8 - ATHENA
“The way you’ve been palming your cheek and grinning is alarming.” Zet refused to leave. They’d leeched on after we left brunch, refusing to give an inch since the run-in with Arachne. We were supposed to be watching the fae fight on the Holotube.
“Not this again,” I grumbled, flicking a kernel of popcorn at their forehead.
“You’re behaving like a lunatic! What is with your fixation on this foul femme? Don’t think I didn’t notice how you dressed up today.” Now Zet was raising a sienna pointer accusingly.
Sure, yeah, whatever. The scratchy suit was to lure the little spider through the press. An attempt to show the fashionista I could look— okay, maybe you are a lunatic .
“She’s an ice queen!”
“I know. She’s also beautiful, brilliant, and not the least bit daunted by me. She’s also not in the Athena fan club, you know how difficult that is to find.”
Zet sighed before rising from the sofa; readjusting their collar, saying, “I hoped you’d get over this by now, especially after today’s chaos…
But since you’ve somehow kicked this up a notch, I have something to show you.
I guess.” They faltered. “This might be disastrous, but I have a feeling… Anyway .”
“What?!”
Zet was already storming to where they left their sling on the counter.
Rifling through the bag, it took my draconic friend several beats to locate their second phone; the rounded one from Uru, their uncles’ planet.
“I convinced Uncle Olo to hack the Gala’s guest list to ensure she received an invitation. I might’ve also?—”
I didn’t need to hear the rest. Whatever they uncovered on Arachne was worth my full attention.
When I flew across the room, aiming for the device, the fucker rifted the last second.
Making me collide face-first with the hardwoods.
“ Ah ! What the shit?” My flight agility wasn’t what it once was, but the physical therapists insisted I should never stop trying.
Especially when my spelled amulet was keeping the wound closed.
“Nope! I’ve changed my mind! You don’t deserve it,” Zet said before rifting home, leaving me stewing in agitation.