giving Fester a place to lay low. But there was a part of him that wanted to tell her, regardless of every instinct telling him that he shouldn’t. Should he?

“If you’re not going to say anything, Wednesday, I’m going back to bed?” Y/N adjusted her covers, but before she could, Wednesday grabbed her hand, causing Y/N to pause. His hands were still covered in Thing’s blood. Even when he had gone to talk to Weems, he hadn’t washed his hands. It was almost as if he had been on autopilot. Witnessing the near-death of one of his friends was more gut-wrenching than he had thought it would be.

“Wednesday…” Y/N grabbed the boy’s hand, her expression faltering as she lifted his hand to the light of the moon. “What happened?”

Wednesday swallowed, his eyes locked on the gentle caress of Y/N’s fingers on his hand. “Thing was stabbed.”

“What?” Y/N seemed to be calculating how much blood loss the hand would be able to take as she took Wednesday’s other hand, holding both up for her to see. “Is he all right?”

Wednesday nodded. “Fester’s with him now.”

Y/N sighed. “Good. But let’s get you cleaned up.” Taking Wednesday’s hands, she led the boy to her bathroom, where she instructed him to take a seat on the edge of the tub while she grabbed a rag from the wall and ran it under the tap. Then, she took a seat beside Wednesday and started cleaning the boy’s hands, swiping the cloth across the skin to erase the remnants of Thing’s blood.

Wednesday leaned down onto Y/N's shoulder subconsciously as he watched her erase the blood from his hands. It was strange to be with her in such a delicate situation. For once, they weren't at each other's throats, trying to strangle the other, or try to figure out how to manipulate each other for their own personal gain. It felt... strange, but it felt good.

As Y/N finished cleaning Wednesday’s hands, Wednesday tilted his head and pressed a gentle kiss to the girl’s neck. He felt Y/N freeze beneath the gentle caress, her breath stilling as her heartbeat started to flutter. Wednesday did it again. He was rewarded with the same response. Again. Again.

“Wednesday…” Y/N pulled away from the boy, making him pause. “You should go to bed. It’s late.” She got to her feet, going to pull her hand from Wednesday’s, but Wednesday tightened his hold on her hand, forcing her to pull him up.

“Wednesday –”

Wednesday moved faster than Y/N had thought possible, and within seconds, her back was pressed against the frame of the door, her body frozen as Wednesday’s hand drifted across the skin of her cheek, exactly where Tyler had kissed her cheek. As if Wednesday could feel where Tyler had touched her.

Y/N had expected Wednesday to fall into his obsession and into the burning desire that had kept her in his mind like a parasite. But instead Wednesday just stood there, his fingers gently warming the skin of her cheek, causing her heart to race. He moved closer, his lips a mere whisper away from hers, and Y/N’s eyes instinctively fluttered shut at the proximity.

But Wednesday pulled away at the last moment, catching himself before he dove headfirst into the obsessive desire. He was slow to pull away, as if it was physically painful for him to do so, but pull away he did, until he was far enough from Y/N that he could meet her eyes.

The two stood there so long that Y/N wondered if they would stay there the rest of the night until the first rays of the morning forced them to part. Wednesday seemed to have no intention of leaving, nor did he show any sign that he would release Y/N. He stood there, apart enough that light could pass between them, but close enough that they could feel the heat of the other.

Wednesday had never felt anything like this before. And the thought terrified him.

“I need to go.”

He turned and left without another word, leaving Y/N standing at the bathroom door, her chest heaving slightly.

This night had been absolute torture in every sense of the word. What was happening?

☘︎ *⚜*☘︎

Chapter Text

☘︎ *⚜*☘︎

I dread the events of the future, not in themselves but in their results.
~ Edgar Allan Poe

☘︎*⚜*☘︎

Xavier Thorpe had been arrested for murder and it was all the school could talk about. Wednesday had cornered him in his art shack and Galpin had arrested him.

And now, in the middle of the night, Kent had stormed into Y/N’s room, shaking her awake to tell her that Tyler was the real Hyde and that Wednesday was torturing him in Thorpe’s old shack to try and pry the information out of him.

Y/N hadn’t wasted a second before rushing towards the shack.

“Tyler!”

Vines surged from the chilled soil, surging towards the shack and tearing it to shreds at Y/N’s command. What remained of Thorpe’s paintings and other art pieces were cast aside as Y/N’s vines ripped through the rotting wood, seizing Wednesday’s limbs and wrenching him away from Tyler, causing him to drop the hammer in his hand. The vines that hadn’t attacked Wednesday rushed towards Tyler, curling around his chains and snapping them with ease before pulling him from the chair and guiding him towards Y/N where he all but collapsed, breathing heavily as he tried to regain his strength.

“Y/N! Put me down!”

A hiss burned in Y/N’s throat as she stepped away from Tyler, leaving him supported by her vines as she summoned the vines restraining Wednesday. They lowered the boy until he hovered in front of her, allowing Y/N to see the visible panic in his gaze. “Why should I listen to anything you have to say, Addams?”

“Tyler is the monster! You have to put the chains back on!”

Y/N nearly snarled at the accusation. “Make up your mind, Wednesday!”

“FREEZE! Everyone, put your hands where I can see them!”

Y/N breathed a sigh of relief as she lifted her hands into the air, turning slowly to face the sheriff.

“You’re all coming with me.”

☘︎*⚜*☘︎

Down at the sheriff’s station, Y/N stood to herself, arms crossed, her gaze flickering from one room where Tyler was being processed, and another room where Wednesday was being interrogated by Weems and the Sheriff. Not knowing where to stand between the two boys, she had removed herself from the conversation, instead taking a place by the door to observe the situation from afar.

The forest was never wrong. Like her, the plants could never lie. It wasn’t in their nature, nor did they understand what a lie was. The forest was honest, far more honest than many humans were willing to be. And if the forest had told her that one of the boys was a friend, the other a foe, then she had to believe. But the forest hadn’t told her who was the liar and who was the friend. It hadn’t been able to distinguish between the two of them. Standing so close, the boys were almost indistinguishable from one another to the plants. And though plants were honest, they were easily confused when trying to relay information like this. Humans were far more complex than plants were in more ways than one.

‘Wednesday said Tyler was the Hyde.’

‘But he also said that Thorpe was the Hyde.’

‘He was torturing Tyler.’

‘But was he doing that to try and get information out of him?’

‘Was he doing it just because Tyler asked you out?’

Y/N sighed, shaking her head as a silent answer to her thoughts. She knew Wednesday loved torture, and she knew that he was cruel, but nothing about him suggested that he would torture Tyler just because he had asked Y/N out. He was far more likely to use psychological means to warp Tyler’s mind and torture him from within rather than inflicting anything physical on the boy.

The boys eventually finished and Wednesday was dismissed from the sheriff’s office – more like evicted – and headed to the door to join Y/N. But before he reached her, Tyler stepped out of the office where he was signing papers, asking to speak with him. The sheriff was hesitant, for obvious reasons, but relented after Tyler mentioned that Wednesday wasn’t likely to try anything while they were in the police station.

Y/N couldn’t hear what Tyler and Wednesday were saying, and her hand tightened around her bicep as her suspicion mounted. What was Tyler worried about her hearing? The occasional glances in her direction over Wednesday’s shoulder made every hair on her neck stand on end, and at her tension, the plants in the station perked up, their leaves and petals flexing as they waited for the command to attack.

But then Tyler stepped away from Wednesday and the boy brushed past Y/N, heading outside to wait by Weems’ car, leaving Tyler and Y/N alone in the hall.

“Are you okay,” Y/N asked. Suspicious or not, she wasn’t willing to tip her hand by being unkind. Making Tyler suspicious of her would only further problems.

Tyler scratched the back of his neck and nodded. “Yeah. Thanks for stepping in.”

Y/N shrugged. “The forest reached out to me on your behalf. It wasn’t something I could ignore.” At least that much was the truth.

“Well, it still means a lot.”

Y/N offered Tyler a smile, hoping that it would be enough to appease the boy. But when she turned to leave, Tyler stepped forward, calling her name and catching her hand.

“Wait. Please.”

Y/N turned and stared at Tyler’s hand for a moment, ignoring his speech of gratitude, weighing the accusations that Wednesday had made against him. The boy had yet to share any proof with her, but she had learned by now that Wednesday was more honest than most people she came across. It was strange. A boy who seemed to thrive in the deepest depravities of the human mind was also one of the most honest boys she had ever met. One of the most honest people she had met, normie or outcast of any sort.

Y/N adjusted her stance, now facing Tyler directly. She said nothing, offering no explanation as she took his hand and flipped it over, revealing his palm to her. She had never taken the time to observe his palms. She wasn’t a witch. Palm readings weren’t a part of her power. Divination was a gift offered to few fair folk, and she wasn’t one of them. But Emmy had taught her a handful of tricks for palm reading and other such rituals. Not enough that Y/N would trust her observations completely, but enough that Y/N could do a quick reading of someone to try and figure out if they were lying or not. Due to her connection with plants, Y/N found reading tea-leaves the easiest, but palm reading was the next best thing.

‘At least it’s not cards.’ Reading someone’s future through cards, Y/N found, was often one of the most inaccurate. At least for her. She had never understood it, though Emmy seemed to do it perfectly every time. But Y/N guessed that was because she was a fairy rather than a hedge witch.

“What are you doing,” Tyler asked. He wasn’t objecting to the gentle feel of Y/N’s fingers tracing the lines in his palm. He may be a monster, but Y/N didn’t factor into that at all. Wednesday was the target. Not her. His affection for Y/N was probably the one honest thing about him.

“Reading.”

Y/N tried to recall what Emmy had taught her, gaze searching Tyler’s palm for the lines. While there were no specific lines that betrayed outcast or normie heritage – or any combination of the two – Emmy had taught her how some combinations were more likely to appear in specific types of outcasts. Like where the heart line lay and how deep it often indicated a werewolf, or where the mount of Luna lay might indicate a witch. Small things that Y/N had picked up on. But she had never had to read a potential Hyde before.

‘What am I even looking for?’

But when reading Tyler’s palm, Y/N noticed something odd. A shadow. Or rather, that was how best she could describe it. The lines in Tyler’s palm almost seemed to echo, but they also seemed to diverge. As if…

Y/N released Tyler’s hand, slowly, so as not to arouse suspicion, and lifted her gaze to his to smile. Not wanting to accidentally give anything away, she stood on her toes, pressing a kiss to Tyler’s cheek, and squeezed his hand, before bidding him goodnight and leaving to go and find Wednesday.

She found Wednesday outside the station by Weems’ car, and for a moment, she hesitated. This boy was more infuriating than anything she had ever encountered, possibly even more infuriating than Thornhill. At least Thornhill didn’t give her whiplash from mood swings. Thornill was always a pain. Wednesday was like a storm, and Y/N felt like she was drowning. Sometimes he offered her a hand, sometimes he didn’t.

But this needed to be discussed. So Y/N took a breath and left the station, clenching her hands into fists as she approached Wednesday. For a moment, she stood before him, saying nothing. Then, she exhaled a sharp breath that smelled of sickeningly sweet decay – so addictive and nauseating that Wednesday stumbled – and spoke.

“You are –” she paused, emphasizing her next word, “so lucky Emmy taught me the basics of palm reading.”

Wednesday tried to recover from the scent of Y/N, and frowned. “Why?”

“Because, it means, that despite my better judgement, I believe you.”

Wednesday faltered. “You do? Just like that?”

Y/N wasn’t willing to offer any further explanation. “Just like that.” She glanced over her shoulder at the police station. She wasn’t surprised to see Tyler lingering by one of the windows, watching her and Wednesday carefully. He was likely suspicious of her now, but she didn’t care. Outside, she had the upper hand. He may be the monster, but there was nothing he could do against the power of the forest, especially if he wanted to keep his outcast status quiet.

“Lay low for a bit,” Y/N instructed, walking away from Wednesday, heading in the direction of the woods. “We’ll figure something out.”

Wednesday said nothing as he watched Y/N leave, uncomfortable with how relieved he felt that she believed him. Even if no one else did, at least he had her on his side.

☘︎*⚜*☘︎

Y/N didn’t return to her dorm that night. How could she? Knowing that Tyler was the Hyde and that Wednesday was going to suffer the repercussions for trying to pry the truth out of him was torturous enough, but knowing that she was caught in the middle, unable to do anything? Best case scenario, Wednesday was suspended from the school. Worst? He was expelled, leaving Y/N to try and do something to prevent Tyler from attacking any more normies or outcasts.

When Y/N entered the woods, the parasite had found her, and once again, it was silent as they entered the woods, allowing the fog to swallow them as they returned to the manor. Y/N’s temporary sanctuary. Her home away from home in a sense. A place that smelled of rot and sweet decay, as much a part of the forest and natural landscape as she was. It smelled like she did, and like her kin did, and as she ran her hands along the wood, the wood began to sing with an ancient melody, something only audible to outcasts like her.

As she and the parasite moved deeper into the manor, Y/N’s voice began to swirl in her throat, slipping through her lips like a siren song. “I… hear your voice on the wind. And I… hear you call out my name.”

The songs of the fae were instinctual and primal, something that couldn’t be contained. While the songs of the sirens and other seductive outcasts were something that could be controlled and something that they summoned when desired, fae were far more feral, for lack of a better term. Tethered to the natural world, they weren’t the sort to be contained by anything. They allowed their music and song to burst forth like the first rays of the sun, or like the first drops of rain in a storm, powerful as the clap of thunder and the strike of lightning.

“‘Listen my child,’ you say to me. ‘I am the voice of your history’.”

With each sound that passed her lips, the strength of the magic woven into the wood of the manor surged forth, bringing lush greenery with it, until the walls were covered in enchanted moss, fungi, and the plants that longed to draw nearer to the fairy in their midst. Each step she took was surrounded by a small ring of mushrooms, until mushrooms covered the floor, a map of the steps that the fairy had taken.

“Be not afraid, come follow me. Answer my call and I’ll set you free.”

The parasite couldn’t sit still either. It bounded through the moss and the mushrooms, yipping happily as it followed Y/N in circles, for once not gnashing its teeth at her ankles. Instead, it seemed to feel as free as Y/N did as she danced, the magic of her glamour slowly starting to fade, until her mortal appearance melted away completely, revealing the ethereal fairy beneath.

“I am the voice in the wind and the pouring rain. I am the voice of your hunger and pain.”

Reaching up to her neck, Y/N seized the iron necklace and tore it from her neck, tossing it aside without a care as she continued to dance. The iridescent wings unfurled from her back, shimmering in the night and serving as a catalyst for the greenery around her. Flowers began to bloom, sprouting from the floor and ceiling alike as they grew wherever they were able, yearning to be closer to the magic of the fairy.

But as she sang, Y/N failed to notice that she had an audience beyond the parasite dancing at her feet. Not an audience that was doomed to fall prey to the feral magic of her kin, but one that shared a similar gift. One that only smiled as she watched Y/N dance, reminiscing of a time when she was as young as the fairy before her, unbothered by the trials that came with guarding the veil between the lands and governing the lands beyond.

Nimue had earned herself a place in the legends as perhaps the most beautiful fairy that there ever was, and for good reason. The fairy appeared to have just stepped out of the land of youth, gowned in starlight and the scent of fresh rain, with flowers blossoming from the dark tresses descending her back, her skin decorated with water droplets suspended in time to look like diamonds on her skin. These were a mark of one who had touched the waters of the fairy lands. One who would never age. Nimue hoped that one day, the young fairy dancing before her could experience the same blessing.

Stepping away from the threshold, Nimue joined in with Y/N’s dance, their bodies moving in perfect tandem with the other, their voices matching each other’s so perfectly that any mortal who dared to listen for a second might fall prey to their combined magic and keel over in a matter of seconds. Mortals might be able to withstand the magic of a single fairy, but to witness the combined magic of two fairies untethered by charms or mortal disguises was to throw yourself at the mercy of the feral mind.

Y/N could feel Nimue’s presence beside her as they danced. She could hear her voice in the song. Nimue did not need to announce herself. Y/N knew exactly who it was. If Numue had returned, it would serve as a further distraction for her tormented mind.

“I am the voice in the fields when the summer’s gone. The dance of the leaves when the autumn winds blow.”

Nimue took Y/N by the hand, her nimble fingers curling around Y/N’s and pulling her closer. Y/N laughed, the sound like silver bells in a springtime breeze, allowing Nimue to twirl her through the moss and the flowers beneath their feet. Their magic continued to surge, for once not being expended but instead swelling like a reservoir about to burst. Y/N had never felt so powerful before. She had never felt so… anything. She had never felt this free.

“Ne’er do I sleep throughout all the cold winter long. I am the force that in springtime will grow.”

Drawn in by the combined power of the fairies, the woodland creatures began to arrive, darting through the gaps in the rotting wood and what remained of the windows to watch the fairies. A few daring rabbits joined the parasite in dancing with the fairies, while a family of deer lingered near the rotted door, only the young fawn stepping through to watch a little closer. A family of bears on the other side didn’t care that there were so many prey around them. They were fat and happy, ready for winter. And even the promise of sleep had been banished from their mind. They had been summoned by the magic call of the forest, and they had answered. They could have spent the entire winter there, watching the fairies as they danced, not wanting for anything more.

“I am the voice…”

As the dance came to an end, the magic of the manor releasing the fairies, Y/N found herself leaning entirely on the elder fairy, her arms wound tightly around the fairy’s waist as Nimue cradled her cheek, allowing Y/N to rest her head against her chest, listening to the beat of Nimue’s heart.

Fairy hearts were far different than human hearts. Each beat was less a beat and more a flutter, something that fizzed rather than beat, almost as if they were missing the solid organ and had tried to replace it with a shadow. And yet, it was there just the same.

The fairies remained like that for a long while, both trying to catch their breath from the magic dance that had left them both feeling a bit faint, though Y/N was feeling the effects far more than Nimue was. As a young fairy who had rarely ever participated in revelries – the Haven had several festivals throughout the year, but true revelries were rare due to the mix of fairies and other old-magic kin – and she had yet to grow accustomed to the exhaustion that flooded her whenever a revelry ended. Usually, revelries were far longer than a single dance, but it was all the poor fairy could take at the moment.

Thankfully, with a little magical assistance from Nimue, Y/N was soon back on her feet, turning to greet the bear family who had been drawn in by their magic. The deer followed her, enchanted by the young fairy, desperately wanting to drown in her magic.

Nimue stepped back now, allowing Y/N to speak with the animals for a moment, scratching chins and nuzzling noses with endearing affection. It was refreshing for Nimue to see a fairy so young. Fairies born in the mortal world were so different to their fairy-land-born counterparts, and the sight of natural youth was like a breath of fresh air to Nimue. One could only watch the faces of enchanted youth for so long before one started to grow bored of the sight. Untouched by the waters of youth, Y/N’s face bore lines that other fairies didn’t, betraying a sight of mortal age that Nimue craved.

“My dear Child of Starlight.” Nimue approached Y/N, silently telling her that it was time to bid the animals goodbye. She allowed Y/N to bid the animals goodbye for a moment before pulling Y/N towards the centre of the room. “The light of sun and moon shine on our reunion, young one.”

Y/N bowed to the ancient fairy. “I am honoured to see you again, Lady of the Lake. Though I did not expect to see you again so soon, nor did I expect to find you here.”

The first time Nimue had met Y/N, Y/N had been given a few days off from her studies to leave Nevermore and cross from Nevermore Academy in Vermont to St. John’s in Newfoundland and Labrador in Canada. The closest point, within reason, that Y/N could get to her home in the Emerald Isle. It was there where she had been greeted by a pair of kelpies, and it was there that she had met Nimue for the first time.

“I thought it would be good for me to come to you this time,” Nimue said, summoning two chairs of ivy for the two of them to sit in. “You told me how long it had taken you to reach St. John’s, and it is far easier for me to cross through the veil than it is for you to fly day and night to reach St. John’s.”

Y/N appreciated the thought. “Why have you come, Lady of the Lake?”

Nimue’s expression fell. “You are not the only one who has noticed the monster roaming these woods, Child of Starlight. All fairies feel the pain of the forest whenever a life leaves it. When the monster prowls and hunts, we feel it like iron.”

Y/N frowned. “I do not feel that. I feel the forest, and if I try I can feel the monster, but I do not feel it as instinctually as you do. Is it because I am half mortal?”

Nimue, sensing concern in the younger fairy, shook her head and reached over to take Y/N’s hand. “No, my child. If anything, your mortal blood makes you stronger than most fairies. Your mortal blood is a strength. One that many fairies would sacrifice their immortality to have.” Releasing Y/N’s hand, Nimue pulled back. “We need only hone your magic. You are still young and have yet to learn what you can do. It will take time, but in time, we will uncover everything you are capable of.”

Nimue had said something similar the first time they had met, and Y/N breathed a sigh of relief.

“Tonight, I come to offer you an aid.”

“An aid?”

Extending her hand to Y/N, Nimue summoned a necklace, not entirely unlike the one Y/N wore when she was around her peers, but noticeably lacking the presence of iron. Instead, it was made of a material Y/N had never before seen. As Nimue set it in her palm, Y/N turned the pendant over, observing how it felt in her palm. Heavy, like a stone, but far lighter than the iron she usually wore, and where the iron burned her, this felt cool against her skin, as if it were made from rain rather than metal.

“What is it,” Y/N asked.

“You mentioned that your charm is used to conceal your magic. This will do the same, but it will do so without burning you. And it will aid you in controlling your magic. You won’t need to remove the charm to release your magic, but it will keep your magic under your control until you can learn how to control it without the charm.”

Y/N frowned. “Can my magic be controlled?”

Nimue sighed, shaking her head. “Not the part of the magic you are hoping for, I’m afraid. The seductive side of your magic is primal. It cannot be controlled. You are a part of the muses, my child. You are a catalyst for mortal creativity. It is not something we can control any more than they can. But it will help you control the rest of it.”

Y/N accepted the gift, happy to be rid of the infernal iron pendant that Weems had given her. As she secured it around her neck, she felt a sigh of relief leave her lips as her body relaxed. No more would she suffer the burns. “Thank you, Lady of the Lake.”

“You are welcome, Child of Starlight.” Nimue stood, and as she did, the foliage summoned by the two fairies began to fade back into the woodwork. “Unfortunately, our revelry took up more time than I had anticipated. I advise you to return to school. There is a boy looking for you.”

Y/N nodded. “Very well. Will I see you again, Lady of the Lake?”

Nimue smiled and leaned forward, pressing her lips to Y/N’s hairline. “Sooner than you think, little one.”

☘︎*⚜*☘︎

Kent was pacing back and forth in front of the stairs to her tower when Y/N found him. She wondered how long he had been there, walking back and forth, muttering incoherently, wearing into the floor beneath his feet. He was still in day clothes and Y/N guessed that he hadn’t changed after coming to wake her and tell her that Wednesday had kidnapped Tyler and that he was torturing Tyler in Thorpe’s old shack. Honestly, Y/N was surprised that Kent hadn’t waited in her dorm, but then she remembered the poisonous plants that had sprouted in her cloud of nerves. Kent had likely started feeling ill with so many toxins around him and had thought it better to wait for her at the base of the tower rather than in her room.

“Kent.”

All it took was a single word. A split second later, Kent glanced up, breathing a sigh of relief at the sight of Y/N. “Bug.” He darted towards her, scooping her into his arms and spinning her around in a circle as he held her tight, burrowing his nose into her neck. Y/N laughed, allowing him to hug her tightly as he set her back on the ground, refusing to release her, until he was satisfied that he wasn’t dreaming.

“You okay,” he asked, pulling away from Y/N, cupping her cheeks to make sure she wasn’t injured. “You ran off so fast –”

Y/N shook her head, gently pulling Kent’s hands from her cheeks to hold them in hers. “I’m fine, Kent. Sorry it took so long for me to get back.”

Kent chuckled. “I figured that you had gone for a walk when you didn’t return with Addams and Weems, but I still worried.” He scratched the back of his head. “I guess Divina was right when she said I worry too much about you.”

Y/N giggled, patting Kent on the cheek. “Don’t worry, you big guppy. I like that you care enough about me to worry.” Her giggling resumed when she noticed Kent’s cheeks burning at the nickname.

“I’m not a guppy.”

“Yes, you are.” Y/N glanced over her shoulder at the empty hall behind her before taking Kent by the hand and pulling him up to her dorm. She doubted her dorm mom would be upset to find Kent there, seeing as how Kent was twins with Divina and was almost inseparable from the other sirens on the floor, but she didn’t want to risk it. Tonight had been a night of high tension and Y/N didn’t want to add any more to the blanket of tension that was falling over Nevermore.

“Where did you go,” Kent asked as Y/N led him up the stairs to her dorm.

“The manor in the woods,” Y/N answered. Kent was one of the few people she had told about the manor. He was one of the few people she trusted not to go snooping. She had told Divina and Bianca as well, but she had told them only recently, whereas she had told Kent a little earlier. She wasn’t sure why she trusted him more than her girlfriends, but she did.

“What pulled you all the way out there?” Kent shut the door behind him and made his way over to Y/N’s bed, where he flopped on the covers, folding his arms behind his head.

“Nimue. She wanted to give me a new –” Y/N’s words trailed off at the thought of her charm, and her eyes widened. She hadn’t been wearing the charm when Kent had come to get her. He had taken her completely by surprise and she had only put it on after finding him shaking her awake.

Turning away from the mirror where she had been inspecting the bags under her eyes, Y/N rounded on Kent. “Kent.” Her voice shook with anticipation. “How do you feel?”

‘Is he just that good at controlling it? Or…’ For the first time in years, Y/N dared to hope.

Frowning, Kent sat up, resting his weight on his elbows. “What do you mean?”

“How do you feel…” Y/N wasn’t sure how to put it delicately. “About me?”

Kent’s cheeks began to burn, and he stumbled over his words. “Ah… Well, you–you know how I feel about you…” He wasn’t meeting her eyes. “We’ve already had this conversation.”

Y/N let out a quiet shriek of frustration and stomped over to the boy, taking his chin in her hand and forcing him to meet her gaze. She ignored his questions as he tried to figure out what she was doing, instead staring at his eyes, searching for any sign of infection. It only took a second for the curse to set in, and Kent had been with her for longer than a second while he tried to wake her.

Y/N’s heart leapt into her throat as she began to choke over her words. “Do you feel… any different towards me?”

Kent’s eyes were flickering everywhere now. “Well, I’m a bit embarrassed because you’re standing so close.” She was close enough that his hands had nowhere else to go but her hips, and Kent swallowed his nerves when he began to feel the heat of her skin radiating through her clothes.

“Not that,” Y/N exclaimed. “I mean… Are you obsessed with me?”

That seemed to amuse Kent and relieve him enough that he finally met her gaze. “Wow. You think quite highly of your–” He trailed off, noticing the intense look in Y/N’s gaze, and the flicker of hope in her eyes. “Wait…” The pieces began to click in his mind. How he had burst into her room without waiting for her to put her charm on. How he had been alone with her for a few minutes… She had never told him the details of her curse, only enough that he could piece a vague idea together, but…

Pulling back from Kent, Y/N reached up to her neck, fingers finding the clasp of her new necklace with ease. “I… I want to try something.”

Kent nodded, unable to breathe. “Yeah… Go ahead.”

Biting her lip, Y/N undid her necklace. As soon as the chain was undone, her curse swelled throughout the room, and she waited with bated breath. Had she and Kent been mistaken? Was he just lucky? Was it different because she had been asleep? Or was he… Y/N didn’t dare even think the word as she watched Kent.

Slowly, the boy rose to his feet, taking slow measured steps towards her, as if waiting for the curse to snap into place and consume him. But when it didn’t, he let out a shaky laugh. “I don’t feel it…”

The curse fell from Y/N’s hand, tumbling to the floor as she sank to her knees, unable to keep the waterworks back as the relief flooded her. Kent was immune. He didn’t feel the curse. He was one of the few lucky ones who was born with something in him that made it so he didn’t fall prey to a fairy’s seductive lure. And Y/N began to sob with relief.

Kent joined Y/N on the floor immediately, pulling her into his arms and holding her tight as tears began to fall, dotting Y/N’s skin as he held her tightly. Neither one could find the words to describe the relief they felt. For several long minutes, they sat on the floor, until their cries eased and they managed to pull their emotions back enough to pull away, pressing their foreheads together. An intimate but platonic gesture that hinted at a connection that went far beyond what the word ‘friends’ could describe.

And as Y/N continued to reel over the revelation that Kent was one of the few she could be around without wearing a charm, Kent held her gently, his romantic affection subsiding in favour of a bond that they both understood in their soul.

In the silence of Y/N’s dorm, she whispered, “Thank you, Kent.”

Kent laughed. “I’m not going anywhere, Bug. You’re stuck with me now.”

“Good.”

☘︎*⚜*☘︎

The next morning, however, the good feelings had subsided when news came that Wednesday Addams was being expelled from Nevermore for kidnapping and torturing Tyler Galpin. Honestly, the students were less shocked about the news that Wednesday had been expelled for kidnapping and torture and more shocked about the fact that he was being expelled. Yes, none of them condoned his crimes, but most of the students had grown fond of the odd boy in one way or another. He had fit in at Nevermore in a way that they all craved. He hadn’t apologised for being who he was, nor had he forced any of them to accept him. And yet, they did. Seeing him go was far more dismal than any of them had expected.

And no one was more surprised at how they felt than Y/N herself. As irritating as the boy could be, she too had grown… she hesitated to say the word ‘fond’ but couldn’t think of a much better word to use. He had weasled his way under her skin in both the good and the bad, and though she often loathed having to spend any time with him, he had planted himself in her mind, as much a parasite as the fox that had wormed its way into her life.

And currently, into her arms.

The Nightshades were surprised that Y/N was waiting at the bottom of the steps with them, hoping to bid Wednesday goodbye before he left on the afternoon train. The only one who had an inkling of what Y/N might be feeling was Kent, but he remained silent as he stood behind her, offering her silent support to bid goodbye to the boy who had tormented her every waking moment.

Y/N let the Nightshades bid Wednesday goodbye first, hoping to sneak in a private word with the boy before he left. So, as Wednesday descended the stairs and the Nightshades went to meet him, Y/N remained behind, allowing the parasite to slip from her arms and dart off in search of someone else to torment while the Nightshades apologised for getting Wednesday expelled.

“The Nightshades need to be ready for what’s coming,” Wednesday said, his eyes flickering to Y/N over Bianca’s shoulder. “Or a lot of people are going to die.” Wednesday could only hope that Y/N wouldn’t be among the list of fatalities.

The sound of hurried footsteps drew Wednesday’s attention and he forced himself to turn away from the Nightshades as Thornhill approached. He narrowed his eyes at the sight of the woman. He still hadn’t forgiven her for how she had acted to Y/N before Y/N had dropped out of her class, proving to Weems that she had no need to take the woman’s class since she was born with an innate connection to the plants.

“I’m so glad I caught you,” Thornhill said. “I was weeding my wolfsbane and I just completely lost track of time. This is a parting gift.” She offered the potted flower in her hands to Wednesday, and the boy accepted it hesitantly.

“White oleander, one of nature’s deadliest.”

Thornhill nodded. “It also symbolizes destiny and renewal. You’re a very talented young man, Wednesday. I can’t wait to see what you do next.”

“Wednesday.”

Weems had found him, and Wednesday sighed. It was time for him to leave.

“This time I am personally escorting you to your train,” the principal said, her smile stretched a bit too far and a bit too thin.

Wednesday glanced at Y/N, who was still lingering, her gaze unwavering as it met his. “I need to say goodbye to Y/N.”

“Very well.” Weems stepped aside and turned to address Thornhill, allowing Wednesday and Y/N to speak in private. At least, as much privacy as the front lobby of the school allowed.

“You came to say goodbye. I’m surprised.”

Y/N sighed. “As am I. I thought I’d be happy to see you go, especially after the mess you put me through.” She tilted her head slightly, pursing her lips. “But strangely enough, I’m not.” Lifting a hand to her neck, she fiddled with the pendant. “I’m going to miss you, Wednesday Addams.”

Wednesday stilled for a moment. She was going to miss him? He knew she couldn’t lie, but to hear her say that outright… “I’m going to miss you too, Y/N.” He took a step closer to the girl and dared to reach out to take her hand, intertwining their fingers. “Come visit me when you have time.”

Y/N laughed. “So demanding.”

Wednesday nodded. “I’m glad you understand that this isn’t a request.” He tightened his hand on hers. “I mean it..”

Y/N squeezed Wednesday’s hand. “I know you do, Addams. I’ll consider it.” She stepped forward, and ever so gently, brushed her lips against Wednesday’s cheek. “Have a safe trip, Addams.” Then, she pulled back, slipped her hand free from a frozen Wednesday’s grasp, and disappeared into the crowd of students, leaving Wednesday standing dumbstruck in the lobby.

‘You tease me with a kiss, now?!’

☘︎*⚜*☘︎

That night, as Kent and Y/N were hanging out in her dorm, playing cards to try and pass the time, a sickening feeling crept into Y/N’s stomach, worse than any she had felt before. She gagged at the sensation, pressing a hand to her stomach as the cards dropped from her hand, the other hand pressing to her mouth.

“Bug?” Kent was beside her in a second, one had on her back, the other pulling the hair out of her face. “What’s wrong? What’s happening?”

“She needs us, boy from the sea.”

Kent glanced up, eyes widening when he noticed a trio of pale wispy figures hovering where he had been sitting a moment before, their faces gaunt and hollow, eyes almost bulging from the sockets. He recognised them instantly from the stories that Y/N had told him. Banshees. Washer women. Spirits whose wails foretold death.

As the figures drew closer, Kent forced himself to pull away from Y/N, knowing that the banshees would be able to soothe her far easier than he was. Still, it killed him to leave her struggling, and he remained close, watching his friend carefully as the banshees settled around her, whispering with voices that fell like raindrops and ran like a bubbling stream. Unsettling to his ears, but soothing to Y/N’s.

“Rise, child.”

“You are needed.”

“Your boy needs you.”

“He walks into danger.”

“Danger both seen and not.”

As the banshees’ frigid touch soothed her, Y/N began to breathe again, the nausea subsiding. “What’s going on,” she asked, her voice choking and restrained.

“Seek the woman from the greenhouse.”

“She lies…”

Y/N’s mind suddenly snapped, her eyes widening. “Wednesday…” She shot to her feet, the banshees rising with her and escorting her to the balcony. Before she leapt over the side, however, she turned back to Kent. “Get the Nightshades. Get everyone out of the school as fast as you can.”

Kent jumped to his feet, not pausing for a moment to question why. If Y/N needed him to clear the school, he would do it.

As Kent left, Y/N leapt over the wall, listening to the banshees’ wails as roots surged up from the ground to catch her, seizing her around the waist and lowering her down to the courtyard. Y/N didn’t even bother landing on the ground before she was running, using the roots beneath her feet to push her along, moving faster and faster until she reached the green house. There, the roots lifted her up, allowing her to leap through the glass of the roof and into the chaos below.

Thornhill yelped as Y/N fell into her greenhouse, glass falling around the fairy like rain.

Wednesday, however, cursed. He stepped forward, seizing Y/N by the wrist and pulling her away from Thornhill, hiding her behind his back. He didn’t know how Y/N had found him, but he was both horrified and relieved that she was there. He hoped that Thornhill hadn't noticed the momentarily flicker of fear in his gaze when Y/N had interrupted them, and continued as if they hadn’t been interrupted.

“Tyler told me everything.”

Y/N followed Wednesday’s gaze to the space between the desks behind them, her mouth dropping when she noticed Tyler entering the room.

“You know, initially, I incorrectly accused Kinbott of using hypnosis to unlock him. But you used a plant-derived chemical, didn’t you?”

Wednesday paused, wondering if Thornhill would dare try and tell him he was wrong, but she seemed to be struggling for something to say.

“I know your father kept tabs on all the outcasts in town. So I assume he told you all about the Galpin family secret when you were just a girl. That’s why you targeted Tyler. You manipulated him by showing him what his mother truly was. Now, what Tyler didn’t realise is that the truth wouldn’t free him. It would enslave him to you.” Wednesday took a step forward, his hand tightening around Y/N’s when he heard her near-silent gasp. “That was scary at first, so you used the cave and the shackles. But eventually, he willingly became your servant. And when Kinbott came close to discovering the truth, you had Tyler kill her and pin it on Xavier.”

This time, it seemed that Thornhill was more bored than anything else. She huffed, pulling off her glasses and tossing them aside. “Ugh. That’s enough.” She tucked her hands into her pockets and glanced at Tyler over Wednesday’s shoulder. “Tyler, honey, make Mama happy and shut them up. Permanently.”

“He’s not on your side.”

“Tyler will do anything for me.” As if to prove her point, Thornhill stood, walking around Wednesday and Y/N to approach Tyler, whispering to him about his mother, as she cupped his cheeks, caressing him with a poisonous sweetness that made Y/N’s skin crawl.

Tyler had been her friend, and upon finding out that Thornhill had manipulated him into becoming… this… It was a devastating revelation. Yes, Tyler likely would have figured out that he was a Hyde sooner or later, and likely would have suffered at the hands of another master, but to find out that he had been a victim to one like Thornhill… Y/N wished, not for the first time, that Thornhill would die a slow and torturous death for everything she had done.

“If you only hate outcasts, why is he killing normies as well?”

Thornhill smirked. “They’re just pawns in a bigger game. Just like you, Wednesday.” Thornhill stalked towards Y/N and Wednesday, and Y/N glared at the woman, summoning roots from the plants closest to her. She wouldn’t let Thornhill or Tyler lay a single finger on Wednesday.

“Once again, you’ve underestimated the situation,” Thornhill cooed. “You were never getting on that train. I sent Tyler to intercept you.”

Wednesday was silent for a moment before muttering,” I never made it to the station.” His gaze flickered to Tyler. “Heard enough?”

Y/N’s mouth dropped open and a small laugh slipped through her lips as Tyler’s figure began to morph, transforming into the familiar appearance of Larissa Weems.

“Your slave is probably still at the station,” Wednesday muttered, his hand tightening further around Y/N’s.

“Don’t make this more difficult than it already is, Marilyn,” Weems said, her voice cold and sharp.

Y/N didn’t have time to react as Thornhill pulled a syringe from her pocket, the contents a familiar blue hue. She hardly took a step forward before Thornhill had plunged the needle deep into Weems’ neck, injecting her with a poison that would consume her in seconds.

“My name is Laurel!”

“Principal Weems!” Y/N rushed to the woman’s side, summoning every potential remedy she could think of to try and heal the woman, but there was little she could do. Thornhill, or Laurel, rather, had injected Weems directly with a dose that was far more potent than nightshade usually was. Y/N wouldn’t have the time to even prepare a remedy, let alone administer it. “Principal Weems!”

The tears began to fall as Weems’ body grew still beneath Y/N’s touch, and Y/N’s breathing turned ragged. “Prinicpal Weems!”

Distraught, Y/N didn’t notice the grunt that left Wednesday’s lips when Laurel struck him in the head with a shovel. Nor did she have any time to react before Laurel struck her, leaving Y/N slumped over Weems’ body, listening to the screaming of the forest and the wailing of the banshees as her consciousness left her.

☘︎*⚜*☘︎

When Y/N woke next, she found herself feeling feverish, with a terrible headache. Unable to open her eyes just yet, she reached out with her magic, trying to figure out where she was. She could feel the heat of the candles, she could feel the tethers of three mortals to the living world, with another cursed soul lying dead behind her somewhere.

‘Crackstone’s Crypt.’

Y/N huffed, allowing her head to fall back on the stone pillar behind her. What was she doing here? What happened?

It all came rushing back to her in a second. Laurel had gotten the upper hand while she was distracted with Weems and had knocked both her and Wednesday out. She had likely been the one to bring them to Crackstone’s Crypt, though Y/N had no idea why she had been dragged along. She guessed that she had been dragged rather than carried, seeing as how one side felt bloody and gashed.

“Y/N?”

“Tyler?” Y/N groaned, her throat hoarse. “What…”

Y/N forced her eyes to open. The headache had subsided for the most part, and as Y/N opened her eyes, she found herself lying on the steps where she and Tyler had been sitting only a few days earlier, her wrists clamped in ugly iron manacles that made her skin burn and blister. Her tears welled as the pain began to mount, and trying as hard as she could not to weep, the tears began to fall at the pain. She had never felt pain like this before.

Y/N hardly even registered the feeling of Tyler’s fingers on her cheek as the pain flooded her every nerve. White-hot pain, accompanied by a burn that settled into her bones, refusing to release her for even a second. She couldn’t hear anything over the pain. She couldn’t feel anything. Her senses and awareness only went as far as the iron shackles on her wrists and the burning flesh beneath them. She could vaguely see Tyler saying something – at least he had the decency to look guilty considering the circumstance – but couldn’t hear a word he was saying.

But then, Tyler left, and Y/N groaned as she tried to escape the pain, beginning to writhe on the steps of the crypt.

‘Is Wednesday trying to say something?

‘I can’t hear anything.’

Unbeknownst to Y/N, Wednesday was all but begging for Laurel to release Y/N from the iron around her wrists. Laurel hadn’t even bothered suspending Y/N’s wrists from the ceiling of the crypt, knowing that the iron would render Y/N far too weak to fight back. Such was the beauty of cold iron. But even as Wednesday pleaded with Laurel to release Y/N, he was ignored and left to listen as Y/N writhed and cried, begging for relief from the burning. Instead, he was forced to endure the lengthy monologue from Laurel as she carefully tended to the jars around the sarcophagus, ensuring that each one was perfectly centred and ready for the ritual.

Eventually, Y/N passed out from the pain again, and Wednesday hissed a tormented sigh of relief, knowing that Y/N at least wasn’t feeling the pain anymore. He wasn’t in much better condition as Laurel sliced his hand to use his blood to break the blood lock on Crackstone’s sarcophagus, and as she dragged him over to the pillar, Wednesday pulled Y/N into his arms as best as he could, pulling out a lock pick to try and free her from her shackles.

As Laurel chanted the latin spell, Wednesday worked on Y/N’s shackles, muttering incoherently each time he fumbled with the tumblers or when he caught sight of the blistered skin beneath them. It took far too long for him to get Y/N’s chains off, but eventually he did, and he gently moved her out of the way before working on his own chains, all the while calling to Y/N to try and wake her.

But neither one was strong enough or conscious enough to do anything as lightning and black smoke filled the chamber, disappearing after a moment to reveal the half-deceased corpse of Joseph Crackstone. Just as wrinkled and hideous as he was the day he had been laid in the sarcophagus, dressed in the familiar clothes that were often on display at Pilgrim World.

Wednesday cursed again, nudging Y/N with his shoulder and calling to her as he continued fiddling with his shackles.

“I am of your blood,” Laurel said, stepping in front of Crackstone. “I have summoned you to rid the world of outcasts once and for all.”

The walking corpse extended his hand and Laurel rushed forward to kiss the family ring on his finger.

“My vengeance will be swift and true,” Crackstone declared.

Wednesday stood, shaking off the shackles. “As will mine.”

Crackstone turned to Wednesday, his staff glowing with a cursed power as he held Wednesday in place. “Goody Addams!” Crackstone strode towards Wednesday, uncaring that he was incorrect in his naming of the Addams member, and unbothered by the unconscious fairy on the floor. “You haunt me still. You will suffer the same fate you bequeathed me.”

Wednesday could do nothing as Crackstone plunged his knife into Wednesday’s stomach.

“Now burn in the eternal fires of hell.” He twisted the blade and Wednesday grunted in pain as he clutched the handle of the dagger, trying to keep himself standing. But as Crackstone left him, Wednesday stumbled, falling back against the pillar and sliding down to the cold floor of the crypt as Laurel and Crackstone left.

Wednesday didn’t know how long he lay there on the floor of the crypt, trying to decide if he should try and wake Y/N again to say goodbye to her, or if he should conserve his energy, but it was far longer than he would care to admit. Each second he lay there was another torturous second that allowed Crackstone and Laurel to get closer to Nevermore.

He had all but passed out from blood loss when a soft voice called to him, waking him from what was likely to be the final time he closed his eyes. To his surprise, Goody was hovering over him, smilingly just as tangible as he was.

“Are you here to take me to the other side,” Wednesday snapped. He had no time for pleasantries.

“Listen, Crackstone must be stabbed through his black heart.” Apparently, Goody also had no time for pleasantries. “It is the only way he will be vanquished now and forever.”

“Is your spectral vision impaired? I’m dying.”

“Your necklace. It is a powerful talisman.”

Wednesday frowned, reaching beneath the neckline of his shirt to pull out the necklace that his mother had given him upon his arrival at Nevermore. “My mother told me it’s for conjuring visions.”

“It is also a conduit for conjuring spirits. It will allow me to pass through you and heal you. Just know, once I do, you will never see me again.” Goody gave Wednesday a soft smile. “The school needs you Wednesday.”

Wednesday sighed and nodded.

Goody shifted so she was sitting beside Wednesday and placed one hand on one of his that was holding the necklace, and set her other hand on the handle of the knife. With one tug she pulled the dagger free and tossed it aside, ignoring the hiss of pain from Wednesday as she set her hand on the wound. Wednesday clenched his eyes shut as the pain flooded his body, allowing the nerves to settle for a moment before forcing them open to watch as Goody healed him.

And then suddenly, there was no pain at all. Only the sudden relief of being freed from pain. Wednesday shot up, gasping for breath. He allowed himself a moment to breathe, lifting his hand to inspect the wound that Laurel had inflicted to use his blood on the sarcophagus, and he watched intently as the wound knit itself back together until not even a scar remained.

Then, he turned to Y/N. “Y/N.” He cradled her gently, calling her name to try and rouse her. He could feel her heartbeat, though it felt odd beneath his fingertips, and tried calling to her again. But when nothing seemed to wake her, Wednesday sighed. He scooped her into his arms and carried her out of the crypt, laying her down in the leaf litter just outside the crypt, hoping that being surrounded by the forest would help her.

Leaning forward, Wednesday pressed a quick kiss to Y/N’s forehead. “Wake up soon, mi muerte. The school needs us.” Then, he shot off, racing to get back to the school.

It didn’t take long for Wednesday to make it off the island and back onto the mainland. But sadly, his path to Nevermore was far from clear. He only made it half-way before he ran into a familiar boy stepping out from behind a tree.

“Laurel said you were dead.”

Wednesday sneered at Tyler. “I’m feeling much better now.”

“You’re like a cockroach.” Tyler slowly stepped towards Wednesday, eyes locked on Wednesday’s.

“Please, flattery will get you nowhere.”

Tyler said nothing and seized Wednesday by the lapels of his jacket, his knuckles pressing into Wednesday’s clavicle.

“This will not end well for you.”

Before his eyes, Tyler began to change. First his eyes began to bulge, growing rounder and rounder and then bigger and bigger, followed by a swelling of the forehead. And within seconds, Tyler’s entire body started to shudder and pulse, swelling hideously as he transformed from Tyler Galpin into a Hyde. Tyler reared his head back and shouted his pain to the world as he dropped Wednesday, before slamming a hand into the ground. His nails changed to claws and grew sharper the longer they grew. And soon, there was nothing left of Tyler, save for a few strands of curly brown hair atop the monster’s head. In his place was the monster.

Wednesday got to his feet, backing away in an attempt to flee, but before he could run, the Hyde grabbed him and slammed him into a large tree stump. Wednesday gasped as the claws encircled his neck, choking him and forcing him to watch as the Hyde readied his deadly right hand of claws. But before he could deliver a blow, something forced him off of Wednesday and sent him careening into a large oak tree. Wednesday fell to the ground, gasping for air and clutching his throat as he tried to ease the burn. He stared at the ground as he caught his breath, his heartbeat slowly returning to normal.

And as he stared at the ground, a thin vine sprouted from beneath the leaf litter, soon joined by a second and then a third. Wednesday scrambled away from the vines and got to his feet, eyes scanning the area for any sign of the one girl he knew was capable of summoning such magic.

“You stay away from him!”

Wednesday lifted his gaze and felt an unconscious breath of relief slip through his lips. Y/N stood before him, gowned in a dress of starlight, bright iridescent wings sprouting from the skin of her back. He pushed himself up, coughing as he did so. She had woken up, and she was pissed.

Y/N glanced over her shoulder, her emerald eyes burning so brightly that Wednesday had to shield his eyes. “Get to the school. They’ll need you.” Y/N turned back to Tyler and as Wednesday watched, her wings started to beat, lifting her off the ground as thorny vines ensnared Tyler’s limbs, pinning him to the forest floor.

Wednesday nodded shakily and darted off, leaving Y/N behind to deal with Tyler, no matter how much his body screamed at him to stop running and go back to her. She was alive and awake, and that was all that mattered. He could confront her for dropping into danger later, once they had stopped the apocalypse from consuming Nevermore. For now, he had to trust that she would be able to hold her own against Tyler and that she would manage to hold him in the woods.

“Stop this, Tyler,” Y/N shouted, dodging Tyler’s claws as he slashed through the vines restraining him. He leapt towards her, landing on the ground and nearly breaking his leg as he did so. Y/N grunted as she swept her hand in front of her, summoning a vine as thick as a tree to coil around Tyler, lifting him off the ground.

It didn’t even seem to register in Tyler’s mind that his feet were no longer on the forest floor as he continued to swipe at Y/N, snarling and growling like a rabid beast. And as his claw snagged on the flesh of her calf, she screamed in pain, her wings seizing and making her drop to the forest floor. Tyler slipped from the vine’s grasp as the spell eased and fell alongside the fairy, leaping off the leaf litter and snatching Y/N out of the air. He slammed her into the ground and Y/N grunted as rocks stabbed her back, drawing blood to the surface.

As pain started to burn her vision, Y/N pressed her hands against the soil beneath her body and summoned a thousand vines that started to whip and lash at Tyler’ tearing at his exposed skin. He growled and slashed at the vines. He turned back to Y/N as the vines fell dead around him, and for a moment, Y/N wondered if her life would end here. Would she die as a mortal with extraordinary powers? Was she doomed to never see the land of her forebears? The land she truly belonged in?

A howl echoed through the trees and just as Tyler’s claws were about to slash through Y/N’s torso, he was wrestled off of her and was sent careening into a tree. And beside Y/N, was a werewolf with bright pink fur piled atop its head.

“Enid.” Y/N had never been so relieved to see the werewolf.

Y/N summoned vines to help her to her feet, and she smirked as she stumbled forward, the leg Tyler had clawed threatening to give out on her. “To say I’m relieved to see you is quite possibly the biggest understatement of the century.” She patted the werewolf on its pink head and turned toward the monster. “Never let Wednesday say that we never did anything for him.”

She let out a banshee-like scream and plunged her hands into the earth, causing large black vines to spring forth from the earth. They coiled and whipped as they rose into the air, lashing like a thousand snakes.

Enid’s eyes widened and she turned to Y/N. She had never seen anything like Y/N’s magic, and as she watched Y/N, the girl’s appearance shifted from one with iridescent wings and a humanoid appearance to one something far beyond what Enid had ever thought possible. Her hair had turned to the branches of a willow tree, hanging limply around her face, her skin had turned to bark, her eyes hardly more than two amber knots in the bark, dark as death as they stared at the Hyde. She drew her hands from the earth and as she did, the wings on her back began to beat, carrying her high above the forest floor.

The Hyde roared and screamed as he watched Y/N rise above the thorny vines, lunging towards her. But before he could get within twenty feet of her, the vines swept towards him, lashing at his flesh with renewed energy. For once, the Hyde wasn’t the most frightening thing in the forest.

Y/N swept her hand in front of her. The vines responded immediately and lashed at Tyler, following Y/N’s direction. She shot her hand out. The vines lunged for Tyler, spearing him in the shoulder and hip before retracting. Y/N curled her hands together. The vines seized Tyler around the throat and compressed, lifting him off the forest floor. Tyler couldn’t do anything against these vines for they were as thick and strong as steel, and his efforts were focused on pulling the vines away from his throat. Soon his world started to spin and his consciousness abandoned him. The vines released him and he fell to the forest floor, reverting back to his human form, bruised and bloody from the fight.

Enid – who had been frozen this entire time – now watched as Y/N descended toward the forest floor once more, her strange tree-like appearance disappearing. In its place was the Y/N that Enid knew, though matted with blood and sweat.

The fairy glanced toward Enid and frowned.

“Enid?”

Enid nodded as she started to shift back into a human form.

“Please don’t tell anyone about what you saw.”

Enid laughed, the sound choked as it curled in her throat. “Don’t worry. I’m not saying anything.”

Noticing that Enid was hardly clothed, Y/N summoned vines to fetch her jacket which had been abandoned when she had transformed, and slowly crawled towards the werewolf, draping the cloth over her before going to deal with the unconscious Hyde.

Tyler was bruised and bloodied from the fight between him and the two outcasts, and Y/N sighed as she knelt beside him, summoning vines to cover his naked form.

‘His father approaches.’

‘Be wary of the normie.’

Hearing the whispers of the forest, Y/N rose to her feet, limping slightly as she left Tyler in the blanket of vines and roots, returning instead to Enid in hopes of comforting the Werewolf and coaxing her to return to the school. Their friends would be desperate to hear from them.

“Enid?”

Enid slumped against Y/N as the girl pulled her into her arms, holding her tightly.

“You okay?”

Enid sighed and nodded. “Yeah… Thanks, Y/N.”

Y/N didn’t push Enid to stand before she was ready and the two remained among the leaves, silent and exhausted, watching as the fog rolled in, broken only by a few beams of moonlight. What a night it had been.

☘︎*⚜*☘︎

The rest of the school semester had been cancelled. And now Y/N wasn’t sure what to do.

As she packed up her things, she thought about what was waiting for her back home. Emmy was back home, as was her father and her kin. Her home was there. But there was something here that made her want to stay. Several things actually. Her friends, Kent, Wednesday... Even Enid, who Y/N had quickly befriended in the last few days.

A knock on the door startled Y/N out of her thoughts.

“Y/N? Are you in there?” It was Kent. When Y/N called for him to enter, he pushed the door open and gave her a weak smile.

“Heading out soon,” he asked, shutting the door behind him. He leaned against the frame as he watched Y/N pack a few more things into her trunk.

“Yeah,” Y/N sighed. “Emmy is meeting me at the coast, and then I’m heading home from there.”

“You know, you could come with Divina and I. We could get a little extra time together.” He tucked his hands into his pockets. “We’re going to miss you, you know.”

Y/N chuckled and shut the lid of her trunk. “I know.” She flipped the latches shut and locked it. “But this won’t be goodbye forever. I’ll be back next semester, and then you can tell me all about your little cousins.” She winked at Kent teasingly.

Kent sighed and pushed himself off the door, striding over to Y/N. “Whatever happens, promise to keep us in the loop, okay?”

Y/N nodded. “I will, don’t worry.”

“Good.” Kent approached Y/N and wrapped her up in a hug, squeezing tightly. After a moment, the two released each other, and Kent glanced around Y/N’s room, noticing that she had far too much luggage to take down all by herself. “You want some help with your bags?”

“Sure.”

The two of them packed Y/N’s things in a few minutes, and soon it was time for Y/N to leave. Emmy would be waiting for her, and while she was allowed in the various Havens because of her connections to Y/N and her family, the old magic folks were not highly tolerant of outsiders who weren’t familiar within the Haven. Y/N needed to get to Emmy as fast as possible before one of the old magic folk snapped and cursed her for lingering.

After saying her goodbyes, Y/N headed outside to the courtyard where a chauffeur was waiting for her, ordered by her father. Y/N handed her suitcases to the man and let out a sigh as she watched him drag them out to the car.

Suddenly a hand clamped around her wrist and Y/N let out a quiet squeak as Wednesday pulled her into an alcove.

“Wednesday! I need to go!” Y/N tried pulling her wrist away from the boy, but his grip was like iron, and honestly, she wasn’t struggling nearly as hard as she should have been. The last few days since Crackstone’s attack on the school had been busy, and they had been dancing around each other with lingering glances and teasing expressions. Wednesday had visited Y/N several times in her dorm throughout the last few days, hinting at something lingering beneath the surface but never indulging.

Y/N knew this was a long time coming. And she had no objections.

The second the darkness consumed them, Wednesday dove towards her, pressing his lips to hers with a hungry fervour. Y/N heard the sound of her charm falling to the floor as Wednesday’s hands gripped her cheeks, holding her so close and so tightly that Y/N wondered if she would have bruises littering her skin later.

Wednesday pulled away from her for a moment and Y/N took the chance. “What are you doing?”

“I would have thought that was obvious.” Wednesday’s lips returned to hers as he pushed her deeper into the alcove, all but slamming her against the back wall as he pinned one of her wrists to the wall. The other slid down to her waist and untucked the hem of her shirt, allowing his hand to feel the addicting sensation of his skin on hers. He couldn’t get enough of it.

He cursed the need for oxygen as he pulled away a second time, Y/N’s lips chasing his for a split second as she tried to pull him back. He smirked, brushing his nose against hers. “You’re just as addicted as I am.” He released her hip and brought his hand up to her neck. He gripped it dangerously as his thumb swiped across her lower lip, pulling it down a fraction before releasing it.

“Whatever you have to tell yourself to sleep at night,” Y/N scoffed. She wasn’t about to admit to the boy that she was addicted to him. Had someone asked her at the start of the semester if she ever thought she would be attracted to Wednesday Addams, she would have said no, but now he had consumed Y/N’s mind nearly as much as she consumed his.

“I don’t get sleep,” Wednesday hissed. He leaned over to her ear and smirked as he whispered, “Not unless I dream of your skin on mine and the feeling of your pulse against my lips.” He lowered his lips to Y/N’s neck and Y/N stifled a sound as she felt Wednesday’s lips skim over a sensitive spot. She could feel him smirk against her neck.

“I don’t need to hear about your dreams,” Y/N gasped. Wednesday pressed his lips further into Y/N’s skin and as his tongue caressed the spot, Y/N felt a tremor run through her body. Her knees felt weak and had it not been for Wednesday pinning her to the wall, she would have fallen to the floor in a melted puddle.

Wednesday pulled away from her neck and gripped her chin, forcing her eyes to meet his. “Then tell me you don’t want to hear about them.” His grin bordered on malicious amusement.

Y/N gasped as she felt Wednesday’s finger digging into the spot he had just spent so long kissing.

“Tell me, Y/N.”

Y/N couldn’t tell him.

“It’s okay you know,” Wednesday taunted, slowly releasing Y/N’s chin. “You’re allowed to be addicted to me.”

Y/N rolled her eyes. “I’m not…” she couldn’t go any farther than that.

“You’re not what?”

Y/N scoffed, ignoring the heat in her cheeks that she knew Wednesday had noticed. “Bite me.” She hadn’t meant to say it, but it was too late to take it back now.

“Gladly.”

Y/N wasn’t able to stifle the shriek this time as Wednesday bit into the skin above her pulse. “Wednesday!”

Wednesday released her wrist and lowered both hands to her hips as he continued to attack the spot on her neck. Y/N pressed her palms flat against the wall as she writhed on the spot, trying to get away and push Wednesday closer simultaneously. Mercifully, Wednesday pulled away a second later, his lips bruised from his attacks.

“You’re dangerously tempting,” he whispered. “You’re like a drug.”

Y/N smirked. “More tempting than a serial killer?”

“Unfortunately, I have to say yes.”

Then, his lips were on hers and all thought left Y/N’s mind as she threw her arms around Wednesday’s shoulders, pulling him closer to her and erasing what little space was left between their bodies. One hand threaded into his hair, pulling at the curls, while the other gripped his shoulder, squeezing it as he squeezed her hip and waist.

“I’m coming with you,” Wednesday mumbled against her lips. “If I go home, my parents will never let me hear the end of how they were right.”

Y/N could hardly make out what Wednesday was saying, nor did she particularly care. All she wanted was to taste him again and again and again. But she had heard what he had first said. “You can’t come with me,” she muttered as he reconnected their lips, slipping his tongue between her lips and tasting the honey-sweet nectar that had been left on her tongue.

“You can’t stop me, so don’t bother trying.” Wednesday pulled away from her and glared at her. “You should have learned by now, Y/N, I do what I want.”

“Indeed you do.”

Wednesday smirked at his victory and went right back to kissing her, this time pushing into her so much that he ended up scooping her into his arms as he pressed her against the wall. She wrapped her legs around his waist and Wednesday’s hands slid down to her thighs, where he massaged the skin through her trousers.

“Be my obsession,” he hissed, lips and tongue still whipping across Y/N’s lips. “Drive me mad, make me hunger, I don’t care.” One hand returned to her waist and squeezed it, while the other cupped her thigh. “Be my sickening obsession.”

☘︎*⚜*☘︎

Chapter Text

☘︎*⚜*☘︎

No man chooses evil because it is evil. He only mistakes it for happiness, the good he seeks.
~ Mary Shelley

☘︎*⚜*☘︎

It’s been an eventful summer.

Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens…

I’m tied up in a serial killer’s basement. Who said nightmares don’t come true?

Bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens…

He’s under the delusion that I’m his next victim.

Brown paper packages tied up with strings…

I’ll let him cherish that notion while I explain my predicament.

These are a few of my favourite things…

☘︎* - SIX WEEKS EARLIER - *☘︎

I spent my vacation mastering my psychic ability. All the answers were in Goody’s book of spells.

The Addams family members were no strangers to long hours spent alone, locked away in isolation that would drive the average human insane, introvert or not. And though everyone in their family thrived in solitude – perhaps save for Morticia and Gomez who seemed attached at the hip more often than not – Wednesday’s liking for isolation surpassed even his parents’.

So, armed with Goody’s book of spells, the charm his mother had given him, and rings of candles, Wednesday had dedicated himself to learning everything there was to learn about his ability. From intentional visions to seeing the meaning behind the more clouded visions that might otherwise be nothing more than puzzles, Wednesday had spent days locked in his room, seated on the floor surrounded in wax, whispering the words contained in Goody’s book.

With my ability now under control, I set my sights on an obsession I’ve had since I was six years old.

What else could I do now that my favourite obsession had abandoned me?

Wednesday had always been obsessed with serial killers and unsolved murders, even as a child. Some of his favourite things to read as a child had been the recordings of witch trials from around the world, though admittedly, his favourites were from Salem. But all of those paled in comparison to the uncaught Kansas City Scalper.

The Kansas City Scalper had been one of his obsessions for as long as he could remember. Who would expect a child to be able to pass up on the obsession pertaining to America’s most elusive serial killer? It was a dream – or perhaps a nightmare – come true. He had even brought in a murder board that he had compiled to show one of his classes during show and tell.

To psychically locate him, all I needed was an object from one of his crime scenes.

The Scalper’s eleventh victim dropped her prized bowling ball when she was snatched.

With the Scalper finally in my crosshairs, I had one final harrowing obstacle to overcome.

Airports and airplanes were about as sadistic as high school was in Wednesday’s mind. Thousands of people crammed together in snaking lines, all eager to get on their plane to fly to their destination, without any sort of regard for the people around them, guided by people who all looked as if their childhood dreams had been crushed, only for several dozens of people to pile into a metal tube flying several thousand feet above the surface of the earth with screaming babies and questionable food to keep you occupied throughout the flight. Wednesday would rather go back to the public school where he had dumped piranhas in the pool.

At least this time there was something rewarding on the other end of the torture.

It took far too long for Wednesday to make it through the line, but he eventually did. Finally. He dumped his bag into one of the trays like everyone else and made his way through the screening frame, already expecting the undesirable outcome. Sure enough, as he stepped through, the gate flashed red and the alarm beeped, letting the flight guards know that he was trying to smuggle prohibited items onto the flight.

Wednesday pulled a golden knuckle striker out of his pocket and set it on the clear plastic shelf beside him. He had hoped that it would be enough to convince the guard that he wasn’t trying to smuggle anything else onto the plane, but he knew that wouldn’t be the case. Sadly, he always looked like he was trying to smuggle something.

The guard turned to another one tending to the opposite screen and called for him to bring over the wand.

“Arms.”

Wednesday lifted his arms begrudgingly and as the guard swept the wand over his body, it started beeping like mad.

Huffing in irritation, Wednesday began pulling his various weapons out and setting them on the plastic shelf. This was just tedious. As he set them down, he made a mental list of what he would have to replace when he got back from his trip. Taser, pepper spray, two pairs of nunchucks, tanto, flail, three daggers, two machetes, and a hatchet. The last of the nunchucks had been in his shoe.

“Which part of ‘prohibited items’ don’t you understand, young man,” the guard asked, glaring at him.

“The part where you believe that cramming hundreds of people into a metal tube flying through the air creates some sort of utopia where weapons aren’t needed.”

The guards didn’t have a chance to respond as another guard tending to the screening machine for the bags asked for a bag check. No doubt for Wednesday’s, and the boy sighed.

The first thing the guard pulled out of Wednesday’s bag was Thing. Thankfully, since he was wearing gloves, the guard’s sense of touch was compromised, and Wednesday was able to pass Thing off as a prosthetic. Since it wasn’t bleeding, and they couldn’t feel the texture of human skin, they accepted Wednesday’s excuse without a fight. After all, who would try to smuggle a human hand through a screening machine?

“I’m headed to the Junior Embalmers Convention in Kansas City.”

The guard slammed Thing down on the table. “Yeah, that’s not the problem.” He dug around in the bag and pulled out a tube of sun screen that Wednesday certainly hadn’t put in his bag before leaving. “You care to explain this?”

“Curious,” Wednesday muttered. “I have no idea how that ended up in there.” He glared at Thing for stalling them longer. He had expected to be held up for weapons, but Thing smuggling the tube of sunscreen into his bag was only making them later.

Thankfully, once the guards had dealt with the sunscreen, they let Wednesday go, and the boy left with a huff, stuffing Thing back into his bag and heading off to join the crowds of people heading for the gate.

The things he was willing to do to catch a serial killer.

☘︎*TWO WEEKS LATER *☘︎

Wednesday wished that it was raining. It had been the first day he had ever set foot in Nevermore and he had enjoyed the deluge as much as the rest of his family had. The bright sun warming the hills seemed like an ominous premonition of what was to come.

But at least there were dark clouds on the horizon. Hopefully clouds that would move to cover Nevermore before long. Wednesday couldn’t imagine being forced to suffer through a sunny day to start the school year.

This time, rather than just being escorted by his parents and Lurch, the Addams family driver, the Addams family was also accompanied by the youngest Addams son, Pugsley. He too would be attending Nevermore this year. Morticia and Gomez had decided to transfer the boy in hopes of sparing him another year of extensive bullying, and though he was hesitant, Pugsley was happy to switch.

Especially after discovering that he had inherited the electric powers that seemed to be passed down through the Addams family. Specifically the males.

On their drive to the stone manor where the boys would be studying for the next few months, Pugsley made good use of the signs that lined the road, carefully practicing his electrical aim as he blasted the signs, often knocking them off the posts and sending the scorched signs to the floor. Wednesday found his brother’s amusement irritating. Almost as irritating as watching his parents try, and fail for the most part, to restrain themselves from devouring each other like rabid hyenas.

“That’s my boy. You and your Uncle Fester with the same ability. You’re a chip off the old executioner’s block,” Gomez said, grinning at his son when Pugsley turned to see if he had impressed his parents.

Pugsley returned his father’s smirk. “Stick your finger in enough sockets, you learn a thing or two.” But Pugsley’s smile fell a moment later. “It’s so weird that it skipped you, Dad.”

Another of the Addams family mysteries that Wednesday had yet to uncover the truth behind. From what he could recall, most of the male members of the Addams line had been recorded to have the same electrical power. No one truly knew where it came from, but it seemed to have been something that was passed down from father to son. Save for Wednesday himself and his father. But then again, maybe Wednesday just hadn’t discovered it because he wasn’t one to prod and poke at random outlets in hopes of getting sparked.

Wednesday’s gaze flickered to his father and his eyes narrowed ever so slightly. Why didn’t his father have the same electrical ability that his brother and son had? Clearly it had to have come from somewhere, but if Gomez didn’t have it, how was Pugsley’s so powerful? Wednesday didn’t care that he didn’t have the power. He was content with his seer abilities. But he was curious about his father, especially considering that Gomez didn’t have any other abilities that made him an outcast. At least, he didn’t have any visible signs.

But then Wednesday noticed the slight crestfallen expression on his father’s face. A tell tale sign that there was something that his father was holding back.

“Being an Outcast isn’t about what you can do,” Morticia said, setting a hand on her husband’s. “It’s a state of mind.” She leaned towards her husband, and Wednesday flinched at the sight of affection.

‘Don’t think about Y/N.’

Wednesday shook away the thoughts of the fairy and turned to his brother, glancing at the younger boy over his shoulder. “You need to work on your aim.”

“Pugsley has always struggled with his aim. From potty training to his first grenade launcher.”

Gomez chuckled at the reminder. “Lurch can attest to that. Can’t you, old chap?”

Wednesday remembered just as well as any of the other Addams how Pugsley’s grenade launcher had blown one of their cars to bits, narrowly missing Lurch, who had nearly been burnt in the explosion. Well, he had been burnt, but saying that Lurch had been burnt alive… that was a bit of a stretch.

“I’m just glad to see you taking an interest in your brother,” Morticia said, now speaking to Wednesday.

“I’m keeping a mental list of how his ability can serve my needs.”

“That’s the spirit,” Gomez exclaimed. “There is no ‘we’ in family. Only an ‘i’.”

‘An important distinction.’

Wednesday turned to face the road, eyes scanning for the next approaching sign. “There’s a stop sign coming up. Hit the O, dead centre.” Wednesday glanced at his brother warningly, daring him to either object to the challenge or fail.

Pugsley faltered. “I’m not sure I can.”

“If you don’t, I’ll be forced to hit eject.”

Pugsley scoffed. “Only Dad’s button can do that.”

Gomez shook his head teasingly. “I had Thing rewire it.”

Wednesday turned back to face his parents, matching his father’s smirk, and lifted his hand to ever so gently caress the cold metal that would send his brother flying out of the car. It was agony to wait for Pugsley to miss, but Wednesday needed to give him a chance to succeed. No matter how much he wanted to flick the button just to see his brother go flying.

Wednesday was disappointed when Pugsley hit the sign exactly as Wednesday had instructed.

‘Pity.’

As the Addams family continued through the forest bordering Nevermore, they failed to notice a dark shadow moving through the undergrowth, moving in the car’s blind spot, sweeping through the forest as if they were one with the plants. Less another entity and more a part of the forest that rose and fell as it wished, tethered to the roots and ivy, but free to move at its will.

Watching carefully, the figure followed the car, remaining just out of sight as the roots swept them across the forest floor. There was no urgency for them to get to Nevermore. They were more interested in the family driving along in the hearse.

☘︎*⚜*☘︎

Mercifully, the Addams soon arrived at Nevermore and Wednesday was released from the unpleasantly torturous atmosphere inside the hearse. He waited patiently as his mother and father exited the car before sliding out the door, taking his place beside his mother as his father tried to ease Pugsley's worries. Having Pugsley around this year was going to be its own unique form of torture. He had already had several discussions with his parents about making sure that Pugsley was well taken care of during his time at Nevermore, and he loathed the idea of having to spare an eye for his brother.

‘At least I get to keep Thing with me.’ Even if his parents had instructed him to let Thing watch Pugsley, Wednesday wouldn’t have handed him over. But it was nice to know that it wasn’t one of the expectations his parents had for him.

“Wait.”

Wednesday’s eyes shifted as he listened to his mother.

“This is the first time you’ve ever willingly returned to a school.” Morticia paused, glancing up at the imposing stone structure. “How does it feel?”

Wednesday already knew the answer. He had been thinking about it on the drive over. “Like returning to the scene of the crime. I already know where the bodies are buried." Wednesday’s emotionless expression shifted into a glare as he narrowed his eyes at the students inside the school. Several were snapping photos of him and pointing at him, hushed whispers hiding behind excited chatter. “No more uncontrolled chaos. I will bend this place to my will.”

Morticia nodded slowly, before leaning closer to her son. “Be careful, dear. Control is often an illusion.” She paused before adding, “Like I let your father believe he’s in charge of the family.”

Wednesday cast a glance at his father, watching silently as Gomez tried to assure Pugsley that this year he would be able to find his people. After years upon years of bullying, Pugsley hoped he would be able to make a friend. Wednesday scoffed at the notion. ‘Who would want to suffer through the moronic tribulations of having friends?’

Morticia didn’t seem as confident as Gomez that the younger Addams boy would be capable of making friends. “Poor Pugsley.” She sighed. “Your father and I will get him settled in.” She turned fully to Wednesday, speaking a little louder than she had before, forcing her eldest son to listen. “Promise me… you will take care of your brother.”

“I always do.”

As a child, taking care of Pugsley had meant shutting him up in a coffin ready to be buried alive.

Morticia shot Wednesday a warning look and the boy huffed, turning to his brother. Seizing Pugsley around the back of the neck, he led his brother forward, his fingers digging into Pugsley’s flesh as he gave him the run down on how the semester would work. “Here are the ground rules. No eye contact without permission. Bullying assistance requests must be submitted through writing. And Thing reports to me. Understand?”

Pugsley nodded and Wednesday released him, eager to get away from his family and find her.

Stepping inside the quad, Wednesday could already feel the shift in the atmosphere. When he had first come to Nevermore, the school had felt cold, like a mausoleum, with students wandering from one class to the next, making connections with their fellow outcasts, pretending to feel like more than future corpses mulling about until death finally came for them. Their one lifeline in a world full of normies. And though Wednesday had been sickened by the dense social atmosphere of the quad, this time, the space felt bubbly. Like someone had scattered sparkles across the grass and hung fairy lights from the turrets.

Before, Wednesday had been willing to try and tolerate the space.

Now Wednesday wanted to run. Run back to the safe haven of his monochromatic dorm or the rot-infused decaying tower of his obsession. And potentially spatter the halls with the blood of the students currently drowning their start-of-the-year anxieties in over-indulgent ice cream.

I’m glad I have another obsession to keep my mind from wandering.

Leaving his family to get ice cream by themselves, Wednesday decided to head to his dorm. The sooner he could get out of this apocalyptic nightmare, the better. The sooner he could find Y/N the better. Not just for him, but for everyone in the school. The sooner he found her, the sooner he could indulge in the addiction that had kept him awake each witching hour and finally satisfy the horrifyingly disarming yearning bubbling in his throat.

Before he could get far, however, he was stopped by a group of girls. A group that seemed far too bubbly for his personal liking, with one little red-head that was far too bright-eyed and eager.

“Can I get your autograph,” the little red-head asked, extending her empty notebook to Wednesday.

He turned to face the girl, sneering down at her over the end of his nose. He hadn’t expected to deal with groupies this time, especially not one as bright and unnerving as the doe-eyed girl with a voice like the coo of a dove and a seemingly permanent smile. His eyes flickered to the other girls. None of them seemed as boldly bubbly as the first, though they all stared at him with such adoring gazes that his skin began to crawl. And not in a good way.

‘Where’s Y/N when you need her? I’m sure she would be able to scare them off.’

“I only sign my name in blood,” Wednesday snapped, squaring his shoulders and hoping that it would be enough to get the girls to back off. It felt less like they wanted his autograph and more like they wanted something that he knew he wasn’t going to be able to give them. He wasn’t going to give them an ounce of the obsession and addiction that he had stored away. That was for one girl, and one girl only. A girl who had tormented his mind for months due to the separation and lack of communication.

“I would expect nothing less,” the red-head sighed, clutching her book to her chest.

“I never said it was my own blood.” Clearly, these groupies were not taking the hint. Whatever they were expecting or hoping for, he wasn’t going to give them.

Thankfully, Bianca Barclay stepped in. Pulling off her siren charm, she addressed the girls, using her siren song to chase them away and leave Wednesday alone. Though Wednesday was loathed to admit it, he was glad that Bianca had stepped in. Murdering a student on the first day of the school year didn’t seem like it would earn him any brownie points with whoever the new principal was.

“That was disturbing,” Wednesday muttered.

Bianca glanced at the boy. “You better get used to it. You’re kind of a big deal after the whole saving-theschool-from-the-demon-pilgrim thing.”

Wednesday frowned at the reminder. “Why does anyone still care?” It had been months since that had happened. And while yes, he had saved the school, he had only done it because he knew no one else had the guts to do it. No one had the guts to do anything that the investigation required.

Amused by Wednesday’s irritation, Bianca smirked. “You’re really not much of a clout chaser are you?”

‘No. Definitely not.’

“Popularity doesn’t play by the laws of physics. The harder you repel it, the harder it comes for you.” Bianca headed off with a teasing smirk, no doubt heading off to find her siren friends who were mulling about the courtyard.

Wednesday cursed himself for not asking Bianca if she had seen Y/N, but wasn’t about to chase her across the courtyard just to ask. Chasing was saved for murderers and serial killers. And he was certain that Y/N still had the same dorm she had the year before. Doubting that she would be lingering in the quad, where everyone would be vying for her attention – if he had garnered this much popularity from saving the school, he could only imagine how popular Y/N had become – and was likely up in her room, getting ready for the next semester.

He started walking, eager to avoid speaking with any more of the students. But again, someone interrupted him before he made it to the dark hallways of the school interior.

“Wednesday Addams!”

Wednesday fought the urge to curse whoever was calling him now. Maybe a well placed hex or two would reinstate the fear that he had commanded the year before. Or maybe he could get Y/N to chase away all of these insidious interlopers who seemed to be bending over backwards to make sure that he couldn’t escape the torturously joyful atmosphere of the courtyard.

Glancing to the side, Wednesday realised that the man calling him wasn’t a student. And that made him feel all the more ill. Why did this man want to talk to him, and why was he wearing a blazer with a sweater? Why was he wearing bright purple? It was a sickening colour. More sickening than most.

“It is an honour to meet the saviour of Nevermore,” the man said, making his way down the steps towards Wednesday. He was skipping.

Wednesday wondered how long the man would last if he introduced him to a tank full of spiders. Tarantulas for a large fear factor, other smaller spiders like the brown recluse and Brazilian wandering spiders for poison.

“Allow me to introduce myself,” the man said, shattering Wednesday’s dreams. “Barry Dort, your new principal.”

‘Principal?’ This clown was going to be his new principal? Had Principal Weems had this man on her list of successors? Wednesday doubted it. As insufferable as he had found Weems, Barry Dort was far higher on Wednesday’s murder agenda. And he had only just met the man. He could only rise through the placings from here.

Wednesday said nothing to the man, and Dort seemed to have interpreted this as hesitation or nervousness. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a sticker, asking Wednesday if he wanted one.

‘Nevermore Pride.’ Wednesday tried not to gag at the idea of having a sticker plastered on his chest, let alone one that was so bright in colour and so sappy that it made him want to gag. He wouldn’t be caught dead with a sticker on.

“Only if you have one that says ‘do not resuscitate’.” Wednesday wasn’t joking, but Dort seemed to take it as a joke regardless.

The principal chortled. “There’s that wicked tongue I’ve heard so much about. I love it.”

Wednesday’s loathing of the man only deepened. How long did he have to wait to kill the man before he wouldn’t be considered a suspect? What was the best way to kill him? Poison? It would either have to be something so commonplace that it couldn’t be traced back to him or something so rare that no one would be able to identify it. Y/N might be able to help if he chose to poison him with the latter classification. She was sure to have some plants from Avalon that he could use.

‘Or maybe I should just drive him mad.’ Y/N had warned Wednesday that eating food meant for fairies or listening to their song for any extended period of time was to risk your sanity. Wednesday had tried to convince Y/N to sing for him, but she had refused adamantly. And when she had caught him trying to steal some of the berries that were growing in her room, she had set the parasite on him.

“I am reinstating the Founder’s Pyre ceremony,” Dort continued. “It’s an old Outcast tradition. Big bonfire. Tomorrow night. And the best part is, I want you to be our student of honour.”

Wednesday didn’t hesitate before answering. “I’d rather be burned at the stake.”

The man pouted and Wednesday flinched at the pitiful display. What was wrong with this man?

“Aw,” Dort muttered. “Please consider it. I want us to be allies in this struggle.”

“What struggle?”

Dort pulled back the edges of his blazer so Wednesday could see the design on his sweater. For the first time, Wednesday realised what it said. ‘Nevermore 4 Evermore.’ He didn’t even try to conceal his irritation now. Did Dort really think that he would be sucked into the groupie-esque whirlpool of this “pride”? A pride that felt superficial and insincere.

“Returning Nevermore to its glory days,” Dort explained. “I hate to speak ill of the dead, but in this case, Weems really fudged up.”

“I don’t like to speak ill of the dead either,” Wednesday snapped, concealing a smirk when he noticed Dort flinch a little at his sharp tone. “It’s much more fun to demonize the living.”

Wednesday walked off, hoping that his glare would be enough to prevent any more irritating students from approaching him for autographs.

☘︎*⚜*☘︎

Y/N’s dorm was just as it had been the year before. Cold, half-decayed, and noticeably empty for a student dorm. Especially comparing it to Enid’s dorm, which Wednesday had seen a few times when passing by the open door. Y/N’s dorm lacked the vivid colours that Enid preferred, choosing instead to let the plants grow wild and form their own decor.

Y/N’s dorm was also noticeably similar to his. A large window that had been broken by invading plants and warped beams, with the bed pressed up against the corner to the right of the window. In the little alcove to the right of the main part of the room was Y/N’s desk, on which lay her phone, computer, and the chargers that she used for them.

Wednesday could remember Y/N telling him the year before that she didn’t take her technology with her when school let out as old magic and normie technology weren’t compatible. He had overheard her talking to the sirens several times about how Y/N’s magic made it difficult for her to use technology even when she was out of the Haven and wearing her pendant. Just the touch of the old magic on the devices made them fizzle out, sucking the power, causing the screen to glitch, and often causing the devices to just die on her.

But as he entered Y/N’s room, breathing a sigh of relief at the silent atmosphere, Wednesday noticed something odd. No trunks, no papers strewn about, no sign of life besides the plants growing through the rotting wood on the left. There was no sign that Y/N had set foot in the room yet, nor was there any sign of her little fox companion.

Wednesday frowned, shutting the door behind him and moving over to Y/N’s desk. Was she just running late today? She was coming all the way from Ireland, while he just had to travel from New Jersey. It was a long drive, but nothing compared to travelling from another country. And where Wednesday was fine with driving in vehicles to aid in his travel, Y/N avoided normie transportation at all cost. She had mentioned that she would be crossing the ocean using creatures of the old magic or creatures from the sea that were tethered to the magic in some way.

Poking around Wednesday’s desk, he found that his suspicions had been confirmed. Y/N hadn’t made it to the school yet.

‘Hopefully she won’t be long,’ Wednesday thought bitterly, slamming one of the drawers of her desk shut before turning and making his way out of her dorm. ‘She should know better than to make me wait.’

Irritated at not having found Y/N in her dorm, Wednesday headed back down to the quad to see if Y/N had indeed just been running late. He ignored the students swarming him, hoping that they would understand the irritated expression on his face and leave him well enough alone.

“I liked it better when I was feared and hated.”

He needed to find Bianca. Or Kent. Y/N had been close with Kent the year before. Maybe he knew where she was. If she was running late, the sirens were sure to know.

But before he could make it to the sirens on the other side of the quad Wednesday passed his parents as they spoke with Dort, and huffed when his father waved him over. He had already endured all he could of the new principal.

“Principal Dort,” Gomez said, gesturing to Wednesday, “have you met our little angel of death?”

Dort nodded and turned to Morticia. “I’m sure Wednesday would enjoy having you around more this year.”

Wednesday faltered, suddenly glad that he hadn’t headed to join the sirens. If there was news pertaining to his parents sticking around the school, he needed to hear it. “What do you mean, around more?”

Wednesday couldn’t help but glare at his mother as she offered a charming smile to his new principal. He already hated the man. He was somehow more irritating than Weems had been, and had all the perky, bubbly energy of a three year old on a sugar high. At least Weems was content to dress in darker subtler shades that didn’t burn Wednesday’s eyes. Dort seemed to throw himself into everything that could be described as colourful, both in the sense of his choice of wardrobe and his personality. He was like a box of crayons.

“Principal Dort just asked me to chair the Gala Fundraising Committee,” Morticia explained. She seemed pleased. Wednesday loathed the expression on her face.

“Vincent Thorpe chaired the last three years, but after Xavier was falsely accused of murder, he pulled his son and his endowment from Nevermore.”

“Xavier’s not coming back this year?” Wednesday was surprised by the news. Xavier had seemed thrilled with the idea of returning to Nevermore to be with all of his fellow tortured outcasts after being released from prison. But Wednesday knew as well as anyone that it was nearly impossible to do anything if your parents demanded the opposite. He suspected that was what happened to Xavier.

“He’s heading to Richenbach Academy in Switzerland.”

Wednesday wasn’t too concerned with where Xavier was. There was someone else who was pressing on his mind.

“And Y/N?”

Dort paused for a moment, glancing at Wednesday’s parents, before turning back to the teen. “Unfortunately, we have decided that it was best that Miss Y/N not return to Nevermore for the school year.”

“What?” Wednesday’s false civility was starting to melt away. Y/N had been one of the key factors in convincing him to return to Nevermore and wait for her rather than abandon his plans of catching his stalker and crossing the Atlantic to find her. It had been torture to be away from her over the summer, and though he had thrived in the incinerating pull of the enchantment, he was nearing the end of his tether. The torture was starting to lose its appeal now.

Dort nodded. “I decided that it was best that Y/N find another academy to further her education. It’s dangerous enough having sirens at Nevermore. Having a sidhe so close to Jericho? That’s just asking for trouble. Especially since a handful of students were subjected to her power last year.” He seemed to think that the decision was the best, and told Wednesday as such, though when he tried to pat the boy on the shoulder, seemingly thinking that the boy found comfort in the fact that Y/N wouldn't be there this year.

Wednesday was trying not to bury the man alive.

Thankfully, Dort turned back to his parents before Wednesday could strangle him to continue talking about the possibility of Morticia overseeing the gala.

“Tish and I will discuss it on the ride home,” Gomez said, his voice making it sound like they wouldn’t get to discussing anything until the next day. Wednesday nearly hurled at the sound. His parents had no shame.

“Actually,” Dort interrupted, “I was hoping to keep you a little closer.”

☘︎*⚜*☘︎

Dort invited the entire Addams family to join him in touring the cottage that he was offering to Morticia. A large cottage with sharp edges and worn wood that gave it an eerie feel, standing a short drive from the school, covered with ivy and roses.

Wednesday had hesitated to come along. He still needed to talk to Bianca and Kent about Y/N. If she was going to another school, Wednesday needed to know which one so he could get out of Nevermore as fast as possible and find her. The obsession was mounting and Wednesday knew it was only a matter of time before he caved in on himself and combusted.

But, sensing that his mother still wanted to talk to him about something, Wednesday decided to go along. Better to discuss things with his mother in private rather than in a school quad with students who couldn’t seem to stop filming him.

“I thought the gardener’s cottage was reserved for faculty,” Morticia said, stepping into the sitting room of the cottage, staring at the furniture that had been carefully covered with sheets. Even in the shadowed lighting of the room she could tell that the room had been designed with horrible tastes. Who used pink wallpaper on every wall?

“Marilyn Thornhill lived here last year,” Dort said, flipping on the light and revealing the true horror of the room to the Addams. “But thanks to Wednesday, she is now enjoying much tighter quarters in prison.”

Wednesday scoffed. “Not pinebox tight, but a boy can dream.”

Dort smiled at the family and lifted the key to Morticia. “It’s yours for the night. And if you decide to become our gala chair, consider this your home away from home.”

Thankfully, Dort seemed to notice that the family would need a moment to think about this all, and he told them he would wait outside while they discussed. He had been hoping that it would be easy to convince Morticia to join the committee, but he was willing to wait if it meant that she would actually give the offer some thought.

Once Dort had left, the Addams family made their way into the sitting room, Morticia gasping when she realised the horrific extent of pink in the room. “Who decorated this place?”

“A homicidal maniac,” Wednesday muttered.

“Now, you shouldn’t cast aspersions, dear. Not all homicidal maniacs have such ghastly taste.”

Gomez turned to his wife and took her hand. “Nothing your putrefying touch couldn’t fix, cara bella.”

Wednesday rolled his eyes at his parents and stepped away, observing the room as his mind began to spin. His parents had reenrolled him at Nevermore at his request, and he knew they would be annoyed if he requested to switch schools. He doubted that his lack of electronic devices and Y/N’s similar lack thereof would be enough to convince them to let him switch schools after only the first day. Asking them for help wasn’t an option, no matter how much Morticia had told Wednesday that she liked Y/N.

He might have to resort to other means of tracking down his obsession.

For now, he needed to deal with the issue of his mother. “Why would you want to be in charge of the gala?” He took his father’s place beside his mother when Gomez darted off to join Pugsley in hunting for snacks around the house.

“Well I wasn’t expecting things to change so quickly,” Morticia confessed. “Pugsley shot up like poison oak this summer, and now that you’re both at Nevermore, I have been wondering what my next chapter might be.”

A thought suddenly flickered to the front of Wednesday’s mind and his eyes widened in horror. “The thought of you and Father in the house alone unsupervised fills me with a sense of dread I usually reserve for costumed mascots.”

Morticia said nothing about Wednesday’s comment. “But I won’t consider this if it makes you uncomfortable.”

Wednesday rolled his eyes and turned back to face the room, eyes falling on a picture of Thornhill that was resting on the table. “I was born uncomfortable, Mother.” He slammed the picture down, not wanting to see the face of the woman who had tormented Nevermore the year before.

Morticia watched her son carefully, wondering if it was worth bringing up the topic that they had both avoided for the summer vacation. “I know it’s been hard… with Goody gone, and no one from our bloodline reaching out to be your new spirit guide. But if I was here, I could be of assistance.” When Wednesday turned to face her, Morticia clarified. “Temporarily, of course, until a new guide presents themselves.”

Wednesday wasn’t keen on the idea of his mother trying to help him. “You’re a Dove, I’m a Raven. We’re on different paths. You said so yourself.” Wednesday started heading towards the door, eager to leave the cottage behind.

But his mother’s voice called him back. “I’ve had experience with Ravens.”

That made Wednesday pause, and he turned back to his mother. “Are you talking about your sister? You’ve never been very forthcoming about Aunt Ophelia.”

The young boy watched carefully as his mother’s expression twitched, only barely visible on the sides of her face. Slowly, she turned to him, meeting his gaze with a pained expression that belied years upon years of agony. “You remind me a lot of her. Especially as you’ve gotten older.”

The mention of his aunt had Wednesday faltering. If his mother was bringing up Aunt Ophelia…

He inhaled deeply. “You don’t need to worry about me, Mother.” His gaze flickered to the door of the room when his brother and father walked in. “You should focus on Pugsley. We both know being tall and male will only get him so far. Besides, he’s got the brains of a dung beetle and the ambition of a French bureaucrat.”

With that, Wednesday turned and left, casting one last despairing look around the room before departing. He opted not to return to Nevermore by way of the road and instead began trekking through the forest, his thoughts spiralling as his feet carried him back to the school.

Back in the cottage, Morticia stared at the spot where her son had been standing, thoughts beginning to weave themselves into a spider’s web.

“What is it, querida,” Gomez asked, noticing the expression on his wife’s face.

“Wednesday is hiding things from me.” She sighed. “I will not let history repeat itself.”

Without another word to her husband or son, Morticia strode towards the door that Wednesday had just disappeared through. Not to follow her son, but to pursue a trail of her own that might offer her some assistance on her endeavours to protect her son.

After quickly dismissing Dort, who was still lingering outside the cottage, Morticia tucked away the key that the principal had given her and made her way into the woods. Normally, Morticia wasn’t one to go on walks through the forest. Always in long dresses that draped across the forest floor and heels that threatened to sink into the mossy floor, Morticia wasn’t the sort of woman who enjoyed long hours spent in the bug infested woods. But drastic times called for drastic measures. And Morticia wasn’t going to let Wednesday go without ensuring he had some… extra protection.

The woman was pleased that neither her husband nor Pugsley had followed her. She wanted to be alone right now. She needed to be alone right now. And it was even better, in all honesty, that Wednesday had chosen to leave before she did. Wednesday wouldn’t have been able to keep from stalking her through the woods, and if anyone had followed her, then her walk would have been for nothing.

It wasn’t a long walk, and Morticia was all too glad. She was sure that her clothes and shoes were already caked in mud, and she was desperate to get out of the forest as fast as she could.

Morticia’s destination had been one given to her in a cryptic letter half-way through the summer, conveniently around the time when Wednesday had left to hunt down the Kansas City Scalper.

As if Morticia didn’t know what he had been up to. She knew her son and she knew his obsessions. Each little morbid detail.

Holding the letter had triggered a vision. One that had answered the questions that Morticia had about the sender of the letter. The elegant scrawl and cryptic nature had made her wonder, but upon receiving the vision – which had almost felt intentional, a second message from the sender – Morticia had all the pieces she needed.

It was how she found the wrought iron gates in the middle of the wood, torn open by the forest itself, and the winding path that led to the decaying manor deeper within. Morticia didn’t hesitate as she passed beneath the gates, urgency in every clip of her heels on the covered stone.

As she approached the manor, Morticia’s pace slowed just long enough for her to get a proper sense of the grand scale of the manor. It would have been quite a sight to behold in its prime, and even half-decayed, the manor commanded respect and seemed to quiver with power. A power that accepted Morticia without struggle, allowing her to pass through the enchanted barriers. The magic of this place was letting her in.

And as she made her way up the stairs towards the entrance, the doors creaked open, revealing a young girl with pointed ears and iridescent wings on her back.

“It’s nice to see you again, Mrs Addams.”

Morticia smiled at the girl. “Lovely to see you too, Y/N.”

☘︎*⚜*☘︎

Elsewhere in the woods, unaware that his obsession was lingering just out of sight, or that his mother knew where she was, Wednesday headed back to Nevermore, trying to ignore Thing as the small appendage tried to press him into going back to speak with his mother.

“I can handle my mother,” Wednesday snapped, glaring at Thing. How dare the hand try to question him?

Thing tried again, pressing the matter further.

“I’m not asking for her help because I don’t need it.” Wednesday stomped past Thing. “I don’t need yours either.” But he paused, glancing back at Thing. “Keep your nosy fingers out of my business.”

Thing bowed to Wednesday and scuttled off, leaving the boy alone in the woods with his thoughts.

And the sound of sirens.

Wednesday glanced away from the path he had been following, frowning at the familiar sound of sirens, and the sight of several police cars and ambulances just down the hill from where he was standing. It was only his first day back, and the sight of police cars didn’t bode well for the outcome of the year. A normie had been killed on his first day at Nevermore the year before. What was it this time?

Making his way down the embankment towards the scene of the crime, Wednesday discovered that once again, a normie had been killed. Someone named Carl Bradbury, according to one of the officers who was speaking as Wednesday approached. Most people were standing on the opposite side of the tape that the officers had put up to keep out the general public, though Wednesday noticed a pair of civilians speaking with one of the officers. Witnesses according to the officer. Greg Mulligan and Debbie Prizeman.

Littered across the floor of the scene were the bodies of deceased crows, each one marked with a yellow triangle.

And for the first time in a while, Wednesday was confused. Too confused for his personal liking. He didn’t like being confused. He liked having answers.

“This is a first, even for Jericho.”

Wednesday rounded the back of the blue van that he surmised had belonged to the victim and noticed the new sheriff standing beside the body. A body that was noticeably lacking eyes. She addressed her officer, instructing him to get the body to the morgue and then turned.

Wednesday paused upon meeting Santiago’s inquisitive gaze.

“Wednesday,” Santiago asked, sounding far more welcoming than Galpin ever had. “Can I help you?”

“Just admiring the view.” His eyes landed on the sheriff pin on Santiago’s chest. “Sheriff Santiago.”

Santiago noticed the twinge in Wednesday’s tone, and smirked tiredly. “I promise to be better than my predecessor.”

“That’s an exceptionally low bar.”

Realising that Wednesday wasn’t going to offer her a chance to get on his good side after what had happened the year before, Santiago left with a scoff, turning to her officers to make sure that they had collected all the evidence they needed.

Wednesday, however, lingered. There was something off about the feel of the whole area. Something lingering just out of sight. Something that rooted Wednesday to the spot as he surveyed the scene, inspecting the presence of police cars and witnesses. But as his eyes fell on the small group of civilians, his eyes narrowed. There was one that stood out among the crowd. A man with a shadowed face.

When the man ran off into the woods, Wednesday gave chase.

☘︎*⚜*☘︎

That night, as Wednesday thought about everything that had happened that day – finding out that Y/N wasn’t returning to Nevermore, witnessing a crime scene, finding out that the victim had a relationship with the former Sheriff, who Wednesday had surprised in the woods by kicking him in the face – Principal Dort paced in his office, waiting for a guest. A guest who wasn’t being invited to speak with him out of the goodness of his heart.

“Miss Barclay, thanks for making the time.”

Bianca stood in the door of the principal’s office, a bit confused as to why she was being invited to speak with the principal. They had only spoken briefly when Bianca had returned to school, and admittedly, Bianca was hesitant to accept his invitation after finding out that he had expelled Y/N from Nevermore once news had slipped that Wednesday had fallen to Y/N’s curse. Students had begun to whisper about Y/N and by the start of August, news had spread like wildfire across social media that Wednesday and Y/N were dating and that Wednesday had accidentally succumbed to her curse. No one knew who had started the rumour, but it was enough to get Y/N expelled, and Bianca was furious. As were Kent and Divina.

But Bianca was relieved to receive a letter from her old friend, telling her that Y/N was far closer than Principal Dort hoped, and that, in time, Y/N would find her friends and invite them to join her. Wherever she was.

Now, Bianca approached the principal, offering him a content smile. One that didn’t betray the irritation she felt towards him.

“What a wonderful first day it’s been, hasn’t it?”

Principal Dort gestured to a chair sitting out in front of his desk and Bianca took the seat as instructed. She would have preferred to remain standing to be on more equal footing with the man, but she sat regardless. Something about Dort didn’t sit right with her.

“Oh, it’s so nice to see this place brimming with Outcast energy.” Leaning against his desk, Dort gestured to a painting of Edgar Allan Poe that was hanging on the wall beside the window. “Our most famous alumni would be proud.”

Silence fell in the office for a moment and Bianca tried not to shift in her seat. It was far from a comfortable silence. Instead, it felt more like the sort of silence that lingered in crime TV shows when someone was about to reveal a dark secret pertaining to the criminal.

Dort removed his glasses and set them aside. “I’ve been watching you.”

‘That sounds ominous,’ a voice in the back of Bianca’s mind whispered, and Bianca couldn’t help but agree.

“How you interact with your peers. You know, charisma is something that… Well, it can’t be learned. It’s a gift.”

‘Is this honestly what he thinks? What a fool.’ Bianca silently agreed. One could be born with a natural charisma, but there were several people she had met who had learned false charisma. A charisma built on seductive lies too teasing to ignore. People might know deep down that it was false, but they were more than willing to fall into the trap.

“And you positively ooze it.”

‘Are you feeling creeped out by this guy, or is it just me?’

Bianca was all too happy that she hadn’t been forced to meet with Dort alone. Y/N was indeed far closer than Dort hoped. Risking a glance over Dort’s shoulder, Bianca watched as the curtains concealing one of the windows fluttered, revealing glowing emerald eyes on the other side of the glass, and lips twisted into a malicious smirk.

No one knew that Wednesday wasn’t the only one who had been subjected to the curse. But Bianca was one of the few who had been able to resist. She was one of the few lucky ones Y/N had met besides her father who was capable of staving off the curse naturally. And as such, the two girls shared a unique connection. A strengthened bond in their minds that allowed them to communicate silently when they wished. At first, Y/N had been forced to read everything in Bianca’s mind whenever she wasn’t wearing her pendant. But in time, they had learned to control their connection, manipulating it and bending it to their will.

Dort didn’t know that the sidhe was currently hovering outside his office. Nor did he notice a small hole in one of the glass panes where Y/N managed to slip in a spider. Not a poisonous spider, or rather, not one that would kill Dort with a single bite, but Y/N felt far more comfortable having a second ear planted in the principal’s office. Since she wasn’t attending the school, she needed some way to hear what was going on.

“I’m guessing you have some political aspirations in your future?”

Bianca nodded. “I like the idea of creating real change for Outcasts.”

Dort seemed pleased at Bianca’s confession. “Well, what if I told you that you can start creating that change today?” He pushed himself off the desk and walked in a slow circle around the back of Bianca’s chair, trailing his fingers along the back. “As the fundraising gala’s student liaison.” Now standing beside his desk again, Dort gestured to a board beside his desk that was counting the amount of money raised. “We really need to heat things up if we’re going to hit our target. And you have the sizzle factor I’ve been looking for.”

Glancing towards the window, Bianca met Y/N’s eyes. ‘What do you think,’ she asked, verbally expressing her honour to her principal as she waited for Y/N’s response.

‘I think you’d be an excellent choice…’

‘But?’

‘It feels off. Something doesn’t feel right.’

Bianca had to agree. And she was, admittedly, very busy, and she told Dort as such. “I’m not sure I have time to take on something like that. I’m really sorry.”

Y/N couldn’t see the expression on Dort’s face, but she could feel it. And she could sense it in the spider’s clicking mandibles as he scuttled through the room, choosing a corner high in the rafters of the office to build his web. His web of operation, in a way.

“Me too,” Dort said. “I mean, you are a scholarship student, right?” He made another slow circle around Bianca’s chair, sending her a condescendingly comforting look. “The school is in a financial pickle, and if we don’t meet our fundraising goals, I may be forced to let some of the scholarship students go.”

Bianca didn’t have to meet Y/N’s gaze to know what the girl was thinking. Dort was resorting to blackmailing Bianca with her status as a scholarship student. A student?! He was blackmailing a student. And he wasn’t using something that Bianca had the power to change.

He turned towards the siren, leaning closer to her. “I know how people feel about sirens.”

‘Don’t intervene,’ Bianca thought, not daring to meet Y/N’s eyes through the glass.

‘Are you out of your mind?! This guy is blackmailing you and you want me to just sit back and watch?’

“But I don’t share that view,” Dort continued. “No Outcast should be limited or shamed.”

“Is that why you’re asking me,” Bianca asked. “Because I’m a siren?”

“Using your powers of persuasion for a good cause should be applauded. I’m sure you agree.” Dort took a seat on the edge of his desk, clearly feeling as though he had won this conversation. “We all want what’s best for Nevermore. So why don’t you take another look at that schedule of yours, and see if you can squeeze this in?”

Bianca couldn’t find words.

“You can give me your decision tomorrow.”

Suddenly, there was a crack of lightning outside and both Bianca and Dort jumped to their feet, turning to the window. It had been a clear night so far, with only a few clouds dotting the sky, but it seemed that while they had been caught talking, a storm had gathered overhead, complete with torrential rain and wicked winds.

Dort moved to the window, muttering about unpredictable weather, but just as he was about to pull the curtains back, a large branch suddenly smashed into the window, causing the glass to shatter and the iron frames to bend. Dort stumbled back, clearly in shock, and found himself grasping his desk for support.

“What on earth?”

Bianca took the opportunity to escape, but not before she sent a wink to the emerald eyes lingering in the dark.

‘I’ve always got your back, Bianca.’

‘I never doubted that.’

☘︎*⚜*☘︎

The next day came and went without anything truly of note, and as the evening darkened, Wednesday found himself making his way through Ophelia hall, wrinkling his nose as he passed Enid’s door, which was bubbling with the sound of cheerful werewolves and howls. How annoying.

He pressed on to his own dorm, eager to get away from everything and every one. Thankfully, tonight, there weren’t any more posters on his door, and he entered with ease. Though, he paused when he stepped inside, greeted not by his room as he had left it, but by a wrapped canvas leaning against the bottom of his bed. He frowned, approaching what he suspected was a painting, and picked up the attached card.

Dear Wednesday,

I tried texting, but I guess you lost the phone I gave you.

Wednesday huffed, now knowing who the painting was from. Xavier Thorpe. Thorpe had given him a phone the year before, just before Wednesday had cornered Y/N and finally indulged in the desires that had been torturing him.

He hadn’t lost the phone. He had dumped it in a pot of boiling water as soon as he could.

Consider this my goodbye gift. The image suddenly flashed in my head. Don’t ask me how I know or what it means, but it’s connected to you, I’m sure. Who’s Wednesday Addams without a mystery to solve, right?

Xavier

Setting the letter aside, Wednesday approached the painting and ripped off the paper covering. He paused when he found himself staring at a one eyed crow holding a white rose, standing atop a gravestone. The one eyed crow was what made him pause. When he had cornered Galpin in the forest the day before, Galpin had warned him that the crows were always watching. Wednesday had seen the same one eyed crow perched in the branches of a tree on his way back to Nevermore, seemingly watching his every move.

Normally, Wednesday wasn't intimidated by birds. But Galpin’s warning gave him cause for concern.

‘If only Y/N was here. I’m sure her pet would love to have a midnight snack.’

Wednesday turned away from the painting. That would have to wait for another time. For now, he wanted to work on his novel. Put all of this crow business in the back of his mind and forget about it for the night. Forget about Y/N or lack thereof for the night.

But he stopped dead in his tracks when he noticed Thing standing beside his typewriter, and the page that was noticeably blank compared to the one he had left in the machine. He stomped over to the desk, glaring at the sentient appendage.

“Have you been using my typewriter without permission?”

Thing shook his ‘head’.

Wednesday pulled the page out of the machine and read the note that had been left.

Read any good books lately?

Wednesday froze, turning slowly to Thing. “My novel.” Moving faster than he ever had before, Wednesday pulled open the drawer where he had left his work. In the place of the two-year stack of pages was a single page with a single note.

“It’s gone,” Wednesday hissed.

He drew out the sheet of paper, reading the note that had been left behind.

Higher, higher, higher

I am demon of the fire

Each blazing roof’s my pyre!

Wednesday’s dead heart sank as he glanced at Thing. “My stalker is going to burn my manuscript at the Founder’s Pyre.”

Wednesday hadn’t told anyone besides Thing that he had a stalker. He had found out when he had left Nevermore, and he had contemplated trying to reach out to Y/N about the situation after she had abandoned him and left for Ireland on her own, but he had decided against it. Y/N clearly didn’t want anything to do with him over the summer break, and though he was craving to taste her lips again, he had decided to torture himself instead with the separation.

Scrunching up the note and tossing it aside, Wednesday’s voice was little more than a snarl as he stomped towards the door of his room. “I am not going to let two years of my life to go up in flames.”

☘︎*⚜*☘︎

Wednesday hadn’t planned on attending the Founder’s Pyre. He hadn’t wanted to. But needs must, and he wasn’t willing to let his first novel be burned. He was half tempted to rope Enid into helping him search, but had a feeling that Enid was otherwise engaged by the constant requests for photos, and a rather upset looking Ajax. Clearly something had happened in their relationship, and Wednesday didn’t want to find out what.

Wednesday headed to the Pyre with Thing hurrying alongside him, under strict instructions to keep his fingers peeled for any sign of the stalker.

After being jostled by a handful of students, who seemed to be bumping Wednesday with far more force than needed, Wednesday stuck his hand into his pocket, recognising the familiar motions that often left something concealed in one’s pocket. But he drew his hand out just as quickly when he felt something cutting his finger. Pulling out his hand, he found blood dripping from the gash on one of his fingers, slowly trickling down the back of his hand. Now a bit more careful, Wednesday stuck his hand into his pocket and gingerly pulled out a note with razor blades attached to each side of the note.

If you don’t want your novel to go up in smoke, meet me under the pyre.

P.S. I found a few more typos

The boy didn’t hesitate before crouching beside the pyre, shifting aside the branches that had been so meticulously arranged by the Da Vinci students that Dort had requested to build the pyre. He didn’t care about their work. Their work had only taken them a few hours. His had taken years.

“Wednesday, what are you doing?”

Enid hadn’t missed Wednesday when he had approached the pyre and had split from her friends to see if Wednesday either needed help, or to stop him from doing something dangerous. Wednesday, however, didn’t stop. He kept shifting the branches and logs aside, eager to get inside and find his novel.

Sadly, the branches were stubborn and wedged in tight. Only when roots slowly rose from the ground, and tugged the branches aside was Wednesday able to slip into the pyre. He paused for only a moment, realising who needed to be present if the roots were coming alive, but surged forward, diving headfirst into the tangled mess of twigs, ignoring Enid’s shouts for him to come back.

The roots continued to guide him as he crawled through the branches, guided by small insects crawling along the wood.

‘Just in time, mi muerte.’

The roots guided Wednesday higher and higher into the branches, even as fire struck the pyre and the flames began to lick at Wednesday’s skin. Ripping away the burning branches and casing them aside, the roots cleared a path for Wednesday, offering themselves as leverage to boost Wednesday up to where his novel was resting atop some branches.

Once he had managed to grab the manuscript, roots surged into the tower of branches and logs, all but tearing the structure apart, seizing Wednesday around the waist and hauling him out through the ruined pyre. He had managed to grab his manuscript just as the large raven atop the pyre was lifting into the sky, and the students hardly noticed as the pyre beneath collapsed into nothing. Nor did anyone truly notice as the roots gently lowered Wednesday back onto solid ground, throwing soil over the burning branches to smother them.

Wednesday wasn’t watching the raven as it soared into the sky. Instead, he scanned the crowd, desperately searching for any sign of the emerald-eyed fairy who had haunted his dreams.

‘Where are you, mi muerte?’

“Here he is, right on cue!”

The boy huffed. He didn’t care what anyone wanted to say to them. He didn’t care what Dort had to say to him. He didn’t care that they wanted to honour him and thank him. All he cared about was getting out of here and finding the girl who had been torturing him. The girl who had saved his life once again.

Still, he turned, and approached the stage where Dort was waiting for him.

“Our student of honour, Wednesday Addams!”

Everyone burst into cheers and Wednesday glanced around at the group of students, eyes still searching for any sign of the fairy. She would be the only one not clapping. The only one standing by herself, not drawing any attention to herself, beyond what was needed to get Wednesday’s attention.

“None of us would be here today without your bravery.” Dort beckoned Wednesday to the stage. “Wednesday, would you help me unveil something very special?” Dort ran up the steps of the stage without waiting, taking a place beside a large concealed painting. “I had this commissioned to commemorate how you and your ragtag group of Nevermore buddies saved our school!”

Setting aside his microphone, Dort pulled off the ebony cloth concealing the painting, and as the cloth fell away, Wednesday felt his throat clench at the garish painting. It was nothing like the tasteful painting that Thorpe had sent him. This was… something else entirely. Something that Wednesday could have gone his whole life without seeing. Him, standing in front of Bianca, Enid, and Eugene, with a sword in his hand, smiling in a way that looked completely unnatural and horrifying. And not in a good way.

‘Why did they paint me smiling? I never smile.’

While Wednesday was still staring at the painting in horror, Dort picked up the microphone again and gestured for Wednesday to join him on the stage. “Could you give us a few words of inspiration to launch us into the new era?”

‘Crawl into a grave and die,’ Wednesday thought bitterly.

Soon, everyone was chanting his name, and Wednesday fumed at the sound. He wasn’t here for any honour. He wasn’t here to be a symbol of inspiration. He was here to get back the two years of his life that his stalker had tried to burn. But if Nevermore wanted a speech, he would give them a speech.

He all but slammed his novel into Enid’s arms, furious that he had been cornered like this.

Wednesday climbed the stage, staring at the painting, now all the more furious when he drew near to it. It felt like a mockery in his eyes.

Somewhere in the crowd, Morticia and Gomez glanced at each other, neither one impressed with the colourful display, nor that Dort had summoned Wednesday up onto the stage. And both knew what was about to happen. So, Morticia turned to the shadowed figure standing beside her and gently set a hand on the girl’s shoulder.

“Y/N, darling, would you mind?”

Y/N didn’t have to say anything. Her new pendant didn’t keep her powers from reading Wednesday’s mind. She knew exactly what he was thinking, and she extended her hands, summoning the power of the earth beneath her feet, guiding roots towards the stage where Wednesday was visibly shaking with anger.

Turning, Wednesday accepted the microphone from Dort, holding it in front of him for a long while as he scanned the crowd. “Tonight… is our banquet of discontent. And we shall gladly feast on those who subdue us. Our fight is just beginning. And I’m ripping the Band-Aid off the scab of civility and will not cease until our enemies have been vanquished.” He paused, allowing the cheers of the students to flood the clearing. They had misunderstood him, just as he had intended.

While he stood silent, Wednesday’s gaze flickered, falling on the undulating soil moving towards the stage. Once again, his muerte was just in time. Roots rose from the soil, creeping across the stage, coiling towards the painting like serpents ready to strike. They didn’t even try to conceal themselves as they rose higher and higher, making Dort flinch at the sight of them.

“And by enemies…” The roots took hold of the torch closest to the painting, and Wednesday smirked. “I mean any imbecile stupid enough to cheer on some shallow, rabble-rousing diatribe like that. You thought I was your hero? I’m not. I always play dirty and I never fight fair. The only side I’m on is my own and the only place I’ll lead you is off a cliff.”

Wednesday slowly turned to Dort, meeting his gaze with a cold stare. He could feel the heat of the flame against his back as the roots teasingly waved the fire over the stage, waiting for Wednesday’s signal. Y/N had as much a penchant for the dramatic as he did.

“So do not put me on a pedestal, because I will burn it down.” He lifted his hand and snapped twice. The key to entering the secret Nightshade sanctuary. The home of the secret society that Dort had just abolished.

As soon as the second snap echoed through the night, the roots dropped the torch onto the painting, and in seconds, the painting was consumed in flames. The roots seized the frame of the painting, lifting it high into the night, allowing everyone to see it, before tearing it to shreds, letting the fiery pieces of canvas flutter down towards the stage like a warning.

It was a warning.

The students were in shock. The staff was in horror. The Addams were unsurprised. And the Nightshades were grinning ear to ear at the sight of the ruined painting.

And no one was smiling brighter than Bianca Barclay.

‘You are wicked sometimes, you know that?’

‘Jealous?’

☘︎*⚜*☘︎

Wednesday was heading back into the school campus, ignoring Enid who was scolding him as she chased him, intent on giving him a piece of her mind for ruining the pyre. He had no time for frivolous activities. He had other matters to attend to. Matters like figuring out where Y/N was hiding.

But when Enid caught him by the shoulders, black tears began to fall from his eyes and Wednesday collapsed as a vision flooded his mind.

A graveyard filled with crows.

The sound of angry birds as they swarmed him.

A crow holding a white rose as it perched atop a grave.

A grave that read ‘In memory of Enid Sinclair. Beloved daughter and sister’.

“This is all your fault Wednesday.”

“This is all your fault.”

“I died because of you.”

The crow dropped the rose.

Enid was suddenly behind him, blood streaming from her head, her hands clamped tightly around Wednesday’s throat.

“I died because of you!”

And somewhere, in the background, a haunting whisper.

“Mary, mary, quite contrary, how does your garden grow? With silver bells and cockle shells, and pretty maids all in a row.”

☘︎*⚜*☘︎

Chapter Text

☘︎*⚜*☘︎

Nothing is so painful to the human mind as a great and sudden change.
~ Mary Shelley

☘︎*⚜*☘︎

“Wednesday, hurry!”

“This is all your fault!”

“Wednesday…”

“Wednesday…”

“I died because of YOU!”

“Mary, mary, quite contrary, how does your garden grow? With silver bells and cockle shells, and pretty maids all in a row.”

The sickeningly haunting sound of Y/N’s voice was the last thing Wednesday heard before he shot up, chest heaving, throat seizing as he realised what his vision meant. Enid’s name tore through his throat before he could stop it, and he froze, trying to figure out where he was. The last thing he could remember was walking through the quad, trying to ignore Enid’s frustrated calls as she chased him through the quad.

“Enid’s fine, dear.”

Wednesday stilled at the familiar voice, eyes flickering to the edge of his view. He didn’t need to look to see who it was. He knew his mother’s voice better than he knew almost anyone else’s. But the fact that she had caught him after witnessing a vision was troubling. Especially since all his visions as of late seemed to result in black tears streaming from his eyes. It was the last thing he wanted his mother to see.

“It’s you I’m worried about.”

Wednesday turned to face his mother as she released his hand. Wednesday pulled his hand back, flexing the appendage to try and clear away the burning nerves. There was only one person he was willing to let touch him, and he didn’t even know where she was.

“When it comes to your ability, I asked you to be honest with me.” Morticia’s words were unflinching as her gaze, though somehow, they still managed to maintain a semblance of gentle peace. A conflicting pair of emotions that made Wednesday shiver beneath his mother’s gaze. His mother was like poison. Soft, subtle. All too dangerous, but sly enough that you didn’t realise just how dangerous until it was too late.

“I know what those tears mean,” Morticia continued, gesturing to the black tears staining her son’s cheeks. “It’s psychic exhaustion. That’s what happens when you abuse your gift.”

Wednesday shifted to glare at the floor beneath his feet. There was nothing that remained of Thornhill. It had all been stripped and torn away, leaving nothing but the bare structure of the house. A perfect canvas for his mother to paint with her favourite palette of rich and haunting hues.

“I’ve harnessed it,” Wednesday argued.

Morticia didn’t seem as convinced as her son. “You sound just like your aunt.”

Sighing, Wednesday turned back to his mother, determined to get to the bottom of this problem. If she knew about the tears, then she was his best chance at getting rid of them. Loathed as he was to ask for her help. “How do I get the tears to go away?”

“Well… you can start by giving me Goody’s book of spells.” Morticia knew that her son would put up a fight about giving up the book. She knew more than he realised. He had tried to be stealthy throughout the summer as he mastered his ability, but Morticia had known that there was something else that he was keeping from her. She hadn’t known what exactly he had been hiding, however, until Thing explained everything that had been happening after Wednesday had collapsed in the quad.

Wednesday’s head whipped around to glare at Thing, who was perched on the arm of the chaise.

Morticia quickly stepped in, sparing the sentient appendage from Wednesday’s wrath. “Don’t be upset with him. He was worried sick. As was I.”

Thing pulled a black handkerchief out from behind one of the pillows and handed it to Wednesday. The boy accepted the piece of fabric, snatching it from the hand with another withering glare before swiping it across his cheeks to try and erase the signs of the tears.

‘A pathetic sign of weakness,’ Wednesday thought. At least he couldn’t see the evidence on a cloth as black as the one in his hands.

“Goody was my spirit guide. That book belongs to me.”

Morticia sighed. She was stubborn, but her son matched her in that department. He refused to believe that anyone else was capable of helping him, or that there were things he didn’t know. “This isn’t something you can control. You have to be patient and wait for your new guide. They will appear when the time is right.”

“I don’t have that time. Not after tonight.” Wednesday didn’t dare tell his mother that he had a vision of Enid’s death, nor did he dare mention that according to Enid, he was responsible for her death. He also neglected to mention that he had heard Y/N’s haunting whisper in the back of his mind, repeating a nursery rhyme that Wednesday hadn’t heard since he was a child.

He rose to his feet, hoping to escape his mother’s withering stares and return to the school. He had too much to do. Too many strings to tie together, too many loose ends to be tracked.

Morticia sighed and rose to her feet to join her son, preventing him from reaching the door of the cottage. “You never believe the rules apply to you. And I applaud that. But you cannot bend your psychic ability to your will.”

Wednesday snapped. “And you can’t expect me to bend to yours. You cannot tell me to blaze my own trail and then put up all these roadblocks.”

Morticia paused for a moment, hurt by Wednesday’s cold shoulder. She knew they were far from any ordinary family, and often found comfort in what other people might consider insults. But this… this was something that hurt. “I am not your enemy. I am your mother. Your ability is not a weapon to be deployed. It’s a gift to be respected.”

Wednesday stared at his mother, his eyes narrowing. “I liked you better when you were a crystal ball away.” He headed out of the house, his mother’s final words trailing after him like a banshee’s cry.

“Well, one day I won’t be here anymore. And you can recklessly live your life as you see fit.”

‘What a dream that will be.’ Wednesday left, heading to Lurch’s car, which was waiting for him in the driveway.

Before Thing could join him, however, he was stopped by Morticia, who had some choice words for the sentient appendage.

“You were supposed to help me protect him. Most of all, from himself.”

Thing wasn’t sure what to say, and slid down the table leg, scrambling after Wednesday, eager to get away from the Addams matriarch. Morticia followed, standing in the door of the cottage to watch as Lurch drove Wednesday and Thing back to Nevermore.

‘Watch over my son, little death. Please.’

☘︎*⚜*☘︎

Galpin’s warning, Xavier’s painting, and my vision of Enid’s death. They all have a certain one-eyed, black-winged bird in common.

“Lurch?”

Lurch groaned, the only sign that he had heard Wednesday addressing him.

“We need to make a stop.”

Lurch had expected this. He was far more observant than people first realized, and he had known immediately when Wednesday had slid into the back seat of the hearse that he would want to make a stop before returning to Nevermore.

The Galpin house was silent when Wednesday and Thing arrived, with only a small light on above the porch to signal that anyone might be home. The Galpin family car was parked in the drive, but as he approached, Wednesday noted that there were no lights on inside the house. He was surprised that Galpin was already asleep, since it was still fairly early in the night, but he wasn’t at all surprised by the graffiti covering the walls of the house. Since news had broken that Donovan Galpin had been concealing his son’s outcast lineage, and an incredibly dangerous one at that, the citizens of Jericho and tourists from beyond had come to spraypaint the boarded-up house with angry and spiteful messages.

Wednesday observed the messages for only a moment before turning to the door and knocking on it. There was no answer.

“Galpin!”

Still nothing.

Wednesday huffed, taking hold of the handle of the front door and turning it. Surprisingly, the door was unlocked. A strange situation considering that every other part of the house had been boarded up with thick wooden boards inside and out.

Thing objected to the act of breaking and entering.

“How can it be breaking and entering if everything is already broken?” Wednesday stepped inside, leaving Thing to follow. “Galpin?”

Thing shrugged as best as a hand could and trotted along after Wednesday.

“I know you’re lurking somewhere in this suburban squalor,” Wednesday muttered, eyes scanning the dark rooms for any sign of Galpin.

Unsurprisingly, Wednesday found Galpin sitting in an armchair in front of the TV, an empty whiskey bottle on the floor by the chair. The boy huffed as he approached. Galpin had been the one to ask that he stop by to talk, and yet, here he was, drunk enough to have passed out without bothering to turn off the TV.

“I don’t have time for one of your drunken stupors,” Wednesday huffed. He reached out to turn Galpin’s chair around. “I need you to tell me about your case.”

But Galpin wasn’t able to answer. Wednesday hadn’t found Galpin passed out in the armchair, drinking away his sorrows. He had found Galpin missing one of his eyes, mouth open and broken at an odd angle, life stolen from the man’s ageing body.

Galpin was dead.

Unsure of what to do, Wednesday leaned down to peer into Galpin’s mouth, curious as to why and how it had been bent at such an awkward angle. But as soon as he was eye level with the open orifice, crows began to burst from the late sheriff’s mouth, spiralling around the room in a hurricane of feathers and sharp beaks before throwing themselves out the windows and onto the lawn of the Galpin property.

And just as soon as the storm of crows had appeared, they disappeared, letting the house fall silent as one lone crow remained. The same crow, with one missing eye. It cawed at Wednesday before flying out the window, leaving the boy alone with the corpse.

Wednesday turned back to the body. “Murdered by a murder of crows.” He approached Galpin. “What a perfectly ironic death wasted on the least ironic man I ever met. Let’s see if he can finally offer some useful investigative insight.”

Thing was vehemently opposed to Wednesday touching the body to try and use his gift and shook his finger wildly at the boy, warning him of the consequences.

“It’s my only clue to saving Enid,” Wednesday argued. He extended his hand, setting it on Galpin’s shoulder and shutting his eyes, trying to summon his gift. But he found nothing but flashes of light and static.

Wednesday opened his eyes and glanced at Thing, who was perched on the back of Galpin’s chair. “I’m not seeing anything.” He tried again, and found the same results.

Horror flooded Wednesday and he turned to Thing. “My ability. It’s not working.”

Wednesday was so lost in thought he didn’t hear the approaching sirens until it was too late.

☘︎*⚜*☘︎

“What were you doing at Galpin’s house?”

‘This could not possibly be a more tedious waste of time,’ Wednesday thought, staring at Sheriff Santiago from across her desk. They both knew he was innocent. Yes, Santiago had arrested him on the spot, and there hadn’t been any audible chime of hesitance or second-guessing in her voice, but Wednesday knew Santiago. She knew he was innocent. After everything he had done the year before to make sure that innocent people didn’t die, he sincerely doubted that Santiago thought he could be the murderer.

“He asked me to stop by,” Wednesday answered. Even if he was accused and thrown in prison, he didn’t mind. If that was to be the outcome, there were two options. One, escape. A rather boring option seeing as how prison would likely be more interesting than attending Nevermore without Y/N to torment his every waking and sleeping moment. Two, bend the prison to his will and run the place with a set of thumb screws and an iron rule.

“In the middle of the night?”

Wednesday’s dreams of torture were put on hold at Santiago’s question. This wasn’t the time to dream. Right now, he had to prove his innocence and figure out what happened to Galpin, and why the crows were showing up. He had never seen a crow like the one he had seen in Galpin’s house. The same one that Thorpe had painted and sent to him.

“What were you doing there, Sheriff?”

Sheriff Santiago stared at Wednesday for a moment before sighing, her eyes rolling a little as she took one of the photos that was lying on her desk. Then, she slid it across the desk to Wednesday. “Turns out, the last person to have his eyes pecked out called Galpin right before he died. You remember him?”

Wednesday’s gaze flicked from the photograph on the table to Santiago.

“Carl Bradbury?”

Wednesday said nothing.

“I wanted to know what they had discussed, but Galpin wasn’t answering his cell. A phone that has since vanished.” Santiago’s tone had turned from inquisitive to accusatory, and Wednesday wasn’t fond of that. “There was no trace when we searched Galpin’s house.” Santiago paused, as if waiting for Wednesday to pick up on the question she was asking. Or rather, the accusation she was making.

‘I wouldn’t be foolish enough to take the phone before you had searched the house,’ Wednesday thought bitterly. That would be an amateur’s mistake, especially considering that there was nothing incriminating between Wednesday and Galpin on that phone. Wednesday didn’t even have a phone.

When Wednesday didn’t answer, Santiago pressed. “You wouldn’t know anything about that, would you?”

“I didn’t take his phone,” Wednesday said, his voice on the verge of snapping. “And why are you questioning me? Galpin’s son, Tyler, is a psychopath who hates his father. Who’s to say he didn’t orchestrate this?”

Santiago shrugged. “Tyler’s safely locked away at Willow Hill. And you were at both crime scenes. What aren’t you telling me, Mr Addams?”

“Volumes, no doubt.”

Wednesday shifted slightly at the sound of his father’s voice, his gaze flickering towards the familiar striped suit making its way into the sheriff’s office. His gaze returned to Santiago when he noticed her shift. This was over, and they both knew it. Wednesday was innocent, but Santiago was desperate for a lead. She had only just started her term, and having two dead men on her hands, especially ones that had been killed in such a gruesome and morbid manner, didn’t look good on her record.

“You could dangle him over a pit of rattlesnakes, and he still wouldn’t tell you his secrets. Trust me, I’ve tried.”

Santiago didn’t seem willing to let Wednesday go. “I’m allowed to question your son, Mr Addams.” She flicked her eyes to a seat in the corner of her office. “You can sit back there, quietly.”

Gomez didn’t take a seat. Instead, he reached into his back pocket and pulled out a business card, handing it to Santiago. “I’m also his lawyer.”

Santiago took the card.

“And I don’t do anything quietly. If you wish to speak to my client again, you’ll need a court order.” Gomez took a step back and gestured with his hand for Wednesday to lead the way. Wednesday stood and left without offering Santiago a good night or a goodbye. He left that for his father to do.

Now in the car, heading back to the school, father and son discussed what had just happened.

“I was fixing my nightcap when Lurch burst in,” Gomez said, swirling his martini. “Almost choked on my olive. I’ve never seen the old boy so agitated.”

Lurch groaned in agreement.

“And Mother?”

Gomez shook his head. “This stays between us.” He lifted his glass in a toast. “To Galpin.”

Wednesday said nothing, already knowing that his father’s usual habit of interrogation was rapidly approaching. As his father finished his martini, Wednesday filed his mind’s information away into two categories. The first were things that he felt he could tell his father, knowing that they would inevitably get back to his mother. The second were things that he stored under lock and key. Things that he would refuse to tell his father.

“Why were you at his house,” Gomez asked.

Wednesday sorted through the information, trying to find something to answer with. “Are you asking as my lawyer or as my father?”

“I can recognise when a fellow card player is keeping some aces up their sleeve. I respect that. But bluffing only gets you so far.”

Wednesday thought for a moment longer before answering. “I saw Galpin yesterday. He was working on a case, asked for my help.”

Gomez chuckled. “You get your reckless curiosity from me. That’s why your mother’s so worried about you.”

“You need to pack her trunks and take her back home.”

Unfortunately for Wednesday, his father just shrugged. “I’m afraid her mind is made up. She’s staying. Trust me. That casket is closed.”

Wednesday had hoped he would still have time to get his mother as far away from him as possible, and he cursed himself for not moving faster. His mother would only hinder his investigation. But maybe his father would be willing to offer some more insight into another matter.

“What happened to Aunt Ophelia?”

His father froze for a split second. “That, my little poison pen, is not my story to tell.”

☘︎*⚜*☘︎

Down in the courtyard the next day, chaos ran rampant. Prank Day had once again come to Nevermore, and as a consequence of the annual celebration, the quad was in a rare state of mayhem. And not the sort Wednesday enjoyed. Toilet paper was being thrown around the statues, guided by the powers of a few DaVinci students to drape across the werewolf statue at the bottom of the stairs. Some fire outcasts had lit firecrackers and tossed them into the ice-cream booth that now seemed to be a permanent installation in the quad. Some werewolves had trapped a vampire in their coffin with iron chains and set garlic on top of the coffin, chortling with glee as the vampire writhed beneath the wood.

In the chaos, no one noticed a young girl slipping in, gowned in black, flickering between the shadows. Save for one.

Y/N sighed, watching the chaos of Prank Day from the shadows beneath the steps, her arms crossed, her back pressed against the cool stone of the stairs. She loathed Prank Day, more so perhaps than Wednesday and the other faculty who always seemed to be the victims of the most malicious pranks. She had never been the target of any pranks, seeing as how she held herself apart from most of the student body and students were usually too scared of her to even attempt a prank, but she hated the day just the same.

“I’m surprised you decided to come back today of all days, bug,” Kent hummed, watching the chaos from his place beside Y/N. Unlike Y/N, Kent thoroughly enjoyed the day of endless pranking and often partook in pranking several of his friends, either by using his siren song to manipulate them into doing something embarrassing of their own volition, or just by pulling the usual practical joke on them. After all, Prank Day was the one day he could siren somebody and not get in trouble for it.

“Me too,” Y/N muttered. Her eyes flickered across the courtyard to where Enid was talking to a werewolf. Bruno.

Y/N had only spoken with Bruno a handful of times in the previous years, and though she thought him nice, he wasn’t subtle enough for her to truly befriend. He was loud where she was quiet, as much an extrovert as she was an introvert. It wasn’t that she didn’t like him, per se, but more that he was too much for her to handle. Too loud, too present, too aware, too… everything. But he seemed to be a good match for Enid.

‘If only Ajax wasn’t being hurt in the process,’ Y/N thought, eyes flickering to where Ajax was standing on the steps of the school, watching Enid as she spoke with Bruno across the quad.

“Why did you come back today,” Kent asked, turning to Y/N and leaning the side of his head against the stone. “You hate Dort and you hate Prank Day.”

Y/N sighed, shuffling a bit closer to Kent when she noticed a group of students watching them. “Mrs Addams asked me to meet her here.” Her eyes flickered around the courtyard, looking for any sign of the woman. “She needed to discuss something with me. Something about Wednesday.”

Kent joined Y/N in observing the courtyard and smiled when he noticed a familiar woman walking in. “Well, looks like you can escape then.” He gestured to the woman with his shoulder and Y/N turned, breathing a sigh of relief.”

“Perfect.” Y/N took Kent’s hand in hers and squeezed it tight. “I’ll see you guys tonight, right? Game night?”

Kent nodded. “Wouldn’t miss it for the world, bug.”

☘︎*⚜*☘︎

Sneaking into Nevermore was far easier than Y/N had expected it to be, especially considering that she was accompanying Morticia, who commanded attention like a storm commanded thunder and lightning. A single icy stare from the woman was enough to send lingering students running to their next class, and in a dress of ebony threads, no one was paying Y/N any mind. She was as invisible as the wood work beside Morticia and she was glad for it.

“That’s all right, dear. I’m sure Thing can help me find what I’m looking for.” Morticia glanced at the door leading to Wednesday’s room, staring through the glass as if she could pin Thing down with her icy stare. Y/N honestly had no doubt that Morticia would be capable of such a feat.

Once Enid had left, the two entered Wednesday’s dorm, causing Thing to jump at the sudden intrusion. He wasn’t expecting Morticia to show up, let alone with Y/N following behind her. Thing suddenly found himself scrambling, wondering what on earth he was supposed to do. Wednesday had just left, and from the looks of it, Morticia had known all along where Y/N was. It seemed like they knew each other. A fact that was likely to infuriate Wednesday.

As Y/N went to inspect Wednesday’s rooms and leave a few torturous reminders for him to find later, Morticia approached the desk where Thing was looking through Goody’s book of shadows.

“Goody’s book. Pass it over.”

Thing shut the book rapidly started tapping on the cover, hoping to explain the situation to Morticia.

“He has had Goody’s spellbook all summer and you never thought to bring it to my attention? Gomez and I sent you here to make sure that he didn’t succumb to his own worst instincts. Where is your loyalty to us?”

Thing continued tapping angrily, and Y/N glanced up at the sound. She had never learned how to properly communicate with Thing, though she hoped that one day she might be able to learn. Slowly but surely, she was finding herself drawn into the Addams family as if she were joining their odd bundle of outcasts, and it seemed unlikely that any of them would let her go.

“Of course you are a member of this family,” Morticia exclaimed. “Just because I’m cross with you doesn’t diminish that.”

Thing tapped harder on the surface of the book, clearly outraged.

Y/N concealed a smirk and took a seat on Wednesday’s bed, running her hands over the covers, leaving behind the sickening scent of sweet decay that she knew would drive Wednesday mad. But when she reached his pillow and pulled it aside, her eyes widened. One of her journals – one that she thought she had lost – lay beneath the pillow.

‘That little thief!’

“Stop treating you like a servant? When have we ever done that?”

Y/N wasn’t listening to the argument between Morticia and Thing now and she snatched up the journal, staring at it for a moment before opening it to flip through the pages. Wednesday Addams had stolen her journal!

Fuming, Y/N tore out an empty page from the back of the book and extended her hand towards the wolfsbane plant sitting on the edge of Wednesday’s desk. The plant tossed a pen over to her and she snatched it out of the air, flicking the cap off with her thumb.

You think you would get away with stealing my journal, Wednesday?

Think again.

Y/N slipped the paper back beneath the pillow and set the pillow down, concealing the paper. Then, she stood, turning to watch the end of the argument between Morticia and Thing.

“I admit, perhaps there may have been times when we overstepped. I’m so sorry we depend on your steady hand so much.”

Thing continued tapping.

“Don’t take my poor relationship with Wednesday out on you?”

Thing slid off the table and scuttled across the floor without even so much as a glance in Y/N’s direction. And honestly, she didn’t mind.

“It’s not poor.”

“It’s fraught.”

Y/N tried not to giggle at the pout on Morticia’s lips, and she quickly glanced away when Morticia turned to her.

“Y/N, little death.” Morticia sighed, extending one hand to take Y/N’s. Her eyes fell to the journal in Y/N’s arms and sighed inaudibly at the sight of it. She had seen Wednesday reading that journal endlessly over the break and she had wondered where he had gotten it. Now, it seemed that she had her answer.

“I need you to do something for me.”

Y/N squeezed Morticia’s hand. “I’ll keep an eye out for him, Mrs Addams.”

☘︎*⚜*☘︎

“So what do you think of the place?” Tyler stared at Wednesday for a moment before pulling down his hands, the sounds of chains echoing in the hollow room. It was a comforting sound to Wednesday. Not because it meant that the Hyde was tied up, though that was a definite bonus. But it was a reminder of his childhood. A nostalgic memory from the days when he would chain up his brother for one reason or another to leave him exposed to the wild world that surrounded their house.

Wednesday had gone to visit Tyler at Willow Hill, where he had been imprisoned. He wasn’t entirely sure what had driven him to visit the Hyde, and yet, he now found himself standing outside the cage door, watching as Tyler dragged himself across the floor, the thick iron chains hardly capable of restraining him.

Stalking towards the door that separated him from Wednesday, Tyler’s lips curled into a sneer, each step bringing his malicious gaze closer and closer to the dark-haired boy. “It was originally designed for a It was originally designed for a schizophrenic werewolf, who went on a full-moon killing spree in the summer of ’92.”

“Ironic, considering you were thrashed by a werewolf.” Wednesday truly found the situation amusing. “And a fairy.” The mention of the fairy caused Tyler to pause for a moment, and Wednesday’s gaze flickered at the sight of his hesitation. He hadn’t even said Y/N’s name, but already there was something shifting in Tyler’s mind. Wednesday could see it like a message written in blood.

Tyler quickly regained his mind and continued approaching the door to his cell, the chains dragging behind him. “It was inevitable your morbid curiosity would bring you here. I knew you couldn’t resist seeing me again.”

“Is that the deluded lie you’ve been telling yourself in solitude?”

“The only person lying to themselves is you, Wednesday. You sensed the monster in me. We’re two blackhearted souls ready to pillage the world together.”

Wednesday found that highly unlikely and scoffed at the notion. “The only thing you’re pillaging is an extra fruit cup at dinner.”

“You act like you’re the smartest person in the room, but you’re not.”

“Then how come I ended up on this side of the bars?”

“Because you got lucky.”

Wednesday’s lips curled into a smirk as Tyler surged forwards, his eyes beginning to swell. Immediately, the sound of electricity flooded the chamber and Tyler stumbled back as his collar shocked him, keeping him from transforming into a Hyde. This was all too easy.

“No. I’m on this side of the bars because Y/N chose me.” The words were a sickening draught of poison for the Hyde, and Wednesday relished in the knowledge that Tyler was still desperately clinging to the memory of Y/N. The memories of their friendship before she had known about the monster that lurked beneath the disguise of the boy. The simple declaration that Y/N had chosen Wednesday over Tyler seemed to rattle the boy more than he cared to admit, and Wednesday’s smirk widened at the visible sight of Tyler stumbling. Not due to a shock from the collar, but from the shock of the truth.

He pressed forward. “Your father is dead.” He paused, wondering if Tyler would show any sort of grief over the news. “He was murdered last night.” Wednesday wasn’t expecting Tyler to grieve. He knew monsters. They didn’t cry. They didn’t weep. They didn’t feel loss over the death of those they had once held close. As soon as the monster was exposed and the darkest parts of the human mind were brought to light, the usual empathetic responses were washed away in the flood of cruelty, leaving nothing but a warped longing for malice and loathing.

“How was he killed?”

Wednesday wasn’t surprised that Tyler wanted to know. But he wouldn’t give Tyler the exact details. That was too much. Too much satisfaction for the gluttonous monster in the cage. “Gruesomely. Another victim died the same way. Your father’s old partner. Carl Bradbury. Two murders in two days.” Wednesday took a daring step towards the door. “Both connected to your family.”

“You got me, Wednesday. I’m a criminal mastermind pulling the strings from in here.”

“Who else would want him dead?”

“You’re looking for my help?” Tyler scoffed. “I’m flattered, but… It’s going to be so much more fun watching you grope around in the dark.”

“Say ‘hi’ to Enid for me.”

Wednesday froze at the door of the chamber, not daring to look back over his shoulder. The last thing he wanted Tyler to see was the flicker of fear in his eyes. Enid was his one friend. His one tie to any semblance of a social life. And though he often found her annoying, Wednesday cared about Enid.

“Tell her I’m gonna kill her the next time I see her. Make her pay for sticking her snout in my business. I want her screams to haunt you for the rest of your life.”

“You’re right. I couldn’t resist seeing you. Witnessing you chained and caged up makes my dark heart grin. Thornhill chose you to be her murderous marionette, not just because she saw some Hyde hibernating inside of you, but because she saw the real you. An expendable nobody. A feeble-minded schoolyard bully with nothing to offer to the world except for subpar barista skills. Your fleeing moment of notoriety will fade quicker than your generic looks. And thinking of you rotting away in this cell in anonymous mediocrity, knowing that Y/N chose me over you, that… is the best revenge.”

“I don’t need to visit again. I already take up enough space in your twisted head. And so does mi muerte.”

☘︎*⚜*☘︎

Principal Dort had summoned Bianca to his office once again, seeking an update on the progress towards the fundraising goal that he had set. With the donor list passed to Bianca, Dort hoped that Morticia would soon start making calls and visits to persuade the donors to offer financial aid to the school.

But as she made her way to Dort’s office, Bianca couldn’t get her nerves to settle.

‘Y/N? Are you there?’ Bianca waited for a moment, hovering outside the principal’s door as she waited for Y/N to respond. She wasn’t sure she would be able to enter Dort’s office if she knew Y/N wasn’t there. Y/N was her support. She was the only one who knew the truth that Bianca had siren songed her way into Nevermore, and she was the only one Bianca could count on to stay by her side, even when she was far away.

‘I’m always here, Bianca. What’s up?’

Bianca let out a sigh of relief, her head falling forward ever so slightly as the sound of Y/N’s voice floated through her mind like a whisper.

When Bianca had first started hearing Y/N’s voice, she had been frightened of the voice. She had been terrified of the echoing nose and the whisper that sounded as though a gust of wind had gotten caught somewhere in the back of her mind. Now, all she felt was relief. The odd, chilling sensation of Y/N’s voice had turned warm, as if she could feel Y/N’s presence behind her.

‘Dort asked me to meet in his office again, and –’

‘I’m already waiting outside, Bianca. I’m right here.’

Bianca smiled a little easier now, feeling just a little brighter and a little braver. Of course Y/N was already there, listening from the other side of the glass, no doubt whispering quietly to the little spider spy that she had planted in Dort’s office when he wasn’t looking. Y/N was always one step ahead, especially after everything that had happened the year before with Tyler and Thornhill.

‘Thank you, Y/N.’

‘You have nothing to thank me for, Bianca. You would do the same for me.’

Bianca knew she would. Y/N had done so much for her, more than Bianca could ever repay her for, and Bianca knew that she would be willingly making it up to Y/N for the rest of her life. But for now, if Y/N was willing, she would rely on her friend once more to face the man behind the closed doors.

Lifting her hand, Bianca knocked on the large double doors concealing the principal.

“Yes.”

Bianca entered the office, steeling herself for the principal’s impending disappointment. When he had given the donor list to Bianca, he had instructed her to make sure that Morticia would reach out to her mother, Hester Frump. A woman with more money than half of the outcasts in the world, with an iron will and an iron fist. Hester Frump was Dort’s potential gold mine.

Upon entering the office, Bianca wasn’t surprised to see Dort playing golf on the carpet in front of his desk. He was… peculiar. A man who enjoyed lavish things like mini golf and expensive trinkets, who wore things that made him seem far more down to earth than Bianca knew he was.

“Do you have an update on Mrs Addams?”

“I gave her the donor list. She’s going through the names, and we’ll meet at the end of the week to discuss strategy.”

“And you drew her attention to numero uno on that list?”

Bianca flinched. “Unfortunately, she and her mother are estranged.”

Dort paused, lifting his gaze from the golf ball at his feet. “How estranged?”

“She refuses to call her.” She had hoped that Dort wouldn’t ask about Hester Frump, but she knew she couldn’t always win.

‘It’s okay, Bianca. I’m right here.’

Bianca breathed a little easier as Y/N’s voice flooded her mind. ‘Thanks.’

But Dort, sadly, quickly dulled Bianca’s comfort when he addressed the situation directly. “Hester Frump is the linchpin to this whole campaign. She is the 50-foot shark that will signal the other big fish that Nevermore is worth preserving.”

“Then why don’t you have that conversation with Mrs Addams?”

“Because you can be so much more persuasive.” Dort’s smile was sickening, and Bianca felt her blood run cold. When Dort tried to put the golf ball into the overturned mug, Bianca stepped on it, preventing it from rolling any further.

‘This little –’

Bianca shared Y/N’s horror. “You’re not seriously asking me to siren song her?”

“Of course not. I’m ordering you.”

Bianca’s gaze flickered to the window that had been broken two visits before. The one that had been broken by Y/N. An ominous warning of what may come should Dort continue to push Bianca. A storm had already started to brew outside, and Bianca knew that it was only a matter of time before Y/N’s fury swelled.

Hoping to stop Y/N from obliterating the office, Bianca stepped forward, lifting her hand to pull of her siren charm. When she spoke, her voice floated through the air, enchanting and seductive. “You will never try to coerce me again.”

For a moment, Bianca dared to hope that it would work. For a moment, she breathed a sigh of relief.

“Nice try, Ms Barclay.”

Bianca faltered, her eyes widening in horror when Dort pulled out a small pocket watch with a mermaid mosaic set in the top. He didn’t need to taunt her by telling her what it was. She knew. All too well, she knew what it was.

“Yeah. Little souvenir I picked up in a dinky antique shop in the Florida Keys. It’s beautiful, isn’t it?”

‘Bianca? What is it?’

Bianca was glad Y/N couldn’t hear the fractures in her confidence through their mind connection. ‘It’s a charm. I can’t siren song him.’

‘What?!’

“Oh, and this here is made up of itty-bitty pieces of Corinthian coral, making me impervious to your siren song. I keep it on me at all times.”

Bianca could feel Y/N’s rage surging, and this time, she let it flow. If Dort wanted to play that way, then Bianca would gladly stand aside. For nothing was more malicious than a wicked and enraged fairy.

“You see, the key to winning in both golf and life is keeping your eye on the ball. So let me help you focus. We both know that I hold your future in my hand. I could either lift you up… or crush you. Understood?”

Bianca glanced towards the window, already backing way from the principal when she noticed the windows beginning to shake in the wind and rain.

“Now use your gift and get Morticia Addams and her beloved mother on our side.”

‘Watch out, Bianca.’

Dort turned just in time to see a branch sail into his newly repaired window, followed by a second that fell into the room, splintering his desk and chair, causing bits of wood to go sailing throughout the office. Curtains tore and were ripped off their mounts, tossed into the pile of damaged furniture, allowing rain and wind to flood the office.

“What on earth?!”

Bianca slowly backed away from the principal, concealing her smirk as best as she could.

‘And that’s only the beginning.’

☘︎*⚜*☘︎

It had been a long day, and frankly, Wednesday was looking forward to falling into bed and suffering long nightmares of unanswered questions and frustrations with his mother. The cold chill of his prison-like bed was calling him, and he was desperate to answer.

But when he pushed open the door to his room, he was met with the sight of something that immediately drew concern to the front of his mind. Enid’s favorite little flower-shaped purse that was sitting in the centre of the floor, almost like bait for a trap. Wednesday suspected that it was and decided to ignore it rather than investigate it directly. The last thing he wanted was to set off a trap before knowing everything that there was to know about the situation at hand.

Instead of investigating the purse, Wednesday left his dorm and headed to Enid’s room, hoping to find the girl fast asleep in her bed, snuggling one of her unicorn plushies like she always did. Why Thing had told him that little tidbit of information was something he would never understand, but he had told Wednesday nonetheless.

“Enid!”

Enid wasn’t asleep beneath her covers, nor was there any sign that the girl had been in her room recently. Her desk was empty, her makeup station was untouched – as was her homework – and the glass of water that she always left out for herself was still just as full as it had been that morning when he had snuck into her room to grab her driving waver.

The only sign of life in the room was coming from the trunk that Enid had transformed into a house for Thing, the little door rattling violently against a metal pin that had been used to hold the door shut. Wednesday immediately rushed over to the trunk and pulled out the metal pin, allowing a trembling Thing back out into the empty space void of Enid Sinclair.

“Wait, where’s Enid?”

Thing didn’t have an exact answer for Wednesday, which infuriated the boy. He had trusted Thing to look after Enid while he went to talk to Tyler, and apparently Thing hadn't been able to do as instructed. He had failed to keep track of Rowan the year prior – thought Wednesday had to conceded that it was likely due to the fact that Weems had masqueraded as Rowan to make people think he was still alive and likely swapped disguises enough times that Thing lost track of her – nor had he been able to keep up with Y/N when he had been instructed to follow her through the forest. But Wednesday was also forced to admit that no one was able to keep up with Y/N when she was in the forest. Not even a Hyde.

The grating sound of Enid’s pop-song ringtone suddenly started blaring through the dorm and Wednesday shot to his feet, rushing back to his dorm with Thing close on his heels. Sure enough, Enid’s phone, which had been left in her little bag, was ringing, the screen displaying Donovan Galpin’s phone number once again.

‘Stalker,’ Wednesday thought, picking up the phone. He accepted the call without wasting a second and pressed the phone to his ear. But he said nothing, instead waiting for the person on the other end of the line to speak first.

“Do I have your attention now,” the voice said, dark and grated, obviously filtered through some device to conceal the identity of the stalker.

“Who are you, and where’s Enid?”

There was a scoff on the other end of the line and Wednesday considered cursing the stalker out for a moment. Just a moment.

“The game has just begun,” the voice said. “You have thirty minutes to find your werewolf friend, or I put her down. Involve anyone else, and game over. I’m watching.” A card slipped beneath the door of the room, and Wednesday stalked over to it. “Tick tock, Mr Addams.”

Before picking up the card, Wednesday yanked open the door to the room, scanning the hall for any sign of who had just slipped the card beneath the door. But he saw no one. Just an empty hall, illuminated by eerily cold golden light from the lanterns that hung in the stairwell.

Wednesday was fuming as he shut the door again and bent down to pick up the postcard. On one side, there was an image of a bleeding heart with veins blossoming from every edge. On the other side was a message, scrawled in a thick marker and rushed handwriting.

PLAY DEAD

Wednesday didn’t hesitate. He wasn’t quite sure where to go, but he needed to get moving. He only had half an hour.

When he opened his door again, but when he pulled it open, he froze, unable to step over the threshold. Sitting on the other side of the door was a familiar dark-furred fox, staring up at him with a cold gaze reminiscent of the girl who had plagued his nightmares as of late.

‘Just another reminder that she is keeping herself hidden from me,’ Wednesday thought bitterly. He was half tempted to ignore the fox and step over it, leaving it to do whatever it wished. But he had grown to know the fox well in the past year, and he doubted it had changed much over the break. It was likely still the same bitter, nipping-prone parasite that it had been the year before.

“What are you doing here?”

The fox stood silently, and turned towards the stairs, its tail coiling teasingly as it swept from one side to the other in an almost beckoning motion. ‘Follow me,’ it seemed to say.

‘Go, Wednesday.’

The voice in the back of his mind didn’t startle him as much as he thought it would, and as the fox darted off down the steps, Wednesday gave chase, following after the fox as it led him away, darting down the steps of his tower.

But as he ran, Wednesday couldn’t stop himself from asking the question that had been festering in the back of his mind since the start of the school year. Since Dort had told Wednesday that Y/N wouldn’t be returning to Nevermore. Since Wednesday had seen evidence that Y/N wasn’t as far away as Dort wanted to believe.

‘Where are you?’

Wednesday could hear the familiar giggle in the back of his mind and his spine began to twist and writhe as a frigid shiver rushed through his bones.

‘You’ll find out soon enough, Wednesday Addams.’

‘That’s not good enough.’ In his frustration, Wednesday nearly tripped over one of the stairs and he cursed, pausing only for a moment to glare at the stone step that had dared to jut out just far enough to catch the edge of his shoe, before chasing after the parasite. ‘I need to see you now.’

‘I know. Goodnight, Wednesday Addams.’

Wednesday could feel it the moment Y/N left his mind, and he froze, calling for Y/N to answer him again. ‘Y/N. Y/N. Y/N! Answer me!’

But there was nothing. No answer. No whisper. Not even the chilling sensation of Y/N’s invasive presence in the back of his mind. There was nothing. His mind was sealed to everyone but himself. Wednesday clenched his fists in anger, blood spilling from his palms where his nails dug deep. He refused to let Y/N get away so easily. She had been tormenting him for months, leaving him with nothing but the addictive and sickening memory of her lips and the burning sensation of where their skin had met when he had dared to indulge in his weakening desire and caress the skin of her waist. It had been agony. And she seemed to adore that he was being tormented.

“Ouch!”

Wednesday jumped as pain flooded his ankle, and he glanced down, not at all surprised to see blood spilling from his ankle. Once again, the parasite had bitten him, irritated at his lack of movement. It had been instructed to guide Wednesday where he needed to go to find Enid, and yet, he refused to move from the spot now.

“I’m going to skin you alive,” Wednesday hissed, already plotting the death of the parasite. How dare it bite him! Especially after spending an entire vacation with Y/N, no doubt curled in her lap or draped across her shoulders like a pet. Its tongue was likely covered with the taste of her blood.

“Wednesday? What are you doing out here?”

Wednesday cursed the new music teacher, Miss Capri, as she approached, looking simultaneously concerned and relieved. He was busy. Why was she wanting to talk to him now? Couldn’t she wait for a more opportune time to discuss things with him? Like when he wasn’t trying to plot how he was going to flay the fox and deliver it to Y/N’s doorstep.

‘Doorstep…’

“I’m looking for Enid,” Wednesday said, stifling the irritation flooding his veins.

Miss Capri didn’t seem at all concerned about Enid. “That’s a coincidence. I’ve been looking for you. I’m putting together an orchestra for the gala. I’d like you to play cello.”

Miss Capri had caught Wednesday playing in the music room a few nights earlier and had made a few comments that had irritated Wednesday enough that he promised to never again set foot in the music room.

“I don’t have time for this right now. And besides, when you heard me play, you were hardly complimentary.”

Miss Capri didn’t seem bothered by Wednesday’s short fuse and annoyance. “Oh, come on. All I was saying was if you want to be great, let the music control you. Otherwise, you’ll just be…” she sighed, as if her next words were a curse upon humanity, “playing notes. Mechanical.”

Wednesday frowned. This conversation had started off as a bore. Now it was painful. Since when did people think he was willing to accommodate any sort of a social engagement, let alone an orchestra where he couldn’t be the star of the show.

“Rehearsal, three pm, Friday. I hope to see you there.”

‘You won’t,’ Wednesday thought, glaring at Miss Capri’s back as she headed back to her room. But then, something Miss Capri had said made Wednesday pause. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the postcard, flipping it over to read the note inscribed on the back. He stared at them for a moment, the pieces all falling into place.

“These aren’t letters. They’re notes.”

The parasite yipped and leapt for Wednesday’s knee this time, narrowly missing the limb and nearly tearing Thing to shreds as it clamped its jaw down on the first piece of flesh it felt. Thankfully, the parasite released Thing almost immediately, turning to Wednesday and glaring at him, as if it was trying to scold him for not just following him.

‘Supid human.’

The parasite ran on ahead and Wednesday chased after it, now more determined than ever to get to the bottom of this mystery and find out who was behind all of this.

The music room was empty when Wednesday entered it, and he paused in the threshold, watching as the parasite darted over to the organ pressed up against the wall on one side of the room. He held up the postcard, eyes darting from the morbid drawing of a heart to the instrument.

“The heart is an organ.”

Yipping, the parasite leapt up onto the bench and started pawing at the keys, half-hearted discordant noises flowing out of the tubes at the top. Wednesday tried not to glare at the fox for its inability to play and instead joined it on the bench.

For a moment, Wednesday stared at the ivory keys, carefully thinking the puzzle through. ‘Play dead.’ ‘Play DEAD.’ ‘Play D-E-A-D.’

He pressed his fingers to the appropriate keys, repeating each letter as he played it, one after the other. Then, he pulled his hand back and waited, eyes flickering for any sign of a solved puzzle. But when nothing happened, Wednesday lowered his gaze to the keyboard once again. What had he done wrong?

Pain flooded his wrist and Wednesday jerked the appendage back, glaring at the parasite for biting him again. But he stopped himself from throwing the creature out of the window when it hopped up onto the organ, three of its paws finding keys and pressing them down. They weren’t the right keys, but Wednesday understood what the fox was trying to say.

“I’ll try them together.”

The parasite nodded, a strangely human gesture for a fox, and hopped off the organ, landing on the bench beside Wednesday again.

This time, when Wednesday pressed the four keys simultaneously, the sound of gears echoed through the music room, breaking through the ominous sound of the organ as it blared its melancholy tune throughout the school. Wednesday didn’t care that he had likely woken half the school. There were more pressing matters to attend to. Like finding Enid and putting an end to this mystery so he could track down his obsession.

To Wednesday’s surprise, a little door had opened on one side of the organ, the crack in the wall concealed by a rather gruesome-looking sculpture. But he didn’t linger on the beautiful piece of artwork. Instead, he clambered through the hole, glaring at the parasite when it pushed in front of him, and stood on the other side, pulling out his flashlight.

But he needn’t have worried about the light, for as soon as the passageway was enclosed in darkness with the door to the music room falling shut behind them, a strange glow began to ripple from the fox’s fur, as if it had been imbued with the northern lights and was shaking them free. Ripples of soft light floated through the dark passageway and Wednesday tucked away the flashlight, following after the fox as it trotted along.

Halfway down the tunnel, however, the parasite stopped in its tracks, the light falling from its fur instantly and plunging their little group into darkness.

Wednesday frowned and reached into his pocket to fish out his flashlight. What had caused the fox to stop dead in its tracks? In the dark of the hall, the sound of the fox’s snarling echoed like an omen, shaking the walls with a strange strength that made Thing cower between Wednesday’s shoes.

The flickering flashlight was a hassle to deal with, and Wednesday made a note to scold Thing for not putting new batteries in like Wednesday had told him to, but it was enough. Enough to highlight the masked figure standing at the end of the tunnel that they had just come from, and the dark scarlet cloak shadowing the rest of their form.

The parasite barked angrily at the figure, and without thinking, Wednesday stooped down and scooped the parasite into his arms, holding the fox tightly to keep it from attacking their stalker. Wednesday, as much as he loathed the fox currently writhing in his arms, didn’t like the idea of leaving the fox at the mercy of the stalker, especially knowing how attached Y/N seemed to be to the creature. Even though she had claimed to hate it at the end of the last school year.

Wednesday watched as the figure moved closer, disappearing and reappearing as the flashlight flickered, until it stood right in front of him. Then, it disappeared again entirely, leaving the three alone in the dark hall.

Wednesday was no longer able to keep a firm grip on the parasite anymore and it slipped from his hands, falling onto the floor with the agility of a cat, and darted off in the direction they had been heading, barking wildly as if chasing down a rabbit in an open field.

Before following Wednesday noticed that the stalker’s mask had fallen, or had been placed at his feet, and he stooped down to pick it up. Flipping it over, Wednesday found another note written inside.

CLOCK’S TICKING

Huffing in frustration, Wednesday ran after the parasite, following the sound of its barks until he found it yapping at an old elevator shaft, leaping up the sides as if trying to chase something up into the tower.

“This is Iago Tower,” Wednesday said, realisation flooding him. He knew exactly where they were now, and he knew that their final puzzle likely lay at the top of the tower. He rushed towards the elevator, pulling the metal grate shut, and pulled the lever to move the elevator.

At the top of the tower, Wednesday was surprised to find the tower lit with candles and lanterns. It might have seemed romantic if not for the fact that he knew his one and only friend was likely waiting for her imminent demise somewhere in the tower. Strangely enough, though, he didn’t hear Enid screaming for him to hurry up and do something.

But when he climbed the last flight of winding stairs, Wednesday saw why Enid wasn’t calling for him. Her lips were otherwise engaged, pressed firmly against Bruno’s.

“Enid.”

Enid immediately pulled away from Bruno, not out of embarrassment, but out of desperation. “Wednesday! You need to get us out of this!”

Wednesday’s gaze rose upon noticing an ominous shadow lingering over the pair of chained werewolves, and his eyes widened. Dozens of daggers had been mounted on a platform above the two, waiting for the right moment to drop and kill the two students below.

“Thing, pick their locks.”

But a sentient hand was sadly no expert at dodging trip-wires, and as he rushed forward, he failed to properly inspect for any traps. As he went to help Enid and Bruno, he snapped one of the hidden strings, causing several daggers to fall, nearly slicing him in half as they fell, and eventually pinned by a thin sai dagger that somehow managed to avoid spearing him. Now, he could do nothing but watch as the platform of daggers slowly descended towards the werewolves.

Ignoring Enid’s calls for him to come back, Wednesday headed down to the main floor of Iago Tower where he noticed the last puzzle waiting for him. A typewriter surrounded by stacks of books. Classic novels, more specifically.

Approaching the typewriter, Wednesday read the note that had been left for him.

WHAT DON’T YOU SEE?

TYPE THE ANSWER TO SET YOUR FRIENDS FREE.

Calling Bruno a friend was a stretch, but if he wanted to save Enid, he would have to save Bruno too.

He continued ignoring Enid’s cries for him to hurry up as he surveyed the books around him, noting the authors that had been collected. “Poe, Dante, Shelley, Dickens… Each stack is the collected work of a famous author.” He moved closer to the stacks and began inspecting them. “Proust, Tolstoy…” Realisation clicked. “The answer must be a book that’s missing.”

As Wednesday searched the stacks of books for what was missing, he failed to notice what was happening upstairs. He knew that the platform of daggers was slowly descending towards his friends – if Bruno counted as a friend, which he certainly didn’t – but he was so lost in his search for answers that he missed the roots creeping in through broken gaps in the glass and the grinding of gears as they became tangled in the thick roots, restrained by a powerful force unseen by anyone in the tower.

But Enid didn’t miss them, and neither did Bruno.

“Y/N…” Enid was relieved. She had been disappointed when she discovered that Y/N wouldn’t be attending Nevermore this year due to the fact that Wednesday had fallen prey to her curse the year prior, but she had hoped that the girl would remain close. She had even more reason to hope after seeing the roots at the bonfire. But now, Enid was sure of it. Y/N was here. Out of sight for the time being, but always watching, like an invisible guardian, forever caring for her friends and the students of Nevermore from the safety of her hideout. Wherever that was.

Bruno, however, couldn’t remember much about Y/N. He knew her by name and by face, but he didn’t know anything else about her.

“Y/N?” Bruno hoped Enid would offer him further explanation, but sadly, she didn’t.

Thankfully, with the assistance of the roots restraining the platform and the gears, Wednesday was given time to type in his answer to the puzzle.

THE INVISIBLE MAN

Glancing up from the typewriter, Wednesday watched as the gears began to reverse, lifting the platform back into its original position and allowing Enid and Bruno some space to breathe. And it was only then that Wednesday noticed the vines.

‘Y/N…’

‘How clever, Wednesday Addams.’ The roots retreated just as quickly as they had appeared, slithering back out of the tower at the command of their mistress.

‘Y/N!’

But once again, she was gone before he could pry any more information out of her, and he let out a soft grunt of frustration. He would have to deal with Y/N later.

For now, Wednesday headed back up to the second floor, relieved to see that everyone was still alive. When he noticed Thing trapped beneath a dagger, he pulled the dagger free, releasing Thing.

Then, a slow clapping filled the tower. A taunting clapping. Sarcastic and measured.

“Who’s there?”

Slowly, the stalker’s appearance melted into view. The same little redhead who had approached him on the first day of school, practically begging him for an autograph. The same sharp bangs, the same pigtails, the same flushed cheeks and hazy doe-eyed stare…

“Happy Prank Day, Wednesday.”

“My crazed stalker is an invisible thirteen-year-old?” Wednesday was disappointed.

The girl pulled the keys from her pocket and tossed them onto the floor. Thing scuttled towards them, snatching them up and slipping them into the locks around Enid and Bruno.

“We haven’t been properly introduced,” the girl said, her voice all too light and bubbly for a crazed mind. “I’m Agnes DeMille, your number one superfan.” She fell into a curtsy that made Wednesday’s skin crawl. He had only ever seen one other girl curtsy, and Agnes’ curtsy was a sickening mockery of the other. Y/N’s curtsy was half curtsy, half a sweeping bow, both elegant and teasing, as if she were trying to lure in a dance partner at a ball. Agnes’ bow was more like that of a puppet whose strings had been cut.

“You don’t seriously expect me to believe you pulled off this elaborate prank solo.”

“I had a little help from some DaVincis.” She grinned, her eyes growing a little wider at the memory. “After I blackmailed them with some incriminating Snapchat pics.” She shrugged. “Perks of being invisible.”

Wednesday rolled his eyes.

“I just asked myself, W-W-W… D.” Agnes glanced towards Enid as the girl sat up, staring at Agnes with a newfound expression of horror and disgust. “What would Wednesday do?”

“That’s my line, you little psycho!” Enid shot to her feet, brushing herself off as she tried to keep from strangling the thirteen-year-old.

“I knew if I came up with the most twisted game, I’d get your attention. I hope it’s lived up to your exacting standards.” Agnes didn’t seem to falter at all when Wednesday said nothing. “Admit it, you’re a little impressed.”

Enid was livid. “I can’t believe we were almost perforated by your fangirl mini-me.” She turned from Wednesday to Agnes, her claws rasping as they extended, glinting like daggers in the light of the tower. “Why don’t I return the favour?”

Bruno grabbed Enid and pulled her back.

“Park your claws, Rainbow Barbie. Besides, I got you some alone time with the pack hottie. You’re welcome.”

Wednesday was equally as mad as Enid, but for different reasons. He slowly stalked towards her. “You almost burned my novel at the Founder’s Pyre.”

Agnes giggled. “That was just an appetizer.” She gestured to the platform of daggers above their heads. “This was the main course.”

“Then why kill Galpin and place his eyeball on Enid’s cushion?”

“That eyeball was real?!” Enid was ignored.

“I didn’t kill Galpin,” Agnes argued. “I wanted to become your friend. Not your next murder case.” She slipped her hand into her pocket and pulled out Galpin’s stolen phone. “Took this as a… souvenir.” Agnes handed the phone to Wednesday, who took it hesitantly. “I’ve already scrolled through his texts. And his emails.”

“So if you didn’t kill him, then who did?”

Agnes faltered for a moment. “I can help you find out.” Her lips curled into a small smile. One that felt deceitfully innocent. “Especially since your little sidekick isn’t here this year to help. I figured you might need an extra hand.”

A sudden growl flooded the tower and for a moment, Wednesday thought that Enid had snapped. But instead, a dark silhouette flashed across the corner of his vision and Agnes screamed as the parasite leapt for her, its jaws clamping tightly around her wrist, easily breaking through the skin and drawing her scarlet blood to the surface.

Enid couldn’t help laughing at the sight, but still, she stepped forward to take the parasite into her arms, holding it tightly to keep it from attacking Agnes again.

But Wednesday just watched. The parasite had attacked him before, and had attacked Thornhill the previous year on orders from Y/N. It had done so willingly, and seemed to enjoy it. But this time, as far as Wednesday knew, Y/N and Agnes had no connection to each other. No prior hostilities that would make Y/N feel any malicious feelings towards the young girl. So why had the parasite attacked her?

It was time for some answers.

☘︎*⚜*☘︎

Chapter Text

☘︎*⚜*☘︎

There is something at work in my soul, which I do not understand.
~ Mary Shelley

☘︎*⚜*☘︎

“You have not gone to see him yet, have you, Child of Starlight?”

Y/N sighed, lifting her gaze from the small garden of wolfsbane flowers that she had spent the last month of summer carefully cultivating. 

A small patch of flowers that grew in a single rotted corner of the abandoned manor. A patch that had once supported a bed, carved from the wood of a Hawthorn tree, the whispers of the long-decayed bed now a whisper of magic that lingered in the rotting floorboards. The magic of the fairy who had once slept in the bed had lingered too, much more than the magic of any other fairy who had lived in the manor. Powerful enough that Y/N often wondered what had become of the fairy.

Since their meeting the year before, Nimue had been coming to visit Y/N regularly, offering more control over undiscovered powers with each visit. The last time Nimue had come to visit Y/N in the manor, she had taught Y/N that her powers extended beyond far more than listening to the calls of plants or her ability to understand the clicks of a spider’s mandibles. Nimue had taught Y/N that her ties to the natural world were such that she could reach into the very web of magic that held the world together and tug specific threads, commanding rain and sun as easily as she could manipulate the earth. A power that was granted to very few of the old magic. 

Y/N hadn’t expected Nimue to return to see her so soon, and yet, there she was, standing at the threshold of the door where Y/N had been kneeling in the rot and decay, silently staring at the girl as she waited for an answer to her question.

“Addams,” Y/N asked, though she already knew whom Nimue was speaking of. Wednesday Addams. The boy that Y/N had been dancing around since the start of the new semester, sending Parasite to carry out her bidding rather than relying on her own means to contact the boy. She didn't want to give in to Addams’ sickening desire for her presence. She hoped to prolong his torture a little more. Just a little more. Just enough that he was practically crawling to her. 

‘He will come when he is ready.’ Y/N had decided that at the beginning of the term. She knew she would have no need to seek him out. And from what his mother had said, it was only a matter of time before he came crawling back to the manor in search of her. ‘He knows of this place. He knows where I might be.’

“I have not gone to see him yet,” Y/N confessed, turning back to the wolfsbane in front of her. She paused for a moment, her fingers stilling over one of the leaves. “Why do you ask?”

Nimue sighed, moving closer to the young fairy, both curious to see what she had been practicing with her newfound powers, and interested to see what Y/N might have to say about her relationship with Wednesday Addams. Nimue had been watching the boy. Y/N knew she had been. Nimue, while able to remain invisible to mortal eyes, wasn’t one who was able to slip by a fairy’s attention unnoticed. Y/N noticed everything Nimue did, just as she noticed what every other fairy did around her.

“I fear for your connection with the boy, Child of Starlight.”

Y/N sighed, falling back onto her calves as she sat before the garden of wolfsbane. “Why do you fear it, Lady of the Lake? Do you think I will let him dissuade me from returning to Avalon?” She turned to Nimue. “You know I would sacrifice everything to return to our home.”

Nimue sighed, falling into a chair newly sprouted from the moss lining the decayed room. “I know, Child of Starlight. I know you desperately wish to return to our homeland, and that you would not let anything stop you. But this boy…” Nimue paused, thinking back to the various mortals who had been brought to live in Avalon. “You have two options concerning this boy, Child of Starlight. One, is to leave him behind when you cross through the veil. Should you decide to return, you would only be able to see him a few times before he succumbs to his mortal shell. Two –”

Y/N already knew the second possibility. “He accompanies me to our land and is forbidden to return to this world.”

“Lest he crumble into a pile of ash as soon as he returns. Time works differently in our homeland, Child of Starlight, as you know more than many. If you decide to let this boy in, you must be sure that he is willing to give up his life as he knows it to accompany you.”

Y/N knew, and she told Nimue as such. She was sure that Wednesday would come with her should she ask. He had nearly demanded that she bring him back with her when she returned to the Haven for the summer break. And yet, Y/N had no idea how the curse would react to the magic of her homeland. Curses often broke when they were faced with a land teeming with such powerful magic, or at least lessened. Chances were that as soon as Wednesday crossed the veil, Y/N’s enchantment over him would shatter. Emmy had already promised to accompany Y/N to Avalon when she was ready, as had her father. Both had no one left to hold them to the mortal world. But Wednesday…

“Do you know what would happen to the enchantment if he were to cross the veil?”

Nimue shook her head, her expression falling as the small water droplets in her hair chimed like a mobile above a baby’s cradle. “I do not know, Child of Starlight. Much is unknown about what happens when mortals are brought to Avalon. None have been subjected to an enchantment as powerful as yours. Your only chance at retaining his obsession would be to make a deal with him. But I think you know as well as I how he would react to that.”

Deals in Avalon were forever. Deals involving the old magic were always forever. They would extend far beyond a mortal’s lifetime, binding themselves to the soul, whatever may become of it. If a mortal traded for longevity, they would find themselves cursed with a long life unhindered by illness or wound, but would find themselves growing so weak that it was impossible to do anything in the last years of their life. And even after, their souls would remain tired and weak, unable to wander the earth as so many haunted souls did. If Wednesday were to agree to make a deal to retain his obsession, it would only grow worse as time went on. To make a deal to retain his obsession when he crossed into Avalon would risk madness. A madness known only to the poor souls tricked into consuming fairy liquor and food. 

“I merely ask that you think about what you are asking him to do, Child of Starlight. This is not something that has a simple answer.”

Y/N sighed and nodded, turning back to her wolfsbane. “I promise I will think about it, Lady of the Lake.”

“Good. Now, come with me. It is time for your next lesson.”

☘︎*⚜*☘︎

“I underestimated your bat-like hearing,” Wednesday snapped, staring at the note that his mother had left in the bottom of the trunk. Her elegant penmanship was just a taunting mockery. 

After learning that his mother had stolen Goody’s Book of Shadows, Wednesday had decided to try and steal it back while his mother and father were engaged in their nightly ritual of tango-dancing in the sitting room. 

Sadly, Morticia had anticipated this attempt and had hidden the book elsewhere. In fact, unbeknownst to Wednesday, his mother had handed his book over to his precious little obsession, requesting that she conceal it while Morticia tried to figure out how best to dispose of the book. 

“And my maternal intuition,” Morticia sighed. She entered the bedroom and took a seat on the edge of the bed, watching her son carefully. “Did you honestly think I would hide Goody’s book in there?” 

Wednesday met his mother’s gaze as he shut the lid of the trunk, leaving the note in its place. “You used to hide our Dia de los Muertos presents in here.” 

Morticia was more than happy to pop her son’s ego. “Because I wanted you to find those.” 

Wednesday’s expression gave nothing away, just as it never did, but Morticia knew her son better than he would care to admit. He was furious. For years, he had thought that he was one step ahead of his mother, able to sneakily count his Dia de los Muertos presents without his parent’s knowledge and plot how he would use them on his brother when the opportunity arose. Only to find out years later that his mother had left the presents there on purpose. Of course, now, it all made sense. A trunk? What an obvious place to hide gifts.

Wednesday pushed his fractured confidence to the back of his mind. “Do you remember my favourite bedtime story?”

Morticia hummed with familiarity. “The Salem Witch Trial transcripts. Nothing put you to sleep faster than the rantings of the condemned.” 

Wednesday didn’t care about whether or not it put him to sleep. “They were allowed to make their case to the magistrate. Allow me the same courtesy?”

Morticia considered the proposition for a moment. Would it be worth allowing Wednesday to try and argue for her to return the book? She had already made up her mind. And not only had she decided that she would never return Goody’s book to Wednesday, but Y/N had agreed with her. Y/N’s instinctual agreement had only endeared Morticia more towards the young fairy, realising that Y/N and Wednesday shared a connection that went deeper than what the curse had originally instilled. As much as Y/N claimed to loathe her son, and as much as Wednesday tried to dismiss his longing for Y/N as a simple obsession founded only in the enchantment, Morticia could see the strengthening bonds between the two. Warped and twisted like chains and barbs, but bonds nonetheless. They would just as quickly burn the world for each other as they would destroy the other. 

But Morticia nodded. She would hear her son out, whether or not she had already made up her mind. Allowing Wednesday to state his case would offer her further insight into her son’s mind. Something she was in dire need of considering how much he had been hiding from her as of late.

Lowering his hood, Wednesday quickly organized his thoughts before speaking. “In my most recent vision, I learned that I am responsible for Enid’s death.”

This gave Morticia pause. She had guessed that her son had seen something troublesome, but to see the death of his only friend? “What did you see?”

“A headstone with Enid’s name. It was in the middle of a graveyard filled with crows. They were being led by a one-eyed crow. Then Enid appeared and claimed it was my fault.” Wednesday omitted the fact that he had heard Y/N’s chilling voice like a whisper in the wind, singing a ghostly nursery rhyme. A horrifyingly twisted occurrence that had left Wednesday rattled.

The teen took a step closer to his mother. “Galpin was murdered by that same one-eyed crow. And his former partner was also killed by these birds. These aren’t random attacks. Someone is behind it all.”

Nodding slowly, Morticia asked, “An Avian?”

Wednesday squared his shoulders, standing a little taller now. “I need to find the killer before they get to Enid.” He took a seat on the bed in front of his mother, meeting her steel gaze with one equally unflinching. “I’m not appealing to you as my mother, but as a fellow psychic.”

“As a fellow psychic, you understand your visions are unreliable and open to many interpretations.”

“Not mine,” Wednesday snapped. “I had mastered my ability. It showed me exactly what I needed to see.”

Morticia wasn’t as convinced. “Like that serial killer,” she asked, rising to her feet. “In Kansas City?”

“Every artist needs their own signature,” Wednesday muttered, annoyed that his mother was bringing up his surprise adventure to hunt down the serial killer.

“You’ve made a very compelling argument,” Morticia said, her voice trailing off as she lifted her gaze. Wednesday glanced over his shoulder, staring at his mother with something that almost looked like hope. 

“To never give you back that book.”

Wednesday shot to his feet, outraged that his mother wasn’t seeing things from his perspective.

“You haven’t mastered anything,” Morticia said sharply.

“But the only answers I have are in that book.”

“They’re not answers. They’re shortcuts that will lead you down a treacherous path filled with pain.”

Wednesday’s patience was wearing thinner than usual and his usual stare began to fall into a heated glare at his mother’s adamant refusal. “Your treacherous path is my walk in the park.”

Morticia scoffed. “You sound just like Ophelia. She was impatient and strong-willed, and allowed her ability to drive her to madness.”

“I’m not your sister,” Wednesday argued.

“No. You’re my son. And I won’t fail you the way that my mother failed Ophelia.”

Wednesday stalked towards his mother, glaring at her for a moment before hissing, “This isn’t over.” Then, he left, leaving Morticia teetering on the edge of outrage.

Slipping through the window, his eyes shadowed with frustration and rage, Wednesday failed to notice the shadow lingering just out of sight, and the pair of emerald eyes peeking out from behind a large tree. In his haze of sour emotions, he didn’t feel the familiar tug in his chest to the soul who had been torturing him for months, nor did he feel the eyes burning into the back of his skull. All he could feel was the festering irritation. 

Y/N watched as the boy stomped off into the woods, heading back to Nevermore. She had known that he would come to visit his mother, and though she was sure Morticia had anticipated his sneaky visit, she had warned the woman regardless. A mother’s intuition was usually spot on, but one could never be too careful. The spiders that she had left in Wednesday’s room as spies had carried out their mission perfectly, relaying each little tidbit of information to Y/N when she had summoned them back to the manor. 

“Follow him.”

Parasite yipped, nipping at Y/N’s bare ankle affectionately before darting off into the underbrush, just another shadow among the dark blanket that had descended across the forest. 

But while the fox disappeared, Y/N remained by the tree, eyes lingering on the spot where she had watched Wednesday disappear. 

If she was being honest, which she always was, she had missed the boy over the summer. Their searing kiss had remained imprinted in her mind throughout the summer, and though she didn’t feel the obsessive and addictive pull towards Wednesday, she had often caught herself thinking of the boy as she lay awake in the safety of the Haven, lost among the familiar scents of willows and wine. She had wondered what Wednesday was doing. She had wondered if he had been furious with her for leaving him behind in the deepest hours of the night, fleeing to the coast where Emmy was waiting for her. Morticia had written to Y/N and had told her that Wednesday had almost been driven mad by the separation, but that their lengthy time apart had settled the maddening edge into something more subtle. But now? Wednesday was becoming volatile and Y/N couldn’t help but wonder if she had a part to play in that.

‘No use lingering now,’ Y/N thought, turning away from the cottage and the forest, her footsteps silent as she made her way through the fog-filled woods, humming softly as she swayed from one root to the next. “Mary, Mary, quite contrary, how does your garden grow? With silver bells and cockle shells, and pretty maids all in a row.”

☘︎*⚜*☘︎

The hallways of Willow Hill were exactly the sort of halls that Y/N loathed. Cold, lifeless, without any peek into the outside world. And yet, Y/N pushed herself deeper and deeper into the torturous halls embedded with the screams of every patient who had passed through the walls. She had come here for a reason, just as she had before. 

To see an old friend.

“Tyler.”

Tyler froze at the sound of his name, lifting his gaze from the concrete floor beneath his feet. His eyes widened when his eyes found Y/N standing on the other side of the bars, exactly where Wednesday had been standing a few days earlier. In a cell like this, with chains restraining him every waking and slumbering second, Tyler had no true sense of night and day, or the hours that passed, but he knew it had been a while since Y/N had come to visit him.

The first time Y/N had seen him had been shortly after he had been admitted to the hospital. She had arrived just after the chains had been clamped around his wrists. His first visitor. She had come officially, with Dr Fairburn escorting her down to his little cell in the deepest and darkest part of the facility. They had spoken, and for once, Tyler had felt a shred of remorse for the crimes he had committed and the people he had hurt along the way. Y/N included. Their fight in the forest had taken a physical toll on her and Tyler had scarred her with his claws by accident. He felt no true remorse for the lives he had taken, but he had never wanted Y/N to cross the hyde. She was his only friend. His one lifeline in a world that seemed so determined to snuff him out.

The second and third time Y/N had come to visit him had been unofficial visits. Each visit had been an hour long according to Y/N, no less, no longer, on the night of a full moon. She hadn’t come every month, but with Tyler’s inability to know how many days had passed, it felt like centuries between her visits. Each day felt like a month, each week a year. But still, she came. On the first full moon of the month when she felt like paying him a visit. 

This was her fourth visit. Another one that had been stricken from the record with sneaky infiltration of the Willow Hill facility. A plan that had been carefully executed just like the two before, with plants whose pollen was capable of knocking out security, and spiders that covered her presence on the security cameras as she walked through the halls. 

“Y/N.” Tyler was surprised to see Y/N. School had started, evident by Wednesday’s surprise visit to see him, and Y/N had told him that she wasn’t returning to Nevermore. She had finally told him the truth of who she was and what she was, seeing as how he could do nothing chained to a wall, and she had told him that the new principal of the school hadn’t been keen on letting her return. Emmy had tried to fight him, telling him that Weems had allowed Y/N to attend the school without issue and that the school board hadn’t seen a problem with it, but Dort had insisted, and Y/N had been expelled. 

“What are you doing here? Is it a full moon again?”

Y/N was silent for a moment as she glanced around the room, her lips pursed. “No. But I won’t be able to see you on the night of the full moon this time.” She was silent for a moment longer, her eyes narrowing. “You have no foliage down here.” She sighed, opting to take a seat on the concrete floor beneath her, carefully spreading out her willow dress to cover her legs and shield her feet from the frigid floor beneath. “How depressing.”

Tyler laughed, the sound half a scoff and half humour. “It’s the same as the last time you were here.”

Y/N hummed. “Yes. I guess it is.” She glanced around again at the room before picking up a strand of foliage from her skirt and pulling it free. 

Tyler watched in awe as Y/N set the tiny willow branch between her hands, fingers wiggling ever so slightly as she manipulated the little branch, enchanting it to become a twig of fresh air for the imprisoned Outcast. Tyler approached the edge of his cage when she extended it, daring to reach out from between the bars to take it from her. 

Even chained, Tyler was still a threat. And yet, Y/N didn’t feel frightened as she sat on the other side of the bars, watching as Tyler lifted the branch to his nose, inhaling the scent of a world washed clean by a torrential rainfall and the scent of a crisp autumn day. 

Tyler took a seat on the opposite side of the bars, holding the twig close as he lifted his gaze to Y/N. “Why are you here?”

“Wednesday was here not so long ago, wasn’t he?”

Tyler scoffed at the reminder of the visit, his hand tightening instinctually around the branch. “Yes.” His seething answer dripped with venomous hate.

“What did he say to you?”

The hyde scoffed again, though his grip on the branch eased slightly. “You don’t have one of your little spies planted in here?” He glanced around the cell, searching for one of the bugs that Y/N often left as spies. She had told him in one of her previous visits that she had found out how to evade security by leaving behind a few bugs to relay information to her during her only official visit. 

“No,” Y/N said, laughter echoing in the word. “Once I knew how security here worked, I recalled them all and let them do what they willed in the wild woods. They are not my slaves to be trapped in a concrete cell for days on end.” As if summoned by her words, a ladybug scuttled down the girl’s hair, dropping onto her shoulder before scurrying along to the end of one of her fingers. “They are as much my kin as the trees and the river.” 

Tyler watched silently as the little ladybug flew into the air. It paused for a moment, as if bidding Y/N goodbye, before slipping out of the cell and returning to the moon-lit world above.

“So what did you and Wednesday talk about,” Y/N asked. 

For a split second, Tyler felt like deceiving the fairy. “All he did was taunt me.” He was surprised with how easy the truth slipped from his mouth after the momentary consideration that lying to the fairy might be the best course of action. But then again, he had always struggled with lying to Y/N. He had only managed to lie to her because Thornhill had ordered him to.

The news that Wednesday had taunted Tyler didn’t seem surprising to Y/N. 

“Did you tell him that I’ve come to visit you?”

Tyler shook his head. “No.” He smirked. “But maybe I should have. He seemed so sure that you had chosen him over me.”

This time, it was Y/N who scoffed. “This isn’t a competition between the two of you,” she said, her eyes narrowing at the hyde. “I can be friends with whoever I wish. You are behind bars because you killed several Normies on orders from Thornhill. Yes, she is your master and you have almost no choice but to obey her, but you are a danger to Outcasts and Normies alike. Wednesday has committed no such crimes. He is allowed to walk free if he so wishes. I have not chosen either of you. You chose your path.”

Tyler’s lips curled in anger at the reminder of his crimes. “Then why are you here?”

Y/N’s eyes hardened, and her posture shifted. “Because, believe it or not, Tyler Galpin, I was your friend, and I would like to believe that we are still friends, despite your current predicament. But tell me that you don’t want us to be friends anymore and I will happily leave you here to rot.” She was on her feet in a second, glaring down at Tyler as he remained seated on the floor. “I have not the time, nor the patience for those who seek to use me as a pawn for their games.”

Tyler shot to his feet, gripping the bars tightly. “Wednesday uses you. I never did. Why do you let him manipulate you and then say I’m the villain here?”

Y/N took a step towards the bars, unafraid and unflinching as she met Tyler’s stare. “I made my own choices, Tyler. I do not let people use me, as you so kindly put it. If I see a benefit in accompanying Wednesday, then that is my choice. But I make my own choices. I am not someone’s pawn.”

‘You were never my pawn… But you were nothing but collateral damage to Thornhill.’ Tyler’s anger seized, and for a moment, it looked as though he were about to shift into the hyde. 

Behind her back, Y/N opened her palm to reveal a seed that she had brought with her for protection, tangled in the spider-web bracelet around her wrist. A poppy seed. And as Tyler’s body began to seize and shudder, Y/N began to enchant the seed, causing the poppy to bloom in seconds. Enchanted by Y/N’s magic, it would take only a single gust of pollen-tinted air for Tyler to fall into an unconscious heap on the bottom of his cell. Y/N hoped it wouldn't come to that.

Thankfully, Tyler seemed to calm down a moment later, and Y/N’s tension eased. The boy stared at her for a moment, as if weighing what to say, before turning and retreating to the steel bed on the side of the room. “See you later, Y/N.” He didn’t meet her gaze, or even lift his head as Y/N bid him goodnight and departed. 

‘I don’t know how to be friends with you when I’m like this…’

☘︎*⚜*☘︎

The next morning, Nevermore was scheduled to empty as the students headed into the woods for a few nights of adventure, according to Principal Dort, and though he hadn’t originally intended on accompanying his brainless peers into the woods, Wednesday found himself heading down to the quad, in hopes that this excursion would provide answers to a handful of questions bubbling in the back of his mind. Questions that spiralled around a mysterious message that he had found on Galpin’s phone with the help of his insipid little stalker and one of her DaVinci friends.

Wednesday was loath to resort to joining his peers for a trip into the woods, but if a trip into the woods was required to further his investigation, then he had to bite the proverbial bullet. So, he climbed onto the vivid purple busses with the rest of his classmates, seated in a window seat that had been secured by Agnes, and soon found himself standing in a camp of newly constructed tents, listening to Dort’s inane welcome speech.

“For the next two days, Camp Jericho is now known as…” Dort, who was standing on a tree stump to address the students, unfolded a purple t-shirt that had been draped over his arm. He held it up to reveal the golden crest to the students, holding the t-shirt aloft for the students to see. “Camp Outcast!” He tossed the shirt into the crowd, and Kent caught it. 

The siren might have been happy to have caught the shirt had it not been for the information that Y/N had told him in their last late-night walk through the woods. How Dort was abusing Bianca’s siren powers and position as a scholarship student to try and get Morticia to get donations from potential donors, and how Dort was trapping their friend at every turn. Instead of keeping the shirt, Kent tossed it over his shoulder, uncaring if someone caught it, or if it fell to the ground behind him. He would accept a shirt, but only for the sake of Outcast pride. 

“This is a new annual tradition at Nevermore,” Dort continued, either ignorant about Kent’s dismissal of the t-shirt, or unbothered. “A wilderness retreat that promotes community building, team spirit, and most importantly, outcast pride!”

Cheers swelled in the camp.

“At Camp Outcast, there are no cell phones. And no Normies for miles!”

The Outcasts seemed pleased with the idea of not having to engage with Normies for the next few days, and cheers filled the clearing. But their cheer was silenced a moment later when a shrill whistle shattered the cheers, followed by a sharp voice shouting, “Incorrect!”

Y/N watched with a frown as a group of Normie cadets made their way through the pack of Outcasts, each one with boots meant to crush the most delicate of forest plants, with ugly sneers on their mugs as if they were taking mugshots in the Jericho station. 

“I beg to differ with your last point,” the man leading the cadets said, glaring at Dort. As the head of the cadets stepped up onto the trunk to meet Dort eye-to-eye, the cadets formed a tight ring around the tree-stump, glaring at any Outcast who dared to stand too close to them. 

“Ron Kruger,” the cadet leader said, his voice carrying across the clearing like the honking of a rabid goose. “Phoenix cadet master. I reserved this campground six months ago for my annual camp CLAW.” He took a step away from Dort and turned to his cadets. “Cadets… what does CLAW mean?”

The cadets responded as an amateur unit, eyes empty and void of any thought, shoulders tensed like soldiers enduring basic training. “Camping, learning, adventure, wilderness!”

Y/N frowned at the sight. How unnatural. She doubted these boys would last a day in the true wilds. Wilds that had been all but stripped from the Normie world. Wilds that were teeming with magical energy, poisonous to even the most suspicious and careful Normie. Wilds that were sure to leave Normies and Outcasts alike stumbling through trees with vines that clawed at you like a harpy’s talons and bogs that could consume you and your soul, leaving nothing but your backpack or shoe as a reminder that you had ever been there. 

‘Perhaps they should meet the true wilds for once.’ Y/N smirked at the idea and leaned against one of the trees, her emerald eyes scanning the group of cadets, picking out the weakest and the strongest.

The cadet master turned back to Dort and pulled a folded bit of paper out of his pockets. “We have a signed contract. Which means you need to pack your tents and vacate the woods immediately.”

Unimpressed by the cadet master’s dismissal, Y/N decided to have a bit of fun. She might not be a student at Nevermore anymore, but that didn’t mean that she wasn’t there for the Outcasts. Her friends had come to the camp to have fun. She had gone along at the request of Morticia to keep an eye on Wednesday. And her plans weren’t about to be spoiled by some cadet master who couldn’t see beyond the end of his own nose.

Dort was quick to argue with the cadet master. “Well, I also have a contract signed by the camp’s owner.”

Setting her palm on the bark of the tree closest to her, Y/N reached into the magic threads of the forest and began plucking a few of the threads. Her mind fell on a line from one of Shakespeare's old plays. One that Emmy had read to her time and time again when she was a young fairy. Macbeth. A line that belonged to a trio of witches that had deceived Macbeth into thinking that his rule was secure. 

Macbeth shall never vanquished be until Great Birnam Wood to high Dunsinane Hill shall come against him.

As the men continued to fight, Y/N focused her attention on the magic in the woods. The arcane powers that had been forgotten even by the oldest outcasts and written legends. Magic that would bring the forest to life when the time was right. 

‘You want to search the forest for the Bullpen, don’t you?’ Y/N reached out to Wednesday through the mind link, eager to have a bit of fun with the cadets.

Wednesday tried not to flinch at the sudden voice in his head. He tried not to search the tree line for any sign of his deadly obsession. ‘What to you have in mind?’

‘What about a little challenge? Something to trick the normies into the woods.’

Wednesday smirked and reached into his bag to pull out his airhorn. ‘You read my mind, mi muerte.’

He could hear Y/N laughing through their mind bond as he blasted his airhorn. 

‘I always do, Addams.’

Wednesday made his way through the crowd as it parted for him, eyes locked on Kruger’s confused stare. 

“If you and your dead-eyed drones want this campground so badly, then fight us for it.”

Kruger seemed taken aback by the challenge, his eyes flickering from the trees that continued to groan on the edge of the clearing and the boy who had dared oppose him. He wasn’t used to anyone speaking against him, let alone a child. A child who seemed entirely out of place in the wilderness. “Excuse me?”

The forest groaned again, this time so loud and so clear that it sounded almost like voices moaning in the wind.

“Winner takes all. Loser goes home.” Wednesday couldn’t conceal his smirk as the forest groaned. He could feel her. She lingered just on the edge of his senses, far enough away that he could stand to face Kruger without wavering eyes, but close enough to tease him. Like a whisper in the back of your mind, just out of reach, but teasingly close.

“I like the sound of that,” Dort smirked. Outcasts were never ones to back down from a challenge. “Unless you and your boys are not up for the challenge.”

Kruger weighed the risk for a moment, wondering if the Outcasts posed a threat in this competition. For once, the forest was still, as it should be. But the branches still trembled in ominous warning, as if daring Kruger to oppose. 

“Okay, kid. We speak the same language. What are you proposing?”

☘︎*⚜*☘︎

The challenge had been set. Two teams, two zephyrs. First one to get their zephyr to the top of the tower in the heart of the campsite won, and the winning team got to stay in the camp. There were no rules. Each team was allowed to do whatever it took to get their zephyr to the top of the tower, whether that involved unsanctioned military equipment planted by Kruger or the Outcasts’ powers.

“You have five minutes to select your teammates.”

Eight teammates had been selected as the team allotment. 

“We only need seven,” Wednesday said, his eyes flickering to the eight students gathered around him. The Nightshades had been the first to step up. Or, some of the Nightshades, rather. Kent, Bianca, and Ajax. Then Bruno, Enid, and Eugene had opted to join. With Wednesday, they had a team of seven. 

The other members paused, Ajax’ complaints about Bruno and Enid joining falling at Wednesday’s declaration. They all turned to face Wednesday, wondering if he would offer any further explanation as to why Wednesday was convinced that they only needed seven teammates. They had been offered eight players, and the others felt that they would need all the help they could get, especially since they had no idea what the cadets were planning.

Kent was the first to catch on when the trees groaned once more, as if the forest were drawing in a collective breath. And then, he felt a heavy weight nudging his ankle. His smirk grew when he glanced down, pleased to see a familiar dark fox bumping his ankle affectionately. Bending down, he scooped Parasite into his arms and allowed the fox to curl around his shoulder like a stole, content to represent the fairy who was remaining just out of sight. “Our last player will be a bit of a surprise for the cadets, I think.” Kent scratched the fox behind his ears as he turned to the other players.

Bianca, Divina, and Ajax immediately recognised the fox and grinned at the sight.

Enid frowned. “Who’s the last player?”

Ajax glanced at the woods beyond the tower, and as their team followed his gaze, they noticed a pair of emerald eyes staring at them from the shadows. Emerald eyes that were recogniseable even for those who had hardly ever crossed paths with the fairy.

“Y/N.”

When the team of seven stepped forward, Kruger scoffed, his mind immediately falling to the conclusion that the Outcasts were overconfident in their abilities and that they would suffer a crushing and humiliating defeat. He said nothing to object to the smaller team, and instead, lifted his flare gun into the air to begin the game. 

The teams headed off, splitting up as they ran into the woods, each one ready to claim the camp as their own. Wednesday split off with Bianca, while Kent and Ajax headed to guard the Phoenix zephyr, and Bruno, Enid, and Eugene followed Wednesday and Bianca from a distance. Wednesday and Bianca would take the lead, hoping to use Bianca’s siren song to snatch the zephyr without the Phoenix members truly realising what was going on. The werewolves and Eugene were their backup plan. 

A plan that they soon realised they would need to implement if they wanted any chance of winning. Kruger had given his cadets headphones to keep them from being siren songed by Kent or Bianca. So, Wednesday gave the order for Thing to signal the werewolves.

But Kruger had planned for the werewolves as well, and as the two ran towards the group of cadets, the cadets pulled out gas masks and released a canister of tear gas, causing the werewolves to stop dead in their tracks.

Again, Wednesday turned to Thing. “Signal air support.”

Thing did as instructed once again and soon Eugene’s bees were soaring through the air, stinging the cadets on any exposed skin and wriggling beneath the gas masks and clothes to sting them everywhere they could reach. The forest was soon filled with the pained cries from the cadets, and Wednesday took his chance. 

Elsewhere in the forest, the cadets had managed to grab their zephyr after causing Ajax to stone Kent and stuffing Ajax’s head into a sack and tossing him into the underbrush. 

But the cadet had been mistaken in thinking that the run back to the camp would be a walk in the park. As soon as the teams had entered the forest, the trees had awoken, recalling their wild nature that had been all but forgotten, slumbering deep in their roots from ages of Normie presence that had stifled their true being. And every spirit of the forest had been drawn to the fairy in their midst. A creature as much a part of the wild woods as she was a part of the fairy land that she had never seen. 

The first sign for the cadet that something was wrong was the groaning of the trees. The groaning was drastically different from the groans that he had heard in the clearing. These were the groans of wounded beasts, angry at the Normies who had stifled their growth and their wild nature, saddened by the distance between them, and furious that Normies would dare set foot in the lands that belonged to the wild. 

But when the forest began to speak, the cadet froze in his tracks, clutching his team zephyr tightly. 

“He dares to set foot in our lands?”

“He dares to play?”

“Who does he think he is?”

“Who are any of them to breach our border?”

“Leave this place.”

The cadet began to twitch and shudder, spinning wildly as he searched for the source of the voices speaking to him. He hadn’t heard voices like these before. Hollow, but rich, echoing with a power that rattled his core, bubbling from the trees that surrounded him like an earthquake or a hurricane. 

“Leave this place!”

“LEAVE!”

The cadet ran, now both for victory and to escape the haunted woods. 

But the woods were far from done with him. Or his fellow cadets. 

As he ran through the woods, screams of terror lingering in the back of his throat, the forest swelled with the newly awoken arcane power, drawing powerful roots from the soil that were drawn towards the branches, falling back down into the cadet’s path like a fist. The boy leapt aside as the roots threatened to slam him into the earth and darted out of the reach of roots that threatened to seize him by the ankles and pull him into a worm-infested grave. 

Y/N didn’t have to lift a finger. She was content to watch from her place in the trees, carried across the canopy without a single thought, the trees eager to serve the fairy who had awoken their true nature. Their liberator. Their queen. The forest had loved Y/N before, but now they craved to serve her. To carry out each little command, no matter how insignificant it might have felt. For the one who had released them from the Normie and Outcast shackles, they would drag themselves through the earth and knit themselves together into an impenetrable shield if she so desired. 

Thankfully for the cadet, who was still stumbling through the forest in blind panic, Y/N did not seek his destruction. Only his delay. Wednesday had retrieved the Nevermore zephyr long after the cadet had grabbed his, and the forest only needed to slow the cadet down enough to give Wednesday a chance to catch up. Once the game was over, the forest would draw itself away from the camp and ease back into a peaceful slumber, waiting for another command from the fairy. Not a slumber that would cause centuries of power to build up in their roots, but one that would let them rest. Just as Outcasts and Normies needed to sleep, the forest too needed its rest. And Y/N would happily give it to the forest.

Guided by the trees, far above the heads of the teams, out of sight and nearly out of mind, Y/N watched as Wednesday closed the gap between himself and the cadet, following closely as the cadet stumbled across the river, whose water swelled as soon as the cadet’s boot hit the rocks on the shore, and up the other side. But rather than descending back down to the clearing as the cadet did, Wednesday turned his gaze to the trees, reaching out through his mind, hoping that if she was close, Y/N might listen to him and assist him.

‘Mi muerte. I need your help.’

The forest didn’t hesitate. Roots descended from the trees atop the cliff, encircling Wednesday by the waist and pulling him – and the other Outcasts who had joined him – to the top of the cliff overlooking the camp. 

“What was that,” Bruno shouted, stumbling out of the grasp of the roots, watching in horror as they slithered back down into the soil beneath the trees, moving more like snakes than the trees that he was used to.

“Y/N,” Bianca answered. She nodded her head to where Parasite was sitting patiently, as if he had been waiting for the Outcasts, expecting that they would find their way to the cliff. 

Bruno glanced over his shoulder at the forest, eyes widening in horror for a split second. “She’s that powerful?”

Bianca grinned, eyes glinting in the afternoon light with a terrifying glee. “You’ve only seen a fraction of her power.”

Wednesday said nothing as he approached the fox. He wasn’t surprised when it stepped aside, revealing a familiar black crossbow that had no doubt been left on the cliff by a certain sneaky fairy. But now wasn’t the time for Wednesday to think about what Y/N might have been doing snooping through his things. 

Wednesday set the zephyr in his backpack and picked up the crossbow. He aimed carefully, and after a moment to ease his posture, Wednesday pulled the trigger, releasing the iron arrow. The Outcasts watched in awe as the arrow soared through the air, embedding itself into the roof of the tower. This was their chance.

‘Hurry, Addams. You’re falling behind.’

‘Don’t rush me,’ Wednesday thought, pulling one of the Camp Jericho t-shirts out of his backpack and slinging it over the rope. The other end had been seized by one of the trees, coiled tightly around the tree by the trees own branches. As if the forest itself wanted Wednesday to win.

‘I’m not rushing, Addams. I’m warning. Linger much longer, and your chance to snoop will disappear.’

Wednesday jumped off the cliff, riding the zipline with practiced precision towards the top of the tower.

The Nevermore students and remaining Cadets watched with bated breath. Who was going to win? The cadet who had been tormented by the wild woods had made it to the top of the tower, but Wednesday wasn’t far behind. 

A split second decision to flaunt his victory was a costly decision, and as the cadet hoisted the zephyr into the air, he failed to see Wednesday’s approaching shadow. The cost of his arrogance was a solid kick to the chest that sent him sprawling across the tower floor, causing the zephyr to fall from his hands and fall over the edge of the tower floor. It crashed onto one of the lower floors, showering the cadets in a cloud of white and green.

Nevermore had won.

☘︎*⚜*☘︎

“Galpin’s cabin’s approximately two and a half miles east from the camp. Be on alert for our black-winged tormentor’s return.” 

Wednesday had chosen to build his tent away from the rest of the tents for more than one reason. Reason one, he hated being so close to the rest of the brainless Nevermore students and far preferred the dark company of a forest and the brambles that had grown in a ring around his tent. Reason two, sleeping apart from the rest of the camp meant that Wednesday wouldn’t be disturbed as much as he would otherwise, which meant that he could plot his secret escapade without any unwanted attention from students and staff alike. And reason three? If he were alone, it might finally convince his little obsession to finally reveal herself to him as more than a parasitic fox companion and a pair of emerald eyes watching from the edge of the woods.

The parasite hadn’t left him alone. After winning the competition, the fox had trotted along after Wednesday, seemingly content to nip his ankles – or the ankles of anyone else who came within three feet of it – and had hopped up onto the table as if to offer counsel on Wednesday’s plan to steal away into the woods. It had seemed intrigued by the idea of sneaking away, and when Wednesday rose to head out, it hopped down off the table, following close behind with Thing riding happily on the fox’s back. 

“If we leave now, we can get back before anyone realises we’ve gone,” Wednesday said.

Sadly, their progress was delayed when Dort stepped in front of them. “Joining the campfire festivities this evening, Mr Addams?”

“I usually enjoy cruel and unusual punishments,” Wednesday said. “Not tonight.”

“Most people would have FOMO,” Dort argued gently. “Fear of missing out.”

‘How long will it take for him to take a hint,’ Wednesday thought, his emotionless expression twisting into one of annoyance. “I have FOBI. ‘Fear of being included.”

Dort still didn’t seem dissuaded. “Well, I just wanted to say thank you for standing up to those normies. For someone who professes to be anti-social, you accomplished in one afternoon what a thousand trust exercises never could. So thank you.”

Wednesday stalked off, disgusted at being thanked. He hadn’t done it for Dort, or for Nevermore. He had done it because the Normies were interfering with his plans. 

☘︎*⚜*☘︎

Elsewhere in the woods, Y/N watched as Kruger tore his cadets apart, reprimanding them for losing to the outcasts. Not that she could blame the cadets. They hadn’t realised the full scale of the outcast powers. They hadn’t counted on Wednesday being able to walk through their cloud of tear gas unaffected, nor had they intended on the forest coming alive to stalk their every move.

Several of the boys were suffering from bee stings from Eugene’s attack, and from their own tear gas, which had affected them as soon as they had pulled their gas masks off their faces. And on top of those injuries, several were also supporting bruises from attacks from the forest itself, which had been as relentless as the insects as it tried to chase the normies out of the forest. 

But Kruger had declared that he was unwilling to be chased out by a few trees.

Y/N contemplated growing a writhing blackberry bush behind him to see if it would be enough to make him and his cadets leave. But she decided against it. The Outcasts had won, and now the normies would have to make other plans for their Camp CLAW. 

“I’ve got one word for your performance today. Pathetic!”

“Sir, yes, sir!”

“You got outplayed by a scrawny teenage Outcast! How does that make you feel? The correct answer is worthless!”

“Thank you for your valuable feedback sir!”

Y/N frowned at the back of Kruger’s head. What a moron. How could he ever expect his cadets to grow if he was hounding them like a rabid pack animal for the smallest fumble. Did he truly think they could compete with the strength of the wild woods? He claimed to be showing these boys the “wilderness”. But they had never seen the woods as wild as they once were. Even the display of the woods during the competition had only been a fraction of how wild the woods had once been. The woods were kind only to those born of the old magic. Those who shared the blood that sang with magic with the forest. Even to outcasts, the wild woods were unwelcoming and unforgiving. 

Pushing herself up a little, Y/N reached into the magic of the forest once again. She didn’t care if the cadets saw her. If they didn’t, it was only a testament of how unobservant they truly were. She wasn’t hiding. She was simply lounging in one of the branches, watching from above as the cadets debriefed on the edge of the bank. She was in full view of them, draped in a mossy dress, hair dripping water as if she were the river itself. 

Only one cadet seemed to notice her as she crept along the branch, searching for a thread of magic that would warn Kruger that the forest was not a being to cross. Y/N met his gaze from where she crouched among the branches, and she smirked as his eyes grew wide, both in horror and in awe. 

With her charm from Nimue carefully hanging from her neck, there was no risk of the boy falling under the influence of her enchantment. But her mortal disguise had been left behind at the end of the school year, save for the few times that Y/N had dared to enter the Nevermore grounds with Morticia. Out here, in the forest, she retained only enough of her mortal disguise to keep mortals from losing their mind. But her fairy nature bled through nonetheless, just as enchanting and teasing as the legends claimed it to be.

The boy lifted his hand, and Y/N wondered if he meant to warn Kruger that they weren’t alone. But when Kruger glared at him, the boy dropped his hand, glancing away from the cadet master, his eyes once again wandering to the sharp-eared girl creeping through the branches. 

Y/N enjoyed his attention all too much. She crept through the trees both like a fox and like a spider, searching for a single thread of magic in particular. One that could command the river running alongside the group of cadets. The same one that had swelled at the forest’s will. The forest slept, but Y/N could still pull the strings of magic and command the forest like a puppet master holding the strings of a puppet. 

After a minute or two, Y/N found the thread that she had been looking for. She was now on the opposite side of the river, and though Kruger was still lecturing his cadets, the one who had seen her didn’t seem to be listening. Outcasts were more common now than they had been centuries prior, but those born of the old magic were rare. It was likely the boy had never seen one before. 

When Y/N drew a blue thread of magic into view, the boy’s eyes only widened further, almost bugging out of his head. Y/N smirked, amused by the boy’s perplexed expression. She lifted the thread mockingly, and winked at the boy, before tugging the string. The river surged and the cadets stumbled as a rogue wave rose from the water, crashing down onto Kruger and sweeping him off his feet. The cadets stumbled, but managed to stay on their feet. Kruger was left gasping for air as the water poured over him, pushing him into the mud before retreating back into the river.

“Sir!”

The cadets rushed to help their cadet master, helping him back to his feet.

Save for the one who had seen Y/N. He could only watch, gaze flickering between Y/N and his drenched cadet master. 

Y/N fell from the tree, landing gracefully on the forest floor beneath, making not a single sound as the forest caught her, bending beneath her weight before rising once again. She stood there for a moment, smirking at the cadet, before lifting her hand, wiggling her fingers in a teasing wave, and disappearing into the foliage, leaving a confused cadet corp behind.

☘︎*⚜*☘︎

Night had fallen over the camp, and Wednesday had challenged his mother to a duelo-a-ciegas. A blind duel. A challenge familiar to both mother and son. They had met in the forest, surrounded by burning torches, standing on opposite sides of a small table bearing two rapiers and a small chest containing glass hearts. Glass hearts that were the target of their blind duel.

“El duelo-a-ciegas is a very old Addams tradition,” Morticia said, repeating the facts that both mother and son already knew. This was not their first duel, nor would it be their last. “The outcome of this duel shall be binding.”

Wednesday was not in the mood for pleasantries. “I’m aware of the consequences. Thing will be our witness.” He glanced down at the sentient appendage, who was standing on the small table between them. “I figured it’s best to keep it within the family.”

“On that we agree,” Morticia said. “However, I would like to call another witness.” Her smile worried Wednesday. “A future member of our family. I thought it was best if she saw what she was getting in to.” Squaring her shoulders, Morticia turned from Wednesday, glancing down the rows of torches to the dark shadows that lingered at the edge of the forest.

Wednesday didn’t have to ask his mother for a name as a figure stepped forth from the shadows, draped in an ebony cloak, bare feet exposed in the firelight, adorned with ivy vines for shoes. 

“Y/N…”

Y/N lowered her hood, allowing it to fall around her shoulders, revealing her unseelie beauty to Wednesday. She nodded towards the boy, a teasing smile on her lips. “Hello, Wednesday.” She stood behind the table with Thing and stared at Wednesday for a moment longer before turning to Morticia. She inclined her head to the woman as well. “Mrs Addams.”

Morticia smiled at the girl. “Please, little death. I have asked you to call me Morticia, and I mean it.” She glanced at her son, pleased to see a fracture in her son’s gaze. Not enough that it would hinder him in the duel, but it was enough for her to know that he now realised that Morticia had been working behind the scenes the entire time, carefully assessing her son with the help of his little obsession.

‘She knew where you were this whole time, and neither one of you thought to tell me?’ Wednesday was livid. But his father had trained him well, and Wednesday was an expert at turning his anger into focus. It would only serve him in this duel. He would bend his fury to his will, just as he always did. 

‘I asked your mother not to tell you, Wednesday. I knew we would find each other when the time was right.’ Y/N didn’t meet his gaze again as she leaned over the table, pulling out the small sabres holding the box closed, and carefully setting the little sabres aside. Then, she pulled back the lid to reveal the glass hearts inside. ‘For now, focus on the duel. We can speak once this duel is over.’

Wednesday picked up his glass heart. ‘You owe me more than words, mi muerte.’ He was pleased to see Y/N looking just a fraction aghast and appalled at his bold statement. It was clear what he wanted when his mind flashed back to the last time they had seen each other. Flushed cheeks and bruised lips. 

‘We will discuss it after the duel, Wednesday.’ Y/N knew as well as Wednesday that they wouldn’t be discussing anything.

“Whoever pierces the other’s glass heart first wins,” Wednesday said. He picked up the white glass heart on his side of the box. “If I win, you return Goody’s book.”

“And if I win…” Morticia picked up the scarlet heart closest to her. “I will burn it.” She watched her son carefully for a moment. “Are you sure you want to do this?”

Wednesday’s answer was to pick up the blindfold on his side of the table and tie it around his eyes. Morticia did the same.

Both drew their rapiers.

Thing had hardly rung the bell, and the two moved towards each other, their foils rasping as they met, the sound echoing through the forest. It was an enchanting sight to see. One that could rival Y/N’s enchanted appearance. The sound of the foils, the careful footwork from years of dedication, the precise movements of the blades through the air… This was far more than anything Y/N had seen as a member of the fencing club. Far more than anything she had ever seen. 

True there weren’t many fencers in the Haven, but there were a few. It was how Y/N had joined the fencing team in the first place. 

Surprisingly, headless horsemen were wonderful teachers when it came to the art of swordplay. 

Sadly none of them had taught her to flick a concealed knife towards the audience, and Y/N quickly ducked out of the way when Morticia flicked a dagger towards Thing, narrowly missing the hand. 

The duel ended soon after, with Morticia delivering the decisive blow to her son’s glass heart. A precise jab that shattered the glass into a thousand fragments, sending the pieces into the leaf litter below.

Both mother and son removed their blindfolds, and Wednesday’s face fell when he realised that his mother had beat him. His mother would burn Goody’s book as she had promised, leaving him without any answers. 

“I’m sorry, darling,” Morticia said, her voice soft.

“Morticia, watch out!” 

Roots surged out of the forest floor as Wednesday threw his rapier, embedding the tip of the rapier in the head of a zombie’s skull, pinning it to a tree as the roots coiled around its rotting corpse. Morticia’s heart leapt into her throat as she watched the hatchet drop from the zombie’s hand. She turned to the two teens, eyes wide and horrified. 

Wednesday swallowed the lump in his throat. If he had let his mother die, she wouldn’t have burned his book. But she was his mother. How could he let her die?

Teenage zombies, sanctimonious scout masters…

Camping is even more savage than I imagined.

Turns out nature doesn’t bring us together. It rips us apart. It devours the weak. Leaving the strong to stumble on.

Defeated by my mother. Robbed of Goody’s book. Drained of my ability.

I am no closer to saving Enid. I’m exposed to a predator that’s always watching. Hiding in plain sight. Waiting for the right time to strike.

Time is running out on this investigation. Why was Galpin keeping track of deceased Outcasts? Who is Lois? And how is she tied to Enid’s impending death?

Two roads diverge in the woods. I must take the road less travelled. And that road leads to Willow Hill.

☘︎*⚜*☘︎