With a long sigh, Eva started to speak. She didn’t get beyond the first syllable.
“I digress. None of that is why you are here today. There will be time to investigate you. I have contractual obligations to ensure there is time. Obligations I think you will relish assisting me with.
“Tell me,” he said as his grin widened to split his head in two, “how do you feel about the Elysium Sisters?”
— — —
Juliana crept through the old house. Every inch of it had to be inspected every time she visited. Ceilings, cupboards, closets, and every room required a thorough inspection.
She was
Luckily, this house was not very large. One master bedroom with an attached bathroom, two smaller bedrooms, and a living room attached to a dining room and kitchen. It only had one floor, but Juliana always peeked into the attic and the crawlspace.
With every other room checked and cleared, Juliana stopped outside the door to one of the bedrooms. She leaned her head against the door and shut her eyes. A silent prayer was sent off; to who that prayer went, Juliana couldn’t guess. Not with what she’d done.
She flicked her wand to activate her ferrokinesis spell. Metal that had become as much a part of her body as her clothes melted. Thicker portions on her arms flowed up and around her fingers. Larger clumps on her chest moved up and around her neck. Her long, blond hair pinched back into a ponytail as a smooth dome formed over her head.
Eye slits were the last to form, along with small holes for fresh air in front of her mouth.
Unnecessary for the most part. Juliana wasn’t willing to take the risk of walking in unarmored.
With a sigh, Juliana opened the door.
The old room’s paint peeled off the walls in long curls. A light fixture dangled out of the ceiling, the rotting wood had given way long ago and left nothing but the wires holding it in place. Juliana had stripped the carpet out and tossed it in the other bedroom when she first decided to use the place. The small window had a thin sheet of metal completely blocking all light.
The only illumination in the room was a series of jars set up in the corners filled to the brim with a brightly glowing liquid. The concoction was made in alchemy class using liquid fire and liquid order combined with a handful of other ingredients. It should last for another month before needing replacing.
On the bare plywood was a large circle. It took up almost the entire room. Only a foot and a half of empty space was left between the door and the circle. Seals were inscribed all along the edges while sigils were chalked down on the inside.
Juliana wasn’t sure what the difference was. None of it looked very different from the runes Eva drew. The book told her where to put them and she wasn’t about to ignore that. She checked the book over and over again to ensure not a single line was out of place.
A six spoked wheel sat in the very center. Coming off of it at an angle were six lines ending in a half arrow. The center wheel moved. She drew it with chalk of the same type that Eva purchased on occasion, but it slowly spun and gave off a black light as it did so.
A short figure stood on top of the wheel. It didn’t reach higher than Juliana’s knees and she was one of the shortest people in class. The creature had pale purple skin that almost wafted off of it like smoke. Beneath the translucent skin was a skeleton highlighted by vibrant green dots.
Two horns curled off behind the creature from the base of its neck and two more curled off its back around the shoulder blades. All four were dotted with the same green lights.
Its face was smooth with no mouth, and no nose, and no hair. Two green lights around the area its eyes should be narrowed as Juliana shut the door behind her.
“Hi,” Juliana said softly. Her light voice echoed within her helmet. She quickly formed proper ear holes and widened the holes around her mouth. “You are still here.”
Its eyes narrowed further as a brief flash of pain hit the base of Juliana’s skull.
“Right,” Juliana said with a wince, “I know. I’m stating the obvious again.”
It continued its glare as it crossed its arms. One of its feet started tapping against the wooden floor.
Juliana sat down cross-legged just outside what the book called shackles. “I brought you something,” she said as she reached into her bag and pulled out an apple. She carefully set the apple on the far side of the shackles and withdrew her hand with haste.
The book said it was impossible to destroy the shackles on accident. Either the demon would smash through or the one who charged the circle had to intentionally break them. Juliana wasn’t going to take the chance by sliding or rolling the apple across.
Her haste in snatching back her hand seemed unnecessary as well. The small demon didn’t even move from the center of the circle until she was back with both hands in her lap.
