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Chapter Twelve- Part 2

Crap. That came out sounding way harsher then I meant it to…                                           

Alice hesitated. Maybe this was better though - maybe he’d thought they could be something more, but that was impossible.

“I’m sorry. That was…” Alice’s voice softened. “I just think, you and I, we would never work, Gabriel. It can’t happen. A boss/employee relationship is just a bad idea. But I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have snapped at you like that.”

            Gabriel shook his head, refusing to look at her. “No, you’re perfectly right. I overstepped, I apologize.”

            She winced at how stiff and formal he suddenly sounded.  “Gabriel…” He still wouldn’t look at her. What was she supposed to say?

            “Customers,” Shakra observed.

Alice looked up, pasting a smile on her face.  The type of customers she got never failed to astonish her, but by now she’d learned the art of schooling her features into a welcoming smile in spite of how shocked or horrified she might be.  And the women who walked in were formidable. They were each as tall as Gabriel, perhaps taller, and both had hair as dark as pitch.  Their features were extremely sharp, severe even, with long roman noses and high arching brows.  Both women were beautiful, in a savage way.  Unlike the Siren, Allira, the danger was not disguised by the beauty, it was amplified.  Both stature and expression were war-like, and each woman had a set of large feathered wings folded on her back.  It was clear they were not to be trifled with.

            They nodded to Alice, and made their way into the shop, heading towards the shelves on the far side. Alice took the opportunity to whisper to Gabriel, who was no longer moping, but trying to get a better look at the women without looking like he was trying to get a better look.

            “Angels?”

            Gabriel snorted, and said in a whisper, “Hardly. Those are Erinyes.”

            “Erinyes? What the heck is that?”

            “Furies.”

            “Aren’t those like Greek gods or something?”

            “Sort of. They seek out revenge for those wrongfully killed.  You don’t want to piss them off, I’ll tell you that.”

            Alice tried not to let her eyes bulge. “They’re like divine vigilantes?”

            “They used to be more like that, but now most of them are hired out, although some still do it the old way of seeking justice and all that,” Gabriel whispered.

            “So does that mean that all the Greek creatures of mythology actually exist? Does that mean Ambrose is actually a Titan?”

            Gabriel shrugged, his voice returning to normal, “Some of them yeah. I’ve never met any of gods myself but I had a friend who claims he met Aphrodite. Personally I think he’s full of…”

            “Excuse me, how much is this?” One of the Furies was standing at the end of the isle holding up one of the watches that yelled the time. She looked amused, and Alice was suddenly sure they knew they were being talked about.

“Six dollars.” She didn’t know where the price had come from, but the Fury seemed to approve. She brought the watch over to them and set it on the counter.