It Started With a Spinny

Last Confession

He tenses harder. "I, I didn't see him. I know that now."

"But you thought you did. And you, and you didn't ask anyone for help."

"... you were busy."

Vee winces, "It's my fault!"

"Wh, why-"

"Because I took Luz and Amity away from you!" She looks up crying, "If I hadn't been stealing all their time and attention and-"

"No!" He isn't yelling, isn't scary, just utterly determined, "No do not apologise for being happy!" He reaches up to hold her hands firmly, his hands shaking as fresh tears well in his eyes. "Don't you dare apologise for finding people that accept you for who you are!"

"Who I," she sniffs, "what do you mean?"

His eyes widen. "I, sorry I shouldn't have..." his words trail off.

She gently squeezes his hands, "Please?"

He breathes out. "I... do you know what a grimwalker is?"

She shakes her head.

"Well, it's a lot like a palisman, even made of palistrom wood, but larger and more complicated and, and I'm a grimwalker."

Vee stares, and keeps staring. She blinks, "You're made of wood?"

Hunter laughs softly, "That's exactly how Miriam responded."

Vee blinks, "I, I'm sorry I-"

"She said that too."

"You're made of wood?!"

He laughs, "Yeah, and other things: a galdorstone, ortet bone, selkidomus scale, and, um, other-"

"But you don't," she experimentally squeezes his hands, feels the flexibility of skin, the firmness of muscle and bone. At least what she always assumed was muscle and bone and skin and... "Wood?"

He smirks, "Magic wood, remember? Palismen don't exactly move like solid wooden creatures either. This is the same, just, more."

"But, why?" Her eyes widen, "Sorry I'm being so insensitive!"

Hunter laughs, "No it's okay, it's actually weirdly nice to talk about it." He looks down, "And nice that you don't, think I'm a monster?"

"Never! Why would, did Miriam-"

"No no, she was even more apologetic than you!"

"Then, then why-"

"Because," he swallows, "because I'm, different. I was created, by Belos, to replace his brother, who I think he murdered for marrying a witch?"

Vee blinks, "I, he, you, what?"

Hunter laughs weakly, "Yeah that seemed to be what The Tale of the Brothers Wittibane was all about. The one Masha's telling. On their spooky hay ride?"

Vee blinks, "Of course! Wittibane! They said that name earlier but I didn't - Phillip Wittibane! Why didn't I, uuurgh!"

Hunter smirks, "You've had a lot going on."

Vee tries not to blush, shaking her head, "So... Belos, I mean, Phillip, I mean – he created you?"

Hunter nods, "Like he created you."

Vee stares.

He stares back, "Sorry, didn't he, I assumed-"

"No it's okay I, I don't," she frowns, "to be honest I don't really know. My kind went extinct a long time ago, and we were brought back, so they, so he could learn how we drained magic. But, but I don't know if he brought us back himself, or if he ordered the coven heads to do it, or if... I don't know."