A combination of growing accustomed to Ylva’s nightly antics and sheer exhaustion had Zoe falling asleep without much trouble by the weekend.
All except for Halloween night, during which Ylva stood guard. It was as if she expected something to happen. Although she had slept soundly for the previous few weeks, Zoe got no sleep on Halloween.
The entire situation was all so surreal. Even though it had been two and a half months since the attack on her home, she still kept expecting to wake up back in her burning home in the arms of those two demons. Every day that passed was a fresh relief in that department.
Zoe arched her back and held it in a long stretch. With a long, open-mouthed yawn, she slid out of bed and started unbuttoning her nightshirt.
“Good morning, Ylva,” she said to the little girl sitting on the end of her bed.
Ylva gave her a brief nod in return.
Undressed fully, Zoe tossed her pajamas in the dirty laundry and started towards the shower.
As soon as she touched the door handle, Zoe froze. The feeling of icy water ran down her back. She slowly glanced back to her bed where tiny Ylva sat in one of the dresses they had purchased for her.
“Is something wrong?”
Ylva had never just shown up in her room before. She always waited out on the couch.
“You were thrashing in your sleep. We observed to ensure you did not come to harm.”
“That’s… Thanks, I suppose.”
Zoe pressed her fingers to her forehead and stepped into the shower as she tried hard not to think about her casual undressing in front of Ylva.
Aside from the lingering thought about the demons attacking her home, Zoe didn’t feel very bad. Not like right after it happened. She even felt well rested. No aches or pains in her neck, back, or legs like she might find if she
Ylva might have done something, but Zoe didn’t think her abilities extended into dream management.
Zoe shut off the hot water and dried off. Moving to the mirror, she ran a comb through her hair–it would dry in her preferred style. A quick dusting of hairspray after breakfast would keep it in place for the day. She only applied the bare minimum of makeup. She could never understand her old roommates and their need to sit in front of the mirror for hours on end.
There were only twenty-four hours in a day and a third of that was spent sleeping. Spending an hour or two more on makeup was simply inconceivable.
Then again, she was the only one of her old dorm mates to still be unmarried.
“Ylva,” Zoe called out as she finished suiting up, “are you ready to head out?”
“We are prepared.”
Zoe walked out into her room to find Ylva standing beside the bed. It hadn’t been made before Zoe got in the shower, but now it was nicely smoothed out and tucked in.
One thing she couldn’t complain about was the demon’s propensity for cleanliness. Any time Zoe left something for later, she found it tidied up. Dishes, clothing, and the bed of course.
Placing her hand on Ylva’s shoulder, Zoe teleported the two of them straight to her office. Unlike Eva, Arachne, and even Zagan, Ylva was not bothered by the trip through between. Something to do with her natural affinity for cold.
At least, that would be Zoe’s best guess. She hadn’t devoted much time to researching that particular aspect of Ylva and she hadn’t asked.
The bell signaling the five-minute warning before class started for the day echoed through her office.
— — —
Jordan’s eyes turned from his meal. He sat up straight and looked over Eva’s shoulder. His normally gray eyes lit up with burning interest. “An elf?” he all but squeaked.
Eva set down her fork and turned to follow his gaze. She wasn’t very interested in eating the breakfast burrito anyway. It wasn’t even breakfast.
Sure enough, an elf wandered into the lunchroom alongside a glasses-wearing-man. Both wore silver patches on the sides of their shirts identifying them as members of Martina Turner’s new security force. Eva had seen the glasses guy around on a few occasions over the past few days, but it was her first time seeing the rumored elf. She even had a chance to meet the two ‘specialists’ that were creeping around the halls.
He had his long platinum hair–that couldn’t hold a candle to Ylva’s own–drawn back into a ponytail. Eva couldn’t be sure from across the room, but his lips and eyebrows seemed to be drawn on. They were too smooth and held no depth.
Eva gave a small shudder. The more she looked, the more alien the elf appeared. His eyes were too wide and his nose too small. His lanky arms stretched
It was silly, she knew. Arachne had eight eyes and had plated carapace covering her instead of skin. Ylva was a giant. Neither had ever disturbed her like the elf.
“Wow,” came the soft voice of Shalise.
