Chapter Thirty-Two – Millie
Chapter Thirty-Two
Millie
I clung to Grim’s arm, my heart pounding so hard I thought it might burst from my chest. The cold stone floor under my feet seemed to mirror the chill spreading through my body.
“No!”
Grim turned to me, the dark pits he had for eyes impossible to read. His skeletal face was inches from mine, and I could feel the magic holding him together pulsing under my fingers.
“Millie, the Breathless told me this is the only way to save you and Elysia.”
I shook my head, tears filling my eyes. The room spun around me, the flickering shadows from the weak fire making everything seem unreal. Grim looked back at Ma-Vasha, who watched us with interest. She hadn’t moved from where she was sitting at the head of the table.
“Even if you’re a despicable monster,” Grim told her, his voice echoing off the damp stone walls, “A deal is a deal.” She made an offended sound, like a disgusted hmpf, her face twisting into a scowl. “There’s nothing illegal about it. After all, it’s not your fault you were born to eat souls.”
“Thank you,” Ma-Vasha said, sounding somewhat appeased.
I couldn’t believe this was happening. My legs felt weak, and I pulled Grim close, burying my face in his chest. His familiar scent surrounded me as I started to full-on cry, my tears soaking into the fabric of his cloak.
“Please, don’t do this,” I begged, my voice muffled against him. My hands clutched at his back, desperately trying to hold onto him. “It’s all my fault. I’m the one who messed up. I should be the one to pay.”
Grim’s arms wrapped around me, holding me tight. I felt so safe with him, even in this nightmare of a castle. He tilted my chin up, and I met his gaze through my tears, wanting the dark voids of his eyes to swallow me up.
“It’s okay,” he said softly. He kissed me, his lips cool against mine, and I savored the feeling, knowing it might be our last kiss. “I’m doing this because I love you. I want you and Elysia to live a great life together.”
My heart swelled and broke at the same time. “I love you too,” I whispered, my voice cracking.
As I looked at Grim, my chest ached with a deep, gnawing pain. He was the best thing that had happened to me in so long. Losing him felt like losing a part of myself. I thought of all the moments we’d shared, all the times he’d made me laugh or feel safe. How could I let him go?
But then I thought of Elysia, my little girl who thought she was my sister. She’d already lost so much. If I died, she’d be a complete orphan. I was torn between the two people I loved most in the world. How could I choose? How could I let either of them suffer?
“There has to be another way,” I said. I turned to Ma-Vasha, desperate for any other option. The ancient being’s eyes glittered with hunger, making my skin crawl. “Please, isn’t there anything else we can do?”
Ma-Vasha tilted her head, considering. For a moment, I dared to hope. But then she grinned, her teeth sharp in the dim light, and my heart sank like a stone.
“Your boyfriend said it: a deal is a deal. Someone’s soul must be mine. Choose quickly, or I’ll take the child’s.”
I looked at Elysia, so small and scared at the table, her face pale. Then back at Grim, his face set with determination, his skeletal hand squeezing mine reassuringly. The howling wind outside mirrored the turmoil in my heart. Time stood still as I faced an impossible choice, the weight of it crushing me.
Grim pulled away from me, his touch lingering for a moment before he stepped forward. My heart raced as I watched him reach for the clasp of his cloak. In his other hand, his scythe gleamed, ready to cut his eternal thread. I tore my gaze away from Grim to look at Elysia. She sat frozen at the long table, her eyes wide with fear and confusion. My little girl looked so small and helpless. I couldn’t bear to see her like this. Without thinking, I rushed to Elysia’s side. I scooped her up in my arms, feeling her tiny body tremble against mine. As I pulled her away from Ma-Vasha, I held her close, trying to shield her from the horror unfolding before us.
“It’s okay, sweetie,” I whispered, even though nothing was okay. “I got you.”
Elysia clung to me, burying her face in my shoulder. I could feel her tears soaking through my shirt. My own eyes burned as I turned to look at Grim and Ma-Vasha facing each other.
Grim stood tall, his bony fingers working at the buttons of his cloak. I wanted to scream, to beg him not to do this. But the words caught in my throat. I knew deep down that this was his choice, his sacrifice to save us. It made me love him even more, which only made the pain worse.
As Grim undid the last button, something unexpected happened. A small, furry shape darted out from underneath his cloak, shooting between his legs like a bolt of lightning. My eyes widened as I recognized the blur of tortoiseshell fur.
“Lady Mews!” Elysia and I gasped in unison.
I blinked, not quite believing what I was seeing. How had Lady Mews gotten here? Then it hit me – before we teleported, Grim had let her go. She must have snuck under his cloak without either of us noticing, clinging to the fabric with her claws when we teleported. For a split second, relief washed over me. Lady Mews was okay! She’d made it through the teleportation. But that relief turned to dread as I realized where she was running.
Straight towards Ma-Vasha.
“No!” I cried out, but it was too late.
Ma-Vasha’s clawed hand shot out, snatching Lady Mews mid-stride. She stood up as she lifted our beloved cat, holding her up for inspection. Lady Mews dangled from Ma-Vasha’s grip, looking small and fragile. I felt Elysia stiffen in my arms. Her hands gripped my shirt tighter as she peeked out to see what was happening. A soft whimper escaped her lips.
“Lady Mews,” the soul-eating monster said, her eyes filled with curiosity. “What a silly little name for a silly little creature. You’re the reason I’m starving right now.”
Ma-Vasha stared at Lady Mews, her ancient eyes narrowing with a mix of curiosity and amusement. The air in the dimly lit stone hall felt thick with tension. Our tortie cat, her fur standing on end, let out a meow followed by a hiss. I held my breath, my heart pounding so hard I could feel it in my throat.
To my surprise, Ma-Vasha laughed. “What a feisty little creature,” she said.
My palms grew clammy as I watched the soul-eating monster reach out one bony finger to stroke Lady Mews between the ears. Every instinct screamed at me to snatch our cat away, but fear kept me rooted to the spot, my legs feeling like lead.
Suddenly, Ma-Vasha started coughing. It was a harsh, hacking sound that bounced off the stone walls and seemed to shake the very air around us. She dropped Lady Mews, who immediately darted towards us, her claws skittering across the floor. Elysia squirmed out of my arms. She scooped up the cat, hugging her tightly to her chest.
Ma-Vasha waved her hand dismissively, as if to say she’d be fine in a moment. But the coughing didn’t stop. If anything, it got worse, each hack more violent than the last. Her face turned an alarming shade of red. She gasped for air between coughs, her chest heaving with the effort. As I watched, something finally started to make sense. Words I didn’t understand when I first read them.
“When richest fur meets fated breath, you’ll find your end in silent death,” I said. I was shocked by my own realization. “Oh my god! Ma-Vasha is allergic to cats!”
Ma-Vasha’s eyes bulged as she tried to speak between coughs. Her usually imposing figure seemed to shrink as she struggled for breath.
“No,” she wheezed. “The prophecy... It’s about wealth. ‘Richest fur’... refers to how... rich people... surround themselves with... furs and jewels.”
She paused, gasping for air, her hands clutching at her throat. Despite everything she’d done, I felt a pang of sympathy twist in my gut. No one deserved to suffer like this, not even a soul-eating monster.
“That’s why... all my life... I avoided... living in wealth and comfort,” Ma-Vasha continued, her words coming out in short bursts that seemed to cost her great effort. “So I... wouldn’t die. Prophecies are... never literal. They’re... metaphors.”
I shook my head. “I don’t think so. It looks like this prophecy is literal. You’re simply allergic to animal fur.”
Ma-Vasha tried to laugh, but it turned into another choking fit that wracked her entire body. Her eyes rolled back, the whites showing. She collapsed against the table with a thud. Within seconds, she was gone, her body still and lifeless.
I stood there, stunned, my knees trembling. It seemed impossible that something as ordinary as a cat allergy could bring down a being as powerful as Ma-Vasha. But then again, maybe that was the point. Sometimes the simplest things could change everything. The irony of it left me feeling dizzy and slightly hysterical.
Around us, the Poppets began to fall. It was like watching dominos topple, one after another. They crumbled into piles of clay and straw, no longer held together by Ma-Vasha’s magic. The sound of their collapse filled the air, a strange rustling that sent shivers down my spine.
Lady Mews let out a pitiful meow from Elysia’s arms. I looked down at our cat, the unwitting hero of this bizarre situation. Her fur was ruffled, and she looked as confused as I felt, her big eyes darting around the room.
“Come on,” Grim said, his voice gentle but urgent. He placed a skeletal hand on my shoulder, the touch grounding me in reality. “Let’s go home.”
I nodded, relief washing over me in a wave so powerful it nearly brought me to my knees. Home. It sounded like the best place in the world right now, a safe haven far from this nightmare.
As we gathered close to Grim, ready for him to teleport us back, I couldn’t help but marvel at how quickly everything had changed. Just moments ago, I’d been facing an impossible choice, my heart torn between the two people I loved most. Now, we were all safe, thanks to our cat’s unfortunate effect on Ma-Vasha. The weight of fear and desperation that had been crushing me began to lift, replaced by cautious hope.
I wrapped one arm around Elysia and Lady Mews, feeling the warmth of their bodies against mine. My other arm found its way around Grim. As I felt the now familiar tingle of teleportation starting – a sensation like static electricity dancing across my skin – I closed my eyes. The last thing I saw before the world dissolved around us was Ma-Vasha’s lifeless form slumped over the table. As we began to fade from the gloomy hall, I sent up a silent prayer of thanks to whatever forces had brought Lady Mews to us at just the right moment. In the span of a heartbeat, the cold stone beneath my feet gave way to nothingness. The musty, damp air of Ma-Vasha’s lair was replaced by a swirling void. For a moment, we existed in a place between places, neither here nor there. Then, as quickly as it had begun, the sensation faded.
When I opened my eyes again, we were home. And somehow, against all odds, we were all still together.