In regards to Catherine and Devon, the last Eva heard, they were holding off for a time before trying again.
Arms crossed in front of her chest, Eva plopped down on the couch in the common room. Lynn had said that she would be along in five minutes.
It was nearing ten.
“You shouldn’t trust her,” Arachne said as she sunk into the couch next to Eva.
Just as Eva was starting to grow impatient.
“I know. If she lies about the time to get here,” Eva said with only a slight sarcastic tone in her voice, “who knows what else she is lying about.”
“She tried to kill you. Multiple times. She will try again.”
“Probably.” Eva frowned, dropping the sarcasm in favor of a more serious tone. “The enigmas threaten life as we know it. Void, by your account, is merely bored. Potentially troublesome, but not the all-consuming horror that Nel described Life’s plane of existence as. Something that no one wants Earth to end up as.”
“You’re putting your hopes on the notion that a human will set aside their emotions because of a possible apocalypse.” Arachne paused, shifting in her seat ever so slightly closer to Eva. “In my admittedly limited experience with humans, a stressful situation will only agitate her feelings. She’ll look for an opportunity to stab you in the back. Possibly literally.”
Eva shrugged. “I’ve survived all of her attacks so far. Fought back quite decisively, as well. Sawyer’s sneak attacks have always been worse and I’ve survived all of them as well. And have come out stronger, if I may say so myself.”
Looking up at Arachne, Eva added, “I didn’t have you during any of those encounters. Circumstances always conspired against us being together. If I can help it, we won’t be separated again. Not in school or outside of it.”
Arachne stilled before a small smile grew on her face. “I appreciate that.”
“Now,” Eva said as she clapped her hands together. She didn’t clap to cause any explosions, merely for punctuation as she changed topics. “Is that woman ever going to show up?”
The moment the words were out of her mouth, Eva felt a circulatory system enter her range. She watched as it approached the front door of her women’s ward. With her real eyes, she watched a tentacle reach around the side of the door as it pushed inwards. Devon’s scraggly beard poked around next.
The rest of him soon followed.
“Good,” he said with a gravely voice, “you’re back. The carnivean mentioned feeling a demon. I was hoping it was you.”
“Did you need something?”
“The week before your school restarts, we’ll be performing both your ritual as well as Catherine’s.”
Eva nodded along. Depending on which end of the week Devon would go for, that was anywhere from three weeks away to a full month.
But he didn’t continue along. Devon started to leave.
“We still need three demons for both of us right? Arachne, Catherine and the carnivean for me, but who all for Catherine?”
“If we are unable to summon any proper demons, Arachne and you will have to suffice.”
“Me? I’m not even a full demon.”
Devon rolled his eyes. “We know,” he said with a scoff. “You’re close enough—especially after your next treatment—that it shouldn’t matter. In fact, Catherine has changed from apprehensive to excited about the prospect of having you in its circle. You represent an unknown. Something that no demon apart from yourself possesses.”
“How flattering.”
“We would still prefer a proper demon.”
“I’m sure you would.” Frankly, Eva would as well. None of the demons looked like they had been in much pain during her ritual the other month, but they were much better at hiding things like that than she was. “Was there anything else?”
His tentacle reached up, scratching through his beard. He was lucky that it wasn’t a slimy tentacle. Lucy had a constant sheen covering her face and hair while in her human form. The thin slime wasn’t too noticeable other than looking like she was sweating constantly, but that was her entire body. Just an arm would mean Devon’s face would get coated in goop every time he touched his beard.
“Can’t think of anything prominent. Don’t die. You’re almost done.”
“I’ll try not to,” Eva said, voice flat. “Not really something I’m planning—”
Eva cut herself off, standing up as Lynn Cross popped into the gate room. Just because they had parted without fighting did not mean that Eva was willing to let her wander freely around her home. Arachne was right, she could be stabbed in the back at any time.
Though, in Eva’s opinion, it would be foolishness in the extreme to attack her in the middle of her home. Lynn knew that she was a blood mage. Eva had to gather a vial of Lynn’s blood before she could enter the women’s ward. If Lynn thought to attack, Eva could instantly turn the tables on her.
And Lynn had to know that fact.
“If you’ll excuse me,” Eva said to Devon, “I’ve an operation to perform.”
Devon raised an eyebrow, eyes shifting to the gate room door as Lynn stepped into the main room.
“A guest?” His eyes narrowed as he looked Lynn up and down. “A demon?”
“Worse. A nun.”
Devon took a step back, instantly on guard. His thumb idly ran over the rings of his human hand.
Though Eva had been joking, a nun was probably much worse than a demon to him. Demons could be dominated. In fact, demons were the best case scenario for Devon. Humans, vampires, and anything else couldn’t be handled by turning them to his side.
“Calm down. I’m expecting her. Or rather, I’ve been expecting her.” Eva turned to face Lynn, putting a frown on her face. “I was excepting her a good ten to fifteen minutes ago.”
“I took a moment to check around the camp, looking for anything to salvage.”
“Find anything?”
“Not what I was looking for.”
Eva shrugged. Unless it was some anti-demon or enigma weapon, Eva really didn’t care what she had been looking for.
“Very well,” she said, turning back to Devon. “Like I said, nothing to worry about. Just have to chop some arms off.”
“You ask me not to worry and then you say things like that,” he said, shaking his head. “Whatever. Do what you want. Just keep her away from me.”
Not having moved far from the door, Devon quickly moved back to it and started to leave. “And don’t get killed either,” he said before slamming the door behind him.
“Aww, he really does care,” Eva said with a roll of her eyes.
“Charming,” Lynn said. Her voice came out toneless and without any humor.
“You know, every single person I’ve talked to who isn’t named Shalise thinks that you’re going to kill me at the first possible opportunity. Or try to, at least. Even then, Shalise didn’t sound too certain of herself. It probably says something terrible about your personality.”
“I could make do without your taunts.”
“Not a taunt. Merely a comment.” Eva waved a hand around the room. “Take a seat,” she said as she made her way towards the potions room.
Arachne and Lynn glowered at each other, somewhat dancing around each other as Lynn moved towards the couch and Arachne towards the potions room door. Eventually, with a gesture of her arm, Lynn allowed Arachne to pass by, taking a seat as soon as the way was clear.
Leaving the door open as Eva started rummaging through the cabinet, she turned her head over her shoulder to call out to Lynn. “I have to say, I’ve somewhat neglected my potions upkeep. I can’t even remember the last time I brewed any. These are all at least six months old. Most older than that. Half of these ‘beneficial’ potions are probably more poison these days.”
Lynn’s voice echoed out from the common room, derision plain in her tone. “The more you speak, the more I consider taking my chances as is. Or doing it myself.”