Soul exchange

Forty five ~ Never.

A heavy pressure atop Nyx's chest woke her in terror, the darkness around revealing nothing but a large mass hovering above her. A scream formed in her mouth, but a huge hand clasped across her face.

"Hush, you idiot, it's me!"

The hand lifted, and Nyx growled. "Maeze? What the hell are you doing in my tent?"

She sat back and let Nyx scooch up, wiping sleep from her eyes.

"Just checking you still-" Maeze cleared her throat, turning her head away. If Nyx didn't know any better, she would have assumed she sounded embarrassed.

"I'm checking that you still want my Master."

Nyx blinked in the darkness, a small fit of laughter bubbling in her throat. Maeze's attention snapped to her, and she quickly swallowed it.

"Did he ask you to ask me that?"

Maeze scoffed, "Of course not. He's been moping since you stopped trying to summon him or think of his name."

"Oh," Nyx let her gaze drop to her lap. "I didn't mean to. It's been so busy at work, thinking of his name or summoning him with failure after failure... I don't know; it just hurt too much. I thought he had forgotten about me. It's been weeks."

"Eighteen months for him."

Mouth dropping open, Nyx turned angrily and tried to tuck herself back in when Maeze gripped her sleeping bag. "What are you doing."

She didn't respond.

"Don't pout. You made a mess when you left, and Master has been picking up the pieces, alright? We found dozens of pits full of creatures Tunrida poached from their rightful Hells, and we had to return them all. Getting Prince Emry to take the throne was no easy task either. Master had to promise him he would handle any major issues that came up. Stupid little fairy boy."

"He's my brother," Nyx said with a sniffle.

Maeze stilled before snickering. "I would say I'm surprised, but I'm not."

Nyx still shook her head every time she saw him, not understanding how she didn't spot the similarity sooner. Besides the different eye colours, their sharp features and hair were near identical.

"Did Neo move on with someone else?" Nyx asked meekly. Eighteen months was a long time to hold out for someone. She already felt stir-crazy after a few weeks.

Maeze cackled. "Did you even hear what I just said? He's moping. Of course, he hasn't moved on. He'd probably kill me if he knew I was here, but I needed to check before I convinced him to come back to you."

"But- but why does he need convincing? I don't understand." Tears welled along her waterline before she swiped them away.

"I don't know. The inner mind of the King of Hell is a mystery, but I guess he thinks you deserve better."

Nyx sighed, about to respond, when a rapid pattering of feet outside the tent and the ripping open of her half-zipped tent made her scream.

"MAEZIE!?" Selene threw herself through the tent opening, pushing her off balance and straight on top of Nyx. The wind whooshed from their lips as the delirious bed-headed princess winded them.

"Why didn't you tell me you were here?" Selene pouted as she sat up, keeping her grip around Maezes wrist. Dawn must have been on the horizon, as Nyx could make out the sheepish expression on the demon's face.

"I- I had to talk with Nyx first. I'm sorry," she said, swallowing. A demon apologising? Selene pressed her lips into the back of Maezes hand, and Nyx coughed, still winded.