Page 47 of Chaos Carnival

“Come on,” Lilith breathed. “That's it. Now grab one. Any one.”

I mentally reached for a thread that seemed to pulse with a deep purple energy that felt familiar somehow. Like it was beckoning me, not the other way around. Like something I'd always known but never had the words for.

“Good choice,” Lilith said. “That's a protection thread. They're everywhere in this city, begging to be woven. Take it. Understanding these basic weavings is crucial. Only then can we attempt to unravel the wraithshade's grip on Ivan.”

The purple thread slipped through my mental grasp and into my physical form, weaving between muscle fibers and bones, leaving trails of cold fire in its wake. My concentration shattered, frustration bubbling up. Every moment of failure was more time for Ivan to strengthen. “Dammit!”

“Fuck,” Lilith huffed, and I opened my eyes to find her watching me with that irritatingly knowing smirk. “You suck at this. But you're doing better than expected. Most mortals can't even see them, let alone manipulate them.”

“I'm not even mortal anymore,” I reminded her, wiping sweat from my forehead. These sessions always left me drained. Time was running out for both Addie and Maverick.

“No,” she agreed, her dark eyes glinting. “You're not. You're a hybrid. The way you perceive both mortal and immortal lines is precisely why this is so thrilling.”

Like I was some sort of science experiment. I supposed I was to her. The demon sorceress had made it clear she found my situation captivating, particularly how Maverick's claiming had altered my abilities in ways that might help us understand both wraithshade bonds and soul curses.

“Open your eyes,” Lilith commanded. “But hold the weaving.”

I did as she asked, gasping as the more threads I touched, the more my sense of my own body became... uncertain. Were my limbs where they should be? Had I always had this many fingers? Was my skin always this fragile?

“Well,” Lilith said, looking genuinely pleased for the first time since she'd arrived. “Now you're beginning to understand how these bonds work. Perhaps this won't be as tedious as I feared.”

The barrier flickered and dissolved as my concentration broke, but I couldn't keep the smile off my face. Each small success brought us closer to saving Addie, to understanding the curse that bound me to Maverick.

“Don't get too excited,” Lilith warned, rising gracefully to her feet. “This is just the beginning. Tomorrow, we'll work on maintaining the weaving while under distraction. Once you master that,” her smile turned wicked, “we can start examining the wraithshade's specific threads.”

“Well, if you're quite done rearranging the poor girl's molecular structure for the day,” Oscar's crystalline voice cut through the heavy atmosphere, “perhaps we could discuss something more pleasant. Like how our demon houseguest has turned this apartment into a tribute to Victorian Gothic horror.”

I snorted, grateful for the break in tension as I stretched my aching muscles. “I thought you'd appreciate the aesthetic, Oscar. Wasn't that your era?”

“My dear, I appreciatetastefuldecoration. This?” The crystal skull somehow managed to look disdainful. “This is what happens when someone's entire understanding of the nineteenth century comes from reading Dracula once and misinterpreting everything.”

Lilith's eyes flashed dangerously. “I lived through your precious Victorian era, you crystalline nuisance. I was there when—“

“Yes, yes,” Oscar interrupted. “You were there when everything happened. Though I must say, if you truly attended Lady Windermere's soirées as you claim, you would know that black candles were considered terribly gauche by 1892. We'd all moved on to blood-red tapers by then. Much more festive.”

I pressed my lips together, trying not to laugh at the way Lilith's perfectly manicured nails dug into her palms.

“You know,” Oscar continued blithely, “for a being of supposedly infinite power and knowledge, you do seem rather stuck in your ways. Have you considered updating your aesthetic? Perhaps some fairy lights? A nice throw pillow or two?”

“Careful, you might get lost in storage,” Lilith scoffed.

“Darling, you'd miss my commentary. Besides, who else here appreciates the irony of a demon teaching alchemy while dressed in Chanel?”

“You two should get married.” I chuckled, watching their matching expressions of horror. They were not amused, though I caught the faintest twitch at the corner of Lilith's perfectly painted lips.

As I stood on shaky legs, I caught my reflection in the apartment's windows. I watched with horrified fascination as my veins briefly turned the color of each thread I’d touched, purple protection forging dark rivers under my skin. But then it was gone, leaving me wondering if I'd imagined it.

The door clicked open and Maverick strode in, his eyes darting between Lilith and me with barely concealed suspicion. His hair was windswept, leather jacket spotted with rain. “Any progress on the wraithshade bonds?”

Lilith stretched out on the velvet chaise she'd conjured her first day here, her movements liquid and graceful. “Your little halfling managed to grasp the basic threads. Once she masters those, we can start mapping the wraithshade's specific binding patterns.” Her eyes flickered to the poison's spread visible at his collar. “Unless you'd prefer we rush in blind?”

Heat flooded my cheeks at her dismissive tone. My temples throbbed from maintaining focus on the tendrils for so long, and my limbs felt like lead weights. The purple energy still flowed behind my eyes whenever I blinked.

“We're done for now,” I said, gathering the obsidian candles from their points around the circle. The black salt had already started to fade, dissolving into the hardwood floor like it had never existed.

“Until tomorrow.” Lilith's voice carried that edge of command. “We'll work on your stamina. You'll need it to untangle those wraithshade bonds without getting yourself killed.”

I slumped against the back of the couch, my muscles aching from the magical exertion. The webs still flickered at the edges of my vision, taunting me. If I could just master this faster...

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