Chapter 27

27

I t takes a few minutes more of Chloe and Gurlien's arguments before they agree on the perfect place for this test. It's barely more than a clearing, just the space between two trees, but it's secure enough that even Maison is satisfied that it won't be seen by any onlookers, magical or not.

"Are you okay?" Delina whispers to him, as Gurlien and Chloe take a few steps back and he visually steels himself.

She's still holding onto the coil of magic, and it pulses in her touch, vivid gold.

He nods, of course, and she raises an eyebrow.

"You need to tie it on his wrist, and pour intention into it," Gurlien says for what feels like the hundredth time. "In that intention, put the willpower that he'll follow your instructions. Frederick, resist her instructions."

Maison's eyes narrow, almost impossible to see, at the other name.

"Tell me if I'm going too far," Delina whispers.

"Same to you," he whispers back, quick. "I shouldn't have done that."

She doesn't need a translator to know what that is, not when he's still flushed despite the cold air.

"Stop panicking," she whispers, because she can feel his heart jackhammering away. "You're fine."

"Am I, though?" he replies, then flinches as she holds the magic between two hands, like a string to tie, before he narrows his eyes further and holds his wrist out to her, almost a challenge. "You want me to be honest, you need to be too."

So she locks eyes with him. "I'm fine."

He searches her face, for what she couldn't tell anyone with a gun to her head, before he nods.

Once more, she holds out the rope, silky soft in her hands. "Last chance to back out."

"Last chance for you as well," he shoots back, and she's changed her mind, she loves this competitive side of him.

"Nope," she says, popping the ‘p' sound and, before she can psych herself out of it, quickly wraps the magic around his wrist and double knots it.

Immediately, he jerks, hand gripping down on hers. A gold flash echoes behind her eyes, sharp, her breath catching.

Her knees wobble, and his eyes reflect red at her, wide and panicked and…hungry.

"Where is he?" Gurlien asks, high pitched, and Maison gasps.

Gasps, drops her hand, and flickers away, appearing in the same stance, still recoiling, on the other side of the clearing.

"What—" Maison starts, then disappears again, appearing behind the tree, and there's terror across his face, horror written over his features, and he flinches back. "Delina, what's going—" he disappears, reappears right next to her, suddenly too close, his eyes flashing red. "…on?"

He reaches for her and a gold spark snaps out, and Delina's head swims before he disappears, appearing a few steps away.

"Stop," she breathes, and he freezes, eyes flashing red, his breath caught in his throat.

His heart is pounding, rabbit fast, and everything about him is…different.

"Where is he?" Chloe asks, behind them, her voice breaking through the chill air.

"I'm right here," Maison says, panic reeding through his words. "I'm right here, what's going on?"

"You're okay," Delina says, then tosses a glance to the other two. "He's here, he's disappearing and reappearing, things are weird."

Maison straightens, and he's not in pain, per se, but his body is…weird. Off.

"You commanded him to stop, what did he stop?" Gurlien asks.

"I'm not, I'm not…" Maison disappears, but doesn't move away, appearing once more in the exact position, stuttering in place. "What's going on?"

Delina takes a step towards him, and he recoils, still in one place, holding his arms up.

"Stay there," he says, and if it wasn't for the fear in his voice, she would've disregarded them. "I'm hurting you, I'm taking from you, I can't stop it, I don't—"

Delina stares at him, as he gapes, before he stares down at his hands.

"Am I a demon right now?"

"Okay, that's new," Delina says, but he doesn't give her a smile. "It's okay, you're fine."

"What's happening?" Gurlien demands sharply. "Tell us—"

"You, shut up, let me handle this," Delina commands, pointing at them, and miracle of miracle he closes his mouth. "Maison, look at me!"

His eyes snap up to hers, like he's fully unable to stop.

Right. She can command him.

"Do you want me to untie it?"

He swallows, his Adam's apple bobbing. "I don't want you to come close to me."

"Okay," Delina responds, and she takes a deliberate step back, and his shoulders ease a bit on their tightness. "I need you to answer me, understand? Are you in pain?"

He shakes his head immediately.

"Tell me if I ask something you don't want to say," she says, and he nods unsteadily. "What do you see right now?"

"You," he replies, fast, like he doesn't even need to think, "just you, there's nothing else, I can't see the world, I can't see the trees, I can't see anyone, you're just…just you."

Delina exhales, and whatever happened that made her head swim is slowly clearing away.

"Can you control the teleporting?" Delina asks, and he blanches. "I think you were teleporting."

"I don't know," he blurts out, and he's scared. He's so scared. "Delly, I was hurting you—"

"Look at me," she says again, and he does. "I'm okay. Breathe."

He does.

"Command me to not hurt you," he says, voice lilting up. "Command me. Please."

"Whatever you do, don't hurt me," Delina repeats, and his shoulders slump. "Don't take from me, don't feed, whatever it is that was."

Behind her, Gurlien stirs, then grabs Chloe by the collar, hauling her back.

Good. Means he figured it out.

Figured it out, and Delina's still grasping at straws.

"Don't hurt anybody right now," Delina commands, and he nods, eager. "Unless my life is in direct danger, I guess."

That, at least, gets some relief from him, like she's saved him from a hell she doesn't quite understand.

There are tears in his eyes, actual tears.

She takes a tentative step closer, and he inhales, sharp, still stuck in one place.

"This made you a demon?" she asks, dipping her voice low, and the other two are far enough away that they have no hope of hearing. "All the demon powers and everything?"

"I think so," he says, small.

"Is me commanding you making you do things?" Delina asks, and he nods again. "Then I guess this is a success. This test."

He's still scared, more frightened than when he actually died, and her heart hurts at it.

"Will you let me untie you?" Delina asks, and still, he hesitates. "It'll stop the danger, it'll stop all these side effects."

His lips part.

"You won't hurt me," she declares, then, slowly, reaches out her hand to him.

Of course she's terrified, too, but the chill of the air doesn't hurt her skin anymore, all her muscles are relaxed, more than they have been in years.

He stares down at her, his eyes inhuman, and she can see the pulse in his throat. "You're beautiful," he says, almost marveling, but his voice breaks. "You're shining so bright."

"Thanks," Delina replies, before reaching towards his wrist again. "Will you let me do this?"

Slowly, he nods, holding out his arm.

It's a quick yank on the knot, the magic slithering away and disappearing into the ground, and he slumps forward, crashing into her.

"Oh hey, I got you, I got you," Delina says, getting her feet back underneath her, and his arms wrap around her, gripping her into a tight hug. "Woah, you're okay, you're fine."

And his body is back to normal, none of the off sensation, none of the creeping inhumanity.

Just his ragged breathing and his face pressed against her shoulder.