32. Evelyn
32
Evelyn
T he Arcanum headquarters felt stifling. I slumped in my chair, eyeing the mess around me. Papers everywhere, half-empty coffee mugs, and—because someone had spare time—a 3D replica of the Luminary coven, complete with tiny furniture.
Priorities, people.
But I guess we all had our various talents. Some were good in battle, others, apparently, in dollhouse-making.
The influx of supernatural helpers was both a blessing and a curse. More bodies meant more firepower, but it also meant more chaos.
Fitting, I guess.
The SLEA had been pushing for a strike on Eris’s headquarters. Their plan? Bomb it. Just drop a supernatural nuke and hope for the best.
“So, we’re agreed then?” I asked, lifting a brow. “We’re not actually gonna nuke my best friend?”
Grunts and awkward shuffling greeted my question like I’d just suggested tea with Eris instead of, you know, not nuking Lia.
Alister nodded beside me. “Right! We must find a way to dismantle Eris’s hold without causing collateral damage.”
“Look,” I said, leaning forward. “I get it. The Supernatural Law Enforcement Agency wants a quick fix. Boom, problem solved. But Lia’s in there somewhere, and I’m not barbecuing her just because some trigger-happy suit says so.”
One of the agents—Bob or Bill or whatever—cleared his throat. “With all due respect, Miss Evelyn, sometimes sacrifices—”
“Not happening,” I cut him off with a deadly glare. “I don’t care if I have to fight every supernatural pencil-pusher. We’re not sacrificing Lia.”
His face turned an impressive shade of red. “We don’t need your approval, Miss Everhart, or to take your orders. You might be powerful, but if you—”
“I suggest you don’t finish that sentence,” Chad growled, his voice low and deadly.
I shot Chad a grateful smile and turned back to the agent just as the chief materialized. He stepped in with a curt nod as his deputy moved aside.
“We’re not going to obliterate the only chance we have to save Lia,” I told him as he joined us.
He looked conflicted. “We might not have a choice.”
After lengthy discussions with master scholars, specialized warlocks, and witches about possession, they concluded that Eris could hypothetically be removed from Lia’s body.
But there were skeptics.
This wasn’t a simple possession—it was a goddess anchoring herself to a mortal vessel. No spell or ritual had ever separated a deity from a host before. Most believed the only surefire way to stop Eris was to kill her—and Lia along with her.
If Lia’s body died before Eris could escape, the goddess would be trapped inside her, their souls bound together in the Shadow Realm for eternity. It was a grim solution, but the only way to some.
I refused to accept that.
As the meeting dragged on, I felt the weight of exhaustion pressing on me. My mind spun with too many thoughts at once.
“I’ll be back,” I muttered, pushing away from the table.
Rafe’s concerned gaze flicked toward me. “Where are you going?”
“Bathroom.”
Chad waggled his eyebrows. “Need any help?”
Lucien smacked the back of his head. “Let her go.”
I rolled my eyes and slipped out of the room, weaving through the halls until I found the nearest bathroom.
The second I shut the door, the world lurched, shadows twisting and swallowing everything around me.
Not this place again.
A deep, resonant voice rumbled through the darkness.
“It’s time to fulfill your favor.”
I turned sharply, my stomach tightening as I met the hollow, endless gaze of the Shadow Guardian.
I swallowed hard. “Now? You couldn’t have waited until after we stopped an actual goddess from wrecking the world?”
“The Lord of the Underworld is not known for his patience,” the Guardian said. “You made a deal. We spared your mate. Now it’s time to pay up.”
A vial materialized in his outstretched hand, swirling with silver mist.
I didn’t dare touch it yet.
“What is it?” I asked warily.
The Guardian’s gaze bore into mine. “That’s unimportant. You simply need to place this on a particular person.”
“What is it?” I asked again as I folded my arms.
He sighed, impatience flickering across his face. “It’s a tracking spell. Hades believes someone of interest is hiding at Bloodstained Academy. You will plant this on our target.”
My stomach dropped. “Bloodstained Academy? That’s a reform school for supernatural criminals.”
The Guardian nodded.
I exhaled sharply. “And what does Hades want with this person?”
“That doesn’t concern you.”
Oh, that was reassuring.
I eyed the vial warily. “And what happens if I refuse?”
The Guardian tilted his head. “Then you break a deal with Hades, and we take your mate back.”
Not an option.
I sighed, snatching the vial from his grasp. It was cold against my palm.
“Fine,” I muttered. “Who am I planting this on?”
An image formed in my mind.
Tall. Dark. Imposing. I remembered seeing him—quiet, observant, always at the edge of every discussion.
I gritted my teeth. “Fine.”
Before I could ask anything else, the darkness lurched, and suddenly, I was back in the bathroom stall, gripping the edge of the sink.
When I returned to the meeting, I grabbed Lucien’s wrist and tugged him into a quiet corridor.
He didn’t resist, but his sharp eyes scanned my face. “What is it?”
I exhaled, rolling up my sleeve to reveal the intricate black markings of my deal with Hades.
“It’s time.”
Lucien’s expression darkened, his jaw tightening. “What does he want?”
I pulled the small vial from my pocket, the silvery mist inside swirling ominously. “He wants me to plant this on someone.”
Lucien’s brow furrowed. “Who?”
I hesitated. “I don’t know much about him, but I’ve seen him before—tall, dark hair, always watching but never participating. He’s a teacher from the reform academy who came to help.”
Lucien’s frown deepened. “Dorian Graves.”
I nodded.
Lucien’s arms crossed over his chest, his posture tense. “I don’t know much about him. Only his name. He keeps to himself, but I’ve meant to talk to him about the reform program and potions.” His gaze flicked to the vial. “What exactly are we planting?”
“A tracking spell. At least, that’s what the Guardian told me. Hades is trying to locate someone, believing they’re connected to Graves.”
Lucien arched an eyebrow. “And you believe that’s all this is?”
I sighed. “I don’t know. But I made a deal. If I don’t do this, they take back Alister.”
Lucien was silent for a moment, then finally nodded. “Alright. Let’s introduce ourselves to him.”
Lucien led me through the academy halls until we spotted Professor Dorian Graves near the back of the meeting room. He stood with an air of quiet authority, his large arms crossed in front of him.
Lucien approached first, offering a polite nod. “Professor Graves.”
Graves turned, his gray eyes landing on Lucien before shifting to me. “I’m Professor Lucien, leading the potion division here at Arcanum Academy.” Lucien gestured toward me. “This is Evelyn Everhart.”
I extended a hand, keeping my smile polite but detached. “Pleasure.”
Graves clasped my hand briefly, his grip firm but unreadable. “Likewise.”
Lucien wasted no time. “I wanted to discuss the reform academy’s structure. Your approach has caught my attention.”
Graves inclined his head. “I’d be happy to elaborate.”
As they launched into a conversation, I let my gaze drift to his belongings. His bag rested beside his chair, slightly open.
Perfect.
Carefully, I palmed the vial and slipped it inside the outer pocket, the magic humming softly against my fingers as it activated. The spell sealed itself, undetectable to anyone except its creator.
As if sensing something, Graves’s gaze flicked back to me.
His expression didn’t change, but his eyes held an intensity that made my stomach tighten.
“You’re quieter than I expected, being Hecate’s champion.”
I smiled, feigning amusement. “I let Lucien do all the talking. He’s better at it.”
Lucien smirked, but Graves didn’t look away from me.
The moment stretched too long before he finally nodded.
Lucien wrapped their discussion smoothly, shaking Grave’s hand before stepping back. “We’ll talk again soon.”
Graves simply nodded, his gaze flicking to me one last time before he turned and walked away.
As soon as Graves was gone, I rolled up my sleeve.
Lucien’s eyes dropped to my forearm.
The tattoo binding my deal with Hades flickered once before vanishing.
I let out a shaky breath. “It’s done.”
Lucien’s fingers brushed the bare skin. “You alright?”
I nodded, but a sense of unease settled in my stomach.
“We should get back,” I murmured, forcing my legs to move.
Lucien didn’t push, but his fingers remained firmly laced with mine as we walked.
I made my way back to the discussion, feeling pretty shitty and hoping I hadn’t just done something terribly wrong, when Ryker pushed forward, his broad frame carving a path through the crowd.
“News,” he rumbled. “My guys, on the inside, confirmed Eris is building an army. Since the battle, there’s been an influx of supernaturals joining her cause.”
Alister sighed. “How bad?”
“Demons. Vampires. Worse.”
Great. Fan-freaking-tastic. Just as our numbers swelled, hers did as well.
“She’s not just collecting power; she’s making a spectacle,” Ryker said, his tone grim.
I frowned, leaning forward. “A spectacle?”
“It’s a show of dominance,” Ryker clarified. “She’s flaunting her strength—corruption, chaos, destruction—all of it is deliberate. She’s trying to draw attention and recruit more followers.”
“It’s a calculated move.” Lucien said, " Fear is her weapon. By sowing chaos and demonstrating her power, she’s positioning herself as unstoppable. Those who are afraid might decide it’s safer to join her than to oppose her.”
My stomach twisted. “So, a recruitment tactic?”
“Not just recruitment,” Rafe added quietly. “It’s intimidation. A warning. She’s sending a message to anyone who might stand against her—us included.”
I closed my eyes, picturing Lia—no, Eris —surrounded by an army of nightmares. My best friend is now the poster child for ‘Chaos: Now Recruiting’.
“So,” I said, opening my eyes to face the grim faces around me, “we’ve got a goddess of discord building the world’s most dysfunctional army, and our best plan is still ‘bomb the crap out of everything’?”
Ryker nodded. “But…”
“But what?” Rafe prompted.
Ryker’s expression twisted with dark amusement. “Turns out, wrangling a bunch of chaotic evil assholes isn’t exactly easy. There are infighting and power struggles. One of my guys said, and I quote, ‘Eris might be a goddess, but she ain’t no miracle worker when it comes to team building.’”
I snorted. “So, what you’re saying is, we might have a chance to exploit those cracks?”
“Yep, there are power struggles between different factions. Vampires versus demons, that sort of thing,” Ryker continued.
“Makes sense,” I mused. “Throw a bunch of egomaniacs together and expect them to play nice? Recipe for disaster.”
Alister grunted in agreement. “Chaos begets chaos.”
I smirked. “Look at you. Waxing poetic.”
He rolled his eyes, but then it turned into a grin. “And it gives us leverage against the bomb-happy idiots. No offense,” he added, nodding at the chief.
“So,” I continued, “Eris doesn’t care about loyalty. She just wants bodies to throw at us and cause mayhem.”
“Precisely,” Rafe said thoughtfully. “As long as they’re spreading chaos, she’s happy. And if her name as ruler spreads along with it, all the better. For Eris, chaos isn’t just destruction—it’s power. Every act of mayhem reinforces her reign.”
I chewed my lip, thinking. “But keeping that mess in line can’t be easy, even for her.”
A light bulb went off in my head, and I grinned. “Then that’s our in. We don’t need to out-muscle her. We just need to out-chaos her chaos.”
The room fell silent as they processed my words. Then, slowly, matching grins appeared on their faces.
Suddenly, one of the agents—Bob or Bill, I could never tell them apart—stood up and knocked his chair back. The room tensed as he pulled his wand-gun from his waistband, aiming it directly at my head.
“Eris sends her regards,” he said, his voice eerily calm.
Before I could even react, Chad had already shifted and had him pinned to the floor by the neck.
Bill or Bob looked confused, his eyes wide with fear as he screamed, “Wait. I didn’t mean to do that. You have to believe me.”
The room was deadly silent, everyone staring in stunned disbelief.
“What the hell just happened?” Ryker growled, his deep voice rumbling like distant thunder. He moved instinctively, stepping before me like a shield, his broad shoulders blocking most of my view. His hand found mine, gripping tightly, reassuring himself that I was still there.
Lucien stepped closer to the pinned agent, his eyes sharp. “He’s been compromised.”
“I swear, I didn’t mean to do it!” Bob—or Bill—gasped, his face going red as Chad’s claws tightened. “I heard her voice in my head—she was there, pushing me to—to—”
Chad let out a warning growl, his glowing eyes narrowing.
“Wait,” I said, holding a hand to stop Chad from pressing further. “He might actually be telling the truth.”
The man’s pleading gaze darted to mine. “She was in my mind. I couldn’t stop it. One second, I was sitting here, and the next…I don’t even remember standing up. It wasn’t me!”
“Everyone needs to protect their minds from now on,” Rafe said.
But protecting our minds wouldn’t be enough. It was time we unleashed some chaos of our own.