Magic - Chapter 46

This is the second book in The Godsverse Chronicles, a portal fantasy series with mythological roots and action-adventure tendencies. You can search through all my work on my website.

Ollie wasn't looking for trouble, but after she saved the Antichrist from being slaughtered, it came for her.

Ollie lived by one rule. Never get involved with anyone for any reason; humans, demons, fae folk, it didn't matter. They were all trouble. Keeping her distance was how she survived in the criminal underworld for so long.

Keep your head down and don't piss anyone off. That was her motto, especially since her clients all had access to powerful dark magic.

She thought she had a flawless system for keeping her nose clean, so how did she wind up in a stolen car, with a demon spawn in her back seat, driving away from her ex-lover and a gang of demons ready to skin her alive?

That's a good question.

And why did she agree to help save the demon's life so she didn't get sacrificed to open the gates of Hell?

An even better question.

She had one rule. One stupid rule. And tonight...it goes right down the toilet.

Now, the only way for Ollie to get her life back is to save the girl, prevent the Apocalypse, and track down the people who betrayed her.

They will pay. Oh yes, they will all pay.

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I helped Blezor into the house and laid him on the couch in the living room, then ran into the kitchen and brought back water for him. He drank voraciously and begged for more.

“What happened?” I asked after replacing his water for the third time. “You look horrible.”

“A girl—woman—she came to my house, looking for the dagger.” Blezor took a deep breath and winced in pain. “I told her it wasn’t for sale, and she—she—”

The char on his face gave away that the Firestarter had visited him. I sat back and frowned. “Let me guess. She snapped her fingers and burned everything down?”

“How did you—” Blezor paused, then nodded. “Of course you know her. Friend of yours?”

I shook my head. “Not a friend. Definitely not a friend.” I took a damp rag and dotted his head with it. “I’m sorry you got involved. How did you know where I lived, though?”

“After you left me, I had—you know, I have friends too, okay? I had one of them track down your last known address.”

“Well, well, well,” my mother said from the top of the stairs. “You do love your strays.”

“This wasn’t me. He just came here on his own.”

“They all just come here, dear,” she said, rolling her eyes. “You’re like a magnet for them.” She sighed as she walked down the stairs with the grace of a gazelle. “And why did you have to lay him on my nice, clean couch?”

I saw the black stains all over the couch. “I’ll buy you a new one.”

“Money is nothing.” She knelt next to me. She was no longer in her robe and mask. Instead, she wore a glistening white toga with a golden headband pulling her hair back from her face. “I wanted a change anyway.”

“You are her mother?” Blezor asked. “Or her sister? Or her lover?”

“Her mother, and thank you, but also, ew.” Mom pressed her hand against his chest. “You are in a bad way. I’m afraid—”

He nodded. “I know I’m going to die. I don’t fear it.” He placed the knife into my hand. “I wanted you to have this. Whatever you do, don’t let them take it from you.”

“So dramatic.” Mom stood. “Actually, I was going to say that I’m afraid I’ll have to save another one of Oleander’s friends. I am an angel, after all. I have some bit of magic left for miracles.”

“Oh,” Blezor said. “I never thought that—”

“If you want to be saved, that is. I hear monsters like you are put to work in Hell for the pleasure of the demons, and God…he doesn’t much like your kind.”

Blezor shook his head. “I wouldn’t go to Heaven anyway. Not after what I’ve done.” He coughed. “If you could save me, that would be wonderful.”

“Ollie?” She looked at me. “Should I?”

“Don’t put this on me!” I threw my hands in the air. “I don’t want his life in my hands.”

“I’m afraid it’s on you, my love. Does this orc need a miracle? You know how much they wear me out, and you also need my help.”

She was right. Mom would need a week to recover from performing a miracle, especially one as big as saving a life, which meant it would prevent her from helping me unless I wanted to wait for a week, and I really, really didn’t. Still, even though I didn’t like Blezor, I couldn’t be the one responsible for his death. Not when I could save him.

“He needs it,” I said, standing up. “He probably doesn’t deserve it, but you should do it, I think.”

“Let’s not equivocate here,” Mom said. “Either the man deserves a miracle or not.”

I turned back to Blezor. “Do you promise to clean up your act if my mom saves you? You’re putting me in a really inconvenient spot.”

Blezor growled. “I’m sorry to put you out, but yes. I promise to clean up my act.”

“This is non-negotiable.” Mom’s eyes narrowed. “Miracles are conditional. If you don’t clean up your act, you’ll be hit by a bus or drown in the tub, or some other horrible thing, and there will be nothing to save you then.”

“I will clean up my act.”

She nodded. “You can start by helping my Ollie find the demon trying to kill her.”

“Of course, I’ll help her.”

“Then I suppose I lied to you, Ollie. I can’t help you right now.” Mom took off her headband and handed it to me. “In the small Scottish town of Plockton, on the western coast, there is a bar that is unlike any bar you have ever seen. You cannot tell somebody the address. You must be led there by another who already knows the way. Take this headband to a place called The Seamus in the town center and give it to the bartender. Tell him you are my child and ask him to bring you to The Bar. He will make a stupid joke, and when he does, say ‘Muriel would hate that joke.’ He will then do as you ask.”

“Muriel is a nice name,” Blezor said. He was shaking now, one step closer to death.

“Thank you. When we fell in love, it was the one I used.”

“Wait,” I said. “Are you trying to tell me the person you’re sending me to is my father?”

Mom sighed. “Unfortunately, yes. I have been shunned by the angels who once welcomed me, and…he’s the only demon I even partially trust.”

“How long have you known where he is?”

“I lost track of him when he went back to Hell after your birth, but he’s been back for fifteen years, and I’ve known where he was that whole time. I’m sorry—I just didn’t think—”

“This is exactly like you, Mom.” I was livid, but I didn’t have time to yell at her. “Just fix him so we can go.”

She wanted to say something, probably to defend her case, but she didn’t. Instead, she simply bent down and placed her hand on Blezor’s face. She began to glow a brilliant yellow, and then Blezor radiated with her, the same color.

A minute later, it was over, and Mom collapsed into me. Blezor no longer looked charred; he was exactly as he was last time I saw him and just as ugly. If anything, the char covered his hideous face and covered up the smell of old cheese that normally wafted off him.

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This is the second book in The Godsverse Chronicles, a portal fantasy series with mythological roots and action-adventure tendencies. You can search through all my work on my website.

Paid subscribers can access the entire archive of this series from the beginning, along with other series and every article I’ve ever written.

If you are not a paid member, you can read everything with a 7-day free trial, or give us a one-time tip.