76. Hope 2

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July 13, 2010.

Hearing the ringtone, I sleepily opened my eyes, took the phone in my hand and answered the call:

- Listen?

- It's me. Where did you disappear to? According to the plan, you were supposed to be back by now. - I heard my own voice on the phone.

Realizing that a clone was calling me, I looked at the time and saw that it was already one hour in the morning the next day.

Remembering what happened after meeting Hope, I looked to my left and saw this same girl lying naked with me in bed, while clinging to me with a stupid smile on her face.

- I'm in a Cave. With Hope. Everything didn't go as expected. I need a little more time to figure everything out. I'll try to be back by lunchtime, so cover me for now. - I said, carefully getting out of bed, trying not to wake the Charmcaster.

- Understood. - my clone said.

- How did it go with Hex? - I asked, putting on the underwear which I found under the bed.

- Not as good as we would like, but the girls did great. In the end, I sent Hex to Null Void after working on his memory a bit. - The clone replied.

- It's clear. Then you will tell everything in detail. What about Charms? - I asked.

- Unfortunately, nothing happened. I performed the necessary ritual during the Solar Eclipse, but nothing happened. It seems that if there is already one set of the Charms of Bezel, it will not be possible to create a new one. - clone said.

- It's clear. It's a pity, but I didn't expect it to work, although it was worth trying. Where are you now? - I asked.

- Still at the hotel in Las Vegas, but we're leaving in the morning. In the evening, an old friend of Grandfather called and invited us all to an underwater resort in the Bermuda Triangle. So tomorrow we fly to Miami in a private jet. - the clone reported.

- So it's time for this adventure, huh? Okay, I'll try to get there before you get into this underwater trap. - I said, remembering the upcoming event.

- Understood. - The clone said and hung up.

Turning off the phone, I was again glad that I got Echo-Echo. Unlike Ditto's hive mind, Echo-Echo has a self-awareness of his own that is no different from mine, so he is able to act quite independently without my guidance.

At the same time, the clone is completely devoted to the main body. In general, as they say, if you want to do something well, entrust it to the loyal clone.

- Hmm… Lex? - Hope's voice was heard, who nevertheless woke up after hearing the noise.

- I'm here. You can sleep for now, it's late at night. - I said walking up to the girl.

- Where are we? - the girl asked, looking around the interior.

- We are on my spaceship. In the captain's cabin. - I said and opened the portholes through which one could see the hangar.

Hearing my words, Hope opened her eyes wide and wrapped herself in a blanket, quickly walked to the porthole to look at the huge room in which the Merlin stood.

- Do you have a starship? - Hope asked softly.

- Yes. True, this is a temporary option. Soon, I'm going to build a new one that will be much better. - With a smile, I said.

- Where did you get it from? - Hope asked, turning to face me.

- It's a long story. Although, we have time and we can finally get to know each other properly. You do not mind?

At my words, Hope blushed slightly, apparently remembering the consequences of our acquaintance, and then happily nodded her head.

- Well, that's good. Then get dressed and go to the kitchen, we'll talk over food. - I said and left the cabin to give the girl some privacy.

Arriving in the kitchen, I began to prepare snacks that should dull our hunger.

Just as I was done, Hope arrived. She was wearing only my wrinkled shirt and pink panties.

Right now, she looked damn sexy, but it wasn't up to that, so I put aside the obscene thoughts.

- Sit down, food is served. - With a smile, I said.

- Thank you. - said the girl, sitting down at the table and starting to eat sandwiches.

- Then let me begin my story. It all started at the beginning of the summer, when my family and I went on a trip around the country... - I began to tell Hope the whole story.

After what happened between us earlier, it just doesn't make sense to hide anything from Hope. I don't think she'll want to get it once she finds out about the Omnitrix, considering I recently literally freed her from Hex's slavery and gave her a night of love.

Although, of course, I did not tell quite everything and kept silent about some points. But, even the girls and Max don't know everything, so there's nothing to worry about. Everyone has a right to their secrets.

The whole story took two hours, and when I finished, Hope sat with her jaw dropped and looked at me in shock.

- This is my kind of summer. Even though it hasn't even been a month and a half. - With a smile, I said.

After getting over her surprise, Hope looked at my watch, which I had deliberately removed my disguise from, and said in a hushed voice:

- I thought I had serious problems in life, but compared to you, this is nothing. I had only problems with my uncle, and you are being chased by a real intergalactic dictator.

- Something like this. But I managed. As for Hex, you don't have to worry anymore. - I said.

- Did you kill him? - Hope asked a little sadly.

- No, what are you. I've locked him up in the prison dimension so he won't be back anytime soon. This time, he won't be able to escape, so easily. - I said.

- Is that how? This is good. - Hope said with a sigh.

- You have a strange reaction. I thought you hated him. - Raising an eyebrow, I said.

- I hate it, of course. It's just... He's the only one I have left. After my parents died, my uncle took care and protected me. Before… before, he was a completely different person. He was an explorer and his main passion was Magic. He devoted his life to the study of old grimoires and wizards of the past. There was no this stupid skull tattoo, nickname and other dark paraphernalia. Uncle Gregor was a simple and good man. - Hope said with her head down.

- Yes? Didn't expect this. And what has changed? - I asked in surprise. Didn't expect Hex's real name to be Gregor. Although it suits him.

- The death of my mother hit him hard. She was his beloved sister and he doted on her. After uncle took me in, he began to get involved in the darker side of magic in order to gain power and take revenge on Addwaitya. As a result, he turned into the one you know today. - Hope said with a sad smile.

- It turns out that because of the thirst for revenge, he was ready to sacrifice even you, his own niece, the daughter of his adored sister? - I asked, frowning.

- It turns out that way. And I kind of understand it. For the last ten years, I myself have been obsessed with a thirst for revenge and there have been moments when I myself was ready to do anything to get more power. The only thing that stopped me was the upbringing of my parents, who would not want me to stoop so low. But a couple more years and I wouldn't care anymore, especially when my uncle stopped really teaching me. - Hope said honestly.

- Thirst for revenge is such, yes. All-consuming and relentless. But still there is something strange in this story. - I said thoughtfully.

- What do you mean? - Hope asked, looking up at me.

- The way Hex has changed. I still understand the fascination with dark magic and the thirst for revenge, but the way he treated you is not included in any framework. He literally put you on a chain and, most likely, was going to use you as a victim to get even more strength. Why didn't he find another wizard? Why did he raise and take care of you for 10 years when everything could be done so much easier? It seems to me that it could not have been done without outside help. - I told my thoughts.

Hearing my words, Hope thought for a moment, and then said:

- You're right. Sounds very logical. Why didn't I think of this myself?

- You were a child, do not blame yourself for inattention. - I said with comfort in my voice.

- And who do you think could have done this with uncle?

- According to what you say, this Addwaitya killed your parents, so it is logical to assume that this is also his work. - I said calmly.

- This parasite… It wasn't enough for him to kill my parents and usurp the throne of Legerdomain, so he decided to ruin my life here on Earth as well. - Hope hissed in anger, and started pacing back and forth.

- Don't worry, I'll help you deal with this, as you say, parasite. I'm still a hero, and protecting an entire magical dimension from a cruel dictator is just my job. - With a dazzling smile, I said.

- You don't have to... - Hope said modestly.

- Not worth it. I don't mind helping you either. Moreover, after everything that happened between us, I have to take responsibility. Especially when I locked your only relative in another dimension. - With a smile, I said.

At the mention of our intercourse, Hope blushed like a boiled crayfish, but quickly took herself in her hand and said:

- Don't worry, I'm not mad at you for what happened to your uncle. Even if Addwaitya really influenced him, Uncle Gregor still did a lot of bad things and he needs to answer for it.

- Actually, Null Void isn't such a bad place. Although, there will have to fight for survival. It is possible that he will be re-educated and become better. - I patted Hope on the head.

- It's truth?

- Well, you should always hope for the best. - I said with a wry smile, and then added: - Let's stop talking about sad things and talk about you. Why don't you tell your story?

- Okay, why not. Well, I was born into the royal family of Legerdomain, so I can still be considered a real princess. - Hope said with a smile, after which she began to talk about her childhood, her home dimension, her parents, her uncle and magical training.

At some points, she was a little hard, but when talking about her home, she directly beamed and was very inspired. At that moment, I really wanted to go to Legerdomain and tear this f**king turtle to pieces.

When Hope finished her story, she was in a more positive mood than before, so I decided not to ignore the pig in a poke anymore and asked bluntly:

- Can we finally talk about what happened between us?

My question obviously unnerved Hope, but she must be commended, this time she did not blush like an innocent schoolgirl. Clenching her hands into fists, the girl nodded and said with determination:

- You're right, it's time for us to talk about what happened. I should explain the whole situation.

- Right. We really should have done it before it even happened. - I said with an uncertain smile.

Showing the exact same smile, Hope nodded timidly and continued.

- So, you probably already understood that all this is connected with our magic.

- It's hard not to guess, especially if we remember our common dreams and what happened on the roof. - I said.

- Right. In short, we are betrothed. - Hope said, her cheeks blushing again.

- Betrothed? So the bride and groom? That is, are we a couple destined by fate? Should we be together? - I asked, receiving a nod in response.

- To be more precise, a couple destined by Magic. It's all about our magic. - Hope said.

- Don't tell me it's some kind of magical compatibility and Magic itself wants us to be together? - I asked in a somewhat depressed tone.

- But it is, I swear to you. - Hope said hotly, leaning towards me.

- It's just a cliché. - I said with a derogatory laugh.

- What? - not understanding me, asked the Charmcaster.

- I was expecting some kind of terrible secret or riddle, but it turned out that we just have to be together, because we are suitable for each other. Magic decided everything for us. - Almost laughing, I said.

Although it seems that with these words I insulted my interlocutor. The smile faded from Hope's face and she quietly asked:

- So you're against it? Even after all that's happened?

Looking at the gloomy face of the Charmcaster, I immediately realized my mistake and tried to explain myself.

- No, no, of course I don't mind. It's just that I'm not too happy with the reason it happened. We were manipulated for unknown purposes and I don't like it. We practically do not know each other, and I have already deprived you of your innocence, in a fit of insane lust inspired by Magic. I was sure that you would just be unhappy with what happened. But you don't seem to mind. - Slightly frowning, I said.

- I understand your concerns, but you can be sure that I don't mind what happened. On the contrary, I really liked everything. You were gentle and gave me indescribable pleasure -. Hope said, blushing a little at the end.

- Thanks, I'm glad to hear that. - I said, placing my hand on Hope's. Even I was taken in by these words, and redness appeared on my ears. Never before had a girl said such words to me.

With a warm smile, Hope squeezed my hand and continued.

- Actually, you don't have to worry about us being manipulated. There was no malicious intent in this. It's just that Magic decided to help us meet and connect our hearts, since we are her beloved children and she only wants us to be happy.

After thinking about the words of the girl a little, I nevertheless decided to ask what had been tormenting me for a long time.

- So Magic is really alive? And does she have self-awareness? More than once I have heard or read words that describe Magic as a living being. Needless to say, I myself used similar phrases. But, there was never a real explanation and I took a lot of faith. So where is the truth?

- Magic is indeed alive, there is no doubt about it. It's practically the first thing my uncle taught me. Still, Mana, what magic essentially consists of, is the life energy of the universe. But, about self-awareness is unknown, no one has yet proven it. It is only known that sometimes inexplicable phenomena occur, if you like, miracles that cannot be explained otherwise. Magicians and other users of Magic have long been accustomed to explaining such phenomena as the «Will of Magic». - Hope said thoughtfully.

- Even so? It turns out that what happened to us is the «Will of Magic»? - For clarification, I asked.

- Right. You see, all users of Magic are her children, she loves all of us, some less, some more. Magic, like a caring mother who only wishes us all happiness, hence the unusual phenomena. Although, of course, like any mother, Magic can punish a negligent child, especially if he violates unwritten laws and behaves badly. Although, this does not always happen. - Hope said.

- Like raising the dead or taking over Legerdomain? - I suggested.

- Exactly, I have heard many horror stories about what happened to those who tried to resurrect the long dead or played with Necromancy. And you correctly cited Addwaitya as an example, as far as I heard, he has already received punishment for his atrocities. Lately, he's completely gone nuts. He feels constant paranoia and fear that someone will come and take away his treasures and usurped throne. For a power-hungry bastard like this turtle, this is the perfect punishment. - Hope said.

- But you, of course, think that this is not enough. : I said without doubting the veracity of my words.

- Of course, he still killed my parents and destroyed my house. I won't rest until I finish this turtle. - Hope said angrily, though she quickly calmed down.

- I won't say that it's right, but I can understand you, so I won't stop you and will even help you. - I said, although I knew that Max would not be pleased with this, sometimes just need to finish what started.

- Thank you. So where did I stop? - Hope said, smiling at me, and then continued: - Oh, yes. As you understand, Magic has not yet been fully studied, it is unpredictable and uncontrollable, therefore it is not always clear whether there will be consequences and whether a reaction will appear, therefore there are still Magicians who do not shy away from breaking the rules. But, for all the time of their existence, the Magicians were still able to understand and even predict some of the events that were inspired by the «Will of Magic.»

- And that's exactly what happened to us. - Nodding my head, I said.

- Yes. What happened to us is called - «Magic Wedding». - Hope said, again unable to contain her embarrassment.

- Wedding? So we're married now? - I asked in surprise, not expecting this at all.

- Yes. This happened to my parents. I didn't remember right away, but in my childhood my mother told me about it. She was an ordinary person from Earth, until one day she discovered her magical abilities, and soon she began to share dreams with my father. As the king of the magical dimension, he was well aware of the reasons for these dreams, so he quickly arrived on Earth to meet his mother and they had the same thing. - Hope said.

- That is, crazy lust, followed by hot sex? - I asked with a provocative smile.

- Don't say that. I feel awkward. But you're right. Sex itself is the ritual that ends the wedding. An unbreakable vow that binds us for the rest of our lives. - Lightly hitting my arm, said Hope.

- So you didn't mind? So did you know it was the influence of Magic? - I asked.

- Right. In addition, such a wedding guarantees that you and we will be happy and true love awaits us. Once Magic has connected us, then we are destined to be together. It's just that instead of being in a normal relationship, we've taken a crash course because the Magic feels it's necessary. Who knows what our first meeting would have been like without the intervention of Magic. It's entirely possible that we might not get along, or fight at all, given that I was with Hex. - Hope said.

- You're right about that, I can already imagine how it would have happened if we had met during Hex's attack. - I said, remembering the canon and how everything happened there.

- Here you go. And thanks to Magic, everything went differently and now we are together. - Hope said, blushing again.

- Stop blushing already. After what you did in bed, it's too late to be shy. - I couldn't resist.

At my reaction, Hope only blushed even more and covered her face in shame.

- Okay, I'm kidding. I understood the whole situation, and although it's still hard for me to accept it, I understand that it's all for the best and now we are together. True, there is another problem. - I said.

- Which problem? - Hope asked after listening carefully.

- I have a girlfriend. More precisely, even two. And they will be very unhappy with what happened to us, especially when they find out about sex and a magical wedding. - I said honestly.

- Are you talking about Gwen and Ashley? - Hope asked calmly.

- What? How do you know? - I asked, not expecting such a turn.

- During the umm… Anyway, during the process, I had a vision about the romantic relationship you are in. This is also part of the wedding. - Hope said.

- Yes? I didn't have anything like that. - I said thoughtfully.

- That makes sense, after all, I haven't had any romantic relationship with anyone. - Hope said proudly.

- Hm. All clear. So what do you think of Gwen and Ashley? - I asked, looking strangely at Hope's proud face.

- Don't forget that I'm from another dimension, and I was a member of the royal family, so there is nothing strange for me in harems. I don't mind if you have mistresses, after all, I don't need to be jealous, you are already mine, and I am yours. Nothing in this world can separate us. - Absolutely confidently, said Hope.

- Of course, this greatly facilitates the whole situation, since I am not going to leave Gwen and Ashley. But now I have to tell them about all this and hope that they will not kill me when they find out that I actually cheated on them, and I also managed to get married. Although I promised that Gwen would become his first wife and promised not to add girls to the harem without their consent. - I said with a sigh of relief.

- That's a good rule, by the way. In this, I will support them. Well, as for the rest, don't worry, I myself will talk to your girlfriends and explain everything to them. - Hope said.

- Are you sure? I don't think anything good will come of this. - I said uncertainty.

- Don't worry, we'll talk with them like a woman and settle everything. - my new magical wife said confidently.

- Hmm? Okay, I'll trust you. - I said and checked the time.

It was already almost 6 am. We've been sitting for 5 hours and it looks like it's time to go on business.

- I need to get back to my family, otherwise they will worry. - I said.

- Is it time for us to part? - Hope asked sadly.

- I still have time before dinner, so we can go get your parents' things. - I said after some thought.

- I completely forgot about it. Where is the key to the safe?

- Somewhere in the cabin, don't worry. Let's go, we need to get dressed and we can go. Let's fly the «Merlin». Where is the safe located? - I said as I left the kitchen, Hope followed me.

- In Hex's private bedroom, in his castle. - Hope said as she began to collect her belongings scattered around the cabin.

- And what is the destination? - I asked as I pulled out a new set of clothes from my storage.

- Salem..