The Jem

~8~

Crimson sat on the table in the kitchen. She tapped her fingers on to the wooden table as she took in the big pizza oven, all the hung up onions and garlic. The big baskets of fruit and veg. And the pots and pans that were hung up before her. Also Hunter stood behind the wall just in case the girl was a Psychopath and Crimson couldn't handle her.

She watched Monica stir the stew. This was her shift in the small kitchen, in the big kitchen loads of professional chefs worked there. But down here there only needed to be one or two. She was quite pretty, not beautiful but pretty. Crimson looked at her curly ginger hair that reached her back, her lavender eyes, the crisp white apron and finally that crescent moon tattoo. She never knew what to make of it when she first laid her eyes upon it. But now she knew what this girl was capable of and what her intentions were.

She cleared her throat and stopped tapping her fingers when Monica put the stew on the table.

"Hello Monica." She said sweetly.

"H-Hi" she stuttered.

"I'm not going to bite your head off, I promise."

"What is-is it you want?"

"I know what you and Noelani plan on doing." She smirked. But Monica's face turned deathly pale.

"Please-please! Please don't tell anyone. I tried to stop her." She blubbered.

"But why would you agree on hurting so many people in the first place?" Crimson asked.

"Because everyone here treated me horribly. And they deserve to die." Her tone got rougher. Hunter put a hand on his sword.

"Maybe so but why? What did you do for them to treat you this way?"

"Before I came to work in the palace, I was sold off to men. And when I ran away from it after so many years, the Queen offered me a job here and safety but I'm still marked as a whore." She cried.

"Well your just going to have to convince people that it wasn't your fault. Now listen I can help you but there is something you must do in return for me."

"Anything" she wiped her tears with a handkerchief.

"You must stop Noelani! Do you know how deadly those hell-stingers are? Please Monica you must stop her."

"I can't! I already gave them to her. She will release them."

"Why would she want to kill everyone?"

"Because- She took a deep breath, "because she wants the Queen gone and anyone who is loyal to her."

"But her father will be there!" Crimson stood, fury in her eyes.

"That's all the more reason to do it, so she can have his Throne."

"Maybe we should kill her, but we need evidence!"

"I have all the notes shes sent me asking me about the hell-stingers."

"But Monica theres one last thing you must know. When you show everyone those papers, you'll be beheaded too." Crimson throat bobbed.

"Then I will accept my fate." She bowed her head.

"Wait, may I ask one last question." Crimson said as Monica turned to the sink.

"Yes of course." She began cleaning the dirty plates.

"What does your tattoo mean?" Crimsons 'father' had said that every tattoo had meant something special or was a symbol or marking.

"It's my magic, a long time ago, sometimes at night the other girls,who were sold off occasionally too, and I would stand in a circle formation and summon our fire. It only worked when there was a crescent moon. And the others have the tattoo as well, but I do not know where they are anymore." Her explanation was beautifully worded and Crimson couldn't help but feel bad that her life was going to end soon.

"Good luck today! You know what your doing is very selfless and kind. Thank you." Crimson hugged her. Then walked out of the kitchen.

"Wow that went better then I thought, you have a way with words." Hunter whispered, grinning a little.

"Thank you." Was all she said then walked off to her rooms.

~

Deeja was in the training grounds and she spotted Noelani. She stormed through the crowds of people and got her claws out. Her feline eyes shined and she smiled with feral hunger.

"Hello Noelani, having fun with your new toys." She purred

"I don't know what your talking about, kitty cat!" She flicked her turquoise blue hair back. Deeja smiled.

"You forget my dear that I love fish, if you so much as look at me the wrong way I'll shred you to pieces and devour you whilst everyone watches."

"What's your problem." Her dark pink eyes glinting from the sun.

"My problem is that I know you have hell-stingers, fishy, so if you don't hand them over I will kill you." Her long claws twinkled.

"I don't have any hell-stingersmy father is the king of Bahar and I am practically best friends with the queen. Do. Not. Test. ME." She spat with her squeaky voice as she turned the other way.

"Not so fast seashells, I'm not done with you yet. You don't know what you're doing with those things, you could kill everyone including your 'precious' self, don't think because you own them now, that they won't hesitate to kill you later." Noelani still looked baffled, but Deeja knew it was because of the audience that they had created around them. "Do not make accusations that you cannot back. You have no idea what you are talking about so I think you should shut your big, cannibal mouth." The mermaid growled, her index finger pointed at Deeja.                                                                                                                          

The feral cat was tempted to snap it off her hand right there and then. The crowd gasped but the feline only cackled,  "I'm only a cannibal if I eat my own species dear, so go read a book sometime later."Deeja drummed her finger on the bottom of her chin, smirking slightly, "but, last time I checked, you don't have cat ears-or a tail, so I can grill you on a fire and drizzle some lemon all over you. But, then again, your personality and horrible choice of hair colour makes me want to vomit my guts up so, I'll just be hoping the hell-stingers do their job properly and kill you instead." She purred.

"I'll make sure the queen hears about this, you will regret speaking to me in such a fatal manner. Threatening me with a disgraceful choice of words, and finally, accusing me with no proof at hand." Noelani listed, "and my hair colour is divine." She added then turned away and skipped back to the castle, leaving Deeja simmering with anger burning in the pit of her stomach and vengeance on her mind.