To Bewitch a Devil

280 Through the mirror

“How many times?” Freya asked.

“Just once,” Neera’s eyes were on Zavian’s. “All she did was speak to me through the mirror before then.”

At once, all three demons switched their attention to the mirror in the room.

“This one?” Freya walked over to the mirror, examining it, knocking on the glass. “Lydia was in here through the mirror?”

“What kind of sorcery was that?” Azriel asked, joining Freya in her mirror inspection.

“How did she appear?” Zavian asked Neera.

“I don’t know, she just…did.”

“And ever since you met up with her, did she come here after then?” Zavian prodded.

When he saw the way Neera’s face fell, he quickly added, “Even if she did, I know you didn’t do anything wrong, Neera. I just have to be sure she hasn’t made another appearance.”

.....

“Zavian,” Freya sucked in a breath. “What if it isn’t just this mirror?”

A cloud of discomfort passed Zavian’s features. “What does that mean?”

“She means she could be lurking in every mirror in the house,” Azriel said. “And maybe, just maybe, she might know of all of our plans.”

….

Anna studied the demons before her in the shadowed space of the hut. The King’s energy made the air stiff and stuffy, a restlessness he had boxed but its fumes shrouded the space around the coven.

To his left, his Commander General tossed his dagger and caught it, a small game he used to distract himself from waiting.

The maroon-haired demon, the King’s sister, was strapped in all-black leather, a warrior’s outfit. She was staring at the vast number of jars on the table, each with items she wouldn’t be able to identify.

And lastly, Anna watched the silver-haired demon, the Queen, as she sat upright, quiet, composed, and Anna could sense sadness draped heavily around her like the cloak she wore.

“I can’t identify what Lydia used,” Anna said, her hand hovering over the mirror that had been carted from the royal chambers. Beams of silver shimmered from underneath her palm as she passed it over the surface once more, keeping the chants under her breath. “But it is dark, something that doesn’t belong to us.”

Anna looked at Neera. “Have you tried calling her?”

“No,” the Queen answered. “I don’t know how to.”

“You have to try,” Anna said. “Since there is a connection between you and the Underland, you can be able to.”

Neera looked away, and Anna focused on the real reason why they had all come down.

“I have to take a look at your wounds,” the witch said.

Freya scowled. “I told you already where they are.”

“This is a grand spell you have asked of me,” The witch said. “And to be able to guide the magic on where to heal, I would need to rub my potion all over the spaces.”

Freya huffed. She stood, then began to remove weapons first, and Neera saw how hard she tried not to wince as she removed the scabbard belt around her waist and legs. She pulled up her top, and when part of her midriff was exposed, she halted and looked at the two male demons in the room.

“Do I really have to ask… do you two mind?” She directed at them.

“Actually, I don’t. I could use the show,” Azriel’s grin was lazy. When he caught Zavian staring hard at him, the smile disappeared. “I swear it is just teasing, Freya is like a big, horrid tree in the middle of the forest to me. No effect on me whatsoever.”

“A tree?” Freya planted a hand on her hips. “So you are saying I am not the least bit attractive, is that it?”

“Look, Freya. You know what I mean.”

“Yes, I do. Same way I find you as attractive as a Eunuch.” Freya said.

The word shot right through Azriel, and he was on his feet at once.

“That was horrible,” he said. “And you know that’s not true.”

“Look Azriel, you know what I mean.” Freya threw his words back at him.

A hand clamped down on Azriel’s shoulder. “Let’s go.”

“Tell your sister to take back her words!”

But Zavian steered him out of the hut, and Neera rose to follow after them.

“Stay,” Freya said. “I need your help anyways.”

Neera contained her surprise and helped Freya out of her outfit as Anna stirred the potion, a strange smell of something Neera couldn’t place, something like mud, and with a sharp, eye-watering kick, it impregnated the air of the small room.

After Freya had successfully finished striping, she rolled off the gauze from her body, a task she insisted on doing without Neera’s help. As she removed layer upon layer, Neera couldn’t take her eyes away from the wounds. The lacerations cut deep and had a ghastly green color to them as if the flesh was rotting.

The witch stopped stirring. “What was that thing that attacked you?” She whispered more to herself.

“Same question we have also been asking ourselves,” Freya bit her teeth on her lower lip as she removed the last of the gauze from over her left thigh. She was completely bared before them, and Neera hoped Anna’s potion would rid her body of the disfigurations on them. They were everywhere, large ones in her middle, little ones in her arms.

“Let’s begin,” Freya said. She pointed a finger at Neera. “Do not stop her, and do not let any of those males do so as well.”

Anna smeared the thick liquid on Freya, and it looked like liquid moss. Freya closed her eyes and bit on her bottom lip the entire time, holding back grunts as Anna rubbed the potion on her middle, putting her fingers into the wounds and covering them all up.

“I am going to start chanting the spell,” Anna said when she was done. Freya gave a nod, and the witch took in a deep inhale. She started off with mumbles, and Freya staggered, wincing as she did so.