The real question was whether or not her hands were still shrinking. Something Eva would have to keep on eye on.
“In any case, my hands and legs are one of the reasons I wanted–”
Another circulatory system popping into existence behind Eva’s seat cut her off.
Zoe took one step towards their group before she fell to her knees. Blood flowed from a gash in her arm and another in her back at an alarming rate.
All over my new rug.
Eva sprung into action as soon as she realized what she just thought. She jumped over the couch and knelt next to her professor. “Arachne, potions.”
Keeping her dagger palmed–she still had the presence of mind to hide the bloodstone–Eva pressed the flat of the blade against Zoe’s injuries. She couldn’t heal other people’s wounds, but she could shape the blood to keep Zoe from bleeding out.
Immediate concerns out of the way, Eva sheathed her dagger beneath her jacket and took a moment to look over the professor. She ignored the noise everyone else in the room was making.
Zoe wasn’t wearing her usual suit. The fabric felt far too thin. It was torn in several places apart from the large hole on her back and covered in coarse grit across most of her back–dirt most likely. Eva couldn’t see for sure, but Zoe likely had several bruises showing on her chest and face. If they weren’t visible yet, they would be soon enough. Several more shallow cuts lined nearly her entire body.
One arm bent at an awkward angle just above her elbow. A leg was similarly twisted.
Her breathing was shallow and labored. Despite that, her heart pounded in her chest. Drastically less blood than normal pumped through her body. It shouldn’t be an issue so long as Arachne hurried.
Apart from the largest two wounds, nothing appeared lethal. Still…
“You should have gone to a proper medical center.”
“No time,” Zoe wheezed. “Attacking demons.”
“Demons?” Eva’s response was echoed by everyone save Arachne who chose that moment to languidly toss a few vials in Eva’s direction.
“My home.” She looked like she wanted to say more, but Eva put a sharp finger over her mouth.
“Drink first.” Eva shoved one vial after another down Zoe’s throat.
Some of the effects were near instant. She could see the veins knitting back together. The skin started mending, but it would take significantly longer due to the size of the wounds.
“Two demons, larger than before,” Zoe said. “Burst into home. I fought.”
“I don’t know where you live.”
“Doesn’t matter,” Arachne said. The spider-demon bounced from heel to heel with a wide smile on her face. “I should be able to sense them. Let’s go,” she said as her grin turned feral.
“Right,” Eva said. “Can’t leave them to attack others.” She started building magic for a teleport. Arachne took the time to shrink to her spider form.
“Clean towels in the kitchen and showers,” Eva said to Carlos. She gestured towards one of the rooms. “Potions in there. Hope you have medical training, if not then don’t worry, she won’t die I don’t think.”
“You’re going to go fight two demons on your own?”
“Arachne will be with me and I’m sort of the only person who can be considered an expert–” Eva cut herself off as a thought occurred to her. “Actually. Juliana, you know which building Devon made his lair?” Eva asked, earning a nod from the blond in question. “Go tell him what happened.”
“I can do that. Nel and Ylva?”
“Probably already know,” Eva said, thinking of the black skull. “I doubt they’d do anything. Nel can’t leave. Not sure about Ylva.”
Arachne, in spider form, crawled up onto Eva. “Don’t worry,” Eva told everyone, but turned directly towards the shaking Shalise. “Everything will be fine. We’ll be back soon.”
Without waiting for complaints or protests, Eva released the gathered magic and vanished from the room.
The strong odor of brimstone was all that remained in her place.
Chapter 009
“There,” Arachne said.
Not that she needed to say anything. Eva could feel the flames from a block away. Particles of blood started vanishing from her control as they neared the inferno.
“See anyone?”
“They’re still around.” Arachne’s long tongue darted out of her mouth to run across her lips. “I can almost taste them.”
“Don’t get eager. If it looks like a trap, we’re running.”
Eva focused on her blood sense. It wouldn’t help if the demons had a trick like Ylva in sunlight, but it was the best she had. She would have to rely on Arachne for anything else.
The demon had been overexcited the entire way over. She shifted to full Arachne-mode the moment they got away from the dorms. Her smile hadn’t left her face since. Eight eyes still trumped no eyes; Eva could only hope she’d use them effectively.
“Zagan?” Eva asked. “Catherine?”
“Can’t sense Zagan at all. I’d say the succubus is a good distance away in the direction of your school.”
“Right.”
No Zagan was good. He wouldn’t be able to show up and blame Eva. Or show up and attack Eva in the event that he was behind it.
“Can you put out that fire with all that fancy magic you insisted on staying at school and learning? I feel like the demons are inside.”
It was a lot of fire. She couldn’t actually see it, but Eva couldn’t imagine much of the house would be left. Eva shrugged. “I can try. Before that,” Eva froze one of the ten orbiting spheres of Arachne’s blood. It formed the pattern for a shield in mid-air.
With a clap of her fingers, a dome appeared in Eva’s vision. Arachne was only half in it, but it was formed with her blood. It wouldn’t hurt her at all.
“I thought you graduated from clapping.”
“Standing around for half an hour while I concentrate doesn’t seem like a good idea at the moment.”
Eva ignored Arachne’s half-laugh as she raised her arms in front of her, aimed at the house. She doubted it was necessary, but someone with a wand would have it pointed towards the house.
Extinguishing flames had been a big part of her final exam. It was also the first thing taught. A pyrokinetic being unable to control the flames they create could only create disaster.
Those tests were in controlled environments. Half the time, the flames were created by Eva herself. They were far easier to control than natural fire, but even that was limited to a few logs in a dedicated fire pit.
Not an entire house.
Every inch she managed to reclaim from the fire just burst into even more flames the moment she tried to move on to the next area. It was too hot. Too much fire around to reignite the ready to burn wood.
Eva wiped a forehead of sweat onto her shoulder as she continued concentrating.
I can do this. It just needs more power.
“Oh, I think it is working,” Arachne said. She actually sounded somewhat impressed.
Eva couldn’t bask in the praise. “No talking unless you’re learning magic and helping.” Sparing concentration on the demon would lead to relapse.
A tingling spread through her fingers as more and more magic built up. She could feel the flames dampening and receding. The entire house slowly died down. Eva would have blinked in surprise had her blindfold and eye situation been different. No new flames cropped up. No spontaneous recombustion.
It didn’t feel as natural as it should have, but Eva couldn’t complain about the results.
Cool September air crept over her without the flames to keep it at bay. Eva allowed a small smile to cross her face as the heat dampened. “And that’s–”
“Pathetic,” a voice grunted from behind Eva.
Eva cursed herself for letting her concentration lapse. Arachne apparently felt the same if her sudden hiss was any indication.