He had better be here soon. Even with Eva managing her blood, Genoa didn’t look like she could hold on much longer.
As if reading her mind, Eva glanced up at Zoe. “Don’t worry about her breathing. Anywhere it touches air, I’m spreading out the blood into very fine strands. It should be getting more than enough oxygen to keep her alive and well. Her shallow breaths are more out of psychological habit than need.”
“Still worrying,” Zoe said through pursed lips.
Eva nodded. “I’d much prefer her healed sooner rather than later. I read the book I got that tidbit of knowledge from way back when I first started blood magic. Hopefully I’m not misinterpreting it or anything.”
Zoe’s lips pursed firmer as she gave a curt nod. “I hope so too.”
Devon had walked up at some point during her brief conversation with Eva. He knelt down beside Genoa.
For a moment, Zoe was going to rescind some of the disdain she felt for the man regarding his treatments for Eva. Instead, she only felt her disdain grow as he ignored the wounded mage-knight to inspect the satchel of potions.
She was curious as well, but there was a time and a place for research and this was neither.
Ignoring the despicable man, Zoe maneuvered around to kneel at Juliana’s side.
Placing one arm around her shoulders was the trigger.
The floodgates opened.
Juliana clutched at Zoe’s shirt. Her other arm hung limp at her side. She pressed her face into her chest and started sobbing.
“Shhh.” Zoe gently brushed a few stray blond strands out of the younger girl’s face. “Your mother is going to be fine. She’s survived so much. A little hole in her chest isn’t going to stop her.”
“It’s all my fault.”
“No. You couldn’t have known that Za–”
A sudden cough from Eva stole her attention. Slowly shaking her head, Eva gave a quick nod back over her shoulder.
Zoe blinked.
Standing just behind Devon was the sharp-dressed, golden eyed man she had met in Tom’s bar almost a year ago.
“Couldn’t have known what, Zoe?”
Devon let out a high-pitched yelp. Dropping the potion bag, he disappeared, reappearing on the opposite end of the island.
Behind Zagan, Shalise–no, Prax sat against the tree, remaining utterly still with a look of horror on Shalise’s face. Probably hoping that Zagan wouldn’t even bother glancing in that direction.
How long had he been standing there? Zoe wondered. Eva, Arachne and Genoa, and Juliana had all made noise upon their arrival. But Zagan had just been standing there, creeping behind her.
Zoe pulled Juliana closer as she tightened her grip on her dagger. “Zagan,” Zoe spat.
The devil smiled. “Come now, aren’t we on friendlier terms than that?” He gave an exasperated sigh. “Not a single person calls me Rex.”
If he thought his little play-acting was cute, he was wrong. Zoe had seen elementary school plays with better acting. Though maybe that was intentional, Zoe thought, frowning. “Leave, Zagan, you are not wanted here.”
“On the contrary, young Miss Rivas was the one to summon me here.”
Juliana stilled, though offered no protests.
“And,” he continued, “I will admit that I invited myself to Eva’s domain. However, it was with only the best intentions in mind.”
“I’m sure,” Zoe said. If he picked up on her sarcasm, he didn’t mention it.
“As long as I am repaying one favor, I might as well get them both done within one day. Less work, yeah?”
He started to turn.
Devon blinked again, this time straight over the water. There was a light splash and he was gone. He didn’t resurface.
Probably fleeing to Ylva’s domain. Coward.
But Zagan paid him no mind. He focused instead on Shalise.
Prax stood up and ran. Shalise’s muscled legs hit the sand, sending up nearly as much debris as when Arachne had landed. Being in the center of the island, it didn’t matter which direction Prax chose to run in. The demon didn’t need to think about it for a second.
Prax chose the direction that led away from Zagan.
It didn’t get very far.
Without the slightest motion on Zagan’s part, Prax was facing backwards. It took four steps before it realized that it was now running directly towards Zagan. Unfortunately for Prax, he didn’t realize in time.
Zagan reached out and gripped the edges of Zoe’s suit jacket that Prax wore.
“Praxtihr. You’re out of your cell.”
“What do you care, Zagan? You are not in the Keeper’s employ.”
“That is King Zagan to you, wretch.” He tilted his head to one side before straightening his neck again. “Or Great King Zagan. In fact, go with the latter.”
“You think you are so high and mighty. The only reason you are not a guest of the Keeper is because he could not find a cell that would hold you.” Prax hocked back and spat in Zagan’s face. “But it is just a matter of time. One of us will topple you.”
Holding Prax in the air with a single hand, Zagan wiped away the saliva with his free thumb. He looked down at it, turning his head slightly. As he watched, the liquid vanished.
The single gold eye that Zoe could see from her angle was glowing like a spotlight. Trails of golden smoke leaked from the corner of his eye.
“What is the phrase? Oh yes.” Zagan threw Shalise to the ground. Her head hit the sand. Before it could bounce off, Zagan planted one shiny shoe on her head, grinding her face into the ground. “Don’t impugn my honor. I am the pinnacle of demons. The perfect model of demonic citizenry. Pathetic peasants such as yourself cannot hope to measure up to my magnificent being. There is a reason I am King.”
As soon as Shalise hit the ground, Zoe had started to pry Juliana off of her. Once she got to her feet, a lightning bolt crackled out of her dagger. One of the strongest she had ever fired. The brilliant light illuminated the relatively dark domain to such a degree that she had to shut off her enhanced vision lest she go blind. The normally muted sound of thaumaturgical lightning thundered so great that it threatened to shatter her enhanced eardrums.
For all the power, all the strength, all the magic that she put behind her bolt of lightning, it did nothing.
Zoe watched in a combination of dismay and confusion as her bolt sailed straight past Zagan. The endless sea of black water lit up as the bolt disappeared into infinity.
I missed? Zoe blinked. It wasn’t possible. She was a class one air mage. Redirecting natural lightning to strike what she desired was within her power. A human-sized target ten feet away should have been child’s play.
Shaking her head, Zoe tightened her grip on her dagger. Lightning crackled at the tip, building up to be even more impressive of a bolt than her last one.
She wasn’t going to miss twice.
Of course, even if she hit, she wasn’t sure what it would accomplish. Zoe had watched his fight with Lynn Cross. He shrugged off plenty more than a powerful bolt of lightning during that fight.
Still, she had to do something. That might be Prax in control, but Shalise’s body was paying the price.
“I won’t say it twice,” she ground out. “Get off of her.”
Zagan stood with his back to Zoe. He kept still for a moment before his head moved–only his head. It tilted back just enough to look at Zoe through a single glowing eye.
“And just who is it that thinks they can…”
Trailing off, Zagan’s eyes lost some of their luster. “Her?”
Glancing at his feet, Zagan removed his shoe from the side of Shalise’s head. “Oh. I forgot about her.”
He reached down, gripped the lapels of the suit, and lifted Prax to its feet. Putting barely any effort into it, he brushed some of the sand off the side of Shalise’s face.
“I couldn’t very well ask what you want if you’re dead. So tell me, Shalise Ward, what is it you desire? One single favor is all I shall grant.”