At Helga's place.

Helga was on her knees, shaking, holding herself. Her breathing ragged, fast. Her legs still felt weak, the world seemed to spin around her and it felt so FUCKING GOOD. So much so that it almost helped ease the pain on her shoulder.

She grinned and started laughing as she shook her head. “Even just a taste of it is this good… Oh, I need the real thing.”

She got careless. It was a stupid move, she knew. The Spirit of Lust escaped because Helga made a mistake. But no matter. It would come back, of that she was sure. Why? Because the link between it and Will was that strong. Helga had to brute-**** it, ripping her away from him. With a link like that, so long as Will was alive, the spirit would wish to return, whether she wanted it or not.

Helga’s eyes then fell on Will. The guy was on the floor, face down. Still ****. She clicked her tongue. If she wanted the spirit, she’d have to keep Will alive. Another risk. Or was it?

Whatever powers Will had came from the Spirit of Lust. That… thing he did before, that burst of power that made him defeat her trophies in an instant… It was dangerous. However, with the spirit gone, he was powerless. Keeping him around should be safe. Well, not ‘around’ exactly. Safer to keep him locked somewhere. All that said, she needed him alive. Good thing she had just called a professional.

…

Helga growled and stomped the floor in anger and frustration, sending a jolt of pain to her wounded shoulder again. She cursed. “FUCK! And paying that son of a bitch is gonna make everything even worse…”

But… It would be fine. If she could get her hands on a Spirit of Lust, she could milk her power forever, selling spells, potions and even raw aether at whatever prices she wanted.

Helga went to her bathroom, grabbed a towel and pressed it against her wound. She had been too caught up in trying to get that spirit that she forgot to stop the bleeding. She was feeling even more lightheaded now. She waited for the doctor on a chair in her living room, watching William to make sure he wouldn’t wake up.

The bell rang 5 minutes later. Helga opened the door and stepped aside to let the man in. Paul Long, one of the best doctors of the underworld. A tall man in his late 20s, slender yet well built, auburn hair tied back in a short ponytail, a bad habit of using too many hair products that made him smell weird. He was wearing a blue suit, a white shirt and a red tie. As Helga had been made to know, he was an expert, or rather an authority on healing magic.

Paul glanced at her, at her shoulder, and then at William on the floor. He didn’t bat an eye. “So, Ms. Cooper. Who is it that requires my attention?”

“Heal this first, then give him a check-up,” Helga said.

The guy was a professional of the field, not just because he was good at what he did, but because he knew not to ask questions. No pleasantries, no useless chatter, just business.

“Very well. Please, take a seat. And if it’s not a problem, remove your clothes.”

Helga scoffed as she sat down on a chair. “Do I need to? I thought you were good at this.”

“If you want me to work without seeing the wound, I’ll have to charge you extra. I don’t do demonstrations for free.”

Helga clicked her tongue and removed her top, keeping her bra. Paul walked up and examined her.

“Whatever it was that hit you pierced through. So, what am I doing? A quick patch up that will heal later on its own or the full treatment?”

“Leave me as new. I won’t walk around with a nasty scar.”

“Very well. This will sting a bit, but please try not to move.”

Paul rolled up his sleeves and placed both hands on the wound with little regard for the blood. His hands glowed with a colorless light, and very soon Helga began to feel the stinging sensation he had mentioned.

He didn’t lie. It stung, but not much else. A bothersome, slightly painful itch inside her shoulder and a strong numbness at the same time. She couldn’t wrap her head around it. It was like local anesthesia applied at the same time as he worked on the injury. She thought she felt her muscles, her bone, her skin being reconstructed, which was the source of the stinging. She didn’t know how it looked and she didn’t want to know. It didn’t feel good, but it could’ve been a lot worse.

It wasn’t a quick process, either. Not a snap of the fingers and poof, done. No, it took time. Helga sat there, gritting her teeth and trying to stay still as Paul worked. It took about a full hour, but once he was done, her shoulder was as good as new, and it was no exaggeration.

Paul took a step back and let out a heavy, tired sigh. “Nothing else I need to look at?” he asked.

“No.”

Paul nodded then walked up to Will. He stood over him with his hands in his pockets. “And this kid?”

“Give him a check-up. If he’s dying, do something. If he’s fine you can leave him be.”

“...” Paul went on one knee and turned Will around, having him lay on his back. “I’m a little parched after healing your shoulder. Could I bother you with a glass of water?”

“So long as it’s just water.”

Helga left the living room and went to her bedroom first, putting on a new and clean shirt. She then went to the kitchen and filled a glass with tap water. When she returned to the living room, Paul was already checking Will.

“Hmm. No injuries, but there are some dark marks along his left arm and left shoulder, as well as over his left brow. Signs of aether burnout. He pushed past his own limits and tried to use magic while having no aether. It burned his body.”

Oh, that made sense. The spirit seemed weakened. It was clearly out of aether, yet Will tried to squeeze even more out of it and it ended up backfiring. Idiot.

“He should be fine so long as he rests and eats proper meals. He will wake up on his own in a few hours, maybe ten at most. I will bring you a remedy to speed up his aether recovery tomorrow.”

“No, that’s fine. If he’s not dying, then I don’t need anything else.”

“...” Paul sighed and stood up. “Very well. I will send you the bill later, as I’m sure you’re very tired. Still, I expect to be paid on time, Ms. Cooper.”

“Yeah, yeah. Can you leave, please?”

Paul bowed and walked over to the door. “Stay safe, miss. And rest well.”

Helga closed the door behind him and let out a heavy sigh.

Paul wouldn’t tell anyone she had a guy here. His job was to heal, not ask questions and keep quiet. No doubt he had witnessed all sorts of crime scenes. Going around telling people what he saw would leave him without a business and with many enemies instead.

Paul wasn’t a problem.

The problem now was where to keep Will.