Angel Wings

Chapter 13.1~Fire and Rain

                  

EVABELLE

The next day Evabelle woke up late.  At least, it was late for her.  It was 7:42am.  This whole adventure had messed up her usual sleeping patterns. 

Aza had been asleep when Evabelle came in the night before and she was still sleeping when Evabelle glanced over at her friend.  Silently, Evabelle rolled out of bed and threw on the clothes that she found in a similar closet to those in Calandra's home.  Evabelle needed to talk to Aza.  She was well aware of the charm's significance to her friend, but when she glanced back at Aza, her eyes slid to the bedside table next to her sleeping friend.  The little flower was resting there.  Evabelle felt relief lift the weight from her shoulders.  Shaundee must have managed to get it out of the pool.  Evabelle would have to thank her.

Evabelle slipped out of the room and was surprised to see so many people up and about.  There was still music, but it was softer and more of a subtle background sound.  The crowd had definitely depleted from the night before, but she still had to maneuver her way over to the bar where Shaundee sat on top of the counter, swinging her legs.

"Good morning!"  She exclaimed.

Evabelle nodded.  "You too." 

"How can I help you this fine morning?"  Shaundee accepted a glass of some bright orange liquid from the bartender behind the counter. 

The tall burly man nodded his head at Evabelle.  "Anything for you, miss?"

Evabelle politely declined, and then returned her attention to the mage sipping at her drink.  "I actually had a few things I wanted to talk about, but first I was going to ask how CJ is doing.  Is he alright?" 

Shaundee nodded.  "I believe so.  My brother may be a scatterbrain, but he can come up with some serious healing mixtures.  I'm sure your friend is just fine.  We could go check on him if you like."

Evabelle opened her mouth to say that that would be excellent, but the bar keeper stepped up again.  "You're new here, Miss.  I try and keep tabs on all of Shaundee's guests.  Could I have your name for the register?"

Evabelle blinked.  Calandra's sanctuary hadn't had a register, but she supposed that was because Calandra's place didn't have that many guests.  Shaundee seemed so disorganized, that she hadn't really thought those who worked here would be either.  "Of course," Evabelle said, coming out of her daze.  "My name is Eva—"

"Eve!"  Shaundee suddenly shouted.  "Greg, this is a friend of my daughter's, Eve Hartwell."

Greg nodded and scribbled in a large book opened to a page filled with names and room numbers.  Then he snapped it shut, tucked it under the counter, and headed to fill an order of a perpetually tall woman who had just sat on the other end of the bar.

Evabelle stared at Shaundee.  "Eve?"  She asked when the man could not overhear them. 

Shaundee nodded enthusiastically.  "That's right.  That's your name, silly."  She gave Evabelle a strange look, as if to say, don't argue.  Then the slender mage set down her glass of mystery juice and leapt off of the counter.  She grabbed Evabelle's arm.  "Come on Eve, I want to show you something."

Evabelle allowed herself to be dragged away and out of earshot of the sanctuary's occupants before stopping.  "Is something wrong?  What's going on?"

Shaundee glanced back behind Evabelle before responding.  "Trust me; you do not want everyone knowing who you are."

"Why?  I mean, it's just my name—"