Changeling: The Daughter of Fire (GxBxNB)

Changeling 26

My heart was still beating out of whack when I came back to the mansion. The image of Clarissa's little 'gift' was still all too fresh in my mind.

I ran to a bathroom and washed my face in cold water, hoping in vain it would clear my mind as well.

I thought I had scared Clarissa off, but now I was so sure what with this Seven-Godfather horror. The King called her an Erinyes, I had to look up what I could...

I pulled out my phone and looked it up, Wikipedia coming up as the first result. I clicked it and my eyes went over the first paragraph.

In ancient Greek religion and mythology, the Erinyes (/ɪˈrɪniˌiːz/; sing. Erinys /ɪˈrɪnɪs/, /ɪˈraɪnɪs/; Greek: Ἐρινύες, pl. of Ἐρινύς, Erinys), also known as the Furies, were female chthonic deities of vengeance, sometimes referred to as "infernal goddesses"

Oh, God.

Of course, the school bitch was some pumped up goddess of vengeance. That was just my fucking luck. And I'd had the absolutely brilliant idea of having a pony break her leg and then I'd threaten her...

There was only so much I could rely on mundane information... I needed help. I went up and found Kieran's room, knocking on it.

"Who is it?"

"It's me, Nadia."

"Oh, come in."

Kieran's room was what I expected of a grungy teen boy; band posters, an electric guitar in one corner, a bunch of skateboards were hanging on the wall. He straightened his shirt seeing him.

"Hey,"

"I'm sorry to barge in."

"It's fine, I wasn't doing anything..." Kieran was probably the worst liar in the world. On a desk behind him, I noticed a syringe and little ampoule of something... Probably not drugs, besides, who was I to pry?

"What do you know about Erinyes?"

"Furies? They're bad news, why do you—" His eyes widened, "Please tell me you haven't gotten into something with Clarissa Whitaker."

"Too late."

"Fuck..."

"She's that bad?"

"A mundane girl started rumors about her last year and when she found out she smashed her face into a concrete wall, the only reason she's not in jail is that her dad had everyone at the scene brainwashed..."

"And the girl...?"

"Very, very dead."

I swore under my breath. This was bad, catastrophically bad.

"You're under Lucian's protection," Kieran said, "If she tries something so openly, she'd risk a war."

A war of what? Lucian against the whole court of the Seelie? He was one person... The King wanted me for something, so maybe he wouldn't let it happen... Unless it was his plan for Clarissa to scare the fuck out of me and hope I came running for protection.

I was shaking and suffocating... I only noticed when Kieran took hold of me. My lungs burnt, needing more air. He guided me to the window.

"Breathe, Nadia, breathe."

I did just that. Okay, it was more hyperventilating.

When my breath calmed down, my legs were left like wet noodles. I collapsed down on the ground, Kieran catching me in his arms.

"It's okay, I'm right here for you."

I collapsed my head against his chest and he held me close.