The Hunchback's Reluctant Bride ✔

37 | The Jar

Realization came to Aggu who stumbled back and nearly fell out of the wagon.

"No. You...ate—you ate something? You know never to eat anything when magic's involved!"

Face pressed to the wagon floor, Wyrn twisted and cried out.

His mother watched him at a loss. Finally, she jumped down and turned the donkey around. It faced the opposite direction when she manned the reins and yelled out a command.

Vadde bounced from the heavy justling.

Wyrn wasn't the only one feeling strange; Vadde banged against the glass. Her vision blurred and she lost time.

When she awoken once more, they were before the black tower, Aggu using every bit of power she had to pull her son from the wagon.

One purple nymph popped into existence and then his green counterpart.

"You have a nerve coming back here," the purple one began.

"I'm giving you back your damn goddess," she insisted. "So help me."

"That wasn't the deal," the green one answered. "Returning the princess in exchange for your giant family. That's three people. There was nothing said about a fourth."

Aggu yanked the jar off her belt and held it out. "Here. Give me back my husband and son, and the damn succubus!"

The purple nymph took the string of the jar and the green one clapped.

Bonn was the first to appear in the archway. He steadied himself from an unseen freefall. His wife appeared next, and finally his father.

The purple nymph was pleased. "It was lovely doing business with you, traitor. Do be so kind as to leave quickly."

With two hands, he dragged the jar higher into the sky.

"Oi," Wyrn's father called, "wait." But the nymph continued to ascend so he raced to his wife. "That was the princess?"

"Never mind the princess," Aggu begged. "If she doesn't become The Living Goddess, Wyrn can never leave this forest!"

The rest of their argument faded as the nymph climbed higher, Vadde still in the jar. She landed on something soft—a pair of hands.

Orm peered down at her, grinning. "Finally."

"May we observe?" the purple nymph asked.

"I suppose I should charge for that," the prince joked.

The green nymph answered, "We have riches. We can pay."

A ruckus came from the stairway and Wyrn's father, his son in his arms, rushed in. "We need help!"

Aggu wasn't far behind. "I can do it. It's best if I do this alone. Please!"

Wyrn came to rest at their feet. "Please. Take whatever compensation you want," Wyrn's father insisted, "but save my son."

The green nymph peered down at the sweaty face as Wyrn writhed. "He has too many competing spells. Just simply remove them. Anyway, we are busy."

Bonn was the next to arrive with his wife. "The Living Goddess can help him."

"The Living Goddess will have to wait," the purple nymph insisted, "we are busy—"

A knife caught him clean through the chest and a collective gasp sounded.

The shocked nymph regarded Aggu in doubt and betrayal before he plummeted to the floor.

Aggu had another dagger at the ready. "You're next, bitch, if you don't give me what I want."