CHAPTER 218

"Is that..." he stepped off the platform in disbelief. "Did you guys build a giant server room?"

"The biggest on Earth." Eulalie descended from above, her hands and front legs clinging to a braided web. She dropped the last ten feet and tumbled, landing in a crouch, the dog tags jingling around her neck. "Well, not Earth, technically. These cables are connected to secret locations across the planet. Do you know what's better than using a VPN? Actually using routers on different parts of the planet." The Arachne was smug as she dropped a bundle of cables from her arms. "The rats can nibble these really tiny holes, just big enough for a cable. Even if the router is discovered, all they will ever find is a mysterious hole in the wall. Any attempt to widen it will disrupt the portal, and then poof!" She clapped her hands together. "All evidence is erased."

Mike nodded appreciatively. "I admit, that's pretty cool. But what is it for?"

"This place is a sanctuary for information. We are pulling information from some of the most protected areas of the Earth." She patted the floor beneath her. "We're not just connected to routers, you know. If you ever want to use a supercomputer or experimental AI for anything, you just let me know."

"To what end, though?"

Eulalie smiled. "You let me worry about that."

"I have to admit, this is really cool. How are you powering it?"

"We got Zel to agree to some solar panels in the Greenhouse. She and I actually had a very enlightening discussion about many things. I think we may actually be friends now. Also may have tapped into the electrical grid in places." Eulalie wiggled her eyebrows, which made it look like her lower spider eyes were blinking. "If you hear about rolling brownouts, it might be us."

"So this is what you need help with?" Mike gestured at the array of cables. "I mean, I can help with some stuff, but I kind of feel like it would take you longer to explain to me than to just do it yourself."

"Never have you spoken truer words. You're here to pick me up, that's all." Eulalie walked onto the platform, followed by Sofia and then Mike. It sank down through the Library, then veered down a narrow corridor full of stacks of books.

It was another ten minutes before they got to their destination. They arrived at a large stone column with a solitary arch nearly a hundred feet off the ground. A trio of rats stood guard, standing at attention the moment Eulalie stepped off the platform.

"Good job, guys." She made sure to pat each one on the head, then walked inside.

"So what is this place?" he asked.

"It was used to store dangerous texts," Sofia replied. "But for now, it's Eulalie's home."

"Home?" He hadn't spoken to Eulalie about living arrangements, but had figured she would move into the house.

"I'm going to live here," Eulalie said, moving into a cavernous space. A small bank of monitors was still being assembled along the walls, and small pockets of webbing had been scattered around the ceiling. A hammock dangled in one corner with a pillow inside it. "Since I am going to be the assistant librarian, it only makes sense."

"Assistant?" He looked at Sofia. "You've got help now?"

"Yes. We are planning to get this place back up and running." Sofia smiled. "It'll take some time, but we'll get there eventually."

"Which brings me to why you're here." Eulalie moved to the back wall of the room and stuck her hands through a thick band of webs. She removed something and walked back over to him, the object concealed by her arms. "I think you should see this."

"What is it?" Mike held out his hands as Eulalie handed him the object.

There was a faint pop as the object shocked him. The odor of the woods filled his nostrils, followed by the smell of hot springs. Jumbled thoughts were tossed through his mind, most of them just sounds. Eventually a single image burned bright in his mind. It was Velvet, standing on a cliff with the wind in her hair. She turned around to smile at him as the memory faded.

The object warmed in his hands, sending a pleasurable buzz throughout his body. It was a thick ovoid with red and blue swirls across its surface. It looked like a gemstone, but radiated a lifeforce that he immediately recognized.

"Velvet?" He ran his fingers across the pebbled surface of the egg, then clutched it to his chest. It hummed in time with the beating of his own heart. The ramifications of what he held raced through him, and he chose to immerse himself in the moment. A small part of her still existed, and he didn't care how or why. During the fight with Mehkhkahrel, he had felt her presence, but he couldn't be sure if it had been her or just his magic trying to meet his desires. It was almost like she had been holding him up as he unleashed every ounce of energy.

Later, he would ask Cecilia if it could have been her. The banshee had shrugged and explained that the Underworld could be a strange place in terms of spirits and what they could accomplish.

"My dad had a saying." Eulalie placed her hand on his shoulder. "Nobody is ever truly gone. When she died, I wasn't sure what to do when I found out she had laid an egg. I don't have her instincts, and I'm not cut out to be a mother. I debated having it smashed and just ending the Arachne once and for all, but the moment I touched it..." She shrugged. "It was almost like seeing her one last time. If she spared it, she had good reasons to do so."

"We're going to raise it here," Sofia announced. "The house is no place for a child. This place is safe from outside threats. It's possible her upbringing could be difficult, but we are up to the task. And someday, when she is old enough to leave the nest..."