Chapter 25
Masha was sitting on the front bench in the chapel, staring at the spot Philip had marked with an intricate pattern where their friends would show up. Well, supposedly would be teleported to when the spell was activated on their end. On phone clutched in their hand, countless unsent messages were punctuated by exclamation marks, texts that were meant for Vee but failed to go through for whatever reason.
They had been waiting for what felt like an eternity while the nuns and Father Francis conversed in a distant corner. Finally, Sister Lilian and Father Francis strolled down the hallway, while Sister Margaret approached and settled beside Masha.
"How are you holding up?" she inquired serenely. Her eyes maintained their sharpness yet conveyed a flicker of concern.
"I'm okay," Masha replied, leaning against the bench. Their eyes rose to take in the angelic artwork in the round frames on the ceiling.
"We'll figure out how to get a hold of your parents, so they know you're okay," Sister Margaret said.
"I don't really think my foster parents would care honestly," Masha responded. "I mean, they're out of town for who knows how long, so yeah, don't worry about it."
Sister Margaret felt sympathy for the child.
"I'm just worried about my friends," Masha said. "That woman, Elizabeth… I don't like her at all."
Sister Margaret observed her in silence, not wanting to comment yet, allowing Masha to continue.
"The way she looked at Philip… and spoke to him, as if he were some kind of… I don't know… it really gave me the creeps," Masha admitted, brows furrowing. "And the fact he was thinking of going to her… just made me so angry at her."
Sister Margaret agreed with Masha. The way Elizabeth had played with Philip's mind, with his insecurities about being a danger to others and managing to make him consider letting her 'have' him, also stirred some emotions in her. The whole situation, honestly, threw her off. She would have thought Philip, being the terror that he was in the Boiling Isles for centuries, would be the one playing mind games with Elizabeth, but instead, she had turned the tables on him and made him so compliant…
"I know Philip has done many terrible things, and usually people don't just change, but… I truly believe he wants to change and can change," Masha stated, turning their gaze to the older woman. "He went to help my friends out. He's trying to do the right thing. And I know he has a long way to go to make amends, but… do you think I'm some naïve kid for trying to help him?"
"Is that what's bothering you?" Sister Margaret asked. "That Elizabeth called you naïve?"
"What if… Philip truly gives up and surrenders himself to her?" Masha asked a bit quietly, their eyes falling to their lap.
"Do you think he would do that?"
"Well, he almost did, from what we saw earlier," they mumbled. "He really feels guilty for what he did… He even made a deal with my friends to seal him up forever once he helped them go back to the Boiling Isles."
'That's what you yearn for, isn't it?' Elizabeth's words replayed in Sister Margaret's head. 'To be locked up, never to see the light of day again?'
Sister Margaret sighed.
So… Philip had truly had his mind set to be locked away somehow forever…
"You really care for Philip, don't you?" Sister Margaret asked, which honestly confused her in a way. What was the child's connection to him?
"Yeah, I do, even though I just met him," Masha said with amusement, making Sister Margaret raise an eyebrow. "Let's just say an ancestor of mine had a big influence on him, and I guess that just makes me feel like we have some connection from that."
Sister Margaret was lost by Masha's explanation.
"I guess maybe I am being naïve here," Masha sighed to themselves. "I don't believe in destinies, but I still like to believe me crossing paths with Philip has to mean something."
"I think you have a good heart, my child," Sister Margaret commented calmly. "But I do warn you just like I warn others who have pure hearts such as yours. Don't let anyone deceive you nor let yourself be taken advantage of."
"That's what… my brother used to tell me back in the day," Masha said. "But I don't think Philip is trying to pull anything on me or others. He doesn't even want to tell my friends how sorry he is because he thinks it wouldn't make any difference; he says it won't fix anything he has done to them."
"Wait…" Sister Margaret frowned as their words dawned on her. "The kids he went out to go save, they have no knowledge of his remorse?"
Masha shook their head. "He doesn't want them to know. He doesn't believe he deserves a second chance."
Sister Margaret let out a weary sigh.
Of course, that would be the situation Philip was putting himself in.
The man was so good at taking a self-destructive route.
"And honestly, I want to tell them how sorry he is when they arrive," Masha said.
"I'm sorry, Masha, but we have to respect Philip's decision not to tell them," Sister Margaret responded.
"But…"
"I know you want to help him, but if your friends are going to find out that he feels regret for what he has done, it will be best that it comes from him."
Masha longed to argue, but deep down, they knew Sister Margaret was right. As much as they desired to aid Philip by revealing his true feelings to Luz and the others, it should be his responsibility to address them. He had to gather the courage to face them or, at the very least, acknowledge that while an apology wouldn't repair everything, it served as a promising start for a second chance if he decided he wanted it.
"We can't get any service anywhere," said Sister Lilian as she and Father Francis approached Masha and Sister Margaret. "Even the landline is unresponsive."
"They probably have something to do with it," Father Francis speculated.
Masha sighed, glancing down at their phone, still devoid of signal bars. Suddenly, out of nowhere, Twig perched on their phone, gazing up at them with vibrant gray eyes.
The presence of the bird brought a smile to Masha's face. "Hey, Twig," they greeted, gently stroking the bird's head with their thumb. The bird leaned into the touch. Masha then turned their attention to Sister Lilian with curiosity. "So, if you're not a witch, how did you come across Twig?"
"My adopted mother introduced us to one another," Sister Lilian explained. "She was a descendant of a witch and Twig used to be her partner until she decided it was time for Twig and me to work together. In a way, we're partners as well, I suppose, even though Twig never took in her true form until now."
Masha blinked in confusion. "Her true form?"
"Currently, the form she is in is her true form. From what my mother had told me, Twig had taken the shape of a wand for many years," Sister Lilian revealed. "Even my mother and her dad never saw her take any other form."
Masha was surprised to hear such a thing and looked down at the bird. "Why didn't you reveal yourself before?" they asked Twig.
The bird simply looked down, appearing sad. With a chirp, she told them she didn't want to talk about it, causing Masha to feel remorseful for prying.
"Sorry, you don't have to tell me if you don't want to," Masha said to the bird.
"Do you truly understand her?" Sister Margaret inquired, her gaze fixed on Masha, who nodded in response.
"Can you?" Father Francis directed the question to Sister Lilian, who shook her head.
"Twig is rather interesting, isn't she?" Sister Lilian remarked, a hint of amusement gracing her smile as she turned to Father Francis. "I heard palismen communicate only to certain people. Palismen are rare, but there are others who work with them, and they take various forms."
"Really?" Masha asked in awe. "I guess that explains why the other palismen that I know can turn into staffs."
"A staff you say?" Father Francis asked with curiosity.
"Yeah, it's pretty cool, and they can fly on them," Masha said.
Twig chirped at Masha, telling them they can do that, too.
"You can?" Twig jumped off them before it morphed into a long staff. Masha quickly jumped to their feet and grabbed the staff with both hands so it wouldn't fall to the ground. "Whoa!"
"You're right." Father Francis watched in amazement as Masha ran their hand along the wooden surface of the staff. "These palismen are fascinating," he said to Sister Lilian.
"So, what's the plan when the other children arrive with Philip?" Sister Margaret asked. "I don't think they will be safe here while those 'demon hunters' are outside."
"Well, I was trying to contact someone in New York City, since they're the closest one that could help us but-" Sister Lilian's words were cut short by a sudden burst of bright yellow light emanating from the corner of the room, where the pattern was drawn. In an instant, a group materialized out of thin air.
Masha was initially filled with joy, but as the light faded, their heart skipped a beat when they laid eyes on Vee lying on the ground, wrapped in gauze and bleeding from deep scratch marks.
"Vee!" Masha exclaimed, rushing over to their injured friend while Father Francis and the nuns stared in a mix of surprise and shock to see an entirely different sort of creature lying so severely injured.
Sister Margaret and Father Francis still couldn't believe their eyes as were introduced to this new sort of world ever since they found Philip in the church building.
Luz, Willow, and Amity turned their bewildered gazes towards Masha and then surveyed their surroundings, recognizing the familiar church.
"This… is the church we visited last time," Amity slowly pointed out as she recalled the day they had gone out with Philip. Her head was filled with so many questions ever since Philip had made a big deal about witches entering the building in the first place and even had a panic attack himself when he had taken a step inside. So… why would he send them there?
Masha knelt beside Vee, their face filled with worry.
"Hey, Masha," Vee weakly addressed their friend. "It's alright. It's not as bad as it looks."
Masha grabbed Vee's hand, tears welling up in their eyes.
"Let me help," Masha heard Sister Lilian say. The woman stepped forward as Father Francis, and Sister Margaret maintained a respectful distance, avoiding overcrowding.
Luz was about to demand who she was, but then she saw the staff that Masha was holding turn into a wand and leap into Sister Lilian's hand.
"A palisman?" Willow questioned, her confusion evident on her face as she and her friends stared at Sister Lilian as she waved the wand in the air, which emitted a radiant light. She then aimed it at one of Vee's wounds, specifically the one on her chest that was somewhat bandaged up. The light enveloped the injury, gradually closing it up.
Everyone in the room looked surprised and Camila couldn't help but experience an overwhelming sense of relief. Her gaze filled with gratitude as Sister Lilian continued to mend each injury without pausing even for a second.
"Thank you so much for saving my little girl," Camila said, finally allowing herself to shed the tears she had withheld upon seeing how badly Vee had gotten injured from the fight against the terrible monster.
"No need to thank me," Sister Lilian responded with a warm smile, unwavering in her task. Eventually, all the wounds disappeared. Vee still looked pale, but she now looked relaxed as she closed her eyes. "She's going to be alright," Sister Lilian reassured. "But we should probably let her rest somewhere in peace."
Luz knelt next to Vee, gently placing a hand on her sister's head. "Thank you," Luz whispered to Sister Lilian, restraining herself from asking the countless questions she had for the woman, especially at the fact she had round ears but was able to use magic.
Masha wiped away the tears from their eyes and noticed there were a few people who did not teleport into the chapel.
Their brows furrowed in concern as they turned to Luz. "Where are Philip, Gus, and Hunter?"
Gus raced through the dense forest, going as fast as he could to keep up with Philip. But suddenly, he lost sight of the man. The boy came to an abrupt halt, scanning his surroundings for any sign of Philip.
"Philip?" Gus called out, receiving no response. The forest remained eerily still. "Philip!" he shouted again, this time louder than before. Just then, a sudden crackle resonated from behind. The boy swiftly turned just in time to see a burst of yellow light darting towards him, revealing Hunter.
"Are you crazy?" Hunter lectured his friend. "You can't just fly after him like that."
Gus was about to argue, but before he could utter a word, a swooshing sound emanated from between the trees nearby. In an instant, something hurtled towards them, but Hunter teleported them to a higher altitude, evading the attack.
From high up in the trees, they spotted Philip, now fully transformed into his beast form, the very same one that they had fought back on the Boiling Isles. The massive form collided with the earth as it landed with a thud. The creature's gaze fixated on them before it unleashed a ferocious roar, its once-glowing blue eyes now somewhat dimmed.
"We need to get out of here," Hunter said immediately to his friend, grabbing his arm.
"We can't leave him like this," Gus retorted, wrenching his arm free from Hunter's grasp. "Especially as he is right now," he added, observing as Philip leaped onto a tree and swiftly ascended to the top, ready to pounce on them.
Gus swiftly evaded Philip's giant, beastly hands as they swiped in his direction, narrowly avoiding their reach.
"Philip, stop!" Gus called out as he descended into the forest. He then shot forward, Philip relentlessly pursuing him. The boy noticed, over his shoulder, Philip had a noticeable limp. Philip's left shoulder was bleeding profusely, compromising his speed.
Hunter teleported beside Gus, attempting to navigate through the forest, both teens skillfully avoiding collision with the trees. "Gus, he's after our palismen," Hunter informed Gus, his voice strained. "We need to get as far away from him as we can right now. The two of us aren't a match for him."
"I told you we can't leave him like this," Gus said, annoyed. "Especially after he came to help us with those monsters. If we don't do anything to get through to him right now, then it may be impossible later."
Hunter wrestled with conflicting emotions. Part of him had the urge to grab Gus and teleport them far away, leaving Belos behind. Yet, the vivid memory of Belos saving him just in time earlier and fighting alongside him resurfaced in the boy's mind.
But damn it… he had told Belos he was done with him the other day… He didn't want anything to do with him.
He contemplated expressing to Gus that if they were in Belos' position, the man would have just taken advantage of and killed them. However, the fact that Belos fought against those monsters instead of allowing them to turn them into shreds made the boy change his tune.
"Last time, Vee absorbed some of that magic to help us calm him down," Hunter recalled. "How can we stop him without her?"
Gus pressed his lips into a thin line as he tried to think of a plan while still flying from Philip.
"I'm not sure, but he's still there, so I'm going to try to talk to him."
"I don't think that's a great idea."
"Well, it's the only plan I've got," Gus said, swiftly turning to face Philip as he barreled towards them. With a flash of intense blue light, Gus's eyes emitted a radiant glow, shrouding Philip in complete darkness and freezing him in his tracks.
The beast frantically scanned the enveloping darkness, his dimmed blue eyes searching for the light it had been pursuing.
"Philip!" a voice called out from the void. "I know you can hear me. Please, try to calm down. You can fight that curse like you did before. I know you can."
Growling, the beast lashed out, swiping at the impenetrable darkness, as if attempting to strike whoever dared to address him.
"Stop it, Philip!" echoed another voice, distinctly different from the previous one. It sounded so familiar to the beast that it made him stop. The intensity of the blue glow in Philip's eyes surged a glimmer of recognition sparking within him.
"That's it, Philip. Everything will be alright," the voice reassured. "You just need to calm down."
The creature slowly began to retreat, his chest heaving with tremors now.
"Ca…leb…?" the beast let out quietly, now looking confused.
"It's okay," the first voice said, and before him materialized a young teenager with dark skin. His hands were raised in a gesture of non-aggression - the staff nowhere in sight – and his eyes were radiant with the same blue glow. "It's me, Gus," he said gently. "You remember me, right?"
Philip stared at the boy, his mind struggling to piece together fragmented thoughts. Slowly, he clutched his head, emitting low growls that revealed the profound agony he was going through.
"You're going to be okay," Gus reassured, stepping closer to Philip before he slowly released the illusion he had over the man, bringing him back to the forest. Gus's eyes went back to normal as well.
"Do… don't get… clos-er…" Philip managed to utter, his voice strained, as if each word was difficult for him to let out. He continued to back away until a tree trunk met his back. He had the strong urge to lash out at the boy, but he did his best to hold back.
He still had a hard time making sense of his thoughts, but he kind of recognized the boy. And something deep inside desperately told him not to hurt him.
He tried fighting against the dark pull that had threatened to consume his thoughts.
"I'm not going to hurt you, Philip," Gus said in a soft tone. "I'm just trying to help you."
Help him, he said… but why…?
The image of the serpentine child, covered in countless injuries and bleeding, came to Philip's mind, making his chest twist and turn.
'Your fault…'
"My… fau..lt…" Philip's fragmented words reached the boy's ears, picking up the guilt and regret that came from the man's tone. Gus exchanged a puzzled glance with Hunter, who held both of their staffs, maintaining a good distance in case Belos tried to go after the palismen.
"What's your fault?" Gus asked Philip patiently.
"Vee… hurt…" the beast responded.
"Since when do you care if one of us gets hurt?" Hunter's words carried a hint of defensiveness.
"Hunter…." Gus cast a frown at his friend. They were trying to help Philip come back to himself, not make him feel worse and possibly lose the battle to control the curse.
The boy turned his attention back to Philip.
"Hey, man, what happened to Vee wasn't your fault," Gus assured him. "Unless you sent those monsters to us, which I don't think you did, right?"
Philip managed to shake his head quietly after contemplating the meaning of the boy's words.
"And honestly, you saved us, Philip," the boy pointed out. "If you hadn't come to help us, we might all be dead by now."
Philip didn't respond, but slowly he released his grip on his throbbing head and turned his full attention to him. Even though the beast couldn't show any sort of expressions on his face, Gus could sense he was looking at him with confusion.
"Camila is helping Vee out," Gus said. "And from what I remember from your memories, you know how we can do some healing spells. Maybe you can teach me how to heal Vee?"
Philip stared at the boy, but then when he glanced at the staffs that Hunter was holding, he couldn't help but curl into himself.
The urge to devour the palismen hit him hard. He desperately wanted some of that glow, especially after he had failed to hold on to the warm light that he had received from a certain young teenager.
But something told him not to eat them.
Philip grasped his head, overwhelmed by the desire that suffocated him.
"Pa…lismen…" he uttered, his voice filled with longing and shame. "I… want…"
Gus offered a reassuring smile. "I know that's what you want, but you don't want to harm them, right?" he asked, disregarding Hunter's perplexed expression. "You don't want to hurt any of us anymore."
Hunter's frown deepened. "What are you talking about?"
Ignoring Hunter's question, Gus maintained his focus on Philip and cautiously approached him.
"Gus, don't get close to him." Hunter readied himself with his own palisman to teleport in case Belos attacked Gus.
Gus again ignored his friend. "That's why you've been acting strangely lately, isn't it?" he asked Philip. "Why you made that deal with us, to help us return to the Boiling Isles?"
Philip turned his gaze hesitantly toward Gus. His blue eyes were emotionlessly staring at the boy, but mentally he was completely confused by Gus's words.
Then he realized Gus was standing remarkably close. The boy knelt and gently cupped Philip's face, feeling the usually goopy green mass that now possessed a subtle firmness.
At first, Philip tensed up from the touch, but… he felt a familiar warmth from the boy's touch, echoing the recent embrace he had mentally tried so hard to hold on to. Drawing nearer, the beast's blue orbs briefly vanished as he leaned into the boy's supportive hands. Within that moment, he felt the boy sooth away the pain that consumed him, pushing away the dark pull that threatened to break him apart.
And strangely, the urge to devour the palismen diminished into a faint memory.
"You see, you're not going to harm us." Gus grinned, his gaze meeting Philip's reawakened blue eyes.
Observing the scene with utter confusion, Hunter couldn't believe his eyes.
Gus was holding on to Belos' face, and the man was allowing him to. Even though Belos had yet to show any signs of returning to his human form, he seemed in control. Well… somewhat… from what he could see, Belos was still out of it, acting more like a beast than a man, but at least he was calm as a cucumber for now.
Questions ran through the boy's head, questions that demanded answers.
Answers he felt he had a right to have.
"Gus," he said calmly.
The younger boy turned to his friend, meeting his serious gaze.
Gus assumed what was going through his friend's mind, and he couldn't blame him for wanting an explanation for what exactly was going on.
The thing was, Gus was only hypothesizing what might be happening to Philip. Well, he only assumed Philip didn't want to hurt them anymore, but he wasn't sure why… And the only way to get the answers to the sudden change in Philip's actions was to ask the man himself.
And of course, that meant they had to help Philip first.
"Let's talk about things further once we're back with the others," Gus suggested. "But for now, let's get out of here. It's not safe for any of us." He encouraged Philip to get up.
Philip slowly rose on all four, staring at the boy silently as he released his face and took a step back, looking at him with a gentle smile.
But then the boy's smile faltered as something whizzed past them, striking Philip's chest before erupting into a devastating explosion.
The beast's agonized screech filled the air as he staggered backward, colliding with a nearby tree before collapsing in a writhing heap of pain.
"Philip!" Gus rushed to the beast's side, concern written on his face as he knelt beside him, his hands instinctively reaching for him.
He and Hunter turned in shock toward the source of the attack. A figure lurked amidst the trees, crouched low before rising to his full height.
"Mason here," the young man said through his earpiece. "I got him."
He confidently approached the boys. His black suit adorned metal pads, his brown gelled back. In his grip, he held a peculiar giant gun that emitted an ominous red aura.
Hunter's instincts screamed at him to teleport Gus and Belos to safety. But at the last second, he threw Gus's staff at his friend before he smoothly intercepted an incoming attack that came from Mason's weapon by sending his own blast from his staff.
"Alrighty then," Mason chuckled, a cunning glint in his eye as he unleashed a barrage of relentless shots. Hunter deftly twirled his staff, summoning counterblasts to neutralize each oncoming projectile.
As Mason advanced while firing his shots persistently, Hunter quickly planned what they should do. As the man got closer to them, the option to teleport himself and Gus away was out of the question. He couldn't risk one of the blasts landing on his friend if he stopped blocking each blast.
He thought about getting closer to Gus to possibly teleport them away successfully, but since he wanted certain answers from Mason, Hunter had another idea in mind.
Hunter sprinted toward the man, his staff ablaze with yellow energy while he continued to counter every assault. A gleam of anticipation ignited in Mason's eye as he watched the boy get closer. Then Hunter vanished in a blink of an eye, appearing right behind Mason as he swung his staff at the man's back. Mason evaded by propelling himself forward, narrowly evading the strike as he anticipated the move. Reacting instantly, he rolled to the side, dodging a blow to his head, and used his gun as a makeshift shield to block another blow that was aimed at him. But then, with a decisive strike, Hunter swept his staff in an arc, dislodging the gun from Mason's grasp. The weapon spiraled through the air, landing several feet away from its owner.
Then Hunter stomped on the man's chest and shoved the end of his staff against his neck, keeping him in place.
"Damn kid… you're not what I expected," Mason grunted with amusement through his gritted teeth. His gaze fixated on Hunter's piercing magenta eyes.
"What do you want from us?" Hunter asked coldly, ignoring the man's comment.
Mason managed a smug smirk. "I suppose I could tell you," he said with amusement. "After all, you're going to die anyway."
Hunter glared at him before adding more pressure to the man's neck, causing Mason to cough a bit.
"We want that beast of yours," Mason let out, making Hunter narrow his eyes. The man took this moment to activate the fire glyph embedded in the palm of his gauntlets. Flames erupted from them, and Hunter barely avoided them by back-flipping as searing fireballs soared through the air, leaving trails of scorching heat in their wake.
Mason sprang to his feet before he unleashed another volley of fireballs at the boy, who deflected each of them with his staff. The clash of the staff against the flames echoed through the air. Then, with a graceful twist, Hunter spun in mid-air, gaining momentum before delivering a powerful strike with his staff at the man's head. Mason blocked it just in time, his arm absorbing the impact with a pained grunt. Mason countered with a right hook, aiming to catch Hunter off guard.
However, Hunter intercepted the punch with an outer block with his left arm and then swiftly used the man's own momentum against him, pulling him forward while simultaneously propelling himself backward, before he brutally kicked the man straight in the chest.
The brutal impact sent shocks through the man's body as he crashed back to the ground, gasping for air.
Hunter stood his ground, posing himself so he was ready to continue the fight without any issues.
Meanwhile, Philip attempted to sit up, only to crumple back to the ground, his hands clutching his injured chest that was currently a mess of torn flesh and searing burns. He was not healing as he should be, which was something that Gus took notice of, especially by the way his shoulder was still bleeding.
As pain coursed through Philip's body, the beast instinctively distanced himself from Gus as his eyes flashed towards his staff.
"Hey, it's okay, you're going to be okay," Gus said, putting a firm hand on the creature's good shoulder. He was beginning to panic big time as he felt completely useless right now, unsure of what to do, especially with Philip wounded and completely lost. He glanced back when Hunter kicked the man to the ground.
"We need to get Philip out of here," he called out to Hunter with a shaky voice, but suddenly countless thorn vines sprang from the ground, latching onto Philip's limbs before they drove him down to the ground, hard.
Gus didn't have time to react as a gust of wind slammed into his back, sending him hurtling through the air before his body collided with the bumpy terrain, stealing breath from his lungs.
Hunter swiftly teleported by the boy's side, helping him sit up. Gus struggled to regain his breath, coughs wracked his body, and the sting of scraped skin on his face and arms accentuated the throbbing ache resonating through his entire body.
"This isn't good." Gus heard Hunter utter under his breath, which made him look up in confusion before he saw an assembly of armed men advancing towards them. The metallic glints of the weapons trained on them made both boys tense up. They were greatly outnumbered.
Gus subconsciously held on to Hunter's arm tightly and felt his heart racing as he stared with wide eyes at their situation, completely ignoring the way Mason groaned as he sat up and hugged his chest in pain.
Two figures stood apart from the men that surrounded the boys. They saw a woman with short blond hair walking over, paying little heed to them, her gaze instead fixated on Philip. A mixture of amusement and a profound longing for the beast radiated from her eyes, leaving an unsettling feeling in both boys. What really got their attention was the strange suit that she was wearing: black yet radiating some sort of blue glow.
Beside her, a tanned skin man wielded a peculiar wand, like what both boys have seen witches use in movies, its surface adorned with cracks that emanated a dark green light. For some reason, the wand looked wrong, even though they weren't sure why that would be the case.
The boys didn't move, seeing as they were surrounded by countless men ready to shoot them. Hunter was contemplating teleporting himself and Gus out of there, but as he watched the woman make her way to Belos with those greedy eyes, Hunter stood still as he remembered what Mason had told him about them wanting Belos.
"Look at what they've done to you, my precious beast…" Elizabeth cooed, her words dripping with a chilling mix of delight and possessiveness. The beast's eyes, lost in pain and confusion, stared into Elizabeth's dark blue gaze.
A wicked gleam danced in Elizabeth's eyes as she took her time to settle beside 'her' beast.
Oh… how she had been waiting for this moment since she had seen the footage from those cops… How she wanted to just firmly grip him and never let go.
Earlier she had the urge to wipe out the church with that child and nun in it for keeping what should be hers, but when she heard Philip was out taking down some of her men in the forest, oh she couldn't help but be so delighted with the news.
Philip didn't recognize her at the moment, but his instincts did scream at him to get away from her. He let out a feral growl that cut through the tense air and tried lashing out at her, but more vines sprouted from the earth, ensnaring his neck and forcing him into submission.
"No, none of that," she playfully scolded him while she pressed her palm against the crown of the beast's head. Her cold touch felt completely wrong to Philip, sending shivers down his spine as her fingers trailed possessively through the tangled strands of the beast's long, grey hair.
Hunter couldn't contain the defensive surge within him, the one he didn't think he had left for Belos, as he stared at the scene before him.
"Don't you dare touch him!" he snapped at her.
Elizabeth's eyes flickered with irritation, her hand gripping a fist full of Philip's hair. Her disdainful gaze turned to Rafael.
"Get rid of them," Elizabeth commanded coldly. She didn't want anyone else bothering her as she spent her time with her beast, especially after her interaction with Masha and the nun earlier.
Rafael raised the crackling wand, channeling the energy within it. With a wave of his wand, thorny vines erupted from the ground, shooting toward the children.
Hunter moved, using his staff to shoot at the vines that came at them, but countless more took their place, overwhelming the boy.
"Damn it," the boy let out, seeing the other men around them charge their guns. And even though he didn't want to, he grabbed his injured friend.
"Wait, Hunter, don't!" Gus cried, but it was too late. Hunter whisked the two of them away multiple times, teleporting them far away from the scene. Leaving a vulnerable Philip behind with Elizabeth, who chuckled darkly and glanced back at him.
"Finally…" she said with a dark, sweet voice. She forcefully tugged on the strands of Philip's hair, her other hand gripping his bearded chin, forcing his face to meet her gaze. "Ah, yes, my dear… Where were we?"
Just a heads up, i post this story first in archive of our own and i also include awesome fan art done by readers as well there starting in chapter 15 I think (since that's when I started getting them) : ).
Peeps also engage in archive of our own more or in in tumblr. if you want to follow me in tumblr and ask questions you can do so. u can find me as chiconisroc in tumbrl and nisrocchico in archive of our own