The bull didn’t turn around. It didn’t look back at Eva. It continued staring straight ahead.
Nerves in Eva’s body lit up like a wildfire. Something was wrong. She took a step backwards. Half the bull disappeared as she moved back.
Grunting bellows shook the very air of the forest. It repeated again and again.
The moment Eva stopped moving backwards, it stopped its bellows.
Before she could get even half way through the process, a voice carried through the trees.
“What is all this racket?”
Eva paused. She could only see the hindquarters of the bull. Someone either walked up or teleported just in front of it. The slight rasp was familiar, but Eva couldn’t place it.
Just as she inched forwards, trying to bring the figure into view, the bull rumbled.
Its insides twisted and shrunk while other parts grew and pulled. The great wings shrunk and shifted positions to rest against its back. Slowly, it pulled itself up onto its hind legs, though the knees still faced the wrong direction.
The process was very similar to how Arachne looked when she pulled out legs or her abdomen.
After everything else, the long face of the bull pulled in on itself. It twisted and shrank until a human sized head was left. Eva could tell there was a place for its horns to protrude, though no blood reached far enough into them to tell how long they were.
“You’re going to draw attention,” that same feminine rasp spoke.
A deep, throaty chuckle erupted from the former bull. “Let them come. I will decimate all without distinction.” If silk were a voice, that man had it colored in deep bass. The sounds all but massaged Eva’s ears.
“That’s what I’m worried about. We want distinction.” There was a long sigh from the woman. “You nearly killed two children last week.”
“They survived. A scare will go a long way for your plans. I merely took that into consideration.”
“Do I need to remind you? Killing students or staff will break our contract.” A smug tone entered her voice. “You don’t want that.”
If that worried him, he didn’t show it. The devil waved a hand off to one side. “I’ll keep my raids limited to maiming and breaking then. They have to be believable, yeah?”
“Was there a point to calling me out here or were you wanting my heels ground into your back again.”
“As enjoyable as that is, I think I will pass. For now. When am I to
“I’ll see about tipping off the nuns sometime soon. It will be after school hours, but only just. My familiar will deliver the message. Be ready.”
Despite her being out of Eva’s vision range, she could feel the woman vanish after speaking. The strong scent of brimstone wafted over the woods before a light gust of wind stole it away. She waited to see if the former bull would vanish as well.
He didn’t.
His head slowly turned to focus on Eva. There were trees in the way. She knew there were trees in the way–Eva was half crouched behind one. Yet his head stopped right on Eva without moving an inch too far.
A smile spread across his face.
“Come out,
Eva assumed as much. As she slowly approached his position, Eva pulled the blood out two vials. Behind her back, it twisted and formed into the wire frame ball of her favorite attack. Three more marbles orbited around her with one forming the base for a shield.
Arachne finally loosed her grip on Eva. The muscles in her legs coiled, ready to strike through Eva’s shirt. The spider-demon wouldn’t be any use, by her own admission, but she still readied to attack.
Eva pressed one arm down on the demon, pinning her to Eva’s chest. Teleporting out was a far better option. One Arachne would benefit from if she stuck next to Eva.
She stopped with twenty feet to spare. No trees were in the way, or around in the small clearing where he stood.
They stared at each other. Or he stared at her. Eva’s vision didn’t change much with proximity.
He drew in a long breath of air through his nose. “Demon blood. I don’t recognize its owner. Some nobody, I presume.” His voice kept the smooth tones even as it pitched into a mock. “I sense the owner with you. It won’t matter.”
Arachne prickled beneath Eva’s shirt at his taunts.
Eva, on the other hand, wasn’t about to give any satisfaction by rising to his barbs if she could help it. “What do you want?”
“A great many things, few of which you can offer.”
“What do you want with me, right now, here?”
“Still a great many things. You can offer significantly more when you phrase it that way, however.”
Eva put on her best eyeless glare and didn’t respond.
