Chapter 5
Ifound myself lying down on a chaise lounge while Eve draped herself partly over me, a small tray of fruits beside her as she plucked them off and offered me each morsel one by one.
The ladies who had come with me had a mix of reactions: Venthra was fuming, and Almeria was studious, while Nyx and Merlin seemed completely unbothered.
"Yes, well, things are so difficult here," Eve started, emphasizing the words in a way that made it hard to believe. She plucked a slice of juicy red fruit, and I opened my mouth for her to place it delicately in, her long nails grazing my lips as she pulled her hand back with a smile.
"I can only imagine the demons make everything difficult," I said, giving her a small rumble of content, hoping that would satisfy her vanity.
Eve was a rather tricky individual. She simply couldn't believe that she wasn't the most beautiful person in the room.
And she was old and practiced enough to know when a person was lying, both with their lips and their actions.
I had to allow her to be the prettiest person, just to satisfy her narcissism, or else she'd quickly lose interest.
And once her interest was gone, I was unlikely to make any headway. Yet at the same time, I had very little interest in the woman herself. Not only would she not play well with my harem, but in the greater scope of everything happening, she was simply a liability.
That I had to do this much just to have a conversation about clearing demons out of her territory said plenty. But it was undeniable that she was strong and powerful. Being a leader of a sect required a certain level of power.
At the very least, I had plenty of practice in reflecting someone’s attention right back at them. In fact, my current trick was to pretend that I was a flirty Simone wearing an illusion in order to convince Eve of my affection.
"Yes, a cause of far too many issues, though it seems their strategy regarding us is to starve us of opportunity,” she continued and pulled my attention back to the present.
"Oh?" I asked curiously.
"Yes. Any instance in the area of moderately high level or rank is swept up by them without exception.
It's almost like they know where and when they will appear.
And the worst part is, some we've attempted to hold onto has only caused retaliation in other areas.
" Eve scowled. "Unfortunately, I am but one woman, and they know it well enough to cause problems simply wherever I am not. "
If Eve’s sect had one glaring weakness, it was that she stood head and shoulders above the rest of her sect. Once again, her narcissism weakened her position.
I squashed down any thoughts of correcting her and instead shook my head. "Demons," I said, commiserating with her.
Before she plopped another fruit in my mouth, I reached over to the tray, trying to return the favor, only for her nails to graze down my arm, causing my hair to stand on end as they traced all the way up and tickled the soft flesh of my neck before she brushed them back.
"But now you're here."
"I am," I said, offering her a grape that she sucked off my finger with her ruby red lips. Her lips sucked around the fruit, making a suggestive pop.
"Yes, now that you're here," she said, as if she hadn't been taunting me to help with the demons. "I suppose we can now be in two places, but what if they split into three and four?" she said with a sigh.
I shook my head. "I think that's why we need to lay a trap for them. In fact, I think it would best serve us if the demons didn't realize that I was here, spoiling their plans, or else I might attract attention that you would prefer not to fall upon your sect."
That statement caused Eve to scowl. "Will your presence cause me issues?"
"Only if you let it. After all, I'm here with Eve of the First Garden, simply continuing your existing game with the demons.
Allowing me to be a trap for the demons when they think they've already won would serve you well.
The less they know of my involvement, the longer we can delay any larger reaction from them, even if my traps become discovered. "
"Are you keeping your activities separate from mine to avoid demons, or because you don't trust me?" Eve pursed her lips in a faint pout.
I offered her a piece of fruit. "Do I look like someone who doesn't trust you? If you have a better idea, then I'm happy to go with your plan and cast mine aside."
The smile on her face turned to one of delight.
"No, I just need to make sure we're working in a space of trust if we're going to have success in our endeavors.
You and I would make a wonderful team." She ran her knuckle across my cheek, and I leaned into it, even as Venthra could be heard grinding her teeth to the side.
"Though it seems some of your companions aren't entirely thrilled with my involvement," she said lightly.
I brushed her touch aside to hold her hand. "That doesn't matter. What matters is what you and I decide. Though I am eager to start, I believe it might be prudent for me to understand the situation here as best I can."
Eve nodded and put a hand on my chest to press me back as she picked up the tray of fruit, beginning to offer me morsel after morsel as she explained what had been happening.
"The demons aren't individually that strong, but there are, sadly, too many of them.
Some of the major cities here in Brazil have offered fertile breeding grounds for the demons and their ilk. "
I nodded along. That was how it had gone in my past life. "Do you have other allies in the region?" I asked around a mouthful of fruit.
"There are a few small sects, and the tribes of the Amazon have put up some small resistance."
"Tribes?" I asked, hoping to hear more about them.
"Yes," Eve said with a heavy sigh. "We were briefly in conflict with them before the demons became a far greater issue. They were well-positioned for the Rapture."
I could sense there was more to the story and let the silence hang so she would continue talking.
"But the demons ignored us and went after them as if they were the greater threat.
" Eve snorted. "Although, in hindsight, it appears they've begun to practice more of a divide and conquer by isolating the tribes, our sect, and the smaller ones.
Even some of the smaller sects have deluded themselves into becoming sympathetic to the demons. "
"Ah," I said, before she could shove another fruit in my mouth. "The demons corrupted those sects."
Eve put a finger over my lips, shushing me. "Before your tournament, I would not have allowed myself to even consider the possibility, knowing some of them before and into the present, but seeing how well they blended themselves into the Wukong, I believe you may be correct."
I nodded against her finger, and she playfully narrowed her eyes.
"If you wish to set traps, there are two ways to go about it.
You could target the demons that roam the jungle, strangling our growth by consuming the instances, or you could try to cleanse the other sects.
" She blinked, waiting for me to react, then continued, "Now, of course, a wise man might ask why not do both, but I fear that in doing one, you will make the other more cautious.
Thus, we have to make a choice. Do we want those in the sects or those in the jungle to be more cautious? "
I considered her question for a moment, and she lifted her finger off my lips. "If those in the jungle become cautious, they could disappear and hide away from us, whereas those in the sects, unless an entire sect could get up and disappear, would be far harder for them to hide."
Eve's red painted lips curled up into a wicked smile. "So you have the ability to discern humans from demons? Perhaps even the ability to scan an entire sect?" she inferred. "But you don't have the ability to scan an entire jungle?"
I smiled at her. "Beauty and brains. You have the whole package." She’d asked that question not just for my answer, but to get a better sense of my abilities. She might be a narcissist, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t capable.
Eve gave a full-throated laugh. "Of course I do." But she pulled away, trying to tempt me into chasing after her.
I moved to get up from the lounge, as if physically drawn to stay near her, causing a brilliant smile to light across her face.
"I think we have other issues to tend to first, my dear.
I will watch the jungle and the instances that may appear.
" She stood, stepping back and clearly creating distance between the two of us.
"While you may be able to see well into the people, I, on the other hand, have eyes throughout the jungle.
I will speak to a few of my sect leaders, using discretion where necessary, in order to create space for your traps amidst the jungle.
Given I'll need you near at hand for when an instance of concern comes into play, why don't you stay here in my palace?
" She waved a hand, and the vines and leaves twisted to open another wing of the marble structure.
As she stepped away on long, graceful legs, her attention departing from me and shifting to the ladies who had come with me, a smug smirk was all she offered them.
Venthra’s temple pulsed, and her face turned bright red in response. For an assassin, she was terrible at holding a poker face.
I stood and gestured to them. "Come this way. It sounds as if we'll need to have our own discussion." I pulled Almeria along as Venthra's head snapped away from where she was glaring at Eve's rear as it bounced back and forth with the sway of her hips.
As soon as we were in another section of the building, it was as if the self-inflicted gag order on Venthra burst. "You lecherous little prick. You just came here to flirt in front of us with that—"
Her words were cut off as I held up a talisman.
It activated, and there was a ripple that passed through our group, blanketing the sound beyond in eerie quiet while buffering any sound of ours from reaching out.
I did so in a place where I could see the floor clear of plants, lest Eve use those to listen in.
"Keep the anger. It sells it," I said to Venthra.
That temporarily took the wind from her sails as she sagged where she stood.
"He's not interested," Nyx said, her serpents all bobbing along with her statement.
"What do you mean?" Venthra gestured, some of her anger having cooled. "She was just all over him while he was so smiley and smitten."
Merlin, however, shook her head. "Bran's usually not that smiley."
"Right, I've seen Simone tempt him," Nyx said, "and instead of smiling, it's more like standing in front of a hungry bear.
There's just a raw intensity in his eyes, like he's going to snatch you up and devour you.
" She tilted her head. "Well, I suppose that's exactly what he does.
" She chuckled to herself, and Almeria's eyes darted to me for further answers she clearly desperately needed.
"Not to be repeated"—I held a finger up, and they all nodded—"but Eve is not the kind of person to give information away easily. The best way to satisfy her is to stroke her ego. I’m making it seem as if I’m enamored, and that even though I brought four beautiful women"—I gestured to all of them—"she's still able to capture my attention.
That will stroke her ego hard enough that we won't have any issues while we're here in the First Garden. "
Venthra's mouth opened and closed several times as it seemed she was having trouble deciding what to say next. "You mean you're playing her? That didn't look like you were playing her."
I shrugged. "Half-truths are the easiest way to fool someone. I mean, she is very attractive," I said. "But I can assure you her personality leaves much to be desired, and I have absolutely zero interest in following through."
"What if she tries?" Venthra asked in a breathy whisper, suddenly very interested in the idea.
"Well, then that's going to be difficult, now, isn't it? And perhaps you could think of it like a timer on this whole affair." I chuckled. I’d have to turn her down, and when that ego bubble popped, it wasn’t going to be pretty.
Venthra frowned and stared down at the ground in thought for a moment before lifting her green eyes to meet mine. "So you're leading her along by letting her lead you along, like a dog on a leash. You’re setting the direction by being the one ahead, but she thinks she has a handle on you."
I scowled at her. "I don’t love that analogy. It isn’t that bad."
"Oh, it's decently bad." Venthra crossed her arms.
"Now, she is very attractive," Almeria piped up. The quiet Atlantean princess hummed as if some naughty thoughts were stirring her attention in another direction.
"Be that as it may," I said before she could go too far off into whatever fantasy she was having, "it sounds like we at least secured her cooperation.
What we need to do now is give a brief excuse of familiarizing ourselves with the territory.
" I glanced knowingly at Merlin, who gave me a sharp nod.
"And perhaps running into some of these tribes to understand their situation as well. They're too weak."
"Too weak?" Almeria echoed.
I nodded in agreement. "Far too weak. They should be stronger. I need to understand if they've been subverted by the demons, or if the Demon Lord simply plucked the brightest flowers before they bloomed."
"Just say we're going to investigate them to see who the Demon Lord has killed and left alive.
I'd bet my favorite blade that there are demon spies here, in the tribes and elsewhere.
If they have a key piece here, then they are going to be gathering plenty of information. " Venthra scowled at my colorful words.
"And why do you say that?" I frowned at Venthra.
"Because they know Eve's movements too well. If they're able to attack where she's not quickly enough to avoid her retaliation or even to retaliate successfully and withdraw…" She trailed off as it was obvious.
I nodded in understanding. "You're probably right.
I wouldn't put it past this place to be completely infected.
Now the question is: how do we clean it up in such a way that Eve thanks us for it, and we don't end up with another enemy amongst the sects?
We are trying to empower them, to build multiple forces that the Demon Lord can't ignore.
We can't win this war alone." I sighed, working to piece together our plan.