Shock reverberated through Styx. A bone rattling force that left her thoughts scattered like leaves in a tempest. Everything crashed down on her at once. Never did she expect lingering outside of Caleb’s home in the dark would unleash such revelations.
A soul bond.
Demon intruders.
Two unfathomable intersections that now inextricably intertwined their fates through unanticipated forces. Future gave no hint, and she could scarcely wrap her mind around the implications. But fear dominated everything. Rowan’s confirmation of the bond and the newfound knowledge about the demons’ presence. Not just in the general area, but inside of Caleb’s home.
She cast a side glance at Caleb, now worried that he could perceive her anger. Demons inside his home made her angry beyond words. Beyond reason, really.
An image crashed unbidden into her mind. An eerie blue blade sliding across his throat as he slept. Red blood soaking the pillow. His face growing pale. His chest movement ceasing. Then his soul would appear before her, calling out to find its eternal rest. Bitter revolt rolled through her at that idea. She didn’t want to escort his soul. Not now. Not ever!
Caleb froze a few paces away and turned to look at her. No, it didn’t bug her. He was nothing to her. Nothing but a human who summoned her and started the entire problem. If it wasn’t for him, she would be chilling in the underworld, throwing bones to Russ. Instead, she was in the mortal world, stressing! The inconsiderate fool.
Thank Hades and Hel that he was cute. That made up for a lot. Then again, he was proving to be rather useful. First, with the ability to discover the soul bond initially. Then with the resources that Rowan needed to test for that rare magic.
She was fortunate this magic hadn’t bonded her to a completely useless hunk of flesh; Caleb had proven his worth thus far. Besides, since they knew it was a soul bond, they could break it.
But not right now. Rowan was in no state to perform such a delicate and intensive task. The druid wandered the basement, magic seeping into every corner and crevasse.
“Is she okay?” Caleb whispered. “Do I need to get her something? I have a delicious blackcurrant sparkling water.”
“No,” Styx said. “Leave her alone. You’ll only bug her by interrupting. Here, come sit by me.” She patted the seat next to her.
His eyes lit up like souls glimpsing paradise, shining with joy over their destiny. A smile threatened to crack across her lips. He was rather adorable.
The bench, being small, barely fit both of them. As a result, they collided, his body pressing against hers. A bolt of desire shot through her. The idea of his hands on her, his lips, his breath… But she didn’t know how to react or what to think. Was this only the soul bond?
Was magic solely responsible for her feelings? Was the magic so powerful and compelling that it would override her desires and replace it? Because if that was the case, she could never trust her feelings for him.
Trying to put some distance between them, she leaned forward. Now, at least they weren’t completely smushed together. Before she could say anything else, Rowan spoke a few ancient words. Caleb perked up and looked at her. She waved him off.
“Uh, would, um. Could you tell me what she said? The unknown is killing me,” he whispered.
As his breath rolled over her exposed skin, she suppressed a shiver. Unable to stop herself, she leaned closer.
“Basically, she’s cursing the souls of the demons. If they have souls anyway.”
He leaned into her, mirroring her movements. “That’s, um, something, uh…wait what was I saying? I got distracted by how great you smell.” He blinked a few times and shivered. “Oh, right! That’s good, right? Because then you can really curse them once they die.”
“Yep, she’s marking them for me to find easier. It will be faint, because she’s cursing the remnants of their magic. But I’ll be able to sense the curse when they arrive in the underworld.”
“Can we throw a party when that happens? Please?”
“Why? They’ve done nothing to you.”
He nodded, his hair bouncing with the movement. “They haven’t, but they’ve made your life much harder and therefore when they die it’s something to celebrate.”
Now the smile spread across her lips. She smacked his back, and he lurched forward. “You know, Cal. You’re really sweet!”
He frowned and looked like he might cried. “Does that mean Caleb isn’t sweet? But what if I wanna be sweet?”
Styx was about to chastise him for being stupid, but Rowan spun on her heels and stomped towards them. Caleb snapped his mouth shut.
“I’m ready to explain why the demons are here,” Rowan exhaled.
[https://i.imgur.com/99kG1g3][https://i.imgur.com/99kG1g3.png]
“Are you sure? You haven’t been able to discuss what happened,” Styx said. “I know it’s been hard, so don’t push yourself.”
Rowan let out another deep breath and sank to the floor. Caleb tensed, but Styx patted his arm. Rowan would be fine sitting on cold stones for a while.
“I have few memories from before,” Rowan began. “Only fleeting glances. I was rather young. But I recall that night, the details, each second, every cracked branch, and blood-soaked blade of grass.”
“It’s like the opening to a horror movie,” he whispered.
“It is. My clan had been preparing for that ritual for months. I don’t remember the original purpose. Just that it was a unique event. It began innocently enough. The colors were vibrant against the night sky. All the trees and shrubs were gifting their life force.
“It was incredible to experience. The sheer magnetism of the accumulated power, the cooperation, the rippling words flowing over stone. The only time I experienced similar feelings was…”
“When?” Caleb asked. “When? I’d love…”
Styx smacked him. “Stop interrupting.”
He shut his mouth. Rowan didn’t seem annoyed at the interruption.
“Then everything changed…” Her voice trailed off.
Styx sat tense on the bench, ready to rush to her friend’s aid. Because she recognized that this was the second most terrible thing to happen to the druid.
“Under the moonless night sky, with the milky white stars as witnesses, a portal manifested amid the stones. I’d never seen one before, and it was beautiful. Vibrant reds and oranges spun around each other.”
“Red and orange?” Styx asked. “Portals are blue and gray.”
“Not portals from the abyss,” Caleb said. “Since those are so rare and powerful, they’re different colors.”
“Fuck,” Styx breathed.
“I loved it. Then the demons descended with chaos. As a girl, I possessed only a vague comprehension of the situation, but I recognized it as something dire. My clan died around me. The screaming echoed in the night. The smell of blood and fire tainted the air. I thought it couldn’t get worse.”
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“Until it did,” Caleb said.
Rowan kept her eyes down. “A demon approached, his blue blade sizzling and sparking with the blood of my family. I knew he was going to end me, but I didn’t try to escape. He toyed with me, making minor cuts as I cried for my momma.”
“No,” Styx breathed. “I was aware the demons were evil, but that?”
“When he finished finding his joy, the firelight glinted off his sword as he raised it above me. I was witnessing the end of this life. But I wasn’t sad. The next life would have my family, my clan. So I let it happen.”
“Obviously it didn’t,” Caleb said.
“No, it didn’t. A demon protected me. He stopped the blade before it descended. They shouted angry words and departed. In a swirl of smoke and sparking fire, they were gone. Only a few of us endured that night, and another clan assimilated us shortly afterward.”
“Wow.” Caleb rubbed his neck. “Just wow.”
“Rowan, return home. This has opened old wounds and created new. Go, find healing.”
Rowan finally looked up. She gave a single nod before rising. Styx watched her leave, feeling the rumbling power as a portal materialized upstairs.
“Will she be okay?” Caleb asked. “I could send her some calming herbs or a relaxation stone.”
“She’ll be fine.”
He stood from the bench and paced the room. She fidgeted, knowing that it was fast approaching the time that she needed to leave. But she didn’t want to.
“Styx.”
She startled, realizing that the slight traces of sadness and despair trapped lingering in the room trapped her. Shaking them off, she stood and eyed him.
The dim light of the basement had obviously accepted him as their own. It caressed the curve of his shoulder and the lines of his thighs. For a scholar, he had a rather pleasant body. Soft in all the right places.
“This explains it. Demons. I never would have known, but it makes sense.”
“What?” She took a step towards him.
“The strange occurrences here.”
“Explain.” Another step.
“Little things, missing animals and broken cars. My neighbor has had to replace her car battery three times in the last month. But that’s not all of it.”
“Tell me.” Step.
“At first, I blamed myself for being consumed with research. But strange events kept happening. Books would disappear, pages ripped from journals. Certain crystals darkened with shadows. Sometimes a noxious smell of lemon pepper and copper permeated the house.”
“Demons.”
Fuck, if those evil creatures were inside of his house, messing with his things. What were they after? Were they targeting him because of her?
If they were, she understood their capabilities. A fragile human stood no chance. A mortal without magic to defend himself was a weak lamb. He didn’t have any thorns to defend or poison to use.
Fear burst through her body. If she caused this, then she might never forgive herself. Caleb didn’t deserve this. Without thinking, she stepped closer to him. Neither glanced away as they stood paces apart. Styx found herself drawn into the emotion swirling within his eyes. For a suspended moment, only the two of them existed.
“How does this make you feel?” he asked.
Styx snorted. “Shit, are you a therapist now?”
He shrugged and looked away. But somehow she couldn’t help herself as she took a step closer to him. Without thinking, she reached up and pushed a lock of hair away from his eyes.
He blinked before a smile crept over his face. “Does that mean you like me?”
She scoffed, shaking her head. “Yes, and no. I’ll admit that I find some of your quirks endearing, but you don’t rank within my top ten favorite people.”
“Oh?” Caleb smiled. “I’ll have to work hard to move up in the ranks. Because I think you’re swell!”
“Swell?” her brows shot up.
“Sure! Swell is good. It’s better than decent, but not as good as great.”
She laughed. He had a unique charm, like a child trapped in an adult body but without the annoying habits children often have. Perhaps it wasn’t horrible to be bound to him. It might provide some excellent entertainment.
“How do you feel about the soul bond?”
When she glanced up at him, it startled her to see how close they’d gotten. Now, instead of being a few paces apart, only a few inches separated them.
She thought about lying, stringing together a shocking string of words to express how much she hated the idea. If she was forceful enough, then she might convince him to break the bond.
“How do I feel?” she didn’t understand where that come from. The plan all along was to sever any ties between them.
“Yeah, how do you feel about it?”
He inched closer, and she mirrored the movement. Now they were chest to chest. She could feel the warmth from him soaking into her. It eased the rough patches of her being, making it easier to breathe.
“I…” She stopped, unsure of the truth, unsure what to said.
“I’m torn.” His voice was a whisper now. “It’s scary, thinking how this magic could be affecting what I feel. Creator magic is so powerful, I worry I can’t trust what I’m feeling.”
“Yes. I’m nervous to believe anything because I don’t know if it’s coming from me, or the soul bond. What I feel for you can’t be true, because it’s tainted by magic.”
He nodded, and she watched in stunned appreciation as the movement caused his hair to frame his face perfectly. Something in his eyes compelled her to forsake everything. Then she could stare into his eyes forever. Get lost in the abyss that held such inquisitive wonder and joy.
“Are we doomed?”
The puff of air from his words touched her cheek, sending a shiver down her spine. Were they doomed? Was this relationship going to fail because the Creators crafted it from magic? Did they have no future because they had no past?
“No.” She startled herself with that answer. She didn’t want to be doomed from the start. Because deep inside, she was lonely. Drifting from one partner to the other. Moving from one bed to the next. She wanted a genuine connection. A companion to understand her. Perhaps that was the purpose of the soul bond. To give her the one thing that she’d never had.
“No. We’re not doomed,” she stated firmly. “This bond between us is hopeful, though fragile.”
“Good, because I found you captivating even before the dome collapsed and I touched you for the first time.”
[https://i.imgur.com/8Ffh4Fv.png]
Heat bloomed within her as his eyes seared into her, more intoxicating than the sharpest cries of the damned. No magic could fake such fathomless vulnerability and affection as she witnessed battling behind that heady gaze.
Her hands trembled faintly; whether with nerves or reckless longing, she hardly knew. The scant distance between them evaporated, and his tongue traced across his lower lip. That delicate motion shattered any fragile restraint remaining.
Styx’s breathing became shallow, lashes fluttering half-closed as her attention fixed on Caleb’s mouth. Its shape, the cupid’s bow curve, the slightest quirk at one corner taunted her. She swallowed hard. How would those lips feel capturing hers?
She swayed ever nearer, his warm breath feathering her cheek, their noses nearly brushing. The charged air enveloping them transcended the musty basement. In this suspended instant, nothing else existed but the promise of his kiss…
“Uncle!”
Caleb lurched back and cleared his throat. Styx knew her cheeks were bright red. But the girl bounding down the stairs served as a distraction.
“Ladybug!” He cast a last look at her before turning. “Come and meet my new friend.”
“You made a friend? Are they alive?”
Styx burst into laughter. The teenager stepped off the stairs and shot a glance at Styx. Caleb and the girl obviously had a family connection. They shared the same hair color and lighthearted expression. Styx would bet a hoard of dead man’s gold that they’d share a similarly structured soul. With a flash of inspiration, Styx realized she could learn a lot about who Caleb was from her.
“Emma.” Caleb exhaled. “I have plenty of alive friends. Remember the BBQ I had last year?”
“Yep,” Emma said. “Several people said they were only there for free food and only vaguely recognized you from work.”
Styx snickered, and Caleb looked a little crestfallen. “Well, then I guess you don’t want to meet her.”
“No! No,” Emma said. “I’m just messing with you. Introduce me.”
“Emma, this is Styx. Styx, this is my niece, Emma. She’s my intern.”
“OMG! You’re Styx, that means you’re Death! So cool!” Emma jumped up and down.
Styx grinned, so the childlike enthusiasm was obviously genetic because no other self-respecting teenage girl would act like that.
“Hello,” Styx said.
“Omg, and your outfit is so cute!” Emma rushed up to look closer.
“Thanks. This tunic was made from spun Valkyrie feathers.”
“No wonder it’s so pretty, and you’re so pretty! Oh, oh! Show me Death, please?”
Styx wanted to refuse, but what the hell. “You sure?”
“Yes!!” Emma clapped.
Perhaps this was a good idea. Caleb still hadn’t seen her Death persona, and maybe the sight of her would send him packing. Then she could cancel the bond with no guilt.
“Sure, just don’t freak too much. If you die from fear, I’ll have to take your soul.”
“Your soul is mine,” Emma said in a deep voice before bursting into laughter.
[https://i.imgur.com/WlN2gn3.png]
Eying them both a last time, she prepared herself. With authority, Styx raised her hand, magic cascading over her. Shadows swirled, reality shifted, and she vanished as Death took form.
An inky cloak draped around her consuming light. Dark tendrils emanated spectral power. Her scythe materialized, carved with intricate soul etchings, its blade vibrating.
Rising to her full imposing height, Death stood before them, hopelessness and despair leaking from her presence. But if Caleb couldn’t accept this form, he didn’t deserve her.
“Wow!” Emma’s mouth dropped open. “Wow, that’s so cool! Do you go out during Halloween? Please say you do.”
“I do, actually.”
“Oh cool! Your voice is deeper too. That’s rad. So rad. Can you touch me?”
“No, that would end your life, strip your soul, and your body would be a husk.”
“Yeah,” Caleb said. “No touchy, touchy. Uh, would it be, um, weird? Like totally weird, uh, to say that I find you strangely attractive like this? Because I am, I mean, do. It’s sort of a turn on.”
“Eww,” Emma hissed and smacked him. “Ewww. Please don’t ever say that again.”
A wave of relief filled her body. Caleb accepted her as both Death and Styx. Somehow he’d seen her as both, which was critical if their relationship was going to survive.
Did this mean that they could develop a lasting relationship?
[https://i.imgur.com/f3QclUU.png]