the garden | michael langdon

chapter five; divine intervention.

"W-what's happening?"

Cordelia's hand shakily wiped the blood from under her nose, staring at the crimson color of her fingers in shock.

"What always happens when a new Supreme rises." The chancellor said, smugly. His air of superiority and lack of compassion for her mother made Prim's stomach clench with revulsion.

"The old one fades away." Behold chimed in.

"That's my mother you're talking about, asshole!" Primrose seethed, standing in front of her mother protectively.

"We demand what's ours!" Ariel proclaimed.

"You are a pathetic pompous ass." Myrtle quipped, propping Cordelia up.

"I did everything you asked!" Michael's sudden authoritative outburst caught everyone in the room by surprise. "I did what you couldn't; I descended into hell and I brought her back." Michael said, triumphantly. His eyes remained firmly on Cordelia, only once briefly flickering over to her daughter beside her. "I passed the seven wonders... unless you wanna add another one." He added, sarcastically.

"No, no." Replied Cordelia, quite feebly. "There can't be no doubt. You are the next suprem-"

"Mom!" Primrose fell to her knees to help her ailing mother who had fallen to the ground, unconscious. She held her mother's head in her hands and gently shook it while desperately shouting for her to wake up. She felt Myrtle's arms pulling her off of Cordelia as Misty bent down to revive her old supreme. Distraught, Prim had no energy to resist Myrtle's hold on her, and turned around to collapse in her Aunt's embrace. Sobbing into her brightly colored jacket, Primrose could just about see over Myrtle's bushy red hair. She saw Michael, the next supreme, stood victoriously with his warlocks, and he was smiling.

-

Primrose let out a deep sigh as she studied the stars above her in the night sky; she couldn't see as many stars as she usually saw in New Orleans. Must be that Californian smog, she remarked to herself.

"Not a Fleetwood Mac fan?"

Prim was jolted out of her thoughts by the male voice behind her. "No," she turned to face Michael stood imposingly by the entrance to the school. "I-i just needed some air." She stuttered, nervously. "It's stuffy underground."

The dry grass crunched underneath Michael's leather shoes as he approached her. She felt trepidatious as he drew nearer, not used to the solely male company. "I don't blame you. It's been quite the evening." He gave out a small laugh.

"For you, perhaps." Primrose said, sadly.

The only noise now was the chirruping of the dry desert insects and the low howling of the rushing wind.

"And why are you here? I thought you might want to bask in your new found glory as supreme." She asked, curiosity evident in her voice.

"To see you, make sure you're alright." He replied.

She gathered the courage to look over at the man stood next to her properly, trying to guess his intentions. As much as her gut told her there was something dangerous about him, that she ought to be cautious around him, she could not deny his beauty. He looked like the creation of God, the pinnacle of divinity.

"With all due respect sir, what difference does my well-being make to you?" She asked quietly, noticing he was suddenly much closer to her than he was before.

"Well, speaking as your anointed supreme," he began, a wolfish grin appearing on his features. "I am concerned for the welfare of all magical peoples within my coven."

"And speaking as a man," She gasped as she felt his cold hand wrap around hers, bringing it up towards his mouth to place a gentle kiss on the top of her knuckles. "I am concerned for the well-being of the most beautiful girl I've ever seen."

She felt her jaw drop at his admission; where had this come from?

"I-i didn't think you'd even noticed me." She replied.

"Of course I did." He whispered. "How could I not? How could any man not notice a goddess before him? I can certainly see why your mother keeps you all locked up." He chuckled, darkly. Her hand still firmly within his grip, he used it to pull her closer. She stared up at him with wide, expectant eyes. "Don't be afraid," he said quietly, using his other hand to cup the side of her face, smiling as she leaned into his embrace. "I feel it too."

"What is this?" She asked, innocently. She almost felt guilty for melting so quickly before the man who would soon replace her mother in the coven, but she couldn't deny the feelings between them, it was screaming out in the blood of her veins.

"Lesser brings might call our meeting serendipitous." He spoke softly, his voice soothing like the night wind. "I call it divine intervention."

"I'm sorry, but you will never meet again." Primrose jumped back and away from Michael at the sound of her mother's voice. Prim didn't even need to look at her to know that she was now in deep trouble. Cordelia had specifically told her when they arrived that she was not to wander off, she was not to talk to any strangers, and most importantly she was not to talk to Michael, and she had just done all three.

Realizing her mistakes, she obediently ran to her mother's side, not even daring to look back. She could sense her mother's barely restrained anger as she spoke.

"I speak now not as your supreme, but as Prim's mother. You can't ever see her again." Not even giving Michael a chance to respond, Cordelia dragged Prim back into the school by her arm.

Primrose looked over her shoulder to gaze upon Michael one last time but he was not there.