“I tell you, this’ll kill us all”, said Imila after Veduca returned to her and Liano in the abandoned house. “And considering the sorry state your guard-dog and the goat are in, we won't even have a fighting chance.”

“Offilo won't betray us”, she replied taken aback. “I’m certain of that.”

“Your optimism’s ill placed”, she remarked, and sat down at the table with the playing cards right in front of her. “Anyway, go and look after your brutish bodyguard while I keep watch.”

“And I need to go back into the inn”, Liano remarked stifling a yawn. “I need the few hours of sleep I still have…”

“Then I wish you good dreams”, said Veduca with a warm smile.

“T-thank you, Lady Veduca”, he replied sheepishly and left with pink cheeks.

“Why don’t you walk up to the Divine Lord and seduce him?”, asked Imila once Liano was gone. “You could murder him with his pants down, which would be a good humiliating fate for him beyond being hilarious.”

“I would never do something like this!”, she responded taken aback by her bluntness.

“At a second glance, yeah, sure, you don’t look like a murderer.”

“So I look like a seductress?”

“Yes and you act like one too.”

“Not on purpose!”

“Than what about this have-nice-dreams-business with Liano?”

“What do you mean?”, asked Veduca confused after a moment.

“Didn’t you see his face?”, asked Imila and collected the playing cards to shuffle them. “I bet his dreams will be nice. Very nice, in fact, as they’ll revolve around only you. And that in rather frivolous ways.”

“I told you, I don’t do this on purpose”, she replied sullen. “It’s just… I don’t know how to stop it…”

“Perhaps you should use that magic of yours to combat this”, the former innkeeper replied.

Veduca frowned at her and didn’t continue the conversation. For one, she wasn’t too keen to argue with Imila, and the topic the innkeeper seemed to be set on didn’t suite her either. It was becoming a tiring situation with her, but Veduca didn’t know what to do about it. Beyond that, she was glad that Imila and Liano had helped her bring Lodwin and her father to safety.

“I’m going to Lod and father and see how they’re doing”, said Veduca after a while.

“Do so”, Imila replied, surprisingly soft. “I’m not sure how much the ghost girl can do for them.”

Now utterly confused, Veduca left through the secret door along the tunnel and past the stone door towards the old farm house. As she closed in on the farmhouse, she felt once more inadequate. A feeling persisting since they had to flee.

Upon entering the house, Veduca was greeted by the soft glow of the one who had saved them: Sunila. The young blond woman smiled at her and tilted her head, which caused a few flower petals to fall from the flower crown on her head. The only sign of her nature was the soft bluish glow she was surrounded by, which grew and waned in intensity depending on her mood. Other than that, she appeared fairly solid and normal, despite the flowers in her hair being fresh and out of season.

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“Oh, you’re back”, she said with innocent warmth, and floated over to Veduca. “How was it?”

“It really was the boy, who had been with the woman in the inn”, she explained. “And he really is affiliated with the Divine Lord, but not out of his own volition.”

“So, was he willing to help us?”, she asked, surprised.

“More or less, he did ask me for help, though.”

“So, Milith is really fallen this far, huh? I… I don’t know what to think anymore.”

“Offilo told me that Rosomil treats him good.”

Upon hearing this, a hopeful glint appeared in Sunila’s eyes. One that made Veduca’s heart slightly sank. But she didn’t continue the conversation. It seemed almost inconceivable to burst Sunila’s hope, as it seemed just like her, too innocent to be truly disturbed by even the darkest of thoughts. A hope she didn’t find within herself to share.

“Then he can still be saved!”, said Sunila, giddy. “Then Rus doesn’t need to fight him!”

“I doubt Lod will change his mind”, replied Veduca, reluctant. “How… how is he doing? By the way…”

At this, her chipper personality dulled along her glow. Slow she turned around and gazed longingly at the makeshift bed on the ground. Lodwin rested under the covers. While the majority of burns had already been healed by their mixed magic, he hadn’t fully recovered yet.

“He needs to recuperate a little longer, I’m afraid”, Sunila explained somber. “My healing magic takes the resources of the one I heal. That’s why I asked you for help and why you’re still exhausted. And Rus… He had even before he was… turned… more energy than anyone else. But even I can’t heal everything all at once. A few things need to heal on their own, as the Lord will see fit.”

“And what about me?”, asked Azazel in the back of the huge room.

He was in his goat-form, lying in the ground

“You’re far too well already, foul demon”, she replied and crossed her arms. “You don’t need more of my magic!”

“Such a stubborn girl”, he chuckled with some difficulty. “But since you made the deal with my master, you’re not that holier-than-thou-person you think you are.”

“Father, please”, intervened Veduca tired.

“I didn’t sell my soul to the Devil! I sacrificed my place in heaven for the chance to make a change without the help of this vile fiend!”, Sunila replied angry. “And I’ll stand by it!”

“Suite yourself, girl. But lying to yourself doesn’t change the truth. At least you won’t be alone.”

“Father, please stop”, interjected Veduca once more.

“I will”, he replied tired. “I’m still in pain and pain has never been a good advisor. Sorry about that, girl.”

“I need to apologise too”, she replied and visibly softened. “You sacrificed one of your remaining halos to save Rus and your daughter and thusly allowed me get all of you out.”

“What a precious soul”, he mused and lowered his head to the ground. “I do have to say, having just one halo makes my body feel so sluggish and heavy…”

“You’ll get your halos back, father”, said Veduca and moved towards him. “I’m certain of it.”

“Please, dearie, never change”, he replied and smiled to the best of his ability. “I’m tired… Would you mind helping me turn on my side?”

“Sleep for as long as you need”, she said and pulled him onto his side.

As she did so, his burns became once more visible. While the wounds looked much better than she had anticipated, Veduca felt powerless and weak. Her magic didn’t work on his wounds, but Sunila’s had. Without Sunila, she wouldn’t have been able to be any help whatsoever. This didn’t sit well with her.

“Veduca?”, asked Sunila softly.

“Yes?”, she replied and stood up. “Something the matter?”

“Kind of…”, she began and trailed off.

“Please, don’t hesitate to tell me.”

“It’s about Rus. I… I don’t know when he wakes up but… I don’t want him to see me like this. And I don’t want him to know what I did. Where my place in the afterlife is doomed to be.”

“I won’t tell him.”

“Thank you, you’re too kind”, Sunila replied with a sad smile. “I’m grateful you’re at his side, despite being half a demon.”

“And you’re quite sassy for a nun”, Veduca replied amused, despite the insult.

“Me? A nun?”, she laughed. “Oh no, I was never ordained. Didn’t even want to. I just love the dresses. Rus was always annoyed that I didn’t wear ordinary clothes. It was funny, but now that I think about it… I guess I’d rather I would’ve made him smile.”

Veduca glanced over at the sleeping Lodwin. She, too, wanted to see him smile, but there was nothing she could do. But she could use her magic to help him wake up sooner.

As she moved towards him, Sunila seemed like she was about to stop her but didn’t in the end. For a few moments the ghost-girl just watched her, then she flickered and finally vanished into thin air. Just as she had done during daybreak every day since she was with them. Veduca gazed at the spot Sunila had vanished from. I should rest too, once I’m done, she thought and stifled a yawn. The amount of magic she had used the last few days had turned sleep into a necessity. A necessity but she could postpone it for a few more minutes.