Devil or Divine || Completed

Chapter Eleven: Magical Magnet

"Wake up," Jack repeated as my eyes pried open.

I was in my room again, morning light slicing through the curtains. Gone were the trees and, more importantly, the wolf-god.

I really had been asleep. Part of me hadn't believed him.

Unlike most dreams, everything came back to me in vivid detail. The horrible outfit, the chilling breeze, the warmth of Fen's hands. My eyes went wide, remembering his name scarred above my heart. My gaze snapped down, hands rushing to move aside the t-shirt. Nothing but pale, unblemished skin lay beneath. My body relaxed as I sighed with relief.

"What was that about?" Jack asked curiously then shook his head. "Nevermind, I don't care. Arachne is here. She can get your more answers than any common witch."

He pulled away the blankets and urged me out of the bed. Still dazed from sleep, I shuffled down the hall with Jack in tow. He was still looking at me strangely, trying to figure out what was off. I really hoped he wouldn't ask. Clearly he didn't like Fen. Didn't trust him, and neither did I. Jack probably wouldn't be too happy to know he was invading my dreams.

Thoughts of sleeping and untrustworthy gods scattered when I spotted Arachne perched on the sofa. Seeing her would never cease to knot my stomach. No one liked spiders. There were only people who didn't hate them, like me. They were majestic little creatures, but that didn't mean I wanted a giant one sitting on my sofa. Even though her face was mostly human, and lead down into a human torso, the six eyes and eight, spindly legs made my skin crawl.

She noticed me immediately, thin lips drawing into a smile. She stood to scuttle toward me. Her spider-like lower half was covered in layers of thin, plum fabric, bunched up in the front as if to remind everyone what she was.

"Hello, Morrigan. How's being stuck with this poor fellow been?" She leaned in and added, "I hoped you've been giving him hell."

"A royal pain in my ass," I groaned teasingly. "Between him and Fen it's—" My voice stopped abruptly when her face fell, all three pairs of eyes snapping over my shoulder to Jack.

Oops. Guess I said something wrong.

"Fenrir's involved now, is he?" Her hands planted themselves firmly on her hips.

"Ah, yes, forgot to mention that." He tried to appear casual and ran a hand through his hair. "Arc, love, don't over react. We were in need of his help and Lilu—"

"Ilutu," she gasped. "You always have to involve her, don't you?"

Interesting. Sounded to me like she was jealous, and I'd just found myself in the middle of a lover's quarrel. A smile crept on my lips. Had to admit, it was kind of funny.

Arachne started into a severe scolding that would more likely be reserved to a parent reprimanding a child, only I couldn't understand a word of it. Kind of glad, too. She did not sound happy. That woman could put my mother to shame.

I winced as a lash of pain followed the thought. My mother's voice hummed in my skull, the words not quite loud enough to make out. Jack immediately stopped yammering and tilted his head to me. I really hated how he could sense that. Arachne followed gaze, settling her eyes on me till one pair widened. Her face twisted, but quickly returned to a cool smile.

"Nergal, how about you go make us some tea while we have a little girl-talk," she said with venom in her voice.

He arched an eyebrow and crossed his arms over his chest, looking at her as if she'd sprouted another head—which honestly didn't seem so strange. She met his look with a stony expression till he finally admitted defeat and she whisked me into my room. She went to close the door but her hand caught nothing but air. A laugh caught in my throat as she took a moment to examine the doorway.