Arachne flexed all of her extra legs, moving around to block Eva’s view of the doorway as she stood protectively over Eva.
A moment of tense silence passed. Everyone wondering if they should flee or launch attacks against the walls just in case.
For Eva, she was just hoping that someone would come around the corner. Anyone, really. Saying something similar had worked back in Prax’s domain. If it had failed then, nobody would have been around to call her out. Now she had caused all this commotion in hopes that it would work again.
Given how hard Genoa’s heart was beating, Eva was regretting it. The woman had been acting tired. This was just unneeded stress.
Of course, if she wanted no stress, she shouldn’t have come back to Brakket.
“Sorry,” Eva said, breaking the tense silence.
Her voice was enough to make Juliana jump. She spun around with a sword pointing out towards Eva.
Arachne knocked it away with one of her legs. Eva immediately reached forward to grab her hand before she could do anything more.
“I wasn’t going to attack,” Arachne said, barely glancing over her shoulder towards Eva. Turning to face Juliana, she continued. “Do not point swords at Eva.”
Genoa had her own focus pointed at Arachne’s back, only lowering it as the tension bled off.
“Look,” Eva said before the woman could say anything. “Let’s just all just calm down for a moment. Take a deep breath and remember that we’re all allies.”
“Eva,” Genoa said, turning her attention back to the doorway. “Did you see something or not?”
“I… thought I did.”
With all the commotion she had caused, she couldn’t admit that she was just guessing that someone was there.
Genoa sighed, leaning against the counter.
Arachne prowled around the room, head swiveling around as she tried to keep an eye on everything at once. She made her way to the doorway, stopping just outside it. Before entering, she stayed outside, listening. After another moment, she started sniffing.
Seemingly satisfied that there was nothing around, she peeked her head around the corner. All of her legs were raised protectively around her head. She walked in, made her way around the front entrance and living room before coming back to the kitchen.
“No sign of anyone. Door still locked. Windows are unbroken. There are marks on the floors, but I assume that is from regular wear and use.”
“Thank you Arachne. I guess I was wrong.”
Srey whirled on Eva. “You guess? How could you assume someone was there? We just said that magic doesn’t work on them. Including my detection magic.”
“I’m relatively certain that I’ve met this doll before. Then, I was able to detect her. Not through sensing demons or even my ability to sense blood. It was just a feeling that I got. It was correct then.” Eva turned around to face the kitchen windows that looked out over the back yard of the home. “And I still feel something.”
If the doll was still watching and just from someplace else, she wanted it to know that she knew.
Even though she didn’t.
“A sort of instinct in your gut?” Genoa asked. She was leaning against the counter with her daughter at her side, using Juliana’s shoulder as a sort of crutch. She took in a deep breath, looking around the room. “I have the same feeling.”
Eva raised an eyebrow in Genoa’s direction. “Yeah, something like that,” she lied.
But if Genoa was feeling something off, perhaps there was some truth to the matter.
“Let’s search a bit more,” Eva said. “Arachne, with me. Genoa and Juliana, if you want to sit–”
Pushing herself off the table again—and away from Juliana—Genoa shook her head. “No. This is our home and my daughter. I’ll not sit idly while danger lurks.”
Eva let out a small sigh. She knew this would happen. Even if it wasn’t the demon hunters, she had still brought danger to Genoa’s doorstep.
“Alright,” Eva said with a light sigh. Not that she really had a choice in the matter. She wasn’t Genoa’s minder. “But don’t attack if this doll doesn’t look violent. Last time, the doll wasn’t hostile. It would be better if we didn’t have to fight.”
“I agree.” Juliana moved up to her mother. Not as a crutch, but ready if Genoa needed help. “The dolls… they didn’t help us escape the prison, but they didn’t get in the way either.”
Eva blinked then frowned as something clicked. They let Juliana and Shalise escape. Nothing was wrong with that… except Prax had been inside Shalise. Or had been in control of her. Eva was a little unclear on when exactly that had happened. Her concentration had been entirely on Genoa.
But if they had let Prax escape, would they really be here for him? Moreover, would the doll have been after him even back when Eva had first encountered it inside Prax’s domain?
She had said that cells needed to be refilled, and Prax was an escapee. But if the doll hadn’t been after Prax and Shalise, then the whole ordeal with the Elysium Order’s cathedral had been for nothing.
