She launched the blood at him, forming rings around his feet and hands.
Eva clapped.
Weilks fell forwards, nearly crushing Sawyer. He tumbled without even a scream.
The skinnier man scrambled out of the way. Eva noted with some satisfaction that the smile finally slipped from his mouth.
Eva let him scramble to the side. She mostly ignored him as she rolled Weilks over on his back.
“Where is my bloodstone,” Eva said. She felt a distinct need to cough, but suppressed it. Her claws pressed around his neck as she straddled his chest. “My bloodstone, I want it back.”
“You whore,” he said.
Eva jammed one of her claws straight into his side. “My bloodstone?”
The man just glared.
“I’ll need to make a new one then.”
Using the bloodstone floating near her, Eva cleared off the back of her hand. She cut open a small cut on her upper arm and touched the bloodstone to it, careful to keep the flesh golem blood separate from her own.
She formed the sigil on the back of her hand using purely blood magic. Eva fancied it up as much as she could. Smooth, clean lines. The droplets of blood being actual droplets rather than a mere drawing.
Once ready, Eva tore into his chest with her other claw. She was careful. Her vision helped keep from even scratching the man’s heart as his flesh tore away.
Eva ignored his screams. His thrashing arms were held down by rings of the flesh golem blood. They also served to keep him from bleeding out.
With his beating heart exposed, Eva pressed her sigiled hand against it. She felt its beats even through the exoskeleton. It was best while his heart still beat strong.
Eva channeled her magic.
The heart twisted in on itself, repeating the same motions the flesh golem heart made.
This time came with the added benefit of watching the very life being sucked out of the man she was sitting on. His blood stopped pumping immediately. She watched as the blood in his veins came to a standstill. His eyes bulged for a moment before a last gasp of breath escaped from his lifeless corpse.
Cradled in his open ribcage was a perfect bloodstone. At least, as perfect as Eva could make them. It might be better than her old one, she couldn’t be sure. Her old one she inspected with her eyes. This one she used the blood surrounding it.
Eva stood up, stepping irreverently on the corpse as she did so. Both stones and her dagger hovered around her, coated in blood. The dagger may have gotten dirty, not something she could worry about now. She’d set the stone later.
Now, she looked over to the figure standing to one side. She paused, frozen in her steps. The figure had two mounds of blood on her chest and a distinct lack of blood between her legs. She was not Sawyer.
Arachne slowly picked herself off the floor. Her biology was different enough that Eva couldn’t mistake her for anyone.
“Who are you?”
The woman raised an arm.
Eva didn’t hesitate for a second. She’d had enough of being injured for one day. A blood shield formed around her and Arachne with a mere thought. With all the available fuel, it wouldn’t be running out anytime soon.
Eva never got to play with this much blood. A shame, really.
“I’ll not ask again,” Eva said.
“You don’t recognize me.” Her voice came out soft, almost as a song.
“Voice is familiar, but no eyes.” Eva pointed two fingers at her empty eyes, careful to keep from touching her skin with her sharp fingers. She gave a hard kick at the corpse behind her, almost tumbling due to her balance issues. “Thanks to these necromancers. Did you happen to see the other one?”
“You are a blood mage.”
Eva didn’t know what to say to that. It would be hard to hide in her current state.
“That’s how you saved Shal.”
“Shal? Shalise?”
“And your hands?”
“Didn’t have much choice in the matter.” Eva shot a hard glare at the now standing form of Arachne. “Are you yourself?”
“The ghosts left along with Sawyer,” Arachne hung her head, “sorry.”
“Consider your lack of limbs both a lesson and a punishment. The first of many, I think.”
“You know that demon?”
“Something like that.”
“I’ll spare your life for saving my daughter.” She paused, turning her head to point at Arachne. “That thing killed one of my sisters. I demand its obliteration.”
“Your sisters?” The voice finally clicked in her head. “Sister Cross?”
“I can ensure the augur doesn’t speak of you to any others, but you must hand over that demon.”
“I’ll do no such thing. Her punishment is mine. Although,” Eva tapped a finger on her chin. She winced away at a cut as she healed it. “Now that you mention it. The other necromancer mentioned your augur. She was their main target.”
“What?” Sister Cross’ heart picked up a handful of beats.
“Given that he disappeared from here, with two-thirds of their flesh golem army, I sure hope your augur is protected.”
“Come here. I’ll take you back to the academy.”
“How stupid do you think I am? I’m not going anywhere with you.”
“Eva,” Sister Cross half shouted, “I came here alone to pull you out before any others saw you; as thanks for saving my daughter. My sisters would kill you on sight when they storm this place.”
“Thanks but no thanks,” Eva said. “As you so astutely deduced, I am a blood mage and here,” she waved her arm over the littered corpses of flesh golems, “I am in my element. Are you in yours?”
Sister Cross dropped into a fighting stance. “You’re going to try to fight me?”
“I certainly don’t want to. With all the corpses and two bloodstones, I’m sure I run a sporting chance.”
“Most of all,” Eva said, “I don’t think I have to. If all your nuns are poised to strike here, who is defending your augur?”
Sister Cross’ heart picked up another few beats.
“Go, take your nuns and save your augur. I’ll find my own way back.”
The nun’s jaw grit to one side. A moment later, she vanished.
“If you find Sawyer,” Eva called to the empty air, “please, don’t kill him. I owe him a dismemberment. Several, actually.”
Tension drained out of the air and Eva felt herself drain with it. She stumbled forward only to be caught by Arachne’s stumps.
“I thought you might hand me over for a moment.”
Eva spun out of Arachne’s arms and slammed her foot into the corpse of Weilks as hard as she could.
Sawyer got away.
She kicked again. The wound in her toes opened up again. Eva healed it quickly and kicked again.
Sawyer got away.
Eva kicked one more time and sighed.
“You might wish I handed you over when I’m done with you,” Eva said. She felt in a particularly vicious mood at the moment.
Arachne grinned. A wide grin. Eva didn’t need to look to see it. Eva didn’t mirror the expression.
She gave Weilks another kick.
“My legs would kick harder, if you want.”
“Later,” Eva said. “I need a bath. And a shower. And a nap. And…” Eva sighed. “And a lot of things. Let’s get back to the prison.”
Arachne moved to pick her up. Eva allowed it. She was too tired to complain.
Arachne walked slowly, careful to keep Eva from slipping out of her smooth arm stubs. They did stumble across a storage room. Eva collected a few books, using blood to carry them.
She had no idea how she’d read them. Maybe she’d force Arachne to read them to her. That might be a worse punishment for the demon than anything Eva could come up with.
Together they wandered, lost in the cavern until they found the exit.
Eva shut her–relaxed in Arachne’s arms.
Next stop: home.
Chapter 028
“Spencer!”
Eva crushed a glass vial in her hands. She glared up at the teacher. Or the black band of leather over her eyes glared up.