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The guy gets to his feet, not bothering to wipe the dirt off his shirt, before going into the door behind him while muttering something.

“You’re going to get us thrown into someone’s dungeons,” I say quietly.

“Let them fucking try,” my brother grits out.

It takes way too long, I’m starting to get nervous, but eventually a man comes out of the back room. A different one than the one who went in. This one is cleaner, well-dressed, and smiling. He doesn’t look like a demon or a vampire, which is usually what you find in Hell. Which is odd, because who would choose to live down here? Maybe he’s just a weird looking demon, I don’t know.

“It’s been a while,” the man says, offering his hand to Rae. They shake, and the man brings his attention to Silo and then to me. He nods once, then looks back at Rae. “I can guess why you’re here, but maybe you should tell me.”

Rae moves aside, allowing me a direct view of this guy.

“Something is up with her. I need to know if it’s magic,” Rae says.

“It is. I can feel it from here. Bad. Strong, too.”

“Doesn’t sound good,” Silo says.

“It’s not,” the man says.

“Wait, are you talking about me?” I look around.

Rae sighs, grabbing my arm and pulling me into the room in the back. The short hallway opens up into a much bigger room. There are couches, a soft rug, one of those disco lights, and a large TV that’s playing a football game.

What a weird place this is. You don’t find things like this in hell. This is all human stuff. Demons smuggle stuff down here, but they aren’t usually out in the open like this.

“How do we fix her?” Rae asks.

“You need to find the person who put the spell on her and make them remove it.”

“That’s impossible.” Rae shakes his head.

“There isn’t really another option. Not with this kind of magic.”

“What is it, exactly?” Silo asks, dropping onto the couch. He pulls out a cigarette from the pack in his pocket and puts it between his teeth. “This okay?” he asks, looking at Valek.

“Sure,” he says, waving him off, then turning back to my brother. “It’s powerful magic, is what it is. A spell binding her to someone. Her soul, her emotions, all of it.”

“Makes sense,” Rae mutters, looking at me.

“Something like this can’t just be reversed, it needs to be removed from the person who did it.”

“And if they don’t want to remove it?” Silo asks.

“Then you’d better kill them.”

“What a waste of fucking time,” Rae growls as we leave the building.

I’m still confused about the whole thing. I know they were talking about me, but it didn’t really make sense. I don’t have a spell on me. I’d know if I did. I don’t remember anyone putting it on me, and Valek definitely said it would have taken some time. That I’d have remembered it. A spell like this isn’t quick. So… obviously they’re wrong.

But also, I’m offended. Just because I love my husband doesn’t mean I’m being brainwashed or controlled by magic. I just love him because he’s my husband. Why is that wrong?

We continue to walk through town, not sure where we are going or why. Rae hasn’t said anything else, and neither has Silo. I don’t know what the plan is now and I’m afraid to ask. I shouldn’t be, but I can see Rae isn’t in the mood to talk. But… if there is nowhere for us to go, I need to go home.

“Rae, can I go home now?”

“You are not going home, Zia,” he growls.

“Why not?” I shout. “It’s what I want.”