September, 1938

  On Sunday, his free day, Calvin had elected not to go back to the Sanctuary. He wanted to spend a little time in the creek, now that he had been in the water. It was the perfect temperature. While the others did their own things, relaxed or went to shop, Calvin made his way down the mountain to the creek.

  Staring at the sheer drop, he remembered the excitement of tumbling uncontrollably over. He was wearing only pants and his hat now, the rest of his clothes in a deerskin bundle. Looking down over the edge, it seemed less attractive than he had thought. His nerves were starting to overcome his courage.

  “What’re you up to?” A sharp feminine voice broke his thoughts apart, “Gonna jump?”

  He looked back to see Elise, standing on the ground. She walked over. “Followed you from camp. I’m bored. You want to swim?”

  He nodded, looking back to the waters below. “I did come to swim yeah. I’m thinking about jumping in. That was scary the other day, but it was fun.”

  Elise’s eyes traveled over that spiraling mark on his shoulder, the icon of the Yellow King’s influence in his body. She had never seen it before. There was something ancient and unnerving about it, it’s complex fractals creating dark patterns along the pale skin of his arm and chest.

  “You know, it’s not a terrible look.” She pointed at it, “I mean, its ugly, but so are you. So it fits.”

  “Hurtful.” Calvin chuckled, used to her prodding, “But it’s good to know. Don’t suppose you came down here just to ogle my mark. You gonna swim with me?”

  “I figured I would. But there’s the matter of the jump. You seem too chicken to make the plunge.”

  “Well now, I’ll go over the edge right after you change into proper swimming clothes” He shot her a mischievous look.

  She rolled her eyes, running her hand over herself. Calvin watched with amazement as her black dress was replaced with a stylish black and white striped one-piece bathing. This was the fashion of the time, the knowledge of which Elise prided herself in. She smiled, seeing his astonished look.

  “Take a photograph, it’ll last longer.” Elise placed a hand on his shoulder.

  Calvin was too stunned by the feminine figure to react to her. He felt her push him hard.

  “Wait,” He lost his footing and tumbled over the cliff edge. Calvin dropped like a rock, watching as Elise jumped over the cliff after him. He felt the surface hit him hard, just as before. The young Gun sank deep into the pure mountain water.

  He surfaced after a moment, looking around to see her nearby treading water.

  “There! Now you don’t have to think so hard, cowboy.” She grinned.

  Cal laughed, “I hate you!” he swam over as fast as she could.

  The witch howled and swam away, both of them laughing and playing in the cool waters of the creek. Calvin hung his hat and gunbelt on a nearby branch. The Gellerite in the holster swung lightly in the autumn breeze, overlooking the two in the creek chasing and splashing each other. Water dripped off the varnished spruce handle, running through the word ‘Survivor’ carved into it.

  ^^^

  After some time, they sat on the bank together. Elise enjoyed some time in the sun, taking in the sights and sounds of the world around her. Calvin lay on his back, hands behind his head. The two were laid out shoulder to shoulder.

  The witch sat up, looking to him with a sly smile. “What did you think of my fireballs, hmm?”

  Calvin shot her a concerned look. “I thought I was gonna die.”

  “You know that most of us don’t study destructive magics like that.” She raised a finger, lighting a spark on her nail, “We just leave it all on the table. The Superiors don’t outright forbid it, but they don’t encourage it either.”

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  “It’s very neat, to be honest.” Cal grinned, “You’re like a cannon!”

  “I know!” Elise didn’t hide her excitement.

  The witch continued to school Calvin on all the secrets she had unlocked from their books. He watched her face light up as she gushed over the different methods for creating and maintaining flames, or growing thorny vines. She had explained the conditional nature of their magic, with its ingredients and incantations. It was significantly different than Resolve.

  Calvin did indeed find all of that interesting, but he was far more interested in the young woman herself. He liked when she looked this way, gleeful and warm. He couldn’t help but admire her. Her smile was so addicting, her eyes were too beautiful. Cal had been struck by her from the get-go, but now he found himself sinking deeper into an uncontrollable feeling. There was so much about her that gripped him, even the little details like her nails. She painted them purple, to match her eyes. Whenever she looked at him his chest tightened up a little. She was scary and lovely at the same time. Calvin felt lost, happily so. He could only think of one word to describe it.

  Calvin was in love with Elise.

  She stopped rambling on enough to catch the look in his eyes. It struck her that he was admiring her again. Her cheeks flushed.

  “Why don’t you wipe that look off your face, weirdo.” She pushed his face away.

  Elise had no other option but to throw up the prickly barrier. She felt exposed, seeing him look at her like that. Her magic surged a bit with the sudden feeling swelling in her chest. She breathed a bit to steady herself, looking away. The two sat in silence for a while.

  “What’s it like being a powerful witch?” Calvin asked, staring at the clouds as they passed by.

  “It’s great. Probably better than being a Six-Gun.” Elise shrugged, studying the same clouds.

  “I mean the Pacts, ya know?” He looked to her for a moment, “It’s gotta be weird. I think I’d always question if I picked right. I’d be looking for a Mulligan.”

  Elise blinked. She was surprised he was thinking about things from her perspective. It was refreshing to feel this level of empathy and understanding stated so openly. She was sure Logan the Bootknife understood her position, but he wasn’t eager to listen to her opinion on the matter.

  “Well, it makes me feel like an object sometimes, a tool like your cigars or your guns. You guys use a lot of tools. You’re not like us, you didn’t go through the stuff we did to get our power. You’re… human, totally. For me, I see that as, like, lower than us. You didn’t give up as much. To be led around on your schedule seems a little funny to me, Calvin. That’s just how I feel. I hope that’s not offensive or anything.”

  “It’s not.” He shook his head, “I think we’re lower than you too. You see what we need to get a fraction of your power.”

  She raised her eyebrows. None of them had admitted this before.

  “You like the covens, don’t you?”

  “I do. A lot. I think that witches like you are the most wonderful things I’ve ever seen.”

  That hit Elise a little hard. John had never showed this level of admiration for her. It felt right, like Calvin wouldn’t dare abuse his position out of respect for them. She pursed her lips.

  “Even more wonderful than your pistol?” her voice was soft.

  Calvin sighed, “You know, we have to go through a trial to get these. We have to present ourselves to some… thing which I don’t understand. It will kill us if we aren’t worthy.”

  “What? For real you’ll die?” She looked back over to him.

  He nodded, eyes up somewhere past the clouds. “Yeah. Six-Guns have to earn everything we have. Nothing comes for free. We have to prove we are worth it. Same with you girls. We gotta go to you and demonstrate how good we are. You should know I was more scared coming to the Coven than I was going to earn my pistol.”

  Elise found she didn’t have any smart remarks. She looked closely at his green eyes, a sinking feeling growing in her chest.

  “I wasn’t worthy. There’s something wrong with me.” Calvin rubbed his shoulder where the mark sat. “That’s why I’m not coming to the Dance next Saturday.”

  “But you went with us to ask.” Elise looked confused, “I thought you wanted to join us.”

  “I don’t have anybody to dance with.” Calvin chuckled, his laughter a cover for the melancholy.

  “What are you going to do about it?” She didn’t know what else to ask. In her mind, she never imagined the loneliness of a boy like him. It simply didn’t register. With all the little crimes that boys did to girls, she had a lot to think about already. Their loneliness, Calvin’s loneliness, was not on her mind.

  “I’m gonna suck it up.” Calvin answered honestly, “I’m a big boy. I don’t need you witches like the others.

  Elise smirked, a familiar feeling returning in her chest. She felt the exact same way about the Guns. It was unexpectedly comforting to hear it from someone else, it made her feel like less of a heartless bitch.

  That strength, the courage to go out face first without the support the rest got, was more attractive to Elise than she could have imagined. She looked at him for a long time, stifling the urge to go in for his lips.

  “I’m a strong witch, Cal.” She told him, “Stronger than the others. I’ll stand on that. And you’re strong too, like me.”

  Cal looked at her again, the two locking eyes. A moment of heavy silence passed between them. Elise leaned in and laid a gentle kiss on his cheek. She let her feelings take her there. Still smiling, she picked herself up. With the flick of a hand her dress returned.

  “This was fun, but I’m gonna go check on Mavis and the others. Thanks, Cal.”

  Cal tried to figure how to respond. He felt like his next words were critical. There were many different options, some bad and some worse. Unfortunately, Calvin had crippled his ability to communicate well enough. In the end he just remained silent, watching her go. His eyes returned to the clouds, a dopey grin painted on his face.

  The Covens are all about taboos. When one delves into the arcane, a healthy respect for taboo is a safety tool. Elise deliberately ignores them. This is why she prefers pyromancy, and has a particular interest in the Yellow magic imbued within Calvin Baird.