(no subject)

[soulfulsin]

Fandom: Fairly Oddparents
Canon or AU: AU

Fic: Speak No Evil

A/N: Problems focusing, etc. It seems to be improving, though; fingers crossed.

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Their smiles faded when they discovered themselves before the Fairy World Council again. Timmy growled; he’d been in the middle of a group chat about what had happened in Dimmsdale in his absence. Reluctantly, he stowed the phone in his pocket and glared at the adult fairies surrounding them. Cosmo, Wanda, the twins, and Leander floated near Timmy’s head. Wanda’s hands shook, and one of the twins caught her wand before she dropped it. Wanda nodded her thanks.

Jorgen sighed, glancing over the group. They stood or floated in a conference room with a buffet table lined with goodies Timmy couldn’t identify quickly. Outside, the sky was black, and rain lashed the windows. Occasional thunder grumbled in the distance. Timmy grimaced. It was always ominous when it rained in Fairy World.

“Hey, look, they missed us!” Cosmo called cheerfully, and Timmy and Wanda facepalmed. Any hint of a smile was gone. She looked on edge, and Timmy worried she wouldn’t be able to speak. Judging by how white-knuckled she was, she fretted over that, too.

“We did not miss you,” Jorgen snapped. He sighed, massaging his temples. “The senior members of the Council, those who are left, want to interrogate Wanda.”

“Again?” Timmy and Cosmo snapped.

“Haven’t you done enough damage?” Timmy snapped, folding his arms across his chest.

Jorgen sighed. “I should not have brought you puny Timmy Turner and the fairy children along, but I did not want you alone and unsupervised.”

“It’s not about what you think it is,” a petite blonde woman said. Timmy didn’t remember seeing her before, but she might’ve been concealed beneath a cloak. Her sapphire blue eyes glowed, and she reminded him of Jimmy Neutron. He didn’t want to trust her, but he did so implicitly.

“This may be an uncomfortable discussion,” the woman warned. “I’m Bridget. And…”

She sighed, waving her wand. Irina appeared, putting Cosmo in jealous and defensive mode. He thrust Wanda behind him like Irina was about to run off with his wife. Timmy rolled his eyes. The twins cooed at Irina, and she smiled, waving at the fairy baby trio.

“We thought perhaps having Irina here to corroborate your story might help,” Bridget said. Her blonde hair was tied up in a knot with chopsticks stuck in the bun. She looked old, but not in a brittle way. Instead, she looked like she’d been honed steel. Timmy figured it’d be wise not to cross her. At least she didn’t rankle him the way Vesta did.

“What story?” Wanda asked suspiciously. She rubbed her left arm, and Irina and Cosmo moved simultaneously to stop her. Cosmo growled, and Irina smiled brightly, unfazed. Then again, Irina hadn’t witnessed Cosmo killing multiple fairies. Timmy still had a difficult time reconciling his lovable godfather with the berserker who had attacked and murdered Wanda’s rapists.

If only Cosmo could have killed Asmodeus and Ozymandias…

“I’m sorry,” Bridget said. “I know this will be difficult. We’re not here to ask specifically about your time in the hotel--we’re asking about Ozymandias’s loyalty to Asmodeus.”

She sighed, facepalming. “We made the mistake of putting them in the same prison cell.”

Wanda facepalmed, too. “They’re exhibitionists. The only thing worse you could’ve done would be to add a camera.”

Jorgen looked chagrined. “That may have happened.”

“Let me guess. They know you’re watching. They’re probably…” Wanda shuddered. “Never mind. I know what they’re doing, and I’d rather not think about it.”

Cosmo hugged her tightly, and she sighed. Timmy heard a telepathic buzz as Cosmo asked Wanda a question, and she frowned. She hung her head and the good cheer and confidence she’d exhibited earlier vanished. Timmy gritted his teeth and prayed she didn’t retreat into her shell or suffer another flashback.

“How is their relationship ‘off camera,’ so to speak?” Bridget asked. “Do they only get along when they have company?”

“No…” Wanda said, frowning. She floated above a chair and conjured a soporific in a shot glass. She downed it before responding.  Cosmo and Wanda had never had alcohol or drugs in his presence before. She must’ve been feeling awful.

“Ozymandias has been Asmodeus’s second-in-command since they were children when Asmodeus received him as a bodyguard. They’re cruel, brutal men who delight in hurting women and animals. Children, too, if they can get away with it.”

She tried to rub her arm, but Cosmo held her right hand. Irina smiled sympathetically, and Cosmo growled. Wanda looked away.

“You won’t be able to separate them,” Wanda warned. “Ozymandias is devoted to Asmodeus above and beyond what a bodyguard should be.”

“Would you say they’re in love?” Bridget asked, and Wanda scoffed.

“They’re incapable of love,” she said. She stared at the floor and shivered. Cosmo wrapped an arm around her waist, and Wanda took the opportunity to claw her left arm. She sheared through the gloves and revealed Ozymandias’s new brand.

“When did you intend to tell us about that?” Vesta snapped.

“What difference does it make?” Wanda retorted. “It’s not like it changes anything. You know how they feel about me.”

She glanced at her left arm. Blood welled between her fingers. “I’m their ‘property.’”

Cosmo whimpered, latching onto her. “No, you’re not! You’re mine, not their…their…”

He faltered, tears filling his eyes, and she ignored him. If someone could float sadly, Wanda would be. She drew a deep, shuddering breath and said quietly, perhaps musing, “It’s funny. I’m used to seeing my own blood.”

“That’s not a good thing!” Cosmo yelped, healing her. The brand lingered, and Wanda sighed.

“Nice try, hon. It doesn’t matter if it’s a physical brand or not. It’s not going anywhere.”

Irina drifted closer to Wanda despite Cosmo glaring and growling. She took Wanda’s hand and squeezed. “I wanted to see you afterward, but Asmodeus made it impossible. I would have done whatever I could for you.”

“She’s not interested!” Cosmo snapped.

“Not interested in comfort?” Irina asked. “Or news of her children? Are you letting your jealousy blind you to how miserable Wanda was in the Unseelie Court?”

“Taking advantage of ambition won’t help, then,” Bridget said, redirecting the conversation and frowning. She glanced at Wanda. “I’m sorry to put you through this.”

Wanda’s smile was bleak, and Timmy shivered.

“I’m used to that, too,” Wanda said quietly. Cosmo burst into loud sobs. The more he cried, the more Wanda withdrew. Timmy could see in her eyes how she was distancing herself from them. The twins whimpered, patting Wanda’s cheeks. Their lower lips quivered, and tears filled their eyes. Leander glanced at his siblings and then at his parents for a clue on how to react.

“Can you think of anything that might convince Asmodeus and Ozymandias to part ways? Any grudges one of them holds against the other?” Bridget asked.

Wanda stared at the floor. “I wouldn’t know. I wasn’t privy to their discussions unless it involved hurting me.”

“You remember more than you think,” Bridget said. “But it’s locked away in your mind.”

Wanda glowered, looking up briefly before restoring her gaze to the marble tiles. “What I remember is bad enough. I don’t want the rest to resurface.”

“If it were done correctly, desensitizing you to it, then it could work,” Bridget said. “I won’t push you into anything, but I want you to think about it.”

“Why should I help Fairy World after they left me on Earth to rot?” Wanda snapped and then clapped a hand over her mouth. Timmy sensed she’d wanted to say that for months, but she’d been unable to vent. The words had been trapped.

Bridget sighed, massaging her temples. “You’re entitled to feel that way. Those who remain on the Council fought for you, for the most part. But that doesn’t erase the damage done by not acting promptly. Nor does it help heal you.”

Wanda’s head lifted, and she glared. The moment was short-lived; she lowered her head.

Cosmo ran his fingers through her curls. Telepathy buzzed, and she pulled away. Cosmo looked crushed; he wasn’t used to her rejecting him and isolating herself. If it scared Timmy, it must’ve terrified Cosmo. They’d been married for almost ten thousand years, and she was becoming completely different.

“However, you must realize that it’s more than the rest of the Council at stake,” Bridget said. “Everyone with godchildren evacuated to Fairy World.”

“Except for me,” Wanda muttered. Cosmo threw his arms open to hold her, and she poofed away. Irina flexed her free hand and frowned. The twins poofed beside their mother, and Wanda barely noticed.

“You are doing more harm than good,” Jorgen warned. Timmy didn’t know who Jorgen meant. Cosmo, for trying to comfort her and failing miserably, or the Council for aggravating the situation.

Jorgen cleared his throat. “Wanda.”

Wanda looked up tentatively. She was pale, and her iron wound flashed bright red. She gasped, clutching her left arm.

“That can’t be good…” Timmy said. Tears streaked Wanda’s cheeks. He didn’t know what was happening, but she had blanched, and her hands shook.

“Not again…no…” she whispered. She balled her fists. “I won’t let you rob me of my voice again.”

Her voice was hoarse, and she cleared her throat. Her pink eyes burned. “I won’t.”

“There’s a curse on that brand,” Marinos commented.

“No shit, Sherlock,” Timmy snapped.

“Timmy!” Wanda snapped. “Language.”

“You’re the one antagonizing them,” Timmy retorted. “It’s not my fault that they’re idiots.”

Wanda pinched her nose bridge. “I can’t lose my voice again.”

“We’ll do everything in our power to help,” Bridget said. “But you have to let us try.”

Wanda glowered. “Fine. But you must understand that I’m having difficulty trusting anyone outside my family…and I don’t trust you at all.”

“Fair enough,” Bridget said, grimacing. “We’ve hardly done anything to change your opinion.”

Wanda nodded stiffly. Timmy understood that the Council was offering the olive branch, but after having screwed his godmother over so thoroughly and then discovering they were badly underprepared, Timmy’s sympathy was limited. It felt like he’d spent almost seven months worrying about Wanda. Having her back wasn’t helping as much as he’d thought it would. He didn’t know what he’d been expecting, but finding Wanda a shell of her former self wasn’t it.

------------------------

Wanda was skeptical about whether desensitizing herself would work. She’d disassociated freely in captivity; all it had done was postpone the inevitable. Plus, Cosmo was freaking out already. She hated to see what he’d be like if he witnessed more of her horrific memories. Unfortunately, she’d learned early on that she couldn’t protect him. The idiot was too obstinate for his own good.

Her body tingled; she sensed Asmodeus nearby, though the Council was adamant he and Ozymandias were safely locked away. That didn’t mean the bastard wasn’t trying to insert himself into her Bond with Cosmo. He wanted to ruin what was left of their marriage and reclaim her. Wanda’s breathing turned shallow as she fought panic.

Underneath her right hand, the brand burned and seared her skin. Irina gently uncurled her fingers and held her hand. Cosmo glared, but Irina and Wanda ignored him. Irina’s gaze sought Wanda’s; she knew what Wanda had endured in the hotel better than anyone else here. It was enough to induce tears.

“You’re okay,” Irina said softly. “I’ve got you.”

“Uh, hello? Her actual family is here,” Timmy snapped.

“Yeah, back off!” Cosmo added.

“None of you was in the hotel with her,” Irina pointed out. “Besides, I suspect another culprit.”

“Huh?” Timmy and Cosmo said together.

“Asmodeus corrupted your Bond, didn’t he? I can sense dark magic between you and Cosmo, which doesn’t make sense otherwise,” Irina said. She threw her wand up, and Wanda saw that, between the intertwined pink and green strands, there was a void. It was nosing Cosmo’s green out. Wanda’s stomach dropped.

“He’s been trying to destroy the Bond since he discovered its existence,” Wanda said. “It might actually work if he can drive Cosmo out entirely.”

Cosmo glared. “No, it won’t! Because I won’t let it!”

“It’s not a matter of…oh, never mind,” Wanda sighed. She felt defeated and stared at the marble floor. “He’ll get his way. He always does.”

“He didn’t get his way keeping you in the hotel,” Timmy countered. “He didn’t get his way separating you from me and Cosmo. He won’t win every time because we'll defeat him.”

Wanda scoffed. “Excuse me for being cynical, sport. Six and a half months of torture will do that to you.”

“You can’t just give up,” he protested. “Then it’s like you never even tried.”

“It’s easy for you to say that, too,” she said. She considered showing him what she’d endured and then quickly changed her mind. It wasn’t Timmy’s fault that she’d been abused. Moreover, she didn’t want to damage his psyche forever by putting him through things that should’ve remained between her and the Unseelie Court.

Yes, that included Cosmo as someone who should’ve stayed ignorant.

Timmy huffed. “It’s like you want him to win.”

“Of course not!” she snapped. She shivered uncontrollably. “Do you think I wanted to be treated like that? That I wanted to be reduced to a shell?”

“Then act like it!” Timmy retorted. She raised her hand, her fingers wrapped around her wand, but she stopped herself before she went through with it. Timmy stared at her strangely, and her heart pounded. She wasn’t like that. She’d never raised a hand to a child, let alone Timmy. Horrified, she tried to poof away, but the Council prevented her from fleeing.

“We should have a brief recess,” Jorgen announced. He eyed her, and her shoulders hunched. She didn’t know what had come over her, but it was terrifying. Fairy World wouldn’t have let them be godparents if she or Cosmo used corporal punishment.

“Agreed,” Bridget said. She waved her wand, and Cosmo, Timmy, Wanda, and the babies reappeared in a small conference room. Wanda was shaking, and she couldn’t stop rubbing her left arm. Her breath hitched as she fought sobs.

“What…what just happened?” Timmy said, looking at Cosmo blankly.

Wanda swallowed back hysteria. She wouldn’t have been able to forgive herself if she’d hit Timmy. That wasn’t who she was. She didn’t believe physical punishment solved anything. Yet…she covered her mouth with her left hand and whimpered.

Irina appeared and squeezed Wanda’s shoulders. She ignored Cosmo’s territorial growl.

“You need to breathe,” Irina said quietly. “You’ve worked yourself up, and you almost lashed out.”

“I know what I did,” Wanda snapped, but her ire faded. She swallowed past a lump in her throat. “I’m not fit to be a godparent anymore. Not if that’s what almost happened.”

“What the hell are you two talking about?” Timmy said. Wanda was too shaken to scold him.

“I almost hit you,” Wanda said softly, ashamed. “You didn’t notice, hon?”

“No…” Timmy said. He gawked. “You’d never hit me. I know you. You’re not like that.”

“I don’t know what I’m like anymore,” she said. Tears slipped down her cheeks. “Other than unfit to be a godparent.”

“That’s not true!” Cosmo and Timmy retorted. Wanda scoffed. They were more in sync than she and Cosmo, probably because they hadn’t been separated. Timmy hadn’t endured life-altering trauma, either. Timmy was better off with Cosmo than with her, as much as it pained her to consider.

“You’re being too hard on yourself,” Irina said. “You can’t expect to recover after so little time and in the middle of a crisis. I know you disagree, Wanda, but you wouldn’t have struck Timmy.”

“You have more faith in me than I have in myself right now, hon,” Wanda muttered. Cosmo lifted her chin and then kissed the trails her tears left. Her breath hitched, and she let him hold her. However, she kept her arms at her sides.

“You wouldn’t have hit me,” Timmy said with far more conviction than Wanda felt. He held her left hand and squeezed. “You love me.”

Wanda swallowed hard. “I love you, but you’re driving me insane, sport. You don’t know what it’s like to be beaten down every day for months.

“Thinking that the only escape is death…”

In an undertone, so quietly that she thought only she could hear, she added, “Praying that Asmodeus might forget to heal me one day and let nature take its course.”

“What course?” Cosmo said, baffled. Timmy whispered in his ear, and Cosmo froze.

Cosmo and Timmy yelped, Irina’s jaw dropped, and the twins burst into tears. They shook their rattles so hard that Wanda was impressed they hadn’t flung them.

“No, Mama! Bad Mama!” they cried. “Mama can’t leave us!”

“Look what you did,” Timmy said without rancor. He hugged her, and Cosmo slipped an arm around Timmy to include him. “You scared the twins.”

Wanda gasped back a sob. She bit her lower lip hard enough to draw blood. “Asmodeus is creeping on my Bond with Cosmo. He’s tainting my thoughts. I can feel it.”

“So, make the Council make him stop!” Timmy snapped. “It’s their fault you’re in this mess.”

Wanda opened her mouth to argue and then closed it. “You’re right.”

“No kidding,” he said. “It’s time they took responsibility for their inaction instead of pretending the Unseelie Court doesn’t exist.”

She nodded. She wasn’t ready to confront the Council’s remnants yet, but Timmy’s idea had merit. Trembling, she wrapped her left arm around Cosmo and kissed him on the cheek. He turned his head so their lips met and kissed her passionately, pouring his love and affection into it. Wanda gritted her teeth to steady herself. As much as she wanted to cry, it wouldn’t accomplish anything. She had to stiffen her upper lip and deal with the Council as an adult since they were shifting the blame and pointing fingers at everyone else like children.

“Are you okay?” Cosmo asked, drawing back. His green eyes shimmered with concern, and she caressed his cheek.

“I love you, sweetie,” she murmured. “I’ll be okay…as long as I don’t lose you or anyone else again.”

Cosmo scoffed. “I’m not going anywhere. Where would I go? Home to Mama?”

Wanda shuddered. “Don’t you dare? I don’t want to know what that woman thinks about my captivity, although I’m sure it’s unsympathetic.”

“Or it could be completely sympathetic!” Cosmo said. Wanda stared.

“The odds of that, hon, are about as good as Asmodeus throwing himself on the mercy of the Fairy World Court. Slim and none.”

“There’s a chance?” Cosmo said, and Wanda facepalmed.

“That’s a ‘no,’ Cosmo,” Timmy said, shaking his head and snorting derisively.

Wanda frowned. She knew that the Council had wanted to desensitize her to the trauma. She still had her doubts, but she couldn’t let them show. Moreover, she felt that scratchiness in her throat that might presage muteness, and the idea of losing her voice again was unbearable. No matter what it took, she’d thwart that fate.

Cosmo and Timmy looked at her expectantly. Swallowing a lump in her throat, she nodded. They were out of the frying pan and into the fire.

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The Seelie Court might have restored Wanda’s voice, but they had done nothing for Asmodeus interjecting himself into her link with Cosmo. Asmodeus sat on Ozymandias’s back and leaned over to kiss his lover slowly and languidly. Ozy kissed him back, and they rolled over side by side onto the bunk. It creaked, and Asmodeus snorted. These bunks were designed for weightless fairies, which meant they didn’t support much, never mind vigorous activity.

“How’s the whore doing?” Ozy asked, grinning wickedly.

“Insecure and terrified but hiding it well,” Asmodeus said, snorting. “I can’t believe I missed you conquering her and her twin.”

“You’re the one who went into Big Daddy’s territory,” Ozy said, rolling his eyes. “I could’ve told you that the man was out for blood. You’re lucky he didn’t kill you on sight.”

“Oh, he wanted to,” Asmodeus said darkly. “The Council had to intervene. The bastard was about to give me a grand mal seizure when they arrived.”

Ozy rolled his eyes and massaged Asmodeus’s thigh. They exchanged grins; the only thing that would make this better would be to have that little slut between them to rail. But, no, Fairy World was pretending to protect her now. Asmodeus rolled his eyes, too. They were only nervous because the Unseelie Court had struck down half of its Council. Otherwise, they would’ve ignored Wanda’s peril, no matter who brought it to their attention.

Ozy sat upright and spread his legs invitingly. Asmodeus tried to ignore him despite his creeping erection. He wanted to focus on Wanda and what he could do to her from here. When he closed his eyes, he reached out via the corrupted link.

He immediately encountered resistance. It was like looking through a glass window. He could see what lay on the other side, but an invisible barrier repelled him. Asmodeus’s jaw dropped.

“What is it?” Ozy asked, leaning forward and placing Asmodeus’s right hand on his penis. Asmodeus was painfully hard, and he had difficulty thinking about his objective of attacking Wanda. It didn’t help when Ozy massaged Asmodeus’s balls and then licked his lips.

“That…fucking…whore…blocked me out!” Asmodeus exclaimed. “I can see her link to Cosmo, I can sense where my attachment is, but I can’t fucking get at it!”

Ozy desisted, frowning. “The Council’s onto you.”

“There shouldn’t even be a Council,” Asmodeus snarled. “Someone’s protecting them.”

Ozy balled his fists. “I bet it’s that little punk ass bitch, the one Lorenzo was so hot for. I should’ve killed him when I had the chance.”

“He’s still alive?” Asmodeus raised his eyebrows. “Why, Oz, you’re losing your touch.”

“Fuck you.”

“I do. There’s still time to remedy that little error.”

“How?” Ozy scoffed. He was caressing his length, and Asmodeus’s mouth watered when pre-cum dripped off Ozy’s tip. Fuck, he was so distracting, and he knew it. Asmodeus couldn’t look away.

“Once we get out of here--”

“If we get out of here.”

“Fuck you. Just for that, I want you on your stomach again.”

“Why? What was the alternative?” Ozy asked, and his eyes glittered.

Sighing inwardly, realizing that he was capitulating when he hadn’t intended to, Asmodeus moved, spreading his legs, and handed Ozy the wand. It might not be helpful where it counted, but it at least ensured sex didn’t fucking burn.

“You want me to nail you to the bed instead?” Ozy said. Asmodeus glowered and nodded reluctantly.

There was a loud thunderclap nearby, and the two men jumped. The wand vanished, and straitjackets materialized, wrapping around them so tightly that Asmodeus could barely breathe. It was restricting blood flow to essential parts of his body, too.

“I am sick and tired of you two behaving like psychotic teenagers,” Jorgen von Strangle snarled, arriving in their cell. His eyes flashed, and Asmodeus snorted. Whatever “punishment” Jorgen had in mind was likely to be pathetic compared to what the Unseelie Court did to its captives.

Jorgen grinned wickedly. “I have permission for this.”

“Permission for what?” Ozy said, taking the bait.

Jorgen squeezed his wand, and they fell over backward. Asmodeus’s skin crawled as he closed his eyes and reopened them to discover himself in that infamous suite. The problem was that this time, he was the victim.

Trapped inside the Seelie whore’s body, he was powerless to fend off the Unseelie Court’s attacks. Distantly, Asmodeus heard Jorgen chuckle.

“If it didn’t break Wanda, maybe it’ll break you,” Jorgen said. “I certainly hope so.”

---------------------------------------------

“We’ve come up with a compromise,” Bridget said when the fairy family returned. “Jorgen shunted Asmodeus’s and Ozymandias’s consciousnesses elsewhere so we can inspect their memories. Unfortunately, we must beg your forgiveness.”

Wanda’s forehead wrinkled. “What do you mean?”

Cosmo reached for her right hand and intertwined their fingers. Wanda raised her eyebrows but didn’t pull away. She wasn’t sure whether Cosmo was being affectionate because he could be or because he was still trying to show Irina up. Nonetheless, she appreciated the support.

“We used your memories against them,” Bridget said. They gawked.

“What are you talking about?” Wanda said. A lump formed in her throat, and she squeezed Cosmo’s hand. Cosmo squeezed back. For almost seven months, she’d been without him. It was the longest separation they’d ever had. It had been hard for her to imagine him leaving her. It was hard to imagine him staying, something she knew upset Cosmo.

“We extracted the memories you already showed us and placed them in your role,” Bridget said. Color rose in her cheeks, and she looked defensive. “It prevented them from fighting back.”

It was a good thing fairies were naturally weightless, or her knees wouldn’t have supported her. She felt faint. On the one hand, it was clever. Trapped in their minds, they wouldn’t be able to break the cycle, not if the experience was seamless.

On the other, the Council had misappropriated her trauma. Wanda tasted bile and swallowed hard. She wasn’t naive enough to think this would alter anyone’s opinions. She disagreed with the Council’s assessment.

Asmodeus and Ozymandias were physically incapable of feeling empathy. This experiment would fail. It might achieve the opposite--they might grow agitated and lustful after reliving her memories. Wanda trembled, struggling to remain in the present. She couldn’t capitulate to despair.

“For how long, hon?” Wanda said, wincing at how thin her voice sounded. “Until they realize it’s a trick? Or until their memories overwhelm mine?”

She folded an arm across her chest. “I don’t appreciate your ignoring me for almost seven months and then weaponizing my trauma. Trauma that you could have prevented easily.”

(She would’ve folded both arms but was reluctant to release Cosmo.)

Wanda discovered that she was shaking in anger. Worse, her throat threatened to constrict and prohibit speech, which was enough to bring her to a near panic. Squeezing her wand only staved off the inevitable.

“Don’t tell me that you needed a quorum to save a tortured, battered, abused fairy godmother who needed help,” Wanda said, wrenching her hand away from Cosmo. His lower lip quivered, and she felt a stab of guilt.

“Sorry, sweetie,” she muttered. She was sure he wasn’t enjoying the yo-yo act.

“It was a convenient excuse to drag your heels,” Wanda said. Her chest tightened, and she balled her fists. Now, more than ever, she didn’t want to help them. She could understand how fairies had defected from the Seelie Court. Tears pricked her eyes, and she ignored them.

Bridget sighed, pinching her nose bridge. “I agree that we have much to answer for, but you’re going to have to trust us if you want to protect Fairy World from the Unseelie Court.

“If you don’t want other godmothers to suffer, too.”

“They did,” Wanda snapped before she could stop herself. “I wasn’t the only captive; I was just their ‘favorite.’ It wasn’t just me you failed. Your inactivity damned others.”

Bridget’s eyes widened. She exchanged glances with the other Council members, all alarmed. Disgust lined Wanda's mouth and throat. She couldn’t believe this was news to them. Irina had spied on the Unseelie Court for Jorgen, but apparently only for Jorgen. The Council must not have received her reports or hadn’t wanted to hear them.

Irina bristled beside Wanda; Wanda snorted. That answered that question. They must’ve brushed her off.

Wordlessly, the Council sent Cosmo, Wanda, Timmy, Irina, and the fairy babies away again. Timmy facepalmed, folding his arms across his chest. The Council had brought them to the waiting area, which Wanda was heartily sick of seeing. Worse, she could feel flashbacks pushing at her awareness, and she wasn’t sure how long she could hold it together. Her hands shook.

“Baby?” Cosmo said softly, and she shook her head.

“They didn’t know,” Wanda said, disgusted. “They had no idea Asmodeus had captured other godparents before they constructed that barrier. The Council threw us all under the bus by burying their heads in the sand.”

“I told them,” Irina said softly, but Wanda ignored her. She was alight with righteous anger.

“They put Asmodeus and Ozymandias in the same cell and then fed them my memories, thinking it would subdue them,” Wanda said. Her chest was tight again, and warning sparks flew off her wand. Cosmo eyed her warily.

“Calm down,” Timmy said. Wanda growled, rounding on him.

“And you! Do you mean to tell me that in almost seven months, neither you nor Cosmo could’ve convinced Jorgen to help me escape? Especially when Irina told everyone it was more than my life at stake?”

“We tried!” Cosmo said, bursting into tears. He latched onto her. “I missed you! You know I did! Don’t be mad at us!”

Wanda shoved Cosmo off and bristled. “I can understand that sharing my feelings would’ve driven you insane. That should have galvanized you and the Council instead of convincing them to abandon me.”

“What do you want us to say?” Timmy snapped. “We tried! It's not like we agreed with the Council! We did our best to help you!”

"Like yesterday?” she said softly. She didn’t know what was wrong with her or why she was lashing out. A few minutes ago, she’d nearly struck her godson, and now she was biting his head off. She rubbed her left arm self-consciously.

“I need to be alone,” she said, raising her wand.

“Where are you going?” Timmy demanded.

“I’ll find out when I get there,” she retorted. She slammed the mental wall up between herself and Cosmo and poofed away.

The rainbow bridge was back, and she took advantage of it to poof to Earth. It was the last place she wanted to go but also the last place they’d look. Throat tight as tears swelled it shut and burned her eyes, she poofed to Dimmsdale’s outskirts. As far as she knew, the other captive fairies remained trapped.

She should free them.

She didn’t know if she could bring herself to enter that hotel again. After all, she hadn’t left of her own volition last time.

“I can still talk,” she reminded herself, rubbing her throat. A bitter smile crossed her lips. For how long?

The hotel loomed over her, its dark walls and gargoyles leering down. Her skin crawled, and she unthinkingly released the wall between her and Cosmo. Too many memories crowded her mind, and she fell to the ground, her hands clawing at the dirt.

The hotel was at the end of a cul-de-sac, but the street surrounding it was empty on both sides. A magical barrier presumably prevented any curious humans from wandering by uninvited. Weeds crept along the hotel’s walls, which looked abandoned to the uninitiated. Wanda’s throat tightened painfully when she forced herself to look for the penthouse suite. In her mind, the windows were painted dull red with her blood.

She was shaking with fear and doubt. The right, honest thing to do would be to free the other captives while Asmodeus and Ozymandias were imprisoned. The best thing for her sanity would be to return to Fairy World before the Council knew where she’d gone. Wanda doubled over, overcome with sobs.

Fingertips grazed her shoulder, and she knew without looking who it was; who it had to be. Her vision was too blurry, but she’d recognize his touch anywhere.

Cosmo.

She couldn’t speak, but she didn’t know if it was from an emotional overload or that damn curse had resurfaced.

“Mama, no…” the twins chorused. “Mama, don’t stay here! Bad place! Bad!”

“I know you’ve done some questionable things in the last few days, but seriously?” Timmy said. He knelt at her side; Cosmo wrapped his arms around her, and she let him.

“Why the hell would you come here?” Timmy said. “Are you nuts?”

“She said there were others,” Irina said. “She’s right. Maybe the Council will stop playing games once they realize she wasn’t the only one they hung out to dry.”

Wanda pressed her face into Cosmo’s shoulder, and he played with her curls.

She was too choked up to speak. She wanted to apologize, but though the desire was there, the words wouldn’t come. Cosmo’s grip tightened; he knew what she was thinking. How could he not when she’d bared her mind to him?

“It’s not a good idea for you to poof in there, Wanda,” Irina warned. “Your mental state is fragile as it is. You don’t need the additional stress.”

Wanda wanted to snort cynically, but she gasped instead. Her arms went around Cosmo and Timmy as she clung to them.

“Go back to Fairy World,” Irina said softly and kissed the crown of Wanda’s head. Cosmo snarled.

“Hey! She’s my wife!” he snapped. “Hands off!”

Irina huffed. “You’re a lucky man. You’re also lucky she’s a loyal wife and unattracted to women because we wouldn’t be standing here if she wasn't.”

Cosmo huffed back. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

Wanda shook her head but wasn’t sure what she was refuting. It didn’t matter. Despite being the object of their disagreement, Irina and Cosmo had ceased paying attention to her.

“It means I was there to offer her comfort and affection when you were too busy dicking around in Fairy World to rescue her when she damn well needed you.”

A protracted silence fell. Cosmo froze against Wanda, and Timmy turned Wanda’s head to look at him. To her surprise, he was crestfallen. Tears brimmed in his eyes.

“We’re sorry,” Timmy whispered. “So, so sorry. You’ve forgiven us, haven’t you?”

It was hard for her to stay angry at him. For one thing, Fairy World had orphaned him and erased his parents’ memories. For another, he sounded like a lost child. She was cross, but he sounded too pitiful for her to maintain that resentment.

“We love you,” Timmy continued.

“I--” she started and swallowed past a lump in her throat. “I love you too, sport.”

Her voice was hoarse, and chills went down her spine. Cosmo shifted, his attention back on Wanda.

“What’s wrong?”

“It’s the hotel,” Wanda rasped. “I think. I hope. Maybe Irina’s right. Maybe we should--”

Her voice died. Tears streaked her cheeks, and she rocked in Cosmo’s arms.

“I wish we were back in Fairy World!” Timmy cried. Cosmo hastened to obey. She was unsurprised when Irina didn’t rejoin them--Cosmo had probably interpreted the wish to exclude her.

Once back in Fairy World, Cosmo held her at arm’s length. She didn’t know what to tell him, whether this was an emotional upheaval and, therefore, temporary or whether the curse had been returned. Suddenly, she felt utterly drained, like she had nothing to give.

Her mind flashed back to Ozymandias forcing Blonda to watch and listen to her older sister being brutalized. Wanda should have protected her somehow. She should have known Ozy’s next target would be her twin since he couldn’t get his hands on Wanda asap. Wanda shuddered.

She hadn’t had a chance to see where in Fairy World they’d arrived before the Council yanked them back to chambers. Wanda felt weak and pitiful. Being weightless meant she didn’t have to worry about supporting herself, which was good because she didn’t trust her legs to carry her.

“Irina is at the hotel,” Bridget said, and Wanda nodded.

“Ozy and Asmodeus are the strongest dark fairies, yes?”

Wanda nodded again.

“Are there any others who come close?”

Wanda started to shake her head and then shrugged. It was hard to tell when the geas had compelled obedience regardless of magical prowess. Besides, it didn’t matter if they were stronger or weaker when she was powerless against them.

Cosmo kissed her temple. She wanted to reassure him, but she lacked the words.

“You can’t gauge magical power in that situation,” Bridget said, facepalming. “Of course. I’m an idiot.”

“Bigger than Cosmo,” Timmy scoffed. Bridget glared at him.

“Watch it, child,” she warned. “You’re on thin ice with the Council, as you’ve been for a while now.”

“What are you going to do? Take away Cosmo and Wanda?” Timmy retorted.

Wanda groaned. Timmy shouldn't bait the Council. She wanted to order him to stop, but the words died before they reached her mouth.

One of the Council members had suggested Wanda had muteness brought on by trauma. It was possible. Revisiting the hotel wasn’t exactly good for her mental health.

“If it hadn’t been for me, Cosmo would still be locked up, and Wanda would be--” Timmy cut himself off. Tears slipped down his cheeks, and he reached for Wanda’s hand.

“Please don’t be upset.”

Wanda smiled weakly. He sounded so earnest.

Bridget grimaced, massaging her temples. “Let’s nip this in the bud before it gets any worse, shall we? I brought you back because we intended to liberate the other captive fairies, although Irina has a head start.

“A dangerous one if anyone knows she’s a double agent.”

Wanda nodded. Cosmo brushed his lips against her cheek and kissed the corner of her mouth. She could feel his heart racing beneath her palm.

Bridget frowned, waving her wand over Wanda. The link between her and Cosmo retained Asmodeus’s dark taint, but it was significantly less. That ought to have been good news, but it didn’t explain her restored muteness.

“Psychosomatic,” Bridget said, groaning. “I’m reluctant to bring you to Doctor Studwell because that man is a prat.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Timmy demanded. “What’s psychosomatic?”

“Your godmother’s lack of speech,” Bridget explained. “She’s frozen up.”

“She has not!” Timmy said defiantly and then wilted. “Right, Wanda? You can totally talk.”

Wanda shook her head, and Timmy groaned, facepalming.

“You’re kidding,” he said.

She smiled sadly. It was the best she could do. Sighing, she pressed her face against Cosmo’s neck and inhaled his familiar scent. It steadied her, though Irina’s words echoed in her mind. The worst part was that she didn’t know how she would’ve reacted if Irina’s seduction had worked. Would she have cheated on Cosmo for compassion and affection?

In the past, she would’ve been adamant that she wouldn’t have. However, that was before living through hell.

Now, she didn’t know what to trust or whom. Part of her relationship with Cosmo had eroded, too, not just because of Asmodeus’s dark magic. It was hard to trust someone who had permitted a calamity and believe them when they said they loved her.

“We need to do more than to free them,” Bridget said. She groaned. “This is going to be a long night.”

“Mama…” the twins whimpered. Leander had passed out in midair. His little green wings flitted in his sleep, and Wanda noticed that his hair was dark green, a shade off Cosmo’s color. She looked at Cosmo accusingly, and he smiled brightly, but she doubted he knew why she was staring at him.

“The children should go to bed,” Marinos said, grimacing. “We’ve got work to do.”

“I’m not tired!” Timmy said and then yawned.

“Don’t make us bring in the Sandman,” Marinos warned, waving his wand. The children vanished, which oddly felt like losing armor in the middle of a giant battle. Wanda realized the attention was back on her, and she didn’t want the spotlight.

Cosmo rubbed her shoulder and arm. He pressed a kiss to her brand, and her heart skipped a beat. A smile curved her lips, and she cupped his cheek in her hand.

((I love you, too, hon.))

Cosmo grinned; it was infectious, and her smile broadened.

“I can’t believe I’m saying this,” Vesta grumbled, “but it might be good that the idiot’s here. Otherwise, she might fly completely off the handle.”

Wanda’s smile dropped like it’d never been. She loathed Vesta and wished heartily that the Unseelie Court had struck her down. She recognized it as a malicious thought, but she didn’t care. Vesta’s death wouldn’t have been any great loss.

“We need to discuss next steps,” Marinos said, shooting Vesta a warning look. “As Bridget said, this will be a long night.”

Wanda didn’t know how she’d survive a long night. She drooped in midair; she wanted nothing more than to collapse beside Cosmo and sleep for a long time. There’d been too much emotional turmoil today.

“Maybe we should reconvene,” Marinos suggested. “Wanda looks like she’d like to pass out.”

Wanda smiled bitterly. “Since when did anyone take my desires into account?”

She was darkly amused that she could speak. Perhaps it had something to do with Cosmo rubbing her back and soothing her.

The Council grimaced; none of them met her gaze. That was good; she hoped the guilt sat uneasily on them.

“We’ll reconvene on the morrow,” Marinos said.

Cosmo and Wanda found themselves back in their bedroom in Fairy World. Wanda knew she ought to check on her youngest daughter, but she was too pooped to poof anywhere, much less deal with that emotional minefield.

“Don’t go anywhere else!” Cosmo chided as she curled up in bed beside him. Cosmo didn’t want to release her, and she needed him nearby. It wasn’t like she’d be up for anything sexual tonight. She could barely keep her eyes open long enough to pull the covers over.

“I’m serious!”

“I know,” she said with a tiny smile. “I know you are, hon.”

She closed her eyes and passed out once her head hit the pillow.

-----------------------------------------------

Cosmo awoke feeling like an elephant was sitting on his chest. He turned to Wanda to see if she felt the same way and turned on the table lamp nearby. Wanda was curled into a fetal position while a cloud of dark magic rotated above her. The cloud wasn’t quite touching her, though it sent out probes. Every time it did, Wanda whimpered and tried to make herself into a tighter ball.

Cosmo poked the cloud with his wand, and it hissed. Someone with more common sense would have studied the cloud and tried deciphering where it originated and its intent. Cosmo had neither sense nor patience. Instead, he blasted the cloud.

It broke apart and then reformed, looser than before but now equipped with lightning and thunder. Cosmo smiled sheepishly. Instead of destroying it, he’d pissed it off. Oops.

He shook Wanda’s shoulder; she’d know what to do. Unfortunately, she didn’t wake. Instead, she whimpered and trembled. A brief glance into her mind made Cosmo flinch. Two dark, shadowy figures towered over her; their magically added talons tore at her tender flesh. From what little he’d perceived of her dream self, she was covered in lacerations and bodily fluids. Tears slipped down his cheeks.

“Wanda…” he whined, nudging her. “Wake up!”

He might have to rouse Timmy and demand his help if she didn't stir soon. The dark cloud’s presence made no sense. The Council had said that the two Unseelie fairies were out of commission. Nonetheless, it had to be their magic. Nothing else affected Wanda this badly.

“Please?” he pleaded.

He pulled the covers back, and his jaw dropped. She had clawed the living daylights of her arm, and when nails didn’t suffice, she’d shapeshifted her hand into a tiger’s paw. Blood soaked the sheets, and Cosmo felt like he was the one bleeding. She’d tried to gouge Asmodeus’s name out of her skin.

It reminded him of how he’d lost his mind, sensing but unable to pinpoint what was happening with her. And, of course, being unable to rescue her.

He froze, unable to make a decision. He healed her only, but she reopened the wound seconds later.

Panic-stricken, he scooped her into his arms and poofed into Timmy’s bedroom. His godson tossed and turned in his sleep. To Cosmo’s surprise, little Leander floated above Timmy’s head. He shook his rattle at Timmy; Cosmo thought he might’ve been trying to help.

“Timmy?” Cosmo called.

“Timmy?” Leander repeated, startling Cosmo. The twins spoke, but Cosmo had been unaware that Leander could, too. It was the first word Leander had uttered.

“Mom…Dad…come back…” Timmy whispered, and tears streaked his cheeks.

Cosmo hesitated, but only briefly. He dumped a bucket of cold water on Timmy’s head, and Timmy awoke with an indignant sputter.

“What the hell? Cosmo!”

“There’s a dark cloud…” Cosmo trailed off. The cloud had followed them into Timmy’s bedroom. Leander blew it a raspberry and shook his rattle. It was cute that Leander thought he could fend off the dark magic, but if he couldn’t defeat Timmy’s nightmares, Cosmo doubted he’d be much help here.

“Attached to Wanda,” Cosmo finished weakly.

“What did you want me to do about it?” Timmy said, folding his arms across his chest. Cosmo absently replaced his sodden pajamas with warm and dry ones.

“Wake her?” Cosmo suggested.

“How?” Timmy said sullenly. He watched his godmother; she was shaking with sobs. Timmy opened his mouth, and then his jaw dropped.

“What did she do to her arm?” Timmy gasped.

“I woke up, and it was like that,” Cosmo said glumly. “Do you think we should go to the hospital?”

“Duh!” Timmy said. Leander whimpered and landed on Timmy’s head.

“I healed her, but she tore another wound immediately.”

Cosmo wasn’t sure if Wanda knew what she was doing or was too gripped by the nightmare to notice. His throat was tight as he transported them to the hospital. Cosmo was growing heartily sick of this place. It was never a good sign when the hospital became familiar.

It was also never a good sign that he’d been awake at the witching hour multiple times recently when he’d never had that problem before.

Someone poofed in, and Cosmo’s breath caught when he realized it was Bridget.

“Giving those visions to the Unseelie fairies must’ve triggered her,” Bridget said, shaking her head. She noticed the dark magic and growled. “Son of a bitch. They shouldn’t have been able to produce that.

“One of their agents must be loose in Fairy World.”

Timmy folded his arms across his chest. “Don’t you think you ought to be looking into that?”

“I thought we had more time…” Bridget protested. “I didn’t realize they might be working without instructions from the snake’s head.”

“You thought you had more time?” Timmy repeated. “Dude, you left her for almost seven months! That wasn’t enough time?”

Bridget dragged a hand along her face. “I’m sorry, Wanda.”

They returned to the fortress Timmy had wished for. Cosmo glanced at Wanda; she’d ceased clawing her arm. For a second, he was relieved, until he realized she was clawing at her face. Cosmo’s stomach threatened to overturn.

“I’d better wake Jorgen, too,” Bridget said, shaking her head. “We’ve got our work cut out for her.”