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A satisfied smile played around my lips as I lay in bed next to Aza again. I finally had a goal in mind again and would do anything to achieve it. Shortly afterward, I fell into a dreamless sleep.
The rustling of a comforter woke me up. I felt better rested—almost refreshed — than I had in a long time. Aza stood next to the bed and hastily smoothed the sheets.
"Good morning," I said as I stretched. "Did you sleep well?"
Startled, my friend stopped moving, turned red, and widened her eyes. "How do you know I slept here?" she stammered uncertainly.
"Because I woke up in between," I laughed and swiftly pulled her back onto the soft blankets. "That's all right! Aza, relax. You're my girlfriend, and it's no problem if we sleep together in one bed!"
Aza tried to free herself from the pillows and escape my grip, but I didn't give up that easily. I didn't want her to feel bad about it because, in my eyes, she was no longer a maid but my friend, my confidante.
"It's just a shame you were sleeping so soundly that we couldn't have a pillow fight!" With these words, I hit her in the face with my pillow. At first, she stiffened, but then the corners of her mouth twitched, and she quickly grabbed her own. The next moment, it hit me on the cheek. Roaring, I laughed and launched myself at her with another soft projectile.
"Besides, you snore!" I teased her as the pillows flew back and forth. When we finally fell onto the mattress, entirely out of breath and still laughing, I was happier than I had in ages.
"Thank you," I whispered and squeezed her hand.
"Thank you, too." My friend chuckled, and I realized that this exuberance had also done her good.
Pushing a few pillows aside, I rolled onto my stomach and looked at her.
"Are you going to tell me how we got here?" I asked her. Aza suddenly became severe, sat up, and nodded.
Then she told me how she, Stephan, and my father had escaped from our house via a portal as soon as the news came that we had been caught on the pier. Shortly after she arrived, I was also brought here. I fainted and had a high temperature. When she told me how she had tried to look after me for days with teas and compresses, she was in tears. She had been afraid for me and my life. My dear, caring Aza. Full of gratitude for her friendship, I took her in my arms.
"At one point, I begged Mr. Baldur to call Hecate. She was the only one who could help you."
"Hecate," I said thoughtfully. "What do you know about her?"
Her eyes lit up. "Hecate is one of the most powerful goddesses of our worlds," she explained admiringly. "She doesn't just deal with magic; she embodies magic. Hecate saved you."
"Should I be afraid of her?" I asked, hoping she would tell me immediately that the goddess was a harmless, loving aunt.
"She is mighty and hardly lets feelings like love or affection get to her. You don't need to be afraid of her if you respect her and don't get too close. But don't worry, you won't meet her again anyway."
"I'm afraid you're wrong," I replied contritely and had to swallow. "She's going to accompany me to the realm of the dead to look for Alex."
"You want to do what?" Aza exclaimed in amazement. "Who came up with this stupid idea? Why doesn't Mr. Baldur come with you?"
"I turned down his offer to accompany me and decided I wanted to go there with Hecate." In an attempt to put more energy into this perhaps hasty but still personal decision, I sat up straight.
Aza shook her head sympathetically. "You've really got yourself into a mess, Myrina."
"I'll follow your advice, and I'm sure we'll get along well," I assured her. However, her look spoke volumes.
"Why did you reject Mr. Baldur?"
"Because he's my enemy, Aza. I have to stay as far away from him as possible," I confided to her. My friend tilted her head and frowned slightly. There was doubt in her light blue eyes. But then she nodded in agreement.
"You're right. You should keep your distance." Sadness glowed so briefly in her irises that I wasn't sure I saw it.
Only now did I realize that Aza, along with Stephan and my father, was the only member of our household to have fled to this world.
I looked at her uncertainly but couldn't see anything unusual about her. Was she human, like me? Tanael and Stephan looked human, too, so I couldn't rely on that. As her description of Hecate showed, she also seemed very familiar with the creatures of this world.
"Aza, are you human?" I asked straight out.
My friend froze momentarily and slid unsteadily back and forth in her seat.
