Meeting Aggie

32.

All of us leapt to our feet. Celeste's hand shot out from the ground. Iris and I shrieked while Apollo stepped forward to help her out.

Iris came to my senses faster than I did. Utilizing earth magic, Iris reshaped the soil into petite stairs, allowing Celeste to ascend from the depths.

Even though Celeste remained beautiful in death, her dead eyes made her status noticeable. Even more when she tried to speak, and a bug crawled out of her mouth. She looked at her hands and touched her face while tears pricked her cloudy eyes.

"Why. Did. You. Bring. Me. Back?" Celeste asked in broken English, her voice filled with accusation and anger.

Iris rushed up to hug her, eager to show her love, but was forcefully shoved away. Iris gasped, her backside hitting the ground, her eyes wide with disbelief as she looked up at her sister.

Celeste vehemently shook her head. "You. Did. This."

Apollo and I exchanged shocked glances, unable to comprehend the unfolding situation.

"W-Why would I kill you? Y-You're my sister, and I-I always defended all your actions. H-Has Riven poisoned your head against me?" Iris stammered out.

As soon as her lover's name came out in the open, Celeste's hands flew to her stomach.

"Where. Baby?"

Heart-wrenching sobs escaped Celeste's lips as she beheld her baby's tiny grave nestled alongside her own. Etched upon the stone was the name "Astro" and a solitary hour that marked his fleeting existence.

Iris, desperate to offer solace, reached out to console her grieving sister. In her anguish, Celeste's hand instinctively rose and struck Iris across the face, a painful outburst of grief and anger. Apollo rushed to restrain Celeste, but she resisted his touch, pushing him away in her anguish and overwhelming sorrow.

"You. Whore. God," Celeste spat at him.

Apollo tenderly grasped her hands, his voice filled with sincere remorse.

"I regret leaving you in such a painful manner. It was a display of immaturity, and you deserved better. You are truly an incredible individual, and I am truly sorry for the suffering you endured."

Celeste's agitation subsided in response to his heartfelt apology. As an observer, I could sense the sincerity behind his words, and I could tell that deep within, she also recognized it.

Celeste hugged Apollo, and he hugged her back. I looked over at Iris, who cried in deep sadness at the scene and how her sister treated her.

"Did you actually kill her though?" I asked Iris.

"Oh, absolutely! I would take immense pleasure in bringing her back to life just so she could witness the sight of her deceased son. It's all perfectly logical, isn't it?" Iris shot me a fierce glare.

"Touché. I still don't understand why she blames you." I raised my hands in question.

Apollo raised an index finger.

"There's an easy way to determine what happened. Look into her memories."

The more I found out about angels, the more I wondered how many abilities they really had. It scared me to wonder which ones Sven had over me.

I beckoned Celeste over, and she approached cautiously and carefully. I placed my fingers on her temples.

"I apologize in advance. May I?"

Celeste nodded before closing her eyes and I closed mine.

I was in Celeste's body. What she felt at the time of her last memory, I felt in real time. From what I could see, we were in some sort of healing room.

Pain soared through her core, every muscle tightening for a sweaty count of thirty then releasing only to repeat a minute or so later. Celeste was in labor.

In the room with us was a male fairy with vibrant yellow eyes, pointed ears, a long snout, and sharp teeth. I could tell he was angry because he half shifted into a wolf but contained himself.

There was only one known fairy-werewolf hybrid in the palace, Celeste's lover, Riven. He held her hand, screaming for a doctor. Celeste had gone into labor too early.

"Help! Anyone please! Princess Celeste is in labor!" Riven hollered.

The only person to hear him was Iris. She entered the room and held Celeste's hand.

"Go get help, Riven! I'll wait with her here." Iris directed him with her free hand.

Riven nodded and didn't think twice before rushing out of the room. Iris gave Celeste an evil grin and released her hand. She quickly chanted a spell as her eyes turned black.

"Sister! Why are you doing this?" Celeste asked, growing more alarmed.

Iris rolled her eyes before taking out a potion bottle from her pocket. I felt Celeste go numb as her eyes widened.

"Don't act stupid now, sister. We both know we can't possibly let you have a half-breed in a pure-bred family," Iris snarled at her.

"How could you do this to me? Your own blood. He's your nephew!" Celeste wailed as tears streamed down her face.

Celeste willed herself to move, but whatever spell Iris cast on her made her magic useless. Iris popped open the potion bottle and poured it into Celeste's mouth.

Whatever was in that bottle was some sort of poison. Both of us began to violently shake and foam at the mouth. I couldn't see or hear anything else because Celeste died. Painfully.

The current Iris pulled me back into reality. Celeste's green veins showed through her pale skin. Iris looked at me expectantly.

I let out a deep sigh. "If that was an enchantment, it was too impenetrable. I witnessed everything, and based on that memory, it seems like you were responsible for her death too."

Apollo wrapped his arm around her neck.

"We didn't come to seek help from someone who could betray us as easily as she did her sister. Explain that! Aggie went into her memories and saw you kill her."

"I wasn't even here! I was in the other light kingdoms for months planning imports and exports. That's why I didn't know she was pregnant! She wasn't showing when I left." Iris gasped for air.

Celeste gently removed Apollo's hand.

"I. Believe. Sister."

Iris rubbed her throat before reaching for her sister. They hugged each other as Apollo, and I watched. It was beautiful to reunite two sisters. Especially ones as powerful as the two who could help me.

I cleared my throat. "Now that we've settled that, I still need to train my fairy form. I don't have much longer till the battle."

Iris shook her head. "We need to find out who killed Celeste. They might still be in the kingdom somewhere."

Apollo said, "We can always find her killer later. One can wait, the other can't."

Iris nodded, but she would obviously be bothered by the mystery the whole time.

Celeste placed a hand on my shoulder. "I. Will. Help. Too."

I couldn't help but let out a relieved smile. The journey of unlocking all my forms was nearing its end, and the progress made me feel one step closer to my full potential.

That meant I'd soon be gearing up to face Sven, though the odds of survival were hanging by a thread—a daunting fifty-fifty gamble at best.