Chapter 22 - Robyn

"I felt so crazy," I recalled as I threaded my fingers in the bars of the cage. Jillian was fast asleep under one of Faye's fancy spells. "It was like he was trying to get me tied down to a hospital bed."

Faye chuckled. "Kinky."

"Maybe under different circumstances." My thighs ached as I thought about the previous afternoon when Cliff had me pinned. His scent had gotten stronger muskier, and had made it hard to control my baser urges. "I would have hurt myself if he hadn't intervened."

"I'm glad we were there to help."

"How can you be so calm about this?"

Faye sighed while shuffling some pages around. "This desk is too small."

"The research is too much."

"Fair."

I shrugged as I slowly rotated to face her. "Do you think she'll survive?"

"According to these accounts—" Shuffle. Shuffle. "Yes, I think she has a decent chance of surviving. It's a long and intense ritual, but it should work."

"And you're sure Cliff won't mind?"

She played with her silky blonde hair that might have been Cliff's if it was dingier and tucked back into a ponytail. "What my brother doesn't know won't hurt him."

"I feel bad."

"There's more than one type of love in this world, Robyn. I can tell you love your best friend. It reminds me a lot of mine."

I felt dim even when I smiled. "Yeah?"

"I would do anything for Kylie. She's family."

I looked at Jillian snoozing inside her cocoon of chains. "Those must hurt."

"I gave her a dose of a painkiller, something to take the edge off."

"Thank you. That's so…" I covered my mouth as tears burned my eyes. "Gods…"

Intense confusion crashed through me as Faye pulled me into a hug. I wasn't sure how she got to me so fast. Grief blinded my senses, turning me into a blubbering puddle without direction. Faye patiently guided me to the chair next to the desk and poured me a glass of water. She encouraged me to drink. She brushed her fingers through my hair.

"You're so much like Cliff," I whimpered between sips. "You're so nice."

"Yeah, we're related."

I chortled. "The only thing you don't share is power."

"I got the gift. It skipped him."

"Does your daughter have it?"

She shrugged. "Time will tell us that one. But for now, let's focus on Jillian." She cupped my face. "Are you ready?"

One deep breath was all I needed to proceed with a nod. After unlocking the cage, Faye invited me inside and had me lay next to Jillian in a mirrored position. Though she slept contentedly, her side rose in jagged bursts like she was struggling to breathe with those heavy chains around her.

"We have to move fast," I urged. "I don't like seeing her suffer like this."

Faye held my shoulder firmly. "The moment you're inside, start looking for her soul."

"How do I find it?"

"It'll recognize you as soon as you're in there. It'll call to you."

I grimaced when she touched my temple. Hot liquid poured through my skull. I gasped and grabbed her wrist. "Faye—"

"Relax. It's me. I'm giving you a magical cocktail that acts like a mix of melatonin and morphine."

My muscles relaxed. "Oh…I see…"

A heaviness draped over my muscles as the hot trail coursed through my neck, chest, and solar plexus. It coiled through my stomach like a serpent and slithered to each limb. I stared at Jillian as my hand relaxed and slipped to my side. Reality lost me—consciousness, too.

Then, my vision blackened.

***

Tarry pits bubbled beside me as I lifted my head in a shimmering teal hallway that reminded me of fairies and mermaid scales. Luminescent lanterns floated to the left of each door, made from various shades and styles of wood. Closest to my right stood a crimson oak with a gold design of ivy laid into the wood. The handle was brass, and a key had been left in the lock.

I reached for it.

" Not in my house! " The door rattled. " Lock it, Jillian! "

I cringed as I sprang to my feet. I skittered back as the woman shouted again, farther away, tossing something while she was at it. My stomach did a little flip when I realized that was probably the aunt Jillian had told me about who was mega paranoid about people breaking into her home. She used to yell at Jillian for forgetting about the locks.

I couldn't imagine keeping that kind of memory anywhere inside my body.

Behind me, another door popped up, this one made of dark orange maple. Spiced pumpkin filled the air like someone was baking a pie. As I sniffed at the door, I felt a cold breeze skate over my elbow.

" Robby? "

I snapped to attention, turning right to face the voice I knew belonged to Jillian. "Jilly, where are you?"

" It's so…cold…and dark… "

My heart raced as I clenched my jaw. "I'm coming, Jilly. Hang on."

I raced along the hallway, peeking into each door I came across, no matter how frightened I got at my best friend's unspoken memories. Strange, awkward encounters lived here alongside terrible childhood trips, and that one time, she almost drowned in the ocean. Door after door revealed insights into my best friend—but didn't show me her remaining soul essence.

" Robby… "

I halted at the end of the hallway in front of a large, floor-to-ceiling painting of a hot spring. Inside the water floated a leaf. When I reached for it, it fluttered around, swirling the tip of my nail and then rounding my knuckle. Butterflies fluttered in my chest as I recognized my best friend's warm and welcoming energy.

Overcome with relief, I sniffled, "Jillian."

Her hand materialized and snatched me into the painting, where I tumbled through a few shallow pools of hot water until I landed on top of a flat rock. I gazed at the marvelous, sunny sky and inhaled the striking scent of lavender. To my right splashed the very person I hoped to find.

I embraced Jillian. "You're still here. Thank Goddess, I was so worried, Jilly!"

She chuckled, sobbed, and then chuckled again, the rotation repeating a few cycles as she clung to me. Steam twirled around our shoulders, hers clad in a white robe and nothing more. I smoothed her hair back from her face and smiled. "You really know how to make an exit."

"I didn't do it on purpose."

"I'm sorry it took me so long to figure it out."

She shook her head. "Please, don't apologize for that. You were preoccupied."

"I'll do everything I can to make up for it."

"Robyn, you've done nothing wrong."

I glowered. "Yes, I have. I left you to rot with a demon inside you and barely even noticed."

"You have to stop blaming yourself for things that are out of your control."

I grasped her shoulders. "Don't you go Full Throttle Therapist on me."

"Don't you make me do it."

"I've missed you so much."

She smiled weakly as she threw herself in my arms, shrinking into me like she was a scared child. "Can you get me back?"

"I'll try to." I turned to find the hallway. "This place is nice."

"Yeah, I found it while trying to hide from that…thing."

I located the painting of the hallway, eagerly tugging Jillian through the shallow water to get back to it. "Well, you don't have to deal with it much longer."

"Robby, wait. It's out there."

"I didn't see anything when I was out there." I paused in front of the painting, watching it warble like it was the surface of a calm lake. "Hang onto me. I'll get you out of here."

"And then what? I get a new body?" She shrank back. "This is a bad idea."

I extended my hand. "Do you trust me?"

She stared at my hand. "Do you have a plan?"

I chewed on my lower lip. "I have a general idea of what to do. But we have to get into the hallway to do it, Jilly. You can't stay here forever."

"I can if I want to."

"I guess you can, but then we'll lose each other."

She focused on me with a torn scowl. "I don't want to lose you."

"Take my hand. We'll take it from there, okay?"

After a moment, she nodded with determination and placed her hand in mine. I clasped my fingers around her and jerked her through the painting before she could change her mind. She fell on top of me, causing my ribs to ache as I broke her fall. I groaned while struggling to get to my feet. Then, I helped Jillian stand up like she had for me so many times.

We both froze when we saw what was waiting for us at the end of the hallway.

Jillian grabbed my bicep. "Robby, is that…my aunt?"

I hauled air into my lungs as I grabbed my best friend's hand. "Looks like it."

The tall woman wore a black pantsuit and a wide black sunhat with dark glasses and sharp heels. She gritted her sharp teeth, holding up talons for hands. "You didn't lock the door, Muffin."

Jillian shuddered with a croak. "Aunt Sylvia, I'm sorry. I didn't—"

I held out my hand to her. "No, don't apologize. That's not your aunt, Jillian."

Sylvia—the thing that looked like Sylvia smiled and clicked her tongue a few times. "Robyn was never a good influence on you."

"Jillian, look at me," I urged. "Don't listen to her. Hang on to me."

Quiet tears streaked her cheeks. "I can't move, Robyn."

Sylvia clicked her heels and floated toward us. About five feet away, she landed on her sharp heels, giving them another pointed tap. "Muffin, you don't want to disappoint your family by leaving them to stay poor."

"I didn't leave them. I just—"

I shook Jillian's arm. "Jilly!"

"—didn't know how to help my mother. She sent me to live with you because she couldn't afford it, remember? That's why—"

Sylvia removed her hat, showing us the red that blossomed in her face. "You got a job and left me . You could have returned all the help we gave you by coming with me when I left the Wildtooth Tails, but you stayed. You abandoned us."

"I didn't mean to." Jillian clutched her tear-stained cheeks. "Stop it!"

Shadows formed at the corners of the hallways. They crept in slowly like a mist, blanketing the luminescent hallway and blocking out the light. I squeezed Jillian's arm. "Jill, you have to fight her. She's the demon."

"What?"

Sylvia threw her head back and cackled as her eyes turned black.

Jillian jumped back. "Hell no."

"Jill, you have to fight her off," I said. "This is your body. Protect it!"

"But what about you?"

I held her hand firmly. "I'll be right here to back you up. But you're the one who needs to fight this bitch." I turned to face Sylvia—the demon. " Urkod ."

Sylvia paled.

I puffed up, bringing Jillian forward with me. "Oh, does that bother you?"

There came a hissing wheeze capped by a pop . The demon dressed as Sylvia twitched slightly as she held up her talons. "Without magic, you can't defeat me."

"This is a dream," Jillian stated, "and that means I can do dream things." She crouched to the ground and launched into the air, landing on top of Sylvia. "Which means I have a fighting chance!"

I stood back with a hand over my heart, holding my breath as I watched my best friend face down her aunt, one of the most real demons in her life up until this Urkod jerk waltzed in like she owned the joint. Jillian clawed at Sylvia's mouth and retreated, crouching again to prepare for another jump.

Urkod roared with what was left of her jaw. A frustrated cry signaled her next hit, a right hook that launched Jillian into a stained glass door made of surreal colors. Glass shattered all over the floor, shards of it sticking out in threatening angles to keep me away from Jillian. I bowed near the edge of the circle, paralyzed by helplessness as Urkod stamped over the glass toward my best friend.

The demon snarled with a devious gaze. "I was saving this piece for last, but…" She lapped her tongue around her missing jaw. "It'll taste good all the same."

I screeched with my hands outstretched. " Urkod , I banish you!"

Amusement sparkled in those black eyes of hers. "You have no power here, fool."

"I have rage," I claimed, "and I have plenty of power. You just don't think it's important."

The demon laughed.

Jillian raised herself on her palms, cringing at the glass that cut into her flesh. "Robyn, just leave. I'm a goner."

"No, you're not," I growled. "You're a winner . You always get yourself back up. You always get everyone else back up. I'm not letting you go."

"Save yourself…"

I shook my head as another scream wound up in my gut. I closed my eyes and released the banshee wail, vibrating with energy as I held my neck—as I held my mate bite. " Be gone, Urkod ! "

Light flashed around us as Jillian scampered to her feet, standing on wobbly legs next to the demon. She clenched her fists and went wild haymaker, turning into a blurred hurricane momentarily as she wailed away at the demon. I kept screaming, kept drawing on the never-ending well of strength that imbued me. As the light intensified, the demon squealed, holding her arms up to shield her face.

Blood spattered the luminescent teal ground. Screams echoed around us as the light encased us, our combined shouts creating a sound so intense that it blinded me.

"Be gone!"

Boom!

The demon exploded into a million pieces of glittering confetti that rained over the hallway and beyond the translucent walls. The doors blasted open with more sparkling confetti that soon snowed us in the hallway. I swam through the swishy mess to Jillian, who grabbed me.

"What now?" she asked over the explosions. "How do I make it stop?"

I pressed my forehead to hers. "Think of home. Think of our home."

I closed my eyes as I fastened myself to Jillian and hung on for dear life.