Eva leaned back in her chair. That sounded incredibly annoying. While it probably wouldn’t come to pass anytime soon simply because of the red tape involved, Eva would definitely end up on the wrong side of the law should it pass. Solely due to blood magic, entirely discounting the fact that she was a demon. Because she was a demon, however, she was far less dependent on society. She didn’t need sleep, food, or even a focus. Avoiding government registrations wouldn’t be difficult. No different from her living off the grid as she had been between her prison here and the abandoned hospital in Florida.
Thinking about the hospital in Florida had Eva frowning. Not because she missed the place. It was kind of a dump in retrospect. The women’s ward at the prison was far more habitable. Rather, thinking about it had her thinking about Florida in general and her time there with Devon and Arachne.
Though it had been a week and several days, she had still heard nothing from the spider-demon. No sign that Arachne had returned. No word from Void either, not since the ritual. Even before her domain got merged with the real world, it hadn’t said a word to her despite the occasional questions or comments that she shouted out to nothingness.
“I heard a little from Catherine,” Eva said, mostly to distract herself from her thoughts of Arachne. “Shalise is alright, right?”
Zoe nodded her head in the affirmative. “I was still at the circle, but I heard afterwards that she was found confused and apparently couldn’t recall how she arrived in the infirmary, but otherwise unharmed. She’s currently at Nod Complex, finishing her schooling.”
“Juliana’s with her as well, I assume,” Eva said to herself. She had been somewhat hoping that someone would be around to talk to. One of her friends, maybe someone willing to live inside the domain if only to keep her company for the time being while she figured out how to get out of her domain.
Watching Zoe go silent with her lips tightly pressed together made Eva a little uneasy.
“Zoe?”
“Nobody knows where Juliana is,” she said, voice far more terse than it had been just a few moments ago.
“What do you mean, nobody knows? Nel should–”
Zoe shook her head. “She can’t see anything but darkness when she tries to look for Juliana. Though I don’t know how much she had actually tried; Nel and Ylva have been busy running the Elysium Order. Genoa found a note on Juliana’s bed three days after everything that simply stated that Juliana was off in search of adventure, not to worry, and that she would check in from time to time.”
“Just like that?” Eva asked with raised eyebrows, to which Zoe gave a shallow nod. It must have been Zagan. Or related to Zagan at least. According to Juliana, he hadn’t spoken once since the night she summoned him. Something that had Juliana constantly worried about their agreement. Maybe he had said something or maybe she had simply let her paranoia get the better of her.
Either way, Juliana would probably be fine. With Zagan’s power, Eva couldn’t imagine her dying anytime soon. She had probably used Zagan’s power to keep Nel from locating her in the first place. Unless she got it into her head that she couldn’t use Zagan’s power in some attempt to amuse him.
Worrying wouldn’t help, but Eva couldn’t help but worry. A little.
“Nel isn’t the only way to locate someone. Since we know her name and face, we could send a haunter after her. Of course, if she doesn’t want to be found, I doubt anything we do will work.”
“Genoa and Carlos are running themselves ragged,” Zoe said with a sigh. “I’m sure they would try just about anything up to and including summoning a demon.”
“She has the most powerful demon I’ve ever met with her. They shouldn’t worry too much.”
“That might be exactly why they worry. I–” A light beeping from Zoe’s pocket cut her off. She blinked twice, apparently trying to reach for her phone with her missing arm before remembering that she had put her phone in the opposite pocket. “Phones didn’t work in Ylva’s domain,” she said idly as she pulled the phone out.
“I don’t think this place is connected in the same way that Ylva’s domain was. Or even the bit of my domain that was in my dorm room. It was a remnant of killing an enigma, forced onto the world. Catherine was freaking out about it when she realized.”
“Doesn’t that make Hell and Void vulnerable?”
Eva shrugged. “Maybe. I don’t think Life is in any position to capitalize on it though.”
Humming a thoughtful hum for a moment, Zoe glanced down at her phone and read through a message. “It’s Wayne,” she said. “He still hasn’t been able to find Serena.”
“Serena is missing too?” Eva said with a frown, leaning forward. “I meant to thank her for intervening with Life’s tentacles. I know her suit got all torn up during the ritual. Hopefully she’s alright.”
“Me too. Despite how Wayne acts, I’m sure he’s concerned as well.”
“Nel can’t locate her either?”
