~ Chapter Twenty-Eight - Part 3 ~

Benjamin took several deep breaths as he ran a hand through his hair. “Well, she’ll have to make peace with the demon. They’re going to have to have a connection at all times. That way, she’ll know when the demon needs to let its fear loose. It won’t be easy for her, but I’m afraid it’s something she’ll have to get used to.”
“Is there any way we can send the demon back to hell?” Damien asked.
Benjamin shook his head. “No. The demon is already attached to her soul. So if we try to send the demon back to hell now, it could take a piece of her soul with it,” he explained.
“She’ll never be the same if that happens,” Axel said from where he leaned against the wall across the room.
Damien sighed as he studied Katalina. “How is she supposed to connect with this fear demon?” He asked as Katalina watched him with concerned eyes.
“Well, first, she’ll have to accept the demon as a part of her. Because that’s what it is now. Once she accepts the demon, it should be easier for her to communicate with the demon and come to some agreement,” Axel explained solemnly.
Damien looked into Katalina’s eyes. “Are you okay with this, dove?” He asked quietly. “Because we can find a way to get rid of the demon if you want.”
Katalina sighed as she looked at the ceiling. “Let me see if Artemis knows anything about it. If she says there’s a way, then we can try it, but if not, then I’ll have no choice but to accept the demon.”
Damien nodded and leaned forward to kiss her forehead. “I’ll be right here, dove. I won’t leave your side.”
Katalina smiled in adoration before closing her eyes and praying to Artemis. “Please, Artemis. I need help.”
It took a few minutes, but she finally felt her world spin around before she appeared in Artemis’s meadow. Katalina slowly turned in a small circle before she spotted the goddess. “Hello, Lina,” Artemis said softly. “I’m glad to see that you’re looking well.”
Katalina gave her a small smile. She placed a hand on her flat stomach. “All three of us are well.”
Artemis smiled brightly. “That’s wonderful news. We were so worried about you.”
Katalina smiled when she saw her parents appear next to Artemis. Her parents rushed to her and pulled her in for a group hug. “You had us so worried, butterfly,” Jake said as he pressed a kiss to her temple.
Katalina let out a small sob as she leaned into him. “We’re all okay,” she whispered as she looked up at him.
Jake raised an eyebrow. “All?” He questioned.
Katalina put a hand to her stomach again and then held two fingers. “Twins,” she said proudly.
Jake grinned as he picked her up and spun her around. “Oh, this is amazing news,” he said joyfully.
Katalina giggled before feeling nauseous. She patted Jake’s shoulder. “Down, daddy.”
“Oh,” Jake quickly set her on her feet and gently gripped her arms to support her. “Are you okay, butterfly?” He asked in concern.
Katalina nodded. “Just a little nauseous.”
Jake chuckled as he looked at Isabella. “I remember those days.”
Isabella groaned as she walked up to them. “So do I,” she shook her head. “They were not fun.”
Katalina giggled as she turned back to Artemis. “I need your help,” she said quietly.
Artemis frowned. “Is everything okay?” She asked softly.
Katalina exhaled as she shoved her hair out of her face. “I picked up a demo of fear while I was in Tartarus. I must’ve gotten it as soon as I got into Tartarus because it has had time to attach itself to my soul.”
“That’s not good,” Artemis said with a frown.
Katalina shook her head. “Is there a way to send the demon back to Tartarus without losing a piece of my soul or endangering my twins?” She questioned.
Artemis bit her lip as she thought for a minute. “Um, I’m not too sure about that. Let me get Apollo here. He can see the future, so he should be able to tell you that much, at least.”
Katalina sat in the grass with her parents while they waited for Apollo to arrive. When he did, he appeared to be out of breath. “What the hell happened to you?” Artemis demanded as she looked him over.
Apollo took a second to catch his breath before he said. “Damn, the ex was chasing me down.”
Artemis threw her head back and laughed loudly. Apollo glared at her with his arms folded over his chest. “It’s not funny, Artemis.”
Artemis laughed a bit more before wiping her eyes and shaking her head. “It is funny, but we’ll come back to that at another time,” she took a deep breath before gesturing to Katalina. “Little Kat here has a problem.”
Apollo raised an eyebrow. “You mean besides the titan that has lost his mind and started another war with us?” He questioned sarcastically.
Artemis rolled her eyes and slapped Apollo on the back of his head. “Not the time, adelfós (brother),” she muttered.
Apollo grumbled a bit before focusing on Katalina. “What seems to be the problem, nearós (young one)?” He asked.
Katalina cleared her throat. “I seem to have picked up a demon of fear attached to my soul while I was in Tartarus. I need to know if there is a way for me to send it back to Tartarus without losing a piece of my soul or endangering my twins.”
Apollo nodded and moved to sit in front of her. He held his hands out to her. “Take my hands and focus on wanting the demon separated from you,” he said softly.
Katalina took his hands and did as he said. They sat utterly silent for a few minutes before his eyes snapped open. “There is only one way for you to get rid of the demon, and it’s not going to be easy,” he said with a creased forehead.
Katalina clicked her tongue. “Nothing is easy these days,” she exhaled roughly. “Let’s hear it. What do I have to do?” She questioned as her body sagged in defeat and exhaustion.
Apollo cleared his throat and said. “To get rid of that demon, you must first drink a potion to get the demon out of your soul. Then it would be best if you got a powerful warlock to banish it back to Tartarus. But, of course, any powerful warlock should already know how to do so. But, unfortunately, with that nasty demon attached to your soul, you may need two warlocks to banish it.”
Katalina was tired of all the trials and pain she had to endure. She wanted everything to be over, but she knew they still had a long way to go. “Alright, and this won’t cause any harm to the twins?” She questioned.
Apollo shook his head. “Nope. All three of you will be fine, but,” he said with a frown.
It was Katalina’s turn to shake her head. “There’s always a but,” she muttered.
“I’m sorry, Kat, but it will hurt you. It’ll feel like a part of you is being ripped out as the potion does its job. It's not going to be pretty,” Apollo explained.
Katalina sighed in resignation. “Nothing ever is,” she mumbled as she stood up and shoved her hair out of her face. “Thank you for your help. I need to get back.”
Katalina hugged her parents once more before Artemis sent her back to her body.