Destined. Part 9

Eros paced deep in the forest near his new palace. The sun had already dipped below the horizon, leaving little light amongst the trees.

"Will you calm down, man?" Hermes said between bites of apple as he sprawled underneath an oak tree. "It worked, didn't it? Apollo gave Darion your prophecy and Psyche is here." He gestured with the half-eaten apple in the direction of the palace. "All you have left to do is go in there and meet her. Again."

"That's what I'm worried about," Eros snapped. "She doesn't want to meet me."

"Seriously? How can you be worried about something like that?" Hermes asked. "You can change that in a second with your arrows."

"I won't do that to her." Eros paused his pacing to run his hands through his hair. "You don't understand what it's like. Being obsessed by love like this makes your soul feel like it's - I don't know, being crushed out of your body. I can't think of anything but her." Eros punched the oak. "I won't make her suffer from this much love."

"You're a piece of work," Hermes said, tossing the apple core to the ground as he hopped to his feet. "You're so close to having everything you want and you're not willing to seal the deal."

"I will not use my arrows on her. End of discussion."

Hermes slapped Eros's shoulder. "Good luck dealing with a girl who thinks you're a monster then. If it were me though, I'd use the gifts I was born with. Think about it."

Hermes winked at Eros as he launched into the air.

"Where are you going? It's not time yet. You can't leave me here to wait by myself," Eros called after him.

"You'll be fine," Hermes yelled back. "I have too much work to do to listen to you whine anymore. No one stopped dying just because Eros fell in love."

Eros turned and kicked Hermes's apple core, launching it deep into the trees. Then he sat under the oak to wait until it was time to meet Psyche.

Hopefully they wouldn't have a replay of the last time he'd been her bedroom. He wasn't sure he could handle it if she kicked him out now.

Chapter 19 - Psyche.

The banquet hall would've been large enough to hold forty tables and couches, but only one grouping stood in the center. Chandeliers of hammered bra.s.s dangled from the ceiling and their thousands of candles danced light across every inch of the room. I paused before crossing the threshold, as if the enormity of it all might suck me in. Alexa nudged me forward to the dining couch.

Even though I couldn't see anybody, the room pulsed with life. Tentatively, I reclined across the pillows. I wasn't used to eating on a couch, since at my home they were reserved for men. But that's where Alexa guided me, so that's where I sat.

As I settled in, musicians began playing lyres and flutes. The songs were so much happier than the ones that'd been played during my procession up the hill that morning. Had that really only been a few hours ago?

Plates of food and a goblet of wine floated down and landed on the square table in front of me. I recognized some traditional foods of welcome: slices of pomegranate, baskets of bread, honey and sesame seeds. But there was so much more. My invisible servants brought plate after plate of delicacies. As I ate, invisible tumblers swirled ribbons around the room in a hypnotic dance of color. I let the music and motion carry my tired brain away to place where I didn't have to worry, or think, or pretend to be anyone but myself. Was this what relief felt like?

When I was already stuffed to the gills, a miniature cake danced toward me.

"Oh, I can't eat another bite," I protested.

"You've got to try this," Alexa piped up right behind me. I'd been so engrossed in the food, music and dancing, I'd forgotten Alexa was still with me. "This cake is truly divine."

Who was I to refuse dessert? "If you insist," I sighed, forking up a huge bite. The cake melted in my mouth. It was sweeter than honeysuckle and dripped with liquid caramel. I rolled my eyes as I indulged.

When only one bite of the tiny cake was left, I pushed it away. "I can't eat anymore. I'm about to burst out of this dress," I said, patting my full belly.

As I set the fork back on the plate, Alexa said, "There now. How's that for an easy first night?"

"I suppose," I agreed, "but it's not over yet. He isn't even here, or..." I lowered my voice, "is he invisible too?"

"No, he's not invisible," she a.s.sured me. "You'll be able to tell when he arrives."

I thought about her words for a minute. "That's not the same thing as saying I'll see him. You're hiding something."

"There you go, worrying again." Alexa was dismissive, so I knew I was right.

"Don't speak to me in riddles, Alexa. I need -"

She cut me off in a light voice, as if she hadn't been listening to me at all. "So, I figure in the morning, I can give you a proper tour. You haven't seen anything except your own suite, and I'm sure you'll just love the gardens. Plus, I want to show you the library and -"

"Just stop." My voice was so low and trembling, I barely heard it myself. "I can't think about tomorrow. Not when I question whether the sun will even rise for me."

"This again? I thought we settled this already."

"Yeah well, maybe my mind can't get past the bone-numbing fear quite so easily. All this food makes me feel like a sacrifical lamb, just being fattened up for slaughter or something."

"Your mind is too poisoned against him," Alexa told me softly. I felt her kneel in front of me and take my hands in hers. "Look around you. No girl in the history of Greece has ever been so well cared for. Can't you see the love he put into creating this palace for you?"

Her words pleaded with me to open my mind. And I wanted to, but I was still so filled with doubt.

"But what if all this beauty is just a cover for monstrosity?"

"It's not. Psyche, it's not. Please G.o.ds, what will it take to convince you? Would you feel better knowing I'd take your "monster" in an instant if it were me he wanted? Because I would."

I looked away from the spot I knew she occupied. Alexa had finally gotten through to me - a bit - but I still didn't feel certain. How could I? We'd never even met before today. Was I just supposed to trust her now because she was the best hair and makeup artist in all of Greece?

Still, I wouldn't reject something she so obviously wanted to her face. No point in being cruel.

"You're right," I finally said. "When will he be here?"

Alexa sighed with relief. "Soon, soon." She pulled me off the couch and hurried me down the hall. "We've got to get you touched up before he comes."

We wound back through the maze of halls and crossed into my room. The fireplace had been lit while I was at dinner, filling the room with the intoxicating aroma of cedar. Alexa pulled me back to the vanity for my final touch-ups. She reapplied my lipstick and dusted my cheeks again with blush. "Better?" she asked, spinning me around.

Instead if being gold, the vanity and mirror were now silver. I turned back with wide-eyed astonishment. "How is this possible?" I asked Alexa, pointing at the changed table.

"Anything is possible here."

She pulled me toward the edge of the bed and squeezed my hand to indicate I should sit. The bed bounced a little as she obviously sat down beside me. Alexa waited with me for him to arrive and I squeezed her hand so tightly I'm sure her fingers must've ached.

As he approached, I heard the flapping of wings, like an overgrown eagle. The sound dissolved as he landed at the edge of the open window. A rush of wind flew past me and extinguished the flames in the fireplace. Stars glowed behind him but his figure was encircled in black.

As he came in, Alexa released my hand. How can she leave me now? Behind me, I heard her close the door as she slipped out of the room.

Although I couldn't see him, I was too scared to look away. I wanted to peek behind the darkened cloud surrounding his body so badly. I peered at him, trying to focus on any features I could define. I needed to see his face, however hideous. What was he hiding? Was he really as repulsive as the Pythia had warned?

Panic swelled through me as I stood to face my captor. I'm not sure how I kept my legs from following Alexa out the door. When I looked back over my shoulder to see how far it would be if I decided to make a run for it, he slipped in front of me and pulled my hands into his.

I choked back a startled gasp, horrified by the creature holding my hands as softly as if I could crumble.

"Look at me, Psyche." His voice was hypnotic, almost familiar. I stared into the blackness surrounding his form and found a pair of lovely blue eyes gazing out at me. "I know you fear me, but I beg you, believe that I will never hurt you."

"Why won't you show yourself then? If there's nothing to fear?"

His voice came back to me compa.s.sionate, but firm. "I didn't say there's nothing to fear. I said I'd never hurt you. Don't confuse the two."

That good old I'm-about-to-puke feeling made me wish I hadn't eaten every bite of food on my plate tonight. I reached back for the bed, easing myself down as I tried to figure out what could possibly be scarier than the invisible beast in my new bedroom. Or who else wanted to hurt me now that I'd already been condemned to a fate worse than death.

He reached a satiny, smooth hand to my face and let his finger trail from my cheek down my jaw line. "Psyche, I am no monster. I love you, and I will love you always."

"You don't even know me," I shrieked, swatting away his hand. "How could you possibly love me?" Hurt registered in those soft blue eyes and he blinked them closed for what felt like an eternity. "Who are you?" I finally whispered.

His eyes popped back open with a glimmer of hope. Like I'd just thrown a life line to a drowning man. "Aristeo, but please, call me Aris."

That wasn't exactly what I'd meant, but I couldn't hold the literal answer against him. "Okay, Aris," I paused, sucking in a deep, jagged breath and steeling myself to ask the real question, "what are you?"

"You cut right to the chase." His darkened shape retreated a few steps until it looked like he must be sitting on the stool in front of my silver vanity. I welcomed the extra s.p.a.ce between us, but the weight of those eyes I knew were watching me from across the room still felt intensely heavy.

"I'm the son of a harpy. Hence the wings." The night air rustled with the sound of feathers beating once and then refolding into place.

Well, that's new. Didn't know harpies even had kids - not that I'd ever considered it - or thought that harpies were anything more than a scary bedtime story to make kids shut up and go to sleep. But son-of-a-harpy sounded pretty foreboding. I mean, harpies were the ones who supposedly tortured souls on their way to Tartarus. And soul torturing gave me a clue as to why even the G.o.ds might fear him. I just hoped his supposed love for me was enough to keep his torturous side in check.

I swallowed. Hard. "So, um," I looked around the pitch black room, grasping for some way to save our floundering conversation before he got bored and decided to entertain himself with a little sadism. "Tell me something else about you."

He rose and moved closer. When he was right in front of me, he dropped down to his knees, leveling his gaze with mine. "I know you don't believe this yet, but the only interesting thing about me is how much I feel for you."

Seriously? The guy tells me he's a mythological creature and his feelings are the most interesting thing about him? The darkness must not have been enough to hide the rampant disbelief splashed across my face.

With an effortless move, he swept me up into his arms and laid me gently across the bed. "I know you're tired. And stressed. I can feel it coming off you in waves." His lips brushed across my forehead and I felt the soft wisp of a curl follow in their wake.

"Sleep, my love," he whispered. "You've had a long day. But know this one thing." I focused my eyes on his, now only a few inches away from my face, dreading the words that were coming. "I will earn your love."

As creeped out as that idea made me, my muscles relaxed. A great warmth coursed through my body, starting from where he'd placed the kiss on my forehead and moving down. I felt peaceful. And sleepy. The alarm puling through my veins faded, even as I tried to pull it back and keep myself awake. As sleep overtook me, I somehow knew I'd at least make it through this one night intact.

Chapter 20 - Eros.

From back across the room, Eros watched Psyche as she slept, taking in the sweet scent of her hair and enjoying the soft rise and fall of her chest as she breathed deeply. He loved how at peace she looked. And he yearned for her to be as relaxed with him while she was awake.

Finally daring to ease onto the bed next to her, Eros unwound Psyche's hair from on top of her head and let it spill across the pillows. He stroked her long, chestnut strands, carefully keeping them away from her face. When the words threatened to rip open his chest if he didn't speak them, Eros whispered in her ear, "I will never hurt you, Psyche. I love you more than my own life. Love me, please," he begged. "Love me."

Psyche barely stirred as Eros pled softly in her ear. Perhaps he had hoped she would open her eyes and pledge her undying love for him too.

But that's not how his magic worked.

Slowly he rose, being careful not to wake her. He took a deep breath to a.s.sure himself he was about to do the right thing. Eros wanted Psyche to love him on her own, but he couldn't wait.

When he'd landed on the windowsill that night, he'd slipped off his quiver and hidden it behind the curtains. He reached into his hiding place and pulled out one of the long, powerful arrows. Hermes's words from earlier that evening played back in his head. "You can change all that in a second with one of your arrows..."

Hermes was right. All he had to do was nick Psyche's skin with an arrow and she would be as hopelessly in love with him as he was with her. Granted, being with Psyche is what he'd actually wanted, at least subconsciously. He was pretty sure she didn't yet share the same sentiment. Eros slowly twirled the arrow in his hand and looked over at Psyche.

She was so soundly asleep, she'd never notice the sting as the arrow grazed her skin. And this time he wouldn't have to shoot her. He'd simply nick her with a caress. Not like the impersonal release of a bow. He wouldn't be hunting her if he marked her with his own hand.

He reached out to touch her, the arrow poised, but pulled away. His jaw clenched and his eyes scrunched closed. Something akin to physical pain kept him from hurting her. Eros knew all too well that the arrows would make Psyche suffer. During the daylight hours when he couldn't be in the palace, she would need him so badly that her heart would ache.

Eros didn't want her days to be unhappy. He simply wanted her love.

Sitting on the bed, Eros let the arrow fall from his fingertips, dissipating as its unused magic released into the floor. He'd have to do as he'd promised her.

He'd have to earn her love.

Chapter 21 - Psyche.

As I slowly opened my eyes and took in the room, I realized I was alone. Sitting up, I studied myself. I was whole. Definitely still alive. And my dress was intact, though rumpled from sleep. Whatever bad things harpy kids might be, at least he hadn't harmed me while I slept.

As quietly as I could, I slipped out of bed and down the hall. Maybe I could catch a glimpse of him in the light. The tension of not knowing what he looked like seemed almost worse than just seeing what I was dealing with and moving on.

My toes barely touched the mosaic tiles as I crept along the corridor. When I reached the end of the first hall, I placed my back against the wall, took a deep breath, and peeked as little of my head around the corner as possible.

Since I couldn't see any floating towels or serving trays headed my way, I figured it was clear. As I prepared to bolt down the next hall, a voice rang in my ear.

"You're up. Did you sleep well?"

I jumped with a startled screech.

"Oh, sorry. I didn't mean to scare you." It was Alexa, of course.

"If you're invisible and don't want to scare someone, you ought to give some notice before you go talking in their ear," I snapped, more embarra.s.sed than angry.

Alexa didn't seem to notice. "So..." she dragged out the word like we were in some conspiracy together, "tell me how it went last night."