doing a guppy impression whilst watching the show unfold in front of us.
The Harpies were crowded around a black plinth that held the Eye of Crimson at its centre like a jewel on an ostentatious crown. It had long fingers of gold that were steepled up like the decorative parts on a cathedral's roof. But it wasn't the site of the Eye that struck me silent and without a witty comeback, it was the Harpies strange reaction to it.
The way they circled it, whilst clicking their tongues on the roof of their mouths before hissing out words I couldn't understand. Even their wings spread out and shuddered as if they couldn't contain themselves at the sight of the power presented to them. From what I could gather from Nero's reaction back down in the temple and before we were attacked, was that before this point in time the Eye had been little more than just a myth. And now, watching the way the Harpies reacted to it, I had to question just how far that myth had travelled down in Hell. Because to watch them now and you would have thought the God Janus himself had been sat upon a throne in the centre of their world. Not just a representation of his bleeding heart for mankind.
“I don't know about you, but I've got a bad feeling about this,” Nero said, without taking her enamoured gaze from the Eye of Crimson. But with this comment I couldn't help but turn to ask her,
“And you're only now getting this bad feeling? Because unless kidnapping is a regular occurrence for you, then I think time for bad feelings was when you were knocked unconscious and presumed dead…which was not fun for me by the way.” My sarcastic response got me a raised brow in return before she admitted,
“Okay, so I see your point because being knocked out and bleeding on the floor wasn't fun for me either.”
“It never is,” I commented dryly, and her look said it all.
“Seriously, girl, do you have a normal life or anything because I live in Hell and even I don't go through this much shit on a regular basis?” Nero said making me laugh before telling her,
“Would you believe me if I told you my life was pretty boring before I met Lucius.” She started nodding and agreed,
“Actually yeah, I would…damn men, eh?” It was my turn to nod.
“You got that right. Although it does have to be said that since meeting him, I equally get myself in this much shit without his help,” I admitted, feeling guilty daily for what Lucius had to deal with. Hell, but trying to keep me safe was almost a pointless endeavour these days. Because you could lead a horse to water but making it drink was another thing or in my case making it stay in its bloody stable until it was ready to be ridden was another thing. And well, Lucius was one hell of a rider!
“No, Princess, that really does not surprise me.” I gave her a coy look and questioned,
“No?”
“No offence, but I smelled trouble on you the second you walked in my shop…well, after the walking, talking, troublemaking, sex on a red Scottish stick, Wyvern…that was, oh but damn that hot blooded male sent from the Gods to ravish…” I swear I started choking before holding up my hands and saying,
“Okay, okay, getting a pretty clear yet steamy, overly hot picture here.” She laughed before shrugging her shoulders unapologetically and despite what was happening all around us, every time either of us did laugh, it only managed to ease the tension of our unknown fate.
“What do you think they're going to do with it?” Nero asked after a few moments of silence.
“Well, whatever it is, I don't think they're going to play dodgeball with it. Look, here comes the Queen,” I said whispering this last part as she walked across the bailey dragging behind her the long silk tail of her dress. Now doing so as if she had been born into royalty. But strangely this thought led into one that had no reasoning behind it and for purposes I couldn't explain, I knew that she had been granted or gifted the life she now possessed.
Not only did she not look like the others, now that she had the body of a beautiful woman, with only her legs resembling that of a bird like creature. But it was also her wings and although not as