Xander's Tears and the Hairpin

***ARTEMIS***

"And to whom do I owe the pleasure?" I asked the masked man in front of me.

"Ah, my name is Henry. Just Henry for now. You know… for security purposes."

"I understand. After all, my line of work is rather… disturbing." I gave him a lopsided smile. "But you seem to be in the same profession, Mr. Henry."

Assassins tend to recognize those who were like them. Whether it was the gaze or just the way they presented themselves to others, it varied. For me, I used to recognize professional killers through their eyes but ever since I became a witch, I could tell from their auras or what people would call bloodlust.

"Well… Sometimes people go for the extreme. You have been silent for eight years but I really do admire your work."

"Uhm… Thanks? Well, even assassination has its art."

"Indeed." he chuckled, but it was muffled by his mask. "I never knew you were interested in these kinds of things. "

"A change of scenery is quite nice once in a while."

"I see. Well, I always put your name in the list of people invited on the auctions I host in the hoped of meeting you but you never attend. Until today that is."

"So you are the host. It is my pleasure to be invited." I gave him a smile. "As for why I suddenly decided to change my mind and attend, let's just say… one of the items you will be auctioning caught my interest. And I want it."

"Oh? Tell me and I'll make sure to put it in reserve for you instead of auctioning it. I presume money won't be a problem?"

"I'm flattered for such an offer but I must decline. You don't have to Mr. Henry. I want to participate in an auction if you just sell it to me only, where's the fun in that?"

"Now that's interesting."

An announcement about the auction starting suddenly resounded inside the room which interrupted our conversation.

"I better find my companions and find a table." I said and was about to leave but he stopped me.

"The first balcony to the left has always been reserved for you if you ever appear. Always has and always will be."

I mentally cringe at Henry's words.

"Feel free to use it." he gave me three golden cards. "It's the room's key card, for you and your friends."

"Then I'll take you up on your offer Mr. Henry." I took the cards off his hands.

He finally left and I released a sigh of relief. That guy, although he was acting very friendly, was giving me the creeps. I shook my head and started heading to the stairs which led to the second floor. Blake and Xander met me at the bottom of it.

"Why didn't you accept that guy's offer?" Seth suddenly asked. I had a communication device on my ear so we could hear and talk to each other.

"It was tempting, but I didn't want to raise any suspicion. Steven Zhang is somewhere around here and I'm pretty sure he's anticipating for the bidding of his item. He's waiting to rake money for the codex." I answered then faced Blake and Xander.

"Question though." Blake interrupted. "Will anyone even buy the codex? It's not exactly… you know… It doesn't really have any historical benefit."

"Blake, ever since we got our powers, we have been introduced to a whole new world." Xander said. "Even if criminals or crime bosses don't want the codex, other kinds of people will."

"People like?"

"People like us. Those with capabilities not of the norm." I answered. "Liu Fen said the Celestial Maidens are a big deal in that particular community. Do you really think they'll make a pass for a book made by the Maiden of the Stars?"

"Good point." Blake shrugged.

"You two, these are the keys to our balcony." I said and handed the cards Henry gave me.

"Hey Art- I mean, Huntress, that Henry guy seems to like you." Blake said playfully. "I think 'he' will be jealous if he finds out."

Xander suddenly smacked Blake at the back of his head. "Idiot! Are you seriously blackmailing her?"

"HAAA? Of course not!"

"Let's… not mention any of this to him." I gave them a serious look. The two nodded while Seth, Kai and Kyle just answered a positive.

***

"Going once! Going twice! Going thrice! Sold!" a thud of the hammer made the bidders shut up. "The Nezha Painting is sold to gentleman number eight for three million US dollars!"

The Nezha Painting was the third item to be sold for the auction. So far, nothing interesting had appeared so our balcony was quite silent.

Blake, Xander and I were at one of the VIP rooms in the second floor. We could see the auction through the balcony but a TV screen was also set up inside so we could see close-up what was being auctioned off in the stage. On my part, I was getting bored and I think so was Blake and Xander.

"You know, if you guys find something interesting you can bid for it. I'll pay." I said to break the silence in our room also to encourage Blake and Xander to buy something.

"No way." Blake shook his head. "That's your money."

"You can just pay me back. I accept installments."

"It will probably take us a lifetime to pay you back." Xander said.

"No you won't. Considering your popularity, and the earnings you have for your albums and whatnot, it won't take a lifetime." the two shook their heads firmly. "Well suit yourselves."

And time passed by like that.

"Hey Kyle." I called after some time passed. "Are you finished there?"

"The guy before me is checking it now. Just chill okay?"

"Fine. Seth, Kai, how are things in your end?"

"Looks fine. No suspicious activities around the area. Kai's teleporting back and forth to scout a few routes."

"Yeah and I'm getting really tired."

Kai's powers only work efficiently if he had been to a specific location. It was the reason why we had to drive to San Remigio for five hours since Kai had only been to Cebu City.

"Okay. Be on standby. Seth, report any suspicious activity once you spot one."

"Roger!"

"The codex should be item number fifteen. We're still at number ten, we still have time. SO it should be okay."

We returned our attention back to the auction. Item number ten was finally sold for five million US dollars to a young man and number eleven was immediately presented.

Item number eleven was an ancient-looking hairpin, like the ones in ancient Chinese jewelry. It was made of a translucent blue material but I was pretty sure it wasn't sapphire or any blue precious material I knew.

"Hyung…" I hear Blake mutter.

I turned around and gasped! Xander was shedding tears. But he did not look anywhere near being sad, he rather looked confused.

"Xander?" I called.

The emcee started talking about the background of the hairpin. "This mysterious hairpin is made of an unknown material. It was discovered in a temple ruin in Greece three years ago…"

"Eternal ice." Xander suddenly muttered.

"Err… what?"

"Did I- did I just say something?" he said, sounding very confused.

"Xander, what's eternal ice?" I asked.

"I- I don't know."

"Do you… Do you want the hairpin?" I asked again.

"I… I don't… I'm not sure."

It was my first time seeing Xander very confused. Yes, the oldest member of Guardians doesn't really talk much and was known to go with the flow, but every time he would say something, he was very confident and very sure.

"Blake, bid for it."

"O...kay?" Blake pushed the buzzer which indicated we were bidding for the item by raising the current price for fifty thousand dollars.

"And our VIP number one has finally bid an item! Five hundred thousand dollars for our VIP number one!" said the emcee.

"Five hundred fifty thousand!" shouted another bidder.

"Keep pressing that Blake and don't stop until that hairpin is ours." I said in a low voice.

"Got it."

From what I heard from the explanations of the emcee a while ago, the hairpin belonged to a priestess in the temple of an Olympian god – Aphrodite. It was a gift of a young man, a demigod child of Poseidon, to the priestess. A symbol of his love to her. Unfortunately, priestesses were meant to stay single for as long as they live since their purity made their connection to the gods strong. But the priestess and the demigod loved each other very much.

Another unfortunate thing was that Aphrodite liked the young demigod herself. The Greek goddess of love and beauty was jealous of their relationship and became angry.

Well in the end, Aphrodite killed her priestess by giving her an impossible task and sealed her soul inside the hairpin. The heartbroken young demigod died unable to see his beloved and he would repeat the cycle of reincarnation looking for his one true love but remained unfortunate. Aphrodite made the two never to meet.

A very tragic love story.

'Greeks really love their tragic stories.' I thought.

"One million US dollars!" our competitor's bid snapped me out of my thoughts.

Our competitor for the hairpin was a fat man dressed in expensive clothes. His fur coat especially caught my attention. He was adorned with golden chains around his neck, golden rings were placed on his stubby fingers and if I focused my vision, I could see a golden tooth on him. He resembled those rich gangsters with bad intentions and bad endings in dramas. He looked like someone to flaunt his wealth too.

"I offer one million as well." I shouted and stepped out of the curtains that veiled our balcony from the rest of the bidders.

"Ha! You ran out of money, little girl?" he sneered.

"One million euros. I've got plenty more if you continue old man." I said in a mocking tone.

"One – one million euros by the young lady in VIP number one! Any other bid? Going once! Going twice! Going thrice! Sold! Item number eleven sold for one million euros!"

I flashed a smirk then stepped back inside.