[Spirit of Lust] Chapter 221: Helga Cooper. (Patreon)

Will didn’t want to turn around. He didn’t, but having been addressed by name made it impossible to feign ignorance. For a moment he considered putting on a friendly facade, but he couldn’t even stomach the thought.

With a sigh, Will turned around to face his ex-girlfriend. Amelia did so, too, remaining at his side.

“Helga, what an unpleasant surprise,” he said flatly.

A small smile with the slightest hint of bitterness showed on her face as she put a hand on her hip. “Still holding a grudge, Will? That was always one of your least attractive traits.”

“And being a cheating woman was one of yours,” he shot back with the same flat tone as before. “Magic and paranormal things aside, I’m surprised you got invited here. How many people here are you planning to scam?”

Their talk was anything but private. Helga’s call to him with her high-pitched voice made sure of that. Will’s words got people whispering, and Helga didn’t like that one bit. She didn’t let it show on her face, but Will knew. He knew even without having to read her mind.

Helga brushed the comment aside with a wave of her hand. “Please, Will. Don’t mix up business and personal relationships. I’m sure that being a lackluster lover has nothing to do with why you’re here. Speaking of which…” Helga turned to look at Amelia. “Mrs. Wilson? Somehow it’s less of a surprise to see you here. You always looked to me like a go-getter. But escorted by Will of all people? Ah, I’m sorry. You probably don’t remember me, do you?”

Amelia gave her a friendly smile, which made Will believe she was choosing the high road where he couldn’t. He was wrong. “No, I do remember you, Ms. Cooper. In fact, I was hoping I’d see you again. I wanted to thank you.” Both Will and Helga were equally confused. 

“Yes, thank you,” Amelia clarified, putting an arm around Will’s waist and hugging him closer. “If it wasn’t for you, Will and I might have never hooked up. I’ve been having the most wonderful time since then. I don’t know what you meant by ‘lackluster lover’, though? Compatibility issues, maybe? Ah, sorry, I didn’t mean to pry. I simply can’t imagine it. Will has been… Mmm, sooo good to us all.” Amelia shivered a little at that last part, and having her so close to him, Will could tell that part was no act.

Helga’s friendly smile shook. She turned her gaze back to Will, her eye on the verge of twitching. Amelia was getting under her skin. Helga always was the emotional type.

“Oh wow, Will? So you’re paying for company now? When did you crawl out of your low-class hole that you can afford it?”

Before Will could let his own emotions get the better of him, Amelia gasped loudly and dramatically for all those nearby to hear. “Ms. Helga Cooper? You’d call a potential business partner a whore!? On the first meeting!? Well, that’s one way to make an impression! We didn’t even have a blacklist yet, but I suppose now we do. Let’s go, Will. This place is full of actually smart people with whom to make deals with.”

Offended, or at least looking like it, Amelia led Will away from Helga with her arm still around his waist. Will didn’t hesitate to follow, and once far enough away, he whispered to Amelia.

“Are… you sure that’s okay? Don’t we give the impression of easily offended people to the other guests?”

“It’s fine,” Amelia dismissed, now with a genuine frown of annoyance. “I’ll take the shot to our rep if it means bringing her down with us. I bet there are plenty of people here with fragile egos. Just making them aware of the kind of bitchy brat Helga is is enough for now.”

Will stopped, making Amelia stop with him. She gave him a worried look, but Will smiled at her in return. “Sorry you had to do that, but… Thank you. That was awesome.”

Amelia smirked and cupped his cheek. “Good to see you’re man enough to accept help when you need it. Come here.”

They shared a short, tender kiss in the middle of the hall, onlookers be damned. Amelia pulled away with a last lick on Will’s lips and a happy sigh.

“Lackluster lover… Hah!” she scoffed.

The two returned to their table, where Cynthia and Aoi were still in the company of Paul and John.

“An unpleasant acquaintance, Mr. Sawyer?” Paul asked with a sympathetic smile.

“Very much so,” Will answered as he sat down. When he did, Cynthia immediately held his hand under the table. It helped. Then, hoping he wouldn’t regret asking, Will continued. “Tell me what you know about her and I’ll personally save you both a vial of our elixir.”

The eyes of the two men shone. They gave Helga another look, and those smiles turned to grimaces.

“Not much to know, regrettably,” John said. “Like you, it’s her first time here. We receive a guest list a week before the event, and… Her name is Helga, isn’t it? Her name was on the list as the only new attendee.”

“As for why she was recommended,” Paul continued. “I asked around before coming here, but all I could gather was that she had… ‘unusual abilities’.”

That made Will’s hairs stand, and Cynthia’s grip on his hand tightened. “Unusual?” The blonde woman asked.

“Every once in a while, a specialist appears,” Paul explained. “Rarer than even healers like me. What I do is a rather difficult skill for mages to learn, but something anyone could add to their skillset with enough study and practice. Specialists, however… They are capable of magic that defies common sense.”

“They probably know this,” John told Paul. “If they can get their hands on an aphrodisiac elixir, it means they know about concept-based magic.”

“I’m sorry, but I’m not familiar with the term,” Amelia said. “Our source refuses to reveal the details of production, you see.”

“Hah! As they should!” John nodded in approval. “Concept-based magic is just that, magic aligned with a specific concept that makes certain spells stronger or outright creates unique ones. For example, ‘lust’, ‘sex’, or, ‘pleasure’ would fall under that category. That’s likely why your alchemist can do what others can’t.”

“So… That woman, Helga. She’s a Specialist?” Cynthia asked. “What kind?”

Paul shook his head. “We don’t know. We do know, however, that she is already working for someone here. Whether she’s contracted or is a freelancer, that’s still a mystery.” Paul then smiled confidently. “If she’s a freelancer, however, it won’t be a mystery for long. She will want to advertise her abilities, or at the very least her field of work. We’ll know by the end of the night.”

Will stomach continued to turn.

Helga with magical powers? The mere idea was repulsing… and a little frightening. Helga was a driven woman, not much different to Amelia and Cynthia in that regard. But… Even looking back, it didn’t seem to Will like she had any sort of abilities back when they were together. And Paul and John had just said this was her first time coming here. Did she get her abilities at some point between their breakup and now? Then she would be just like him.

…

…

Just like him.

Oh.

Oh God no.

Helga was possessed.