Eve's Boutique - Ch 18

 Playing Dirty

Eve screamed.  She grabbed one of the tapestries hanging from her shop wall.  In a single motion, she ripped it down, and threw it halfway across the room.

She reached for another.

Lilith sat by the register, bare feet propped on the counter, watching her sister’s tantrum with an expression of mild interest.

“God damn it, Lilith!  How could you do this to me?”

Lilith picked her teeth with her thumbnail.  “It was really easy.”

Eve hunched her shoulders, shoving both hands against one of the thick pieces of canvas on the wall.  She growled from the back of her throat.  The growl slowly built into a howl.  The canvas started to smoke, then all at once burst into flames, and disappeared in a cloud of smoke and ash.

“Nice technique.  Careful you don’t set off the sprinkler system though.  Now why don’t you take a deep breath, and tell me what you learned from this experience?”

Eve whirled.  “Don’t try to play this off as some kind of lesson.  This is an atrocity.  You went after someone I’ve marked.  I’m getting The Rules involved, this is a flagrant violation of everything we–”

“It isn’t though.”  The blue-haired witch yawned.  “I’m allowed to stay in your shop until I find my own place.  So what if I felt like redecorating, and running things in your absence?  And I can’t be held liable if a customer uses something I sell to cause trouble – even if it just so happens to be trouble for your new little girlfriend.  That’s just your bad luck.”

“Of all the lawyerly fucking bullshit….”

“Tell me, Eve.  Do I need your permission to breathe?  To wipe my ass after I take a shit?  You can’t restrict my every action.  You were out.  I was bored.  I set a honeypot, and I caught a fly.”

Eve glared at her.

“Remind me, why are you so upset?  You’ve known that Abby girl for what, three days?”

“Four.”

Lilith smiled, leaning back further in her chair.  “So let’s be philosophical about this.  You tried to help this girl, and it didn’t work out.  It’s not the end of the world.  And sure, she lost a little height in the deal.  Some mental faculties, the ability to be perceived.  Is any of that your fault, if we really get down to the core of the matter?  Absolutely, all of it is.  But that doesn’t mean you have to suffer on the account of someone who, by all rights, is practically a stranger to you.  I mean, fuck ‘em, right?”

Eve turned away.  Her shoulders slumped, and a tiny sound escaped from the back of her throat.

“Oh boy.  Here come the waterworks.  I swear, you imprint on people faster than a baby duck.”

“Shut up.”

“If she means that much to you, go to her.  Right now.  Be the hero, fix this for her.”

Eve shot a look over her shoulder.  Tears were flowing freely from her eyes.  “You fucking well know I can’t.   It’s against The Rules, apparently.  I couldn’t even leave the shop with that intention.”

“Sucks to suck!  Cheer up, though.  You’ll probably never see poor little Abby again.  But you’ve still got the other two.  At least, for now.  Maybe you’ll be able to keep them safe long enough to win this little game of ours.  Fair warning, I wouldn’t get too attached.”

The two stared at each other for a long moment.

Finally, Eve looked away, wiping her eyes.  “I’m going to get you for this Lilith.  I swear.  Remember how you screamed, when you got that full-body Brazilian?  I’m going to think of something ten times – a hundred times worse!”

“Oh, I can’t wait!  We’ll make a whole day of it.  By the way, no screwing with… what’s her name.  The hot one.”

“Mackenzie.”

“Yeah her.  She’s mine now.  She drank my mead – so to speak.”

“Rad.  I’ll go get a mop.”

“Wait.”  Lilith dropped her feet to the floor, and stood in a fluid motion.  “As long as we’re talking about The Rules.  You’re keeping something from me.  I can smell it on you.  What is it?”

Eve mumbled.

Lilith touched her sister on the chin, made her look her in the eye.  “Say that again, please.”

Eve let out an exasperated sigh.  “I got invited to a party.”

“Oh ho ho.  Did you, now?  And did you accept the invitation?”

She nodded.

“And therefore…?”

Eve scowled.  “As per the arrangement of our respective domains, I formally invite you to join me at Abigail and Mackenzie’s party, at seven p.m. this Saturday evening.”

Lilith squealed, rubbing her hands together in glee.  “I formally accept.  Oh, we’re going to have so much fun together!  Gosh.  Should I bring my karaoke machine?  What am I going to wear?  So many choices, and only three days to decide.”