Gentle Eyes of Evil

Chapter 19: Payment, Pain, Name

As Harriet looked upon the sunset of another day, she looked down to the pool of blood that still remained of Leo and a theory popped into her head. She got some of the blood on her fingers and drew out something on the floor of Sunset Hall, a familiar looking sigil, with no candles, however, she was unsure if it would work. Harriet looked down at the now bloody sigil on the floor, until she felt a presence behind her.

"You called?"
A gentle voice glided through Harriet's ears as she slowly turned her head.

"Ah, Ikuna. There you are."
Harriet nodded to her
"Wait...how come you didn't appear on your sigil?"
She asked. Ikuna giggled and covered her hand with her mouth.

"Of course, I haven't explained that part yet. The sigil isn't usually needed after a first summoning. Given that myself and Ember oversee all three realms, we can tell where I am needed and I simply appear. We can also traverse freely at our own will, even when not needed."
She explained with a smile.
"Anyway...what is it you needed?"

"Ah, right. I have the payment for yourself and Ember."
She told the woman, before she got down on her knees and offered the heart above her head to Ikuna. Ikuna smiled softly and reached down as she took the heart in her hand and gripped it tightly.

"Ah, my dear. This is simply divine."
She replied to the girl, her voice had an excited tone to it.
"Yes...this will do perfectly. I will see that this makes its way back to my queen safely."

"I also have a question for you, Ikuna."
Harriet continued

"Of course, princess. What is it?"
Ikuna questioned and tilted her head just slightly as Harriet stood back up normally and flipped Veratine over to show the name engraved on the bow.

"What made you name the weapon? And why Veratine?"
She asked. Ikuna's gaze softened and became almost more innocent looking.

"Well, you see. Ember always liked how my weapons had a personal touch to them with each one I made, what I saw as imperfections, she saw as unique and special. So, to honour what she thought of me, I began to give weapons names to really make it...well, personal."
She told Harriet. She sounded genuine and happy as she spoke about the origin of these names.
"As for why 'Veratine' specifically, it's rather simple, I just liked how it sounded!"
Ikuna giggled gently and seemed to let her naturally happier nature show here.

"Huh...so the naming of a royal weapon was just as simple as thinking it sounded nice?"
Harriet asked her.

"Yes!"
Ikuna confirmed with a happy nod and a wide smile.
"Anyhow..."
She cleared her throat.
"I will get this heart back to my mistress. I hope to see you again one day..."
Ikuna noticed the crown in her hand and bowed down.
"Your majesty."

Harriet nodded to her and gave a smile.
"Until we meet again, Ikuna."
Just like that, Ikuna stepped back through her portal and left with Leo's heart in hand. Harriet got to work cleaning up the blood and removing her scythe from the door, which she then had to fix.

What Harriet didn't count on, however, was the magic that connected each member of Ezerath blood. Due to the nature of what she had just done, both Harriet and her siblings felt a stabbing in their chests. They were all aware of a death, no matter how well she tried to hide it. Sophie was the only one not of Ezerath blood, and thus was the only one left unaware. Josephine, Eclipse, Jace, and Luna, all knew that someone had died within their bloodline, none of them knew who.

However, there was no time to dwell on that right now. Another situation had Sophie occupied as the night time settled in. Luna was in his room and trying to relax for the night, until he heard a knock at his door. His ears fluttered up and down as he glanced at the door.

"What? I'm a little busy right now!"
Luna yelled to the door as his hand clutched his aching heart.

"Too busy to speak to your mother?"
A woman's voice muttered back to him. Luna's face turned from calm to disgust and anger.

"Sophie, if it isn't about the kid then I don't care. Besides, I'm in a lot of pain right now, and I NEVER want to speak to you!"
He told her harshly.

"Actually it is about the kid. While I may not want it, I feel like it's important we at least name it."
Sophie told him as she put her hand on the door's handle. Luna saw that she was going to come in and, rather than stopping her, he looked away and faced the wall as his hand remained on his chest. He tried to control his breathing through the pain and answered her through deep breaths.

"In which case I'd agree with you...I guess you can come in, just so neither one of us looks insane."
Luna replied to her.
"Though I guess you already are..."
He muttered snarkily under his breath as Sophie opened the door and stepped inside. Luna didn't turn away from the wall, he didn't want to see her or even be near her, this was just for the child's sake.

"Do you know the gender? Or any defects?"
Luna asked her quietly as she sat on the opposite end of his bed. His voice was slightly shaky and he was clearly struggling with the level of pain.


"No. Satan, do you have any idea how pregnancy works?"
Sophie asked him, still clearly not taking any of this situation to heart. To Sophie, this entire thing was just another job she had to get done, with not a single ounce of a care. She was also clearly not able to care enough about her son's health to ask about the pain. Luna growled lowly, but made sure to keep his eyes off her at all times.
"I'll find out all that stuff at the same appointment in a few months."

"I guess names of both genders are on the table then."
Luna pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed, before he felt another spike of pain and grunted as he quickly moved his hand back down to clutch his chest.

Sophie shrugged.
"It's your kid, your choice."
Luna raised an eyebrow and gave Sophie a very quick side eye. His pupil was thin and he clearly wasn't in the right mood for this while dealing with this pain.

"It's your child too...just because you won't raise it doesn't mean it isn't still related to you. But...I guess I appreciate that you're letting me make the choice...though anything even vaguely positive...feels too good to give you for anything."
He told her and continued to stay firm on the fact that he hated this woman who sat before him. Just because they were planning what to do with this child together wasn't going to change Luna's view on his mother whatsoever. Sophie rolled her eyes, clearly less than pleased to be around him either.

"Sure, sure. Before you ask, no, I don't have any ideas."
She begrudgingly responded to him.
"What about you?"

Luna seemed to want to get rid of Sophie and suffer through this pain as quickly as possible. So he got his panicked breathing and overwhelming anger under control and just did as she asked him.
"Well...since we already have two J's and two...L's in the family, I was thinking of naming it something with...an L. Keeping tradition going sort of thing"
Luna replied to her, he still refused to make eye contact. He faced to the left anyway and so his hair covered any vision he did have from his working eye. His pain had very slowly begun to subside throughout this conversation and so the grip on his chest started to weaken. Sophie facepalmed, almost like she found his idea stupid.

"I...I guess so?"
Her voice reeked of disappointment at his reasoning for the name beginning with L. Thankfully, Luna didn't really value her opinion around a child she wouldn't be raising.

"So...if it's male maybe something like...Luke or Logan. And if female then...maybe either Lexi or Lily?"
Luna suggested. He clearly still wasn't happy with the situation, but his voice seemed to calm when speaking about the child, even to his abuser. By now, the pain had subsided for each of them as they didn't exactly care for Leo that deeply.

"Sure. Those sound fine"
Sophie replied to his name suggestions, still having not bothered to question his pain one bit. Luna sighed deeply and just nodded to her.

"Great. Get out."
He told her shortly and coldly. Sophie didn't want to be around him any more than he did her, so she took her leave and hastily headed out the door.

After that interaction, Luna curled up on his bed and waited for her to leave. He listened closely to her footsteps to check which way she went. Once he was sure that she was far enough away, Luna left his room and went to go check with his siblings about the pain.