[35/150 mins until Dao dies 2:30 after entering the Challenger Gem]
Veronica flew with the women to the Keep, but Candace was pacing around the courtyard when they got there. Veronica could tell that she was upset and landed faster near her to Nixi's great displeasure.
"What are you doing?! You are going to kill all of us!" Nixi screamed as Veronica ignored her and landed.
Candace turned with tears in her to look at her sister and then broke into a sob.
"T-They took him!" Candace as she sunk down to the ground.
The girls hopped off with Kimera taking a flailing Nixi with her, and Veronica went over to comfort her sister. The women were looking at each other in confusion after Nixi was back on solid ground and done fussing.
"Why would Dao take Mex of all people?" Kimera asked while raising an eyebrow at Nixi.
"Who else? Dao must know the game is up and now wants to try and bargain with Kazz. Jessabell would have been far more trouble than she was worth, and Kazz would kill him without giving him a chance. Taking my grandson was his best option, but I am curious as to what he has planned," Nixi mused, but then motioned to the place they had started to think of home now.
"Yes, No, go talk to her with the girls, and I will go get the mask. I think it will be good for her to get out and stretch her legs," Kimera smiled, but Nixi groaned and started to walk to the apartment but stopped, turning around.
"Are you two coming with me?" Nixi asked, trying not to growl.
The girls shook their heads, and Keri took off dragging Kieta in the direction of her underground shop in the southwest corner. Nixi shrugged and turned to head to go talk to Jessabell.
Once inside, Nixi went up to the first floor and then to the back of the first flight of stairs. There was a door there, but it had no sign, and only Nixi and a few others could even see it.
Nixi knocked on the door gently, but Jessabell still let out a small scream, and Nixi sighed.
"Jess, it's me, Nixi. I am getting Kimera to bring you something that will help relax you," Nixi explained slowly and then waited.
There was a short pause, and then Jessabell asked, "What is it?" very quiet, and Nixi had to strain to hear her but had expected it.
"It is something that I made for you a long time ago, and you were able to get out and see the world? I mean, you beat up a lot of evil creatures and did an excellent job of it!" Nixi paused as she leaned into the door with hands pressed on it and about to press her to it.
Then fell in as Jessabell opened the door in shock but caught Nixi's robe before hitting the ground.
After shutting the door and putting Nixi down, Jessabell went over to her desk and started to tap her fingers on the desk. Nixi walked over to her from behind and started to draw a Sigil of Calming as she bit off one of her own fingers.
This was done with hardly a trace of even a grimace while finishing the sigil. Once done, the sigil lit up red and then turned to blue.
Nixi quickly used the same finger to wipe the blood from her hand; she had removed the already regrown finger. With rapid speed, Nixi drew the same sigil on Jessabell's back.
Before Jessabell could say anything, the sigil was bound to her and snapped down, sending calming magic all through her body. Nixi stumbled and fell over as she passed out from draining her magic reserves to give Jessabell a clear mind for three hours.
Everyone thought that it was the mask that had done it to Jessabell, Nixi had, and convinced her to wear the mask. Nixi didn't want anyone to think that she would help anyone, demons had a reputation to keep up, or they did.
The tension left Jessabell's body as it happened again; she was free. The fear was like a cage that held her inside and made everything seem like it would hurt her.
Her fingers stopped, and she turned quickly and then gasped when she saw Grandmother Nixi on the floor. Jessabell could see that she was breathing, and there was blood on her hand and on her finger-like last time.
There was a soft knock on the door, and Jessabell answered for them to come in as she was kneeled on the floor by Nixi.
At first, no one came in, and Jessabell almost got up to check if the door was locked, but then the door opened, and a confused-looking Kimera walked in and then gasped when she spotted Nixi.
Then she looked at Jessabell, who looked back at her with calm and lucid eyes. Kimera blinked and then looked down at Nixi and then to her hand.
Then Kimera dropped the mask as she burst out laughing uncontrollably for almost a solid minute as Jessabell just stared at her. She was trying to figure out what could be so funny about all of this, but finally, Kinera got ahold of herself.
"Sorry… Hehe, just had to laugh. This is rich and almost stranger than any of the fiction I have read! So you mean to tell me that even this menacing woman had a soft spot before the man came?! Bwahaha!" Kimera said and then burst out laughing again.
"I wasn't supposed to tell anyone because I guess she didn't want that to happen," Jessabell said with a slight chuckle, but Kimera covered her mouth and shook her head as she tried to calm herself.
"No way! No one would dare laugh at Nixi to her face! That's why I'm doing it now while she is passed out! She would kill me if she was awake!" Kimera said, but the froze as a growl came up from Nixi.
"Yes, I would!" Nixi growled/groaned as she rolled over to glare at a wide-eyed and terrified Kimera.
The source of this c𝐨ntent is fre𝒆w(e)bn(o)vel