Elysian Dreams (9 page)

“That’s amazing,” he whispered.

She smiled. “It is.” She wrapped her arms around his neck. “I’m close to coming.”

“I know,” he gasped huskily. He never broke eye contact, which was amazingly erotic. Their breath mingled as her release approached, everything winding up inside her tighter and tighter. She held on to him as her orgasm broke suddenly, sending a wave of pleasure over her. She felt every inch of his cock as her pussy squeezed him over and over again. He thrust deep as he groaned, pressing his cheek to hers. His body rubbed against her clit as he pressed down on her, and her body soared to new heights of pleasure. He felt warm against her, and she noticed he was actually glowing. She clung to him more and moved with him to ride out the last of her pleasure, and she gasped when he came inside her. Something about it was so different, the vibrant heat spilling into her extending her pleasure.

He kissed her as they both moved more slowly. She felt her own body warming, and when he released her she saw her skin glowed as well.

“Seems you gave me more than a little of yourself,” she said when she could find the words.

“I gave myself to you completely.” He grasped her hand and kissed it. “I could love you so easily.”

She didn’t even need to know he couldn’t lie to feel the power of his words. “I’d love that,” she whispered before dissolving into giggles. She kissed his face over and over again.

“My sweet, happy, silly girl,” he said as he pulled her into his arms. “Will you be my girl?”

“I already am.”

He kissed the top of her head. “Just want to be sure. The glow will last a while, maybe even until tomorrow. Someone may notice.”

“Let them notice.” She snuggled against him.

He rubbed her back and they lay in silence for several minutes before he spoke. “I did speak up for Hypnos, before Nyx intervened. Now though, I feel we should avoid getting involved.”

“I think you’re right. It seems to have been taken out of even Zeus’ hands. The primal gods…I don’t know. They may even be able to override the Fates.”

“Did the Fates plan this? Did they give me what I really wanted when what I thought I wanted was taken away forever?”

“A cruel way to make someone happy, making them unhappy for so long first.”

“It doesn’t matter.” He shifted down to look into her eyes. “The way you felt was so right, and I’m not talking about that hot, silky pussy, though it would drive any man wild.”

She giggled again. “Does the thought of it inspire you?” She reached down and found that it did. His cock jerked in her hand and hardened at once. She rubbed it firmly as he groaned.

“Now it’s time for that proper tumbling, so perhaps you should brace yourself.”

She gave in to his kiss as he moved back onto her, his hands everywhere. Neither of them would sleep at all that night, and she’d probably glow for a week if his appetite matched her need for him. His ardent embrace pushed all doubts away as his cock rubbed against her thigh.

* * * *

Hypnos sat back on the couch and looked at his mother’s home. He wasn’t sure he should call it that. He felt like he was onstage, though there obviously wasn’t an audience. Darkness surrounded them, but the area where the couch and his mother’s desk sat was illuminated as it would be on a stage, though he couldn’t see any source of light. She sat calmly looking through a large book.

“This is where you live?” he asked.

“I don’t live anywhere. I simply exist. If I need something, I conjure it up. I don’t need to eat or sleep, though both can be enjoyable.”

“Then where are we?”

“We’re between the worlds. Yours and the mortal one. It’s part of the void and still ruled by Chaos.”

He looked around at the perfectly calm and silent darkness. “Seems peaceful.”

“It is. The great void was and is very peaceful, but also very dangerous. You can only be here because you have power over death.” She turned a page. “For now.”

Hypnos started to understand her plan. “For now? You’re going to change that.”

“Yes.”

“Because you love me?” He knew the answer would be no, but if she cared to explain he would understand her motivations a bit better.

She met his gaze. “Love isn’t something I feel. I’ve cared for people before, and I suppose I do care for all my children, but emotions are different with me. You, however, can love and I see now that you do love someone very much.”

“That matters to you?”

“Yes. Instead of abandoning you the way I did before, I should have done what I’m preparing to do.”

“You think you can fix what the Fates couldn’t?” He knew her powers were greater, but he felt reluctant. He didn’t want his mind toyed with further.

“I can remove the curse you were born with. I can take back what is destroying you. Don’t you see that power over death is very much like death? A very slow and decaying death?”

“But death that never comes?”

She smiled. “Yes. I knew a mind like yours could handle this. It eats away at your mind and your heart. You die a little and regenerate a little. The back and forth nature of it drives you mad. It destroys the good first, destroys all that belongs to the light.”

“So I turn evil and go crazy? And the only thing protecting me is the thing that is harming me?”

“Yes. I want to take it back. You will keep your power over dreams and visions, but death will once again become part of the darkness.”

“Is that truly possible, or is this just a theory, one that may backfire as well?”

“Death existed before you were born. Things perished and fell into the realms of Chaos.”

“Mortal men did not exist.”

“Mortal beings did. They died before you and the others ever existed. Titans and gods died before I gave birth to you. Very few, but it happened.”

He’d agreed to come here, and he did want his mother’s help. They had no relationship, but she was his mother. She was part of him. He had to trust she would do what she thought best.

“And you are part of me, which is why I want to help you,” she said.

He crossed his arms. “So if you’re reading my mind, you know how apprehensive I am.” He had too much to lose now. He had a friend in Persephone, and hopefully a lover in Daphne. He finally had good reasons to care what happened in his life. Perhaps his sister Eris would always hate him, but once they had been friends. He wanted to be “safe” enough to at least attend her wedding even if Ares or Hermes would not allow him to speak to her.

“I know. I, however, cannot make mistakes the way the Fates can. They see all within their reach, but they do not know all this universe holds. They control your world, but not the cosmos.” She stood and went to sit by him, actually smiling at him. “It’s so much bigger and more wondrous than any of you know.”

“I’m sure it is, but my world is all I care about.”

“I understand. Would you like to know something about your sister?”

“It might depend on what it is, but let’s assume I do.”

“She was very hurt for a long time, but she has overcome that even if Ares would still hurl you across creation for being in the same room with her. She loves you and worries about you. She is not afraid of you, and she has forgiven you.”

“I don’t know if I should believe you. She can hate and hold a grudge with the best. I know she’s not afraid of me. She fears very little.”

“Believe me or not, try to approach her at her wedding or stand back. I don’t care either way. You two are my favorites. It’s the reason I turned away from you. Your behavior dishonored me, but I didn’t want to admit I could have and should have seen it and prevented it. When you raised your hand to Eris, I did feel some emotion. Absolute fury. I would have killed you if I could have done so without upsetting the balance in your world, without causing myself grief.”

“Would you truly have regretted it?” He hoped she wouldn’t lie, mostly because he would know it and that would hurt even more.

“I would have. I so rarely feel something so strong, but I do understand it. My rage matched my feeling for you.”

“Perhaps you can love. Because of who I was, I thought I couldn’t until Daphne. Helios made Daphne angry, but I think he was trying to help. He cares for her.”

“But love? I’m not going to claim to know. It’s a very special emotion.”

“It is. I’ll agree to anything you want to try if it will make life with Daphne possible.”

She smiled. “Hypnos, there isn’t going to be any ‘trying.’ I know exactly what to do. Don’t you know why Zeus himself wouldn’t stand up to me?”

“Vaguely. Why?”

“We are the true originals. Of all the worlds, not just yours. Helios is the god of every sun, every source of light. I am the goddess of all nights over all worlds. Uranus and Gaia, parents of the Titans, are sky and earth. Again, they are so in and on every world. Every world has those things, after all. We’re primal and elemental. Isn’t that what you all call us? Primal?” She leaned in. “But my meaning is this. We are greater than your world alone. We can take away any powers we choose, from the Titans or the gods.”

Hypnos understood what she was saying, yet that was not much comfort. “I’m not sure that makes me feel less uneasy. It’s somewhat terrifying.”

“Then you have to trust in me.”

“I came here, didn’t I?”

“Yes. You’ve proved yourself worthy of such special help. I do not do this lightly.”

“I’m grateful then.”

“You’ll probably still be in a little hot water about attacking Apollo and keeping Daphne a secret from Hades. Even if Hades doesn’t mind, Zeus may still have something to say about it.”

“Those will most likely be technicalities. I’m not worried about them. I’m worried about Daphne. How long have I really been here?”

“We only arrived less than an hour ago.”

He waited. He knew time worked differently here, but he wasn’t sure how severe the difference might be.

Nyx smiled. “Three days.”

He nodded. That wasn’t bad. Daphne had probably calmed down. Someone would be taking care of her, her father or Hera perhaps. Her powers only applied to herself. She could transport herself or grant a simple wish, but she couldn’t hurt anyone even if she were still angry.

“And how long will this take?”

She held her hand out and an empty hourglass appeared. She unscrewed the top and carefully removed it. “Not long.” She put her hand over his heart.

He tensed a little when her fingers dug into his flesh, but there was no pain. She wrapped her fingers around something, and his chest tightened and grew hot. He wasn’t having trouble breathing, but he had slowed his breath intake as he watched. She pulled out a handful of black sand and let it flow from her palm into the hourglass. She made sure every grain had been caught and then she sealed the hourglass. She went to her desk and looked in the book again. She flipped one page and then picked up a quill, which had appeared on the desk as she sat down. She wrote something, and then closed the book. It faded away, and when she stood and picked up the hourglass, the desk, quill, and chair also vanished.

She came over to him and ran her fingers through his hair. “My least favorite shade, but I suppose it’s best.”

“What?” He touched his hair, but it was so short he couldn’t tell what had changed.

“Your hair is white again, like it was when Thanatos existed. It should inspire confidence; help you to trust yourself and others to trust you.” She smiled as she looked into his face, putting her finger under his chin. “And your eyes are blue now. Very beautiful.”

He raised his eyebrows. “Thanks.” He’d never received a compliment like that from his mother. He barely remembered ever receiving any at all. “Am I a little more worthy of being mothered now?”

She dropped her hand and crossed her arms, though she still smiled. “Perhaps. I think you will truly make me proud now.”

He didn’t understand that at all. Even as the god of death, at the times he’d been abusing his powers, his involvement in mortal affairs had been minimal. “What do you mean?”

“I think dreams are your real talent. With nothing to taint you, I believe you’ll be able to use that talent better. Inspiring people or simply comforting them. No one being should ever have had this burden to face alone.” She looked at the hourglass. “This shall stay with us. We’ve learned a valuable lesson.”

“I’m glad you believe I’m capable of doing good, but I really want to see Daphne. May I go to her?”

She nodded. “Yes. My work is done. Go straight to Daphne. I will go to the Fates and summon Zeus and Hades. They will explain to everyone else, but you should tell her.”

“Thank you.” He stood up and kissed her on the cheek. He thought she’d laugh or be surprised, but instead she put her hand on his cheek.

“So loving. Now nothing will hinder you.”

Then all of it was gone. He stood in Daphne’s garden. Her father Peneus was digging in a flowerbed. He looked up after a moment. At first he seemed alarmed, but then he looked pleased.

“I see good things have happened,” he said.

Hypnos stepped over to a birdbath and looked at his reflection. He did look just as he had when Thanatos had been alive. He could barely tell the difference in his eyes in the murky water, but they did look softer.

“Yes. It’s hard to explain. Perhaps you should come in while I tell Daphne.”

Peneus threw down his spade and wiped his hands on an old rag. “I’ll get her. Come sit on the porch. I’ll make some tea while you two have a moment together.”

Peneus hurried to the house. Hypnos followed after a minute. He wished he could have Peneus’ optimism. He couldn’t help worrying Daphne might be upset he’d made such a decision without her, so he hoped she would see he’d made it thinking only of her and making her happy.