The mask fell in slow motion on the bed near Julia. She bolted up so quickly she disappeared, only to reappear behind Os. At least she still held Niriga-the-Pebble.
River bounced on the bed beside Victor, looking worse than he did before. His skin was paler than Vic’s and he was incredibly thin; almost skeletal with a thin layer of translucent skin.
River’s eyes flitted to mine; we stared at each other for what felt like minutes but it was only seconds. And during that glance, I felt so much. I felt the loss of our relationship, remorse that we didn’t work harder to stay together, guilt that my father forced him to work under him, and all the love I still had for him yet couldn’t express it. He was powerful yet withering away. In a blink of an eye, he could become dust himself.
I broke contact with River and stared at Victor, who didn’t look great himself. The pain in my chest worsened, and I swallowed hard. I didn’t like any of this. I didn’t enjoy seeing the people I loved in pain and wilting. They were powerful supernaturals who were indispensable, yet this awful creation could do so much damage in such a short amount of time.
Slowly, I stood up and stared at the mask instead and the sadness eating away at me turned into anger and rage for an object I wanted desperately to destroy.
“Nobody touch it,” Ossie said, staring at Victor. “Not even those who used it before. In the tome, I read that when you touch it, it takes power away making you mortal. If you touch it again, the new power becomes potent, making you crave more. If you keep touching it, it chips away at your humanity until there’s nothing left of you but a mindless creature driven by greed and power. And then it will only kill you quicker—”
“No,” Victor said, trying to shake his head, but winced instead. “That’s wrong. If we use the mask again, it’s meant to restore what it took.”
“That’s what they want you to think—”
“Then why call it back?” Victor asked.
“To restore power, you need to destroy it,” Ossie said.
“Must only Victor destroy it, or can anyone?” I asked.
“It won’t matter because it will restore everybody who is still alive back to their original form. It’s like resetting a clock.”
“Why didn’t anyone do this before?” I asked with a grumble. “Idiots.”
“Because they thought destroying it would be a bad idea. Not everyone has access to the information I have. But, luckily, once it’s destroyed, it will reset. Unfortunately, the rumor started by someone spreading it and everyone thought the same thing. You know how those go,” Ossie said sarcastically.
“Here,” Os said, handing Victor a baseball bat he’d conjured out of air.
I frowned. “Where did you just pull that from?”
Os grinned. “Luv, I’m a demon and can conjure anything I need. Even Julia can do it.”
I looked at Julia and she wore a broad smile, snapped her fingers, and a milkshake appeared in her hands.
I licked dry lips. A milkshake would go nicely now. When all this was over, I’d be enjoying a lovely milkshake and waffle.
Victor groaned beside me, pulling my attention back to him. He held the baseball bat in both hands, raising his hands above his head and as he swung, the door blasted open with Myles filling the doorjamb.