“Yes…” He drawled uncertainly. He tipped his head at her and frowned slightly. He looked like he was going to say something but was cut short by her own sound of surprise.
They had turned into the last hall and Calliope stopped short, cursing under her breath. “What is it?” He asked, stiffening.
Before she could answer Penelope spotted her and waved, coming toward them. “I was just waiting for you to return. That grouchy fellow told me you were out.” Penelope cast a curious glance at the man next to her.
“I see. Is something the matter? Have you heard news?” Penelope seemed to hesitate. “It’s fine, go on, this is a friend of Demitri’s… who I presume is the grumpy one you mentioned.” She nodded to him, stalling for a moment as her mind turned rapidly, “This is Penelope. Penelope, this is Cassius.”
They greeted each other politely.
“Well, is something the matter, Penelope?”
“Ah, yes… well I overheard my new master speaking to one of his sisters. It seems…” she cast another glance at the man on her arm, “well, it seems they suspect the threat they had been concerned about might be on this very island. I’m, ah, sure your master will know soon if he doesn’t know already… but I wanted to warn you.” She smiled weakly. “But I must be going, I don’t want to start off on a bad foot with the new master after all, I wouldn’t want him looking for me and unable to find me.” She grinned a little more fully. “And hopefully there is nothing to it after all, and things are just fine. Be well.”
Calliope smiled as convincingly as she could, but it felt tight on her face, as if her cheeks would crack from the effort. “Yes. Indeed.” She agreed. “Let’s hope so.”
She nodded and left, excusing herself once more. Calliope only watched her for a moment before dragging her charge into their quarters.
“We haven’t much time.” He whispered. “That girl, she recognized me.”
She frowned. “How can you know?”
“Trust me. I do.”
She nodded with a sigh. For some insane reason she believed him. “I was afraid of that. She did seem a little out of sorts. Damn it, what am I doing?” She set her jaw and looked grimly between the blind man on her arm and the door to the private rooms. It was now or never.
She half led, half pushed him into the sitting room, knowing that in the entrance hall he might be seen by another slave and she had no desire to compound their troubles any more than she already had.
Demitri was there already. She would have been amused by the look of open shock on his face if the situation wasn’t already so serious. Before she could explain to calm him, he was across the room, pulling her away from Phineas and shunting her behind him.
“Demitri, calm down…” she managed, trying to pull him away, worried he might strike the man before she had a chance to explain.
“You don’t know who this is.” He warned.
She sighed. “Yes, I do. I know exactly who it is. That’s why I brought him here, so the master could question him once and for all…. but I don’t think he’s the one Demitri.”
Demitri looked shocked again and glanced over at her disbelievingly. “Wha-”
She gripped his arm. “Please Demitri, we must hurry. We were seen together and I fear he was recognized. Where is the master?”
“With Lamia.” He answered softly, still staring at her in confusion… then blinked, realizing his mistake, “Ah, that is…”
She smirked. “It’s ok, I’d heard that from others before. No one is very good at keeping secrets here it seems. Now that I think about it, I don’t know why they even bother being so mysterious about it. Where are they?”
He looked back at Phineas, then pulled away from her and stalked up to the man, who leaned away slightly as if sensing the larger man bearing down on him. Again she wondered if he was truly blind. “What the hell have you gotten that rotten hide of yours into this time?” He growled.
Surprisingly Phineas seemed to relax a little. “Demitri, it’s good to hear your voice.” He smiled wryly. “I’m afraid I haven’t determined the sort of trouble I’m in just yet, I was hoping you could tell me.”
Demitri sighed and shook his head. “Nothing is ever easy with you is it.” He pointed back to her, still looking at Phineas. “You probably figured it already, but she’s off limits. So try to contain yourself while I’m gone.” And then he left.
Calliope blinked. “Well… that was easy.” She murmured.
“We’ll see. I suspect he was playing along until he has proper back up, namely Thelios and dear Lamia.”
“Oh.”
They must have been nearby, probably across the garden in Lady Nagi… or perhaps she should say, Lamia’s quarters because it wasn’t a minute before Demitri returned with the dangerous looking pair behind him.
Thelios immediately did the same thing Demitri had and placed himself between her and Phineas, glaring daggers at the much smaller and rather unassuming looking man. “Explain yourself.” He growled at him, quickly cutting off her own stuttering attempts to do just that. Apparently it wasn’t her he cared to hear from.
So Phineas did. Just as he had to her, but with a good deal more hasty concision. Though when he got to the part about the Gorgons lady Nagi’s sharp gasp made him pause. “What do you mean missing?” She demanded.
“Missing, gone… no sign of them.” He enumerated darkly. There… there was no blood. I… I’m hoping they merely…. I don’t know…” He swallowed hard and his face went a shade paler. “I… I haven’t seen either of them since Stheno… well, you know.” He ran a hand through his sandy hair, tousling it roughly.
“What, since you left her?” lady Nagi asked sharply, her eyes narrowing.
His pale skin flushed red. “She sent me away.”
“You didn’t have to go… she loves you, you fool. She was just testing you.”