"Meredith, let's focus, shall we?" Kelly cleared his throat and aimed a tremulous smile at the woman that didn't quite hide his unease.
Meredith frowned, but her expression still seemed vaguely amiss. It took Eva seconds to understand why. The skin on her face didn’t move like a human’s, instead it was set and frozen, like wood.
"I don't want to," Meredith said flatly.
Kelly’s eyes narrowed and he looked like he’d bitten into something sour as he tried to resist the urge to glare. "We need her. Vincent promised to let you turn one of the others to add to your collection if you're good."
Meredith blew a raspberry even as she waved her hand. The vines and branches withdrew, freeing Eva.
"Let's go," Kelly ordered.
Eva didn't move, her limbs frozen in place. That woman terrified her.
Kelly sent her a look. "Unless you want to be the one she uses those things on?"
She followed his eyes to where the bugs scuttled under and over the branches, moving back and forth on a mission only they understood.
"What about the other two?" she asked.
He tilted his head and shrugged. "Who knows? Either way, you won't want to join them. I've seen what she does with her creations when she gets frustrated. It's not pleasant."
Laurell made a strangled sound, reminding Eva that Caden and Jason weren't her only concerns.
"Shh, pet. It's alright. Your vocal cords are changing. Human words will soon be out of your reach," Meredith crooned, running both hands down Laurell's throat.
Eva stood, her focus on Laurell. "I'll go with you."
Kelly rolled his eyes. "As if there was ever any doubt you'd do otherwise."
Sebastian started to follow.
"Ah, ah. Not you, Kyren. Vincent doesn't want you near them," the man taunted.
Sebastian whickered a protest.That wasn't the deal.
Eva didn’t relay his words. He'd lost the right to have her speak for him when he betrayed them.
"You should let him see them," Kent said, hands in his pocket. "It might keep him docile."
Kelly scoffed. "They're all fools if they think a couple of pregnant mares are going to keep him on their side. They should kill him and be done with it."
Someone should really warn them Sebastian understood every word out of their mouth. Too bad they were the enemy.
"Let's go," Kelly ordered, melting into the woods.
"Bossy, bossy," Meredith muttered, her hands trailing down Laurell's arm as she started to follow. "Come, pet."
Wood creaked and branches rustled, as Laurell lurched in Meredith's wake. Laurell’s hand reached out and grabbed Eva's arm, dragging her along with them.
Eva didn't resist, a hand slipping into her pocket as she fingered the poultice. She fiddled with the package, trying not to be obvious as she teased it open and smeared some of the gunk on her fingers for if an opportunity presented.
Before they stepped out of view of the others, she glanced over her shoulder. Caden’s face was stony while Jason stared back at her in desperations. "Don't die."
At that, Caden's mouth tilted up in an expression that wouldn't be considered a smile on anyone else. For him, it was practically an exclamation.
"Same goes for you," Caden said.
The trees hid the two from view and Eva faced forward again, wondering what new terrors were still to come.
