The Riddle Of Magic

Chapter 51: Holding Out / Holding On

As they warped back to the Hotel through the depths of the Umbral Sea, Alastor carried her the same as always; though Charlie felt herself gripping her partner tighter than usual, the memory of her terrible fear from earlier twisting in her chest, like it still might wring her heart in two.

Mercifully, it hadn't struck her until she'd been outside of Laurence's office. She'd not registered anything wrong after hearing his revelation, and her exit from the building had been a relatively calm affair - overbearing secretaries notwithstanding.

After all, Rosie had long been an ally to the Hotel - the matter of why she'd taken possession of the grimoire was more curious than concerning.

But when the Princess of Hell had stepped back onto the streets of Pentagram City, the little spectre hiding in her hair had nearly torn out her ponytail in its state of sudden flickering panic, squirming and shrieking at her until she'd eventually flown off to find her partner.

The worry mounting in her veins through her flight had nearly made her sick enough to land. It wouldn't have been the first betrayal the princess had known in her years - there was a reason she didn't often reflect on her experiences at finishing school, or keep up with those who she'd known there.

It occurred to the blonde demoness that she'd known the Lace Overlord had access to the grimoire without even realizing it. Rosie had even mentioned working with Laurence months ago, but she'd been too rattled from her breakup with Vaggie to follow up about it. She should have let Alastor know, at the very least!

This whole ordeal made her feel blind and foolish. They were lucky Rosie was a friend, or at least eager for their alliance. It turned out the Lace Overlord wasn't even a sinner demon at all, but a spectre having fused, somehow, with the soul of a human.

Charlie wanted to ask her partner about it, but wasn't really certain how to broach the topic. His grip on her felt a bit firmer than usual, and she wondered if he had been caught just as off-guard.

"Are you okay, Al?" she asked instead.

The deer demon brought them back to the material world with ease as they manifested in front of the Hotel. "As much as always, my darling! Why wouldn't I be?"

The blonde demoness blinked in confusion as she followed her companion up the walkway. "Because of... what happened today?" she asked, not certain exactly how to respond, given the obvious nature of the question.

"Well, we're both in good health - despite my being deceased, of course! We've the answers to the ritual's riddle, and plenty of time to form the counterspell. Today's jaunt was a rather productive venture, all things considered!" He pushed the door open affably, holding it open for her as she crossed the threshold, as if they'd just been on a trip to the market, rather than having to question the allegiance of one of their oldest allies.

"Well, fair, but I was more meaning-"

"That some form of nebulous greater will from the dark is challenging me?" the Radio Demon shut the door firmly, though he didn't slam it. "I'm not particularly thrilled by the prospect, but I'm hardly concerned about it. I'll answer by fulfilling the task at hand!" he shrugged.

He sauntered around to the back of the bar, pouring a few fingers of whiskey for himself, and a smaller glass for her. It wasn't her typical drink, but she wasn't in the mood for drinking anyways, her mind still reeling at the thought of a spectre being responsible for all this madness. "Sure, but-"

"'But' nothing, my darling! All this does is reveal what we already knew - that we are both supremely powerful!" Alastor smirked, tapping his glass against hers. "We were always going to destroy Valentino's efforts, one way or another. It's not like anything has really changed before the meeting with Rosie and afterwards!" He took a hearty drink, seemingly having taken an optimistic message from their encounter.