Chapter 30

Vee woke to absolute silence. In the world of the living, the quiet of morning normally paired with the sound of rustling trees, of leaves skipping across sidewalks, and birds chirping outside her window. An enjoyable quiet, one full of peace, but also plenty of reminders that the world had continued spinning overnight. Purgatory, however, had no such reminders.

In a place defined by its absence, this was hardly surprising. Nothing lived in this world; at least, nothing was supposed to. Still, despite everything Vee knew, she’d still woken up here yesterday morning.

Her overwhelming confusion had stuck with her for most of the day. The presence of her body was confirmation that she hadn’t passed away in her sleep; her connection with her angelic abilities proof that she hadn’t accidentally slipped into the Dreamscape. Wandering campus, she’d recalled lectures and teachings about the nature of death, about what happens when a soul refuses to pass on. The only way to enter Purgatory, Vee had been told, was to die with unfinished business so powerful that you refused to let go.

Yet, her presence here disproved that idea. Did that mean the Church was wrong?

Vee pulled her covers closer, sighing in frustration as she tried to hold onto the warmth as long as she could. So much had happened in these last few months; learning Amara was a demon, nearly dying in a fight with her, then teaming up with her to stop a horrid cult. What made everything worse, though, was how alone Vee felt. Angels were few and far between, and her existence had so many dramatic implications. She desperately wished she had someone that she could talk to, but she knew no such person existed.

From outside Vee’s bedroom, a sudden noise snapped her from her thoughts. A small thud, like something being dropped, followed by a frustrated voice.

“Shit!”

Vee groaned into her pillow; she’d almost forgotten that Amara was here. Whatever was happening in the kitchen, it was as good an excuse as any to get out of bed. After quickly rummaging through her closet, grabbing some properly warm clothes this time, Vee opened her bedroom door and walked out.

On the other side of the counter, Amara was kneeling in the middle of the kitchen trying to clean up a spilled box of cereal. She wore small athletic shorts and a racerback sports bra, her pajamas of choice for almost as long as they’d known each other. Vee had seen Amara wear this plenty of times at sleepovers, but now the outfit seemed to fit her differently. The shorts seemed smaller than usual, hugging her curves tighter than they used to, and the bra seemed to strain against her larger bust. In this moment, Vee finally realized just how much Amara’s body had changed these last few months.

Amara was grumbling to herself as she cleaned, and Vee leaned on the counter before speaking up. “What happened?”

“I was hungry, so I figured I’d grab some food, and I found some cereal. So, I’m holding it with my tail, digging through your fridge to find something to drink, when I grab a big jug of water and it shocks me! Why do you have a gallon of holy water in your fridge?!”

“I’m an Angel, Amara. I feel like, of anyone, I’m the least surprising person to have that. The holy water made you drop the cereal?”

“Yes! Your stupid holy magic always makes my body seize up. I guess that’s my fault for thinking your apartment was safe for me, right?”

Vee moved around, joining Amara in cleaning up the spilled food. “I’m sorry I didn’t warn you about that, I was pretty tired last night. You’re not hurt, are you?”

“I’m fine, mostly just caught me by surprise.” Amara glared at Vee briefly, then spoke up again. “You have any other traps I should know about? I’m not going to, like, accidentally sprinkle my dinner with holy salt or something?”

“To the best of my knowledge, the water in the fridge is the only thing left. I don’t normally keep holy stuff in my apartment, that’s just the last remnant from ... from when I was preparing for Halloween,” Vee said quietly. She didn’t like thinking about the week before their fight, as she had poured every ounce of her strength into a plan to try and kill Amara.

“If you’re going to invite me over, maybe have fewer deathtraps next time? I already know you don’t want me around, even without all this holy nonsense.” Amara’s voice was harsh, her words bitter.

Vee froze, the words hitting her harder than she’d expected.

Why is Amara acting like this? Ever since we ran into each other yesterday, it’s like she’s an entirely different person.

There was a part of Vee that felt she deserved the harsh words, but it was still surprising to hear them coming from Amara. Ever since they’d first met, Amara had always been the voice of reason and support among their friends; that had been a big reason why Vee had spent so much time with her. Chloé had always been nice, but too shy to speak up, while Tessa had been the angry upstart of the group. Had Amara always acted like this back then, Vee doubted they would have been friends.

“Amara, what’s for dinner tonight?” Vee asked quietly.

“Aww you don’t trust me! There’s the Vee I know and love.” Amara said, playfully prodding Vee with her tail. “It’s hand-seared chicken, by the way. You?”

“Spaghetti carbonara.” Vee didn’t bother continuing the conversation. She grabbed some cereal for herself, then moved to the couch to eat it in peace. Her thoughts wandered back to yesterday, to the moment she’d found Amara in Purgatory. Against all reason, she’d been somewhat excited to spend time with Amara again. Now? That feeling was nowhere to be found.

The girls ate their breakfast in silence. Vee wasn’t particularly interested in talking with Amara, and instead let her eyes wander around the corners of the apartment, examining the various Enochian runes that kept them safe. They were still glowing strongly, keeping the entropic forces of Purgatory at bay.

“So, what’s our plan?” Amara asked, finally breaking the silence. “Still up for inspecting the circles today?”

“It’s our best lead, isn’t it? I’m all finished eating, if you want to lead the way,” Vee said. She quickly put the bowl back on the counter, then grabbed a jacket for an extra layer against the cold. She looked at Amara, wearing nothing but her skimpy pajamas, and spoke up again. “You sure you don’t want something else to wear?”

“Nah, I want the flexibility. You have no idea how annoying clothes are when I have my wings and tail out.” As she spoke, Amara began stretching her arms above her head, her tail and wings stretching out as well. Against her better judgement, Vee couldn’t help but look at just how big Amara’s extra limbs were. Her wingspan alone was enormous, her tail much longer and thicker than Vee had realized.

“You can’t just put them away?” Vee asked.

“I mean, I could, but why would I? We’re the only people on campus, I might as well enjoy the freedom.” Amara opened the door, stepping out into the hall before inviting Vee to join her.

Outside, the pale visage of Aurelius University stared back at them. The campus was as lifeless as ever, the only movement the strange wisps of students back in the real world. Amara took the lead, picking a direction and confidently heading off. They walked side by side, though Vee made sure to leave a few feet of space between them; she was hoping to avoid any accidental scrapes with Amara’s wings.

Their first stop ended up being Brandt Hall. They wandered the hallways, doing their best to avoid the strange wisps, and eventually made it to the basement. As they approached the first circle, Amara explained the circumstances under which she and Tessa had discovered this one. A strange heat had overtaken the building, leading the two of them to investigate, and this had been where they first learned about the cult. Vee had only gotten involved once the cult had been thoroughly investigated, and was actually interested in hearing how they’d discovered everything.

Plus, as Amara recounted what had happened, her voice lost that bitter edge it had held at Vee’s apartment. Though confusing, Vee couldn’t help but notice traces of the Amara she’d once been friends with.

“—and just around this corner is the circle! In the real world, it was hidden by an illusion, but it looks like that’s not here. Maybe illusions just don’t work here?”

“It would certainly seem like it.” Vee kneeled down, inspecting the magic circle briefly. “How does this compare to the circle under Lysander Hall?”

“This one is totally lifeless. Tessa said it was giving off a bunch of heat, so it makes sense that it wasn’t connected to this plane. I guess that means Lysander is connected to Purgatory, right? That would explain the weird cold Tessa felt.”

“Wait, what cold?” Vee asked.

“Yeah, the first time she showed me the Lysander circle, she said it was really cold. I mean, she could have been lying, but based on how much you’re shivering, I’m tempted to believe her.”

Vee paused, turning her attention inwards, and realized Amara was right. Despite her multiple layers, the cold of Purgatory was already starting to creep under her skin. “Well, we have to keep looking. How about we head to Lysander, then back to my place? I’m already fading faster than yesterday.”

“Sounds good to me. Lead the way!” Amara stepped to the side, letting Vee take the lead, and they started walking towards the center of campus.

Vee tried to quicken her pace, not wanting to spend more time outside than she had to. Thankfully, as Amara seemed to be mostly resistant to the effects of Purgatory, she was easily able to keep pace. They were roughly halfway to Lysander Hall when Amara broke the silence again.

“What about Vivian?”

“It’s just Vee, Amara.”

“Veronica? Violet?”

Vee tried to hold back a sigh of frustration. She didn’t bother responding, hoping it would stop Amara from continuing this line of questioning. Thankfully, it worked; Amara only guessed a few more names before giving up. The remainder of the walk was quiet, and soon they were walking down the stairs in Lysander Hall.

Approaching the magic circle, Vee finally understood what Amara had meant when she said it was glowing. It wasn’t just that the circle had a strange light to it, but the light itself was more vibrant than the rest of campus. It seemed to originate from the real world, and even brought with it traces of liveliness that Vee appreciated. While the cold of Purgatory hadn’t been chased away entirely, it had certainly grown weaker.

“This circle is absolutely a bridge between here and the real world. I can feel tiny bits of life coming through, it feels a little like my apartment.” Vee knelt next to the circle, trying to steal whatever warmth she could from it.

“Well, I’ll take your word for it. Everything feels the same to me.” Amara sat down on the floor a few feet away from Vee, her tail wrapping around her as she settled in. “You think you can do anything with it? Like, use your magic to get a message through?”

Vee hesitated. “I can’t say. I think it’s worth trying, but these runes aren’t Enochian. I wouldn’t be surprised if my magic isn’t compatible.”

Knowing it was worth a shot, Vee summoned a small amount of magic and tried to direct it at the circle. She didn’t know what any of the symbols meant, or what significance the various patterns held, but Enochian had many powerful benefits that normal witchcraft didn’t. Witches needed to use precise runic language, whereas angels had more freedom to guide their magic through willpower and intent.

She watched her angelic nature touch the circle, a few strange sparks appearing. It felt like trying to force two like sides of a magnet together, but Vee kept pushing. According to Amara, energy from Purgatory was leaking through the circle in the real world. If Vee could find the edges of the circle, the points of connection between the two planes, she might be able to push her angelic magic through as well. It was a long shot, but if Tessa came to investigate, it might be enough to communicate where they were.

As Vee focused, slowly exploring the strange runes with her angelic magic, she felt the cold from Purgatory continuing to bite at her. She began shivering again, likely because she was redirecting her energy towards the circle rather than herself. After a few seconds, however, a wave of heat washed over her. It felt incredible, like she’d stepped into a sun beam, and her shivering stopped almost immediately.

Looking up, Vee saw a small flame hovering in front of her, hints of purple dancing around its edges. Her gaze moved to Amara, only to find the demon looking back at her. They locked eyes, and for a moment, there was a connection. As if Vee were seeing the human side of Amara, trapped behind the demonic mask.

Amara looked away a moment later. “What? I just didn’t want your shivering to fuck with our chances of getting home.”

What is going on with her? Does she hate me, or doesn’t she?

Now wasn’t the time to analyze whatever their relationship was, and Vee returned to focusing on the circle. With the warmth of Amara’s fire, it was easier to concentrate on her magic, directing it around as she looked for weak points in the connection.

After a few minutes of exploring, she felt she had a fairly decent picture of the circle’s construction. At least, an understanding of how it interacted with her magic. “Alright, I think I’ve got some basics down. Thankfully, I know what I’m looking for, and that made this a lot easier. According to Tessa, the circles were meant to block off extraplanar connection, but the cult weakened that protection. I think I’ve found the cracks in the Gate, so to speak, and I’ve managed to push some of my own magic through it. I have no idea how long it will last, but if Tessa visits this circle in the real world, there’s a chance she’ll see it and figure out where we are.”

“You don’t think you’ll be able to get us back?” Amara asked, standing up. She also put out the fire she summoned.

“Not a chance. Angelic magic works on a completely different set of rules. My innate magic works with intent, with emotion. Enochian runes, although visually somewhat similar, are built to channel divine magic, not to interact with the kind witches use.”

“Well, as much as I hate waiting, I guess it’s better than nothing. Should we head back to your place?”

Vee nodded. “Yeah, the sooner the better.”

Before the girls could reach the staircase, however, a strange sound caused them both to freeze in surprise. A deep, rumbling bass that seemed to shake the walls around them, soon followed by a much higher pitched wail. The sounds were distant, yet also frighteningly close, but one thing scared Vee more than anything else.

The sound was moving.

It circled around both of them, sometimes coming from above, sometimes from below.

“Amara,” Vee said, “I don’t think we’re alone anymore.”

Tessa woke at her usual hour, with just enough time to get to her first final. She was only a few minutes late, but thankfully her teachers were used to her indifference. After powering through her exam, without caring too much about how well she did, she had just enough time to swing by the cafeteria for lunch.

Today it was just her and Chloé, and she wasn’t entirely sure how to compose herself. As much as she’d wanted some time to herself yesterday, Tessa couldn’t deny that she was growing more and more worried about Amara.

And maybe Vee. But not as much.

Chloé was going on and on about some new game that was coming out soon, and Tessa was more than happy to let her ramble. She did her best to pretend to be interested, though her thoughts were mostly fixated on how she might be able to find Amara and Vee.

“—and they’ve got a bunch of different hair styles, including a lot of undercut options! That’s actually pretty rare in games like these, just like having a good variety of hair options for black characters. Anyways, the most exciting thing is that you can play as a trans character!” Chloé said, scrolling through pictures; she was under the impression that Tessa was paying rapt attention.

“I imagine that’s not very common either?” Tessa asked.

“It might be a first, honestly. It’s so cool! I’m hoping I can show it to Amara once she’s feeling better. Actually, have you talked to her at all? She’s not answering my texts, and neither is Vee.”

“Um, I think they’re both just really going through it. I’m going to swing by and drop off some things for them later today, I’ll let them know you said hey.” Tessa continued eating, trying to finish her food as quickly as possible so she could start investigating.

“Oh, could I come with? I’d love to see them before break hits, it’s going to be pretty lonely once you all leave.”

Tessa paused, trying to think of a good way to let Chloé down gently. “I’m not quite sure when I’m going, but I’ll let you know, okay? My schedule’s just a little crazy right now.”

Chloé seemed a little disappointed, but forced a smile anyways. “Sure, that sounds good. Just let them know I miss them, okay?”

“Mmhm, can do. Listen, I’m gonna head out, but I’d love to hear more about this game when it comes out, okay?”

“Okay! Maybe you can come over sometime, and I can show it to you!”

“Deal!” Tessa said, picking up her things. She felt bad ditching Chloé again, but she had no other choice. She’d agreed to meet Nick at Lysander Hall to start their planar investigation today, and he’d just texted her that he’d already arrived.

After tossing the rest of her lunch, Tessa ran to meet up with Nick, finding him waiting by the elevator. After looking around to make sure no one would be joining them on the lift, they boarded and pressed the secret button hidden by an illusion. Nick had never been down here before, and Tessa made sure to show him where the button was for future reference.

“So, what’s down there? I’m not going to end up fighting anything, am I?” Nick asked, nervously wringing the straps on his backpack.

“No, you’ll be fine. I mean, I haven’t been down here since the night of the ritual, so technically I can’t say for sure that the portal hasn’t reopened. Look, if the place is crawling with demons, just stay behind me and we’ll ride the elevator back up.”

“Tessa! That’s not making me feel better!”

Tessa slapped Nick on the back, laughing as the elevator landed. “Oh, lighten up. We’ll be fine.”

As they stepped out, a familiar hallway greeted Tessa. On the night of the ritual, all of the fighting had happened in the main chamber, so this entry hallway was still quite clean. As they approached the chamber, however, the familiar smell of iron washed over them.

The floor, walls, and pillars were covered with week-old bloodstains. Some spots only held small patterns of droplets, while others were positively drenched with the stuff. Tessa hadn’t paid the mess much attention after they’d won the fight, but with a second look, she couldn’t deny the place looked pretty fucking metal.

“Oh god!” Nick gasped, covering his mouth with his hand as he walked into the chamber. “Tessa, this is horrifying! What on earth happened here?!”

“Seriously? Nick, we already told you, there was a huge fight to the death.” Tessa rolled her eyes. “What, did you think that Amara was able to peacefully knock everyone unconscious with a clean bonk on the head?”

“I mean, no, but ... this seems somewhat excessive, don’t you think?”

“Look, Nick, you’ve only seen the fun, sexy side of Amara. That night, she was juiced up on a fuckton of energy, and it was kill or be killed. The girl was practically a human woodchipper. Just, you know, with people instead of wood.”

Nick turned away from the chamber, stepping back to the hallway as his breath quickened. “Fuck, okay. It’s not that I didn’t know this, but seeing the aftermath like this is a different story. I saw her get angry once, a few weeks back, but it’s hard picturing her like this.”

“She’s a demon, Nick. The most surprising thing about her is that she isn’t doing this all the time.”

“She’s my friend, Tessa, she’s more than just a demon. Pardon me for not immediately coming to terms with the fact that she killed a bunch of people that night.”

Despite Tessa’s flippant attitude, she had to admit she understood where Nick was coming from. In the moment, surrounded by cultists and hostile demons, Tessa had been overjoyed to have Amara’s rampage on her side. Since then, however, she’d seen the cultists Amara had fucked, and witnessed just how aggressive Amara had gotten in their own hookups. With the benefit of hindsight, it was hard to ignore just how deadly Amara was.

“Everyone Amara fought was already dead, Nick. They sold their souls to demons, and the demons were using their bodies like puppets.”

“You know what I mean, Tess,” Nick said, his breath slowly calming.

Unfortunately, I kinda do.

“Look, I’m going to go investigate the Hell circle. If you want to wait here, go for it.” Tessa took off, walking towards the center of the chamber as she engaged her magic. She looked around at the leylines, surprised at how potent they were this far underground, but the more she thought about it, the more it made sense. Creating a portal that reached into Hell probably took a lot of juice, so it would make sense that it needed to be as close to the Leylines as possible.