Page 53 of Chaos Carnival

“You were supposed to help,” I snarled, my voice dropping to an inhuman register that made the windows vibrate. The blackness in the room slithered like spilled ink, responding to my rage.

“Yes, well, things don't always go as we want them to.” She examined her wine glass with affected nonchalance, but I could sense the tension coiled beneath her casual demeanor.

I ran a hand through my hair, trying to think clearly through the fear and anger. “Is there nothing we can do to help her odds?”

“Nothing.” She paused, then added, her voice carrying centuries of dark knowledge, “You can try to ease the effects, though.”

“How?” The word came out more threat than question.

“Either make her laugh, run hard, or come.” Her lips curved into a knowing smirk that spoke of forbidden pleasures and ancient sins.

“The endorphins?” My fingers tightened anxiously into fists by my side.

“Yes, the endorphins may clear her head temporarily. No promises.” Each word dripped with poisonous amusement.

“Well thank you,” I said sarcastically, dropping into an armchair, the furniture creaking under my poorly suppressed control.

Lilith's eyes narrowed, hellfire flickering in their depths. “Don't take that tone with me, seraph. I'm not the one who let her attempt complex demon magic in the middle of a restaurant.”

I surged to my feet, fluid but carefully controlled. “Because you didn't warn us this could happen!”

“I warned you both that demon arcana was dangerous,” she shot back, standing as well. Her posture was perfect, regal, with the kind of stillness that comes from centuries of power rather than fear. “I set up proper protections, taught her the basics of grounding and shielding. It's not my fault she decided to show off without taking precautions.”

“She wasn't showing off,” I growled, a hint of beastly resonance in my voice. “She was trying to prove to me that what you were teaching her was safe.”

Lilith laughed, the sound sharp and bitter, carrying the enormity of ancient knowledge. “Safe? When has anything about your situation been safe? She's a hybrid trying to learn demon arcana while bound to a seraph through both a claiming and an ancient curse. Nothing about this is safe.”

Her words hit too close to home, and I sank back into the chair, the fight draining out of me. The murk stirred, something unseen shifting in the room, becoming still but watchful. “Just... tell me she has a chance.”

Lilith's expression softened marginally, though her eyes remained calculating. “She's strong. Stubborn. And she has you.” She paused, swirling the wine in her glass with deliberate precision. “Those are better odds than most would have.”

From the bedroom, the sound of Tess mumbling in her sleep drifted through. I was on my feet instantly, but Lilith's hand on my arm stopped me, her touch cool and firm.

“Let her sleep,” she coaxed, her voice carrying the kind of authority that brooks no argument. “The more rest she gets, the better chance she has of processing what's happening to her.”

I nodded reluctantly but remained standing, torn between the need to check on Tess and the need to get answers. My stillness held the same leashed control as Lilith's, two immortal beings maintaining a careful standoff.

“Ask,” Lilith said, reading my hesitation. Her pose was relaxed but her attention never wavered, like a sword sheathed but ready.

“Not to interrupt this delightfully tense standoff,” Oscar chimed in from his perch on the bookshelf, “but perhaps we should focus less on who's to blame and more on ensuring our dear Tess doesn't end up like me—trapped in an ornamental prison for eternity.”

I shot the skull a dark look. Trust Oscar to cut through the tension with his particular brand of morbid humor. But he had a point; arguing with Lilith wouldn't help Tess.

“What exactly happened? What are these strands that are now 'part of her'?”

Lilith sighed, settling back onto the couch with a stately economy of movement. “Sit down, seraph. This is going to take some explaining.”

I sat, preparing myself for whatever fresh hell I was about to learn. The air between us held the solemnity of old power and older secrets. In the bedroom, Tess had gone quiet again, and I prayed that meant she was at last getting the rest she needed.

Lilith took another sip of wine, gathering her thoughts. The gesture seemed almost human, but her stillness betrayed her true nature. “The webs aren't just alchemy. They're the raw essence of the universe. Most practitioners learn to see them gradually, touch them carefully, weave them slowly. It's like learning to swim. You start in the shallow end, not by diving into the ocean.”

“And Tess?” The question carried the enormity of my protectiveness.

“Your little halfling just dove into the Mariana Trench.” Lilith's perfect stillness belied the gravity of her words. “The strands recognized what she is, this new thing, this hybrid of seraph andhuman with an ancient curse thrown in. They were drawn to her. Hungry for her.”

My hands clenched into fists, shadows curling fractionally around my knuckles. “Hungry?”

“Magic seeks magic, seraph. It's why we use circles and wards during practice—to control how much we interact with at once. But Tess...” Lilith leaned forward, her eyes reflecting knowledge older than civilization. “She called to them without protection, without limits. And they answered. All of them.”

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