Ablaze (Adj.) - 1.Burning Fiercely 2. Very brightly Colored 3. Filled with anger or another strong emotion
***
Zane
I stared at the girl in front of me expectantly. Her identity still unknown- I took in her appearance. She was sort of tall, about Arden's height. She had light brown skin and dark hair that surrounded her head in strands. Her eyes were a chocolate color and she hugged one of the books that didn't fall close to her chest.
It was clear that this girl was nervous or worried about something. But what? Was she the only one in the library? And why was she here?
Of course, I'd be open to any normal possibilities but I couldn't really take anything lightly anymore. I was slightly paranoid. The fact that this girl was in Hadrian's Library the same time we were here...it automatically made me suspicious. What if she was with Jo?
Her 'people' have been known to show at times when we'd least expect it. The cramped, meager passageway we stood in smelled like earth and dirt. The walls were made of what looked like old cement and soil. There were small fire-torches on the walls giving a little light.
I stood here waiting for the girl in front of me to reply. I asked for her name a while ago, and it seemed she was having a small panic-attack. It seemed she was scared to reveal her identity. The girl didn't seem over the age of twenty-five.
Ali, Nikki, Arden, and Perri were quiet behind me, also waiting for her response. I raised an eyebrow at the girl's silence. Her eyes scanned all of us warily and the silence was killing me.
"You want to tell us your name?" Nikki asked behind me. I could hear the slight irritation in her voice. I could only imagine her with her arms crossed.
The young girl in front of us looked at her and hesitated before she answered. "Um...I-Um, I'm Harper." She answered.
Harper...
The name instantly came to mind. During that vision of Arden and Hayden in the underworld, Hayden mentioned a Harper. If that vision was true, meeting this girl wasn't a coincidence.
I caught Arden's gaze swiftly and I could tell she was thinking about the same thing. "Did you say Harper?" The girl bit her lip and nodded faintly. She was fidgeting with her hands and the book against her chest.
"We didn't mean to scare you, Harper." Perri stepped forward. "We just heard someone down this hallway and just came to see." Harper nodded her head again.
"No problem." She answered. She spoke english but her greek accent was thick. Her voice was sweet and gentle and it seemed like she wouldn't hurt a damn fly. But I was still curious.
I looked over at Arden vaguely and I knew she was studying Harper. She was some sort of supernatural, but what? I asked myself. Why does she seem so nervous? What is she hiding?
"So, Harper." I closed my eyes and winced internally when I heard Nikki's accusing voice. She also stepped forward towards Harper and crossed her arms. "What brings you here?"
Harper shrugged and opened her mouth. "Oh, I was just um, doing some research- I thought i'd- you know...check out a few books." She gestured to the one in her hand. I couldn't see the title from here.
"Interesting, we were doing the same." Arden stated as she offered a small- and completely fake- smile. Harper pursed her lips and nodded.
"Here, let me help you." Ali stepped forward and bent down. He gathered up the books on the floor and tugged on Perri's pants-foot. Perri then made a noise at the back of his throat as he bent down and began helping him.
"Oh, you guys don't have to-" Harper shook her head as the guys picked up the books off the ground.
"It's no problem." Ali stated simply as he stood up.
"I'm Arden, by the way." Arden introduced herself. "Again, that's Zane, Nikki, Ali, and Perri." She made known. Harper shyly set her gaze on everyone again. She looked to her left and up at Ali who held her books out with a smile. Harper's cheeks colored before she slowly took the books from him. At the same time as she avoided Perri's gaze, Harper continued to blush and I took note that the torches that set on the wall...flared?
What the fuck? Each and every single one blazed and the fire grew, only briefly. It brightened the pathway more. It blazed before returning back to its original size.
I drew my eyebrows together and I felt Arden look at me from the corner of my eyes. I gave her a pointed and knowing look before I set my curious gaze back on Harper. Harper, looking at the fire fixedly and anxiously slowly turned her head back to me.
The same anxiousness, fear, and nervousness returned to her face. Now, I was extremely precautious. Who the hell was this girl?
"Well, it was nice to meet you all but..." Harper took the books form Perri and gave a tiny smile. "I should really get back to my research."
"Should you?" Arden asked carefully. Harper broke eye contact with the intense aura Arden was giving off and she nodded.
"Uh, yes. It's kind of important."
Nikki scoffed and turned to me. "And to think we thought it was Johanna up to her shit again." She teased.
"Did you say Johanna?" Harper whispered. She paused and looked at Nikki curiously. Harper's question and demeanor raised further questions and curiosities in me.
We all paused and looked at Harper. "Yes, I did." Nikki answered, giving her a weird look.
We all watched Harper as she pursed her lips and looked down, lifting the books in front of her. Harper began to turn away, in the direction she came from. Apparently the suspicious behavior was too much for her to handle, because Arden then mumbled something before she stepped away, placing a harsh hand on Harper's shoulder.
From there, all hell broke loose.
***
Arden
"What do you think her deal is?" Nikki asked beside me with her arms folded. My body language matched and I stood there, staring down Harper with my arms crossed.
"I don't know." I answered.
"You think she might be with Johanna?"
Harper sat in the chair in front of us, with her hands tied together in front of her. I don't know the real point of tying her down because she could possibly get out easily based on what we just witnessed and experienced.
Harper stared down silent, staring at her lap, and unmoving. She hasn't uttered a single word since we got her like this. Harper showed no signs of an actual threat. However, when I tried to stop her from leaving about ten minutes ago, she surprised us all as she began fighting me. Fighting me!
I'm talking full on combat expert- like she's been doing it for years. The fact that she went off on all of us and her eyes were glowing through all of it...my suspicions about her only grew.
"I don't know." I answered Nikki again.
"You know she can hear the both of you, right?" Zane asked, posted on one of the tables in the main Library.
Nikki rolled her eyes before she tilted her head. Perri, who was also sitting on one of the tables began talking to Harper. "Harper, are you okay?"
She still seemed a little nervous and scared and I really didn't understand why. She shook her head semi-frantically. "I don't know." She mumbled.
"Is she okay," Nikki scoffed loudly. "Am I okay, she literally slammed me against that very wall ten times!" She screamed.
"Alright, alright-" Zane stated. "Calm-"
"Do not tell me to calm the hell down, Zane!" She yelled. Zane held his hands up and left Nikki alone.
"I'm sorry- I'm really sorry." Harper said quickly. "I didn't mean to-I just- I just got taken a little off guard and I got-" Harper paused with an apologetic look. "I'm so sorry."
"Harper, we're not going to hurt you okay?" Zane explained. "We just wanna ask you a few things if that's alright."
Harper bit her lip and hesitated before nodding. "We're going to untie you, okay? Can we trust you?" Ali asked. Once again she nodded. I was reluctant to let her go, but I guess it couldn't be that bad.
Ali went in front of her and untied the rope around her hands.
"First, we know you're mythological, obviously, you know about Hadrian's Library. We just want to know, exactly what you are." Perri exclaimed calmly. I felt the unease in me rise. What if she was a Harpy? A Kobalo? What if she was with Johanna and some kind of ambush could break out at any moment?
"Are you a Kobalo?" Harper shook her head.
"No." She whispered.
"A Harpy?"
"No."
"Are you a siren or a-"
"No, I'm not." Harper continued lowly. She rubbed her hands against her thighs, not really making eye contact with any of us.
"Then, what are you?" Zane asked.
She looked up and gave him a nervy look. "I'm- I uh- I- my mother's Hestia." She stated.
Hestia. Okay, now I wasn't expecting that. Hestia, the goddess of hearth. This was her daughter, right in front of us.
I guess it made sense. Hearth represents someone's home and domestication, and due to Harper's shy and timid demeanor, I'd say she doesn't get out the house a lot.
"You're Hestia's daughter?" Zane asked. I saw the corner of his mouth quirk up. "Interesting. Explains a lot."
Harper nodded fidgeting with her hands.
"So, tell the truth Harper," Perri gave Harper a pointed look. "Are you really here for research?" She nodded.
"I am."
"Let me ask you another question- why'd you get all...weird.. When Nikki said the name Johanna?"
It was quiet as we waited for her response. She shook her head and stumbled over her words.
"It just...brings back some old memories."
"Let's not beat around the bush." Niki pushed herself off the table and made her way to Harper. She stood in front of her with her arms still folded. "You know Johanna," Harper didn't respond. "Do you?" Nikki asked harshly. Harper nodded. "Now, to clear things up- does your Johanna have blonde hair, blue eyes that can cut through your soul, and is she the most malicious creature in the universe?"
Harper waited a bit, and looked at the ground before nodding. "Pretty much." She muttered.
Nikki clapped. "There, problem solved. She knows the psycho-bitch, we know the psycho-bitch, she can help us take down the psycho-bitch." She patted Zane on the shoulder. "You're welcome- now let's go kick some ass-"
"Take it easy, Harley." He squinted his eyes at her. Nikki exhaled sharply. He turned to Harper. "Harper, the Johanna we're talking about, do you know if she's the daughter of Juno?"
I watched as Harper's jaw ticked and she nodded. My breath hitched. "She is, Hera's daughter." Harper said the words like she couldn't believe it herself. It seemed unreal to her.
"You know this for a fact?" I probed. Harper nodded slowly, as she sat simply in the chair.
"How?" Ali asked lowly.
Harper shifted in her seat before looking down at the floor. "I- I know about what she wants..what she's planning to do...I know about her plan-everything. I know who she is...why she's here...and how it all came to this...." Harper swallowed and pushed her hair behind her ear. "I know because...she came to me for help."
*****
Yay, new people and characters. They excite me. You guys are going to love Harper and she's going to have an interesting addition to the group.
Anyway, it's been a slow week and I meant to update on like- Thursday. Anyway, I'm almost done writing and I really think I can finish the book before the year ends. That'd be awesome. And since I'm almost done, I should just update every other day, right?
Next chapter, we go back to Hayden P.O.V and revisit a nasty person and event from book one. Until then,
-brittany.