“There are none—unless you can speak Latin better than I can, there’s nothing in there that would do anything beyond cause more problems. Any more demon activity than what’s already occurred and you’ll be bringing Hell to Earth.”
“So what do you suggest we do?” I snap. I don’t appreciate being cut off. It’s something my parents always did—and all those fucking customers. “Only one of us is offering any suggestions.”
And just like that, we go back to how we were before my burial: glaring at each other like we’re in our very own war.
“You stop thinking, and you let me work it out.”
14
Lynx
I’m about to lose my patience. And my mind. Maybe both.
Ever since we buried Sable—or at least, her corpse—the energy in the manor has shifted ever so slightly. Not that we walk around holding hands and singing songs around a fire or some shit. The incessant bickering is still there; so is the sharp snap of her tongue when I try to fuck around with her or throw something through her to grab her attention. She still hates my guts, and I don’t blame her.
I did kill her, after all.
I pause my chanting and stare at the wall of symbols I carved according to the markings in the grimoire. The thought of Sable never forgiving me for murdering her has crossed my mind, and before, I didn’t care.
Do I care now?
No. It would be ridiculous to have any sort of emotion toward someone whose neck I snapped without even blinking. She’s justa ghost. No one. A girl who tragically died trying to contact her sister’s spirit.
As soon as the link is broken, I’ll leave. She’ll be nothing but a memory, still caged inside this house.
And she’ll hate me even more.
I pause for a long moment, then lower the useless grimoire to the table and pinch the bridge of my nose. Nope. I can’t go there and think about her and all the reasons why she’ll always despise me. Despite that moment of vulnerability she had as we settled her into her final resting place.
A shallow grave, where wildlife can easily dig her up.
All she wanted to do was summon her sister, and I condemned her to a prison.
Maybe if she can help me break the curse tying me to Hell, I can find a way to either locate her sister or push Sable to the other side. The only reason she hasn’t passed on is because her soul isn’t ready.
She has one last purpose before she can rest.
I need to find out what that is.
And if that purpose is talking to her sister? Then, well, fuck.
I grab the heavy grimoire, shove it under my arm, and march to the other side of the manor—the furthest room from my own and the room she was decaying in. Because, of course, she would try to hide from me at night, and lodge a chair up against the door to stop me from easily getting in.
I grip the book, teleport through the door—and freeze at the scene that greets me.
Barely fitting on the bed, tail sprawled across the floor, Tidus—fucking Tony—has his head nuzzled into the crook of Sable’s neck, while her arm rests on top of him in a half embrace. Fuckingcuddlingwhile they sleep.
The leather of the grimoire creaks under my tightening grip. I intentionally drop it on the bedside table harder than necessary.Sable could sleep through a storm, so she simply groans lightly and cuddles closer to Tidus. His yellow eyes peel open, staring right at me.
“Get the fuck out of the bed.”
He huffs and nuzzles into her neck, then peels his lips back when I step on his tail.
“I won’t repeat myself.”
And just my luck, the first rays of the rising sun pour between the curtains. My hands fist as Tidus shifts back into his annoying fucking self. The tail shortens first until it’s gone, then his eyes change back to their usual green, and his body shrinks, fur receding into skin until he’s as naked as the day he was unfortunately born.
My right eye twitches as he smirks, puts his arm around a sleeping Sable, and gives me the middle finger.
