The Devil's Love

||. Chapter 44: Agreement .||

The wind blew a little harsher as the sun began to set. Jon crouched near the edge of the falls in search of the keyhole. It was the simplest task Angelo had given him throughout his life, yet he felt like a failure for not being able to detect its location. Upon hearing the sound of the mansion door creaking, Jon lied down on the grass, hoping that the weeds could hide his figure from the being. He reached out to his pocket on his boots and pulled them out slowly. Jon sucked in the cold air around him. He arched his back, ready to attack the figure, but stopped when he saw Lithius leaning forward to look at the younger. He cursed between his breathes, lifting the dagger to attack only to feel the elder tightening his grip on Jon's wrists. 

"Everything alright, Lithius? Did you found it?" Carson's voice echoed from behind as the second youngest watched the elder waved. 

"Yes," answered Lithius, standing up and turned to face his brother with his fingers tangled in between the chain of his amulet. "It's here. Now, I don't have to worry about bothering you and your companion throughout your stay. I'll get going now, Carson." 

"Alright, see you soon, brother." 

With that, Carson disappeared into the mansion. Jon was ready to stand up but Lithius pushed him down on the ground till the door clicked. The guardian of the Planet raised his eyebrows at Jon's presence. When he noticed the other disappeared, Lithius picked Jon by his collar, reminding the younger not to drop the bracelet, and shifted the both of them to a different environment. The mansion slowly disappeared from Jon's sight, triggering panic in his mind. He was there to carry out a mission, to check if Ansel was there, but the idea of Lithius transporting him away made him mad. He needed to know that Ansel is safe. 

"Let go of me!" Jon blustered, pushing Lithius's arms away from his. "What did you do Lithius? I know you are in desperation of pleading Angelo to return, but..." 

"He's going to know you are there if you keep sneaking around like a skunk," Lithius said, brushing his sleeves neatly and faced the younger. "I am just protecting you from being killed. Carson is in the mansion as you know and he is going to exterminate anyone that stops his plan. I have a safe passage into the place, so I use my powers to bring you in through invisibility. Look for yourself. And lower down your voice, Jonathan. We don't need to raise unwanted attention." 

Jon froze in his spot upon seeing Carson's figure passing behind Lithius. His black eyes enlarged at the sight, watching Carson mumbling unknown spells while his fingers gently spray a certain amount of liquid onto Ansel's still body. Jon lurched forward, wanting to pull Ansel away. Those yellow liquid stuck onto her clothes served as an active passageway for a spell. It triggered the soul's fears, manipulating them into a world of Carson's desire. Jon bit his lips, hissing at Lithius's tight grip. Before a tiny sound could escape from his lips, he felt the elder covering his mouth tightly and spoke through his mind. 

We need to find a different way to save the mortal, Jon. We need plans. You cannot just carry her away now. Her soul is tethered to Carson's spell. Dragging her away means killing her right on the spot. 

Lifting his palms to the core of his body, Jon channelled his energy to transfer them away from the mansion. They needed a better place to discuss without distraction, so the only place Jon could think of was Lily's temporarily closed cafe. Without wasting much time, Jon shut his eyes to concentrate on the magic that course within his blood. He focused on the image of the cafe, uniting Lithius's soul to his till he felt a strong magnet dragging him from an opposite direction. Everything around them was jet black while silver linings of meteor cascaded next to them.  

When Jon felt the familiar aura surrounding him, he unhinged their souls and Jon's eyes flickered open slowly to adjust to the brightness. Setting his feet on the smooth tiles of the cafe, Jon faced Lithius who seemed to be confused by the sight. The younger headed towards the refrigerator to pull out two bottles of cold brew coffee. He will be paying for it once their discussion is over. Jon needed answers that only Lithius could provide. At least, for this moment.