Chapter 63.4

After the initial burst of energy, Amara slowly sank back towards the ground with a maniacal grin on her face. Her mischievous opalescent eyes flickered with glee, but also tiny sparks of hellfire. Once she landed, _____ stormed within inches of her face.“Give that back!” _____ shouted.

“Hm?” Amara asked quizzically. “Why, whatever do you mean?”

“You know damn well what I mean! You’re not Amara, I am, so give me back my name!” Rage bubbled up inside _____, urging her to forego decorum and attack her host. Stranger still, despite having lost her name, she still felt the familiar thrum of her hellfire. It was buried deep beneath Saoirse’s magic, but present nonetheless.

With another giggle, one that scattered sparks and glitter through the air around them, Amara’s iridescent wings fluttered to life. “Oh, I’m afraid that’s not how this works, friend. I asked for your name, and you gave it to me fair and square!” She quickly circled around _____, just a few inches off the ground as she spoke with a little too much pride, a little too much saccharine pouting. “I mean, if you didn’t to give me your name, why agree to my request? It’s just not fair to go back on your word!”

“That’s not— But I didn’t mean— FUCK!!” _____ kicked a nearby knot of wood puncturing up from the ground.

Amara gasped, placing her hand on her chest. “And now you attack my home? Strike out at this kind forest that has done nothing but provide for you? I can’t believe you would be so rude!” As she continued talking, flecks of cherry red appeared on her skin like freckles. They bloomed with greater intensity and frequency higher on her body, making her appear very much like a ripening strawberry.

“I…” Biting her tongue, _____ forced herself to think of Nick, of Vee, of everyone relying on her to return in one piece. She prepared the willpower to fight against her simmering rage, but was surprised to feel somewhat level-headed, at least comparatively.

“You’re right,” _____ muttered. “I apologize for striking out at your home. What can I do to earn my name back?”

“ name? Oh, nononono, let’s get one thing straight, friend. name is Amara. If you happen to want to take my name for yourself, well, that’s your own business. Now, you say you want to do something in exchange for my beautiful new name? Hm…” Amara floated towards the knot _____ had just kicked and sat down. She delicately crossed her legs, placed a hand on her chin, and swayed back and forth as if thinking were a show she needed to put on. “Nope. I’m sorry, but I love this name so much! I don’t think I feel any motivation to give it to you.”

_____ clenched her fists as she listened. A tiny flash of hellfire tried to break through the magical barrier within her, but she fought it back down. “Surely there’s something,” she hissed.

A playful giggle rang through the clearing. “But, I suppose there are methods other than bartering that might help you achieve your goals. Why, if some terrible monster threatened my life, I might have no choice!” Amara leaned closer to _____ with a devious smirk on her face. “It's a shame that the only thing I share this clearing with is a simple, lowly human.”

“Aww, you’re so quiet now!” Amara said. “Cat got your tongue?”

_____’s eyes shot open.

“Not at all, Amara,” _____ replied. “I was simply thinking of all the lovely friends I’ve met since arriving here. Tell me, are you planning on staying in this clearing for a while? I’d to come back and visit sometime!”

Amara’s eyes narrowed slightly. “Giving up so soon, are you? Well, yes, for your information, I happen to love this little clearing of mine, and I have no plans to vacate it anytime soon.”

The two girls shared one last contentious glance before _____ turned towards the edge of the clearing. Knowing that every second mattered, she moved as quickly as she could while trying to not appear panicked or scared. It was a short walk to the edge, thankfully, and _____ focused her attention on the thick, overgrown mass of vines and leaves that formed the barrier at the edge of Amara’s influence.

Taking a deep breath to calm herself down, _____ focused her thoughts and stepped through the barrier. A familiar sense of total obfuscation surrounded her, blocking out all but the faintest hint of light as she moved. She kept expecting branches to snag her clothes, her hair, but the strange nature of this passage kept her from directly contacting the brush itself. After a few seconds of travel, she emerged on the other side.

Her heart skipped a beat in excitement as she looked around. Just as she’d hoped, she now stood in a cozy, circular grove filled with soft blankets of moss, a lazy hammock, and a pile of socks and plushies to her left.

A tiny, fluffy head poked up from the bowl in the center of the room, one that looked directly at _____ before tilting her head slightly.

“Hello, Ciara!” _____ said, trying to sound as cordial as possible. “I hope you’ve been well. Have you found any delightful things to cuddle with recently?”

Briefly narrowing her eyes, Ciara leapt onto the edge of the bowl to examine _____ more closely. “Have we met, stranger? I will admit, you don’t look familiar. Or smell familiar. Yet you seem quite familiar with my home here, and you’ve even correctly identified me.” Ciara huffed slightly before reaching her paws forward to stretch her back. “I’m afraid you caught me at a bad time, in terms of soft cozy cuddles. I found a wonderful new friend recently, but we lost each other.”

Silently congratulating herself, _____ continued to mask her giddiness for the sake of the conversation. “By any chance, are you referring to the one called Amara? She had wings, horns, a mighty tail, and—”

“You know her? Where is she?!” Ciara asked, her eyes lighting up.

“I know her quite well!” _____ said, silently laughing to herself. “In fact, if you’re comfortable briefly leaving your clearing, I’d be happy to take you to her. Why, I’d even be willing to carry you so the journey is that much easier.”

Ciara paused. “Wait. How do I know this isn’t a trick to steal my home?”

“Well, I…” _____ stuttered, trying to think of an appropriate way to set Ciara’s fears to rest. As she did, Saoirse’s words drifted back into her mind.

_____ cleared her throat. “Ciara, I offer you my word that this is not a trick. I swear that I personally know Amara, I know where she is, and I am willing to take you to her. Additionally, I ask for nothing in exchange for this favor.” Just as she’d done back in Tadghán’s house, _____ tried to speak with intent. Curiously, as the words left her mouth, she felt the tingle of wild magic atop the words themselves.

“Perfect!” Ciara said, her worries dispelled. “We shouldn’t waste any time then!” Without warning, Ciara leapt into _____’s arms and happily settled in. This time, thankfully, her presence did not prevent _____ from moving, and she turned to exit the clearing.

With her thoughts focused on Amara’s clearing, _____ walked through the magical barrier with even more practiced ease than last time. She no longer feared the embrace of the forest, and held her head high in hopes of further committing to her charade. The soft creature in her arms readjusted several times as they walked, and _____ tried to comfort her by adjusting slightly and scratching behind her ears.

“Oh, I must apologize for my rudeness, kind stranger,” Ciara said, her eyes closed as she enjoyed the attention. “What may I call you?”

_____ paused for a brief second, scared to continue walking with her thoughts divided. “Me?”

Images of Vee danced into her head and warmth briefly flooded her chest. “Well, there are those who call me Hellspawn, and you may do the same.”

Ciara nodded. “It is lovely to meet you, Hellspawn. I have a feeling this also explains how you know Amara! She was definitely some sort of demonic creature, I suspected a succubus. Have you been friends with her for long?”

“Oh, quite a while,” Hellspawn muttered, barely holding back a chuckle.

Their conversation ended just as they reemerged in Amara’s clearing. Just as Hellspawn had suspected, she now stood at the base of the massive fallen tree. Looking around, she initially saw no trace of Amara, and figured she might still be at the top of clearing. Thankfully, it wasn’t long before the faerie fluttered into view, her predictable twee smile on full display as she flew down from the treetops.

“Oh, hello travelers! Welcome to my clearing!” Amara said as she landed in front of them. As she looked at Hellspawn once again, she chuckled. “I see you’ve returned, friend.”

Hellspawn bowed her head politely. “I mentioned earlier that I’d met other friends during my time here, and I wanted so badly to introduce you to them! Amara, you may call my friend here Ciara; Ciara, this is Amara, just as I promised!”

The black cat tensed slightly in Hellspawn’s arms, looking between the two humanoids for several moments. “Hm,” she muttered. “I don’t remember her looking like this, but…”

“Well, you said it yourself, didn’t you, Ciara?” Hellspawn asked. “Amara is a demon—a succubus, specifically—and she’s a powerful shapeshifter. She probably looked quite different the last time you saw her, but the similarities are obvious! She has wings and everything!”

“My friend here is absolutely correct, kindly Ciara,” Amara said. “I am the one, true Amara!”

“Of course…” Hellspawn paused for a moment, hoping to draw skepticism from Amara. “The Wilds is a tricky place, and I’d hate for Ciara here to think we were playing a prank on her. With her powerful senses, I think she’d be able to prove once and for all who the true Amara is here. Don’t you think so, Ciara?”

With another gentle scratch behind the ears, Ciara nodded proudly. “Absolutely! I need to make sure everything’s on the up and up!”

Amara looked towards Hellspawn, then back at Ciara, her eyes narrowing in suspicion as much as her polite demeanor would allow.

“First and foremost, allow me to formally welcome you to my clearing, Ciara. And you as well, miss…”

“You may call me Hellspawn, Amara,” Hellspawn said politely, masking her bite.

“Hellspawn! Oh, delightful!” Amara clapped her hands in excitement before continuing. “Anyways, my lovely guest Ciara, I’m more than happy to prove that I am indeed the one, true Amara. How would you like me to do so?”

In Hellspawn’s arms, Ciara suddenly grew much lighter. She rose to her feet, proudly standing on all four paws as she held her head high. “Cuddles,” she said proudly.