3. Eveera
Eveera
This is always my favorite part. Vada, as deadly as she looks, won’t make a move unless I give her the directive. Not that they know that. But scaring them shitless is just as fun to me as watching her rip someone a part. The princeling will think twice before getting so bold a second time.
“He touches you again and it’ll be a bonfire.” she speaks down the bond while growling audibly for everyone. The fear spikes into his companion’s eyes, his name slipping from my mind. I’ll call you Mousy, I think. Much to my dismay, the prince looks less afraid and more awestruck.
“I’ll handle it.” I tell her.
She huffs a hot roll of steam, clacking her teeth in warning before retreating until once again only the glow of her eyes are visible. “Fine. You’ve made your point for today. I will meet you both tomorrow morning in the courtyard. You wish to converse and negotiate then meet me there and we’ll talk. Felix,” He looks expectantly at me, “handle the rest of this for me.” I step past the prince forcing him to drop his hand from my sternum .
The blood has begun to dry on my skin and I smell like a butcher shop. “Thank you.” His companion says quietly.
Cute , I say to myself. Let them think this will get them what they want. I turn, smiling pleasantly, “oh and princeling ,” he bristles at the nickname, “touch me again and I’ll have to portal your ashes back to Vellar.”
My feet carry me down the rest of the steps. “You can touch me but I can’t touch you, huh?” He asks from over my shoulder. I ignore him.
Once out the door I slip into one of the passageways cutting through the castle and go straight to my bedroom. My shower calls to me the moment I am in the room. It was quick work removing the sticky clothes and hopping under the stream. My head falls back against the wall, rivulets of water tinge pink as they roll down my skin. Bleeding gods, this day .
KNOCK KNOCK !
If I have to entertain another person today…. “I’m in the showerrrrr.” I groan turning the faucet off. My hands are fumbling my hair up into a towel on the top of my head when I whip open the left side door to my bedroom. “What?!” I snap.
Felix’s face is stunned for a moment, before his eyes avert towards the ceiling. “The Prince and his companion are settled in at the end of this wing. I have Maxwell and Orem guarding their rooms.” My hands move to pull the hem of my nightdress down a little more.
“Felix.” He keeps his eyes fixed on the ceiling. Snap! Snap! “Felix. You can look down now.” His head slowly lowers warily, both shoulders slouching in relief when he notices the dress is appropriately covering my body.
I walk across the room and crawl into my bed, the mattress sinking underneath my weight while Felix stands at the foot. “How long am I playing host for?” I ask .
“Six days.” He replies and I groan audibly. “You have avoided these sorts of interactions for ten years Evie. There was bound to be a time when someone would come knocking on our doors sooner rather than later.” He moves around the bed tucking my hand in between his.
I hate it. The softness of it too much, too overwhelming.
“He must be an idiot.” I throw the covers back, standing and skirting around him to disconnect from the moment of familiarity. “Does he really expect me to help him?” I ask pulling my hair down from the towel. “Does he not understand the circumstances of why our kingdoms don’t cooperate?”
“Evie, it is possible he is unaware, this could work to your advantage. It would seem the prince and his father may be on separate terms on how to handle this situation with the Kingdom of Hadar. I urge you to at least hear them out. Do what you’re best at. Play your games, use your upper hand and eavesdrop, find their every angle. But do consider their request in the case they’re being true.” His gray eyes bear into the back of my skull as I drag the brush through my wet hair.
“And what would my own people think of that? The people who work in this court?”
“Our citizens only know the grief. Not the logistics. The respect will still be there, from both them and those that work for you.”
His words bounce around in my head, “I’m going to the Room.” I say curtly, walking to my doors to show him out.
“And dinner?” Such a father.
“Not hungry for food. Set the two parasites in the dining hall. Join them, converse and find out as much as you can. I’ll be late.” The door clicks shut behind him. I reach over, grabbing my weapons belts and slipping on my boots. My nightdress is a little unusual for my plans. But at least, it’s black. Black always hides blood better. I knew I should’ve waited to shower.
Percy’s whimper irritates every nerve in my body. The tattoos inked onto my skin writhe around, all of them eager to let go of the magic clinging to them. “Poor pathetic Percy…I thought we had an understanding? Didn’t we? You were going to wait in your cell until I was ready to kill you. NOT, try to wage and barter with the guards or pretend to drink the vials given to you.” He mutters incoherently as I tuck a shiv into his right hand. He tries to release it but I press it tighter into his palm. “Do not let that go,” I whisper, “it’s important.”
I walk around him, tying my damp hair up into a top knot. “You’ve disappointed me greatly Percy. I could just let Vada sink her teeth into you, but I think you need a few moments to yourself. Don’t you?” The crack of my knuckles loud in his ears. “Yes I think you do, I think you need a moment to confront yourself and see what a disappointment you turned into.”
His desperation reeks as he fights miserably against the inky black tendrils of my magic. They enter every orifice on his body, infiltrating his senses both inside and outside — my Wield manifesting and manipulating the victim’s biggest fear. A satisfying feeling warms through me as my magic sinks its teeth into him. Some might find this sadistic. I find it therapeutic.
My shoulders against Vada’s right leg, I admire my handiwork, while tilting my head to look into the golden eye closest to me. . “ They want me to help. ”
“ Hmph. Everyone wants something eventually, little demon. You humans are constantly taking more than what you are owed. Greed is your biggest weakness.” She huffs, turning back to the writhing man in the center of the room.
“ I suppose.” I muse . “Though I don’t have that issue.”
Vada snorts, “ No you, little demon, have a whole different set of issues.” She lifts her imposingly large head and her snout turning up . “Please end the man, his sniveling has become tiresome.” She slinks backwards moving deeper into her cave, leaving me with the miserable son of a bitch.
“Oh come now. Shhh. It’ll all be over soon. The worst is nearly over.” I croon. He looks pitifully in my direction, his pupils dilating wider the closer I get to him. “Percy dear,” I pat his sweaty cheek twice, “slit your throat please, your whines are grating against my nerves.” At the will of my Wield he takes the shiv in his hand and drags it across his throat. Blood spraying along my face and neck. “ Release him.” I whisper the subtle command that beckons my magic back into its serpent counterparts. I stare down at the gore. “Told you it would be over soon.” I exhale letting my shoulders roll. Finally some peace and quiet , I think, clapping my hands together before kicking the dead Vellaran’s boot for good measure and leaving the room.
“ Don’t eat him. ” I warn Vada, her presence lingering closely in my mind.
The room shakes with a low growl rumbling through her cave. “ I’d sooner eat you.”