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An absolute cold deep enough to freeze hearts and stop minds: that’s what enveloped her now, rushing in through her nose and mouth to assault her from the inside out. Numb from her fingertips to her bare thighs, she watched her wheat blonde hair drift up as she sank down as if she were watching from outside her body. How had she gotten here…? The water was so frigid, she couldn’t remember. That first frigid blast had stabbed every coherent thought out of her.
Not that it mattered. The numbness wasn’t so much a comfort as it was a long-familiar companion in a long, long life. As darkness dove down to overtake her, she let go of everything.
“IIIIIHHHHHbleghgerfhakhakhakhak,” Magilou gracefully announced as she puked up icy water and sucked in a lungful of air, quite against her will. Stupid body. Stupid autonomous reactions.
Other stupid autonomous reactions: shivering. Yes, yes, it was cold as balls out and she was utterly drenched. Did that mean her entire body had to jitter like a… like a… gods, but she was cold. She couldn’t even drudge up a decent sassy quip. Life was so unfair.
Above her, she heard a breath of faint relief. “Oh, good. You’re not dead.”
“Hebbawubbabuwuduh,” Magilou countered. Damn. Even her mouth was numb. This was the literal worst.
Bandaged arms slipped under her slender body and lifted her up into the biting air. Ah, yes, her very favorite Velvet. It would almost be nice, being smushed against her enormous soft bosoms, if it weren’t for the fact that Velvet was drenched too. As it were, she had to vaguely wonder at what Her Lord of Calamityness was doing, sprinting through the snowy streets of Meirchio like someone’s life depended on i—
Oh. Well. That would explain a lot, wouldn’t it. What was it? Twelve minutes before hypothermia set in? Something like that.
It was significantly less than that before Velvet got Magilou to the inn of the town they’d occupied the other day and in front of a fireplace. With all the efficiency of the fussy older sister she was at heart, Velvet removed Magilou’s clothes, then her own clothes, and then had the utter nerve to walk away buck naked and drop-dead gorgeous with their laundry while leaving Magilou to spasm helplessly in front of an admittedly nicely toasty hearth. She could almost feel her face again at this rate.
Velvet returned a moment later with a pair of towels, two sets of underwear, and a huge, fluffy blanket. By then, Magilou felt alive again, unfortunately. She sat up, arched backwards, knees spread, hands on the floor behind her, smiling suggestively up at her. Velvet responded by dropping a towel on her head. Truly, there was no one more vexing than this vixen.
“I hope you know you’re an idiot,” Velvet added as she dried herself off.
“Who knows? Do I know? Do you know? Does anyone know what anyone knows?” Magilou said airily. Hmm. Maybe she’d been deprived of air a little too long. “Why am I an idiot again?”
She peered at her, pausing in wringing out her long, black hair. “You don’t remember?”
Magilou paused at that. Now that Velvet mentioned it, there was something familiar at the edge of her memory…
“If you keep dancing on top of the railing like that, you’re going to slip and fall,” Velvet said, expression flat and unimpressed as ever, as she set a hand on her hip.
Magilou, for her part, merely twirled between the spikes of the fence that separated normal, boring people from the docks overlooking the frigid waters around Meirchio. “What’s that? Do mine ears deceive me? Do you doubt the great and agile Magilou’s dance moves?” she trilled, holding a hand up to her ear in exaggerated mock shock. “Anyway, if you didn’t want a show, or to lose a thousand gald, you shouldn’t have bet there was no way I could manaaAAAAAA—”
“Oooh. Oh yes. Maybe I do feel a teensy bit stupid now,” Magilou admitted.
“So how much money is that you owe me now?” Velvet said, skin and smile dry.
“Owe?! Oh, no no no no! Our bets aren’t over yet, Velvet! We still have yet to see what becomes of you after the end of your journey!” she declared, thrusting a finger up at her. “This was merely an amusing diversion before beginning the final leg!”
“Whatever. Here.”
Velvet dropped a couple articles of clothing on her. When Magilou inspected them, she found they were a silky bra and panties combo, icy-pale blue with ivory lace on the hem. She barely needed a bra at all, but this was nice. That perfect combination of racy and innocent that kept a man’s head spinning, but wouldn’t fool a woman for a second.
“My, since when were you a panty thief?” she joked, kicking one leg up as she pulled on the underwear.
Velvet rolled her eyes. “I’m not. They were in the drawer of one of the rooms. The others aren’t in right now, but it’d be a pain if they came back and walked in on us naked.”
“If nothing else, you’d have a lot to explain to dear little Phi, wouldn’t you?” she drawled.
She huffed and didn’t deny it. Instead, she slipped her own lingerie on. It suited her: no frills, no seductive lace, just a simple set of bra and panties neatly stitched and well-cupped, dyed midnight blue. Magilou hooked her bra on as Velvet did. Not a perfect fit, but decent enough for wearing while their regular clothes dried.
For her part, when she was done getting semi-dressed, Velvet sat down next to Magilou in front of the fire and draped the blanket around their shoulders.
She paused. “...Well, well,” she drawled, crossing her legs and jiggling a foot. “Aren’t we feeling friendly today?”
“It’d be a nuisance if you died on me now. Now shut up and get closer.”
And Magilou squeaked, actually squeaked, when Velvet grabbed her and yanked her so close they may as well have been the two slices of a bread sandwich. When she collected herself mentally, she draped her arms around Velvet’s shoulders, letting her fingers trace up the beautiful muscle in her left arm.
“Why, Miss Velvet! If I didn’t know better, I’d swear you were trying to seduce me,” Magilou purred, resting her cheek on Velvet’s shoulder.
“Good thing you know better, then,” she deadpanned back. “You nearly died in that water. You could still lose some toes or fingers if you’re not careful. Obviously I want to warm you up.”
“Obviously? Is it really that obvious? If it is, doesn’t that mean that it’s also obvious why you’d go to these lengths for li’l ol’ me?”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
Magilou puffed out her cheeks, somewhere between fake and real annoyance. She let a smirk slide back onto her lips a moment later. “I suppose you wouldn’t,” she conceded, tone airy. “You’d go for your revenge against Artorius no matter what, but with Innominat’s power being what it is, it’d be more useful to have a witch’s power backing you up, wouldn’t it? I get it, I get it.” She nodded twice as if part of a conspiracy. Then she glanced to one side, smirk turning wan. “It’s not like anyone would risk their life for me because they care.”
Velvet made a soft, huffing noise. Magilou caught her frown and furrowed eyebrows, and grinned. Ahh, yes, that was the reaction she wanted. Nothing like revealing a hint of vulnerability to draw your crowd in. “So it’s good for me I’m so amazingly powerful and intelligent and useful, and that you’ve got just enough brains to recognize them! If I were some vapid little lump, you’d have let me sink to the bottom of the bay, wouldn’t you?”
You mean you aren’t a vapid little lump? Velvet would crack next, and Magilou would make a theatrical sound of agony as she clawed at the air around her, bellowing, Lo! The Lord of Calamity, she has come for my entire life! I am brought low and slain! before laughing it off and teasing Velvet. Then Velvet would get annoyed, and they’d banter a bit more, and… and…
And why was Velvet just staring at her like her feelings were genuinely hurt?
It felt like a question Magilou did not want answered. At all. Ever. So naturally, when that look sank in, Velvet finally murmured, “You really think I’d let you drown like that?”
She almost laughed. The Lord of Calamity had no business being so naïve and soft-hearted. Instead, she only gave her a pitying smile. “My dear Velvet, you work too hard to be too ruthless to do anything else. You even bully sweet little Phi when it suits you, and he’s never done anything wrong in his life! Not only would you step over my corpse without a glance, you’d step on it if you thought it’d get you closer to murdering Artorius. Am I wrong?”
Velvet’s frown hardened. That was good; it chased away that weak, vulnerable look from earlier. It was also bad, because it preceded her scooping Magilou up in both arms, blanket falling away from their bare shoulders, and rising to her feet. Out of pure reaction from the sudden movement, Magilou swept her arms around her neck, fingers digging into her dark hair. She certainly didn’t mind another princess carry, especially now that she was significantly warmer, dryer, and more scantily clad, but where did Velvet intend on taking her?
One of the inn rooms, it seemed. A two-bedder, one of them missing its blanket. So that’s where she’d gotten it from. Velvet strode past that one for the fully furnished second, then cradled Magilou with one arm to sweep the covers back with the other. Then she set her down with unnatural tenderness and grace.
Ah, she’s leaving me to warm up on my own now, Magilou assumed.
The next second, Velvet climbed into bed with her, then pulled the covers back up over the two of them.
“Um,” Magilou said. “Aha… ahaha… Velvet? You really don’t have to pretend you care anymore…”
“Shut up,” she murmured, wrapping an arm around her and pulling her closer, one leg thrown over hers.
Oh. Oh dear, now Velvet was spooning her. That… that was alarmingly nice. Alarming, and threatening, because it was nice enough to make her want to lower her guard. To actually believe her. To let herself get caught up an illusion of being loved. Magilou knew damn well that was her weakness. After all, people could fight pain, but they couldn’t fight happiness.
And because it was her weakness, she couldn’t bring herself to tell Velvet to piss off, that she didn’t need her, that… that… Her eyes lidded as she gazed out a nearby window at the snow drifting down. Ahh… this really did feel like one of Melchior’s illusions. So peaceful. So calm. With the others off who knew where, it was like only she and Velvet existed in this wintry cocoon.
Half-heartedly, Magilou picked at the bandages around Velvet’s daemon arm.
“Don’t do that,” Velvet murmured into the back of her neck.
“Kindness doesn’t suit you, you know,” she murmured back without stopping. “Not a rampaging she-daemon like you who ought to sooner devour me than fuss over a little thing like drowning and hypothermia. So I really don’t appreciate you—” no no no don’t say it don’t say it “—setting me up to hurt me later.” Fuck.
“You think I’m setting you up?”
Magilou sighed. How to explain it…? Oh, who cared? It was easier not to bother. She twirled a finger around her forelock. “Aren’t you?”
“No. I’m not.”
Magilou chuckled. “Then what are you doing?”
“Taking care of you. Because I care about you.”
“Mhm, mhm. And then next come the wedding bells and the gorgeous dresses and honeymoon night of smoking hot sex, yes?”
“Wha—what in the world sent you there?”
“You mean you’ve been through one of Melchior’s happy little illusions and you still haven’t figured it out? You really are a fake.” Magilou heaved a dramatic sigh. “Well, I’ll indulge a little longer if you insist, but then after that I really do need to get going. Oh—” She tapped a finger to her lips. “Oh, of course. I must actually still be drowning, and this is some dream my dying brain’s cooked up before the end. Mmmm, well, as death hallucinations go, I can’t say I can complain. Fine, fine, let’s cuddle it up, then. I may as well enjoy it while it lasts.”
“You think I’m an illusion.”
“Shh, shh, it’s fine already, my sweet Velvet. Cuddle times now.”
But before Magilou could make good on her self-indulgence, Velvet tore the covers back, reared her right arm back as it exploded into bloody shadows, and rammed it down into the mattress less than an inch from Magilou’s bare skin. The crunch of the frame and springs vibrated through her body, sending an unpleasant patter along her back, while Velvet locked blazing brown eyes on her.
“Did that feel like a damned illusion?” she snapped.
Magilou gawked for a couple of seconds. Then she broke out laughing. “You smashed the bed! The bed we’re currently in! Do you ever think?”
“I think plenty. This was the fastest way to wake you up.” She leaned back and ripped her daemon arm out. “Now are you convinced I’m real, or do I have to devour you before you get it?”
Silence.
“Well?”
“I’m thinking,” Magilou said, then added in a hurry, “That was a joke! That was a joke!!”
Velvet lowered her hand from where she’d almost grabbed the witch by the head. “Honestly… I’m trying to take care of you. Do you have to go out of your way to make it a pain in the ass?”
Magilou just gave her a knowing smile.
She sighed. “…Well, I guess you do. Melchior’s magic is damn convincing.” She sat, legs folded beneath her. “You know what this means, though?”
Magilou propped herself upright. “Hmm? What’s that?”
Velvet poked her nose with one claw. “Once I devour that old man, you’ll know for sure going forward it’s no illusion.”
She blinked at her. Then she laughed. “Oh, what a delightfully positive attitude! Velvet the Optimist, on full display!”
“Hmph. And how could I expect to kill Artorius if I couldn’t at least take out his legates?”
“True enough! And that’s setting aside all the souls you’ll need for the Empyreans and whatnot.” She kicked her legs out and sprawled then forward until she’d hooked her ankles around the back of Velvet’s neck. The annoyed look she gave her was absolutely worth whatever she was going to do next. Magilou flashed her a suggestive smile. “Then if you’re the real Velvet, really taking care of me, you’d better take care of me real good, hmmm?”
She scoffed and bit the inside of her thigh, not enough to break skin but enough to hurt. It sent a shiver flashing through Magilou, distracting her for the second Velvet needed to move her legs from Velvet’s shoulders to her hips, then pick Magilou up with one arm and grab the covers with the other. Magilou yelped in surprised delight, hooking her legs and arms around Velvet as she held her close, and laughed when she walked the two of them over to the next bed, blankets, sheets, and all.
“I’ll make you some hot soup once Phi’s around to taste-test for me,” Velvet said, sprawling the two of them on the mattress. “Until then, accept that you matter to people and let yourself warm up.”
“You mean accept that I matter to you, right?”
“That’s right,” she replied without batting an eye, pulling the covers haphazardly over top. After a minute or two of smoothing them out from underneath them, she pulled Magilou closer.
Magilou let her, but couldn’t quite look her in the face. “If you’re going to insist on that,” she said slowly, “can I ask you why?”
Velvet set her head down on the pillow, cradled her in her arms. Daemonic energy tingled at Magilou’s back, a reminder of danger, of reality. “Why what?”
She traced her fingertips up Velvet’s beautiful bare neck. “Why you’d bother with a worthless thing like me.”
“Isn’t it obvious? A daemon lord needs a witch at her side.”
Magilou blinked up at her in surprise. Velvet held her stare with stoic calm, like she actually meant it. Her seriousness made her snort and guffaw. “Ahahaha! Velvet, you really are a sentimental fool!” She settled. “…but as irritating as it is, I don’t think I dislike it.”
Velvet smiled. It softened her eyes, gentled her lovely features. “You know, I’ve never heard you laugh this much and mean it,” she observed. “…It’s nice.”
Magilou choked and felt her face heat up, which was even more embarrassing than the remark itself. “Pish posh,” she scoffed to brush it off.
“Oh, just take the compliment.”
So she said nothing more, only scooted around to change the cuddles back into a proper spooning. The view of the broken bed along the way to the wintry scene outside made it something she could allow herself to enjoy. Melchior’s illusions were too sweet, too gentle; one of his soppy visions would never shatter a piece of furniture, and especially not to prove a point. With this view, with that daemon arm around her, this little spoon actually could feel safe.
“…Magilou,” Velvet murmured then into her pointed ear. “I can’t guarantee I’ll never leave you. But I can guarantee that if I do, it won’t be because of you.”
Her eyes lidded with the weight of unwanted memories. “Hmph… Did Grim or that naughty little Bienfu say something? They sure like to gossip…”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she replied, deadpan, which was all the confirmation Magilou needed.
“Well, whatever. It’s not like it matters.” And she would have left it at that, but… a certain thought gave her pause. “Say, Velvet… speaking of dinner later, you can’t taste anything but blood, right?”
“Right. What about it?”
Magilou made a thoughtful hum. Then she plucked Velvet’s daemonic hand up and drew one of her fingers into her mouth.
Velvet sucked in a sharp breath. “What are you—”
But she smirked up at her and pressed her tongue into the tip of Velvet’s claw until she felt a tiny prick, as if from the thorn of a rose. And like a rose, a bead of crimson bloomed into her mouth until she released Velvet’s hand, pulled her face close, and pressed their lips together. Velvet tensed, then relaxed, and when Magilou twisted their tongues together, she kept up with her with ease.
When they pulled apart, it was with reluctance and lips stained vivid red. Magilou raked her fingers through Velvet’s hair as Velvet gently pressed her forehead on hers.
“How was it?” she purred. “It’s better to taste something than nothing, no?”
Velvet considered this for a moment; then she nodded. “But you didn’t have to go that far, Magilou. I don’t want to hurt you. Much,” she joked, smirking.
“My dearest, darling Velvet… for one, I wanted you to taste me. For another, I’ve certainly felt worse pain than that. But most of all… the pain is what makes it real,” she whispered, “for me, and for you. So consider this my way of taking care of you, too.”
“That’s twisted.” But Velvet smiled as she said it.
So Magilou chuckled and snuggled up against her, letting her cuddle her close and warm her up as the snow kept drifting down in the cold outside.
Yes, she let go of everything. So when the darkness resolved into reds and blacks, twin scarlet lights gleaming in the frigid waters, she was unafraid. As much as they inspired terror into normal people, there was nothing normal about her, was there? And that… Perhaps that was the way she would find where she was loved, where she truly belonged. Where she could feel something, and be glad for it.
Thus, when the lord of darkness caught her sinking body and swam them back to the surface, she entrusted herself to the stroke of velvet.