Chapter 45: Chapter 45

“You guys better not look while I undo the stitches!” I warned them as Ren and Custard raised a blanket over me while I fixed my dress. “That includes you, Ren.”

“Me? I was the one who covered you first!”

“Oh, right. Thanks.”

Of all the times that I have to detransform, it has to be out in public. I was crouching on the ground with the blanket surrounding me when I saw a hint of red hair peaking. I sighed. “Custard.” It was all that I have to say as my familiar raised one of his gigantic paws and slapped it over the perverted vampire’s face. Nate cried out loud as Custard made contact.

“GAH! My face!!”

Serves him right. I thought as I finally untangled the last of the stitches and fixed my dress so it looked presentable.

Once I was done, I stood up. “I’m good now.” I said and lighty tugged on the blanket so Ren could remove it. I grinned the moment I saw Ren. “I am back! No more baby words!” I rejoiced. Being a kid was such a hassle especially when you have responsibilities!

The wolf prince chuckled. “Yeah. But I kind of like the young version of you as well. You were cute.”

“What? I am only cute when I’m a kid?” I raised an eyebrow at him, slightly offended at his words.

Ren looked flustered as his cheeks reddened. “What? No! You’re still cute! But more than that. You’re-”

A hand was suddenly draped over my shoulder and Nate leaned in to whisper in my ear. “I bet a combination of our genes would make a cuter offspring.” He joked. My hand was already raised in the air - ready to slap him, but he was suddenly pulled away by the ear.

“You better not make us listen to your disgusting lines!” He snarled at the vampire prince. Our gazes briefly met before he looked at Fical, who was patiently leaning over a tree as he waited for me to get dressed. “And what is that guy doing there!?” He demanded. When Fical looked up, he added. “GET LOST!”

At the mention of his presence, Fical got moved away from the tree as he made his way towards me. Completely disregarding Ace’s orders. “Goddess, I-'' I cut him off by raising both of my hands up. I did it without thinking that I almost cursed myself for being suspicious.

Fical must not know what I know that he does not know so I can tell the princes what I know then they’ll know what I know! You get me?

“I-um…” I stammered as I struggled to find the right words to say. I glanced at the princes for help, but they seemed confused about my behaviour as well since I would normally switch back into actress mode right now and spout some bullsh*t.

When that happens, it can only mean one thing. I was nervous as hell and the princes knew about this. Ren was the first to move as he stood in front of me to hide me from Fical. “I believe the Goddess is tired. Why don’t you come looking for her at a very later time? Say...never?”

I don’t know what Ren’s deal is with Fical, but you can already sense the distaste that he has from the guy from his tone alone. Nonetheless, I was grateful that he was able to move me away from the guy.

I dared to look back as Ren, Nate, Ace and I were walking away from the chief’s son. He wasn’t looking at me, but he was studying Custard. The look on his face right now reminded me of a displeased child who wanted a candy, but couldn’t have any. But the look on his face darkened the father we got. He must have sensed me looking at him because our eyes suddenly met and I saw the same shadows moving in his eyes that I saw back in the cave. He smiled sweetly at me that sent shivers down my spine.

“Don’t look.” Nate ordered as he blocked my view from Fical. I was feeling uneasy that he was looking at Custard that I called my familiar to walk beside me as we all moved to some place more private. A few distance away from the village in the same direction as Ingka’s hut.

“Why are we here?” Ren asked while looking around at the familiar place.

Honestly? I wasn’t sure myself, but this is the only secluded place that I could even think of. Don’t get me wrong. It didn’t feel right for me to be here at all since I basically condemned the person living here to a life in prison.

Still, if we’re here, I highly doubt that Fical would follow us. I mean, what psycho would return to the scene of the crime? And I thought that it would just be better to show Ace and Nate what Ren and I found.

I was still holding on to Custard as I pointed at the hut where Ingka lives. Custard felt my uneasiness that he rubbed his head on my stomach as his way of comforting me. ‘Master? What’s wrong?’

‘Tell you later.’ I thought back and rubbed his chin. I looked at the princes and gestured for them to come inside. They followed without question.

“What the hell?” Nate breathed out loud as he took in the place. It was just as we left it. Scattered from us rummaging around with a few books that were missing as Ren and I took them with us.

Ace, always the bookworm that he is, immediately headed towards the books on the table and started to read. A few seconds later and he looked up from reading. “Ingka is already in prison. I don’t see why we’re here unless you want us to confiscate all of his books and-”

“Ingka is innocent.” I blurted out. The princes stared at me to see if I was joking or not. I wasn’t.

“Wait. What happened to the ‘it’s always the uncle’ logic of yours?” Nate asked as he walked closer to me.

“I…” I looked at the ground shamefully. “I was wrong. It’s not always the uncle.”

“What about the evidence?” Ace was giving me a scrutinizing look. “How can you say that it wasn’t Ingka?” Then, as if the answer suddenly came to him he continued. “The time that we lost you, you went to see that old fart, didn’t you?”

Old fart? Geez. Would it kill him not to insult people or once?

“No wonder Custard took a detour.” Ren thought out loud and it almost made me choke to see him actually using his brain.

And because of that, the princes were now giving me a disapproving glare. They were even glaring at Custard. “He he.” I laughed.

“Don’t you ‘He he’ us. It’s not even funny.” Nate chastised me.

“Say that again and it kind of is.” I said in hopes that I could change the mood. It didn’t. It actually made it worse that Custard whimpered. “But hey! If I didn’t go and and Ingka then I wouldn’t know who the real culprit is! He was there and-”

“See?” Nate says and points at me. “You went to see the uncle and actually saw the actual culprit. What would have happened to you if the culprit caught you in there?!”

“You guys wouldn’t let me even see him so of course I went alone! And I can call for Custard when I am in danger. I am not as helpless as I was!” It wasn’t fair that they were cornering me like this. I may not be the most skilled person in the group, but at least I know how to control my powers enough to protect myself. “Will you people just listen to me once? Fical has the cup. He is the culprit!” I almost yelled the words out loud in my frustration. “I saw him. I heard him admit in front of his uncle.”

Silence fell as they absorbed the new information that I just gave them. “First it was the uncle, and now it’s the son?” Ace rubbed the side of his head tiredly. “Now I am certain that these are your people because they’re as troublesome as you.” He said and finally looked up to address me properly. “What else? What does the bastard want with the cup?”

I told them everything. About Ingka and Fical’s conversation and also described to them how Fical changed appearance and voice. How he was possessed with an evil spirit that fed on his greed. I also told them what I learned from Ingka. About the chalice as how to use it. As soon as I was done, the princes looked more stressed than ever.

“We have one mission. To retrieve the chalice. Not to become involved in this whole evil spirit mess.” Nate says. He was already sitting on the ground and leaning onto Custard.

“I doubt the old crone would believe us if we tell him that his son is possessed and was actually the one who tried to kill him. If only there was a way for him to see.” Ren wondered out loud.

Ace and I immediately flinched at Ren’s words. We both looked at each other as if we had the same thought.

“The pendant!” We both yelled at the same time.

“Jinx! You owe me a soda!” But of course. I was the first one to jinx him. Ace glared at me at my unnecessary dialogue.

“I’ll owe you a zit on the forehead!” He yelled making me unconsciously cover my forehead at the growing zit there.

“Not my fault I’m stressed.” I grumbled. This guy really knows how to find people’s insecurities. What a talent.

“Well?” Nate questioned. “Did any of you brought the pendant?” He asked while specifically looking at me.

I raised my hands in surrender. “Hey, don’t look at me. I don’t plan on bringing that thing along and seeing dead people.”

“I brought it.” Ace sighed tiredly. “I saw her throwing the thing away when her familiar handed it over to her before we left from Thalia.”

Oh sh*t.

“DAMN IT, ACE! DON’T TELL THEM!”

“It’s PRINCE!” He corrected me.

I looked over worriedly at Custard and saw my familiar giving me a hurtful look. “No no no! It wasn’t like that!” I reason as I approached my pouting familiar. “It makes me see things that I shouldn’t be seeing!”

‘Master, it took me a while to find an ancient relic like that. I heard that even the late king of Gija has one. I thought that you might at least appreciate it so you would have something to remind you that you are a princess and that I love you, master…’ He whimpered. The sound alone was heartbreaking that I felt more guilty of upsetting my familiar than accusing Ingka. Ren was giving me a disapproving look as he comforted my familiar, who still whimpered and slouched in a sitting position with his ears angled down.

WHAT HAVE I DONE!?

“Forgive me!” I cried and threw myself at my familiar’s neck.

‘It’s okay, master. I know that I am just your contracted spirit. I shouldn’t have expected anything in return in the first place. I just simply follow orders. I just can’t help it because even though you are lacking in the head, I still waited years for you to come. We spirits are bound to one soul and we cannot age until the right tamer arrives.’ Custard whipped at his face with his paw as if he was whipping a tear.

“No. Please. Stop!” I cried. This was heartbreaking!

‘We age and die with our master. Or we die first to protect our master. It’s always been like that.’ He says. I looked up at him with tearfilled eyes until I saw Ren nudging and whispered something in his ears.

I narrowed my gaze and leaned back to see them more clearly. When they noticed me looking, they immediately averted their gaze. Custard no longer looked sad, but guilty. I got up and placed my hands on my hips as I regarded the werewolf and my familiar on the ground.

“You guys were playing me, weren’t you?” Just as I said it, the two flinched. Custard was suddenly giving me the puppy dog eyes as he laid on the ground with his exposed belly.

‘Sorry, master. But I do love you!’ He says as his tongue lolled out with a goofy expression on his face.

As hard as it was for me, I momentarily ignored him as I fixed my gaze at Ren, who was now whistling and playing with the rocks on the ground. When our eyes met, he simply batted his eyes at me innocently while I gave him a sweet smile.

“You done?” I asked.

“Nope.”

This guy seriously was becoming more like Dan that I wanted to bash his head on the ground. But before I could even make a move, PRINCE Ace pushed me forward. “Enough wasting time! Let’s go and get the pendant. The sooner this is over with, the sooner we can get the chalice and leave this blasted place!”

By the manner of his speaking and the way he carried himself out, I can only guess that he was more ticked off than usual.

***

We hurriedly made our way to the village once again and towards the hut where the princes are staying. It was big enough to fit the three of them, but I doubt that they find this place comfortable as...you know...they’re princes. They live in a castle and in a large room.

As soon as we got in, Nate immediately threw himself on the blankets where he immediately fell asleep. Ren and Custard waited outside because they didn’t want the place to be crowded since it was such a small space.

I made a mental note that they would be transferred to the same hut as mine since it was 4 times bigger than theirs. The benefits of being a goddess of course. But I do hope that we won’t be staying here for long in order for us to come to that.

I saw PRINCE Ace rummaging through the trousers that we wore before. As soon as he got the pendant out I moved closer to actually see if it really was the pendant. “Wow, you really picked it up, didn’t you?” I chuckled and looked up at him.

He flinched when he heard my voice as if he did not expect that I would be there beside him. He was frozen in place when he saw me. And then he did the most ungentlemanly move that he could pull. He pushed me away with enough force that I took several steps back.

“Hey! What’s the-”

“Mind your space!” He yelled, but I couldn’t see his expression because he was looking away from me.

Seriously. This guy! Rude as ever! It’s bad enough that after I transformed he made a huge fuss about it and pushed me aside. And now he pushed me again.

“REVENGE!” I yelled and used my shoulder to push the elf prince back like he did to me. But instead of budging, he simply looked annoyed.

“What the hell are you doing!?” He demanded and tried to push me back, but I was persistent.

“You pushed me first! Now get a taste of your own medicine!”

“Get off of me! Your idiocy might be contagious!” He said and placed his hands on my hands and pushed. I did the same as I blindly touched his face and pulled at his ears.

“Let go, you imbecile! Or I will pop your zit!”

“Leave my George alone!”

Ace stopped pushing to look at me with a raised brow. “You name your zits?” He asked with a disgusted look on his face.

“I heard that if you care for your zits that they would magically disappear.”

“You’re an idiot.”

“Not everyone gets to have a perfect skin like you guys!”

Suddenly, we heard some noises outside and I could hear Ren calling and talking to the people outside. Ace and I immediately stopped what we were as we fixed our gaze outside. Even Nate got up from sleeping and yawned.

“Couldn’t get much sleep with you two fighting anyway.” He grumbled as he waited along with us.

“Guys! Get the pendant quickly!” Ren said hastily with wide eyes. “We have to get to Ingka as soon as possible!”

“What’s wrong, Ren?” I dared to ask even though I already knew that it was bad.

“They are going to execute him in front of the tribe.”