CHAPTER 109

She wanted him to elaborate but decided against it. "Does the Order know about us?"

He chuckled. "They didn't when I left. Whatever you are doing in that house hasn't violated the Covenant, so you're well below their radar."

"Covenant?"

Sofia turned around with a sneer on her lips. "We haven't done anything to upset their precious Balance." She did finger quotes around this last word. "Namely, reveal that magic still exists."

"It's a bit more complicated, but yes." He sighed under the pillowcase. "When I came inside and saw a cyclops, which are supposed to be extinct, wielding one of our swords, I must admit that I panicked. Your kind's reputation for ferocity precedes you."

"My kind wouldn't be extinct if you assholes hadn't attacked us." She rotated the blade and pressed it against Cyrus' neck. "All because we had formed a sanctuary away from humans! We just wanted to be left alone!"

This was an interesting revelation, Eulalie thought. She desperately wanted to pluck at that thread and see it unwind, but now wasn't the best time for it.

"It was a knee-jerk reaction on my part," he admitted. "Ever since I was a child, I have been subjected to the Order's indoctrination. I've only recently come to understand that the world isn't as black and white as I thought it was. Lily and Dana helped me see that. When I saw that sword in your hands, all I could think of were the old stories, tales of one-eyed warriors capable of taking down a dozen men on their own. You should know that I'm trying damn hard to be a better person, but decades of training are hard to overcome, especially when I think I'm about to get ripped in half."

Eulalie saw the edge of the sword tremble slightly. She stepped forward and put her hand on Sofia's, pushing the blade away from Cyrus' throat.

"Tell me more about extraplanar spellcraft. Do you know what happened to the house?"

He shook his head. "I was more interested in who else was watching the house, so no. I didn't have much time to look into it. Let me put on some clothes and I'll be happy to take a look for you."

She could use this. Precautions would be taken, but the man would make an invaluable ally. "I think that we may be on the same side, but you should know that we don't trust you. Don't take it personally."

He let out a sigh of relief. "I don't. I wouldn't trust me, either. But I owe the succubus. How's that for irony? Tried to snuff her out on two separate occasions and she still saved my life."

"Hmm." Eulalie grabbed Sofia by the hand and led her from the room. Once out in the hall, she closed the door and turned to the cyclops. "So what do you think?" she whispered.

Sofia's face was scrunched up so hard that she looked like an angry muppet. "I don't know that we can trust him, but..."

"But you think he could help us figure out the next step?"

She nodded. "I hate this, by the way."

"I know." Eulalie put her hand on the door, then looked down the stairs. "Take him outside. I'll get ahold of Suly and the two of you can escort him to the house. I don't know that our new friend's emotional metamorphosis is ready to handle all this." She sprawled her legs out for emphasis. "And I definitely don't want his people finding out."

"Done. I'll keep him bagged until he's outside." Sofia put her hand on the door and paused. "But are you sure?"

Eulalie nodded. "If Lily let him go, it was for a reason."

"The two of you must have really hit it off," Sofia remarked. "Guess I don't see it."

Eulalie thought back to when Lily had come out to the cabin. For most of the time she was there, her father's night terrors had gone away. For months after, her father had commented about the lovely dreams he had experienced involving their mother. She knew it hadn't been a coincidence.

"Let's just say I owe her as well." She pushed the door open, revealing that Cyrus was holding perfectly still. Staring at his helpless form, all she could think about was that her ropework could be so much better. "We're going to play nice for now," she told him. "But step out of line--"

"And you'll kill me?" She could almost hear him smiling.

"Please. We are women of sophistication." She walked over to the bed and tapped on his toe, making him flinch. "I will tie you to a chair and make you watch as I eat your fucking hands and feet. We'll make a game about how much of you is left when you finally kick the bucket."

"That doesn't sound very sophisticated," he said, the humor now gone from his voice.

"We'll be wearing fancy dresses with hats. You can wear a tie if you want, we have plenty of clip-ons lying around here." She moved to his ankles and started undoing her webs. "It will be fancy as fuck."

He went silent. It wasn't until she started undoing his wrists that he asked "What are you?"

When she leaned toward him to respond, she didn't know what she was going to say. However, she noticed a small group of rats watching from the nearby dresser and decided to improvise.

"I'm the Rat Queen," she whispered in his ear. "So don't disappoint me."

The sun melted into the horizon, sending steam up into the sky that turned into colossal cloud butterflies that danced overhead. Mike was leaning back into Velvet's torso, her legs splayed around them in the sand.

He felt weak, as if he'd been running for days. Velvet stroked his hair, occasionally wrapping it around her fingers. There had been a period of time where the sun had set and darkness had fallen across the Dreamscape. Despite everyone's best efforts, darkness had eventually come for the island. During this time, he could see and hear nothing. If not for the feeling of Velvet's arms around him, he would have simply let go and accepted his fate.