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Brody
My eyes followed Selene's,and it was only then that I heard the harpy queen landing with a thud.
She looked huge in the moonlight. Her hooked talons glinted, and she kept her wings unfurled as if she wanted to intimidate me. The urge to shudder was overwhelming just, but I had to keep a brave face. I couldn't let Selene know I was scared.
The harpy queen cawed in annoyance as she whispered something grimly to herself before locking eyes with me. Hers had a red tinge to them, making her more menacing than she might otherwise be.
"What brings you here, mortal? Don't tell me you've already completed the first part of the geas." Her sneer told me everything I needed to know.
"No," I said, keeping my back straight and assuming the same stoic manner I did in the office. "I failed my first attempt, which I'm sure you're quite happy about."
"Go," whispered Selene, pushing me gently away. I glanced back at her, frowning, but she mouthed the word again and ushered me away. I could see the fear in her eyes and wished I could do something about it.
The harpy queen burst into laughter so loud that it echoed through the forest and made the birds scatter from their roosts in fear. The sound followed me as I moved away from the hollow. Away from Selene.
I could only hope that the harpy queen was kinder to her daughter than she was to strangers.
Taking one last look at Selene, I turned my back and disappearing into the night. Who knew what might happen, but I was no help to her now.
There was too much energy thrumming through my veins, and I knew I wouldn't be able to sleep, so I jogged through the woods, my feet seeming to know the way already, even though I'd only been this way a few times before. Instead of heading to my cabin, I walked to the main retreat building, hoping to find an open door. Surely, there would be one. It was a huge building with staff working around the clock, and while we had some supplies and a kitchenette in our cabins, there were valid reasons for keeping the main complex unlocked.
It wasn't until I made my way to the rear deck where we had dinners that I found an entry point though, and surely, the kitchen wouldn't be far away; they wouldn't want to carry the many trays of food too far, meal after meal.
The large room was dark, moonlight glimmering off clean, smooth surfaces. I spotted a trail of low lights along the wall guiding me to a corridor and followed it, finding myself in a large industrial kitchen at the end. Gleaming stainless steel counters and cooking ranges filled the room, along with several huge refrigerators and freezers. It was like a dream; to find something so modern here in the middle of nowhere. State-of-the art, much like the rest of the retreat.
I searched through every cupboard looking for sweet things, anything tangy or fresh enough that it might delight Selene's tastebuds. Finally, my eye fell upon a basket full of ripe apples tucked away in one corner.
Would that be enough?
No, it was available to her in the natural world. So, it didn't count. It had to be something from my world.
I moved to the freezer and yanked the door open. The cool air rushed out to greet me, and I felt a wave of relief wash over me as I saw tubs of ice cream inside. Perfect!
The harpy would never have tasted something like this before—so sweet and creamy with all that frozen goodness—surely, this would do the trick. A warm glow swirled in my gut and whether it was the magic of the geas telling me I was onto something, or just my hope, it drove me on.
I grabbed a few tubs—Mint Chocolate Chip, Coconut and Mango Swirl, Berry Ripple. I left the plain chocolate in the freezer though, along with the more modern ones, like cookies and cream and peanut butter fudge. I didn't think they would appeal to her tastebuds. She liked fresh and fruity, and if I could find something that was from my world but appealed to her taste, I had a feeling I could complete this first part of my quest and move on to the next.
But what if I was wrong? I would only have one more chance after this.
No, I had to trust my gut. It usually led me in the right direction.
I put the tubs on the counter, shaking out the chill in my fingers as I opened drawers until I found where the utensils were, snagged a spoon, and then pulled the lids off each of the three tubs.
The first was Mint Chocolate Chip, smooth and creamy with just a hint of mint flavor. Delicious, but even that small bit of chocolate might be foreign enough to throw her off…
Shit, what if harpies were lactose intolerant? I should have asked. Done more research.
Pushing that thought out of my mind, I dragged over the Coconut and Mango Swirl, digging a new spoon in and delivering the scoop to my mouth. This one was sweet, slightly nutty, and had delectable swirls of tropical fruit throughout it.
Berry Ripple was the only one left now. I picked up another spoon with a hint of trepidation. But Selene had said she loved strawberries, so hopefully this would deliver what I was looking for. I spooned some into my mouth and closed my eyes at the tart berry flavors that coursed through the ice cream.
I couldn't imagine what Selene would think of this treat; she'd tasted nothing like them before, that was for sure.
"Snuck in for a midnight treat, did you?" A voice came from behind me and I spun like a naughty child to see who had busted me. My shoulders sagged in relief when I saw it was Jenny.
"You scared the shit out of me." I slid the spoon into the sink and started putting the lids back on the ice cream, but then I stopped. Maybe she could give me advice; no, that wasn't going to work. She was human and Selene was a harpy. I could only do this based on what I knew, and that meant the berry ripple.
"I felt peckish, slide over that mint choc chip if you're done with it?" She raised an eyebrow and lifted her hand, so I slid it down the bench. She caught the tub, found a spoon and dug in. She clearly didn't have the guilt that I did over sneaking around the kitchen in the night. Maybe it was because I wasn't here for myself, but for a reason I couldn't articulate to anyone else; no one would believe me if I tried. I'd probably lose my damn job, or at the very least be demoted out of my team leader position.
