The Strange Apprentice- Book Two

Chapter 5

-What is it?- I asked. I tried to look him in the eye, but he kept looking the other way. He got closer, he was about to tell me something big:
- I haven't exactly been honest with you.
- What do you mean?
- This last person I went to help wasn't a little girl, it was longtime friend which is also a sorcerer, a very good one actually. I was contacted by his cousin because he believed my friend had made a deal with a demon. When I got there, relieving form his deed proved to be more difficult than I expected, because a sorcerer's soul ins't a soul the devil is willing to give up easily...- he stopped for a few moments to choose his words correctly before he dropped the bomb on me- the only way I found to release him, was to offer the devil another soul. A more powerful soul then the one he had before...
- John, what have you done?!
- You didn't sell your soul to the Devil, I did.
- What...?- I stood there without saying a word, completely petrified. I couldn't move, i couldn't speak, i was in complete shock. I had so many questions: Why? How? When?... but my lips didn't seem to want to move. What was going to happen to me now? Just the idea made me dizzy ,and I sat on the couch looking at nowhere:
- Love, please, say something
- You sold my soul to the devil himself to save one of your friends?!
- I did. I had no choice.
- You had no choice? You had no choice?!- I wanted to burst into tears, I wanted to scream and yell,pray for my eternal soul. I wished that this was all a joke and everything would be fine in the morning. But i didn't do any of those things. I looked him in the eye as a tear managed to escape and rolled down my cheek. John tried to sit next to me and wipe it out, but i stood up quickly and managed to put all the questions i had in my head into words:
- Don't touch me, don't you even dare to get near me.
- Casey I know what I've done, if you just let me explain....
- You lost your right to an explanation when you sold my soul to the Devil, I do the talking now. I have questions and you are going to answer me. How did you pull this off if i wasn't even there?
- Your bracelet, it's connected to me. I used that connection to get to your soul because, unfortunately, I am that good.
- For how long have you been hidding this from me? For how long did you think you would be able to hide it from me?
- I wasn't counting that the masters found out about this, I underestimated their powers, I was going to tell you but believe me or not, I didn't do this to hurt you.
- Is there any way to reverse this?
- I could find a more powerful sorcerer than you but i would have to get in Kammar- Taj, which i can't, or take Doctor Strange's soul, because even though he is less powerful than you, he is higher up in the hierarchy and...
- No!! I'm not getting Doc involved, this is between you and me.
- Yeah I figured you would say that. Listen love... there is no way around this. I'm truly sorry for what I did but, nothing will happen to you until you're gone.
- And after that I am not you problem anymore, right?
- I't's not like that, do you think I'm happy with is?
- Well to be honest it's not entirely your fault. I should have seen this coming, I always knew the type of person you are and I should know you would do everything to save the ones you love. I'm just sad that I didn't get to be one of them, i mean you never told me, so i really shouldn't be surprised- yep, its true. 2 years and John had never told me the L-word. I thought it was because he wasn't ready, but now I could see why, in fact everything seemed clearer now.
- That's not true.
- Was any of this real? Between us? Was this all an act, so you could use me when it came the time you would need me, or did you get to feel something?
- I meant every word I ever said to you,I...I...I love you- i tried to hold back the tears and looked down, so he wouldn't see how much I was suffering. I started to sob mildly:
- Save it John, it's to late for that now. How could you do this to me? After everything we'vie been through together? How could you throw away what we had in a matter of seconds?
- Please don't do this...
- I just did. I'm tired of this, of everything. You and Doc have zero respect for me, you never had, you two are both selfish,egomaniac and manipulating people, you used me to get your way and, like an idiot, I fell for it. I waited for you! Everytime you walked out of this door to save somebody else, I never knew if you would came back to me, and it hurt every, damn, time! But I put up with it because you were doing something noble. I remember thinking what would I do with myself if something happened to you, and I wouldn't be able to save you or even say goodbye. Now I realize I should have been worrying about saving myself instead.
- So that's it, were done? After all of this time? You won't even consider forgiving me?
- You didn't think twice about it when you doomed my eternal soul, and took the one thing in my life that made me feel good about being different, so no, you are not getting a second chance. We're over, don't ever speak to me again.- I turned around and stormed out of his apartment. I allowed myself to cry, as I got down the stairs. He followed me, that persistent bastard couldn't even take no for an answer:
-Casey please, let's talk about this- he said as he got down the stairs of his building chasing me.
- I am done talking to you, with all of you- Suddenly, I stopped. People were screaming outside, I heard a roar, a loud one. I accelerated the pace to see what was happening on the street. A giant black blob with read eyes and massive teeth was harvesting people's brains and eating them afterwards, getting bigger and bigger while doing it. I put my shields up when I felt my arm being grabbed:
- You are not fighting that thing- John said.
- You can't forbid me, I have to save this people- he tighten his grip.
- You can't defeat him, he is the size of this building, and he is destroying everything around him. You won't be able to stop him.
- Maybe, but I have to try, and you certainly can't forbid me. Now let me go.
- No! You will kill yourself, and I won't let that happen!
- Like you care!- As we were having this stupid discussion, a group of masked heroes got in charge of handling the beast. I recognized them. They were the heroes of the magazine Doc had shown me. They called themselves the Teen Titans and they were a well oiled machine, they handled that thing until it disappeared. The crowds were cheering for them, and we got closer to see them. I was able to reach the front line of the crowd when i realized. The guy, the leader, of the team, I knew him. I mean, he had a mask on but, I was almost certain it was him. When everyone dismissed and they were turning back to their ship, I saw my opportunity, and took a chance:
- Damian?!