Chapter 17

CHAPTER 17

I want to say goodbye, but I have no choice. I feel the gods calling, and I know something must be wrong. I want to resist, to stay, but I can't. As much as I am enjoying my time here, I cannot forsake all of my duties.

Maybe I can return before she gets home and she will not question how I got out of her trap. I have a feeling Freya would be very angry if she realised I could leave at will after she put all that effort into the spell.

I linger for a moment, looking around at the cave that has somehow become my refuge, my happy place in this ever-changing world. I found my purpose here. I found my excitement for this world and magic again. I found that the littlest things can bring happiness, like watching a film with someone you care about, joking with a friend, or just being together.

I will miss the companionship because deep down, I know everything will change tonight, although I am not sure how. I need to leave even a piece of me behind so she knows I have not just abandoned her, so I tread over to her workbench, wave of my fingers, and a carved statue appears. It's a figurine of her grinning at me. She looks so beautiful and kind that my heart aches.

Wherever I go, I know I have been changed now, all by one little witch.

She will never know how close I was to giving up until her call. Despite what she is and what she is capable of, she is still so pure, kind, and carefree that she makes me want to be better.

That starts with now and answering the call. After all, it could affect her.

With one last look around, I leave the cave and the witch behind.

Just as I appear on our meeting island, I feel something ripping through the magic on Earth—something dark and evil.

Something that never should have been born.

My eyes widen, but I do not say anything as the other gods turn to face me.

"Finally," Vanessa snaps. "Now let's talk about what we will do about Mors."

I nod, but my gaze is on Earth, worry filling me. Is my little witch okay?

DEMON

Swallowing hard, I glance back at my pale witch. "Well, that isn't good," I joke. "Are you okay?" I ask again.

She nods. "It didn't hurt me."

I help her to her feet, and both of us turn to look at the trees it disappeared into. "I say we get the hell out of here before it comes back or, worse, someone finds out and blames us."

"We can't leave it wandering about." She turns to me.

"Do you know how to find it?" I ask, eyebrow arched. "No, so let's regroup at home. Besides, we are ages away from anywhere, so it's not like it's going to go all Godzilla."

"I never should have got you the TV," she grumbles but nods, though her eyes go back to the trees. "What was it though?"

"Honestly? I don't have a fucking clue," I admit, and that's the truth. I have never seen anything like that before, and I don't think anyone has, which worries me more because that creature was not attacking her, it was reaching for her. It's clear that whatever spell she cast tonight called it, and I need to get her away before it comes back.

"I leave you for a little while and here you are, giving birth to creatures." I shake my head as I grab her and stand. "This is why we should stick together." Just as I stand, my bag opens and the hand launches out, lunging for her.

I grab it midair as she screams, and I smack the back of the hand. "Bad evil hand."

"What the fuck is that?" she screeches, scrambling back across the grass.

"Really? That creature didn't scare you, but this does?" I huff as I use it to wave at her. "It's our way of finding the mask, duh. Now come on."

She blinks at the hand, and I shove it back into my bag and grab her hand. Usually, I wouldn't show off or use my powers, but I want her away from this place, and with a snap, I transport us back to her cave. She stumbles away, glaring at me since she hates when I do that. I plop her bags down and shove mine into a drawer, then I draw a protection rune across it. I watch it glow bright red before it sinks into the wood so the hand can't escape or, you know, strangle us in our sleep. When I turn back, however, Freya is staring at the empty area where Phrixius was.

Surprise fills me. He left? Why? He didn't seem like he was going anywhere, not that she knows that.

"Huh, at least the spell worked," I say, trying to cheer her up, but she's staring at the space with a strange sadness in her gaze.

She sighs. "I suppose."

"Little witch," I murmur.

She shakes it off and turns to me, smiling, but it's tight. "We have bigger issues to deal with, I guess, like the thing I unleashed or that hand and the mask."

I nod, but instead of getting into any of that, I head her way and wrap my arms around her. "I'm sorry you're sad." No matter how annoying he was, she was growing attached to him, and yes, I'm selfish and happy he's gone, but not at the cost of her happiness.

I would do anything to keep her from ever feeling a drop of pain ever again.

She softens in my arms, and I kiss her head. "He'll be back."

"You think?" she asks, sounding so lost and unsure.

"Nobody can resist you, little witch, trust me on that. In the meantime, how about we save the world from evil? Hmm? Does that sound fun?" I lean back as she chuckles, her eyes lighting up once more, and I can finally take a full breath as her sadness retreats.

She nods. "Let's do it."

"First," I say seriously, "we need superhero names."

Her laugh fills my heart, and I know if Phrixius comes back, I'm going to kick his ass for making her sad.