NOVEL NEXT Chapter 57: Help
Jace and Eva were halfway to the door when she suddenly stopped and glanced back.
"Where's your alien friend?" she asked, her tone casual but her eyes sharp.
Jace froze for half a second, then flicked his gaze toward the closed bedroom door. "Long story," he muttered, brushing past her as he stepped out of the apartment.
Eva narrowed her eyes but didn't push. She followed him down the stairwell until they reached the street.
Parked against the curb was a sleek black sedan, newer than anything Jace had seen her drive before. He slowed, squinting at it. "You got a new car?"
"Not really." Eva smirked faintly, pulling the keys from her pocket. "Company car. I 'borrowed' it for a while."
Jace's brow lifted. "Borrowed, huh?"
"Relax," she said, opening the driver's side door. "They've got more of these. They'll live."
He shook his head but didn't argue. Sliding into the passenger seat, he shut the door as Eva started the engine. The hum was low and smooth, nothing like her old ride.
As the car pulled away from the curb, Jace leaned back in the seat, his thoughts already drifting toward the night ahead.
Jace looked out the window. "So where's this meta-human bar? Is it safe?"
Eva kept her eyes on the road. "Hold on, Jace. Before I answer that, I think you should answer me first. What did you mean earlier, that if I don't help you, you'll die? And how does finding someone who can heal fix that?"
Jace sighed. There was no point hiding it now. Eva might have been here only because she wanted her powers back, but that was enough. It meant she'd help with whatever came next.
"You saw that second monster, right? The one I actually defeated? Zin suggested I spread kinetic energy across my whole body to move faster."
Eva's head snapped toward him for a second. "You can do that?"
"I learned I could. And I also learned it has very dire consequences. My cells are dying. I need an ability that can heal me."
Eva's eyes widened slightly, and then the realization hit. "So that's why your alien frien—"
"Yeah," Jace cut her off quickly. "Serai is resting. That's why we need to do this. Plus, if I go through with it, Zin can examine my body, and the girl you're taking us to, during sex. He'll see how it works in real time, so I can either learn to control it or finally understand the process."
Eva gave him a long look. "And that means?"
Jace allowed himself a small smile. "It means if we know how it works, then maybe we can reverse it. If I can take… I can probably give back, right?"
Her lips pressed tight, clearly skeptical, but she didn't answer right away.
Jace's attention shifted to the window. The streets outside looked worse with every block they passed.
He realized quickly he'd never been to this side of Grayson before.
Trash littered the sidewalks, storefronts were boarded up, and broken glass glinted faintly in the gutter.
Groups of people lingered at corners, their eyes sharp and hungry, sizing up everyone who passed.
Others twitched or stumbled, cracked-out husks lost in their own haze.
Jace leaned back slightly in his seat, muttering under his breath. "Yeah… real warm welcome."
The car slowed as Eva guided it deeper into the neighborhood. She kept her focus straight ahead, not fazed at all.
Jace glanced at her, realizing quickly this wasn't her first time driving through a place like this.
They parked a short walk from the bar, the hum of the engine cutting off as Eva slid the keys from the ignition.
The street smelled of smoke and stale beer, neon lights flickering from the run-down buildings around them.
As Jace stepped out, he shoved his hands in his pockets and threw her a look. "So, Eva. About this girl."
Eva closed her door with a quiet thunk. "Yeah?"
"Is she hot?"
She froze mid-step. "…What?"
Jace cleared his throat, not meeting her eyes. "I mean, good looking? If I'm going to, you know… sleep with her, I'd rather look at a pleasant face than, well, you get what I mean."
Eva's jaw tightened. She snapped her gaze away, rolling her eyes as she started walking toward the bar. "You really have a way with words, you know that?"
He grinned faintly, trailing after her. "So… that's a yes?"
"We'll see." Her tone was flat, but her stride quickened, as if she wanted the conversation buried under the noise of the street.
Eva walked ahead, her pace brisk, her shoulders stiff in a way that didn't match her usual confidence.
[She seems jealous,] Zin's voice hummed in Jace's head.
Jace blinked, slowing for half a second. "…No way. Right?"
[Look at her,] Zin pressed. [She rolled her eyes, but she didn't laugh. Tone was clipped, stride got faster after you asked about the girl. Classic tells. Trust me, I've seen enough of human behavior to know.]
A grin tugged at Jace's lips as he jogged a few steps to close the distance. He fell in stride beside her, matching her pace easily.
"You're walking fast," he teased, tilting his head toward her.
Eva didn't look at him. "Maybe you're just slow."
He chuckled under his breath, the smile still tugging at his face as they approached the bar's neon glow.
The bouncer looked like he could fold a man in half with one hand.
Thick shoulders filled his black jacket, and his arms were crossed as if welded in place.
His gaze sharpened when Jace and Eva walked up, but the second he recognized her, his whole face cracked into a grin.
"Well, well. Look who finally decided to crawl back. Been a long damn time, Eva."
She smirked, that practiced tilt of her chin making it seem like she owned the sidewalk. "Guess you missed me, Vik."
The big guy chuckled low, but when his eyes slid to Jace, the grin cooled. He leaned forward just a little, his voice dropping. "Word of warning. She's in tonight."
The pause was heavy enough to carry weight.
Jace glanced at Eva, expecting some hesitation, but she only smirked wider. "Good. I was praying for it. Thanks, Vik."
She brushed past him like the words didn't mean anything, but the edge in her voice told a different story.
Jace followed, slower. Something about the exchange stuck with him. That look in Eva's eyes, it wasn't relief or surprise. It was satisfaction, like she'd been waiting for this moment.
The bouncer had sounded like he was giving a heads-up, maybe even a warning, but Eva treated it like a gift.
Jace's gut tightened. Whoever this "she" was, Eva wasn't just bringing him here for help. She wanted something else out of this. Something personal.
And if Eva was smiling about it, then the history between them wasn't friendly