Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Andrealphus’s castle was cold, both emotionally and physically. It was starting to feel more familiar with the addition of her mother’s possessions but it was far from comfortable. Octavia had refused to move her things out of her palace when her father had been injured and admitted to the hospital. She had no intention of staying here long term. As soon as she was allowed to she was moving back in with her father, she as going home. Even if the palace she grew up in felt nothing like her childhood anymore, it felt better than being here. Octavia never got along particularly well with her uncle, but tensions had been worse since her father’s hospitalization. Her mother said she was paranoid, but the look in Andrealphus’s eyes when he looked at her seemed almost vindictive recently.

Maybe it was her fault for reading the news, for bringing it up at breakfast one day. She wasn’t allowed to listen to her music during meals here, so she was forced to talk. Asking about her father’s accident, bringing up the word assassination had made Andrealphus irate. Questioning the attempt on her father’s life had gotten her sent to her room that wasn’t really her room. So few things were hers these days.

She wasn’t allowed to message her father. She’d been told he was too ill, or that it would be dangerous. She hadn’t been allowed to visit him yet, either. All she knew was that he was stuck in a hospital room in Sloth, and she was stuck in this tower until further notice.

The morning of the full moon was different from the sixteen mornings before it. The air seemed lighter, but Octavia wasn’t entirely sure she could trust it. The kitchen was quiet when she came down for breakfast. Her mother was eating her breakfast alone.

“Morning, Mum” Via grumbled as she made herself a cup of coffee and put two waffles in the toaster.

“Good Morning, darling.” Stella didn’t look up from her meal.

Octavia checked the time twice while she waited for her breakfast to cook. It was much too late for Andrealphus to not be up, but usually he insisted on eating together or was at least close by. He didn’t appear to be anywhere in sight.

“Where’s Andrealphus?”

It was several seconds more before her mother answered her.

“Hmm? Oh. He’s preparing for the Full Moon Ceremony. He’s taking over your useless father’s responsibilities now that he’s…..indisposed.”

Octavia didn’t even know her mother knew words so large. Her eyes glowed red, she sipped at her coffee.

“While he’s in the hospital, you mean?”

Stella shrugged. “Yes, that.”

Via knew better than to try and continue this conversation. She grabbed her waffles as they popped out of the toaster. “Does this mean I can eat in my room?”

Octavia takes her mother’s dismissal as a yes and is quick to hide away in her room that isn’t her room.

Her room that wasn’t her room was bright. Much brighter than her actual room. All white walls, like ice, and curtains that only muffled the light, not block it out. It didn’t feel private, it didn’t feel comfortable. Via didn’t allow herself to think about it too much or she might just explode. Listening to the loudest and angriest song she can find helps a little.

She tries not to read the news but the tabloids about her father’s “accident” and her parents divorce but they were were algorithmically programmed to be cemented to her feed. It was her fault for clicking on them so fucking often. How else was she supposed to get any information about her situation, though? She had nobody to talk to.

While this palace was much less private than her own, it was far lonelier. She didn’t even think that was possible. Were all palaces meant to be lonely? Is this what it meant to be a Goetia? She hadn’t been allowed outside this mansions walls yet, though she hadn’t really tested her ability. She wouldn’t know where to go if she did leave, she wasn’t sure there was anywhere she’d be welcome.

That’s why when her phone pinged with a message, Via nearly dropped her breakfast.

OwlDad: Good Morning, my owlet. I hope you are well.
OwlDad: I apologize for bothering you so early, I know you’ve been upset with me. You might not even be awake yet! That’s fine. But as you know, tonight is the full moon.
OwlDad: I have responsibilities and require my grimoire. I could also require some assistance. I was wondering if you’d be interested in helping? It’s about time you start learning more magic.
OwlDad: It’s alright if not, darling. I can manage without. I understand you might not want to see me.

Her father’s messages only halfway made sense. Of course it was the full moon, but her mother had just said Andrealphus was taking care of it. Did her father not know? She took several minutes to read over his messages. Did he really want to teach her more complex magic? And why did he think she was mad with him? She’d been told she wasn’t allowed to message her father when she asked about him. That meant she wasn’t able to start the message, right? Surely if she was messaged she could reply? She wasn’t going to ask for permission.

Owlet: Uncle Andrealphus is doing the ceremony tonight?
OwlDad: Oh! Ha, how interesting.
OwlDad: You mean he’s helping you with the ceremony?
Owlet: Why would he do that?
OwlDad: Via, you’re seventeen. You are of age to be taking on such responsibilities if I am unable to.
OwlDad: And I am able to, mostly. I just need some help acquiring the necessary supplies. Perhaps arranging a few things. Nothing big!
Owlet: But I don’t know how to do the magic.
OwlDad: That’s my fault, Via. I am truly sorry. It is definitely time that you learn.

Something in her father’s messages made Via angry. Not at her father, but at the situation. She hadn’t known that it was her responsibility, or that she could participate. She knew about the Full Moon Ceremony but she hadn’t bothered to ask anything about it since she was a child. She’d never been asked to participate before, but now she had an opportunity. Well, the had the dream of an opportunity. She doubted she’d be allowed to see her father if she asked and there were far too many guards for her to sneak out. She had a feeling Andrealphus was keeping this from her, too. Maybe that’s why he’d been looking at her so viciously these past few weeks. But why would he keep something like that from her? What would he have to gain? After her anger, Via felt frightened. She tried to squash that one down. She was good at squashing that one down.

Owlet: I don’t know the spells, can’t he keep me from participating?
OwlDad: Darling, you outrank him.
OwlDad: Also, I plan on continuing with my duties. I just need my grimoire.
Owlet: They’re not going to let me leave the house.

Octavia waited for several minutes before receiving a reply.

OwlDad: Are you alright, darling?

Via didn’t initially know why that question made her angry, but it did. She didn’t feel like he had the right to ask her while he was in hospital and her own family wouldn’t tell her why. She didn’t think about it before she responded.

Owlet: Pretty loaded question, Dad.

Octavia spent the rest of her morning in her room. She didn’t get any more messages, but she couldn’t stop thinking about the conversation she’d had earlier. Part of her was worried to even read the messages again, afraid she’d get in trouble for having talked with her father.

That wasn’t normal. She shouldn’t be afraid of that.

That anger from before reignited inside her. You outrank him, Octavia knew that logically but she had so much less power in comparison. How was she supposed to carry out the full moon duties when she didn’t have the slightest idea what she was doing? Did this even matter if Andrealphus took over for the night, so long as the duties were performed? Octavia felt like it did.

Are you alright, darling? Octavia couldn’t remember the last time someone checked in on her. The question hurt in her chest, it took the wind right out of her lungs. No, she wasn’t alright. She was suffocating here, and she had a bad feeling about her continued presence in this castle. She worried about he father.

Andrealphus’s study was large and opulent. Arched stained glass windows with frosted feathers lined the icy white walls. Long blue curtains decorated their sides. Snowflakes flitted down from the ceiling but never made it to the floor. They could be arranged to look like constellations if Andrealphus wanted, Octavia had seen him do it for her when she was a child. There were bookshelves lining one of the walls, but not nearly as many as her father owned. A dark blue carpet extended from the large double doors to the opposite wall where Andrealphus’s circular desk sat as one of the room’s centerpieces.

Octavia thought it was beautiful, but like so many things in this castle that’s all it was. There was no depth, no comfort, no narrative or consistency. She tried to suppress those thoughts as she stood in the arch of the large double doors. She knew he couldn’t, but Octavia worried sometimes that Andrealphus could read her thoughts.

“Octavia!” Andrealphus called out as she approached. He looked surprised, like he wasn’t expecting her to be here. “Ah, what do I owe the pleasure?” Andrealphus only looked Octavia’s way while saying her name. He was keeping himself busy dressing the room. She assumed for tonight’s ceremony.

Octavia took his acknowledgment of her as an invitation into the room and walked in a few steps. “I wanted to know what I should be doing?…...for tonight?”

“Whatever do you mean?” he had stopped what he was doing and was now looking at Octavia with venomous concern.

Octavia was uncomfortable but she had been unable to stop thinking about her short conversation with her father. She couldn’t stop thinking about the pit of worry that formed in her stomach for even thinking about having talked to him. It had unsettled something in her that she couldn’t let go of.

“It’s my responsibility after my fathers, not yours.”

The room grew colder as Andrealphus’s chiding laugh reverberated around it. His hand raised and a small seating area was set up. One of the butler imps arrived moments later with a full pot of tea. He nodded for her to sit and joined her only after she had complied.

Andrealphus went through all the pleasantries: he asked Via if she wanted sugar and cream with her tea, offered scones as well. He asked how she was adjusting to being here, and gave an empty offer to do anything that might help her feel more comfortable. He tried sympathizing with her. He hadn’t listened to a word she’d said.

“I know this must be a terribly distressing time for you, Octavia dear.” He reached out to touch Octavia’s hand but she pulled it away. The moment made her feel uneasy.

“You’re not answering my question, Uncle Andrealphus.”

The Marquis’s face fell, turning from gentle concern to frustration as Via brought the conversation back on topic. He only lets it show for a moment though, he’s more practiced than that.

“I appreciate your concern, dear niece. But your help won’t be necessary tonight.”

Octavia’s eyes narrowed. “But I want to do it. It’s my responsibility.”

That fucking laugh. Andrealphus didn’t respond with words, not at first. Octavia hated the way it so easily said sit down and shut up, petulant child. I’m better than you.

“How far are you in your magical studies, dear? What’s the most complicated spell you can consistently reproduce? Do you have any notes? Your own grimoire? What ceremonies have you participated in before? Have you even watched one?”

Her uncle’s words made her feel microscopic but her father’s words reverberated in her mind. She outranked him. It kept her afloat, but the spindly pit of something that was sitting in her stomach was starting to grow larger.

“If you don’t believe I’m qualified then help me.”

Andrealphus’s head cocked to the side, he studied her. His demeanor remained precisely regal, cunning and aloof. “Oh, dear Via. We simply do not have the time.”

She was crushed, then she was angry. Her father’s words repeated in her mind. She outranked him. She did her best to keep her anger from showing. She tried very hard to keep the twisty void of anger growing in her stomach to remain there.

“Uncle Andrealphus, I don’t really think you get to decide that.” Her eyes were glowing now, it may have been Andrealphus’s only signal to slow down.

Andrealphus tutted. “Whatever do you mean?”

The arrogant twat. Via’s anger grew. Her father’s words wouldn’t stop repeating in her head until finally they burst out her mouth.

“I outrank you.”

Andrealphus’s eyes flashed bright blue. He didn’t like the reminder, he didn’t like feeling undermined. “What are you threatening?”

Octavia didn’t know what she was threatening. She wasn’t really threatening anything just yet. Andrealphus was trying to mix up her words.

“I’m requesting that I take over the full moon responsibilities in my father’s place. I am old enough to.”

Andrealphus’s eyes narrow.

“Officially.” Octavia didn’t know how to make that sort of request officially. She didn’t even know if there was an official way to do it, but she wanted to cover all of her bases. She tried to sound official.

The sound that came from Andrealphus in response wasn’t the chiding chirp she was used to. This was lower, more menacing. Angry.

“And how do you think you’re going to do that?” He no longer hid his tone behind pleasantries. “You can do no more than party tricks. Children’s folly. And you come in here, the afternoon of the ceremony and expect me to teach you years of work in a few hours?” He chuckles low again. “Don’t be foolish.”

Octavia couldn’t see the dark wisps that were starting to form at the edges of her shadow, but she could feel the thorny vines of anger growing from her stomach, up her throat, and throughout her chest. She wouldn’t have even cared about all of this if it wasn’t for the fact that she knew she should be doing it. She should be helping her father. Andrealphus’s blatant disregard of both her rank and responsibility was disrespectful at best, but she worried his intentions were more malicious. She didn’t trust him. She worried about her father’s safety.

“You forbid me from talking about my father yet you tell me nothing about him. You keep me here with nobody to talk to. You withhold information from me and now you bar me from continuing on with my responsibilities.” Octavia’s eyes glowed bright red and her voice burned with passion. The dark wisps edging at her shadow had grown into a dark fiery aura around the princess.

Andrealphus’s eyes flashed bright blue once more. He was far from knowing or caring how to calm Octavia down.

“I’ve taken you in: sheltered you, clothed you, fed you. I’m the only thing supporting you and your mother right now, and you’re trying to disgrace me?! Your lying, manipulative, disgrace of a demon your father-”

“Stand DOWN, Marquis!” The shadowy aura around Octavia had grown to twice her size, or perhaps Octavia herself had grown. It was nearly indistinguishable to tell where one ended and the other began. Her voice boomed around the room.

The aggression in the room was permeable. While Via was raging, Andrealphus reverted back to his cold self. He dare test her one more time.

“Where are you going to go?”

The room grew dark as a low growl reverberated throughout it. Octavia was twice her size and nothing but feathered shadow and magenta with two large, glowing eyes. They narrow at her uncle. She doesn’t need to answer him, he’s not worthy of a reply.

She jumped into the air, caught herself with her wings, and flew straight through the window. She was off to find her father, but first she had to get his grimoire.

The front door was the best way to get into I.M.P. Octavia hadn’t even realized she knew how to get there until she had kicked the front door off its hinges. She crouched to get through to the doorway. The two smaller imps, M&M, were huddled in the corner with teeth barred and weapons drawn. It was the first time Octavia considered she could be monstrous.

“Rough day?” Loona stayed seated at the desk. If she was scared, she hid it much better than the other two had. The hellhound leaned back in her seat and looked towards Blitz’s office. “Blitz!”

She didn’t need to yell for him, he was already on his way out. “What the fuck was that?!” He stopped in his tracks when he noticed the towering shadowy mess in front of him. She looked much like Stolas in his most demonic form, but smaller and with a slightly more purple tint compared to Stolas’s red. Her eyes glowed just as sharply as his did, though. “Oh, shit…...Octavia?”

“The grimoire” Via’s voice was darker and more gravely than usual. It was loud, and commanding. It was meant to strike fear in those who were unfortunate enough to hear it. If she could truly hear herself in this moment, she might be scared of herself too. Though, if she really could see her true self right now, she might also think it was terribly cool.

Nobody had known that Octavia could present in such a form, she had never done it before. Blitz didn’t know much about Goetia anatomy or culture, but he’d seen Stolas like this before on more than one occasion and he knew it wasn’t good. It was angry, but in every instance Blitz had seen Stolas like this, there had been also been underlying worry and concern. The last time Stolas’s daughter had come into the office distressed, Stolas had almost killed him. This was even worse than that, and yet again she was after the fucking book.

While she was scary, Blitz knew that underneath the fiery shadows and demonic glow was a seventeen year old girl. If she was anything like her father, she was a scared seventeen year old girl. He sure as hell wasn’t going to give her the book like this, but he also felt bad about this. Whatever the hell was going on tonight, it obviously wasn’t good.

“You want the book, riiiight. Is ahh….this for the full moon then?” He tried to also not look too afraid of her. She was angry, but if she was anything like her father then she was also scared. She was a scared kid. She was Stolas’s scared kid. He wouldn’t admit that the feeling in the pit of his stomach was guilt or shame, but he did acknowledge that he felt bad. He understood that Octavia needed help. Blitz took a deep breath. “Does that mean…...is Stolas out of the hospital?”

Octavia could sense concern on the weird dickhead’s face. It surprised her. It was the first time in a long time that she’d seen someone truly express it. It made her miss her dad. The shadowy figure slowly began to shrink.

“….N-no.” She was no longer twice her size. While her hair remained large, dark, and feathery and she continued to have a visible aura around her, Octavia now looked much more like her normal self. Her eyes still glowed bright red but they didn’t look angry anymore. They were worried. “Have you seen him?”

Blitz looked away. He hadn’t.

He turned and walked back towards his office. Octavia hastily followed.

“Please, I need to get the book and get to him. He’s asked me to. I haven’t gotten to speak to him this whole time, and Andrealphus-”

Blitz seemed to have a reaction to her uncles name. “Oh, that prick”

Octavia nodded.

“I really need to get the book to him.” The grimoire was locked in a safe behind a picture on Blitz’s wall. Octavia already knew that and she knew the password but she allowed Blitz to grab it.

“Does he need anything else?”

A cold wave of shame floods Via. She hadn't thought to ask about what he needed. It was her responsibility, yet she knew so little about all of this.

“I-I don’t know. He didn’t say. I’m not-I can’t.” The shadow around her grew, but was less flame like than before. Octavia remembered her uncles words. She could do no more than party tricks. She wasn’t ready for this. What was she doing? She didn’t have a plan, she didn’t know what they needed. She knew hardly nothing about this stupid ceremony! She didn’t even care about it when she woke up this morning, why was it so important now?

Because nothing was normal and Octavia needed answers.

She hadn’t realized she was hyperventilating until Blitz held something up to her face and told her to bight on it. She didn’t question him, but should have. Sour, acidic lemon juice squirted in Octavia’s mouth and sent a shock to her whole system.

“What the fuck?!” She was angry for a moment, then she realized that she actually felt okay. Better than she had a moment ago. That didn’t stop her from glaring down at Blitz or throwing the half a lemon she’d just spat out at him. Blitz looked both scared and proud.

“Can’t have you go all demon birdie again. You fucked up my door, I’m not having you fuck up my car.” Blitz seemed to regain his confidence once he realized Via wasn’t going to kill him.

Octavia blinked. She had broken the door, hadn’t she? “Sorry about that…”

She was once again ignored. She didn’t know if that meant she was forgiven or not, or it it really mattered. Blitz had the grimoire in his hand and was walking towards his office door. “Loonie! Go start the car! We’ve got a special delivery to make!”

Octavia could hear Loona say “Ew” but grab the keys anyway. Octavia followed. She hadn’t asked to be transported to Sloth, but she wasn’t going to question it. She needed answers, she needed to see her dad.

Before they reached the van, Octavia stopped Blitz. She was still shadowy, but much less so than when she arrived. It took her a moment to form the words, thinking was a little bit hard right now, but she had to say it.

“Thank you.”

Chapter Text

Stolas’s hospital room stayed decorated with beautiful blooms but flowers were the only company he’d had. How did you get here? he wondered, except he knew exactly how he’d gotten here. Living in fantasy would only ever end up with pain, he should have known. He had so much apologizing to do, if anyone he still cared about would listen.

He hadn’t gotten a response to any of his messages in days. He knew Blitz wouldn’t respond to him, and sending any more messages would only drive him further away. He was rather convinced Stella had blocked him. He didn’t mind all that much, but he hadn’t heard anything from Via. He was worried to even try talking to her. The one time he’d managed to get through to his soon to be ex-wife in an attempt to get an update on his daughter it had gone about as poorly as he could have imagined.

”Why would she want to talk to you?” Stella had asked him when he requested to speak with Via. ”You’ve ruined this family and abandoned her. You’ve humiliated her in front of the world right as she’s coming of age because of your selfishness. You’ve disgraced her name and you’ve disgraced her image. It would have been better if you had died, you know.”

He couldn’t argue with her words, Stella hung up. He’d been afraid to message Octavia after that. He didn’t want to cause any more pain in her life. If she hated him, wanted him dead too, then he’d stay quiet and allow her to pretend.

Except today was the full moon and Stolas was still stuck in hospital. Has Stolas gone one month here or there without completely satisfying his duties? Yes. It wasn’t a good habit to be making, though. He may be better off dead, but he wasn’t dead and he had to accept that. He was a prince and he had duties to fulfill. It was his assigned purpose. It might not be much of anything, it wasn’t even particularly enjoyable most of the time, but it was all Stolas had.

Messaging Blitz would have probably been the safer of the two options, but as Stolas contemplated his choices he realized it had to be Via. Firstly, it was her responsibility to help as the next in line, and secondly, she needed to be learning magic. That had been one of the many ways Stolas’s fantasies had hurt Via. By allowing Blitz to have the grimoire so often, he had been neglecting Octavia of her magical studies.

He hadn’t expected her to respond. Their messaging had been brief, and only seemed to reiterate what he’d been told about Octavia’s expectations of him: she was angry that she didn’t know magic and angry at him for putting her in this mess. He couldn’t tell if she was even interested in the responsibility. Andrealphus was doing the ceremony and she didn’t seem terribly bothered by it, she didn’t know the magic after all. Perhaps she had never been interested, perhaps that was Stolas’s fault as well.

He didn’t like how she’d mentioned not being able to leave. He couldn’t help but be concerned, but showing it had proven to be the wrong move.

It had been the longest afternoon of Stolas’s life. He was quite literally stuck and unable to do anything. Perhaps the full moon would happen without the ceremony being done, or maybe Andrealphus will do it. That would be a headache for him later. He was a prince, but he was powerless and it was all his fault.

The ding of a text message startled Stolas, but not nearly as much as seeing who the sender was or the content of the message.

Blitzy: Ur kid iz skary

The message was more than concerning but Stolas had no idea where to even begin forming a response. What had Via done? Was she alright? Stolas didn’t get to reply to Blitz. Before he could figure out what to say, there was a shadowy figure standing in his doorway.

“Dad?”

The voice was quiet but it was his daughter’s. The figure in the doorway was a foot taller than the girl he’d known just a month ago. She was darker, too. Her hair was larger and more shadow than feather, with a black and magenta aura around her entire form. Her eyes were bright and focused straight at him. Stolas worried about what had provoked them to glow so intensely.

But mostly, he thought she was marvelous. Commanding and terrifying, and not even in her full demonic form. Stolas hadn’t ever seen his daughter so strong. She definitely needed more of a magical education now that she was coming into her powers.

“Octavia?” Stolas sat upright, wanting to get closer, to make sure it was real. He thought she hated him, but she was standing in his doorway. A blink of an eye later and she was making her way closer. There were tears in her eyes. “Oh, Via. Darling….”

Stolas did his best to reposition himself so that Octavia could sit in the bed with him. Stolas unhooked his leg from its support and sat up taller. He scooted to the left so that his good arm could hold his baby. He understood why she hesitated. Looking at him seemed to be painful, but she was here. Stolas couldn’t express how delighted he was because of it.

“It’s alright, dear. I’m okay.” Tears pricked at his eyes too. They both knew it was a lie, but it was one that Octavia needed to hear. “Come now, my owlet, let me get a look at you.” His hand pat the spot he’d cleared on his bed before reaching out towards his girl. “Love what you’ve done with your hair, by the way.”

That managed to get a laugh and a thank you. Some of the shadow around her shrank. She was careful not to be too rough as she sat next to her father. A tear fell down her cheek, Stolas was quick to wipe it away. He cradled her head in his hand for a few moments, encouraging her to look him in his eyes. The smile he gave her was twinged with sadness, but the happiness he felt to have her sitting in front of him was overpowering.

“You don’t know how happy I am to see you.”

Stolas stifled the pain he felt when Octavia fell into him and wrapped her arms around his neck. Stolas’s good arm wrapped around Via’s back and kept her close. It was an interesting duality to notice: the seventeen year old radiating pure demonic energy in his arms was also his little star fire, no different than the child who’d need a cuddle in the middle of the night after a bad dream. It was instinctual to gently shush her when he felt her chest heave in a sob. His hand reached into the void and scratched at her scalp, carefully preening in a way that used to put her to sleep when she was just a nestling. Not one but two feathers fell in the process. She was stressed. He began to rock them as best he could, slow and calm, and began singing her a lullaby.

By the time he’d finished singing minutes later, her shadowy form was gone and she was her usual self again. Her eyes still glowed, but Stolas’s did too. He couldn’t hide his concern, but it was comforting to see that Octavia was feeling more settled now. He knew she was back to normal when she pushed away.

“Fuck, wait. How long have I been here?”

Stolas’s concern grew again. She just got here, why was she so worried? “It’s only been a few minutes, darling. Is everything alright?”

“Do we need anything else?” Octavia was clutching the grimoire to her chest, her eyes were wide and staring back at her father. They seemed to focus on the bandages. Stolas wished he’d known she was coming, he would have been more dressed.

“Do we….need anything else?” he repeated with confusion.

“For tonight! Blitz said he’d wait ten minutes for us to tell him if we needed anything before he left”

Stolas stilled. That explained the message he’d gotten, then. He’d given her the grimoire, he’d driven her here. Stolas would have to thank him for that. Octavia’s response answered a few of his questions, but it created so many more.

“Oh, uhm. I’ll ask.” Stolas took out his phone and messaged Blitz. He thanked him for taking care of Via, and asked for a few simple things that might help, but stressed that he’d already been more than helpful. “The most important thing is that you’re here. And you have the grimoire.” Stolas gave Octavia a gentle smile.

They sat in comfortably uncomfortable silence like that for a few long moments, Octavia clutching to the book as if it were one of her childhood dolls. She looked off in the distance, focusing on the flower arrangement sitting on his side table. The silence only broke when she focused her attention back on Stolas.

“Dad?” She sounded uneasy, Stolas’s concern never left. “What happened to you?”

Oh, of course she would have questions. He supposed her mother wasn’t stupid enough to tell Via that it was her who had ordered him dead. Stolas couldn’t tell her that, either. His heart broke for her. None of this was fair. He felt so, so guilty.

It took Stolas a few moments to come up with the right words. Even then, he fell short. “Being part of the Goetia family…..it’s...a precarious balance..it’s..”

Octavia’s face fell, she shrank a bit. “They won’t tell me anything about it. Andrealphus gives me these looks when I try. And they have all these rules! No headphones at the table, but then nobody talks until I leave!”

“I’m so sorry, sweetie.” Stolas didn’t know what else to say. They sat in silence for a while longer.

“Are you safe, Dad?” Stolas’s four eyes blinked back at Via’s two. She hugged the book tighter to herself. “Am I?”

The fact that his daughter had to question that was heartbreaking, but not being able to honestly assure her that she was was even harder. Stolas was a professional at swallowing his sadness, though. With a deep breath and careful determination, Stolas reached his good hand out and placed it on Octavia’s shoulder.

“Everything will be alright, sweetheart.” He would make sure of it.

Stolas’s hand moved down and tapped on the grimoire. Via looked down. Her grip loosened. “Now, no time like the present to start getting familiar with this. What do you say?”

There was a hint of a smile on Octavia’s face as she nodded and gave up the book.

Stolas’s teaching style was thorough but loquacious. He spent the first twenty minutes reviewing the basic principals, ones Via had learned many years ago, ones he tried not to make Octavia feel childish for reviewing. Instead, he stressed why they were important, he let her in on his little secret.

“The first part of the book is dedicated to rather simple spells. You know a variety of these already, darling.”

Octavia wasn’t as convinced, Stolas could see it clearly. Stolas flipped to a page, a simple illusion spell. Something Octavia had been able to do for a few years now.

“Like this one. This is a good example. I know you can do this one.”

Octavia scoffed. “It’s children’s folly.”

“It is not. It’s a fundamental spell to understand. The rest of your education builds off of these skills.” Children’s folly. Seems as though Andrealphus has been talking to Octavia. He’d gotten in her head. What else has he told her? Stolas sighed and pointed to a symbol he’d drawn in the top corner of the book. “Do you see that?”

Octavia nodded.

“When I was younger and learning this book by myself, I recognized a few patterns. All of the more complicated spells build off of these few core skills. You just have to know the right combinations of which to use.”

She leaned in a bit closer and squinted. She looked skeptical.

“The symbols are practical too. You’ll find an element very similar to it within the spell, if not that shape entirely!” Stolas was very proud of himself for this system. He’d waited over two decades to share his genius with somebody, he really hoped Via would appreciate it. He hoped she would understand it, that it could be practical and helpful for her.

“So I need to remember all of the shapes?” Octavia’s finger traced over the three lines, two of them intersecting. It sort of looked like a fish swimming down stream, or a campfire.

“Only until you remember their rhythm. But, yes. It will be quite useful in the long run. It’s quite impossible to retain all of the spells to memory. You’ll have some you’re more familiar with, and elements that will feel more natural, of course. But this book, it’s meant to help you.”

Octavia looked over the spell. She traced over the shape a few times more, then she snapped her fingers and a small jackelope began hopping around the room until it reached the doorway. It disappeared as it crashed into a large foot. Loona was standing at the door with a paper bag in her hands.

Stolas did his best to hide his disappointment that it wasn’t Blitz carrying the bag, he truly was grateful. He watched as Octavia grabbed the bag and thanked her. Stolas thanked her as well.

“How is this going to help for tonight?” Via asked as she placed the bag next to his bed.

“Well, let’s see what we have to work with, shall we?”

There was a ream of printer paper, a package of glitter gel pens, and three candles: one lemon scented, one vanilla scented, and one called “twilight moon.” The receipt for the items were placed at the top of the bag. The one item in the bag that went without a receipt was a familiar looking dagger. Stolas recognized it quite easily: it was Blitz’s. While everything else was a little off from what he’d asked for, it would work and he was more than appreciative. Blitz might not be able to visit with him, but he was able to help. It was a paycheck, sure, but Stolas wanted to believe that he was doing this for more than money.

“He was concerned about you.” Octavia must have noticed Stolas getting lost in his thoughts, turning over the dagger in his hand one too many times. He looked up at his daughter, she also looked concerned.

Stolas smiled, though it was tired and sad. “Thank you, Via. He’s been...quite helpful tonight. I’m glad he helped you.”

She nodded. They sat in silence again. They were both terribly good at awkward silences. It was Stolas who spoke up this time.

“How did you get to I.M.P?”

Via was quiet for a long moment before looking up at her father. Her eyes were honest. “I don’t really know.” Stolas stayed quiet as Octavia thought about it more. “I was thinking about what you’d told me, about my responsibility. I went to Andrealphus and asked what I needed to do to help and he wouldn’t let me.”

She sounded more hurt than angry now, she sounded tired. “What did he tell you?”

“He said I was foolish, and there wasn’t enough time. He kept asking me all these questions and he was trying to turn my words around. He said I was unprepared, that I couldn’t participate in the ceremony.” Octavia pulled her hat down over her face, she tried to hide. It was embarrassing, humiliating. She wasn’t growing shadowy, but she felt a similar stone in her stomach. Before it had been anger, now it felt more like guilt and shame. Fear, even.

Stolas could only watch as Octavia worked herself up as she recounted what had happened. It still didn’t answer his question.

“I am so sorry, Via. He had no right to do that.” Octavia peeked out at her father. “What did you say?”

She paused again. “I….. told him to stand down? And then I broke his window and found the grimoire?”

Stunned. Stolas was absolutely stunned at everything his daughter had just said. She was terrifying and amazing and he was so fucking proud.

“You just…..found it?”

Via shrugged “Pretty much?”

It wasn’t a terribly difficult conclusion to jump to when considering the form she was in upon arrival and the information he’d just received that Octavia had reached her full demonic form today. It wasn’t unreasonable to assume she’d have forgotten how that happened either, considering this was likely her first time. She probably didn’t even realized she’d done it in the moment, she’d been provoked.

“My darling, I am so proud of you.”

It was clear that her father’s comment had confused Octavia. She didn’t quite seem to know how to react, but she smiled when her father told her he was proud.

“You’ve come into your power, this is a momentous day! And you flew all the way to Blitz’s? What strength! How are you feeling, my owlet?”

“I’m okay, Dad.”

Stolas was beaming. He leaned in a bit closer and spoke just a bit softer. “Now, just between the two of us. How did it feel to tell your uncle to fuck off?”

Octavia chuckled. “It felt...really good, actually.” Both of them laughed.

“That’s my girl.”

Octavia was feeling much better about herself now. She smiled at her father, then looked back at the supplies they’d gotten. “Are we really going to be able to do this with….glitter pens and lemon candles?”

Stolas chuckled. He tried to make it look like it didn’t hurt. “It’s not the most traditional but it will be more than sufficient for tonight’s activities.” Octavia still looked somewhat skeptical. “Do you still like to star map, my star fire?”

Octavia’s eyes lit up. She adored making maps of the stars, it was one of the first things her father taught her how to do when she was small. Giving small criticisms to her pictures of them under the stars, guiding her to learn how they shifted and changed. While she no longer did them in crayon and she no longer ran to show her father every single one she did, she still regularly spent time mapping the stars for fun.

“If you wouldn’t mind, a few maps for tonight would be wonderfully helpful.”

Octavia nodded, she took the ream of paper and pack of glitter gel pens and started figuring out how she wanted to start in on her work. She felt almost nostalgic as she picked out a dark blue glitter gel pen to start her map on.

“Standard form? What positions?”

Stolas repositioned his leg so that it was elevated again and took the grimoire into his own possession.

“Do you think you have enough time to do every third from positions 8-44 or so?” Via blinked and started trying to imagine that.

“Oh, dear. No, I wouldn’t ask you to do so much computing alone.” Stolas’s hand waved in the air, a glowing blue circle formed and turned into one of his books. A tool to help with star mapping, one of the first grown up books Octavia had learned how to read. “Here, this should help.” Octavia happily accepted it.

“Thank you. I’ll try.” Octavia took the book and her pens and moved to sit by the large windows similarly to how she used to sit in the sunlight of her father’s study when she was a child and color.

“Thank you, princess.” Stolas busied himself with his grimoire. This moment would have been pleasant, nostalgic even for the prince. It was much like the days when Via was younger and would accompany him while he worked. She used to be so enamored by him and by the stars. This moment wasn’t sweet, though, but Stolas had work to do. While he didn’t want to think that Stella would let anything happen to Octavia, he also didn’t have a good feeling about Andrealphus’s intentions.

A simple protection spell would be easy enough. It wouldn’t ensure Via’s safety, but it would give Stolas some piece of mind. It would give her some of his power, it would help. While Octavia busied away at charting the relevant parts of the sky, Stolas worked on creating a plan.

It was sweet how easily they fell into routine, both of them quietly working. Stolas fell into rhythm with Via’s soft, intermittent humming, only occasionally interrupted to ask a question or show off a completed star map,

“Do I need to be worrying about planets?” Via asked after an hour of mapping.

“Only the most relevant ones.” Stolas hadn’t looked up from his work in creating a sigil (on printer paper with green glitter gel pen).

“How do I know which are most relevant?” Stolas looked up when he could sense tension in her voice. He softened, he didn’t want any part of this to be stressful for her.

“Just focus on Mars and Saturn tonight.”

They went back to work.

It took Stolas another half hour or so before he felt comfortable with the spell he’d created for his daughter. He reviewed the detailing thrice over before licking his finger, snapping, and setting the paper with sigil ablaze. As it burned, Stolas noticed that the flames were not purple or red as they should be, but bright blue. That was mildly concerning.

“Via, dear? How are you feeling?”

Octavia had been absorbed in her seventh chart, she was picking up pace and on a roll. “What?” She stood up quickly as she noticed flames, but didn’t move to put them out. They died out only moments later. “What was that?”

“Just work, darling. How are you feeling?”

She paused to think about it, unsure why her father was suddenly so concerned. “I’m….fine, I guess? Why?”

Stolas smiled back at her. “It’s starting to get late. I was wondering when the last time you ate was.”

His lie wasn’t entirely convincing, but she felt like now wasn’t the right time to question him. “I’m fine. I’m not hungry yet.”

“The food here isn’t horrible. I’m sure the nurses will be up in an hour or so to take our order.” Octavia nodded. She studied her father for another few moments, not yet settled enough to go back to her tasks.

“Is there anything else we need to be doing?”

She looked anxious. She kept asking what needed to be done, as if she didn’t trust that they would be alright. “Not right now, princess. We won’t have to worry about anything until the moon is fully out and in the correct position?”

“When is that?”

Stolas checked the time. “Not for another four hours and eighteen minutes!”

Four hours was more than enough time to accomplish everything that needed to be done for the ceremony, but it felt so much shorter than it should have. They were both comforted by the other’s presence, that tended to speed up time. They even chatted while they ate their hospital dinners, for almost an hour! Stolas hadn’t felt so close to his daughter in years.

“Are you ready, sweetheart?” The hospital room was set for the evening. The door was closed and a do not disturb sign was placed on the door, the curtain pulled, and lights drawn. Via’s charts remained taped up around the room, sigils drawn by Stolas were scattered on the rolling bedside table with the grimoire opened to the necessary page. The three candles sat placed carefully around the hospital room.

Octavia nodded.

“Read the first page. Remember your breathing, then light the first candle.”

Octavia did as she was told. She took the grimoire in her hand and faced the vanilla scented candle. She recited the text as practiced, did rather well in remembering the breathing technique Stolas had taught her, and snapped her fingers to light the candle.

“Very good, darling. How did that feel?”

Octavia turned back to her her father. It was hard to read her expression due to the dimness of the room but her tone was light. “I just lit a candle, Dad.”

“You just initiated the ceremony!”

She chuckled. “Are we supposed to be stopping to talk in between steps?”

“Our time frame isn’t that limited, Via” Stolas scoffed. Octavia shrugged in reply, she wasn’t sure if there was importance in not breaking momentum. “Go on now and do the second one.”

Octavia did as she was instructed and much like the first portion, she followed the instructions in the grimoire and lit the second candle: fresh lemon. She returned to her father’s bedside where the twilight moon candle sat.

“I can’t read the third page. What language is that?” She turned the book to face her father and slid it into his lap.

“Oh! Ha, that’s right.” Stolas chuckled, wanting to keep the moment light. “Another thing we’ll have to add into our lessons. Don’t worry, dear, it’s not as complicated as it looks.” Stolas reached his hand out towards his daughter and cupped her cheek. He gave her a smile, then took over the responsibility.

His eyes glowed red as Stolas began to read the inscription in a long dead language. The lights began to dim, he snapped his fingers and lit the final candle. The lights grew, as did the flames from each three candles. They burned deep blue, much like the candles in her father’s bathroom palace, in her home. Shadows danced along the wall and the air above their heads began to sparkle. Via’s maps glowed, an image of the full moon projected above their head.

Octavia was amazed.

“You did that.” Stolas reminded his daughter. She blinked at him in wonder. Stolas couldn’t help but smile at his little girl. “Beautiful star mapping, Via. Truly splendid.”

Stolas knew that her smile couldn’t actually heal him, but he felt stronger as he watched his daughter’s excitement grow. Hopefully her confidence also grew, she really was magnificent.

Octavia happily followed Stolas’s instructions throughout the rest of the ceremony. She performed beautifully. She didn’t have to say anything, Stolas could see in the way she carried herself that she was feeling more and more confident in her abilities. Stolas could feel that she was strong, and while her power was far from controlled, it was comforting to know that she could reasonably protect herself as she’d proven tonight.

The ceremony went off without a hitch.

“Absolutely magnificent, Octavia. You were stunning.” Stolas was exhausted, he’d used more magic tonight than he had in his entire stay in hospital, but he kept his tone positive and did his best to hide it. Via would need to go home soon, he could keep the charade up for a bit longer. “I am so, so proud of you, sweetheart.”

Octavia was proud of herself too, it was evident in the way she was sitting, the way she smiled and looked over the numerous charts she made. “Thank you, Dad.” The grimoire was tucked closely to her chest, her fingers running over the detail of the binding. “It went well tonight?”

“It was perfect.” Octavia’s smile grew. “I couldn’t have done it without you. Not nearly as well. Thank you.”

The two of them sat together in comfortable silence. Octavia was thumbing through the spellbook. Stolas was finding it harder and harder to fight off sleep.

“Dad?”

Stolas blinked himself awake, he sat upright to force himself to wake up more. “Yes, princess?”

“Are you going to be alright?”

Oh. His dear, sweet, Via. Stolas’s heart ached as she expressed her concern for him once more. His disquiet was deepened as he realized he wanted to ask her the same question.

“Oh yes. I will be just fine.” Stolas yawned. “I’m healing quite well. I will be back home shortly, as soon as I can I will be calling for you. That is, if you’d like to return home?”

“Yes! Please.”

Her answer was so immediate, Stolas’s anxiety grew but he swallowed it down. He was very good at swallowing his anxiety down. He covered his worry with a smile.

“Then it will be so.”

She smiled. It was a little forced. She was hiding her worry too. Stolas’s hand reached up towards her hat, he motions for it. She was hesitant, but obliged.

“You’ll have to be returning to your mother soon.” Stolas hummed as he looked over the hat carefully. He took a deep breath and used his magic one more time.

Octavia groaned. She couldn’t pull her hat over her head to hide so she put the grimoire in front of her face instead. “Can’t I just stay here instead?” Both of them knew that wasn’t an option.

“I want you to keep the grimoire while I recover here. Learn from it as best you can. If you need help, you can always message me.” He hoped that was the case. He hoped that Octavia’s outburst with Andrealphus this afternoon would buy her more power in the household. He hoped it wasn’t received with punishment. He was going to do everything in his power to protect her.

Octavia was surprised, she blinked at her father. “Really?”

Stolas nodded. “Be careful with it, it’s a very important book. But it’s time you start learning. You can’t do that without some form of guidance.”

Octavia was buzzing. “Thank you!” She was out of her seat and wrapping her father in a hug for a second time that evening. Stolas hadn’t thought he’d be so lucky. When she pulled away, he returned the beanie to her.

“You can store the book here for safekeeping. To retrieve it, stick your hand in and concentrate on the item. Don’t go filling it with too much. Really, just the book if you can.” Octavia was confused, but she practiced as her father told her. When she was able to hide the book and retrieve it twice, she put the hat back on her head.

“Cool trick.”

“As soon as I am better, I’ll return for you. I promise, my owlet.” Octavia nodded and stood. Stolas’s hand waved in a circle, the other side of the portal waited her room that wasn’t her room. Octavia took a deep breath, she tried not to look too upset.

“I love you, Dad.”

“I love you too, Via.”

Stolas watched with worry as Octavia stepped through the portal and disappeared. He had no concrete evidence that his daughter was in danger, but he didn’t feel good about her return. Stolas had a duty and an obligation as a prince. He’d fulfilled those duties tonight. More importantly, though, he had an obligation to his daughter.

He had done everything he could think of to help protect her. She was smart, she was strong. The grimoire would be more helpful in keeping her safe than anything Stolas could do from afar. Still, it didn’t keep him from feeling like he hadn’t quite done enough.

Stolas knew it was reckless, but he couldn’t let himself rest until he knew he’d done everything in his power to help. He had done more magic tonight than he’d done in the entirety of his stay in the hospital. He knew he would spend tomorrow, if not the next several days sleeping and breathing through the pain for what he’d done. What was a little more magic then?

With careful consideration, Stolas unsheathed Blitz’s dagger and stared at the glimpse of his reflection in the blade.

Stolas swiped the blade over the fingers of his casted hand. He hissed at the sting, but forced himself to continue. He grabbed one of the feathers he’d collected when preening her earlier and placed it in his bleeding hand. He curled his fingers as best he could around it.

There was a small flash of light, Stolas felt the energy run up his arm and shock him. He was exhausted but satisfied, the spell had worked. He wold pay for it tomorrow but it was more than worth it for the piece of mind he now had.

Stolas was a father and he had responsibilities to fulfill. It was his purpose, it was his everything. Octavia was all that Stolas really cared about. She was what he had to fight for.

He’d delayed his recovery by a few days by doing this, but he’d given his daughter as much education and confidence as he could tonight. He knew if worse came to worse, he would be summoned to protect her, and protect her he would with everything that he had.

Stolas fell asleep under the light of the full moon with a refreshing sense of purpose. While his anxiety over Octavia’s situation had grown, it was also motivation to take care of himself and his recovery. It was motivation to change and be better.

Stolas was a father, he had a purpose and a duty.

He would protect Octavia with everything he could.