"You must mean something special to Spencer. Especially if he's willing to call on Oradeus and Alpharium to help undo the love spell for your friends," Madam Nova said softly, leaning gently into Hannah. They were standing at her kitchen sink, washing the dishes from the dinner Madam Nova served.

Hannah couldn't believe they had been in Madam Nova's house practically the whole day. Luckily, her parents were pretty understanding when she called to let them know she was having dinner with Spencer and his grandmother. They did request that she get home no later than ten p.m., which meant they had only a few hours to complete the summoning and undo the spell.

"Really? I'm sure he would have done it for you too if you were as stupid as I was when you were my age," Hannah assured as she dried a dish with the hand towel.

"Perhaps. Spencer and I did get close," Madam Nova admitted. "However, we never shared the same feelings for each other as I can see you two do." Madam Nova noticed the distressed look on Hannah's face. "Oh, don't you worry, my dear. While he may not be from Earth, he's still a boy. No matter where they come from, they are all clueless when it comes to dealing with emotions. Especially love."

"I don't love Spencer," Hannah protested. "And I'm pretty sure he doesn't love me," she added, slightly under breath.

"You can fool yourself, but don't try and fool me. I am an eighty-five-year-old sorceress, I've loved many, lost many, and handled many others love dilemmas too. You and Spencer have a connection like I've never seen, and not just because he's connected to your soul," Madam Nova observed.

Hannah's cheeks flushed as she didn't know what to say. She was thankful when Spencer called from the living room, alerting them that it was time for the summoning. Hannah massaged the towel between her hands before placing it to dry on the arm of the oven door.

As she followed Madam Nova into the living room, she saw that Spencer had moved the floral armchair, couch, and coffee table up against the walls. It was more spacious than Hannah thought. He had also rolled up the oriental rug, exposing the old wood floor panels, which showed signs of age, but overall was still in good condition. Hannah figured it was probably the only thing in the house that didn't need much fixing.

Where the rug had been, Spencer had drawn, in chalk, a large pentagram with a circle around it. Each point of the star had a symbol attached to it: Air, Earth, Fire, Water, and Spirit. Sitting within each symbol were short, but thick, white candles.

"Spencer, your drawing skills have improved," Hannah teased, trying to make light of the moment.

Spencer gave a light chuckle, followed by a smile, "What can I say? I've been practicing."

Hannah smiled back, then turned her focus to the matter-at-hand. "What do you need us to do?"

"You ladies don't need to do much. If you two wouldn't mind, just take a seat over there on the couch. The farther away you are, the better."

Starting to feel a little worried, Hannah asked, "Should we even be in the room?"

"Well, I would have preferred you to wait somewhere else, but I need you both here. I've set it up so that whoever is in the room will be locked in. It will ensure Oradeus and Alpharium remain contained for as long as we need them to complete the undoing spell. Once it is done, the forces of the elements and the pentagram will transport them back to wherever they are now."

"As long as we need?" Hannah repeated the words that stood out to her. "Spencer, I have to get home by ten, remember?" Hannah reminded him, wondering if going through all this trouble was worth it to break the love spell.

Spencer smiled confidently. "I am the Master of Time, remember? I'll make sure you get home before the clock strikes ten, Princess Hannah." He bowed as if he was a prince or knight in shining armor.

Hannah appreciated Spencer joking around with her again. Realizing at that moment how much she missed their banter during the last week.

"Come over and sit with me, Hannah," Madam Nova said, patting the empty spot on the couch next to her.

Once Hannah was seated, Spencer turned his back to them, to focus on the summoning. He cracked his knuckles and twisted his neck from side to side, loosening that too. Inhaling and exhaling a few times deeply followed by complete silence. Hannah noticed that the silence in the room was only interrupted by the sound of Madam Nova's antique, porcelain clock ticking on the fireplace mantel. She wished she had a better view to see what Spencer was doing, as she couldn't see him make any movement or hear him say any chants.

Finally, he held up one hand, brought his thumb to his middle finger, and snapped them together. Instantly, the lights around the room went out, and the flames in the candles flared higher and brighter. The chalk drawings on the floor glowed a hot white. The summoning signs continued to get more radiant, to the point that it was almost blinding.

Then, just as quickly, the glow in the chalk faded, the candles dimmed, and the lights in the room flickered back to life. Hannah wondered if it worked, as she couldn't see anything different. Then she heard the very distinct sound of growling and hissing. Lowering her head slightly, to see between Spencer's legs, as he was blocking most of her view, she noticed in the middle of the summoning circle, was a black cat.

Hannah couldn't believe her eyes. She wanted to get a closer look but knew she should wait for the all-clear from Spencer. She looked over at Madam Nova and saw that she looked just as intrigued by what she saw too. Spencer finally stepped to the side and turned to face them.

"Hannah. Madam Nova. I'd like you to meet Oradeus and Alpharium," Spencer gestured to the puffed-up cat.

Once he stopped hissing and growling, his fur relaxed as he moved to sit perched upright. His ears still twitched with caution as his head turned, examining his new surroundings.

Seeing him more clearly now, Hannah could understand at that moment why the Egyptians would have made statues in his likeness. His fur was black, shiny and smooth, much as an onyx gemstone. His fur was complimented by his radiant blue eyes that stood out like stars in a moonless night sky. He was probably the most gorgeous cat she'd ever seen, and she was not a cat person in the slightest.

"Welcome to my home," Madam Nova greeted, leaning forward on the couch, but didn't get up. "Alpharium, you can show yourself, you are in a safe place here."

Without much coaxing, a beautiful woman appeared, standing by the cat's side in the middle of the pentagram. She was slim and tall, with thick blonde hair that tumbled down to her waist. Her eyes were piercing blue too, similar to Spencer and Oradeus'. Even though Hannah knew she was thousands of years old, Alpharium looked as if she was around the same age as her parents.

"How were you able to summon us? No Earthling witch or wizard has that ability!" She demanded with a firm, confident voice that matched her beauty. She let her gaze rest on Spencer and seemed to understand instantly. "You're from our world!"

"I am," Spencer confirmed.

Bending down to pick up the cat and cradled it in her arms, she asked, "Why have you summoned us here?"

Spencer summarized the issue with Hannah's love spell being mixed with the magic from their world, and that he required Alpharium's help to undo it.

She looked thoughtful as she stroked a spot behind the cat's ear. "Do you mind if I have a seat?" she nodded towards the armchair.

Spencer allowed it and snapped his fingers again, lifting the barrier spell that he had placed around the summoning area. Alpharium cautiously moved to the edge of the room and sat on the cushion of the armchair with the cat resting on her lap. Hannah couldn't help thinking that Oradeus seemed quite content living in his cat form.

"So, can you help us?" Hannah pleaded. Alpharium looked at Hannah from across the room. Her commanding blue eyes locked with Hannah's intimidated brown eyes. She wanted to look away but couldn't.

"What's in it for us?" Alpharium asked, moving her gaze back to Spencer, who still stood in the center of the room.

Spencer's hands balled up into tight fists. "I had a feeling you were going to want something in exchange."

"Of course. Nothing comes for free."

"Well, tell me what it is you want then?" Spencer demanded.

"We only ever want one thing, dear boy," she hissed. "We want to return home."

"That's not possible."

"Then we can't help you," she sighed dismally.

"Actually, you can, and you will!" Spencer snapped his fingers again, and before Alpharium could stop it, the cat flew from her lap and back into the summoning circle. "Either you help us, or you die!"

Hannah did not see that coming. Alpharium didn't either. "You tricked me! How dare you! Do you know who you are challenging?"

"I'm very much aware of who you are. I know all about your cunning ways. I placed a soul barrier spell up, to prevent you from reconnecting back to Oradeus, no matter how hard you try," Spencer said, feeling triumphant.

Alpahrium's blue eyes turned fire-red with anger. Thrusting herself up out of the chair, she stretched out her arm and pointed a finger straight at Spencer. Bolts of black lightning shot out of her hand, heading straight for him. Hannah screamed in terror and impulsively tried to stand up to help protect him, but she was unable to move. She realized at that moment that Spencer must have put another paralysis spell on her body. Spencer disappeared and reappeared in another part of the living room, the bolt missing him completely.

Alpharium tried several more times before giving up and turning to send her next attack towards the couch. Hannah wanted to duck, but still, her body couldn't move. She was able to turn her head though and saw that Madam Nova didn't seem too concerned about being killed. Hannah looked back towards Alpharium as another bolt was aimed and shot from her finger. It seemed that time slowed down as Hannah watched the black lightning grab the air inching itself ever closer to her.

As the bolt was a mere hair away from making contact with Hannah, an invisible force blocked it and boomeranged it back to Alpharium. It struck her before she could react, hitting her outstretched arm. Alpharium wailed in pain as she recoiled back into the chair, defeated.

The room fell almost silent again as the energy bolts ceased. The only thing Hannah could hear now was Oradeus hissing, meowing, and growling from within the summoning circle. Alpharium held her free hand on her wounded arm, looked up at Spencer, and said with exhaustion, "You win. I'll help you."

At that, Spencer and Alpharium disappeared.

"They're on the soul side," Madam Nova explained as she saw Hannah's confused look. "The spell cannot be undone on the physical side."

"That makes sense." Hannah tried to stand again but couldn't. "I wish Spencer didn't put a freeze spell on me again. I would really like to stretch my legs for a moment."

"Spencer didn't put that spell on you. I did," Madam Nova confessed without batting an eye. "If you had stepped over the protection spell Spencer cast, you would have killed him," she emphasized. "And yourself, of course."

Hannah suddenly recalled the threat Madam Nova made when they first met.

"There. That wasn't too hard now was it?" Spencer asked as he and Alpharium reappeared in the room minutes later.

Alpharium huffed with annoyance and made her way back towards the summoning circle, still tending to her scorched arm. Originally, Oradieus had been patiently sitting like the Sphinx, but now he stretched his long body and moved to allow room for Alpharium. As she took her spot, he tangled his body around her feet, as his way of showing his love and concern for her.

Spencer thanked both of them for their time, just as the elements worked together and made them disappear from the room before Hannah could even blink twice.

"Did it work?" Hannah asked, finally being able to stand from the couch and move towards the center of the room where Spencer stood.

"It worked."

Hannah launched her arms around Spencer's neck, hugging him tightly. Spencer responded by wrapping his arms around her and hugging her back.

"Thank you so much, Spencer," Hannah said as they were still hugging.

Spencer smiled and hugged Hannah a little tighter. Neither wanting to let go of each other right away.

Madam Nova gave a little cough, bringing their attention back to her.

"Let's get this room back to normal before you two head home," Madam Nova said with a smile.

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Author Note:

Thank you for reading this chapter. I hope you continue reading further. I would be ever so grateful for feedback/comments on anything that stood out to you.

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Happy Reading!