Chapter 9

A week later...

The door swung closed behind her and Minerva stomped to the long line of sinks. “She’s gotta go!” She screamed at her reflection in the employee bathroom at the VEIL facility.

“Who’s gotta go?” A woman in the handicap-equipped bathroom stall asked.

Minerva blew out an exasperated breath. You’re going to really have to stop talking to yourself out loud, Minnie. “Nothing. Just ignore me. Blowing off some steam.”

“Well, you got me all curious now. Who’s gotta go?”

“Who am I talking to?”

“If you’re a scientist, you don’t know me. I’m one of the janitors here.”

Now Minerva wished she had shut her mouth. “It’s nothing.”

“Girl, go on and talk. I’m gonna be in here awhile anyway.”

“I can give you some privacy.” The last thing she wanted to do was pour her guts out to a woman who was doing that!

“Look, you’ll probably be finished telling me your story before I finish up in here. So you might as well use the time wisely.”

Minerva knew she could wash her hands and leave the bathroom. No one discussed their problem in the bathroom with people they don’t know. Why was she even considering this? She couldn’t very well state that the cyclops staying at her apartment was interfering with her love life!

“I have a friend staying at my house for a while,” Minerva started. A while? It was only a week, but it felt much longer. “She got sick and needed a place to stay until she got better.”

“She ain’t got a home to go to?”

“She’s from out of state,” Minerva replied. Out of this world was more accurate but why complicate matters? “Anyway, I let her stay at my house, but I think—”

The words died on her lips. How could she utter what she was thinking? Did she really believe Lady Birog was trying to steal Joshua from her?

What else could she think? For the past several days, ever since Minerva decided to let the cyclops stay, Joshua had spent more time talking to Lady Birog than trying to be with her. If anything, he’d grown more distant.

“What you think?” the woman prompted.

Minerva stirred. “I think she’s trying to steal my man.”

“Girl, uh-uh. You gotta nip her in the bud right now. You don’t let no other woman in your relationship, you hear me?”

“It’s not that simple,” Minerva uttered.

“Why not? You did your good deed trying to help out but when it comes between you and your man, don’t let nobody in on that,” the woman added with righteous indignation.

Sound advice any woman would take to heart.

How many women had a cyclops as a rival for their man’s affections?

And yes, Joshua was her man. After that kiss, there was no way Minerva was taking less that his commitment to her.

“She can’t move on her own. She got into an accident and hurt her leg. So she has to stay off it for a while.”

It was as close to the truth as Minerva could tell the faceless woman in the bathroom stall. Lady Birog, despite the fact she was able to move around in the small apartment, still had not recovered full mobility and dexterity with her leg.

If anything, it seemed as if it were getting worse even though the cyclops said that wasn’t the case.

“Oh, I see what you’re saying. You’re caught between a rock and a hard place, aren’t ya?”

Blowing out a breath, Minerva turned on the faucet. “Something like that.”

“Now what makes you think she and your man doing something?”

Her voice softened. “For the past few days, whenever I come home, I can see her and him talking to each other.”

On the surface, it didn’t seem like much. How often did a person have a chance to talk to a being from a parallel dimension? Not often. Chances are, you’d want to at least find out what the plumbing looks like.

Minerva grinned. Joshua was starting to rub off on her, even in using his idioms.

Her smile faded as quickly as it had come. Why had Joshua become so distant, then? The day he kissed her changed everything. He’d been gentle but fierce, passionate but tender. When he said he’d take his time, he kept his promise, drawing out her response until she had no idea what was up or down.

His body heat had enveloped her, and she never wanted to leave his arms. No man had ever kissed her like that. Joshua had ignited some part of her she’d never known existed until that moment she became putty in his embrace.

After something like that, why had he suddenly drawn away?

Minerva flicked her fingers in the stream of warm water. What was going on? Every time Joshua came to the apartment, the first place he went to was the room Lady Birog occupied. Though she never worried about anything weird happening, it was the fact he’d be in there for hours at a time, until it was time for him to leave.

He hadn’t kissed her since that day last week.

What gives?

“He’s always talking to her even though he’s supposed to be spending the evening with me when he comes over.”

At first, she’d sit with him as they chatted with Lady Birog. She told them more about Velona and the queen that ruled that place. Mother Righteous, she was called by most of her subjects.

Mother Righteous didn’t seem the kind of woman one wanted to tick off. Lady Birog related how cruel and beautiful the queen was.

“The Cyclopean are neutral to the queen,” Lady Birog told them. “Or we have been in the past. We obey her and we don’t cause trouble. Yet, the resistance against Mother Righteous has been growing.”

The stories were fascinating ... at first. But when she wanted to spend time alone with Joshua ... he seemed glued to Lady Birog’s side.

“But you haven’t caught them doing anything to cause you concern, have you?”

“No.” She held her hands under the warm water, thinking of Joshua.

“Then let me say this: you need to talk to him. Tell your man how you feel about this whole thing with your friend. Maybe, he doesn’t even realize what’s going on. Sometimes, men can be clueless.”

“You may have something there,” Minerva responded.

But it was more than that.

It was the way that Lady Birog looked at Joshua.

When the cyclops thought no one was looking, she stared at Joshua with the strangest kind of expression in her orange-black eye. Almost as if she were feeling something as deep for him as Minerva did.

So what are you going to do about it, Minnie?

She turned off the water and tore a sheet of paper towel from the spool. What was she going to do?

“Thanks for your advice ... what’s your name?”

“Just call me Misty. Everyone does.”

“Well, thank you Misty. I appreciate it.”

She left the bathroom and made her way slowly back down the hall. Should she do as Misty said? Have a frank conversation with Joshua. Maybe he didn’t know what his distance was doing to her. Or how his conversations with Lady Birog were affecting her.

Minerva nodded. That’s what she’d do.

But should she? What if it did nothing to stop him?

Gosh, they hadn’t even been in a relationship for a week and they were already having problems.

Frustrated, she pushed open a stairwell door. She still had about twenty minutes before she had to return to her desk. Maybe a quick walk outside would help to clear her mind. The chaos at the facility hadn’t abated. More strange stories were coming out about seeing other creatures.

A conspiracy theorist claimed to have footage of a cyclops being chased by a minotaur. Well, they weren’t so strange if she were harboring the cyclops, was it?

But Director Stettler was trying to keep a lid on everything. He’d nearly gagged everyone under threat of legal action.

Amelia wasn’t taking anything lying down as each day brought no news of Zeke. Lieutenant Stone had been around asking more questions but there weren’t any more answers she could give.

Once outside, she took in a deep breath of fresh air. Already some of the tension left her body.

Minerva bit the corner of her lip. Maybe she should talk to Sheriff Spotted Wolf about Lady Birog and her injury. The cyclops insisted there was nothing they could do to help with her leg.

Are you just using that as an excuse to get rid of her? No telling what the sheriff would do if she saw a real cyclops.

Her conscience berated her. Minerva admitted it. Part of her wanted to just get rid of Lady Birog so she could have Joshua to herself. An old-fashioned love rivalry.

But what about Lady Birog’s injury? Despite her assurances, an odor emitted from the wound and it didn’t take a medical degree to know that the odor was a sign of infection.

If the wound didn’t heal on its own, regardless of Lady Birog’s treatment, they would have to utilize their methods of medicine. Not to mention the government would swoop down faster than a vulture over a carcass and take advantage of the cyclops.

No, she couldn’t let that happen.

Sooner or later, the sheriff would be the only option.

How could she even approach the sheriff? “Hi Sheriff, I need to talk to you about an injured cyclops.” If she said that, it wouldn’t surprise her if the woman put handcuffs on her then and led her to the jail cell.

A door burst open, so loud that Minerva looked in the direction from where the sound came from. Sheriff Lucy Spotted Wolf came barreling out of the building.

Well, no time like the present.

“Sheriff!” Minerva called out.

She expected the woman to stop and acknowledge her. The woman kept walking, her feet moving faster than she’d ever seen her walk before. Minerva frowned. “Sheriff!”

No answer.

Could the sheriff hear her?

Minerva watched as the local officer practically raced out of sight. Something must be wrong, and she was occupied by it. From the way the sheriff was moving, she wasn’t stopping for anyone.

Well, maybe she could talk to the sheriff another time.

Her mind went back to her problems with Joshua. She’d try do what Misty said and have a conversation with Joshua. Maybe it was all a misunderstanding.

Then they’d kiss and make up.

Minerva blushed. Yeah, she’d really like it if they did that.

Glancing at her watch, she gasped and went back inside the facility to dive headfirst into figuring out more about the accident that brought Lady Birog into her life.

Excruciating pain lanced up and down Birog’s leg. Gritting her teeth, she tried to keep the screams searching for an exist from escaping. Once the wave of agony passed, she collapsed back onto the bed and stared up at the ceiling.

She was going to have to go back to Velona.

Mother Righteous’ black crystal-like grit had spread. Minerva and Joshua couldn’t see it, but she could. The infected magic was starting to spread like rot on a tree. Only by returning to Velona would she be able to save herself.

Birog got up from the bed and limped out of the room. She made her way to the chamber pot room although she had yet to feel completely comfortable with it. It was too small for her size but there was nothing for it.

When she looked at her reflection, Birog gasped.