•°•°•°•°•°•°•°

They were thought to be wind spirits.

Their original name meaning 'snatchers'.

They steal food from their victims,

And carry evildoers to the Furies.

They are Harpies.

•°•°•°•°•°•°•°

I sat in front of a bar at the far corner of the nightclub. The atmosphere looked boisterous as people stirred energetically around the place.

I scratched my nose, feeling the burning sensation within my nostrils. Eros' gas was back and it filled the entire area, including the dance floor.

Am I the only person who hates the burning scent? No one has complained about it, not even Pedro and Zion.

Maybe I'm just weird.

My finger traced the rim of my glass as I recalled what happened this morning.

I don't know what's worse, the fact that Ocypete had blatantly voiced out her desperate attraction to Liam, or the fact that he agreed.

Don't get me wrong, he was surprised by her bargain -- just like the rest of us -- and hesitated with his answer. But after a few moments, he agreed.

I expected his cocky ass to say 'no' but boy was I wrong. Unfortunately, Liam really wants to help. Either to save Gwen's dad or kill Henry.

I took a sip of my cold beverage. The harsh taste slid down my throat and I let out a sigh.

Zion and Eros conversed a few feet away, possibly discussing a detailed version of tonight's plan.

"Why the long face?" The bartender spoke as he dutifully cleaned an empty glass with a rag. "A pretty woman like you shouldn't be sitting idly without company."

Well, that's out of the blue.

I rose an eyebrow and shook my head. "It's not what you think--"

"She's with me." Warmth kissed my back when two hands touched the polished countertop on either side of me. "Have a problem with that?" Liam spoke casually over my shoulder.

The bartender only smiled. "My apologies, sir." He tipped his baseball cap and went back to work. I forgot Liam was the co-owner of this entire place.

Even with a smile, I knew better. The bartender would've acted differently if he recognized Pandora, Zeus, and Poseidon. Luckily Liam had masked it with his phantom ability.

"Why so glum?" Liam said, turning my stool towards him. The wood squeaked against the floorboards. Now that he was close, the greek mark began its annoying buzz.

I didn't look at him, trying to avoid his green eyes. Instead, I focused on my cold drink.

He smirked at my weak attempt of ignoring him. "I sent a message to Artemis about your dad. Let's hope she responds."

I made a subtle nod, my cheeks warmed up at his concern. Come to think of it, dad had messaged a few hours ago, asking me to call him back. He obviously wants to catch up on the 'boy talk.

"You're mad at me," Liam stated.

My eyes met his with a mild accusation. "Why did you do it?"

"Do what?"

"Agree to be that Harpy's lover. You don't love her back."

He leaned against the tabletop, lips tugged into a smile. "You're missing the main point, Gem. We need to save Gwen's dad. Besides, it's only for two nights."

I paled, my hands fisted against my lap. "Since when do you care about Gwen's dad?"

He only shrugged. "Fine. Maybe I'm not doing this for Gwen. Maybe I'm just trying to get rid of Henry for good."

I gritted my teeth. "All in exchange for this? Two nights with an obsessive crazy bird lady!? What if she has something planned?"

"It wouldn't matter Gem."

"Yes, it will. I won't let her have you. You don't belong to her."

Liam's eyes widened at my words. I shifted on my stool, suddenly feeling a bit bashful. Why did I just say that?

An amused smile formed on his lips when he leaned close. The tip of our noses nearly touched. "You think I belong to someone else?"

I sensed the joke behind his words like he was trying to play along. "No."

Liam pursed his lips, a frown on his face. "Just so you'd know, greek beings see beloveds as 'lovers who belong to each other.'"

I nodded. "Then you belong to your beloved and she belongs to you. Happy?" I continued, anything to stop him from accepting Ocypete's offer. "We can find other ways to capture a crocotta, though it might take time, it is possible. How will your beloved feel if she sees you sucking up to a chicken lady?"

Liam let out a soft laugh. "Good point, Gem." He straightened up. "Well news flash, I wasn't going through with it."

That stopped me in my tracks. "Huh?"

"The harpy made a promise but I didn't."

I stuttered. "B--but...she won't help if she finds out."

Liam rubbed his chin and mused in thought. "True. That's why she shouldn't find out."

My face lit up at his words and I couldn't help the grin that formed. Liam matched my expression with his.

For a second, we looked like evil villains. All that's missing is a triumphant laugh and a clap of thunder.

Liam grabbed my glass and downed the remaining content. He slammed it against the countertop. "Now that's cleared up, wanna dance?"

My eyes widened. "I don't think I--"

Before I could stop it, he grabbed my hand and pulled me into the crowd. We weaved through a hoard of people as we head straight towards the center of the dance floor.

Liam twirled me around and I couldn't help but laugh. A pop beat blasted from two huge speakers as the crowd jumped to the beat. We followed, nodding in sync.

It was the first I've seen Liam actually dance. True he was a terrible dancer but somehow he stuck to the basics. That makes two, I guess.

I rose my hands and waved my hips, suddenly relishing this new high. It was ecstatic.

A few feet away, Gwen and Pedro were enjoying themselves. Pedro did a wave dance with his arms and Gwen giggled along. People approached them, probably recognizing Pedro's performance last two nights. It made him a bit famous.

Then the atmosphere changed; red lights dimmed into navy blue as the song shifted into a smooth contemporary R&B. The crowd moved into a slow dance.

Gwen shifted closer to Pedro, her hands wound around his neck. It was a bold move. Pedro -- on the other hand -- seemed to be enjoying the attention.

My thoughts halted when a hand splayed over my tummy, drawing my back against a broad chest.

I was fully aware of the dress I wore. Red silk that clung to my chest and hips. A thin strip ran over my shoulders and ended in a deep V. It was part of the plan, I guess. After all, I will be baiting a crocotta tonight.

Liam's nose skimmed over my earlobe. "Ever danced to this kind of music?"

I smiled, remembering the last time I swayed with a guy. Zion made sure he walked out the door with a broken nose. He was being a prick anyway.

But right now, I felt elated, wanting to express my feminine charm. Just once.

My head tilted towards him. His green eyes -- now in thin slits -- stared back. I let the sensual music wash through me as I rose a hand and touched his cheek.

I began to move my hips arching my back and writhing against him, moving soothingly to the melody.

I felt his chest rumble as he tugged my dark hair towards one side, exposing my throat. His nose skimmed my heated flesh, hands latched to my hips. I shuddered.

"Faínetai ypérocho me kókkino chróma." Liam breathed against my ear.

You look magnificent in red.

I smiled.

He wanted to say more but sucked in a breath when I pressed further against him, feeling his body heat through my exposed back.

"You talk too much," I said.

He smiled against the bare skin of my shoulder and lightly kissed it. We kept moving in our little bubble, oblivious to our surroundings.

I wanted to live in this moment forever. But like all good things, it came to an end.

The music slowly shifted into a normal upbeat, breaking the erotic atmosphere. The crowd groaned in disappointment, but the DJ didn't give a hoot.

I turned in Liam's arms and touched his chest through the thin shirt he wore. Patches of sweat covered his collar bone and neck. Our breathing had accelerated a bit.

A butterfly feeling overcame me and  I tried stifling it. "Liam, I--"

"Homie." We turned to find Eros maneuver towards us. He gave a crooked smile, a pair of shades concealed his heterochromatic eyes.

He wore the same specs on our first encounter. But he doesn't need to wear shades.

His eyes are beautiful.

"Sorry to ruin this diamond moment." He said. "It's time."

I tensed but nodded regardless.

We were going to catch a crocotta and it made me anxious. I just hope our plan doesn't backfire.

How's the chapter? Let me know in the comments.

And I'm finally done with my exams. Yippee! Even though I'm kinda free now, home comes with its problems, lol.

Hope you're all doing good.

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