I am Amazon

Hunting Ground

Chapter Five

“Seffie!” Damia’s voice rang through the apartment, bringing me out of my reverie. “Are you ready yet?”

“Give me thirty seconds,” I called back, lacing up my boots.

“Where are you going?” I heard Idra ask. She sounded way too curious for my liking.

“Big girl business,” Damia explained easily. I smiled at Idra’s responding groan. Laces finished; I headed through my bedroom door to see the two of them standing either side of the kitchen table. Idra had a slightly perturbed expression on her face, and as I looked at Damia, I understood why.

My cousin looked more… feminine, than I think I’d ever seen her in my life. Unlike me, she’d actually put an effort into the way she looked. Her hair was miles from the unruly curls normally framing her face. She’d straightened it, making her look like some kind of 1920s actress. Her dress was beautiful; black silk that moulded to her toned yet curvy body, with a sprinkling of crystals on the hip.

Her makeup, like mine, was minimal, but she’d highlighted her eyes with a silver eye-shadow that flashed at me whenever she blinked.

“You look…” I wasn’t sure how to finish that sentence, so I just let my staring do the talking. Thankfully, she rolled her eyes.

“You couldn’t have put on a slightly less noticeable dress?” I asked her, grabbing my handbag.

Damia frowned at me. “Why?”

“Well, because this isn’t our night,” I replied. Aware there was an inquisitive eleven year old listening to our conversation, I turned on Idra: “Have you finished your homework?”

“Yes.”

“Tidied your room?”

My sister glared at me.

I sighed. “I’ll give you until tomorrow morning to do it. If it’s not spotless, that’s an extra hundred push ups.”

Idra rolled her eyes at me. “Like that’s a threat.”

“Five hundred,” I countered.

She stared hard at me for several more seconds: I raised my eyebrows at her. “Want to make it a thousand?”

Idra turned on her heel and reluctantly headed towards her bedroom.

“Really; a thousand?!” Damia sounded a little surprised. “I’d have held out a little while longer.”

“Damia, don’t you think you’ll attract a little too much attention?” I asked, a little apprehensive about her response.

Damia shrugged. “I don’t think it’s that big of a deal. Everything’s covered.”

“I’m just concerned,” I told her. “I mean, we’re supposed to be looking after Thalestris – and by that I mean keeping her away from men. You could wear something that doesn’t draw attention to us.”

“Thalestris isn’t coming,” Damia corrected me, sounding a little terse. “I think I can wear whatever I like, yeah?”

Knowing that, if I pushed it, she would just get downright pissed; I decided to back off the subject.

“Idra,” I called through to her. “Mum should be home in another hour. Damia and I are leaving now.”

“Whatever!” Idra yelled back. It seemed she wasn’t going to be easy about this.

“Right then, bye!” Damia practically dragged me out of the apartment after her. I didn’t even get time to finish closing the door.