บททั้งหมดของ The Slaved Virgin Offering: บทที่ 91 - บทที่ 100

He returned the smiled and she felt the pad of his thumb swipe across her cheek. "This is something I haven't seen in a little while. I'd be worried if I wasn't sure I hadn't hurt you." She frowned at his strange words and lifted her own fingers to her face. She understood when she felt the wetness there. She had no memory of crying and wondered when it had happened."How strange" She murmured. "I don't remember it at all.""I didn't hurt you...did I?" She smiled at the rare note of uncertainty ringing in his voice."No, you were right to think you hadn't. I'm fine." And she was. She tingled all over, and her muscles still twitched and pulsed now and then, but she lacked her usual heavy ache. She yawned and nestled in against him, making happy, if sleepy, sounds of approval when she felt him cover them both with sheets.He made a satisfied sound of his own. "Then sleep well my sweet, teary wench."She laughed softly, feeling his own near-silent chuckle reverberating in his chest. "And

She bit her lip and watched him carefully, hoping there was something written in his face which would provide surety for the actions she knew in her gut she was going to take. He was anxious looking and insistent, but that was as much as she could see. Her gut was telling her what he said was true...though she also knew there were different kinds of truths, including half-truths which were oft as good as lies.Still..."How...how do you know he, my lord, is in danger?" She took his arm again, leading him back down the hall and toward her master's rooms. She noted he looked more relieved than satisfied and decided to take that as a good sign."I can't be sure, at least...not positive. But I've seen things, disturbing things and he's at the center of it. I saw them when the scrolls went missing...or thereabouts. I assume it was at the same time because it was a day later when I was myself attacked and captured. Luckily I saw that coming as well and was able to arrange a daring and heroi

He rolled his eyes. "And I her, but you do not anger Stheno, no matter how well disposed she might be...I didn't think..." He fell off again with a sigh."Enough." Thelios muttered gruffly. He turned away and took up his usual seat, rubbing his chin and frowning. Calliope decided to join him, standing at his shoulder as the rest fell silent. "So, you're here now because the Gorgon's were missing and I was missing...what then?""I'd been having visions...you know how they are when something is imminent, and I saw you, this place, your father...and snippets of all kinds of things I can't yet make sense out of." He waved, as if shooing the visions away. "Eventually some men tried to capture me...I knew they would, and my visions led me here...though it took them long enough to do it. I noticed this one," he gestured to her, "in the halls and that she had a familiar aura about her, so I stopped her to ask for help. Eventually she brought me here so, I'm led to believe, you could deal with

"I'll distract them." He must have seen her fear in her eyes. "I'm just going to argue with them," he continued, looking directly at her, "and tell them I'm going to leave. I won't mention you, and will go alone by sea when it's done...hopefully they'll come after me if they're going to so I can lead them away..."She wasn't comforted by that thought at all. "Come after you?" Her voice rose an octave or two. She felt Demitri's arm tighten around her, and Phineas' hand landed on her shoulder.Phineas spoke softly, as if fearful she might panic. "Don't worry. Once he's at sea, there will be little they can do. At worst they will delay and distract him. I'll go as well, between the tw-""No." Thelios stated firmly, cutting him off. "No." He straightened his shoulders, making him look all the more imposing, and all but impossible to contradict. And who would dare? She wondered with an uncomfortable mixture of consternation and pride."But--" Phineas began... falling off when a slow shake

The others on board ignored her for the most part, and let her stand and stare. She listened with only one ear to their movements behind her.After who knows how long, and when she could no longer see movement on the other ship, she decided it was perhaps time to give up her watch. The chill in the air worried her, if only for the baby's sake. And she was so tired.But then something caught her attention. Something in the water, near the other ship. Or rather something about the waves...they seemed...oddly circular, as if emitting from a particular spot. She stared, leaning in and narrowing her eyes, hoping to make something out, and noticed the water seemed troubled...more than troubled. The spot she was watching seemed to burble and heave, sending out larger and larger rings.Calliope opened her mouth to call out, but found she had no voice, nor will to move.Instead she stared in horror and gripped the ship's rail as the strange bubbling exploded upward. Something tall and dark fle