CHAPTER SEVEN
Ami looked at the sun, ‘we have to work quickly,’ she thought. The crowd had thinned once Ademerplius was given his thirty lashes and put into prison. As Ademerplius was being beaten, he never said a word, never made a sound. His silence astounded the people who hadn’t the knowledge yet to know that he was simply in shock.Eros was still traveling with them. He had sat next to Makoto and they were having a lively conversation about running track. Eros, Ami thought. Isn’t that the Greek name for Cupid?
Why couldn’t that be it? She shook her head and put the idea in the back of her head. It was crazy: he wouldn’t be the traitor. It would be someone rebellious like Mars.
Ami was called out of her thoughts by a voice calling her name. “Amy,” called Eros, “tell me about Athens.”
The sun told Ami that it was a waste of time. It was 5 o’clock and they wanted to be ready to leave by noon tomorrow. It could take her hours to talk about Athens as she had learned about it. It would be time wasted while she could be forming a plan.
Her face showed pain, “I would rather not.”
“Why?” he asked.
“I just don’t want too.” She shot him a look that said that those were her last words and got up to go look over the summit of the steep cliff.
“I’m sorry, Litta,” said Eros, rising. “I fear I have made Amy quite angry and I must remedy my mistake.”
“Fine.” Makoto said with longing in her voice. He walked off leaving Makoto with her thoughts of following him.
Ami looked over the city of Rome. It looked small compared to Tokyo, yet it was supposed to have been a huge city in its time.
“Amy,” Eros breathed as he walked up to her. “I’m sorry, if you don’t want to talk about Athens; I don’t care. Why don’t we go back and talk with Litta for a bit?”
Ami still needed to form a plan. “I’ll stay here, but thank you for your concern.”
He turned and put his arm around her, “Amy, you don’t need to hide anything from me. I love you.”
Obviously no one had noticed Makoto creep up behind them.
“Eros... I don’t know what to say.”
He held her chin. “Say you love me, too.”
“I...” Ami slapped herself mentally. Of course, this was Cupid.
Makoto almost fainted. She was the one who loved Eros not Ami, and he was supposed to love her in return. “Ami, I thought you were my friend,” she said, appearing out of nowhere. “But I guess I don’t have any. That’s alright you two can be together. I won’t get in the way.” She looked over the ledge of the hill. “Steep isn’t it?” At this point she was not controlling herself. The mind control Cupid had designed for Ami was doing its job.
“Don’t jump, Makoto!” There was no messing around with ‘Litta’ now. “Cupid, you son of a bitch stop her!”
“I can’t, it’s you I wanted-I...” Cupid was dumbfounded.
Makoto jumped. Oh, sweet Mercury, what do I do now? Ami looked at her shoes, and felt her cape. Of course, a cape of invisibility so no one could see her and her winged shoes. She still had time.
She flew swiftly with grace and picked Makoto up as she almost hit the bottom of the hill. She used her Venus power. “You don’t like Eros, you hate him.”
Makoto nodded in agreement and held on as Ami made it to the top of the hill. Cupid was gone.
Makoto, without reason, ran up to the prison. “There is nothing like the direct approach,” she called, and made her way into the heavily guarded building. She was going into a mental overload. Ami simply followed the trail of fallen guards.