Rising from my crouched position I surveyed the landscape, wincing as I took in the destroyed buildings and burnt ground. "Its just like all the others, all the same signs. Any survivors?"

"No just like the other villages, everyones dead."

"They are always one step ahead of us, it infuriating!"

Nodding my agreement with Emerald's statement I turned to face the direction the tracks led in, "looks like they went that way. What do you think they're after?"

"I have no idea, before we left we over heard a meeting where they decided to target the maidens. So your a target, although they don't know about you just yet."

Humming I muttered "maybe we need to change that."

"What! Why on earth would you want to do that? I thought the whole point was to stay under the radar, not draw unnecessary attention!"

"Yes but if we can draw them to us, we don't have to keep following them across mistral while they destroy towns."

"I...I dont know, are you sure that's wise?"

"If we fight them on our terms we stand a much better chance than if we just come across them in the middle of a fight."

"Okay true, but still you shouldn't be putting your self in danger like this. We will catch up to them."

"Yeah and then what? How are we going to defeat a small army that can do this to a whole village? We need every advantage we can get!"

I grinned in victory when I saw Mercury's head droop slightly, "Fine but you will let me protect you as much as I can!"

"Of course, if that is what you want chere?"

"Yes"

"Okay then"

xxx

xxx

"This was a terrible idea!"

"Yes, yes it was! Remind me why I agreed to this hair brained suicide attempt again?"

whacking aside another bullet that was intent on trying to kill me with my scythe, I flipped my middle finger up at Mercury, although I was fairly sure he couldn't see it. "No need to rub it in alright, it was the best I could come up with at the time! And this is not a suicide attempt, you said you would have to give me a massage someday, and I don't intend to die before I get to experience that."

"I swear if we get out of this alive I will give you a massage but if we die then I'm going to kill you!"

Ducking another shot I brought the broad side of my scythe down hard against the side of another white fang members head. Moving on I didn't linger beside the prone form instead heading straight for the next target.

What felt like eternity later after slashing, whacking and dodging, I came to a graceful halt beside Mercury. Gazing around at the carnage we had wrought I was strangely proud of our teamwork. Sighing softly with a faint smirk on my lips I lent on my staff, nudging Mercury lightly with one arm.

"What?"

"We made it out alive. You owe me a massage."

"Oh for the love of...I am not giving you a massage right now, maybe when we are in less peril and a more romantic setting." I had to stifle a snort at the way his eyebrows wiggled when he said 'romantic', like there was anywhere romantic when you were living on the run.

Huffing I muttered "Fine. I'm going to hold you to that though."

Rolling my eyes at the shit eating grin currently plastered on his face he said "I wouldn't have it any other way princess."

Turning away I started to make my back the way we came, exiting the forest into the small town we were staying in for the last two days. "Come on lover boy, lets get out of here before reinforcements arrive."

By the time we reached the small inn we had been using as a base I was tired, hungry and frankly running out of patients with Mercury. Dear god I loved him but he could be annoying sometimes. Finally having had enough I turned to face Mercury and just to make sure he shut up long enough to listen I slammed my lips against his, and when I felt him start to lean into me I pulled back. Speaking quietly but firmly I said "for the love of all that is holy I know what I did was stupid, and we won't be doing it again! Now would you shut up about it!"

Blinking and looking adorably dazed at my sudden outburst he said "as you wish my lady"

Snorting I dragged him into the inn and up to our room, flopping onto my bed face first when we reached the tinny four bed room with attached bathroom.

"I guess Emerald and Neo are still out."

"Yeah, probably won't be back till late." I didn't think much about my response until I felt the bed dip and a solid weight settle next to me. Before I could fully comprehend what was happening I was divested of my cloak and crop top. "What are you doing?"

"I promised you a massage didn't I?"

The sudden divine pressure of Mercury's very talented hands on my back caused me to swallow any response I would have made, allowing only the release of long low moan of pleasure. "Oh yesssss that is amaaaaaazinggggg" the last word was drawn out into another long moan, and I couldn't find it with in myself to care about how I sounded. Far too engrossed in the pleasure I found from the relaxing ministrations of Mercury's hands on my tense and taught muscles to think of any sensible response to the current situation, bearing in mind Emerald or Neo could walk in at any moment.

Sighing I relaxed into the bed, wings limp and hanging over the sides of the bed. Every now and then when he compressed a particular muscle group on my back, one of my wings would twitch in response which caused Mercury no end of amusement. I would have protested his laughing at my sake, but I was too engrossed in enjoying the slow release in tension in my shoulders and neck to care much what Mercury was doing.

A loud bang jolted me out of my half sleep slate, rolling of the bed and scooping up my cloak I whipped around hurling a tinny dagger hidden in my cloak at the intruders before my brain could process that it was actually Emerald and Neo in the doorway. Both managed to duck in time and then Emerald took one look at my state of undress and said "jeez you couldn't even get your own room!"

"Oh shove off we weren't doing anything" mercury was still perched on the bed.

"Oh yeah and thats why she isn't wearing her top!"

Cringing at the imagined humiliation of Emerald waking in on what she was implying had been about to happen, I spoke up "he was giving me a back massage nothing more"

"Right, sure he was"

Scowling I scooped up my bag and abandoned crop top and stalked into the bathroom to put the top back on, and brush my hair and clean my teeth. I studiously ignored the quiet sniggering behind me.