Elaine and Hex were out killing demon hunters, albeit begrudgingly on Hex's part, as he didn't really want anything to do with her anymore. Being near him hurt her, his cold stares, his snide comments, they threatened to destroy her will.

She solemnly wiped the yellow goo from her sword, when she felt a familiar yet horrible feeling. Turbuk had arrived again, she knew she was tempting fate, but she was hoping he would get tired of her and kill her already, so the suffering would be over.

“Oh shit, not him again,” Hex said, visibly going pale.

“Well hello there Elaine, I was just checking up on you, how are you feeling?” Turbuk walked out of an alleyway with a smug smile on his face.

“Fuck you.” She hoped being belligerent would make him angry so he would end her.

“Now now, don't get so hostile, I was simply asking how you were doing. I have a little idea now the two of you are finally together, actually.” Turbuk grinned.

“Hex, get behind me.” She stepped in front of Hex, she hoped to shield him from whatever was coming.

“I don't think that'll work, he's a mage, remember?” Hex piped up.

“The boy has the right idea. This one is from me to you, Elaine.” Turbuk raised his arms and a few large red sigils with demonic markings and pentagrams in the middle spawned in front of him. They started to spin, until a pulse of energy was emitted from them.

She tried to shield Hex with a Zoriyan shield spell, but the shield burst from the pressure as soon as it was summoned. She fell to her knees and dropped her sword, defeated, and closed her eyes. Whatever horrible spell was put on Hex would surely destroy her, she never wanted anything bad to happen to him. She was still so remorseful about what she did that almost cost Hex his life.

“Elaine?!” Hex shouted, and she could feel him wrap his arms around her.

Something was wrong, but she didn't know what. She opened her eyes to see a completely different look on Hex's face. It was... Worry? What kind of sorcery happened that he would be worried about her?

“Hex?” she asked, completely dumbfounded and confused by the apparent one-eighty that he just did.

“Oh, thank god you're okay. I would have been crushed if anything bad happened to you. I would never have been able to apologize for being an asshole to you all this time!” Hex hugged her, leaving her even more confused.

“Weren't you just being an 'asshole' to me just a minute ago?” She had no idea what was happening.

“I'm so sorry for every bad thing and every bad look I've ever given you. I hope you can forgive me, too. I... Love you, Elaine.” He pulled away from hugging her with tears in his eyes.

“What? You can't be doing this! You just got engaged!” she squeaked. This was wrong and she knew it. She suddenly realized that this was another way for Turbuk to torment her. She had to find out how to break the spell and return him to his normal self.

“I'll break up with her right now, if you say you love me back.” He took out his phone, still teary-eyed.

“No, no, this is wrong! You can't be doing this! I know this is wrong! Turbuk, what the hell did you do?” She turned to Turbuk, who was holding back laughter.

“I'll give you a hint, true love's kiss breaks the curse. I made him fall in love with you, it's a love spell! Isn't it grand? Now you can spend the minuscule amount of time you have on this earth with the one you love!” Turbuk burst into laughter.

“Curse? Minuscule time on this earth? What is he talking about?” Hex turned to her, a worried look plastered onto his face again.

“I'm cursed, it's a consumption curse, I don't have much time left.” She lowered her head.

“A what?! Elaine, tell me it isn't true! You're the smartest girl I know! There has to be a way to break it!”

“It's a spell from the Forbidden Book, there is no cure but what he said it was.” She looked back up at him with tears in her eyes as well.

She could see through her tears that his face was getting closer to her, but she pushed him away.

“What are you doing?! I'm trying to break it! You love me, right?!” Hex cried.

“I do, but this is wrong, I have to figure out a way to break this.” She shook her head.

“But you'll die!” Hex wailed.

“I can't kiss you, I can't return you love, it's not genuine.” She put a hand to her face.

“But it's how I feel now! Can't you understand that?” Hex wiped the tears from his eyes.

“It's not real, it's a love spell, this isn't how you really feel for me. I'll have Kalan and Pain hide you away until I can figure out how to break the spell.” She reached out and grabbed his hand.

“Is there anything I can do to make you believe me?” he asked.

“I wish it was true too, I do, but it isn't, I can't, even though my feelings for you are genuine. It would be evil to steal you away from Din.” She shook her head again.

She called on Kalan and Pain and told them what was happening, and to hide him away somewhere safe until she could figure out how to break the spell. She would have to go to the Zoriyan library to find old dark magic texts, possibly with the help of her mother.