The Spirits' Guide

Chapter 31

Iris and Josephine sat in silence. Iris never thought she would find such a silence so comforting.

"So she's alive then." Josephine spoke first. Iris ducked her head as she took a breath in. Rubbing her hands together, she murmured, "Yes." Josephine sighed as she leaned back on the couch.

The silence continued for another minute before she spoke once more, "Then we won't do anything about that. I told you earlier, we need to find Dante. The last I heard of him was that he was in the capital."

Iris breathed out laughs. She did not believe this for a second. Josephine Borinda knew Dante's son, named after his father, and he was in the capital of Aneria. If Hakan was dangerous, Krain was death.

"You're telling me that I need to go to Krain to find Dante's son. Sorry, but he can die. Nothing is worth going back to that city." Iris scoffed.

"Iris, this is important. More important than your problems, more important than you or anyone else can imagine." Josephine glared at Iris as she spoke.

Leaning forward, Iris growled, "Oh yeah, tell me then — why is going to that trap important? I don't see it, so how about you tell me so I can understand why going there is more important than anything else."

Josephine shot up from the couch, growling, she said, "Fine. You watch over Lockin. I'll go and find him myself. Just don't burn the school down."

Iris scowled as the room returned to silence, this time less comforting. She could hear her heartbeat as she weighed the task.

"If I go in, you will release me from my debt. I will leave Lockin completely. I want the freedom to reassemble my coven." Iris scowled as she spoke.

Josephine looked down at her icily.

"You will continue a coven that should be dead? A coven that caused the destruction of the world we knew?"

Iris stared into her eyes, her gaze unwavering and heavy, "Yes. We could destroy the world further, turn the tables on the humans."

"And let innocent lives burn. Not even Lucifer has thought about such a thing." Iris's glare burned darker as she felt the blow Josephine had dealt by comparing her to the King of Lies.

"They deserve it. There is no innocent when they stood by and watched my people burn. What you walk past, what you do nothing to prevent, you accept. There are no innocents." Iris growled, her voice deep and unwavering.

Josephine stood in the setting light, her gaze colder than any Iris had ever seen. She opened her mouth and licked her lips as though tasting the words she was going to say.

"One day, Iris, you will meet a man who you'll love. A man who you'll die for, give up everything you have fought for just for his happiness. I promise you, you will love a man who is human."

Iris calmly stared into Josephine's eyes, "I cannot love. For the life I have now, for the time I was given, I cannot love another being. If the day I should ever love again comes and he shall be human, then I will rip his heart out of his chest."

"You don't seem to know the meaning of the word 'love'. You won't be able to hurt him." Josephine spat at Iris.

Iris shook her head. How did their discussion get onto such a topic?

"The point is, it won't happen. Josephine, will you promise me that I will be released from my debt and allowed to reassemble my coven freely." Iris passed the topic of love for another day.

"So long as you don't kill innocents." Josephine's face twisted as she gazed behind Iris.

Iris nodded her head, staying silent. There are no innocents in Aneria.