Void Domain, Book 08 полностью

And the word had only been going around Eva’s head. Vektul hadn’t actually said that they were sacrifices. Merely that they needed people and demons.

“Magically attuned humans–”

Arachne leaned forward, tapping a finger on the table before Vektul could continue.

“Stop.”

Vektul’s mouth snapped shut. He didn’t glare or even look offended at being interrupted.

Probably didn’t know how to be offended. Or perhaps didn’t know that he should be.

Eva looked towards Arachne with somewhat narrowed eyes. The idea that Arachne already knew aspects of this ritual and hadn’t told her was somewhat upsetting. She had said that she hadn’t known anything, but she kept making small comments that made Eva think otherwise.

But for the moment, Arachne ignored Eva’s glare.

“Void put part of the ritual in my head. Nothing about it required killing mortals.”

Eva blinked. Apparently Arachne had come to the same conclusion that Eva had.

“Killing mortals?” Vektul tilted his head. “There has been some confusion, why do we need to kill mortals?”

Eva sighed. She had been right. Well, she had been wrong first, then right. Sort of.

One thing was clear, Vektul needed to go take a lesson on how to properly interact with people.

“The mortals need to be capable of performing magic. They will be stationed around the primary ritual circle, feeding magic to further rip the fabric of reality apart.”

Pressing a hand to her forehead, Eva shook her head back and forth. Why did I instantly think sacrifices.

“The demons will be stationed within the circle. Then myself and Arachne will be at the north and south ends with you in the center.”

Eva shivered slightly. He had mentioned that before, her being needed. But being in the center? She was in the center of her treatment circle, but she knew exactly what that ritual was for.

Maybe she should bring in Catherine and have her go over everything.

“Why me?”

His head, still tilted to one side, swung over to the other side. He was getting a bit exaggerated with that particular expression, but Eva let it slide. Someone could tone that down once she found him a human mannerisms teacher.

“I can’t say for sure. Were I to guess, I would say that you represent a bridge between humans and demons. Mortals and Void.”

“Well, I suppose that makes sense.”

“I don’t like it,” Arachne said with a slight snarl. “We can find some other center point. Make Devon find another kid to start the treatment on and then use him.”

Eva stared at Arachne. “I don’t have much of a problem sacrificing people, but children?”

Arachne just shrugged, glancing to the side. “Better than you.”

“I appreciate that. But we have time. You yourself said that this ritual is not small.”

Despite her calm words, Eva was somewhat worried. The center of a demon summoning circle was normally where the enticements went.

Enticements were an odd thing. Ylva needed a vial of raven blood. Arachne, a living black widow spider. Neither, to Eva’s knowledge, actually did anything with their enticements except for to accept them. A haunter usually wanted fresh meat. And then a storehouse—or in Eva’s case, a jail house—full of meat to help calm them down. The haunter actually consumed the meat. Whether it was considered a treat or actual nourishment, Eva had never asked.

The thing Devon had summoned for fighting the nuns, the one that was hard to look at, seemed to have had a portion of its body used as an enticement. The waxy headache inducing demon had an actual wax candle used for its enticement that turned into its body.

So, while using terms like enticement, Eva would much prefer to not be in the circle. There was a much higher chance of nothing terrible happening if she were far away.

What was it that Void said during one of my first trips to hell? I’m destined for greater things? This is probably what he was talking about.

Eva couldn’t remember exactly when those words had been said, but she was relatively certain that it had been before any enigmas had shown up. For how long had Void known that everything that had happened would happen?

Unless he hadn’t known. Maybe he had been planning this even beforehand.

Of course, like sacrifices, Vektul hadn’t actually mentioned the word enticement. It was probably all in her head.

Turning back to Vektul, Eva frowned. “Though Arachne isn’t the best mage around,” she said, continuing her earlier thought. “So I’m loath to trust her words about the ritual circle’s size. In fact, I’d trust a freshman before her. I hope you have a good idea of exactly how this circle is to be drawn.”

“That statement would be accurate.”

Arachne gave another low growl.

“Don’t be offended, Arachne. You know it’s true.” She kept watching Vektul, waiting for him to continue.

Only to realize he had no intentions of doing so.

“How large is this ritual circle?”