Hell en Pointe | Alastor ✓

chapter 31

"What are you saying?" Alastor asked breathlessly. Had you made some other deal when you were alive? Did you practice a sacrificial religion in life like he had?

Vox smirked, feeling superior with his knowledge that Alastor did not have. "For somebody so close to her, you hardly know anything about her. You know, I gave it some thought, and it's quite obvious now that I look at her. Haven't you ever noticed based on how she looks in Hell? The feline appearance? The ears?" Vox gestured to his head where cat ears would take shape upon yours.

Alastor seriously had no idea how he could have discovered all of this in the short time you and him had left Harvard and were at the cafe.

Alastor raised a brow, urging him to continue.

"The Wampus cat," Vox said, diving right into it. "That's what she resembles in Hell. And the folklore applies right to her area, in Appalachia."

Alastor laughed loudly in his face. "God, that's ridiculous. The Wampus cat? Some old Native American folklore? What's even the point of this, dear Vox? What's with this sudden obsession of yours? Why do you even care—?"

Vox slammed his fist into the bookshelf beside him, sending a cloud of dust into the air and knocking off two books. "Because she is a fucking threat to not only the Vees, but every fucking Overlord in existence! She's a threat to the foundation of Hell itself if what I'm getting at is true. If you really do have her soul, do not give it back to her. She will crush you like a bug if she has full power in Hell."

"You sound like a madman," said Alastor angrily. "And it's a little late for that. Not that it's any of your business, but I already made a deal. She's getting her soul back after she completes the task I assigned to her.

"You idiot!" Vox roared, grabbing Alastor by the shoulders and shaking him. Alastor allowed him, too stupefied to even stop him. "Why? Why would you do that? Do you even know who you're dealing with?"

Alastor couldn't comprehend his words. Yes, he knew who he was dealing with... Didn't he? He and every other Overlord in Hell understood you pretty well. An introverted ballet dancer who lived alone in a lovely country estate the southern part of Hell, a powerful young Overlord with a beautiful southern drawl and a mysterious presence — but nothing to ever be concerned about! Alastor was certain he held more power over you this entire time, and he was sure that held true even now, whatever Vox was trying to warn him about.

Vox released him, pinching the bridge of his nose and muttered strings of curses under his breath. When he finally looked up, he explained himself. "The Wampus cat is Cherokee folklore depicting a woman who betrayed her tribe by snooping on a private meeting, all the while practicing forbidden witchcraft by her tribe. She hid behind the pelt of a mountain lion while she listened, and was discovered and punished severely by the men of her tribe for doing so, and for the witchcraft she had been doing for years before that." Vox sprawled his hands out in exasperation. "She is the embodiment of hating men, the embodiment of female strength and rage, as much as I hate to admit it, and the Wampus cat is very old and very, very vengeful."

Alastor quirked a brow. "So you're saying [Y/N] is this 'Wampus' cat?" Alastor covered up his anxiety with amusement, but it was getting harder and harder by the second to control his concern. How could he have not figured all of this out?

"No, dimwit, I am not saying [Y/N] is the Wampus cat," Vox sighed. "I'm saying she gave blood sacrifices to it when she was alive, and it gave her the power to do so. It may have even helped her become so famous."

"Pretty certain that last part was all me," Alastor quipped.

"Shut the fuck up," sneered Vox. "Regardless, she's pretty fucking powerful if she's got that... thing on her back, whatever it is. It's really old and really fucking menacing, so all I'm saying is to watch your fucking back, and whatever you do," Vox stared at Alastor with passion, "do not give her her soul back. You're basically giving the Wampus spirit access to Hell through her. And then we're all gonna be royally fucked."

Well, shit.

"You know, dear Vox," Alastor began, trying to contain himself. "I didn't really take you for the type to believe in such things." Alastor looked away. "And I won't believe it until I see it." It's ironic, even Alastor knew, that he was saying that knowing that he practiced voodoo, which was very real to him.

Vox held the book up, laughing bitterly. "You know, I didn't really believe it at first either, but it makes sense if you think about it — and between this stupid spell book that has some dumbass ritual in it you want and everything else that's happened within these past couple of days, I'm willing to believe anything if it'll save my ass."

Just then, the sound of doors barging open and the whooshing of wind interrupted Vox. Instinctively, Alastor took this opportunity to send Vox rolling on the ground, ripping the book from his hand and prying himself from Vox. Vox screeched in surprise, scrambling to get himself off the floor, but Alastor had already made it halfway to the entrance of the library.

"[Y/N]!" he called out. You had appeared at the doors, eyes glowing pink and neon green, that same aura surrounding you. His Loa were by your side, their shadowy forms whipping in the air.

"Alastor!" you replied. You grabbed his hands, looking intensely into his eyes. You were breathless.

"Did you kill Valentino?" Alastor asked immediately. You shook your head.

"I let him live, but we need to go now. He'll be here any second. He's beaten, but the fucker's got resolve, I'll give him that." You nodded your head towards the ritual hooks. "Vox?"

"Alive," answered Alastor. He glanced back quickly, and then looked back to you. Vox was emerging from the shadows, looking enraged. "And on his way. Let's go."

You nodded, gripping his hands and arms and concentrating. Alastor's eyes glowed green, and his various symbols floated in the air. He looked up and your mixed pink and green aura, noticing something. Surrounding you were words, foreign words from another language, words he could not make out.

But he knew that they were Cherokee. How had he not noticed those words before? What did they say? What did they mean? Could Vox's insane ramblings had been true? Was the folklore true? Did the Wampus cat really exist? And when you were alive had you drawn power from it?

It would explain so much... Alastor had come to power in Hell so quickly because of his connections with voodoo, so it would make sense if similarly, you had too by means of this Wampus creature, if it really was as powerful as Vox warned.

Alastor's heart skipped a beat. How could he possibly not give you your soul back? You were done. You had done exactly what he asked if you, and you had played him like an old-fashioned game of chess. Alastor's chest filled with agonizing pain at the thought, and he didn't know why. You won.

The air picked up around you, and a portal opened. It revealed the entrance of the Hazbin Hotel, and Alastor looked into your eyes, and you both nodded, Alastor more reluctantly, and walked into the portal together.