Void Domain, Book 07 полностью

“Didn’t know you cared,” Catherine said with a frown.

“I do.”

Catherine snorted. She turned half-away, staring at the ritual circle with unblinking eyes.

Zagan had again closed his eyes and resumed his meditation.

Lucy and Serena looked like they wanted to come over and talk. At least, Serena looked like she wanted to come talk. Lucy was staring at the starry night sky with a wide grin on her mouth. A too-wide grin.

If any student at Brakket Academy still thought that she was even partially human, it would be a miracle.

Eva gave Serena a sorry smile—one that said that they could talk later.

“I do care about you,” Eva said. “As far as all the people I know go, you’re one of the more agreeable to speak with. And with Arachne… with that incident, I’d rather not needlessly lose any more friends.” The last word came out almost as a whisper as she remembered her conversation with Serena the other day.

“Friends?” Catherine gave a small snort.

But she didn’t deny it, Eva thought with a smile. That was another friendship finger that she could tick off. Her smile faltered just a hair as her thought process continued onwards. Unless the snort was her denying it.

Catherine turned back, eying Eva up and down. “Just go get the diabolist.”

“Demonologist,” Eva corrected. “He’ll get mad if you call him otherwise.”

“Whatever.” Catherine dismissed the notion with a wave of her hand. “Hurry up. We’re on a time limit. I want this done before Zagan decides to leave.”

Eva shrugged, but didn’t argue. Zagan probably wouldn’t go anywhere since he was the one who wanted the experiment to go ahead.

But, Zagan was a fickle creature. Eva complied with Catherine’s request.

“Devon,” Eva called out as she entered the women’s ward.

“In here, girl,” came a voice from the kitchen. It sounded as if his mouth was half full of food.

Sure enough, Eva walked in to find Devon shoveling a bowl of ramen down his throat.

He held up a set of calipers in his tentacle and waved her over with them, not bothering to actually verbalize anything as he slurped up another noodle.

“The demons aren’t gone just yet,” Eva said. That actually got him to glare at her. Before he could empty his mouth and start berating her–or worse, not empty his mouth and start berating her–Eva said, “but I think you should talk to Catherine first.”

His narrowed eyes blinked wide open. A moment later, he leaned back in the chair and looked up with a long groan at the ceiling. “The harsh words… it liked them, didn’t it?”

“Not really. Probably. Actually, she wants to be part of an experiment.”

Devon shifted, looking back at her. “What sort of experiment? I am not interested in most things that a succubus would consider experimental.”

“Catherine wants to be in the center of the treatment circle.”

His fingers tapped against the table, beating out an irregular rhythm. He stared. The gears turning in his head was almost audible. Slowly, Devon’s gaze shifted to his notebook.

“It wouldn’t work,” he eventually said. “The succubus wouldn’t gain anything. Not unless…”

Devon trailed off. Ramen forgotten, he picked up his notebook and started flipping through the pages.

“She says that she knows a few modifications that would need to be made. And, the reason why all the demons are still here is to run this second experiment. I think she wants to do it tonight. Like, now. Or as soon as the modifications to the circle can be done.”

Eva had been hoping that telling him why the demons were around might help entice him further.

She should have known better.

Devon’s eyes narrowed. “The pillar wants to do it,” he said with a flat voice. “It wouldn’t stay here otherwise.” He snapped his notebook shut with a loud clack. “Forget it. I’m not playing into a bunch of demons’ hands. And definitely not the devil’s.”

Really should have known better, Eva thought. But still, this was Catherine’s request. Zagan might have known about it, but he hadn’t forced Catherine to suggest it as far as Eva could tell. Not only was she using up a favor in asking to get him to come, but she was a friend.

Tentatively.

Could she just leave it with him declining? Catherine wanted to use up a whole favor on this, so probably not.

“Ah,” Eva said. “That’s a shame.” She turned towards the kitchen exit. “I suppose I’ll just go tell Catherine and especially Zagan that you don’t want a thing to do with them. I’m sure that Zagan will be only mildly disappointed that he wasted his time by waiting around.”

Eva started walking away. Slowly. All while counting down in her head.

The second she hit zero, Devon spoke.

“Eva.”

Eva stopped, glancing back with a vapid smile on her face.

He did not sound happy.

“I know what you’re doing.”

“I know you know. That doesn’t change the fact that I wouldn’t want to anger Zagan. And that’s taking into consideration that he wouldn’t kill me on a whim for the simple fact that he is interested in finding out what lies at the end of my treatment.”