Author's Note: A little content warning before we get going: this chapter is much more suggestive than anything else I've written for this story so far. Nothing explicit happens of course, but I thought a warning was still in order. Also there's some swearing and a brief mention of blood, but nothing graphic.

Devon shifted slightly as she sat in Scarabia's lounge, trying to put some space between her and Jamil. The vice dorm leader had insisted she remain at his side after flinging Grim and the rest to who knows where and given that he had an entire dorm's worth of people under his control, she knew running wasn't an option. Unfortunately, Jamil had felt her trying to move away from him-as he had every other time she'd done it-and immediately snaked his arm around her waist to pull her flush against his side, his thumb rubbing what she supposed were intended to be comforting circles into the exposed skin just above her hip where her tank top had ridden up just a bit. Just yesterday, this sort of contact with him would have likely made her melt, but now his touch just made her skin crawl.

"Okay, seriously, Devon," DJ said, the triplets' telepathic link coming through loud and clear thanks to Dominic's blessing, "if you don't punch that smug snake bastard in the face, I will."

"Believe me, I'd love nothing more, but I can't risk pissing him off without some kind of backup," Devon reasoned. "I'll need all the help I can get if I wanna stand a chance; Zephyr's plenty tough but they can't take on an Overblot alone and since he's turned everyone in Scarabia into his brainwashed servants, I just have to hope that Grim and the others are okay and can find a way back here sooner rather than later."

"Hang on. Isn't your blessing, like, tailor-made for this exact situation?" Dominic asked. "How come you haven't fired it up yet?"

"I've been trying, but I can't feel the power building up like it normally does," Devon explained.

"Maybe Jamil's casting some kind of magic-canceling spell," DJ theorized.

"No. I don't think that's it," Devon replied. "Open Your Heart is supposed to be powered by genuine kindness, right? Well frankly, I don't think I'm at a point right now where I can muster any up for Jamil."

"I- Ya know what, that's fair," DJ conceded. Even after he and Dominic had linked to Devon when they saw the ink blots staining the magical pen and she'd given them a recap on what had happened before Jamil flung the others away, he couldn't bring himself to gloat over being right. He and Dominic could both feel how hurt Devon was through their link, so he'd give her a (playfully affectionate) hard time once she was doing better.

"Yeah, I get it," Dominic agreed, recalling the emotional roller coaster he'd been on with Liam until he chose to break off…whatever their relationship was. "Guess we'll need to think of another way to kick start your powers."

"Well, let me know when you think of-" Devon cut herself off as Jamil leaned back against the lounge cushions, pulling her with him.

"Bring out the food and drinks!" Jamil ordered as the Scarabia students stood nearby, each of them with a blank look on their face. "The old, useless king has finally been sent packing and a far more deserving successor has been crowned. If this isn't a cause for celebration, I don't know what is!"

"I couldn't agree more, Master," one of the students said as he stared blankly ahead.

"There is no one better suited to be the king of Scarabia," agreed a second, his voice equally monotone.

"Long live Master Jamil," the students droned in unison.

Jamil let out a content sigh. "I can't remember the last time I felt this incredible. I've got an unlimited supply of magic at my fingertips-"

'Not exactly, Your Rottenness. Your magic's gonna run out eventually if I can't figure out a way to snap you outta this,' Devon thought.

"-and now that Kalim and Azul are out of the way, I've got the most beautiful woman in Twisted Wonderland all to myself," Jamil finished, taking Devon's chin between his thumb and index finger and forcing her to turn her head to face him. "I'd really hoped to see that lovely smile of yours, pet. Today's a happy day, after all."

"I am not your pet, Jamil," Devon protested, jerking her head free and turning away from him again, "but after everything that's happened, I wouldn't be surprised if that's how you see me."

"Hmm… Fair enough. Forgive me, my dear," Jamil replied patronizingly. "You're the only person I can truly envision standing at my side as the queen of Scarabia." He waved his hand, causing a golden tiara to appear above it. He smirked as he offered it to Devon. "What do you say?"

Devon didn't even spare the tiara a glance. "You can't be serious. You think some sparkly gifts or pretty words are gonna make me forgive you just like that?"

Jamil shrugged, a condescending smirk on his lips. "My "pretty words" have never had any trouble convincing you before."

It was all Devon could do not to punch Jamil dead in the jaw. The only things stopping her were the snakes that now formed Jamil's hair hissing at her in warning as if they could sense what she wanted to do. Unable to do anything more than fume, she refused to give him a verbal response and instead turned even further from him.

"Look, I know you're upset right now," Jamil continued, using his magic to turn Devon's body toward him, his eye twitching in frustration when she still refused to look at him, "and I know how everything looked when Azul revealed my plan to everyone, but I can promise you that the way I feel about you is and has always been genuine. Ever since you arrived here, you've been the most eye-catching thing on this campus. I've seen you, Devon, and I've seen you see me." He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into his lap. "I've felt your eyes on me so many times during NRC's basketball games and it gives me a rush I've never felt before to know you're watching me."

"I wasn't just going to see you," Devon protested. "Ace and Floyd are on the team too, y'know."

Jamil's expression soured and he felt his eye twitch again at the mention of Ace's name. He buried his face in Devon's neck as if to remind himself that he was the one there holding her now. "Oh yes, I'm well aware. Just about every time I see you around school, you've got Trappola nipping at your heels. He tries to act nonchalant, but the way he beelines toward you after our games just wreaks of desperation." He let out a derisive scoff. "As if a mage who only knows how to get by on sheer dumb luck could ever be worthy of a gem as precious as you."

"Don't talk about him like that!" Devon argued. She tried to pull away from him but he held her fast. "And stop referring to me like I'm some kind of prize! Who do you think you are to decide who's "worthy" of me or not? Do you honestly think I'd want to be with you after all this? After you used me to help your little plan along and then flung my friends and just-shy-of-adopted baby brother into the desert?"

Jamil's eye twitched again when he saw how protective Devon was of Ace. He knew the two were close since they were in the same class and all, but he still didn't like how quick Devon was to jump to Ace's defense. He began to gently rub Devon's arms in an attempt to calm her, apparently oblivious to the fact that it was having the opposite effect. "Hey, hey, just take it easy, alright? I know sending all of them away was a bit…impulsive, but you agreed with me before that I was a much better fit to be dorm head than Kalim ever was."

'Yeah, but that was before you staged…all of this,' Devon thought.

"Azul and those twins have been nothing but thorns in my side since I met them," Jamil continued, grumbling. "Especially Azul. Ever since we enrolled, he's been in my peripheral, trying to pick me apart and figure me out. It's only gotten worse since we were placed in the same class this year. Sending him off to the ends of this dimension was one of the highlights of my life. And as for Grim," His lips briefly traced Devon's neck for a moment and he smirked as his misinterpreted Devon's shudder for a shiver of excitement, "it was nothing personal, honestly, but I can't have my queen doting on some other creature more than me. I know you consider them friends but you need to understand that you don't need them. Not when you have me."

Devon whipped her head around to face him, fire raging in her eyes, when something behind Jamil caught her attention. Two blue flames stood out against the deep red that the energy from Jamil's Overblot had dyed Scarabia and Devon had to fight to keep the relieved smile off her face when she saw Grim peeking his head out from behind one of the large pillars, quickly followed by Kalim while Azul and the twins poked their heads out from behind their own pillars. A series of quick hand gestures told Devon that he needed her to keep Jamil distracted so they could sneak closer without him noticing them.

It seemed she looked in their direction a bit too long though, because Jamil began to turn his head to see what she was staring at. Thinking quickly, Devon grabbed his chin and turned his head so that he was facing her again. Jamil looked like he was trying to decide whether to be confused or angry by the sudden action, but he was pleasantly surprised to see Devon drop her eyes submissively and all the previous hostility gone from her body language.

"O-Oh…I'm sorry," Devon said softly, hoping she sounded demure enough and trying not gag at the fake stammer in her voice. "I didn't mean to be so brazen, it's just that," She finally looked up, her wide brown eyes meeting his as she gave him the best smitten look she could manage, "I don't think I can bear for you to look at anything but me. I can't help it; I'm possessive by nature."

It was a bold-faced lie, but Jamil seemed to buy it if his satisfied smirk was any indication. "I see," he purred, moving his hand up to play with her curls. "And what brought on this change of heart, my sweet?"

"It's just that something you said really struck a chord with me. I realized you're right, Jamil; I don't need anyone else as long as I've got you," Devon replied. She turned herself around so that she was straddling his lap, her legs on either side of his as she wrapped her arms around his neck, giving Grim and the rest of the boys a quick thumbs-up as she pressed her forehead against Jamil's.

Jamil's smirk widened at Devon's answer and he shifted slightly, pulling her closer so he could kiss and nip at her neck and collarbone. "Mmm, that's better. Now…tell me more about myself."

Devon fought the urge to roll her eyes, both at Jamil's request and at the way his lips had been drifting much closer to the swell of her chest. She was thankful he at least had the wherewithal to keep his hands and his lips where she was comfortable (otherwise the entire ruse would've gone up in smoke when either she or Zephyr cracked him in the face), but dang, this guy was more repressed than she thought. Regardless, she kept the adoring smile plastered on her face as she rattled off what she was hoping he'd want to hear.

"You're…," She let out a dreamy sigh and shook her head. "I don't even know where to start. You're easily the most gorgeous person I've ever met and definitely greatest mage I know. The first time I saw you, I had to do a double take because I was positive someone as handsome as you only existed in fairytales, movies, and movies about fairytales."

"Go on," Jamil urged as he gave Devon's neck another kiss.

"I've always had a weakness for people with long hair, but your braids are on a completely different level," Devon continued as her friends continued to creep closer. She briefly wondered why the other Scarabia students-several of whom had a clear view of the boys sneaking back in-didn't do anything to raise the alarm to Jamil until she remembered that they were only able to obey his commands while under the effects of Snake Whisper and he'd only ordered them to sing his praises and wait on him hand and foot. He probably didn't think they'd make it back to the dorm so quickly, if at all, so he most likely didn't see the point in having any of his thralls act as guards. "And you've got the most piercing eyes I've ever seen."

"Keep going," Jamil pressed.

"Nobody rocks the Scarabia dorm uniform like you do. Actually, nobody rocks any outfit the way you do. In fact," Devon bit her lip playfully, "I stopped cheerleading before I was brought to Twisted Wonderland but watching you at your basketball games kinda makes me wish I'd kept the uniform."

Jamil was about to purr out another response when Kalim accidentally bumped into a small table and sent the tray of fruit on top of it clattering to the floor. Jamil immediately tensed and made to turn toward the noise, but Devon grabbed his face with both hands and smashed her lips into his. The noise was quickly forgotten as Jamil tightened his grip on Devon as his tongue worked its way into her mouth. Much like Jamil did when he'd kissed her before, Devon forgot what the goal of the kiss was and lost herself in it for a few seconds…until the click of a shutter from someone's smartphone camera brought her back to reality and caused her to slowly pull back.

"Mmmm," The sound rumbled low in Jamil's throat as he fought to pull his eyes away from Devon's retreating lips. "That was-" The sound of his hair-snakes hissing kept him from finishing his thought and he and Devon followed their narrowed red eyes toward the sound of the shutter. Jade was standing with his smartphone in hand, grinning like the cat that caught the canary. Jamil's eyes widened in disbelief as he saw Floyd, Azul, Kalim, and Grim coming out from their hiding places to join him. "Wha-?! You?! I flung you all to the ends of this dimension! How did you get back here so quickly?"

"I filled up a dry river and the twins swam us back here," Kalim explained as Zephyr hoisted Devon off of Jamil's lap and over to Kalim's group with wind magic.

"And lemme tell ya, that was no walk in the park," Floyd commented as he cracked his back. "Dang, I'm beat."

"Tch. So you used your Unique Magic, did you? So your little party trick came in handy for once, then. And here I thought it was only good for watering plants and creating little puddles to splish-splash around in," Jamil scoffed.

"It's your loss if you can appreciate Kalim's power for what it is," Azul retorted.

Kalim stared straight at Jamil, refusing to respond to his taunts in kind. "Jamil… I finally understand now. I see just how much your misgivings about me have festered for all these years. But even so... For you to concoct a scheme like this…you're a coward and a traitor!"

"Ha! And what does that say about you, then? You were the one who trusted me so blindly, after all," Jamil countered.

"Face me in combat, Jamil!" Kalim challenged, his expression deadly serious. "I'll win back the dorm head seat that you stole!"

Jamil's eyes narrowed into a glare. "You would accuse me of stealing? That's rich. You're the one who stole everything from me, Kalim!" The energy in the air thickened and crackled to life again as he readied himself. "Now you shall all bear witness to my true power! Cower before my might!"

Grim eyed the giant genie nervously as it hovered ominously behind Jamil with its arms crossed. "Yep. That monster's just as scary as the last time we saw it."

"I hope you're ready for my punch, Jamil!" Kalim called out. "I'll knock some sense back into you if it's the last thing I do!"

"I'd like to see you try," Jamil replied with a roll of his eyes. "But before we get into that…" He snapped his fingers as his gaze fell to Devon once again and another whirlwind lifted her into the air to bring her closer to him.

"Oh for the love of…," Devon grumbled as she struggled in vain to break free. "What do you want now?!"

"This is for your own good, my dear. I wouldn't want to see you get caught up in this fight," Jamil told her as he trapped Devon in a (thankfully empty) hourglass with a wave of his hand. Zephyr crackled angrily and cast a wind spell in an attempt to break it, but their magic only bounced off harmlessly. Jamil chuckled at the sight. "Come now, you don't actually think I'd make it that easy to escape, do you? The hourglass is completely resistant to any type of magic. I'm not sure what the specifics of your blessing are, Devon, but I know its played a major part in stopped the last three Overblots. I don't enjoy caging you like this, truly, but I can't risk you interfering." He turned back to the others. "Now then…let's finish this."

An interesting fact about Overblots is that they tend to give off a sort of foreboding aura that gets stronger the closer you get to the afflicted mage, giving both organic and inorganic beings attuned to magical energy an incredibly strong urge to flee the area until the danger has passed. Another interesting fact is that the aura grows stronger and can be felt from farther away the longer a mage remains in Overblot.

Most of the Ramshackle Wisps, having had front row seats to the previous two Overblots (Zephyr was the only Wisp present at Riddle's and he was snapped out of it before it could spread past the dimension containing Heartslabyul), recognized the aura immediately when they felt it back at the dorm. They couldn't pinpoint the exact location, but given how strong it now was, they knew they'd have sensed it long before know if it were on the main campus. Thankfully, Zephyr had been able to let them know earlier that day that they had located Devon and Grim and would be joining them in Scarabia until whatever was happening there was resolved. With a quick reminder from Regina, the rest of the Wisps merged into Devon's staff before Flapjack warped them away to the dorm in question.

"Ugh! Damn it, this sucks!" Devon shouted as she beat her fists against the hourglass in a futile attempt to break free.

"C'mon, Dev, just slow down for a sec," Dominic urged through the link. "You're just gonna hurt yourself if you keep this up."

"Dom's right. Just stand back at let me handle this, sis," DJ said as the air around Devon began crackling with what they'd come to realize was his signature pink lightning.

"Umm…DJ? What are you doing?" Devon asked uncertainly.

"Getting you out, duh," DJ replied.

Devon's eyes widened. "Wait, DJ! Don't-"

Before Devon could finish, DJ's punch sent a wave of magical energy toward the glass walls of the hourglass, only for it to bounce off just as Zephyr's magic had done and ricochet right toward Devon. With no way to escape, Devon was hit with the full force of the attack and was flung back to the opposite wall, grunting in pain as her head hit the glass.

"Oh crap, I forgot this thing is magicproof!" DJ exclaimed.

"What the hell is your problem?!" Dominic shouted to DJ. "Jamil already said magic couldn't destroy that thing! What did you think was gonna happen?"

"I dunno! I was mad!" DJ replied before focusing on Devon. "I am so sorry, sis. You okay?"

"Well, now I have a headache that wasn't there before," Devon grumbled as she rubbed the back of her, sighing in relief when her hand came away with no traces of blood on it. "Who knew the biggest threat to me during this Overblot would be my own brother?"

Dominic snorted in amusement while DJ mumbled something under his breath. "You must be feelin' alright if you can still be snarky," Dominic commented. "Well, now that DJ has proven that yes, the magic hourglass of unbreakableness is in fact unbreakable, what's our next move?" His tone grew teasing. "Think you'd be able to convince Jamil to let you out if you offered to make out with him again, Dev?"

Devon felt her cheeks get warm. "I can't believe you two actually watched that like a couple of weirdos."

"Well, how were we supposed to know your genius distraction plan was to make out with the evil snake man?" Dominic retorted.

"That's- I… Fine. If you and Idia ever get the chance to officially smooch, I'll make sure I'm nearby to stare you down, Dom," Devon fired back.

The sound of something tapping on the glass interrupted the triplets' banter. Devon gasped when she saw her staff hovering next to the hourglass, the glass top of the staff shifting through a multitude of colors reflecting all of the Wisps inside. Zephyr's signature green was visible as they filled the other Wisps in on what was happening, which was then followed by a confident pulse from Flapjack.

"Don't get me wrong, it's great to see all of you," Devon said, "but I'm not sure what all you can do here." She knocked on the hourglass. "Magic won't work on this thing and you guys don't have solid forms."

Flapjack pulsed again before charging up their warp magic, informing Devon that while their spells might not work on the hourglass, they should still work on her. One quick warp spell later and Devon was standing just outside the hourglass.

"Man, those little orbs are convenient!" DJ exclaimed.

"Yeah, but getting me out of that hourglass doesn't change the fact that I can't muster up any actual kindness to get my blessing to work," Devon reminded her brothers. "He's definitely an ass for what he did, but that doesn't mean he deserves to die for it. I know that, but even so…"

"You've been too personally hurt by what he did to put it aside," Dominic finished for her. He sighed as he recalled what he'd been through with Liam. "Speaking from personal experience, you have to let yourself feel what you feel and process it before you can truly move on from what happened. You've got every right to be upset about what Jamil did, so don't go beating yourself up about not having any kindness in your heart for him."

"I appreciate the pep talk, Dom, but how am I supposed to stop his rampage if I can't give my blessing any gas?" Devon asked.

"Well…did anyone say the kindness had to be directed toward Jamil specifically?" Dominic asked.

Devon was about to ask what Dominic was talking about when a shout pulled her attention toward the battle raging nearby. Kalim was near tears, crying out desperately for Jamil to return to himself. Devon's heart broke for the poor guy; as bad as she felt about Jamil using her, she knew Kalim had to be feeling a thousand times worse. He'd known Jamil his entire life and genuinely thought they were friends. He never got into specifics with her, but Devon had gathered that Kalim at least partially expected most people he came into contact with to be willing to betray him at some point, yet he was absolutely blindsided when Jamil's treachery was finally exposed-he never suspected him even for a moment. Even so, he still cared enough about Jamil to agonize about his Overblotted state. He was a better person than she was, no doubt about it. And he'd been nothing but kind to her since they met-when it was actually him, at least, and not Jamil's magic at work. The guy had been through enough for one winter break…

Suddenly, Devon felt a familiar warmth as power finally began to well up inside her and she finally understood what Dominic was trying to tell her: she might not be able to find in kindness in her heart for Jamil at the moment, but she could find it for someone else.

There was a definite smirk in Dominic's voice when he spoke up again. "Looks like someone finally understood the assignment. For the record, I would also have accepted finding kindness for yourself and breaking Jamil out of his Overblot to help yourself move past this, but I know you need to get your pettiness out before that can happen."

"Shall we help your boys out, Dev?" DJ asked as his lightning began to crackle around Devon again.

Devon smiled. "Guys, let's get to it."

"I am the rightful ruler of Scarabia!" Jamil shouted as he lobbed more magic blasts at Kalim and the rest, barely giving them enough time to dodge or defend themselves. "Cower before my phenomenal cosmic power!"

Azul snatched Grim up before casting a barrier to block the onslaught, narrowly avoiding getting hit. They'd all been giving it their best, but it didn't seem to have slowed Jamil down very much. "Unbelievable… All those attacks and we've barely put a dent in him. Just how much power has he been hiding this whole time?!"

"I…I won't give up! I'll figure out some way to get through to him!" Kalim vowed.

"Yeah, well, can you hurry up with that, Sea Otter?" Floyd snarked. "At this rate, we'll end up Overblotting ourselves before we stop Sea Snake and as long as Shrimpy's stuck in that hourglass thing-"

"Oh, there's no need to fret on that front. Devon's been freed already," Jade supplied.

"What?!" everyone, including Jamil, exclaimed.

"Impossible! There's no way she could've-" Jamil turned to see if Jade was telling the truth only to feel an invisible force punch him right in the face, knocking him backward a few feet. He narrowed his eyes as he wiped the blood from his mouth. "What is the meaning of this, Devon?! I know I made that cage impervious to magic!"

"Yeah, I know," Devon replied as she rubbed the back of her head. "But if the Wisps and I have learned anything from hangin' around Octavinelle, it's how to find a loophole." She held up her staff and warped over to the rest of the group. "Magic still works on me, after all." She turned to her friends. "I know you guys have been through it already, but is there any chance you can keep using your magic to pummel him until I finish getting my blessing charged up?"

"That's a rather tall order," Azul replied. "He's been batting away our spells like they're nothing and I'm concerned about everyone's blot accumulation levels."

"I know," Devon conceded. "Just cast what you can," She tapped her staff on the ground, prompting almost all of the Wisps inside to emerge, "and let us pick up the slack."

Everyone leapt into action immediately, firing off spells left and right with the Wisps either joining in with their own magic or providing a boost in power to the spells already cast and Azul providing healing magic when it was needed. Between the redoubled effort by Grim and the rest, the Wisps' cavalry support, and DJ pummeling joining the fight with his own blessing, Jamil barely had time to defend himself, let alone strike back at them. While he was preoccupied with them, Devon focused on channeling her blessing. The familiar blue aura has engulfed her but each time she tried to move in, Jamil's blot incarnation would move in just out of its purification range as though it knew what would happen if she was able to make contact with it.

'Huh. That's a first,' she thought. 'Usually the blot monsters only shrink back after they've been hit with the aura. Guess Jamil's is as smart as he is.' She glanced down at her staff as an idea came to her. She closed her eyes in concentration, willing it to turn itself into a sword. Once it took the form she needed, she began to channel her magic into it, causing the glass top of the staff-now resembling a gem embedding into the hilt of the sword-to glow a bright blue as well. She took a deep breath and raised the sword above her head, doing her best to mimic a stance she'd seen Sebek and Silver take when they practiced their own swordsmanship. 'Let's hope this works.'

She brought the sword down swiftly in a vertical slash, causing a wave of her aura to rocket out of the sword and fly toward the blot incarnation. It was a rather clumsy attempt with nowhere near the grace she'd seen from Sebek and Silver, but luckily for her, even a glancing blow from her aura was enough to make the monster roar in pain. Devon cheered inwardly before slashing at it again. Weakened by Devon's blessing, the blot incarnation didn't stand a chance against the onslaught it was facing from the others as well. A few more moments of the barrage left it slumped over, appearing as though it was panting even as it kept its ink jar head focused directly on Devon, growling at her defiantly.

"I think it's time we finished this," Devon said. She brought her sword down for one final slash, this one severing Jamil's connection to his blot incarnation. The monster let out one final shriek before it finally began to fade away, leaving Jamil to collapse to his knees as he stared brokenly up at Devon.

"I was… I was finally going to be number one, Devon," he said. "I know you understand so why would you attack me like this?!"

Devon stared down at him wordlessly, her cold expression only softening when she glanced to the side and made eye contact with Kalim. He gave her a pleading look, silently begging her to banish the last traces of Jamil's Overblot. She nodded in response and held out her hand. Just as it had with Azul, her aura spread to Jamil before lifting them both off the ground. "[Open Your Heart]."

Her elaborate mindscape skeleton key appeared before her in an instant. "Let's get this over with," she sighed as she grabbed the key and turned it.

Ending Notes: And that's Jamil's Overblot sorted. More or less, at least. Devon will be traveling into his mindscape in the next chapter, but I'll warn you that it's not going to be as sweet as the other Overblotters have been. She's still royally ticked off at him, after all, and it's going to take way more than a backstory reveal to get her to forgive him. This is going to be a first step, at least, and things will have improved between them before the Pomefiore arc starts so hopefully that'll set you at ease if you're rooting for Devon/Jamil.

I'll admit, the sword slash thing wasn't something I'd initially planned but I think one of Silver's voice lines has him comment that Yuu/MC seems to have a certain aptitude for using swords. Guess what I'm going use to help them get closer once he's back on campus (and Kalim blabs to him about what happened)?

Thank you all so much for reading! As always, feedback and constructive criticism are welcome. Geekinthepink, out!