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6
ADDIE
Maddox seemed upset with me. I tried to convince him that this was for the best, but he was disinterested. Each time I offered a new solution, he turned away from me. I clenched my fists at my sides.
No one should be so willing to offer themselves up as sacrifice.
When he did finally turn to me, he asked, “Was that soul magic? Is that how you banished a goddess?”
My jaw tightened. Why was everyone so suspicious of me lately?
“No. I don’t practice what would be called soul magic. Do I deal with souls? Yes. Do I use them for my practice? No!” My fists trembled at my sides.
The sigil on the wall had been drawn in chalk. It banned my particular brand of arcana from the house. Considering that gods were a pure manifestation of arcana, and I was a mortal body wielding arcana, Hel got booted while I only got nerfed. The sigil wouldn’t last forever, though. It was a bastardization of one that Vi had learned in a blood tome stolen from demons. The main bastardization was the fact that itdidn’tuse blood or souls.
It simply warded against my arcana for a short while. Since my arcana came from Hel, the sigil forced her out. So long as we stayed here, under this roof, Hel wouldn’t be able to bother us.
I perked up, realizing what I’d done. “Shit! Potato!”
“What did you do to the cat?” Maddox asked as I stumbled away to find my dead cat.
Potato wasn’t alive. She existed on my arcana…however, I hadn’t been the one to bring her back to life. Another Reaper had done that before Potato came into my care. I kept my fingers crossed, hoping that would keep Potato safe.
I found the cat curled up on my bed.
“Potato!”
She didn’t move. My heart sank. I’d done the worst thing ever. Tears burned my eyes. I hadn’t meant to hurt her. All I’d wanted to do was buy time for Maddox to make a real decision. I’d never meant to hurt Potato…
The cat lifted her head and let out a wide yawn. She stretched her paws forward and unfurled, so she could hop off the bed. Twining between my legs, Potato meowed up at me.
“Oh, thank god!” I practically fell to my knees.
I somehow managed to keep myself from collapsing onto Potato as I dropped down onto the floor. She pressed her head into my hand to demand pets. I gratefully gave them while my heart rate went back to normal.
“Do you really think this is a good idea?” Perse asked from the edge of my bed.
I wasn’t sure when she’d appeared, but I wasn’t upset at her presence. If anything, I felt better with her around.
“I had to do it. I can’t…I can’t live without him.” My heart had made up its mind. “It’s not about making up for what happened to him anymore. I love him, and I don’t want a life without him.”
“We can’t drag this out forever,” Maddox said from behind me.
He must have quietly stalked up the stairs. I winced, embarrassed that he’d overheard me.
“Why can’t we steal what little we have left? Why can’t we use that time to find another way?” I didn’t look up from petting Potato. I didn’t want to see the resignation on Maddox’s face.
“Why work when we could just make the best of what we have left?” Maddox asked in return.
I shook my head. I refused. Nothing would tempt me. My whole life had been one sacrifice after another. I wouldn’t let anyone, not even the gods, take what I rightfully deserved.
But I also couldn’t stop Maddox from leaving on his own. So, I twisted and looked back at him. His lips were ever so slightly downturned in sorrow. It didn’t have to be like this, and the moment our eyes met, I knew he believed the same.
“Do you really want to fight a god?” he asked.
“For you? I would do anything.”
He shook his head. “I don’t get why. You know I’m not a good person. Why fight for me?”
