Chapter 23: Chapter Twenty-Three – It’s Gonna Hurt

“There is really no reason to look so terrified. I’m not going to eat you.” Aunt Laura laughed as I pulled Eurycelia into a hug.

It seemed like Eurycelia wanted to say something, and was desperately trying to get the words out. However, the only thing to come out of the councilwoman’s mouth was a series of high-pitched squeaks.

“I guess this is the response I should’ve expected from someone raised in our religion,” Aunt Laura sighed. “As much as I’d like to stick around until she regains her composure, we’re actually on a timetable Baby Bernie. If you’re going to become a demigod, we need to do this now.”

“Ok… what do you need me to do?”

“Nothing really, we just need to hope that your servant can carry you home. You remember what it felt like when I gave you the bunny features right?”

“Yeah, it hurt like hell.”

“Of course, massive changes to the body are going to. Now just imagine what will happen when I set free a caged portion of your soul. You were out for about five days when Otrea messed up her ritual right?”

“Yeah.”

“Well, this’ll take you about ten.”

“You can’t be serious?” Now I was the one shivering. “Being unconscious for ten days? I’ll die.”

“No you won’t, you have a personal fountain of healing magic right there who will never leave your side. You won’t be soulless  this time so assuming she does her job right, you’ll wake up feeling like you took a long nap. Even if you could be awake for this, I wouldn’t recommend it. This is going to hurt.”

“Am I going to ever see you again?” Aunt Laura had been my only family for nearly as long as I could remember. While I thought I’d gotten accustomed to the idea that I’d never get to see her ever again. Now that she was here, in this world, I couldn’t help but not want her to leave. Even if she was the goddess of trickery and bad luck.

“Of course.” Aunt Laura smiled, kneeling down to plant a kiss on my cheek. “Though you can start calling me Mommy Laura if you want.”

“Wha?”

“I contributed half your soul, I’ve earned the right to be your mother on a spiritual level at least. Besides Daughter of a Primordial God, sounds way better than Niece of a Primordial god, doesn’t it? I legally adopted you on Earth as well. So even in the old world I was your mother. Legally at least.”

“Do you really want to be my mom?”

“As long as you can handle having an unreliable mother who leaves you in charge of things while she goes on dates with sexy mortals.”

“I don’t think I’m capable of handling whatever your primordial god tasks are. The cafe was hard enough.”

“Someday.” Aunt Laura laughed, before gazing up at the statue of a young girl. Among the Primordial eleven the statue she gazed upon was the only one who looked like a child. “Looks like it is time to go. You’ll do great Bernie.”

“Wait! Before you go… all those messages. The ‘Heavenly Office of Spiritual Fulfillment’ and all that, what is that?”

“That was me pulling a prank on you.” Aunt Laura grinned. “Seriously Baby Bernie you can’t believe everything you read.”

“Shouldn’t I at least be able to believe correspondence from my own mother?!”

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“Fair point, though seriously we’re out of time.” Aunt Laura said placing her index finger in the center of my forehead. “Goodnight Bernie.”

Intense heat spread from the point where Aunt Laura’s finger connected with my forehead, until it enveloped me. At first, it was only the heat, and then pain began to radiate forth from my joints, my stomach, and my chest. Soon the pain spread to include all of me. From the tips of my ears to the base of my toes I hurt.

I screamed as the world blurred. Then there was nothing. As if someone had walked over to the wall and flipped off the light-switch, it all stopped. And I vanished into a deep sleep.

The next thing I felt was something soft and cool pressed against my shoulder blades. A warm wind brushed over one of my ears, causing a ticklish sensation that made me twitch.

Opening my eyes slowly I found myself in the manor bedroom, where I was supposed to be. Which hopefully meant Eurycelia hadn’t had any issues getting me home. I laid there feeling the warm air until my brain finally clicked that what I was feeling was someone’s breath.

Rolling over in bed I found Eurycelia laying beside me. Sleeping naked just like Harriette had.

Maybe the Scaleborn have something against pajamas.

I admired the councilwoman for a moment. Her hidden scales were as green as her hair, and she actually had a tail I’d never noticed before now. A short stubby little thing small enough to be easily concealed under any slightly loose outfit.

A blinking light in my peripheral pulled my attention away from Eurycelia’s sleeping form.

 

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