Weeks passed and Aiden still hadn't returned home. Mabel attempted to search the forest for him. Hoping he just decided to camp for the next few days. But the longer he was away the more it hit her that he wasn't coming back anytime soon.

A few times she lay in his bed and read his books through the night to feel less lonely. She couldn’t imagine feeling this way again.  He couldn’t even tell me where he was going? She pulled out a Dark Covered book with yellowed pages. She couldn’t understand the words but the pictures gave her a hazy idea that this was a catalog of monsters. Maybe I can find out what Aiden is. She sat hunched over and flipped through the pages. Stopping at a page of an inky cloud of insects. No, he was feathery. She continued to scan the book through the night until she couldn’t anymore.

Aiden comes back home in the middle of the night. He checks on Mabel and sees she’s fallen asleep in his bed. He lays next to her and wonders if he’s doing the right thing. Of course I am. But I’ll miss her. He notices she has been looking through The Grimoire of Daemons. He marks the page she’s on and closes it, “Aiden?” He sees her sitting up in the glow of the light by the bed.

“I’m sorry, I’ll let you sleep.” He stands but she grabs his hand quickly to stop him from going anywhere.

She lets go just as suddenly and blushes. He sits back down and is pulled into a warm embrace, “I missed you.”

She doesn’t expect that to be the first thing out of her mouth. But it’s out now! He’s embarrassed, but a faint smile crawled across his face, “I’m sorry.” He pecks the top of her head and holds her at an arm's length, “I broke the contract.”

“What?”She yells. Incredulous at what he says, “W-Why? Did I do something wrong?”

“No! No, no!” he cradled her face in his hands, “You did nothing wrong. It’s just, you couldn’t even try to use the potion in the first place. It’s not fair to keep you here against your will. Keep you from your family.” He pecks her head gently, “And after...what happened.  I can’t risk hurting you.”

“But-”

“I’ll help you pack tomorrow morning. And then take you back home.” He let her go and told her to use his bed for the night, “I’ll use the sofa.” After he leaves her alone in the dark she begins to cry quietly. I can’t go back home. I can’t go back home.