Patrol 4: Storm & Calm

Chapter 32

The woman looked up as Eddin shut the door quietly behind himself. She sat up straighter and smirked at him. "So. You've returned. Took you long enough."

"So. You haven't left," Eddin replied blandly, crossing the room to stand before her. "Even though it's been two days."

"Why would I? I'm just getting comfortable!" She stretched her arms and arched her back, wings spreading. Outside, lightning flashed and thunder rumbled; the perpetual storm made it impossible to tell if it was day or night.

He crossed his arms and looked down at her, scowling. "Beat it, bitch. I need to talk to Vania."

She grinned viciously at him, slowly drawing her arms back down to rest at her sides, hands folding in her lap. "That doesn't sound like a way to make a request of me. You're certainly in no position to make demands."

"No. You're right. I'm not," Eddin conceded quietly. "But, I do happen to have something you want."

"Oh?" she asked, cocking at eyebrow while looking at him derisively. "And what makes you think you might possibly have something I want? That I can't just take for myself?"

"I have something I know you want, as well as something I suspect you'd want, if you knew I had it."

"Well, that certainly sounds interesting at least." She rested an elbow on the arm of the chair, placing her chin on her fist. "Do tell, husband of my avatar, what is it you have that you think I want?"

Eddin dropped his arms to his sides, one hand reaching into a pocket. "You enjoy power. I think you'd be interested in this." He slowly opened his hand to reveal a vial of roiling black.

Her eyes fixed on it immediately, pupils narrowing.

"Thought so," Eddin whispered.

She blinked quickly, then threw back her head and forced herself to laugh, trying to regain her composure. "What makes you think I need any more of that now? I have so much more power at my fingertips now than those silly little offerings from the demon king ever granted." She drummed her fingers on the armrest, casting quick glances at the vial before looking back to his face. She licked her lips and glanced at the vial again.

"Clearly, you know what this is," Eddin replied. "So, back before you gained your power, when you lived in the city, you were a member of the Dark Eaters." He closed his hand over the vial, watching her tense slightly. "And you were addicted to this."

She scoffed, and tossed her head, blue hair snagging on the spines on her head. "Well in the past. As I said, I have much more power than those paltry vials ever gave." She gritted her teeth, grumbling, "Those arrogant fools never gave me any... refused to even admit me into their little group. So I had to use a different route to get what I wanted... and then your foolish coworkers killed him. He was the only man who saw my true value and was of any use to me..."

"Oh?" Eddin asked. "And who was that?"

She leered at him. "You'd sure love to know that, wouldn't you?"

"And you'd sure love to get your hands on this, despite your pretending to not care," Eddin replied, showing the vial again. Her eyes instantly locked on it. "We retrieved this from a traitorous enforcer. He still had a few vials he hadn't used. If you want this vial, let me talk to Vania. Then you can have the demon king's power to add to your own."

"Selfish bastard never gave us any real power. I had to go get it myself."

"And how did you do that?"

"By finding someone as powerful as he was and stealing hers!" She laughed. "And the funny thing is... she was the one he wanted them hunting!" She grinned viciously. "And they all said I was a useless, empty-headed thing just trying to gain status by clinging to a lord... I did what they couldn't. And now I am above them all."

Eddin blinked, face dropping its mask as realization dawned.

She laughed. "Figuring things out, now, are you?" She stood. "Of course you are. You're such a good enforcer..." She reached up and traced his cheek from the corner of his eye to his chin. "So now you should know there's no use resisting." She smiled and patted his cheek, other hand reaching down for his. "Be a good little husband and give me the vial."

He quickly shut his fist over the vial and took a step back. "Let me talk to Vania first."

"Oh, say whatever you want. I promise, she can hear you." She leered up at him, her hand still reaching for his.

"No. I want to talk to Vania directly. Not through you."

"There you go with your demands again." She turned and crossed her arms. "I guess I overestimated your intelligence. I thought you were ready to work with me."

"I never promised to work with you," Eddin replied. "But, I did say I had something you wanted, and I'd give it to you, if you let me talk to Vania."

"Well, you overplayed your hand. I told you, I already have far more power than that vial contains. It would be fun to play with, but it's not the bargaining chip you think it is." She stepped away from him to stand by the window, gazing out at the storm.

"I didn't offer you what I know you want yet," Eddin replied quietly. "I merely showed you what I had that I thought you'd want." He walked toward her, stepping around the chair, stopping before getting within reach of her arms.

"And what would that be, then, silly man my avatar loves?"

"This." Eddin replied, producing a necklace from his pocket.

She turned and saw the lightning pendant dangling from his hand. She smiled. "You'll give me that?"

"Yes. Just let me talk to Vania."

"Very well, give it to me," she replied quickly, holding out her hand and snapping her fingers.

"Let me talk to Vania first," Eddin insisted. "Otherwise, I can't trust you'll let me talk to her directly."

She harrumphed softly, scowling. "For someone with limited resources, you're pushy. Must be your upbringing as a lord. Your entitlement is showing. Worse than Vay'yer's ever did."

"Do we have a deal or not?" Eddin asked softly, moving his hand slightly to make the pendant swing like a pendulum. Her watched her as her eyes followed its swinging arcs.

"Fine," she replied, hands at her sides clenching tightly. "You can have five minutes. Make them count." She shut her eyes, frowning, and bowed her head.

Eddin stepped forward as the woman in front of him sighed, then shuddered. The woman's head rose slowly, eyes blinking to gain focus.

"E-Eddin?" Vania whispered, swallowing back a sob.

 He took the chain in both his hands and pulled it down over her head, letting his hands settle on her shoulders as the silver lightning bolt came to rest on her chest.