Between Scylla and Charybdis

Chapter 23.

The look on the princelings face when Charybdis lifted himself out of the basin was downright mortified.

'Now before you yell at me...' Scylla preemptively growled. 'This isn't a decision I made lightly.'

'Yell at you? Sister, did you get hit in the head during that cave in?' The golden one curled his claws into fists, unwilling to let his gaze wander away from Charybdis for even a second. 'That right there is the bane of our family's existence. He's a predator! And you released him!'

'I'll show you what a predator looks like...' Charybdis growled, enjoying the way the other male shrank back ever so slightly as he flashed his teeth.

'Stop it!' Scylla placed herself firmly between the two of them and his anger melted away almost instantly. The way her presence had an immediate soothing effect on his senses was nothing short of astounding.

'I will vouch for him, and you...' she turned to face him. Even the way her face scrunched up as she snarled at him was endearing to him. 'Don't make me regret this. No bloodmagic, No schemes. No hunting. Have I made myself clear?'

He wanted to run his nose down the back of her neck all the way down to the small of her back and...

'Charybdis!' Scylla snarled. The sound of his name pulled him out of his daze.

'Yes! No, no murdering or cursing or any of that fun stuff. Promise.'

'He's mocking you, sis. Please reconsider, I beg of you!' The golden one, Midas, whined as he puffed out his chest to appear more imposing.

'He's not mocking me..., he's just...' her eyes shot him up and down, eventually settling on his chest. 'He's just...' her gaze hooded.

A sense of pride kindled within Charybdis, it seemed she was impacted by him too. Finally. A possessive purr rumbled in his throat.

'Oh no. I know that look. No! Just no! That's my sister, you sleazing whoremonger!' Midas growled. 'You will keep your distance!'

'I will do whatever I please, goldfish.' Who was this welp to command him? In front of his...he shuddered, shaking away the thought. Not yet.

The length of Charybdis' tail curled forward, bracing against the stone columns on either side of the gate. Oh, how good it felt to be back in his own body. The muscles in his tail, though sore from days of being tied down, stretched and shifted in tune to his will. Finally his body obeyed his every whim again. How easy it would be to crush the welp with one well placed swing.

'Midas! Quit it. If you wanted to defend my honor, you might have shown up before the ritual. Now live with the consequences of your tardiness. There are more pressing problems to be dealt with anyway.'

Scylla leaned towards her brother and placed a hand on his left cheek. 'I trust him, Can you trust me in this?' The two males stared at each other. Midas eventually relented, while still glaring at Charybdis.

'You owe me an explanation, but for now, i'll help. What is it you need from me?'

It started out small, no more than a tremor tickling the ground, but that tremor swiftly turned into violent shaking as the caverns themselves seemed to move around them. Charybdis reacted on instinct, curling the length of his tail around Scylla to shield her, but as swiftly as the shaking started, it died down again, fading away into the darkness. That can't be good.

Midas frowned, keeping a watchful eye on the ceilings.

'Shit, that was the biggest one yet.'

'Yet?' Charybdis froze, glaring at Midas like somehow he was to blame for the ground shaking. 'Explain welp. This has happened before?'