Chapter 5: Two parts of a soul

I teleported to the forest where Freya lived. The shield around the area made it impossible to teleport directly to Freya’s cottage. For this reason, I had to make the journey the old fashion way, which involved several hours of flying.

I enjoyed flying, so it didn’t bother me. During my childhood I had explored this area extensively, so I knew the ins and outs of the place and which parts allowed teleportation.

The bright and colourful landscape gave the forest a magical glow, every shade of colour clearly visible. The seasons didn’t affect this place like they did in the human world. Even though the leaves on the trees changed colour, a warm breeze was always present.

When in the mood, I would fly through the trees, enjoying the nature and wildlife. Sometimes I would even check in on the other magical beings that lived in the forest. Today, I flew high in the blue sky, appreciating the beautiful view of the treetops bleeding into each other in different shades of green. Every now and again the trees would give way to a lake, and the water would mirror the sky and give a nice contrast of blue amongst the green.

When I got closer to Freya’s house, I took in the familiar view. A simple dark wooden cottage, with a large wooden veranda. Trees grew next to the house, covering part of the view, but intensifying the earthly feel of the cottage.

I changed back to my human form and made my way over to the other side of the veranda. Freya sat on a chair with a cat cuddled up on her lap. I glared at it as I walked closer, until he got the message and left. Amber and Honey, Freya’s two cats, were loyal to her, but it didn’t mean that I wanted them to know about my problems.

I reached down and gave Freya a kiss on the cheeks.

“Your hair seems to go whiter every time I see you,” I said cheekily as I took the seat next to her.

“Nonsense.” she waved a hand in front of her as a smile escaped her lips before she picked up the second cup on the small table between the chairs.

“Careful, it is freshly brewed,” she said as she handed it to me. She let out a contented sigh. “What can I do for you, my child?”

I inspected the wooden floor. I wasn’t sure where to start or how much detail to give her. This woman had known me my entire life. My parents abandoned me at birth and Freya took me in and raised me. I know I’m a demon, but Freya raised me with love and empathy, so I learned how to fight my darker tendencies that came from being a demon.

“There’s this girl,” I said, a bit hesitant, before meeting her eyes.

“I see, would you mind telling me about her?”

“That’s not important,” I said as I put my hand through my hair. Based on past knowledge, Freya probably already knew about Cassie, but Nick had gone through a lot of trouble hiding her and making sure no one knew about her existence or connection to him.

“What I wanted to ask you about was the electric shock that occurred when we touched.”

Freya gave me a knowing smile before she zoned out. Her blue eyes glossed over, and her breathing became slower. I took another sip of my tea as I waited patiently for her to come back to the land of the living.

Even though I grew up around her, I had no idea what type of being she was. She never talked about it. She had been around for several thousand years, and she somehow seemed to know about everything that was going on in one capacity or another.

I could always count on her, even if it wasn’t always in the ways I expected. She let me make my own mistakes, so I could learn from them, but provided me with guidance when I needed it.

Freya came out of the trance and her eyes became clear again. She spent a few moments collecting herself.

“An electric shock happens to wake up two parts of one soul that have known each other before.”

I waited a while for her to say something more before opening my mouth to speak but closed it again as she reached for her tea. A clear sign that I wouldn’t get any more information out of her.

I finished my tea and got up from the chair. Freya walked over to me and I bent down and gave her a goodbye kiss. Before I transformed into a crow, she reached up and grabbed my shoulders, giving them a squeeze to get my attention. 

“Remember to look through your heart, instead of your eyes. The reality you can see is not complete.” She released her grip and my gaze followed her as she walked back into the house. I stood there for a few moments, staring at the closed door before I shook my head and sighed.

On the flight home, I spent my time considering everything Freya had said and what it may mean. I had been hoping for a decent answer, but I should have known better. She always spoke in riddles, so why should this time be any different?

When I got home, I checked my phone hoping Cassie had texted me. Unfortunately, I wasn't that lucky. Even though I worried about her, the best thing to do was to give her space, as to not overwhelm her or scare her away. I wanted to be her friend, but she wouldn’t believe anything I told her if she didn’t trust me, and trust had to be earned.

I spent the next couple of days struggling to keep my distance and give Cassie the space she needed as every part of me wanted to be near her. I hoped she would text me back eventually so I could talk to her, ideally before her birthday.