"Sort of a vessel for the dead," Asher explained, "You should go meet your mother, Devon before she passes to the other side," he urged her forward.

Devon was reluctant at first but when she looked into those eyes, she found herself running to him, engulfing Ben in a bear hug.

"I should record this, right?" Lia was yearning to show Ben he was embraced by a girl when he returned to himself.

"Keep your itchy hands to your side, Lia" Asher told her to which she frowned yet he rubbed her hair affectionately. Women and their mood changes at times, sigh.

"Mother?"

"Devon"

As if a signal was given off, both began a crying marathon.

Honestly, that scene was super awkward and mentally distressing for the others to watch. It was weird seeing Ben weeping like a young widow while rubbing Devon's back and kissing her forehead.

"Why is everything about this boy so out of this world?" Sabrina couldn't hold back her curtisury anymore.

"That is still under research," Lia answered.

"I'm so sorry, Devon for leaving you like that," Ghost Nadia in Ben's body said to her daughter.

"Why did you do that, mom?" Devon cried harder, producing snort and all.

"I had no choice, it's either you or me, " she reminded her.

"You should have just let me die," Devon contended.

Nadia explained her reasons, "No, Devon.You're still young and have a bright future ahead of you unlike me. I have made a lot of mistakes and spent a lot of time on this earth, it's me that should go"

Devon clasped Ben's face, a gesture that drew an "Ooh" from Lia's lips.

"I miss you, mama,"

"I know, dear. I miss you too," Ben went ahead to clasp her face with his hand also.

Double "Ooh" from Lia.

"Mom, I'm confused. I don't know what to do? Where do I go from henceforth? You were my only family," Devon sobbed.

"I know but you're not alone anymore," Ben turned towards Sabrina.

Sabrina in question was spooked by that sudden attention, she looked doubtingly at Lia.

"I don't like that look, why is he staring at me that way?"

Lia shrugged, "Because he likes you? I don't know "

"What do you mean you don't know?" Sabrina was baffled.

"How am I supposed to know? I'm not in his head," she protested.

Sabrina raised her brow, "Because you're the only human friend he has? Haven't you studied him long enough?"

"Well, thanks for clarifying that. As you said, I'm his human friend, not the ghostly one,"

"Sabrina," the ghost called.

"Damn it!" The witch was startled by Ben standing in front of her without notice.

"You are certainly Ben," she referred to his creepiness.

"I heard about what Raphael did to you," Ben influenced by the ghost said to her.

"So?" She was eager to know the point of the story.

"The council would certainly investigate this matter and they would surely find out about the forbidden spell you did," he notified her.

"I know "

"Take care of Devon for me and I'll take on all the blame," she proposed.

"What?" Sabrina was taken aback by this strange offer.

"Be the mother that I'm sadly unable to be to Devon anymore; be the sister that defends her vigorously; be the aunt that adores her; be everything that I can't be for her," Nadia broke down Sabrina's expected role, "I want you to be the family my daughter Devon needs and I'll gladly take the heap of the blame,"

Sabrina was dumbfounded, all this time she had been contemplating packing up her things and leaving Little Town before the council found out what she did.

However, here, was a golden offer to make her life better and she was hesitating to take it, what the hell was wrong with her?

"No, this is wrong. I can't falsely accuse an innocent witch of the crime that I committed - dead or alive," She shook her head stubbornly.

"Mom," Devon wept upon suspecting her intention. She wanted to become a traitor for her sake.

"Besides," Sabrina added," Even without you asking, I would have taken care of the girl. She did us all a favor, we wouldn't have won this battle without her,"

"I know, but I don't want to owe you which is why I'm doing this." Nadia said," Moreover, if the council sentenced you to death, who would take care of Devon? She's presently your responsibility, Sabrina"

"But -"Sabrina wanted to disagree

"During the investigation, put the blame on me and my soul would be at rest," Ben put up his hand, dismissing any of her arguments.

"Fine," Sabrina threw her hands up, she had no choice anyway.

"Thank you," Ben hugged her before she could decline.

"Good going, Ben," the witch thought mentally before pulling away from him.

Ben walked on, coming to stop before Asher, "I'm sorry for what I did,"

"You had no option," Asher told her," If I was in your shoe, I would have done the same for my mate," he squeezed Lia's hand assuredly.

"Thanks for helping Devon escape,"

"It's the other way around. If she hadn't teleported the both of us out of there, we would have been dead by now - you have an amazing daughter,"

"I know," Ben sniffed," Which is why I'm so unhappy leaving her behind,"

"Mom," Devon whimpered, touched by her heartfelt words.

"I'm sorry to you too," She moved her attention to Lia, "I'm so ashamed for what I did to you,"

"As Asher said, you have no choice," Lia told her

"I should have stood against Raphael sooner but I was so scared for my daughter. I knew what mate meant to you guys still, I tried to put you both asunder, would you two ever forgive me for that?"

Asher and Lia stared at each other in a timely fashion and with just their eyes meeting, the couple came to a conclusion.

"Of course, you're forgiven, Nadia. It might seem absurd but this trying period strengthened the bond between us and now, I understand how much my mates mean to me, "Lia intertwined their fingers with a smile.

"Thank you so much," Nadia burst into tears which was so weird coming from Ben's throat.

"I told you we should have recorded this," Lia whispered to Asher which elicited a chuckle from him.

He brought her close, wrapping his arms around her waist from behind while resting his jaw on her hair.

"Also, there's something else you need to know," Nadia's sudden somber expression wiped all smiles away from their faces.

"What is it?"