Chapter 1

“Amirya was sooo petty, totally made just to be an obstacle between the main couple, but isn’t this too much? Especially for a romance fantasy? I mean, like, I feel so bad for her now. She should have been redeemed,” Zefina said.

Zee had walked into the dining room of her apartment and stood near Elle while waving the book in the air. The space was now used as an office - a very unkempt one. Paper piles sat precariously and unorganized, open books carelessly strewn over the bookcases and desk, random objects in their home and in their tossed places, and living and dying plants placed randomly where they could fit. Not even the walls were spared of clutter, filled with pictures, shelves, and woven fabrics. The only clean space was the large floor to ceiling birdcage in the corner next to the window. The door was opened, because Zee rarely closed it while home.

The room was cramped but somehow cozy. Elle, a tall woman with broad shoulders, long straight black hair with red underneath, and deep bronze skin looked up from the much too small chair she reclined in. Much to Zee’s displeasure, the woman had already read the book without Zee. She even frequently spoiled it!

Elle flipped her own book she held in her lap closed and scoffed. She always got moody when Zee spoke about the rofan, but come on, it was found in Zee’s witch-space. A small closet-like dimensional vortex outside space and time just for her. Yet, when she finally managed to perfect astral projection and open it, it already had ingredients and magic books, including this one. She hadn’t the faintest idea how to physically move objects between spaces, but Elle did. The book was too weird, too random. But a magic romance book was exactly Zee’s interest.

“First,” Elle said.

“Oh, what have I done,” Zee said with mock horror.

“First,” Elle said, “again with the ‘main couple.’ They’re not a couple. Where are you getting that?”

“We’ve had this argument like every ti-”

“Second, she doesn’t need to be redeemed. She’s fine as is.” Elle’s eyes narrowed, a glare and a challenge against Zee’s pursed lips.

“You and your fan-girling over the petty villainous is so weird, my dear.” Zee said.

She plopped down in the swivel chair next to the small table in the room. Her two birds chirped and sat on her shoulders. She smiled and blew on Cinnamon when he started to pick at her short black hair. Nixon, named that only because it made Zee giggle, sat on the green side of her hair.

Elle watched for a moment, her fingers taping at the book still in her lap, “Why are you reading that when we’re prepping to seal that devil, anyways?”

“Oh, that,” Zee brushed some of her cropped bangs off her forehead. “Yeah, I finished that. Last night, actually. It’s brilliant, if I might say.”

She raised her hand, silver rings and small gems on her fingers, and pointed at a poster paper draped over the back edge of the desk, nearly fallen behind it. She flicked her hand and it flew towards her; she grabbed and handed it to her mentor to examine.

Elle hummed as she did.

“Are you impressed?”

No answer came from Elle.

“I know you’re impressed.”

“Sure,” Elle said and stood. “I’m impressed.”

“Reward me,” Zee immediately demanded.

Elle leaned down and kissed her briefly on her lips. “Rewarded.”

“Lame,” Zee complained. “Anyways, I know, I know. This is important. This dude is an arch-demon, right? You still haven’t told me…” She trailed off when Elle looked away, already knowing Zee’s complaint. “Why he’s so obsessed with you.”

“Maybe I ate his brother or something and he wants the soul back,” Elle shrugged. “And he’s a devil. Careful with that. Easy way to piss them off.”

“What an awful joke.” Zee stood. Her birds chirped.

“Are you taking them?”

Zee poked one of the bird’s feathered belly. “I know you say to rely on my familiars, but… I’m too scared they’ll be hurt.”

“They’ve already become incorporeal, have them take their shadow form,” Elle said. She left the room to change into more fighter-friendly clothes. She was much more physically involved, unlike Zee, who hid in the back to cast her spells.

“Stay home,” Zee commanded them, instead. She followed after Elle to change. A black Gothic nightgown wasn’t the fashion to wear for this.

…

Kanan and Elle were fighting the arch-devil. Kanan was still a mysterious figure to Zee, but he was someone that even Elle listened to and respected, so Zee trusted he’d watch over Elle. Zee hated she wasn’t there, especially since this devil’s focus was on Elle, but she needed to stand at this particular point in the triangle for the seal to work. Her best friend, June, was at one point, and Elle would take the third.

She scuffed her thick black boots against the dirt anxiously. She felt June at the point but not Elle. Zee stood alone on the outside of some woods, explosions and concerning sounds reaching over the top of the trees. She felt it then, suddenly, Elle at the point, releasing magic.

Zee made a triangle with her hands and began chanting, the rune she had burned with Elle into the ground around the area lit up. Their magic connected, intertwined, she sensed the thick barrier it created and the way it suddenly latched down on whatever was in the center - the devil. They continued until the magic reached an apex, and the seal snapped in place. The devil was trapped! Elle and June were safe!

Zee hollered in triumph and jumped in the air, pumped her fists. “Yes! We did it!”

Sure, the world was safe from demons roaming loose, but more importantly, Elle and June-

A sharp, hot pain entered her side from the back.

“Ah,” Zee couldn’t cry out, the pain grasped her voice and breath. She slowly turned her head and touched the place, her hand coming back with blood. Before she finished looking up, the knife was shoved again in her chest. The girl in front of her had curly red hair and dark gray eyes. Pure hatred colored her expression. They’d met before. This was the witch that worked with the devil, that worshiped them.

Zee choked when the knife was wrenched out and stabbed again. She lost her balance and crashed to her knees.

“So preoccupied with the chant, you didn’t even bother with a protection charm?” The witch said through her panted breaths. “What a joke. You’re a joke of a witch. How dare you. With what power do you use over him to seal…”

Zee grabbed her chest and fell down to the earth. She tried to do what Elle taught her, pull power from the earth and into her, but she couldn’t think straight. Too much blood poured out.

“No,” Zee muttered. Her body went numb. The sensation was familiar and brought a great sense of despair. She heard someone cry out her name in the distance. It sounded like Elle. She tried to stay; Elle was capable of more than Zee ever thought possible, maybe she could…

Everything went quiet. The last thing she felt was magic in her chest, winding up and heating.

…

This place was quiet. It reminded her of the outside of the door to her witch’s space. Familiar. Peaceful. Out on the horizon, strange mountains disappeared against the sky full of planets, stars, colors. Things beyond her reach swam in the starry sea. Clear water sloshed around her ankles, as far as the mountains.

She lightly touched her chest, a bright golden glow still emitting. She followed the call, turned and saw herself. Though, it didn’t look like her.