Branded Souls

Nebula and the Daemonium

Hex sat in the doorway, arms folded. “I can’t believe you…”

“I’m sorry.”

He fell silent again.

I didn’t even know how to make the potion. I was barely able to read the recipe, and had taken to mostly guessing.

I was still amazed that the plan had worked, albeit temporarily. But it gave me a chance. One more job.

Hex hissed suddenly.

“I said I’m sorry!” I turned to him. “I’ll release you before I actually take it.”

"No, you will not." He wasn’t really looking at me, more staring over my shoulder.

Typical cat. I turned back to the recipe. “What’s...what’s c-Can...Canaris?”

“You don’t have any. You can use greenherb as a replacement.” He snarled.

I looked over my shoulder. His human form resembled a woman now. He said it looked like that when I was lonely. I found that hard to believe. But he hated that form with a passion.

“Did I read it right?”

“No.”

“Are you going to correct me?”

“There’s no point if you’re trying to die is there?”

“Give me some satisfaction.”

“No.”

It fell silent again. I tossed a pinch of greenherb into the pot and then returned to trying to read the recipe.

It was probably ten minutes in awkward silence. I became so lost in my thoughts that I didn’t hear the bell ring.

“Abby?”

I whipped around upon hearing the voice.
Emily stood in the doorway. “BUT...YOU...I KILLED--”

--Her eyes caught the hemlock I had picked outside. “Praetervolo!” Her wand flashed, and the cauldron disappeared.

“Hey!” I snapped.

“Poisoning yourself isn’t going to do you good anyway. That’s a difficult potion, and if not made right it gets everywhere.” She scowled.

I pursed my lips. I’d been trying to read the recipe for two hours, and at this point couldn’t even see to read it, and she just poofed it away.

“Well--How would you do it then?!”

“On potion making or killing someone? Because trust me, if I was going to kill you or myself it would have been done fast.”

I wrinkled up my face.

She was scanning the room, scanning me, and then her expression changed. It was softer.

She flew up and hugged me.

Oh. She finally realized it.

“You don’t need to kill yourself. Nebula isn’t you.”

Finally my heart broke. Tears, that I thought I had already run out of, were pouring down my face. I buried my face in Emily’s neck and wrapped my arms around her.
Nebula! Nebula save us! Nebula help us! Oh great Nebula! Get rid of the Daemonium!
I looked up slightly to watch something cross Hex’s face.

He mumbled something, it sounded like Greek, but I couldn’t quite tell. Then he loosened up and walked towards us. I quickly pulled away from Emily.

He grabbed me by the shoulder and turned me so I faced away from him, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Emily.

“Hex?”

Emily stiffened.

He planted a hand firmly between my shoulder blades, putting the other on Emily in the same spot. “I see. Daemonium. Nebula.”

“Hex…” I warned him.

“Not you!” He hissed. I suddenly realized that he was normal again. “Hey, Hex, what’s up with your form?”

He took his hands off us. “Didn’t I tell you that my form relies on your emotions? You aren’t lonely right now. Emily killed Nebula. And, if you want me to make things better, you killed whatever was munching away at her soul, I’ll call it the Daemonium.”

“Hex, you’re speaking Latin at me. I only know Greek.”

Emily grinned. “I know Latin, and I might be able to get what he’s saying, that is, if he has the magic I think he has.”

~~~

A/n: ayyyy we actually did a thing for once

This chapter was written, edited, and formatted by Al Skyll!

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