Ashes of Love and War - TodoMomo

||Chapter 24 ~ Part 4||

It was like knives slicing through her skin. Momo gasped and jerked back.

"Are you okay?!" The innkeeper called behind her.

Her stomach heaved. The pain and smell coming from the necklace was overwhelming. Momo doubled over and emptied her stomach. She should have known that it wouldn't be that simple.

Drawing shallow breaths, Momo sat back and looked down at her hands. There were no markings. The necklace was enchanted to keep someone from unclasping it, but it wasn't to cause physical harm.

"Girly?" The raspy voice of the tavern keeper called again.

Momo wiped at her mouth. "I'm fine," she answered. Her voice was rougher. She looked at the necklace again. There must be some clue on how to take it off.

Her gaze lingered on the chain, but there was no defining feature. Momo's eyebrows pulled together in concentration. There must be a counter, Momo didn't believe that Trumpet would put a necklace on the nymph without a way to take it off, and he didn't seem to be the type of man who would do the work himself.

"Did you see how they put this on her? Did they say anything or do anything special?" Momo asked, looking over her shoulder at the tavern keeper. She bit her lip. His face was paler than a moment ago, and his breathing was heavy. He needed help.

Momo curled her fingers into fists on her lap as she waited for the tavern keeper. After a moment, the man mumbled, "There wasn't anything special. He put it on her and then-then asked some sort of riddle."

Momo's throat tightened. Her heart pounded faster in her chest. "Do you remember what it was?" she asked slowly.

The tavern keeper frowned, then, in an unsteady voice, said, "What question can you never answer yes to?"

A question you couldn't answer yes to? Momo frowned as she tried to think. The riddle was straightforward. There were no double meanings that she could detect.

Momo looked down at the nymph lying before her. The nymph's eyes were glazed over as she leaned against the side of the cage as if she were resting comfortably — almost as if she were asleep. "When can you not give an answer?" Momo repeated under her breath.

"Did that help?"

Momo's jaw trembled as an idea formed. "Yes. I think I know how to free her."

She took a deep breath and moved closer to the nymph. She reached out. Her fingers trembled a centimeter from the necklace. Momo's mouth was dry. She tried twice before the words formed. "Are-are you asleep yet?"

Before she could reconsider, Momo reached forward and touched the necklace. Nothing happened. She let out a deep breath; her shoulders dropped. If she weren't already sitting on the floor, Momo was certain she would have collapsed from relief.

Momo unhooked the necklace. It fell away without any difficulty. The nymph twitched.

"Are you okay?" Momo asked as the nymph blinked her eyes slowly and sat up.

She had golden eyes surrounded by black sclera. "I think so. Where are we? And who are you?" she asked, her voice thick from whatever slumber the incense had put her in.

Momo tried to smile. "Momo Yaoyorozu. And you were being held here. I came to free you."

"Yaoyorozu?" The nymph repeated slowly, before smiling sleepily. "I'm Mina Ashido. I owe ya. But why is everything so blurry? Do you have a twin? I think there are two of you?" She reached up and rubbed at her eyes. Her short pink hair, like spring azalea flowers, flapped around her as Ashido shook her head.