“He’s too busy anyway,” Veymor said.
“How do you know?”
“Well, thanks to your grandmother, he learned to worship the right God. Otherwise, I might run out of power. He used to call me, asked for books and grimoires. He has this thing,” he explained.
“Studyrush,” I admitted. A Magician’s sickness, impossible to recover from. Doctor Di Centi was on his way to fall victim to it, too.
“He’s well, very healthy but busy with his studies. Sometimes he finds time to tell me about you in his prayers. I should appreciate you more,” he laughed and calmed me.
“Did you claim him?”
“In a certain way,” he pondered what to say. “He’s not a Witch but we have an agreement. I haven’t been able to follow through with his latest request, though. Might be in your interest to help me out.” His smile deceived me, provoked my curiosity.
The pulling force between us sent sparks through the air.
“It’s inside the chapel,” I assumed as it had called to me ever since I entered it on my first day.
“You are definitely a Volkov.”
“Why can’t you get it?” I asked.
“It’s complicated,” he said. “It’s stuck between this realm and mine. Vanna brought it down and messed up the barrier. I can’t pick it up.”
I jumped up and my stomach prickled, longing to search the chapel. It would be her grimoire, but I couldn’t make sense of why Gerogy would want it, besides his Studyrush.
“I’ll guide you through the catacombs,” he suggested and I sensed an incoming deal in his pointy smile, “you just have to give it to me eventually, or bring it to him yourself.”
If I sensed it inside the chapel already, I didn’t need his help. What if I wanted to keep it? Not wanting to risk it, I declined.
Waiting for him to disappear, I ate from the container but he poured himself more wine instead and watched me from the bed.
“Did you have fun last night?” he asked. “Should’ve called me.” His limbs shortened, his hair turned silver and grew out. Inside his robe, he gained familiar curves. He turned himself into Claire, yawned like her. “I prefer the other form out of comfort,” he said and looked like Deg afterwards, “but I could be whoever you want me to be.” He turned himself into Tonio and walked towards me, swinging his hips, and when he bowed over me he looked like Kress. “It seems you’d like to try every single one of them. One more doesn’t hurt.”
Just as I joined his lips, my gut hit me and I shrugged back from him.
“S–sorry,” I whispered.
“It’s fine,” he said, “you’ll come back.”
After he shifted back into his usual form, he proceeded to the portal and let himself sink, leaving the chalice behind where he first found it.
It was only natural that his powers were highly developed and I made peace with it quickly, even though I couldn’t stop thinking about the possibilities it provided. I had to stop myself from fantasising by gulping down the rest of my meal. I would never follow through with cheating while the guilt sat on my shoulders, judging me.
The campus quieted down after midnight, and I’d collected enough confidence to search the chapel. I stuffed some candles in my pockets as well as chalk and wine, just in case I needed Veymor’s help.
The catacombs turned out to be a maze, and I found myself running in circles. I sat down and tried sensing its presence before I would get sore and achieve nothing at all. After a while, the suction of the Underworld pulled me in. I concentrated on the smell of death and let my gut guide me through the narrow corridors until a throbbing vibration brought me face-to-face with a dead-end. I illuminated every corner, touched every suspicious stone but found nothing. It was there, but I couldn’t pick it up either.
Forcing air out of my lungs, I drew the star-shaped rune and watched Veymor appear without hesitation.
“Told you,” he said, smirking and reached his hand out to me while I undressed.
This time, I descended without the help of Sosden. He hugged me, pulling me down. The heat of his skin became irresistible, but instead of letting me touch him, he held down my arms until we arrived.
I collapsed onto him, weakened by the descent.
“What about now?” he laughed while loosening his grip, but the lust vanished as soon as I noticed a piece of paper on the floor and rushed to it.
The irregular vibration verified his story. The item was stuck and I hesitated to touch it.
Either way, I had to, if I wanted to learn more about witchcraft without getting claimed by him or getting caught in his web.
I hovered my hand over it in a circling motion. “I will pick you up, I will hold you,” I chanted until I grabbed for it.
The sandy paper remained in my hand and I didn’t suppress a victory-dance.
As a Witch I was the link between the earthly realm and the Underworld. I finally understood the principles.
When I opened the note and read its only sentence, it burned away in my hand.
“What did you do? What did it say?” Veymor asked.
“To dig in the den.”
“What den? Here? I can’t feel anything.”
“I don’t know,” I lied.
The wolfess had led me to it before, but I hadn’t known what to do besides sharing my food. I was glad to have given her something, considering that I would dig in her home as soon as the sun came up.
14. Chains
Veymor cursed, placed himself on the portal and waved me in. But the Underworld held me back. It was homey, cosy, and I refused the thought of leaving, even though it was flooded by liquid and awoke my fear of drowning. I enjoyed breathing it in and craved more.
More.
My pores sucked in the nectar.
Abruptly Veymor jerked my hand and I found myself in the
