He scoffed at her reply. “We won’t be play fighting out there. If we fight, you aim to kill or you will be the one dead. If we run, you run or we’ll leave you to die.”
Juliana nodded, not breaking her gaze.
“Whatever. It’s nothing on my head if you get yourself killed.” He turned and started walking back into the compound. “We leave closer to midnight. Make whatever preparations you need.”
Juliana turned to Eva with a quirked eyebrow lit only by the pale moonlight.
“Like I said, he’s a ball of fun.” Eva shrugged at the blond. “But he isn’t joking. Are you sure you don’t want to stay here? We’ll pick you up before we go back to Brakket.”
“I don’t need you patronizing me.”
The girl was just going to have to learn the hard way. Eva sighed and led the way to her area of the complex. She paused just outside the gate.
“I’ll need a drop of blood.”
“What? Why?”
Arachne answered for Eva. “The last time I tried to go someplace Eva had protected without her keying me into her protections, I had a whole leg blown off.” She started laughing as if it were the funniest thing in the world.
Both Eva and Juliana gave Arachne a look. “My protections here are far more powerful than the runes we sell at school. They need a drop of blood to key you in. You’ll have to wait out here if that is not agreeable.”
“No, it is fine,” Juliana said. “How do we do that then?”
Eva pulled out her dagger, careful to conceal the bloodstone at the tip. She held out her offhand to Juliana. Small amounts of blood magic might be passable for an average mage, especially blood keyed wards. A bloodstone would land her in prison. A prison she wasn’t in charge of, that is.
Almost eagerly, the girl thrust her own palm out.
Eva gripped the offered hand and ran the crystal edge of her dagger along the blond’s lifeline. Juliana winced but didn’t complain. “We have potions inside to help you heal.”
Once a marble of blood had formed, Eva withdrew her dagger. Eva walked the floating marble past the ward boundary and snapped her fingers. The blood marble dispersed into the wards, integrating with the protections.
“So you know,” Eva said, “my room, inside and to the left, is not part of the same system. You’ll not want to enter it.”
“Or I’ll get my leg blown off?”
“If you are lucky,” Eva said with a smile.
“Fair enough.”
Eva led the blond into the women’s ward building. The ritual circle used for her treatment was mostly covered with a large rug. Two small couches, two chairs, and a large table occupied the center room.
“Arachne, potions for our guest please.”
The demon sauntered off into the bedroom. She returned a moment later with a light blue vial and a yellow vial.
After downing the two potions, Juliana said, “this where you have been spending random nights?”
“For the most part. We’ve got a king sized bed, shower, fully stocked kitchen, and plenty of books.” She smiled at the blond. “No offense to you, but sometimes it is nice to sleep on your own.”
“On your own with Rach, you mean?”
“Arachne,” growled the demon. “Every time I hear that stupid nickname I want to murder children. Mostly schoolchildren.”
“Pleasant imagery,” Juliana said. She made herself right at home by sprawling out on one of the couches.
Arachne grinned. “I think so.”
“So preparations then?” Juliana asked?
“I’ll be changing into my work clothes. Is there any equipment you think you might need?”
Juliana shook her head. “Not unless you can think of something.”
Was there anything Juliana could use? Eva didn’t think so. Maybe a handful of general remedy potions. She told the girl as much and went to change, Arachne following behind her.
She handed the demon two of the full-sized vials to fill up, having used them up in the new version of the blood wards. Then Eva got to changing into her work clothes. She took some time to draw out some infernal runes and slipped them into her pockets. The heat spread through her legs immediately. Much more pleasant than the cold September air.
With her belt secured in place, Eva slipped in five full-sized vials of Arachne’s blood, including the two fresh ones. She grabbed a handful of the half sized vials, noting that the blood was getting a bit old even with the preservation runes etched into the glass. She’d have to dump them and get Arachne to refill them later.
Eva very much looked forward to the day when she could stop relying on Arachne’s blood and just use her own.
She grabbed a number of potions, including some for Juliana, when Eva noticed something odd.
Atop her dresser was the blackened skull. It sat in its usual spot on an elevated dais. The same spot it had been in since Eva finished every diagnostic test she could think of. However, instead of facing out into the room, it now faced the wall. The wall separating her bedroom from the common room.
Eva peeked around the corner. Juliana still sat in the couch facing away from Eva’s room. She lightly kicked her feet back and forth.
The skull stared right at her, as if the wall wasn’t even there.
