“It’s okay to say you miss someone,” Julia said. “Mom would say that whenever I went off for a school trip or camp.”

“The difference is,” Clara said. “If I keep absorbing old gods, will I be able to remain a distinct and dominant personality?”

The flames were done licking the pan. Julia pulled it out from the fire. She did not delay for long letting it drop on the wet grass nearby which began sizzling.

“I can’t imagine it,” Julia said. “Entirely distinct personalities, with thousands of years of rivalries and baggage.”

“Nailed it,” Clara said. “In a way, I’m afraid that I’ll eventually lose myself amongst the voices.”

“I have to hand it to that corpse—Evelyn,” Julia began. “The love of her life was dead, possibly coming back to life due to an alternate self, her sire had to be locked up, and she still carried on as though it was a regular affair.”

Looks could be deceiving, and Evelyn with her short slender frame, feminine features, soft skin, and penchant for designer clothing certainly disarmed many. However, that vampire had been figuratively through hell and lived a life that few would envy.

“Adding to that, people were actively trying to kill her and end the world,” Julia added. “I’m pretty sure I’d crack under that much pressure.”

Instead, the vampire enabled their escape and promised to take the war to her enemies. Evelyn might be the natural enemy of hunters, but she was also the most steadfast and powerful ally Clara ever had.

“Our hopes grew when your… vessel? Whatever—its heart started up again…”

“I have no memory of that,” Julia said.

“I’d count your fucking lucky stars,” Julia said. “There was not much left of you. It may have taken Jesus three days to rise from the dead, but it took you three weeks just to start breathing again.”

Clara gasped, as that immediately made her realise how hard it would have been on Evelyn.

“It must have been hell for you two,” Clara said.

“I have to hand it to that corpse—Evelyn,” Julia began. “The love of her life was dead, possibly coming back to life due to an alternate self, her sire had to be locked up, and she still carried on as though it was a regular affair.”

“Yep,” Julia said. “Like I said before, your scent is camouflaged. I just followed any smell that makes me think of home… with mom…”

Clara went to reach out, but the werewolf raised her hand to stop her. Julia took several breaths and went on.

“After The Grand,” Julia began. “I tracked you down to three potential locations.”

That statement made no sense until she realised that any modern version of Clara would be an angel as well… two doppelgangers…

“In these I awoke in my body,” Julia said. “In two cases, it took me days to reach you or…”

“Evelyn,” Clara finished.

“Yeah,” Julia said. “I hedged my bets, moving from one reality to another every couple of days… Until I realised that I could stand just outside a bubble to make a call….”

That explained why Evelyn said that Julia went out for errands. The werewolf had been out doing her rounds, hoping for an update.

“How did you find me the second time?” Clara asked.

Clara eyed the last piece, but decided the cook should have the honours. However, Julia shook her head, freeing the angel to indulge in her gluttony… I would have never thought the meat would cook white…

“The same as always,” Julia said.

Julia set the pan atop the fire to burn off the remaining bits and grease. The river was far off while soap was in short supply… a rock will scrape off what remains…

“You tracked me?”

“Yep,” Julia said. “Like I said before, your scent is camouflaged. I just followed any smell that makes me think of home… with mom…”

“Yeah,” Julia said. “I could walk around, see, and hear what was going on.”

It sounded like she was simply an observer in the world. That did not explain why Clara could also see and hear the werewolf.

“People were oblivious to my presence,” Julia said. “I yelled in their ears, licked the face of one, and flashed another.”

She imagined Julia exposing herself to some random miner and getting no response… That might turn into a running gag…

“I even tried to knock down the priest with my backpack and it just went through him,” Julia said. “I’ve lived on the streets and was used to being ignored… but this was something else…”

“Screaming out into the void,” Clara mused.

“The void just takes it,” Julia said.

“The meat was fine the first two times, this time it… decayed.”

Clara chuckled. She guessed that a werewolf preferred to eat meat from off the bone.

“That’s what aged meat is,” Clara explained.

“Oh?” Julia asked. “Well, I cut away the bad parts and cooked what was left.”

So, the Terminus was also connected to pocket worlds in addition to being littered with bubbles from alternate realities. It’s a shame that the goddesses were silent, as their advice could be their ticket out of here.

“Thanks,” Julia said before reaching for another piece. “I was worried the meat had gone bad.”

Clara cocked a brow before saying, “Oh?”

“Time moves differently here…” Julia said. “I’d been here before and wrapped the carcass in plastic before submerging it in the river.”

On the surface of it, the idea had merit. The water would cut down on the scent, and keep the meat cool… a poor man’s refrigerator…

“An unnecessary precaution, as I didn’t see or smell any other predators or scavengers, and traced the outer edges…”