Soul Master

27. Amèlie

Somehow seeing the truth had removed a tension inside me I hadn't known was there. Mostly I was relieved that Asha was not guilty, and in all honesty perhaps I never should have suspected him, when you put Penteluck's memory, and how Blitzen works into perspective, it should have been obvious. But how had he managed to erase, or rather block the memory of it?

Tonight, I was safe from him showing up, it was tonight that would be perfect to make a plan to get rid of him forever.

I looked down at the wilted rose, reversed, now I understood exactly why. Having the bond between us in his control was like having your rights taken from you, I guess this is what it felt like to be on the serving end of the bond. A part of me felt bad for Blitzen, but I locked that feeling away deep inside of me. He didn't deserve my pity, or my compassion.

'Do you know how to remove a bond?' Asha asked me as we stayed sat on the floor, I had removed myself from his embrace, still not over how he had treated me all these years, even if it was under my mother's order.

I shook my head. 'No. But I'm hoping Penteluck might have thought of something.' I looked up at Asha, his dark green eyes watching me curiously.

'And what if he hasn't?' He asked. I knew what he was hinting at, he had already figured out my train of thoughts, he just wanted me to lay them bare for him.

I lifted my chin and folded my arms. 'We connect to the witch.'

He wasn't surprised, he just sat in silence, any resistance I thought he may have given to the idea hadn't emerged.

'Well,' I asked shortly, 'aren't you going to fight me?'

He tilted his head and smiled. 'I told you Amii, the only reason I ever made walls between us was because I was led to believe that's how I would keep you safe all this time.' His smile grew, 'I'm glad those days are gone.' He looked out of the window to the darkened sky. 'I don't particularly like the idea of asking a hag that tried to kill us for help, but this is for you to decide.'

I nodded, leaning back against the bed and taking a moment to reminisce the time she had almost killed me, now locked away inside me, waiting like a trapdoor spider to make its attack. I shuddered.

'The other question is. How do you kill someone that is already dead?' I said, taking my mind away from Aphador.

'You exorcise them,' Asha shrugged, 'did you never watch The Exorcist?'

I raised an eyebrow at him. 'Yes, and if I remember rightly that didn't kill the spirit, it just transferred him to someone else.'

'Aphador.' Asha shrugged.

'I'm not even possessed.' I retorted. 'It's not like he's in my body, if anything that's how we would get Aphador out.'

'I think we might need Penteluck's help.' Asha said finally, running a hand through his hair.

The door to my room opened with a click of the door handle, and continued to open slowly, eerie, haunted like, then shut.

'I'm here.' Penteluck said finally appearing sitting next to Asha.

Both me and Asha released our held breath's in relief.

'Don't ever do that again.' Asha growled, punching Penteluck on the arm. 'Damn, spirits.'

Penteluck looked disapprovingly at him 'I'm sure that's a ism of some sort, like racism, sexism... spiritism perhaps?' He looked thoughtful with his quirky large eyes.