He seemed to relax slightly… but only slightly. But he needn’t have worried, it was indeed a massive basin.
She stood and unpinned her dress at the shoulder, unwrapping the material as she moved across the room to the ante-chamber. She returned seconds later with a much smaller piece of almost translucent cloth in her hand, and wearing nothing except her almost ever present bracelet of amber and the silver serpent about her upper arm.
She reminded herself over and over again that he was blind as she neared the bath, and breathed slowly and deeply in order to calm her nerves and force the threat of a blush from her now very exposed skin. She glanced down at him as she sat directly between him and door. He seemed relatively calm… all things considered. Well… good then, she thought, and adjusted the cloth over her lap… letting it dangle between her legs.
It afforded her the minimum of decency by at least covering her sex, even if the entirety of her leg and hip were exposed for all to see. Not to mention the rest of her. Not that naked women were so shocking here… but she hoped that the unexpected sight of Her in the nude might give them pause… and if she were very lucky, give Thelios an excuse to make them leave. After all, he’d already made it clear he didn’t like anyone touching or looking at her, so it would seem perfectly natural for him to overreact.
She looked down, still taking deep calming breaths, then tugged the material a little higher, letting it bunch in a way which obscured at least part of her stomach. She hadn’t lost her waist, but there was a swell there that she would rather them not see. Just in case.
She heard voices outside… becoming combative from the sound of it. She took one last breath and steeled herself. She turned so that she was in partial profile and extended her exposed leg slightly, taking advantage of its length and making it appear that much longer. If she had one feature she knew was actually quite nice, it was her legs. A fact confirmed in recent memory. They had been skinny and coltish in her youth, but the length and shape and been complimented by her sisters and friends many times as her body matured. So, there was no reason to waste that fact if she intended to go through with this.
At the same time she raised her arms over her head, and began pulling the pins from her hair, unraveling the knotted braids, and letting the black curls fall around her shoulder. Thelios always seemed to like it like that. She rarely wore it down, except for him… but in that lay its great effect. If it had an effect, that is.
Who knew how her gamble would unfold.
She gasped softly in natural surprise when the door flung open, pulling her from her immediate thoughts. She remembered herself enough to keep from starting or covering herself.
She schooled herself, stretching languidly with pins still in hand, and turned her eyes to the door, earnestly hoping there would be no one there but her master. She tried to keep her voice mild and fearless. “If it please you my Lord, I’ve-”
She cut herself off and blushed hotly as her gaze met that of the Host, who now stood before her, and only a few paces away. She did not have to feign embarrassment or fear, and froze instinctively, giving him a long eyeful before she wrapped her arms across her chest with another soft gasp.
There was a painfully long moment of silence while the two of them simply stared at each other. She in trepidation, he in obvious surprise… and, she thought, a good deal of curious heat once the surprise began to pass. This was not at all what he had expected to see, clearly, but now that he was here he didn’t seem anxious to leave. Lady Nagi slid into the room behind him, then paused herself, rearing up a little on her snake part, her brows raising and her mouth twisting into a wicked grin.
There was another awkward pause in which Calliope listened to the thudding of her heart in her chest and felt poignantly the red throb of her blush as it seared her cheeks and throat.
Thelios finally appeared. “Wha–” His growl of irritation was cut off as he to spied her, and his face turned black. Her stomach dropped and she swallowed hard. “Out!” His bellow seemed to make the very air tremble, and she shivered with fear. The others seem no less affected, the Host starting with surprise, then hastily turning and exiting the room, hot on lady Nagi’s heels. Or tail, rather.
When they were gone he paced to the bed, snatched up a sheet, and prowled toward her with a growl in his throat and a dark look still plastered firmly on his face. She wasn’t afraid, necessarily, but it wasn’t an encouraging expression.
She hesitant to say anything, and sat frozen as he leaned in and wrapped the sheet firmly around her, glancing into the bath to see Phineas still laying there, just as frozen as she. He hesitated, still leaning over her, and reached behind her to turn off the tap.
He paused again as he pulled away, his lips brushing her ear. “My clever girl.” He whispered against her cheek, then pulled back and turned away, storming off toward the door. The rigid anger apparent in his body hadn’t left, nor his threatening aura… so she couldn’t help but wonder if she’d only imagined his softly spoken praise.
When the door slammed shut behind him she let out the groan of fear and embarrassment she’d been suppressing and let her flushed face fall into her hands.
She was still sitting like that when the door opened again a few minutes later, though this time it was just Thelios. His face was still hard, but he didn’t seem to radiate quite as much intensity as before.
“Come, get dressed.” He beckoned to her as she looked up. “We’re leaving.” He fetched Phineas from the bath as she rose to obey. She watched as he hefted the poor man out by his shoulders, and set him on his feet as if he were a child. He did look sort of child-like next to her master actually… but then most people did. Especially when he was as large as he currently was. She was looking forward to everything being back to normal, and him just being massive rather than literally gigantic all the time.
When she came back, dressed this time, it was just her and the three men. Lady Nagi had gone, perhaps to cover their escape, she mused… or to prepare her own. She stationed herself next to Thelios, wanting, or perhaps needing, the sense of safety his presence usually lent her. Even when he made her nervous, she’d rather be next to him than anyone else-or alone, for that matter.
But that was apparently not to be.
“Take her.” He immediately handed her off to Demitri, taking her arm and pressing her forward. She opened her mouth to argue, but thought instantly better of it. She recovered her sense and willingly pressed next to Demitri as his guiding arm came around her waist. After all if she couldn’t stay with Thelios, this would most certainly be her next choice.
“Where will you go?” She desperately wanted him to come with them, afraid of what would happen if he confronted his brethren.