Hell Reverse - Part 9

"So you're really not going to tell me what happened?" Reyna leaned back on Deceit's crumpled bedspread. It was only the two of them, and the silence had begun to weigh too heavily.

"Do I need to?" Deceit had her back turned to Reyna, and was attempting to wage war on buttons.

"Not really, but I mean." She paused for a second. "You never ignore him for this long."

"Sure I have." She shrugged, and Reyna could have sworn she heard what could only be described as a squeak of regret. "I-uh... I ignored him when you two broke up."

"You were working for him at the time." Reyna reminded her, looking intently at her shoes. It hadn't been a pretty break up, in any case.

"Yea. So? Didn't mean I had to talk to him."

"Pretty sure that's not how that works." Reyna laughed, and got up from the bed. "Stop being a prude and let me help."

"Buttons are the worst things." Deceit complained, finally giving up. Reyna made quick work of the buttons on Deceit's blouse, and then stopped.

"So this is why you're not going to tell me." Reyna informed her quietly. Deceit's skin was a mess of blue-black patches from her shoulder down half her side.

"There's not much to say."

"You two fought."

"He was on the other side." Deceit's tone made it clear the subject was closed- at least for now. Reyna did not push the matter, or make a point out of the difference between 'wrong' and 'other'.

"Okay. Do you still have that salve up here?"

"The one for bruises?" Deceit paused. "It was in the bathroom last, I think. If Merc hasn't nicked it."

"Speaking of her." Reyna's voice became harder to hear as she popped into the bathroom to raid the medicine cabinet. "You're allowing her to practice magic again?"

"It's part of her current courses." Deceit sighed, "I can't really tell her no."

"And what's gonna happen when she goes too far- again?"

"There's contingencies in place."

"Your sister almost sold her soul to a god of eternity the last time. There's no contingencies for that."

"Yea, I'm aware. He's still trying to break into the house every so often." There was a clattering of jars against what Deceit could only guess as her bathroom sink, and then Reyna popped her head out of the bathroom.

"Your current state of disinterested zen on gods attempting to break into your home concerns me."

"I know."

"So what are you gonna do to stop it?"

"She can't sell what isn't hers."

"You didn't."

"Well..."

"'Ciet."

"What." Deceit frowned at the wall Reyna had disappeared behind. "She's a minor, so it's not illegal."

"You can't just claim ownership of people's souls."

"I didn't." There was a pause. "It's hers when she comes of age. Until then, it's technically in my care so she doesn't accidentally sell it in a pinch."

"It wasn't an accident."

"Probably not, but let me pretend, okay."