Blind Eternity

Ch. Thirty Two

Chapter Thirty Two- A Favor

Evangeline leaned against the wall behind her in an enticing pose while nursing a long stemmed glass of something red, eyes locked on the next corner. She was listening closely to the voices around that corner. Dressed in her battle armor, namely a tight black cocktail dress and killer heels, she would like to think that she was ready for anything. Although to say she wasn't nervous would be a lie; the tell-tale sign being her grasp on the glass tightening ever so slightly.

"Ranulf, we thought you would come alone," Delia said cautiously.

"Even solitary Fae need to stick together," an unfamiliar voice jested. "Where I go, she goes. Mandara here owes me her life."

"Very well. Both of you are granted invitation to this house," she heard Drake say in a measured tone.

"We accept your invitation," the same unfamiliar voice replied. An involuntary shiver worked its way up her spine.

 "Follow me this way," Delia directed as politely as she could manage.

She tensed when she heard the three of them coming her way and forced herself to relax. They rounded the corner, entering the corridor where she was waiting. Delia spotted her first and raised a questioning brow at her, though she didn't comment on her presence as she passed by. Evangeline's gaze darted to their guest.

 She had wondered if she would recognize the creature from Delia's disaster of a party. Then again, the entire party she had been far too terrified to look at anyone for too long. It had felt like thrashing around in a tank of sharks. Now she was face to face with the great white and there was blood in the water. Their eyes locked.

Slate grey eyes met electric green. Evangeline had the curious sensation of thorns digging into her flesh and of unpleasant things with sharp teeth and claws staring at her from the dark. She repressed a shudder, desperate not to lose her cool composure.

Time passed sluggishly as she looked at him, it felt similar to drowning.  She was suspended in that moment of something that wasn't sleep and but was the furthest from alertness.

And just like that she was thrust to the surface as time resumed to its normal space. In a confused daze she realized the electric green eyes had moved on as their owner entered the parlor after Delia. Someone else followed closely behind him and Evangeline was able to register that it was another Faery, a female with braided vines for hair and tree bark for skin. Then, she disappeared into the parlor too.

Drakes disapproving glower entered her vision, jolting her back to attention. She blinked at him owlishly, quickly recalling how earlier he demanded that when the faery arrived she was to stay as far away from him as physically possible. That hadn't sat too well with her.

"Go back to the library now," he ordered, leaving no room to argue, which was what she fully intended to do. That is, until the creature with the electric green eyes intervened for her.

"No, let her join us."

Evangeline and Drake looked to see their company standing in the doorway of the parlor, watching the couple curiously. For a split second, Evangeline thought Drake might actually disagree with him, but they both knew he couldn't risk upsetting their only hope. She smirked at the defeated look on Drake's face.

"At least someone wants me around," she quipped as she moved around him.

He glared a hole into her back and trailed after her.

Once everyone was inside the room, Evangeline became aware of the thick tension permeating the air. She noted that no one moved to sit down. Delia faced their guests from one corner of the room, leaning against a table trying to appear as casual as possible. Their guests stood near the adjacent corner of the room, watching their hosts intently. Finally, Evangeline stood in the center of the room, Drake hovering protectively near her. Geeze, we need a knife to cut this tension, Evangeline thought.