Page 65 of The Chosen Two

I look between them. “What do you mean Miranda counts? Miranda is a magical object?”

George tilts his head, eyebrows raised, and crosses his arms. “Um, yeah you are. What have I been telling you?”

I look back to Jake. “I think I’ll be right back? I’m assuming this won’t take long.”

Jake looks at me with his brow so furrowed that his eyes are barely more than slits. “Miranda, wife of mine whom I know better than anyone, or so I thought… Did that kid say you killed a Minotaur? And you’re magical now?”

I blush and bite my lower lip. “Yeah…I’ll tell you everything. I promise. Just, I have to go do this thing now…”

I push the door open and jump down from the high passenger seat. “So, do I just smash it or something?”

Frank nods. “That should do it. That will sever the link between myself and the magic. And I can live out my life as a normal person.”

“And you’re sure that that’s what you want? I have a feeling this can’t be undone.” I don’t know much, but I’m pretty sure severing magic is forever.

“Trust me, I’m sure. I don’t want to be used against you, or anyone, ever again.”

“Okay, here it goes then.” I hold it high above my head. Then, because I don’t know what the immediate effect will be, I move a few feet away from our getaway vehicle. I look into Frank’s and George’s faces, shrug, and throw the vessel at the rocky ground.

It breaks open with a small explosion, glittering dust bursting out in a pouf of green. I cough. A lot. I can’t see as the cloud moves past me. Then everything is clear. Not even broken glass remains on the ground. And Frank looks like a normal human. Well, for the most part. He’s no longer glowing, not even his eyes.

We all stand there looking at each other for a minute before Jake honks the horn and yells, “Can we get moving, please? I’m not really comfortable hanging out here, especially in these clothes.”

I look at George. “So, are we good you think?”

He shrugs. “Yeah, I think that should do it.” He walks me over to the limo and holds my door open as I climb back in. “Do you guys want to leave that beast here and go back in the car?”

Jake and I look over our shoulders, back from whence we came, then to each other. Jake takes the lead on this one. “Um, George, is it? I think we’re going to go ahead and take their only form of transportation…just in case…”

George looks panicked. “Are they…not dead?”

“They’re goddesses, George. No, they’re not dead. I think that’s a little beyond my training as of now, don’t you?” I’m hoping the humor I’m trying to inject into my words comes through.

George rolls his eyes. “Okay fine. We’ll meet you back at the hotel, I guess. But you will have to tell me everything that I missed!”

Jake doesn’t like this. “My dude, I think I deserve to hear everythingImissed first.” They stare at each other for a few moments.

George realizes he’s not going to win this one. “Yeah, okay. That’s fair. See you in a bit then.” And with that, George and Frank get into the rental car.

The drive back to the strip is almost physically painful as we sit next to each other in the cloud of palpable tension.

“So…how’ve you been?” Jake glances at me when he asks the casual question.

I can’t help but laugh. He’s always good at breaking through to me when I need a laugh. “So, I guess you’re wondering what the fuck is going on?”

“I mean, it would be nice to know why a bunch of goddesses kidnapped me to basically be their sex slave for weeks while my wife apparently learned how to fight demons… If you’re up to sharing, that is.”

I take a deep breath. “I am. I’m just trying to figure out where to even begin at this point. I feel like it’s been years since I actually talked to you.”

“Okay, let’s start there. How did you not know that an evil sex demon wasn’t me?”

“Why would I ever have an inkling that when you got home from a business trip you had been kidnapped by goddesses and replaced with an evil sex demon doppelgänger?”

“Fair point.”

“Yeah. Thanks.”

“But did he kiss like me? Did he make love like me?” My silence is all the answer he needs. “I see. And you didn’t think anything was up?”

---