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She stuffed her mouth full of fluffy waffles and strawberry compote and tried to ignore them.
Guilt washed over her, emotions drawn from her by the music and magical beings that she sat with. She shoved more waffles into her mouth as she tried to figure out how to say something that would make them respect her—or at least something to make herself look like less of a naive fool.
At some point they’d all turned towards her, inspecting her—definitely finding her wanting. She braced herself for the onslaught of criticism.
Instead Oriane smiled, her voice unexpectedly warm as she said, “I should probably introduce my sisters to you. The knot that had formed in Peri’s gut unwound slightly. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the other gorgon interpreting what Oriane said.
“I think I can introduce myself actually.” Turning to the Deaf gorgon, Peri’s movements were practiced and crisp as she signed, > I’m P-E-R-I. What is your name?<
Oriane laid a gentle hand on her arm. “Those are the correct signs, but the wrong order. Here, I’ll show you.”
Peri nodded, watching closely as Oriane demonstrated, then attempted the question again. She hoped they couldn’t see how nervous she was. Only maybe, unlike in the Holy Circle, they weren’t expecting perfection.
Perhaps they’d appreciate that she was trying.
The gorgon opposite her grinned mischievously and began rapid fire finger-spelling a name with over twenty letters. Peri’s stomach dropped. Desperate to not seem incompetent she leaned over to ask the gorgon’s name from Bonegrundle, but before she could voice her request, Oriane slapped the gorgon’s hand away and raucous laughter filled the room.
Oriane turned to her. “You can’t start with Alsu. She was too pretty as a child… made her a real shit. She was spelling our official gorgon names, which are long and complicated, and some of the letters demonkind wouldn’t even recognise.” She gave Alsu a stern look and then pointed to the other gorgon. “Anyway, this is Moe, our youngest sister.”
“Hello.” Moe’s voice was soft and dreamy, like spun sugar. She gave Peri an encouraging smile and the knot in her gut dissipated entirely at the sight of it. Moe hummed, her snakes twisting lazily around her head. “So, Peri dearest, why haven’t you retrieved the earring yet?”
“Oh! Well,” Peri cleared her throat, trying to calm the flutter of renewed shame in her chest.
Moe reached across the table and laid a gentle hand on hers. “Was that too blunt? I can never remember if the conversations in my head are memories or have not yet come to pass. Were we not just talking about the earring? Or perhaps we will in the future?”
Peri gave an uncomfortable huff of laughter. “No. I mean, that’s why I’ve come. I just wasn’t sure how to bring it up, is all.”
Moe tilted her head, considering her for a moment. “What have you tried?”
“Research?” Peri offered. “I’ve looked everywhere I could find that would hide an object of immense magical power.”
Moe caressed a few of her snakes, humming thoughtfully. “You probably should have come to us from the start. You clearly have no idea what you’re doing.”
“Well, she’s here now.” Bonegrundle speared two more waffles with her fork and plopped them onto her plate. “But yes, time’s running out. Starfall’s happened. Now, the flooding. You do need to get that earring… sooner rather than later.”
“I know! And I’m going to find it, it’s just… been harder than I thought.” She tucked into her own fluffy waffles. “And, um, there’s another thing I’m worried about. I’ve heard it’s guarded by something dangerous.”
There was a pause and Oriane tapped a long grey finger on her mug. “We know where the earring is but not what guards it. We can help you prepare for whatever you might find there, however.”
“Alright. Well… I will have my hellcat with me so if there’s anything dangerous there, I won’t have to face it alone. But yes, I’d appreciate any and all help.” Peri remembered another nagging question that had been troubling her. “But also, do you know why I have to return the earring once the behemoth has been sighted?”
“Hell’s magic would be malleable, sometime around when the behemoth awakens.” Bonegrundle said, throwing back the rest of her coffee in one long gulp. “Ideally, you’d already have the earring when that happens.”
Peri glanced away, nervous to show her ignorance but desperate for more clear-cut answers. “What exactly is a behemoth?”
Oriane arched a sharp eyebrow at her. “A beast, and a massive one at that. It’s also one of the guardians of Hell—like the Leviathan, or to a lesser extent the hellhounds.”
She wasn’t sure she wanted the behemoth to return, if it was anything like the Leviathan.
“Anyway,” Oriane continued. “We’re not sure exactly when the behemoth will return, only that you need to have the earring for when it does. That will signal the last chance to break the Cursed Bargain, before the gates of Hell will close forever and we’ll be eternally trapped here.
Moe’s lilting voice filled the silence. “And anyway, returning the earring will also help you with your other problem. You know, that one on your back.”
Peri’s stomach churned with a queasy kind of hopefulness. “Problem on my back… do you mean the Rune of Entrapment?”
“That’s the one!” Moe nodded excitedly, her snakes nodding with her. “The Lady of the Lake can help you once she gets her earring back.”
“Who is the Lady of the Lake?” Peri asked, wading through the strange information being tossed at her. Her curiosity was thoroughly piqued by all of it, still she latched onto what seemed to be the easiest question to immediately answer.
