The Riddle Of Magic

Chapter 32: Miasmic Consequences I

Vaggie slowly came down the steps, staring at the vase in Daena's arms with a suspicion bordering on anger. "That was magic - how all those pieces came floating back together, wasn't it?" the moth demoness asked, unable to see magic but able to perceive its effects. "I've seen something similar from the Radio Demon before. You've never been able to do anything like that! How... how do you know his magic?" she demanded, looking back to Charlie.

There was nothing to say. No excuse. "Vaggie- I-" the blonde demoness sighed, twining the grayed lace scarf in her hands. "We... need to talk."

Daena clutched her vase, looking between the two of them. "I-is everything alright?"

"It's fine," the princess assured her, not wanting to further risk her patron's confidence in the Hotel.

"Fine?" Vaggie scoffed. "When did you mean to tell me you were learning more magic?"

"It's not something we should talk about here, please-"

Her girlfriend's gaze was full of fury. "I thought you didn't want to risk your Authority hurting anyone!"

"Authority?" the sheep demoness asked quietly, shrinking back. "Is there danger?"

"No! Of course not, you're perfectly safe here!" Charlie insisted.

"How can you say that? Why would you want more magic? And from the Radio Demon of all people?" Vaggie demanded, hands on her hips.

The blonde demoness heard the undisguised suspicion in her girlfriend's tone, and her stomach churned bitterly as she twisted the cloth tighter in her hands. "I'm making sure we have ways to protect the Hotel-"

"I protect the Hotel!"

"I know, and I want to still be able to protect you and everyone! Can we talk privately, please?"

Vaggie's gaze grew cold as she scowled. "What's there to say? Are you actually going to tell me the truth now?"

"I'm going to go," Daena mumbled, creeping past them up the stairs. She chanced a glance back, and the princess saw pity in the sheep demoness' dark eyes as she departed.

The hallway door opened, and Husk wandered back into the lobby, freezing at seeing them near the stairs, their postures clearly upset.

Vaggie didn't look at the retreating demoness or the cat demon who had just arrived, her gaze fixed on Charlie.

The princess looked back to her girlfriend, trying to keep her composure. "I don't want to do this here. I know you're angry-"

"Angry doesn't describe it, Charlie. It doesn't even begin to."

"We can go upstairs then," the blonde demoness gestured, turning to head upstairs.

There wasn't any sound behind her as she climbed, and when she looked back, Vaggie had stilled at the base of the stairs, her tiny foot just on the bottom stair. The moth demoness stood watching her, and for a split second, her pale gaze rippled in sadness.

"Vaggie?" Charlie called softly.

Whatever emotion was stirring there was blinked away. "Let's go," she muttered, stomping up the steps.

As they ascended towards the penthouse, a terrible feeling of familiarity struck. They'd bickered the evening the Radio Demon had arrived, she remembered, almost as fresh as if it had happened yesterday. Charlie had excused them from the impromptu dinner Alastor was hosting, much to her scarcely restrained frustration, taking her girlfriend upstairs so they could argue in solitude.