Chapter 19

19

DECLAN

“ R emind me again why you two think it’s a good idea to go anywhere called The Underworld ?” I ask, my tone dripping with skepticism in a torrid attempt at hiding my growing concern.

When I’d gotten back from the station to check in with them at the shop, the girls had filled me in on their plan. They said it so casually, like a trip to the Underworld was no different than a quick run to the grocery store. Meanwhile, my brain is short-circuiting, trying to figure out how this is all my life now. They’re the experts in this particular domain, but even the idea of them walking into a world of demons made my stomach knot uncomfortably.

Camila laughs from her spot on the couch. She’s furiously scribbling something into a notebook. A spell from the book on her lap, maybe.

That was a thought I never expected to have.

“Are you worried about us, Detective?” Camila asks, her voice clearly amused.

My face heats when Carolina’s curious gaze meets mine. Looking away, I cross my arms and lean a shoulder against the doorway to their cafe. “It’s my job to be concerned about the general welfare of others.”

I haven’t asked about the logistics of visiting the Underworld because I’m afraid they might actually tell me. What if they can’t come back? What if something goes wrong down there? And why the hell am I standing here, pretending like I’m okay with this?

“Right. Well, if we want to figure out who’s behind all of this and stop them, we need information from someone who knows what’s going on down there,” Carolina says, vigorously shaking a vial of a light purple liquid.

Her movements are methodical, calm, but there’s something underneath her exterior—something nervous, maybe. Or maybe I’m projecting.

“Do you even know if your powers will work down there? You might be entirely unprotected.” I gesture at the cat lounging beside Camila. “Why can’t Silas go?”

His head lifts, and he squints his green eyes at me until they’re just slits. I’m familiar with them enough to know that’s cat language for fuck off, or I’ll maul you. “Can’t. I’m banned from the Underworld. Has to be them.”

Somehow, this information doesn’t surprise me. Of course Silas has been banned from the Underworld. That tracks.

Luna slithers over to me and starts to scale my body. My body freezes instinctively, every muscle locking in place. My entire life, I’ve tried to avoid situations where I’m literally wrapped in a snake. Yet, here I am. The sound of her chuffing fills my ears. Oh good, the snake is laughing at me. Perfect.

“Why is he here again?” Silas asks, and I glare at him even though I’m pretty sure that the only reason Luna is climbing me is to prevent Silas from attacking my face. It’s a strange kind of comfort. The snake, weirdly, feels protective, and I’m not sure how I feel about that .

“I think the concern is cute,” Luna says, perching her head on my shoulder. Her voice is oddly soothing, despite the fact that she’s a literal serpent wrapped around me. My life has gotten very strange, very fast. “But, the girls will have their magic, don’t worry.”

I grimace and look at Carolina again. Her mouth is slanted down, but her eyes are lighter than usual. Somehow, between the talking cat and barista witches, I have become the comic relief. Wonderful .

The irritation is short-lived when another question comes to me. “If you don’t know who you’re looking for because Silas won’t be there, how do you know where to look? Is there some magical Find My Demon app?”

“Clever,” Silas says, though clearly not amused. His tone tells me he’s about one sarcastic comment away from scratching my face off, snake or no snake. “It’s more like…a sensor. I’ve given Camila an item given to me by my contact for emergencies. Her magic will help guide them to the item’s owner.”

A magical tagging device. Great. Sounds foolproof.

“What am I supposed to do while you two are gone?” I hate feeling useless, but in a situation like this, I’m not exactly the guy you call to fight demons.

Camila tears out a piece of paper from her notebook and closes the spell book before standing. She moves with a casual confidence, like this is just another day at the office. “You mean while we’re busy doing your job, what should you be doing?”

I know she means it as a joke, but I roll my eyes anyway. My job was to solve normal disappearances. Human-on-human crimes. Supernatural happenings were above my pay grade and outside my jurisdiction.

“Camila,” Carolina says, her tone borderline scolding .

I didn’t grow up with siblings, but I watched enough sitcoms to be able to identify a clear sisterly hierarchy.

“Keep Bas away from us,” Carolina continues. “The more you can keep him out of our path, the better. We’ll call you when we’re back.”

That’s something I can do. I can keep Bas in the dark long enough to buy them some time. But the idea of just…waiting while they dive into the Underworld? That doesn’t sit right with me.

“And when will that be?” I ask, straightening and then realizing Luna is still firmly wrapped around me.

Somehow, Luna’s presence has become more comforting than off-putting, something I hadn’t imagined ever happening. To be fair, the last 24 hours had been a little…overwhelming.

“Don’t be clingy, Declan. It’s unbecoming,” Silas says between lapping at his paw.

Camila bops his head with her palm. “Hopefully not long. I don’t want to be there any longer than absolutely necessary. Got the emergency escape potion?”

“Yes, ma’am.” Carolina shows her the vial before slipping it into her pocket. The small gesture gives me a strange sense of relief. At least they’re going in with a backup plan. “Got the spell?”

“Check.”

“Good.” Carolina gives a satisfied nod, then turns to me, her expression softening slightly. “Look, Declan, I know this is outside the norm for you— way outside—but we’ve got this. We need to do this.”

Camila slips the last few items into her weathered satchel, her movements precise. “It’s the only way to get ahead of whatever’s happening. We’ve hit a dead end up here. I hear you know what that’s like.”

“Are you making fun of me because my investigation did not initially include the possibility that demons were kidnapping the people in this town?”

Camila grimaces. “Yeah…I didn’t think that one through.”

I can’t help but smirk a little at that. At least she’s honest about it.

“Okay, enough of this. Camila, bring the book over to where we’ll do the spell,” Carolina orders while rummaging through the drawers of the antique-looking desk.

“On it,” Camila replies, grabbing the book she’d been copying and carrying it to a wall that was devoid of decoration.

When Carolina joins her sister, I watch them prepare for something straight out of a fantasy novel. They face the stark, unadorned wall, their concentration palpable in the cool air of the room.

Carolina holds a piece of chalk in her hand—not just any chalk, I note, but one that emits a faint, ethereal glow. It catches the light in a way that makes it almost otherworldly. I can feel the magic humming in the air before they’ve even started. Camila, with the ancient-looking book propped open in her arms, directs her sister where to start.

"Make sure every line connects perfectly," Camila instructs, her finger tracing over the page as if she could transfer the spell through her touch alone.

“I know how it works, Cami,” Carolina snaps, but Camila doesn’t react. Either she’s used to it, or she’s aware of how stressed her sister is. There’s an underlying tension between them, one I haven’t fully figured out yet.

I watch, fascinated, as Carolina begins. The movements are precise, each stroke of the chalk deliberate. It’s like watching an artist paint something only they can truly understand.

The chalk touches the wall, leaving luminescent lines in its wake. She draws with a steady, practiced hand symbols and shapes that are foreign yet oddly mesmerizing. The symbols seem alive somehow, each line pulsing with energy the moment it’s drawn. A large circle first, then intricate patterns that filled the inside, each stroke adding to the complexity of a glowing mandala.

As the final line is drawn, the air around us seems to charge, the hair on my arms standing on end. Camila steps forward, her voice strong and clear as she begins to recite the words that she’d written on the piece of paper.

Shadows gather, night unfurl,

Open the gate to the Underworld.

By the echo of ancient chimes,

Grant passage through the veils of time.

The words hang in the air, and as she speaks, the symbols on the wall begin to glow brighter, pulsing in time with her voice. As Camila speaks the final words, the chalk lines on the wall ignite with a soft, silver glow. The symbols pulse as if breathing, and the air in front of the wall shimmers like heat above a flame. Slowly, the center of the drawing seems to dissolve, revealing a swirling vortex of colors that beckoned them forward.

“Whoa,” I breathe.

Carolina looks back at me and gives me a tight smile. Her eyes are still filled with that same determination, but there’s something else there too—something I can’t quite place. Maybe it’s concern. Maybe it’s regret. “We’ll be back soon.”

I can’t help but admire their resolve, even as the dread gnaws at me. “Just…be careful, okay?” I say, feeling suddenly inadequate with only my concern to offer in the face of their magical expedition.

The corner of her mouth tips up as she dips her chin in a short nod. It’s a small gesture, but it’s enough to soothe some of the anxiety roiling inside me.

“Ready?” Carolina asks, holding out her hand to her sister.

Camila stares at it for a moment before clasping her hand around Carolina’s. For a second, they don’t move, and I wonder if they’re as scared as I am. But then they step forward, together, and the magic around them seems to surge in response.

“Ready.”

As they step through the doorway, the light seems to swallow them, and for a moment, my heart stops—then starts again as the vortex shimmers and becomes the wall again, leaving me in the silent magic room with Silas and Luna.

“That’s normal, right?”

Silas jumps onto the counter, his tail flicking with annoyance or perhaps worry. “Yeah. They’ll be alright,” he mutters, more to himself than to me. Luna, still wrapped around my shoulders, tightens her coils in what I assume is her version of a comforting gesture.

Left in the quiet, I ponder Carolina’s instructions: keep Bas away. It feels like a small, almost trivial task in the grand scheme of things, but it’s something I can do. Something within my control.

I check my phone to see if Bas has reached out with anything new and wonder, not for the first time, if I’m in way over my head.

Drawing a deep breath, I set my jaw and prepare for the task at hand. Protecting them from this side might not be as flashy or dangerous as delving into the Underworld, but it’s something I can do. Something I must do well. After all, in a world where talking cats and barista witches exist, a determined detective can surely keep one overzealous cop at bay…right?