“As surprising as it seems to be for you this lifetime, I’m still not the enemy, nor will I ever be.” Eva’s eyes remained white as she walked closer to the bed and took a seat.
I didn’t want her sitting that close to me, so I moved back a little. I didn’t think of it as a sign of weakness, I just didn’t want her crazy rubbing off on me.
“Do you want to explain your freaky eyes?” I didn’t think I’d be able to sit through a whole conversation without knowing why they’d changed. I didn’t remember ever seeing them change like that.
“They get that way when I’m working to be in two places at once. I don’t have a lot of time to relay everything I need to, so I’ll just hit the bullet points. Don’t have sex with Nate, don’t underestimate Malphas and don’t forget that you at one time knew everything that was going to happen and have made sure things would be fine in the end.”
She spoke so quickly that my head felt like it was spinning. I somewhat understood everything she said, but I knew I was missing why any of it was important. I didn’t understand her comment about being two places at once, so I started there.
“What do you mean you’re in two places?”
I wanted to reach over to see if she was solid. She was sitting on the bed, so I figured she was. Her eyes hadn’t been crazy when I first looked at her, so I assumed at one point she’d only been there in the room with me. My brain was having trouble trying to make sense of things, and that made me irritated.
“For about five seconds I was here, and then I went back to my post. I figured you wouldn’t mind dealing with my projection, and since you seem to want to kill me, it’s probably better for my health if I’m not here.”
“I haven’t made any decisions about that. What post did you have to get back to? Like I already mentioned, I don’t think I’ve seen you at all the last few days, which isn’t a surprise after how we left things.”
She smiled the warmest smile I’d ever seen on her face. The eyes didn’t exactly complete the look, and more than anything the whole package kind of scared me. I wondered if it was just her way of showing me she was still stronger than I was. She had to have pulled some strings to make it to the plane, because I knew she couldn’t have used the tree.
“Your kids are going to be amazing. I can only imagine the kind of pride you have to feel knowing that you had a hand in creating them.”
I’d worked hard not to think about my little eggs back at home. It was easy to let my mind float to them and what I’d seen in the future. I couldn’t let that cloud my thoughts, though. I hadn’t expected her to mention them, and the fact that she had didn’t sit well with me.
“You were supposed to tell me where you’ve been, not bring up my kids.”
“But I’ve been with them. You may think I’ve decided to sit back and let things play out, but that isn’t the case, nor was it ever my plan. I was there to help get you to where you needed to be, but after things heated up here, I made a beeline back to the babies.”
I stopped her before she could say anything else. “What do you mean you’ve been with my children?”
I didn’t know what to think after hearing that. My hand tightened even more around my dagger and I brought it out for Eva to see it was in her best interest to choose her words wisely.
“I’ve been protecting them. I’m sure you’ve noticed Malphas isn’t here, and that’s because he’s been trying to figure out a way to get to them. I moved them into my void and put dummy eggs at the house. As well as you’ve done at training your troops, none of them are a match for Malphas. Only you and I are, and you’re needed here.”
I was momentarily speechless. “You’ve been protecting my kids?” My words were so quiet I barely heard them.
Eva, or at least the projection of her, looked at me oddly. “Of course I have. I can’t be their Aunt Eva if we let Malphas get to them. He knows they exist, but he isn’t sure any of them are the oracle. I’ve been doing what I can to keep him from figuring that out.”
I stared at her dumbfounded. She’d been doing everything she could to get on my nerves, and yet she was sitting there telling me she’d been taking care of the things most precious in my life. Part of what she said didn’t ring true, since Malphas had indicated he did know about the kids, but I supposed he could’ve been hiding that from her.
“Please don’t get mushy on me. We really don’t have time for that. You don’t remember it, but you told me before that you needed me to be there for them. That’s the thing about you missing that month of your last life, you don’t remember that everything is going according to plan.”
“What plan?” I’d always assumed I had one, but it would be nice to know what that particular plan was, and whether it coincided with the plan she clearly had.
“The one where everything works out in the end. We spent days discussing it and I think we covered all of our bases. Now, I’ve spent longer here than I want to, but I have to make sure you’re not going to try to jump Nate’s bones again after I leave.
“As I mentioned, Malphas doesn’t know if the triplets are the babies he’s looking for, and because of that his focus is a little divided. As romantic as the gesture is, you getting with Nate will more than likely put another baby in the mix, and that would only make things more dangerous. A fourth baby wasn’t in your plan, so make sure it doesn’t become a reality.”
Her face was stern, and reminded me a lot of my mother’s. I hoped to never find myself in a room with both of them looking at me with that look.
“Not that I think that mood will arise again after you interrupted us, but don’t you control whether or not babies are made?”
It wasn’t a conversation I expected having on the morning I felt would lead up to the final battle. It was between Eva and me, though, so the conversation wasn’t even our strangest one.
“You know I hate repeating myself, and I’ve told you before I don’t always control when things happen with your body. I knew you’d get pregnant with the triplets when you did, but that was only because you told me you would.”
“What happened during the month I don’t remember?” She kept eluding to that time and I thought it was time for me to learn what I was missing.
“Trust me, you don’t want to remember, at least not yet, probably never. Anyway, to remember that, you’d need to talk to one of my sisters, and both of them are back in the void helping me protect the triplets.”
“Are you saying all three of the Fates are protecting my children?”
“I’m sure I don’t have to tell you how important they are. Plus, it was part of the deal. Now, if there are no other questions, I’d like to get back.”
“I have tons of questions, but I doubt you’d answer them. I do want to say thank you for taking care of my children, I think. I’ve been trying not to think about them, but it’s hard.”
“I know, but we’ve got them covered. You do what needs to be done here and try not to deviate from the plan. Things would’ve been easier if you didn’t remember the visions regarding your brother, but when the time is right, I know you’ll do what needs to be done. That is if you’ve been a good girl and listened to everything I’ve told you.”
Before I could ask her to repeat the parts she thought were particularly important, she disappeared. She wouldn’t have answered, since she’d made a point about saying she didn’t like repeating herself.
I wasn’t really sure what to think about what she’d said. I’d spoken to my mom the night Eva had disappeared in Amana, which I assumed was when she’d gone and gathered the kids, and Mom hadn’t said anything about Eva showing up.
“Is the coast clear?” Nate asked from outside the tent door. “It seems the cone of silence has been lifted and I have a plate of food for you.”
“She’s gone, not that she was really here to begin with.”
“Did she explain where she disappeared to? Or at the very least why she needed me to leave?” Nate stepped into the tent.
He brought
with him the aroma of freshly baked bread. Mak magically brought us in food, since we were in the middle of nowhere and didn’t think to pack provisions. I’d offered to help him, but I’d been told to save up my magic for more practical things. Nate handed me a plate and then took a seat on the bed.
“She and her sisters have been looking after the triplets. She said Malphas has been trying to get to them, but evidently I planned ahead and made some kind of deal for them to be looked after.”
Without all the details, I focused on my food, which consisted of a slice of bread with butter, a cantaloupe wedge and a cream cheese danish. I needed some sugar, so the danish was the first thing I focused in on. I didn’t know where Mak had brought the food in from, but the flaky baked good was one of the best I’d ever tasted, which was hard for me to concede since I enjoyed my own so much.
“I guess that’s good news, but she didn’t have to interrupt or send me away to tell you that. Are you able to tell me anything else that was said?”
I offered him a bite of the danish, just in case he hadn’t had a chance to get his own. He took a small bite as he waited for me to answer the question.
“Nothing of great importance. More than anything I think she was just here to make sure I didn’t have my way with you. There was a time when she wanted to lock us in a room together, but evidently today isn’t one of those days.”
Nate raised an eyebrow without saying anything. He picked up the piece of bread and broke off a bite before holding it in front of my mouth. I was finishing chewing the last bite of the danish, so it took me a second to open my mouth for his offering.
I wasn’t surprised that the bread was slightly warm, so the rich butter was partially melted. Mak was on his game awfully early in the morning. The sun hadn’t even come up and he was whipping up some of his best work.
“She showed up just to tell you not to have sex with me. For some reason that sounds completely unlike something Eva would say. Are you sure it was her and not some kind of trick? From what I could see she wasn’t as combative as she’s been lately.”
“It was her, or at least a projection of her. I didn’t try to wave my hand through her body, but I probably could have. She said other things, but since I complained most about her interrupting us, she explained we didn’t need a fourth baby running around in the near future.”
“The more time we spend with her, the more mysterious I find her to be, and I end up siding with you about trying to keep her away. I suppose she has a point, but I imagine we could’ve figured out a way to keep from having a baby.”
“I doubt it. I’m pretty sure we just have to touch certain body parts together and I’ll be pregnant again. You’ve always said what we have is magical, and I don’t doubt at all that just thinking about having a baby would make one.”
Nate laughed and kissed my forehead. “I think that’s a little bit of an exaggeration. Are you ready to go out and figure out what’s on the agenda for today?”
I liked that he didn’t push too much for more of the conversation he’d been blocked out of. I could tell he wanted me to replay everything that was said, but he refrained from grilling me, which would’ve made me hit him. I hated interrogations.
“I love you more than words can really express.” He knew that already, but it felt like a good time to remind him, especially since I wasn’t being allowed to remind him in the way I’d planned.
“I’m aware, and I love you too. Do you want to change, or are you going to go with the same shirt you’ve been wearing for days now?”
“Is that your way of telling me I stink?” Spare clothing was another thing Mak had imported in for us. I hadn’t really noticed anyone else changing, but that could’ve been because all we ever wore was black.
“No. I just wasn’t sure if your shirt was going to start walking on its own. How sure are you that today is the day?”
Nate reached down to pick up his shirt and put it on. His had come off every night, giving it a chance to air out. I liked being prepared in case we had unexpected visitors. It didn’t help that the one time I’d taken mine off that someone had shown up.
“I’m sure. Eva didn’t say anything specific to back up my feeling, but I think she knew it too. At least I’m not remembering anything she said about that. She was rather scattered, though. I haven’t seen anything to indicate you were in danger, but I want you to be extra careful today. Malphas knows who’s closest to me, and I don’t doubt he’ll try to use that to his advantage.”
“Don’t worry. Even without your handy knife, I have a few things up my sleeve to protect myself.”
I put my plate down on the floor next to us and climbed out of bed. Nate’s words worried me a little bit, but I’d make sure to check in on him when the fighting got started. I didn’t know if Malphas was aware that killing Nate was as good as killing me, but I hoped that he’d missed that portion of our wedding.