The first chapter was on flying.
Moxxie sat while Blitzo read over his shoulder.
Millie had taken a break to take a shower.
Suddenly, the door burst open to show Stolas pushing in a large cart of food.
"Dinnertime!" announced Stolas.
Millie left the shower with a towel in her hair and said, "Oh, that smells delicious!"
"Thank you, your majesty!" said Moxxie looking up from the book.
"You're still a simp," Blitzo said from the bed.
Stolas slinked over, rubbed Blitzo's head, and said, "I'm happy to be whatever you need me to be, darling."
Blitzo blushed slightly and said, "Ohhhhh, shut up."
"If that's what Blitzy wants," Stolas teased as he gave Blitzo a kiss on his head.
"Stop it, you horny bird!" Blitzo said, moving away flustered much to Moxxie and Millie's amusement. "Not in front of my employees!"
"Have you learned anything from the book yet?" asked Stolas.
"Well, the first chapter of the book is about flying," Moxxie explained, showing the book to him.
"Do you understand it all?" asked Stolas.
"Yeah, I think so," Moxxie said. "It's all pretty well-explained."
"Do you think you're ready to start practicing, baby?" Millie asked, pulling her towel out of her head as she climbed onto the bed.
"I don't know," said Moxxie nervously. "I don't know if I'll ever be ready."
"Nonsense, you've totally got this, Moxxie," declared Blitzo. "You'll kick this book's ass like an expert in no time."
"I don't know, Blitzo," Moxxie said. "I don't feel ready at all."
"Not with that attitude," Blitzo said, pushing Moxxie off the bed. "Come on, Moxxie. Let's practice."
No sooner had Moxxie fallen off the bed than did Blitzo pick him up in his arms.
"Blitzo, put me down!" Moxxie cried while struggling in his arms. "What are you doing?"
"Cut it out," Blitzo protested as he carried Moxxie towards the window and pushed it open. "We're going to get you to practice some flying before dinner."
"Blitzo, are you sure this is a good idea?" asked Millie.
"Yes, Blitzo, this room is three stories off the ground," Stolas added.
"Oh, he'll be fine!" Blitzo waved off dismissively.
"Blitzo, put me down!" Moxxie complained. "I want to eat!"
Blitzo then opened the window and pulled off Moxxie's foot bracelet.
"BLITZO?! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" Moxxie screamed in a panic.
"Helping you get better at flying," Blitzo explained with an eye roll. "Duh. Now, get down there and fly yourself back up here."
"I thought you said you weren't a psychopath like my dad!" Moxxie spat back.
"That's a low blow, Mox," said Blitzo. "Now, you're definitely going."
"But sir! I barely got to fly before!" cried Moxxie.
"Trust me," said Blitzo, sitting Moxxie on the windowsill. "You'll be fine!"
"Blitzo, that's enough!" Stolas said, pulling out his magic in his hand. "Back away!"
Unfortunately, Blitzo ignored his lover and pushed Moxxie out the window saying, "Fly, Moxxie, fly!"
Everyone shoved Blitzo out of the way and rushed to the window.
Moxxie started screaming and flailing his arms wildly to try to stop his fall.
At the last possible second, before Moxxie could fall into a fountain on the side of the house, his wings popped out and broke his fall. He hid his face until he realized his wings were flapping.
As the crowd at the window applauded wildly, Moxxie breathed deep breaths to calm himself down.
Moxxie's toe touched the fountain water, causing him to look down and see his reflection. The motion stirred a frog into hopping away, pushing a rock he was sitting on into the water in the process.
That noise spooked Moxxie into a heightened sense of panic. A sinking rock always did. Hell, anytime he heard something sink into any pool of water did. It reminded him of that night, the first time his father forced him to push a cinderblock into the lake.
Moxxie squeezed his arms tightly and made himself take more deep breaths as he squeezed his arms and kept flapping his wings.
Back in the room, the others were yelling at Blitzo.
"Blitzo, that was super reckless!" Millie yelled. "You could have hurt Moxxie!"
"No way!" Blitzo reassured. "He is perfectly fine! His wings acted on instinct, just like the book said they would!"
"Blitzo, that was uncalled for," Stolas chided. "Honestly, Moxxie could have been really hurt."
"But Moxxie's totally fine. Aren't you, Mox?" asked Blitzo, calling out the window just as Moxxie was flying back up. "Moxxie?"
Moxxie flew into the room and held his arms tightly. He looked like he was about to cry.
Millie walked up to her husband, took his hand, and asked, "Moxxie, what's the matter?"
"It's my dad," replied Moxxie fearfully. "I just realized that he has to know what has happened by now. He's going to try to do something. I just know it."
Moxxie started shedding tears freely. Millie gave him a hug and held him close.
"No, he won't," Millie said defiantly. "Not if he knows what's good for him."
"Yes, he will! Crimson could still try to hurt me and everyone else before you guys get a chance to change!" Moxxie cried. "And…Blitzo?"
Blitzo came over and joined in the hug.
"Millie's right," Blitzo reassured. "That motherfucker will stay away if he knows what's good for him, but even if he doesn't, we'll fight him off like we did before. You aren't alone anymore, Mox. You don't need to be afraid."
"He's right," Stolas added from the side. "You are immortal now."
Moxxie broke out of the hug and asked, "Really?"
"Yes," Stolas said. "Blitzo told me about your father. I've heard of him. He's one of Mammon's favorite little monsters and one of the most powerful imps in hell. Be that as it may. He cannot kill you within his own power. You are safe."
"But what about them?" asked Moxxie, gesturing to Millie and Blitzo. "They're my family. They can still be killed."
"I'll do what I can to protect them," Stolas explained. "But don't count yourself out. I hear you're one of the most skilled assassins in hell. You have even more power as a reformed imp. The book will tell you all you need to know."
Moxxie smiled a bit more confidently and said, "Thank you, Stolas. I needed to hear that."
"You're welcome," Stolas said, picking up the book and handing it to Moxxie. "I know what it is to suffer at the hands of someone cruel and to feel powerless. But I've learned that such thinking is only a lie they want you to believe. You always have the strength to do something. Blitzo taught me that. Blitzo?"
Moxxie and Millie turned to Blitzo who was shedding tears of his own.
"Blitzo, darling," Stolas said, walking over to Blitzo. "What's the matter?"
"What you said, it's beautiful," said Blitzo. "Did you really learn that from me?"
"Does that surprise you?" asked Stolas.
"Maybe," Blitzo said, turning away and trying to wipe his tears.
"It's okay to cry," Stolas said, picking Blitzo up.
"No, it's not," Blitzo cried. "Shut up!"
Stolas held Blitzo tighter against his chest while the latter wept against him.
Meanwhile, Millie went back to hugging Moxxie while he cried as well. They sat like that for a few moments until Millie looked up and noticed something poking out of the book.
"What's that?" Millie asked herself.
Moxxie looked up and asked, "Hmmm?"
"Something is sticking out of the book," said Millie.
In an instant, everyone in the room looked up from what they were doing and turned their attention to the book sitting on the bed.
Surely enough, there was a page sticking out that seemingly wasn't there before.
Befuddled at the sudden appearance of the note, Moxxie walked over to the book and pulled out the page that was sticking out of it.
Moxxie only had to look at the long note for a second before falling to his knees hyperventilating with both tears coming out of his eyes and his lips quivering in a smile.
"Moxxie!" cried Millie as she and the others ran over to help him up. "Moxxie, what's the matter?"
"It's…from my mother…" Moxxie managed to get out.