Page 73 of Professor and the Seer
“Why?”
“You’ll find out soon enough.” Not exactly an explanation.
“My sisters will come for me,” I stated. To my surprise, I’d heard them in my head, asking me to look out the window and reassuring me I’d be rescued. I’d thought our intimate connection had been severed. Knowing they wouldn’t stop until they found me gave me the brass balls needed to be brave, especially since I’d not seen nor heard Reaper since my arrival.
“She planned on them attempting to rescue you.”
“Why would she want them here? Unlike me, my sisters are fighters.”
“Will they fight if your life is forfeit?” he countered.
I pressed my lips tight. No, they wouldn’t. “I don’t understand why she wants us.”
“Because she knows you are his champions.”
“He, as in the guy you tossed into that other dimension because she lied?”
Whipped whirled and eyed me intently. “What would you know of that?”
“I’m a seer. I saw it. Duh.” I rolled my eyes. “I saw how she trapped him in some magic circle and, when he wouldn’t give in to her demands, she told you he tried to rape her, and you, being a testosterone-driven idiot, believed her conniving ass. She manipulated you into doing her dirty work.”
“At the time, I didn’t know the depths of her perfidy,” was his stiff reply.
“You do now, and yet you’re still with her.” I shook my head.
“I have no choice.”
“There’s always a choice. You chose to punish Reaper instead of the true culprit.”
“Who?”
“The guy you tossed into that portal. He’s escaped, by the way, and he is not happy with your wife.”
His lips pressed into a thin line. “I’m aware he now roams this realm again. At the time, when I threw him in, I expected it to be temporary. After all, his power was always greater than mine.”
“Yeah, well, she kind of cursed the only doorway out.”
“She did more than that,” Whipped muttered, turning from me.
“Sounds like you’re not too happy with her actions, which leads me to wonder, why are you still with her?” I asked as I skipped down some steps to catch up with his clumping.
“Because I have no choice. You are not the only captive. She is powerful, more than you could ever comprehend given all she’s stolen.”
“She took your magic.” I went fishing, and the way he stiffened told me I’d hit a sore spot.
“You mean siphons it from me, keeping me weak,” he hissed. “You’d think controlling monsters would have been enough, but she is greedy. And vindictive. And soulless. So before you think to beg, remember, she thrives on misery.”
“She controls monsters?” I thought of Bane’s island and the problem he’d had with various creatures, from ocean monsters to demons. I tried to grasp why she’d send them to open the portal, given she’d been the one to ensure Reaper couldn’t escape.
“Yes and no. She only got part of his abilities. Her control is tenuous, especially among the stronger-minded ones. And when the other world would sync with ours every decade or so, some of her monstrous minions broke free from her control and tried to free their true master.”
My eyes widened. “Wait, so the monsters were helping him?” That explained a lot.
“As if you don’t know. You bear his mark and helped him escape.”
Rather than lie, I admitted, “I only know bits and pieces. He hasn’t been exactly forthcoming. I don’t even know his true name.”
“Typhon. The god of monsters. Or should I say former god, seeing as how she found a way to steal his power.” A flat announcement that had me even more incredulous.