Destined (24 page)

I looked up at his face, wishing for the millionth time that I could see the flawless features I knew were hiding there. All there was of him to see were his dazzling eyes. He’d said all I needed to know about him was in his eyes, but that didn’t feel exactly true tonight.

Something was off and whether it was me or him or both of us, I didn’t know.

Finally, he broke the heavy silence. “I need you to promise me something, Psyche.” His hands gently shook my shoulders, as if his words were like flour that needed to be sifted into my brain. “Promise you’ll never try to talk to your family again.”

“What?” I wasn’t sure what was worse, the fact that he’d been spying on me or the promise he wanted me to make. “Are you insane? They’re my family?”
 

“You should’ve let them think you were dead. It was safer.”

“Is that the little string you’re going to pull to get your way every time? This isn’t safe. That’s not safe. Safe from what? What do you think my family’s going to do to me that’s so dangerous?”

“Psyche, let me expla—”

“No, I want to finish,” I said, pulling the petals off the rose I was holding. “You obviously knew Chara was coming since you’d already forbidden Favonius from bringing her down.” The more I thought on it, the angrier I became. “Why are you trying to keep me away from her?”
 

Aris stepped back. He was probably stunned that I’d raised my voice at him. I had to admit it surprised me a little too.

Finally he said, “I did it for us.”

“Us? There’s only been an us,” I said, indicating with my finger between our chests, “for like two days. How did you think cutting my family out of the picture would help us?”

“Because if I can’t keep you safe, there is no us. Got it?”

“No, I don’t. I feel like we’re talking in circles. My family is not a danger to me.” His eyes had turned metallic and I sensed I was losing, so I changed tact.

Clasping his hand in mine, I pulled him down to sit on the bed next to me. “You don’t know what it was like for me today … to hear her up there, knowing Father is sick. All I want is for her to come visit for a day, just an afternoon even. She deserves to know I’m safe.” I squeezed his fingers. “That you’re keeping me very safe.”

“Her visit won’t make you happy.” His answer sounded more like a sigh than spoken words.

“If she only brings bad news, I can deal with that. Heck, she could come down here, tell me she hates me and I’d be happier than I am right now. My family
needs
to know I’m okay.”

“Psyche,” he said, his fingers lacing into mine, “I don’t want to fight with you.” He reached over and stroked a strand of hair away from my face. “If you want to see Chara, then she can come. I won’t stop her.”

My eyes closed in relief. “Thank you.”

“But I want a different promise from you instead. Deal?” he asked.

I couldn’t bear to open my eyes and look at him when he was attaching strings to my last visit with my sister. “What is it?”

 
“Promise you won’t tell her anything about me. Or listen to anything she says about me,” he added. “Okay?”

“Fine.”

That should be easy enough, since I hardly know a damn thing about you myself.

He leaned in, like he was going to try to plant one of his mesmerizing smooches on my lips. But I turned my head away. I was not ready to kiss and make up. On either front.

No kissing.

No making up.

Until I saw my sister tomorrow and knew he was making good on his end of the bargain, I wasn’t ready to be done fuming.

“All the pollen in here is giving me a headache,” I told him. “I think we better just call it a night.”

His eyes looked misty. “I understand.”

After planting a kiss on my forehead, he unfurled his wings and flew out of the palace. When I blinked, the flowers disappeared too. All except for the shredded rose I still held.

Falling back against the pillows, I realized he hadn’t uttered his sleep command when he’d kissed me goodbye.
Of all the nights.
Between being keyed up from our argument and knowing I’d see my sister tomorrow, sleep didn’t feel like it was going to come easy.

Sometimes I hated being right.

Chapter 32 - Eros

When Eros left, he gave one last longing look back at Psyche.
Could she keep her promise
? She was only human after all. She looked so small and fragile against her massive bed. He wanted to ignore her suggestion that he leave. Even more, he wanted break his own rules and stay beside her all the next day.

But it was just one day. It might be a hard day, but a day they would get through. And then things would be back to normal.

His powerful wings carried him back to his palace on Olympus. Eros pushed through the solid gold door and flopped down onto a pillow-covered couch. He’d planned to spend the night and all the next day on that couch, keeping silent watch to make sure Psyche’s sister didn’t interfere too much. But no sooner had he comfortably reclined, then he heard his mother’s voice behind him.

“Out late again?” Aphrodite asked with raised eyebrow and a knowing glint in her eye.

“Mother!” Eros jumped up so quickly he nearly lost his balance. Only by jutting out a hand to the couch was he able to catch himself, but that caused a number of cushions to spill to the ground.

Aphrodite laughed, throaty and enticing. Her signature laugh.

“What?” Eros snapped at her, grabbing up the spilled pillows.

“Now is that any way to greet your mother?” Aphrodite purred. “You’ve kept me here waiting half the night.”

Eros felt beads of sweat pop onto his forehead.
Did she know?
She couldn’t have
seen
, but had she
heard
?
 

“You know, you’ve been staying out late quite a bit lately,” Aphrodite said as she sauntered toward her son. “I’m afraid you’re hiding something from me.” Aphrodite ran her long, delicate finger down Eros’s forearm. He couldn’t help but shudder just a tad.
 

“What about it? I have a life, you know.”
 

“Don’t get so defensive, dear,” Aphrodite said, raising her hand innocently to her chest. “You forget you’re talking to the goddess of love. I know about needs.”

“I am so not having this conversation with you,” Eros said as he plopped back down onto his couch. He folded his arms across his chest and closed his eyes, as if he could ignore his mother out of his house.

Aphrodite sat down next to her son. “I’m not judging you, son. I just don’t want you to get hurt again.”

Eros cut his eyes over to his mother, not sure where she was going with this.

“I just don’t want you spending too much time with the same girl. As I thought you’d learned, it’s not … judicious for us to get too attached to mortals.” Aphrodite leaned in closer. “You won’t be able to keep her.”

Eros’s eyes widened only briefly as he realized his mother had no idea about Psyche. She just thought he was having an overly-long affair with some anonymous mortal. He could work with that.

Eros curled up the corner of his mouth into a devilish grin. “Fine. I’ll cut her loose. But don’t expect me home still. There are plenty more where she came from.”

“My thoughts exactly,” Aphrodite said, “which is why I want you to meet someone.”

No, no, no. She is not trying to set me up again. Please tell me she’s not setting me up.

“You’ll just adore Iris,” Aphrodite continued. “She’s bright and imaginative and she appears in the most beautiful places.”

“She’s a freakin’ rainbow. For the last time, I am not dating her, okay?”

Aphrodite dropped the nice act. “Look around. It’s not like there are that many available goddesses out there. You’ve already refused the one mortal I offered you. But you’re getting too old to keep up this nonsense. If you don’t settle down soon and stop being such a pest, Zeus is going to strip you of your arrows.”

“I haven’t shot at him in months. What’s got him so worked up now?”

Aphrodite folded her arms across her chest. She looked out a window, decidedly not answering his question. “It’s not him,” she finally grumbled. “It’s Hera.”

“Why’s she in a tiz?”

Aphrodite’s jaw set, the tiny veins near her ears bulging.

“Why, Mother?” Eros pressed.

“She realized when I picked Psyche as my mortal daughter that there was more to her.”

Eros sat up, suddenly much more interested. “And what’s that supposed to mean?”

Aphrodite rolled her eyes. “Maybe Leda wasn’t the only one who made a baby when a god came to visit.”

“What are you —” Frustrated, Eros hopped up from the couch. “Just tell me what you’re trying to say and stop making me guess.”

“Poseidon is Psyche’s father. When Hera figured that out, it reopened old wounds about Zeus siring Helen. As much as she hates you sending Zeus off to have affairs, the idea of him having any more part-human children makes her insane. And Psyche reminded her how very possible that is.”

Eros’ jaw unhinged. The love of his existence wasn’t a full mortal after all. Did that change anything? And more importantly, how did that make Hera pissed at him? “Whoa. I wasn’t even born for Helen and I was probably still a toddler when Psyche was born. Not. My. Fault.”

Aphrodite stood and smoothed her long, white gown. “Yes, well, whether it’s your fault or not, the proverbial heat is on you at the moment. I’d suggest you do something to cool all tempers involved.”

Eros leaned back against the wall, arms crossed over his chest. “I can tell you already have something in mind, so lay it on me.”

“You need to take Iris to the Olympian council meeting this afternoon.”

Uh-uh. No way was he leaving the palace today. “Not today. Maybe some other time.”
  

“I’m not asking. You
will
take Iris.”

Eros ground his teeth. “You can’t just come in here and order me around. I’m not your little puppet.”

With startling swiftness, Aphrodite placed her palms against the wall on either side of his head, fencing him in. “You are nothing except what I say you are.” An edge of contempt crept into her voice. “You have powers as the god of love only because I gave you some of my province. I will take it back as easily as I gave it.”