Luminous

70 - Overridden

Time for the next step of her plan. Persephia deposited Evander's eye back in its bed and retrieved hers, pressing it in place over its original home. She placed her other hand above the trigger which would eject her right eye.

Her breath petered out of her in jittery shivers. Reaction time and sleight of hand was crucial for this step. A split second's lag. One tiniest falter. And she would either be stuck with Evander's memories in both of her eyes forever, or end up a soulless doll waiting to be discovered by the asleep couple in the morning.

To be honest, though, at this point, she couldn't decide which was worse.

No good would come out of delaying. At long last, she held her breath and pressed.

Her right eye popped out of its socket just as her left eye slid back in. For a moment, she was disoriented. She had felt around her left eye, located the minuscule node, and depressed it. Next thing she realized, her right eye was rolling on her lap.

Persephia had not the slightest clue what had transpired during the time her left eye was absent. Nevertheless, according to her meticulous plan, rehearsed over and over in her mind in the preceding hours, the sight was proof she had succeeded. Still, to be sure, she scoured her memories, and discovered nothing there that shouldn't have been.

Relief flooded her, seeping out in the form of thankful tears. Now that the most daunting step was over, all that was left were finishing touches and covering tracks. Out of her pocket, Persephia extracted the empty eye Coris had handed her and slotted it into the cavity.

Dry metal scraped against her sockets as she rolled her eyes around, and she closed her eyes to allow time for host and dweller to adjust and lubricate. Once the stinging pain and grating sensation had subsided, she returned the chest to its original spot, stashing her tainted eye in her pocket as she rose.

With no more than a last, fleeting look at her none-the-wiser adversaries, she swept back out into the night.

She had secured her means of escape. Now to seize The Axel.

⏳

"My dragon's boring. He just flies around the sanctuary with his mama all day, every day. The End."

Little Lord Frenix lay stretched with his belly on the warm sand. His head propped up on one arm, he tossed the cloth ball he had just received from Heloise over to Atmund. The infant toy gave out a merry jangle which clashed horribly with his dejected pout.

It was dinnertime. They had stopped for the night at yet another oasis still in the middle of nowhere. Members of the entourage freely picked the preferred turf upon which to rest their weary bums, and amiable company with which to dine. Meanwhile, the nine Greeneyes were cloistered next to the vat of reheated stew with the two Lord Hadrians, taking turns discussing their experiences using Coris's so-called Bard's Bell.

"Mine too. But it's a she." Atmund mumbled. He recoiled at the sudden shift in focus from around the circle, then his voice grew stronger, "I-I-I like it, though. I was scared when she flew for the first time, but the wind felt great. And there's beautiful meadows and blue sky. I'd be happy to live like that forever."

The masked boy trailed away with a dreamy smile, which soon turned into a troubled pout.

"We can't go outside the sanctuary, though. My head hurts whenever we go too near the fence. I dunno why. So, yeah, it does get boring after a while." 

"Right? It's great they had a happy life, but I want some action!" Frenix agreed, cleaving a piece of diced carrot in half with his spoon. Coris shook his head, laughter petering out of his narrow nostrils.