Hey guys, here's chapter 10 of The Misadventures of Vee. Chapter 10, this should be good one. Let's see what's in store for or favorite basilisk and her friends.


It was almost 5 in the morning and the town of Gravesfield was asleep, all except one soul.

Milk steamed, beans grinded, and water bubbled, bubbled, toiled and troubled under Jacob Hopkins' watch. While the former museum caretaker despised his barista job and the ungodly hours, he was grateful for the privacy of the morning shift. There was no one in the coffee shop except himself, the coffee brewing machines, and the copy of the Nekonomicon he'd ordered off of eBay. Supposedly, according to the online reviews, the Nekonomicon was far more powerful than the fake Necronomicon which had failed Hopkins repeatedly. Plus, the Nekonomicon had a pretty pink cover and came with kawaii chibi stickers. All the tables and chairs he was supposed to have unstacked and spread for the breakfast rush were still tucked in the corner. Hopkins needed the entire shop's floorspace to make this work. Following the ancient tome's instructions, he drew the summoning circle in hot milk, shaped the forbidden sigils with fresh coffee grounds, and lit cake-pops where the dark shapes intersected.

"It is time," he proclaimed, and pressed the mandatory anime cat-eating-a-sushi-roll sticker to his forehead.

It glowed with an otherworldly amount of glitter.

All that remained was the sacrifice.

With solemn reverence, Jacob Hopkins placed a fresh mocha frappuccino with whip cream, caramel drizzle, and rainbow sprinkles in the center of the circle and stepped back.

"In the name of Eiichiro Oda, I command you!" Hopkins chanted. "Awaken and come forth!"

Unbeknownst to Jacob Hopkins, the tip of his shoe was touching the edge of the milk circle. On the shoe tip was a smudge of blue that he had accidentally picked up on his twelfth viewing of the newest Captain Canada movie. He was completely unaware of the blue seeping into the circle.

The milk bubbled. The coffee grinds vibrated. The cake-pops melted. Like magic, the sacrifice rose into the air and strong winds from nowhere circled around it. In those winds a form began to appear, a humanoid form with legs and arms… and horns.

In a flash of unholy light, the demon appeared… in her pajamas.

"Who'sa? Wha?" the demon-woman woke up with a snort. Her head was a beehive of hair rollers. "Ugh, why is it so bright? What time is it?"

"Demon!" Hopkins shouted. "It is I, your summoner, Jacob Hopkins—"

"Quiet!" the demon roared, which literally sounded like a lion's roar. Hopkins instinctively hid behind the counter. The demon rubbed her viper eyes and gathered her surroundings. "Am I in the… Human Realm?" She groaned in massive annoyance. Flames of anger that matched her red skin blazed around her as her fury grew. "Are you kidding?! By the Titan, I thought you humans had stopped summoning us centuries ago! What gives? Who summons a demon these days? AND AT FIVE IN THE MORNING?!"

The inferno that somehow wasn't razing the coffee shop to the ground filled Jacob with fear. Swallowing his dry throat, he dared to peep, "I did."

The demon reared on him in an instant. Fangs sharper than any blade grinded at him. "Call off the summons," she seethed, "so I can go back to bed."

"But-but-but I want to make a contract with you," Hopkins whimpered.

"Let me guess," the demon rolled her eyes. "To smite your enemies?"

"Yes! I need your power to vanquish my foes, oh great and fearsome demon, and to do that I must finally…" Hopkins eagerly pulled out his phone and showed his Tweeter page, "get my page verified!"

The demon stared at the tiny screen. She blinked, looked at the human, blinked again, turned back to the screen.

"What?" she said.

"And with my verification, my findings in the supernatural will at last be taken seriously, my enemies shall never balk at my research ever again, and maybe Bigfooter43 will follow me back!" Hopkins finished with a triumphant laugh.

"You're serious? That's… really what you want to sell your soul for?" the demon asked.

"It is!" Hopkins said. Then he realized the question. "Wait, did you say my—"

"Fine. Done." The impatient demon snapped her clawed fingers. Hopkins's words were cut off as he was immediately engulfed in a miasma of green. His eyes rolled into the back of his head and a ghostly ball of light was siphoned from his mouth. Cries of pain and anguish escaped Hopkins's throat as his soul gathered in the demon's clutches.

Ding! A little blue checkmark appeared next to Hopkins's Tweeter handle.

Hopkins gasped and marveled at his new status. "It worked! I'm verified!"

"Yeah, you enjoy that, we're done here. Don't summon me ever again," the demon said grumpily, holding the human's soul like one would hold a used diaper. "What the heck am I even supposed to do with this?" Her sacrifice drifted past her. Curious, she grabbed the drink and gave it a sip. Her pupils dilated. "This is the greatest thing I've ever tasted," she whispered in awe.

In an explosion of fire and brimstone, she was gone. But Hopkins didn't care, he had gotten what he wanted. The man pranced around the shop.

"Ha! Look who's legit now, RealHistoryKeeper117," he taunted at his phone. "Guess they don't only hand out verifications to people with a 'doctorate,' ha! In your face! This was totally worth it! Best deal ever! I feel so… I feel so…"

Hopkins realized something and pressed a hand against his chest.

"Why can't I feel my heartbeat?"

His nose rotted off.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!"


Later That Morning…

"So, why are we buying flowers? Is it to make the house prettier?" Vee asked as she and Camilla looked through the different flowers in the flower shop that they were in.

"No, mija. Today's..." Camilla sighed sadly, "Today's the anniversary of the day Luz's dad passed away," she told her. Vee looked at her mother as she continued. "Every year on my and Luz's birthdays, he'd bring us flowers. So, after he passed away, Luz and I got flowers for each other... and then we'd visit his grave, and Luz and I would spend the day together," Camilla said.

Vee couldn't help but have mixed feelings. On one hand, it was sweet to get flowers in remembrance of Luz's dad, but on the other, it was still sad that he was gone. That kind of explained her mother's mood this morning. She seemed rather upset when she was cooking breakfast and now Vee knew why.

"This will be the first time I'll be doing this without Luz..." Camilla muttered as she looked down. She then looked at Vee, "But, hey, at least I have you" she said, affectionately stroking her daughter's hair, making her smile.

"So, is this flower ceremony part of a human spell to bring Luz's dad back for a day?" Vee asked innocently.

Camilla chuckled warmly at that. Luz and Vee were so different due to their personalities, but it was moments like this where she saw the similarities in her daughters. They were both so optimistic, kindhearted, and strong, albeit in their own respective ways.

"No, this is just a way we honor and remember our loved ones that are no longer with us," Camilla clarified, "Since Luz isn't here this time, why don't you pick out some flowers?" she offered.

Vee hummed, rubbing her chin as she looked at the multitude of different types of flowers. From roses to tulips and everything in between. She didn't know what kind of flowers one would take to someone's grave. Should it be a flower that's simple or one that's overflowing with beauty? It was so hard to choose, especially when you didn't know what kind of flowers that person liked.

"Vee!"

Vee and Camilla turned their heads to see none other than Dani at the entrance of the flower shop.

"Hey Dani, what's up?" Vee greeted her girlfriend with a hug.

"The MCH just got... an interesting mission," Dani said rather vaguely, "We're really going to need your help with this one," she said as she held both of Vee's hands.

"Uh, Dani, normally I'd love to go on a mission with you and the others, but... I'm kind of spending time with my mom and-"

"No, it's ok, Vee," Camilla said, placing a hand on the girl's shoulder.

"Are... Are you serious? Isn't it a special day today?" Vee asked with an unsure expression.

"It's fine, mija," Camilla reassured, planting a kiss upon the basilisk's forehead, "Just be sure to meet me at Chimichurri Sandwich shop with your flower at lunchtime" she added.

"Alright. I guess I'll see you there," Vee said.

"Great, thanks Mrs. Noceda! Come on, Vee," Dani said, grabbing Vee by the hand as the couple ran out.


Coffee Shop…

They arrived at a coffee shop that wasn't the MCH's usual hangout. It was a much fancier store with upper-class decorations and fake pillars that went by the name Drip. Vee still didn't understand humanity's obsession with coffee and the thousands of variations of the bitter drink. There was a coffee shop on every corner in Gravesfield and every single one was always crowded with humans all day long. It was a level of worship that rivaled the Demon Realm's devotion to apple blood. Which is why it was strange to see Drip completely empty. The rest of the MCH were waiting by the front door.

"Finally!" Vincent exclaimed at Vee and Dani's arrival. "We've lost so much precious observation time. Now, everyone, follow m—"

"Ahem." Dani folded her arms, cocked an eyebrow, and tapped her foot at the boy. Her silent yet stern demeanor made Vincent wilt.

"I mean, follow Dani," Vincent meekly corrected himself. "That's what I was going to say. She's the leader, of course. After you, Dani. Glad to have you back."

"That's more like it." Dani smiled and sauntered into the building. "Don't worry, nerd, when we have to deal with a math ghost or something, you can be in charge agaaaAAAAHH!"

"What?! What is it?" Vee bolted to her girlfriend's side and wrapped a protective arm over her.

The foul stench hit Vee like a brick and she choked. She now knew why the store was empty.

Behind the register was a rancid green, noseless man. Patches of his brown hair were missing, the whites of his eyes were a sickly yellow, and flaps of his skin hung loosely from his face.

"Welcome to Drip, can I take your order?" the man asked. A putrid black tooth popped out of his mouth and skittered across the counter.

While the sight of the talking corpse was terrifying, that wasn't what filled Vee with fear. Despite the rot, she recognized the human before her. The voice was one she'd never forget.

Jacob Hopkins.

The quiver started in her fingers and gradually grew into a full body tremble. Vee ducked behind Dani and prayed to the Titan he didn't realize who she was. Would he remember her? They had managed to not run into each other since he took her captive, could he have forgotten? Dang it! If only there was a way Vee could change her face!

Oh, wait…

Vee pulled out a Hexes Hold'em card but then hesitated before taking a bite. She was nearly out, only seven left. If she used magic this carelessly, there'd be none left by the end of the week. Pocketing the precious resource, Vee instead eyed the dumpster outside and slipped outdoors. As she dug, everyone was distracted by Jacob Hopkins.

"Whoa! Nasty!" Lance chuckled.

"Ew, I think I'm going to be sick," Beth gurgled.

"Fascinating!" Vincent cried and proceeded to take dozens of zoomed in photos of Hopkins. "Your dermal layer exhibits signs of decay over three weeks old and yet you can still ambulate! How is this possible?"

Hopkins swelled with pride. "Hah! I knew this day would come. Yes, young answer-seekers, it is I, the famous TruthHunterer1," he said, clearly misinterpreting their attention. He showed off his Tweeter page and tapped the check mark. "See? Verified."

It was at this point that Dani could no longer hold her breath. She dashed outside and gulped down as much fresh air as she could.

"That bad, huh?" Vee asked.

"Yeah, I've always been sensitive to smells, but this is worse than my mom's whaaat the heck?" Dani stared at Vee who was now wearing cracked sunglasses, a wrinkled medical mask, and a greasy trucker hat. "Uh, Vee, why are you wearing all that junk?"

"What? This?" Vee chuckled nervously, her fingers twiddling nonstop. "Just trying a new look. Really think this is the new me."

"It really isn't," Dani replied, not buying the excuse for a second.

"Back to the drawing board, I guess. Ladies first," Vee blurted, cowering behind Dani.

Dani hesitated, looking back and forth between Vee and the dead man. "Vee, is there something about this guy that's bothering you?" she asked.

"Bothering me? Pfft, as if!" Vee said a tad too loud to be believable. "I've never met Jacob Hopkins before in my entire life."

"Jacob Hopkins? You know his name?"

Under her mask, Vee turned pale. "It's nothing! I'm fine! Everything's fine! Why wouldn't things be fine? Let's get in there!" Vee pushed Dani inside, still hiding behind her.

"Are you using me as a shield—GAAH!" Dani covered her nose and mouth, re-assaulted by the reek.

While her girlfriend struggled, Vee noticed the mess covering the entirety of Drip's floor. "Hey, doesn't that look like—I mean, ahem." Burning just a sprite of magic, Vee changed her voice to Dani's and said, "Hey, doesn't that sorta look like the exorcism circle Luz's abuela drew?"

Dani's eyes widened at hearing her own voice and gawked at Vee.

The rest of the MCH gawked at the milk and coffee grounds.

"You're right, good catch, Dani," Beth said.

As the MCH gathered around the evidence, Dani continued to watch Vee with concern etched in her oxygen-deprived face.

"It's nothing," Vee whispered with a forced smile. "I'll be okay."

Hopkins glanced in their direction and Vee ducked behind Dani again.

"So, what kinda party were you throwing here, dude?" Lance asked.

"What you see here, brave explorers," Hopkins bragged, stepping around the counter, "is the first successful demon summoning circle in Gravesfield in over three-hundred years. It took hours of grueling work to follow the mystifying directions of forgotten knowledge." He showed off the Nekonomicon. It meowed and started playing k-pop.

"Is that a… toy?" Lance asked.

The dots suddenly connected in Dani's head and she gasped! Which was a terrible mistake. "He—" Dani coughed and retched, "he—he sold his soul!"

The MCH jerked at the revelation!

"My soul?" Hopkins scoffed. "Don't be ridiculous. Only an amateur would be stupid enough to—" His jaw rotted off. "Okai, I 'id, (Okay, I did,)" he admitted.

Vincent snatched the Nekonomicon and speed-read through the thick book until… "Aha!" He pointed to a page with a circle that matched the one on the floor. "According to this, the demon can grant its summoner whatever they desire, but after paying with their soul the summoner has… only one day to live!"

"Huh, I guess I 'oulda rea' the 'ine 'rint, (Huh, I guess I should read the fine print,)" Hopkins muttered.

"That wasn't the fine print! It's at the top of the page in a big red warning box with a skull!"

"We need to summon the demon again and trade back your soul," Beth said.

"'Ut 'y 'eri'icayhon! (But my verification!)" Hopkins moaned. "'O I 'ave 'o? (Do I have to?)"

"Unless you wanna keep turning into soup."

Grumbling like a child, Hopkins stomped back behind the counter and worked the coffee machines. Everyone watched with bewilderment as he brewed a colorful drink. When he caught them staring, he said, "'Acri'ice. (Sacrifice.)"

Within minutes the summoning circle was put together again and the fresh frappuccino waited in the center. Nekonomicon in hand, Hopkins waved his green arm in the air and began the ceremony. Like before, the cake-pops blazed, the milk frothed, the grinds vibrated, and powerful magic winds blew through the store. Vee was amazed by what she saw. For a race with no magical bile sacs, humans were really good at magic.

Then a gust struck Vee from behind and both she and Dani tumbled to the floor. Her hat was carried away!

"Oh no!" Vee said in Luz's voice.

The sound of it made Hopkins pause. "'At 'oice… (That voice…)" he said and faced the girl.

The old elastic straps of the medical mask snapped and the lenses of her sunglasses popped out of their frames. Vee's face was exposed!

"'OU! (YOU!)" Hopkins cried. "'A'e'iter! (Shapeshifter!)"

"What is he saying?" Beth asked over the roaring wind.

"No clue," Vincent replied.


Vee had run down to the end of the next block and across the street. She didn't really know where she was going, all she knew was that she had to get away from that conspiracist creep. The basilisk stopped, leaning on a table as she panted to catch her breath.

"Oh, there you are, Vee," she looked up to see her mother sitting at the table with a flower in hand with a smile. However, Camilla's smile soon fell, "Mija, are you ok?" she asked with concern, noticing the expression on her daughter's face. She saw Vee shaking a little. On instinct, Camilla got out of her seat, walked over to Vee, and pulled her in for a hug, "It's ok, mija. Calm down," Camilla cooed as she stroked the basilisk's hair.

"Vee," Dani ran up to them, having followed her girlfriend. She panted, "First of all, damn, you can run. You almost have as much stamina as Beth" she commented, "Second, what was that back there? You burst out of there when Jacob Hopkins made eye contact with you"

"Jacob Hopkins? That conspiracy theorist?" Camilla looked down at Vee as she still held her in her arms, "He didn't try to hurt you again, did he, Vee?" she asked.

Vee replied with a shake of her head.

"Again? So, you do know him," Dani with a look that was a mixture of sympathy and concern. Vee looked down with guilt. The basilisk the felt a warm comforting hand upon her shoulder. She looked back to see her girlfriend giving her an understanding smile. "Vee..." Dani took the girl's hand in hers, "You're my best friend and girlfriend. We can tell each other anything. Whatever this guy did, you and I can get through it together" she said reassuringly as she caressed Vee's cheek.

Vee looked back at Camilla who had a touched expression. Her mother gave a confirming nod. Vee looked back at Dani.

"Well, I won't go into too many details, but here's what happened..." Vee began.

[One explanation later...]

"Nàgè méi yòng de, xiàjiàn de gǒu niáng yǎng de! (That no good, low-life son of bitch!) He deserves what he got! Let that bastard rot into a stinking pile of mush like the garbage that he is!" Dani yelled angrily, slamming her fists on the table.

"Is she always this... intense?" Camilla whispered to Vee.

"Only when it's something or someone she cares about," Vee whispered back.

Camilla cleared her throat. "Dani, honey, calm down," she said, placing a hand on the girl's should, "Look, I don't like the man any more than either of you do, but... my husband always said that "hate only breeds more hate". If we hurt Jacob then someone close to him might try to hurt us back and the cycle will just keep going back and forth until it's too late to stop." she told them.

"Did Mr. Noceda watch a lot of anime with Luz?" Dani asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Yes, and he understood that stuff far better than I ever could, but that's not the point" Camilla said, "Vee, we don't have to be friends with Jacob, but you can't live in fear of him either," she told her daughter with a hand on her shoulder, "You have to let go of that fear and move on."

It was then that Dani received a text and a pic from the other MCH members. Dani's eyes widened.

"Oh... crap..." Dani said.

"What?" Vee looked at her.

Dani turned her phone to show them what was going on. It showed Lance doing a selfie while holding up the goat/rock-on sign to the side of his head while sticking his tongue out like a rockstar. In the background, there was a large green vortex on the floor with a large, shadowy figure clawing its way out.


Coffee Shop…

By the time Vee had made it back to Drip with Dani and Camilla in tow, the entire store was radiating green. Through the windows the vortex could be seen, over double its size than in the pic and growing. The building shuddered and moaned under the pressure of the cosmic hole that was attempting to swallow it. Thankfully, the MCH were safely on the other side of the street, far from the danger.

"What the hell happened?!" Dani demanded.

"We don't know," Beth answered. "After you and Luz left, the rotting guy started a different spell and, well, that came out of the ground."

As if in response to Beth's words, something big lurched against the glass doors that made Vee's heart stop. It resembled a demon: leathery skin redder than blood, curved sharp horns that belonged on a ram, and hoofs where there should be feet, but it was something far worse than a demon. A hungry growl guttered from its slobbery maw and its claws raked along the wall, slicing through as if the brick was butter. There was no intelligence in its eyes, no reason or thought, only the desire to feed.

"Madre de Dios, es un diablo," Camilla whispered in horror.

Her mom was right. This was a devil.

Demons could be negotiated with, but devils were mindless animals that ate all who dared to utter their name. That must be what brought it here. Jacob Hopkins's half-mouth probably spoke this devil's normally incomprehensible name by accident. The devil was still here, which meant so was its prey.

"The coffee guy is trapped in there with that thing," Lance said. "What do we do, Dani?"

Everyone turned to the leader, but Dani said nothing. She only turned to Vee, a silent question in her gaze. It was up to her. Was Jacob Hopkins worth saving?

At first, Vee didn't know what to think. Up until now, she'd been saving as many lives as she could without delay. But those had been lives she cared about, lives she loved. This life… had hurt her. And deep down, Vee knew she wanted to hurt him back. That left a sinking feeling in her stomach.

Vee looked up at her mom and received a smile that was full of pride and trust. In that smile, she saw the father she never knew and the code he lived by. The woman already knew what Vee had decided.

Vee clenched her fists at her sides and took a deep breath.

"We have to help him," Vee said.

Dani nodded supportively. "Alright, let's do it." She addressed the gang "The book is what brought that devil-thing here, it's the key to sending it back."

"Backwards," Camilla suddenly said. "You have to say a devil's name backwards to banish it away."

The MCH raised surprised brows at Mrs. Noceda's contribution.

"Uh, mami always told me that in my bedtime stories," the woman explained, a little embarrassed. A few tense moments of awkwardness passed before the MCH grinned, overjoyed to have Camilla onboard.

"Then its name must be in the book," Vincent added. "Anything else, Mrs. N?"

"Um, well," Camilla stammered, unused to the group's enthusiasm, "Mami also told me all devils are blind. They can only find you through sound and smell."

"Perfect," Dani said. "We have a plan. Come on, Magical Creature Hunters, let's banish us a devil!"

Mrs. Noceda insisted on going in first, saying their parents would never forgive her if she didn't, and stepped carefully into the coffee shop. Being a grown-up, she was tall enough to grab the front door's bell before it could ring and announce their entrance. She stood in the doorframe, watching the devil sniff every nook and cranny. It stopped and glared at the woman; slitted pupils unfocused. For a moment, the devil looked as if it was deciding whether Camilla was even there, then continued to sniff deeper into Drip.

The rest of the MCH wordlessly filed inside and Vee nearly gagged. The odor of decaying Jacob Hopkins had gotten far, far worse. No wonder the devil was having a hard time sniffing him out, he was everywhere. Vee couldn't even smell a single coffee bean anymore. At least they wouldn't have to worry about the devil catching a whiff of them.

Vee instinctively thought of Dani and her sensitivity to smells. When she looked, Dani's eyes were watering but she was keeping it together. For now. Together, they all started their search.

The vortex on the main floor rumbled deeply, masking their footsteps. However, even from this distance, Vee could feel its pull. It was like standing on the edge of a cliff, only the edge was precariously slanted toward the bottom and could crumble at any moment. They'd have to tread lightly. That was at least one spot they didn't have to check. That only left the shelves of artisanal coffee grounds, which the devil was thoroughly sniffing, and behind the counter.

Back there they found plenty of cabinets large enough to fit a man, but nothing but brewing supplies within them. It was at the last cabinet that held nothing but various syrups that Vee grew frustrated. Where could Jacob Hopkins be hiding? The devil was still here so he had to still be alive. So where?!

"Ack!"

Vee tensed and whipped around to see Dani loudly collapse, skin sweaty and blue. A hiss that resembled a snake and a tiger ripped through the air and ten talons impaled themselves through the countertop, coming to stop a hair's breadth from Vee's throat. The devil glowered sightlessly down at the girls, flapping its strange ears in search of another noise.

Vee didn't move. She couldn't. A millimeter in any direction and she'd be dead.

"Get away from her, you bitch!"

A bag of coffee struck the devil's head and the beast unleashed a roar! Forgetting about Vee and Dani, it wrenched its claws from the counter and charged its attacker!

"Mom—" Vee was about to scream, but the very woman's hand clamped over her mouth before anything came out. Stunned, Vee stared at Camilla, not having a clue how she'd escaped.

"Don't you touch her!" the same feminine voice cried from across the room.

Vee peeked over the eviscerated linoleum and saw the devil trying to attack Camilla's phone, which was playing a movie scene where a woman was defending a little girl from some freaky big-headed, long-tailed alien. The devil was having a hard time nailing such a small target.

"We have to get Dani out of here," Vee whispered as quietly as she could. "She can't take the smell."

Camilla nodded and scooped the girl in her arms.

"Wait," Dani weakly said, appearing sicker by the second. "There. He's in there." A single finger barely pointed and Vee followed it to a door next to them they had missed. It was designed to blend into the wallpaper with only the knob and an "Employees Only" sign as proof of its existence. If Vee concentrated, she could just barely detect the stench being a tiny bit stronger in that direction. Jacob Hopkins was there.

"We'll come back for him after we get Dani outside," Camilla whispered. "Come on." The woman turned toward the exit… and Dani's legs accidentally knocked into a shelf of coffee mugs. They fell with a thunderous crash.

*ROOOOOOOOAAAAAAAR*

"Oh no," Vee squeaked.

The devil slashed through the wall between them, putting itself between Camilla and Vee.

"Vee!" Camilla shouted.

"Run, mom! Just run!" Vee scrambled back, unintentionally knocking over more supplies and tools. The devil yanked its arm out of the wall and stalked after her. With nowhere else to go, Vee pulled the Employees Only door open. She spotted her mom and the rest of the MCH darting out of the shop a second before she slammed the door shut.

No sooner had Vee let go of the knob did rows of gashes slice through the wood. Vee fell on her back and covered her mouth to hold in the scream. She scooted back, sliding away from the door as quickly as she could. The devil's blind eyes shined through the holes but saw nothing. After a moment, the beast dipped from sight and, presumably, resumed its hunt.

Calming her hammering heart, Vee checked herself and found no wounds. She was okay. She was alive. And she was trapped.

A whimper caught her attention. "'Oshter, 'oshter, 'oshter…"

Huddled in a ball on the other side of the cramped room that only had a microwave and a mini-fridge for its 'valued' employees was Jacob Hopkins, shivering and rotting away. He was a much deeper shade of green now and Vee could see layers of muscle and bone exposed in parts. He was missing an arm. Even now, when he was this sad and pathetic, Vee felt an inkling of fear at the sight of him. She tried to bury it and focus on the rescue.

"Mr. Hopkins, are you hurt?"

"'Oshter," he kept whimpering like he didn't hear her, "'oshter, 'oshter…"

"What are you saying? Monster? Yeah, the monster is still out there, but so are my friends. We're going to get you to safety. You don't have to be afraid." Vee reached out and tried to put a comforting hand on his shoulder. The moment contact was made, Hopkins flinched and faced her. His moldy eyes shot open and he scrambled away, waving the Nekonomicon like it was a weapon.

"'Oshter! 'Oshter!" he cried, his top lip gone.

"No, no!" Vee whisper-shouted. "Keep it down, the monster is out there, it'll hear you."

A growl echoed from the shop, but the devil didn't return. Hopkins did lower his voice, but, strangely, he kept repeating, "'Oshter, 'oshter," his sights filled with bottomless fear. Yet he wasn't focused on the broken door. He was focused on…

"Me?" Vee said, shocked. "You think I'm a… monster?"

Hopkins gave a nod that was filled with popping joints. "'Oo 'ame 'ack. 'E'enge."

"Ee-enge?" Vee sounded out. "You mean… revenge? You think I came back to get my revenge?"

Another wincing nod. The idea astounded Vee. Not once had it ever occurred to her. Not once. Sure, she had to think twice about coming in here but never had revenge been on her mind. The only thing she had been able to think about was how Jacob Hopkins was a… monster.

"All this time," she said, stunned, "I've been hiding from you, scared you'd try to catch me again, when you were actually scared of me coming to get you." Vee watched Jacob Hopkins tremble, truly seeing him for the first time. And what she saw didn't scare her. "I don't know if I can ever forgive you for what you did to me… but I'm not going to hurt you back. That's not who I am."

Hopkins's trembling stopped and there was a sliver of hope in his face.

Something heavy clattered back in the shop, reminding Vee of why she was here. "We can continue this after we get rid of that thing." She reached for the Nekonomicon. "To do that we need to—"

Hopkins slapped her hand away from the book, his hope instantly overshadowed by paranoia. He blathered accusations at her that she couldn't understand.

"Wait, no, shh! Keep it down!"

But this time Hopkins wasn't listening. He'd gone full delusional, convinced this was all a ploy.

"You read that devil's name somewhere in the book and we need to say it backwards to send it away," Vee tried to explain.

Hopkins kept blathering. The growling got closer.

"Please! I'm not trying to trick you; I'm trying to help you."

An eye appeared at the door. Vee had no choice. Pulling out a Hexes Hold'em card from her pocket, she bit into it, and transformed into another Jacob Hopkins.

"Over here, you overgrown chupacabra-wannabe!" she yelled in the man's voice. "Come and get me!"

The devil bellowed in triumph at finding its kill at last and body-bashed against the door. The wood cracked.

"While I got it distracted, you get out of here," Vee told Hopkins. "Don't make a noise. Just run. Got it?"

Hopkins didn't respond, dumbstruck by what was unfolding before him. Vee ran to the opposite corner of the room and called, "What's taking you so long, big guy? I'm right here!"

Like a train, the devil barreled through the door and steamed straight for Vee, jaws open wide. An explosion of drywall covered the room in thick dust. When it settled, the devil stood there, mouth empty.

"Aw, too slow," taunted Vee. She faded into existence, standing on the ceiling. "What's wrong? Never tried to eat a basilisk before?" She dashed out, sticking to the ceiling. The devil followed, slashing recklessly overhead. It would come close to the mark every time, but Vee always managed to slip away, morphing into a Hopkins that was just a little bit smaller than the devil could reach followed by another snarky comeback. Where this bravery came from, Vee didn't know. Most likely she was riding high on conquering her fear of Jacob Hopkins and momentarily believed she was invincible.

The illusion didn't last long though. Devils may by mindless, but they can learn. It gave up on trying to snatch Vee and instead proceeded to tear the entire ceiling to rubble. Only a few powerful smashes and the building's integrity was compromised. The piece of ceiling Vee was attached to plummeted.

Diving out of the way of the falling debris, she hit the floor and got the wind knocked out of her. Then she immediately felt the pull. She'd gotten too close. Like a whirlpool dragging her under the water's surface, the vortex dragged Vee towards its depths.

"No, no, no!" Vee latched onto the floor like she had the ceiling and clung with all her might. The swirling green edge licked her toes. Before she could begin crawling away, the devil towered over her. It guttered another hiss-growl in her face and opened wide.

"Se'ev!"

The devil stopped and turned. The real Jacob Hopkins stood there, Nekonomicon open in his remaining hand.

"S'ao'ssorc!" he read. "'Kna'hcre! Y'osoli!"

Vee couldn't believe it. He had listened. He was reading backwards. He had found the page that summoned the devil and was reading every word backwards.

The devil realized this too and reared on the man in an instant. It pounced faster than ever before! Hopkins barely had time to take a half-step back, and his decomposed legs snapped like twigs. The rest of Hopkins dropped to the floor and the devil sailed over him and crashed into the brew machines.

"Keep going!" Vee shouted.

"Neelahw! U-'nats! Noi'acil'u!"

Gibberish after gibberish spilled from Hopkins and yet the devil rose, covered with coffee and milk, and broiling with anger. It ripped the counter between it and Hopkins in half and stomped toward him. Each step left a hoofprint of flame. Every drop of drool sizzled on the tile floor. Talons so sharp they could cut sound wound back, aimed for Jacob Hopkins's head.

Then…

"Lle'mac 'ekauq!"

The devil shattered. Cracks spiderwebbed across its body as if the unstoppable killing machine was made of the most brittle glass. A million tiny implosions cascaded across the devil and the shards were carried into the vortex by an unseen force. With an earth-shaking boom, it sealed.

Vee morphed back into her Luz form, and both waited for something else to happen. For one last trick of the devil.

Nothing happened.

"Ay so'ee," Jacob Hopkins said.

Vee stared at him, lost. "Huh?"

The man reached into the destruction and pulled out his festered jaw. He shoved it back in place and tried again. "I sowwy."

The words were sloppy but he meant it. Vee could see he truly meant it. To hear those words from a person so set in his ways. It was truly astounding.

"Mija!" Camilla enveloped Vee in a tight hug, followed closely by Dani and the rest of the MCH. "You're okay! Ay, gracias a Dios, I thought you were gone forever! Don't scare me like that." Everyone was crying and hugging and making sure Vee was still in one piece. Vee, though, her attention was on the man in pieces. He looked right back.

He wasn't afraid of her either.


Moments Later…

"So, you kids want me to give this dork his soul back?" the demon that Jacob had summoned earlier said, the MCH managing to summon her for a second time. Turns out her name was Darcy.

"Unfortunately, yes," Dani replied with a roll of her eyes.

"Dani!" Camilla and Vee shot her a disapproving look.

"What? We almost died because of him. Luz almost got eaten and I almost died from the smell of his decaying body," Dani pointed out. The others opened their mouths to make a response, but couldn't since they knew she had a point. And a valid one at that. Granted, this wasn't the first time that they've almost died, but still. "But yes, we want you to give this loser his soul back," she said to the demon.

"Hmm..." Darcy rubbed her chin, "Ok" she shrugged.

"Wow, really? Just like that?" Lance asked with slight surprise.

"Yeah, I don't really have any use for it anyway," Darcy said, holding Jacob's soul in one of her hands, "But I'm going to want something in return," she added.

"Of course..." Beth muttered.

"Well, what do you want?" Vee asked.

"More of these drinks," Darcy said while taking a sip of the cold beverage.

"You want more frappuccinos?" Dani raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah. I'm kind of hooked on these things," Darcy said, taking another sip before licking her lips.

"We'd love to, but there's just one problem," Vincent spoke, "That's the only one that was made, and the shop is destroyed from our little mishap, so we're unable to make more," he told her.

"Seriously? Damn it!" Darcy groaned.

"What if he gives you his most prized possession?" Vee offered.

"Depends on what that possession is," Darcy replied.

Vee ran back into the room where she had found Jacob when they were dealing with the devil. A moment later, she came back holding body armor and helmet in her arms. It was the same outfit Jacob wore when he captured her and her mom found out about her basilisk form. She was careful not to injure herself with the spikes.

"How's this?" Vee offered.

"Ooh, I've only seen humans wear armor like that in books and movies. The craftsmanship is outstanding," Darcy said, admiring the armor, "I'll take it!" she beamed.

"'ut 'at cos' 'e 'undreds o' 'ollars! (But that cost me hundreds of dollars!)" Jacob whined.

"Dude, it's either this or she keeps your soul and you decay into a pile of mush," Lance told him.

"Yeah, quit being a baby and just give her the armor so we can end this little adventure," Dani chimed in, "And so I can go back to breathing properly," she quickly added.

Jacob sighed. Begrudgingly, he nodded in acceptance. Smirking, Darcy flicked the man's soul with her middle finger, the object entering his body like a bullet. In a brief flash of light, Jacob inhaled sharply as his body was instantly restored whole again.

"Well, this has been fun, but I've got to get going," Darcy said.

"Hold on," Vee said, stopping her, "Uh... could I please have that flower that's in your hair?" she asked, pointing to a flower that seemed to be a cross between a violet and a rose. It was blue with magenta tips.

"Oh, sure," Darcy said, removing the flower from her hair and handing it to the basilisk, "Free of charge" she said with a wink.

"What? How come she got that for free, but you had to take my soul?" Jacob asked, feeling like the situation was unfair.

"Yeah, the book said you take people's souls when they ask for stuff. It said it in huge, red letters at the top of the page," Vincent pointed out, showing her the page that said so.

"Because she asked nicely and said please, while that dork demanded it and told me to obey him like a slave. Whether a demon takes your soul or not depends on the approach you use to ask for what you want. It's all in the fine print in the box at the top," she explained, making Jacob hang his head in embarrassment and shame, "Anyway, see you later. And if kids you want to try to summon me again, be sure to bring some frappiccinos" she told them before vanishing.

"Alright, this has got to be one of the craziest and most dangerous adventures we've ever been on..." Dani started, "And it was awesome!" she beamed, making Vee chuckle.

"Come on, mija. We've got something important to take care of," Camilla said with a hand on her daughter's shoulder.

Once they left, Jacob checked his phone, the screen of which made him frown.

"Aww. My account has been de-verified..." Jacob said with an upset tone.


Gravesfield Graveyard…

"It's so quiet…" Vee remarked in a hushed tone. After the day she'd had, the Gravesfield graveyard was tranquil in comparison. Not even a bird chirped in the vast collection of carved rocks. Tombstones, Camilla called them. They were oddly similar to the markers used on the Boiling Isles, only those were hewn from Titan bone.

"We're here," Camilla said and stopped before a rather small stone that shone the Noceda name.

Vee stumbled and waited, unsure what she was supposed to do next.

"Hola, mi amor," Camilla said tenderly to seemingly no one and placed her flower before the stone. "We've had quite the busy year. You wouldn't believe half the adventures if I told you. Then again, knowing you, you might. Speaking of which…" she turned to Vee, "this is your new daughter Vee Noceda. She's very special and caring and far braver than she thinks. Come say hi, mija."

Vee hesitated, still trying to find the person her mom was talking to. It couldn't be the… the stone? "Uh, can he hear me?" Vee asked nervously. "I thought ghosts weren't a thing in this world."

Camilla chuckled kindly. She stood and got behind Vee, putting her hands on the girl's shoulders. "I believe he is always watching over us and listens to everything we say to him. Go on," she said and gently nudged Vee forward.

The first thing out of Vee's mouth was an uncertain snicker. This had to be a joke, right? There was no magic to convey their words, this was just a rock. Humans could be so weird sometimes. Well, if it made her mom happy…

"Hiya, d—" the word caught in Vee's throat. It was a word she'd never used before. "Dad…" There was no sparkle of spells, no shift in the wind, no twinkle of supernatural forces that could never be understood. Nothing changed before Vee and yet she felt… something.

Was it him?

Whatever it was, it was warm and nurturing.

"This family has given me so much, things I never thought I'd have, a home, friends, love," Vee said, not knowing where the words came from, but meaning every single one. "I promise I will be a daughter you'd be proud of and do my best to live up to the Noceda name: courageous, bold, always willing to help. And, uh, sorry about Luz not coming, I'm sure she'll make it next year and she'll have a bunch of crazy stories to tell. Here, I heard you liked flowers," Vee placed her flower next to Camilla's, "this one is from my world. Nothing like it in the Human Realm. I hope you like it; it's supposed to taste great." She whispered to Camilla, "Do dead humans eat?"

Her answer was a big hug and an even bigger kiss. "Thank you for that, Vee. You are just the sweetest."

Not quite getting what was so great about what she'd done, Vee accepted the hug with one of her own. They said their goodbyes to Mr. Noceda and started for the car.

"By the way, Vee," Camilla said, "what is the name of that flower from your world?"

"Oh, it's called Dragon's Breath. Like most plants from the Demon Realm, it's got magical properties that witches use in their potions," Vee explained.

"Really? What magic does Dragon's Breath have?"

Vee scrunched her face. "Uhhhhh, I can't remember… I think it's supposed to grant a blessing of good weather on the land."

"D'aww, que maravilloso."

"That or it raises the dead into an unstoppable horde of the damned."

Camilla stopped.

"Yeah, it's definitely one of those two. Why do you ask?"

Camilla ran back to the grave and took the Dragon's Breath, just to be safe.


Alright, that's the end of this chapter. This chapter was co-written with I Write Big.

So, with this chapter, Vee is no longer afraid of Jacob… she probably still doesn't like him though. Also, the timeline of this story is now aligned with the timeline of the show since it takes place during the episode Reaching Out. And Vee know knows of her (adopted) dad. I bet next year she and Luz will do this will Camilla together. It's something to think about.

If you have any ideas for what creatures Vee and her friends could encounter in future chapters, say it in a review or feel free to message me.

Remember to Read, Review and Favorite/Follow.