“Yes, it was. Very much so. But the World Eater did not eat my world. My home was saved that day.”
Hope surges in my heart. “What? That’s wonderful! How did you do it? Maybe we can use it to save our world.”
Jaak shakes his head. “No, my heart, that’s not possible.”
“But, you just said it didn’t eat your home.”
“That is because I sacrificed myself to it. I made a deal with the World Eater to be its servant, its agent of chaos and strife among all the worlds so long as its heart beat. That is how I saved my home. Such a deal cannot be struck now. There are none to make it.”
Charlie and I go silent. I look at him and he looks at me. It’s easy to see what we’re both thinking—we would both make that deal if we had to.
Jaak sees it plain as day and points between the two of us with a low growl. “Absolutely not. No mortal will make this deal with a World Eater. They are wrong. Twisted. It is why the Fates refused to create any more of their kind because while they weremade for balance, they relished sorrow and pain. I will not allow another to be bound to them like I am.”
I feel my heart stutter and stop, it’s so painful that I have to put a hand to my chest. I look at Jaak. “What? You mean were, right?” When Jaak doesn’t answer, I keep pushing, my voice growing more frantic. “You can’t, I mean,I’myour anchor. How can you be bound to a World Eater? You mean were, right? Jaak? Please tell me you meanwere bound.”
I grab his hand with both of mine. “Jaak, please.”
“I am sorry, I cannot say what you ask, my heart. I am still bound to my master.”
“No, no, I won’t- you will not have a master. Not anymore.” I stand up and swipe at the tears that are suddenly streaming down my face at the thought of Jaak sacrificing himself for the ones he loved only to now still be enslaved. “I don’t allow it. I won’t allow it.”
“Meadow, calm yourself. I have a master in name only. I have not seen Eri in a very, very long time. Not for hundreds of years before the Fates imprisoned me. I’m sure they have forgotten me by now. World Eaters strike many bargains. Mine was but one of countless others. You have nothing to fear.”
Jaak stands and holds his arms out for me to come near and I do. I fling myself into his arms and hold him as tight as I can. He cradles me, hands rubbing my back in soothing motions.
“I will never forsake you. I promised you this, don’t you remember?”
“You are my life. I will not forsake you. So long as my heart beats I will always be at your side, Meadow. Even if hell opened itself up to claim me again, I would fight my way back to you. I will always fight for you, my heart. I will never leave you. I swear this to you as a vow.”
“You can’t leave me,” I whisper to him. I close my eyes and press my cheek to his chest, listening to the sound of hisheart beating steady and strong.Ba-dum, ba-dum, ba-dum.The sound calms me a little. Jaak is here and he won’t be forced away from me to serve some ancient world eating monster that gets off on pain and suffering.
How was it, having to serve such a thing?
I can’t think about what Jaak must have gone through to fulfill his end of the bargain, but I do think of something else that I’ve never considered before.
“Wait a minute, so you’re not a demon? Not really. You became one, didn’t you?”
Jaak hesitates before answering me. “Yes. I was mortal once.”
“What were you?”
“I was like you.”
“You were a person?” Charlie squeaks.
Jaak nods. “I was. Not exactly like you but I was mortal once. My deal cursed me, it made me into the beast you’ve seen.”
“Your demon form isn’t a beast. It’s you,” I tell him quickly. “And I love it.”
He nods and gives me a gentle smile as he cups my face. “I know you do, my heart and fortunately so, as there is no separating me from the demon. Not at this age, but those are things we can discuss later.” Jaak’s firm on that because when I go to ask him another question about the mortal to demon process, he hits me with a “once you have saved the world you can ask me as many questions as you like.”
“Oncewesave the world,” I correct him.
“Once we save the world,” he agrees.
“This is cool, we’re like superheroes.” Charlie claps his hand and rubs them together. “Alright, let’s go kick some demon ass.”
“You’ll do well to arm yourself, Gamemaster,” Jaak says on his way past Charlie and towards the door.
