by Sadie Anders
Every morning, he had been waiting for me, knowing that I was anxious for breakfast and wanting to meet me there as soon as possible. Unfortunately, Eryx’s mother was quite adamant about everyone keeping their separate rooms so that no impropriety happened under her roof, and I hadn’t been able to be alone with Raphael since we had left Aporia. It wasn’t something I agreed with, as I couldn’t wait to be enveloped in his arms again, sleeping soundly next to him, but I couldn’t very well be unkind to my host and disrespect her by breaking the rules. Raphael and I would simply have to find away to be together somewhere else, another time.
It was driving me bananas.
Raphael stood and looked me over. I had worn an exquisitely crafted dress, borrowed from Eryx’s sister Lyra, just for him. The champagne gossamer material was cinched around my waist with a golden sash. It made me feel like a goddess. When he eyed my outfit, I couldn’t help but feel the heat of his gaze. He looked like he was going to take me in the middle of this orchard.
Exactly what I had hoped for.
He pulled a seat out for me, kissing me gently, pausing to give me a little bite on my lip, as he helped me get comfortable in my chair.
“Good morning, love,” he said, pouring me a small demitasse of richly spiced coffee. He had called me love again. I would never get tired of that. Each time was like the first time, sending a thrill inside me.
“I missed you,” I told him. He wrapped his arm around my shoulder, pulling me closer and kissing me again.
“Ah, to be in love,” Eryx said.
I blushed, feeling like I had been called out for something that I hadn’t even admitted to Raphael yet.
“Have you ever been in love?” I asked Eryx, diverting attention away from myself. I wasn’t sure why I’d asked him such a personal question. It wasn’t really like me, but I felt as if I could talk to him about anything. I guess the openness I felt in his presence worked both ways, like I could ask him anything, too.
“Once,” he said. “But he left Delphi and started over in Aporia. A big city like that presents different opportunities. Only certain paths lie ahead of those who stay in Delphi.” Sadness crossed his face, and I immediately regretted asking him about it. Perhaps it was too personal, after all.
“What once was lost sometimes returns,” Raphael said, and he turned his head to me, looking grateful. He placed his hand over my own and squeezed.
Eryx perked up at this. “Perhaps you’re right. Who knows what the future holds for any of us? Maybe love is in mine.” He smiled broadly.
I reached into the bread basket, the bread inside warm and inviting. Taking two pieces, I spread butter and honey across the top and tore into a slice. The creamy sweetness melted on my tongue as I tried it, and I think I might have moaned a little when the first taste registered.
Raphael laughed. “You’re adorable,” he said.
Kai and Uncle Julian emerged from the villa. They walked together through the grove, laughing loudly. It was such a change of pace for me to see my surly uncle be so talkative and full of humor, but Kai brought out those things in him. I was grateful that he had an old friend to catch up with.
I wondered what his life had been like in Asphodel, before he had taken me to Portland to raise me on his own. Did he have a lot of friends? Had he been in love? What had his job been? I realized that I didn’t know any of these things. It was like my uncle was a stranger to me, this person who I knew better than anyone else.
We said our greetings to each other as the two men took their seats across the table. Julian pulled out a small pouch of dried tea leaves from inside the hidden pocket of his blazer. He spooned out a generous portion into a ceramic teapot full of hot water that had been waiting for him. Leave it to Uncle Julian to have tea available in any circumstance. He had carried the leaves of his favorite brew along with him on his journey, not being able to fathom the idea of being away from a nice cup of tea for too long. Some things, it turned out, didn’t change.
I took a pomegranate half and scraped out the seeds with a spoon, the little jewels falling into my bowl of thick yogurt below. I placed some figs in there too, a sprinkle of granola, then topped it with another drizzle of honey and a dusting of edible flowers. This food was almost too beautiful to eat.
That didn’t stop me from digging into the dish with gusto, though.
Yan and his wife Dora joined us a short time later, completing our little breakfast party. Apparently, these staggered meals were common, as people would come and go as they pleased. Cleon rarely joined us for meals, but he could often be seen reading a book beneath one of the trees, his head lilting to the side as he fell asleep in the pleasant breeze. Everyone had their own way of enjoying things, and this idyllic retreat had to be better than how he spent most of his days, namely, licking the boots of the Furies. Megaera and Alecto weren’t particularly known for treating their subordinates well, so perhaps Cleon was relishing his time away from them. Without a doubt, I would be.
Today, he wasn’t outside reading yet. I supposed he had decided to sleep in or take a walk around the grove, as he often did. He tended to be a loner and fairly aloof even when he was with us. Anyone who spent so much time around the Furies would start to be callous and distant. It was understandable. A defense mechanism had to be necessary when you had witnessed that much mistreatment of people, but I hoped that our influence was growing on him, that he would learn to be a kinder person. That he could remember what it was like to have friends who were equals and not just serve those who were more powerful.
“Are you prepared to seek out the priest today?” Yan asked me.
I considered his question, then nodded. I had been ready since the moment we had arrived in Delphi, but I realized that I was still no closer to understanding what that meant. The people of the city were not allowed to give us too many details about the process. I only heard snippets of information, the things that they were allowed to share or that they commented upon in passing. Yan in particular, as someone who worked at the temple, was quite careful about what he shared. Luckily for us, his son was not quite as guarded.
I had managed to find out from Eryx that the oracle, known by her title of the Pythia, was actually named Phemonoe. He had let her name slip in conversation, only to realize his blunder and make me swear that I wouldn’t repeat it. He had also told me that the key to receiving a prophecy from the Pythia was to trust your feelings, not your mind, as your mind would play tricks on you when you were with her. I would try to remember that.
But first, we had to seek out the priest, as the Apollonian had told us. The priest would prepare us for the coming audience with the Pythia, as well as let us know the rules and rituals. Once we had received the prophecy, the officiants in the temple offered their services in helping to decipher and understand the prophecy that was granted to you. I didn’t like how this sounded. If something was so complicated as to need translation by several experts, then what use would it be to the people that needed the information? There seemed like a lot of room for slippage and interpretation.
“We will escort you to the temple at midday. Your vampires will need to wait outside, as the light of the god shines inside. It would be dangerous for them. Your warlocks may accompany you, provided that they do not attempt to influence the Pythia or her acolytes. Still, the priest will be more forthcoming if only one of you goes as the representative of your party. He feels intimidated with greater numbers.”
“We only want the oracle’s guidance on our journey ahead, not to manipulate her or her officiants,” I said.
Yan shrugged. “Sometimes we find ourselves surprised by our own motives. Always keep that in mind.”
I nodded. “Understood. I can go alone.”
Raphael shot me a look. Clearly, he didn’t like the idea of me going by myself.
We returned to eating, and Eryx regaled us with a tale of the time he and his sister Lyra had become lost on the hillside of Mount Parnassus, only to be rescued by a talking g
oat. I was skeptical about this, but he insisted that it was true.
“Are you sure that he wasn’t just baaing at you?” Kai asked. “They do that, you know.”
Eryx laughed. “No. He told us to take the western-facing path and to follow the juniper berries until we reached the city again. That was a little more elaborate than ‘Baa!’”
We laughed. Eryx was full of stories about his blunders, all of which served to make him seem even more charming and likable. He was a good one.
After each meal was finished, Raphael and I had made a habit of going for a walk in the grove. Sometimes one of the the others would come with us, chatting and exploring, which wasn’t ideal.
Because the time in the grove was our time alone together.
And we never had enough time.
At least we were able to steal a few minutes, exchange a few kisses, if we took our little walks together.
Today, we ambled through the grove, hand in hand, with Raphael telling me some of the old myths about Parnassus. The wolves that guided ancient travelers. The mythical flood. A great winged horse and his capture. Most of the stories were new to me but somehow still familiar.
“Are all the anchor locations places full of myth and legend?” I asked.
“Yes,” he said. “But many myths aren’t myth at all. They aren’t even fictitious. They are true stories that have been forgotten or slightly changed, little by little, over time.”
Raphael stopped, listening for the others, trying to see if they had gone inside yet. He raised one eyebrow at me.
“Have something on your mind?” I asked him.
He pressed me against one of the trees, kissing me hard as I wrapped my arms around him, pulling him closer to me.
“Did you miss this?” he asked.
“More than you could imagine.” He picked me up, his hands grasping my hips tightly, and I wrapped my legs around his body.
Raphael ran his hand against the outside of my thigh just above the knee, his strong fingers grazing the skin beneath the hem of my skirt. I moaned at his touch against my bare skin, willing him to push his hand further up my thigh.
“I know that you said you’re mine, Alexis, but do you mean it? Or was it lust?”
“Can’t both be true?”
“I want to make a life with you. Do you think there is a future for us when you return to Portland?”
Again with the questioning. It didn’t seem like him to be so unsure of anything. It was out of character. Raphael had always been so confident, so self-assured.
Why did he keep returning to this?
“Why wouldn’t there be?”
“For one, the Furies have restricted travel between realms. If we want to be together, we might have to stay in Asphodel.”
I thought about this. I wasn’t sure that was an option for me. Asphodel was strange and disturbing at times, even though I had managed to find places and people that I truly liked.
“I see.” I couldn’t agree to that yet.
“And, to be honest, I’m still confused. Because of what you said before. In your text message.”
“What message, Raphael?”
“When you told me that your feelings for me had been a mistake. That you could never fall in love with someone as revolting and immoral as a vampire.”
What the hell?
That seemed incredibly harsh.
“I’d think that you’d know better than that. I would never say something so cruel, Rafe.”
“That’s the thing, though, I barely know you. I wasn’t sure what you’d say. And, well, you did say it.”
“I did not.”
He put me down on the ground, looking at me, hurt and confused, not saying anything for several moments.
“You told me never to contact you again, that you wanted to move on with your life. I tried to honor your wishes, but the Furies had other plans.”
“Well, thank goodness they decided to be a pain in my ass again, or else I would have never seen you again.”
He fished his phone out of his pocket, scrolling to the messages. When he found the one he was looking for, he flipped the screen towards me, showing me the words that I had never written.
My own fury welled up inside me, and my face became hot. I paced for a few moments, trying to understand what was happening, why we were arguing.
Then, it dawned on me.
Uncle Julian.
“It was him.”
Raphael thought for a second. “Julian?”
I nodded. “He must have been trying to protect me again.”
My uncle had sent Raphael a message from my phone at the shop one day. He had seen us kissing by the portal before returning from Asphodel, and I took it that he didn’t approve of our relationship.
Still, this was too much. He had sheltered me all my life from the truth, had misled me about who I was and where I came from. We had only begun to work on repairing the rift between us.
This was one step too far.
My anger flared. Sparks flew between my fingertips, my power unchecked and desperate to come out. The blood underneath the surface of my skin heated, and I could see waves of heat coming off of me. My skin took on an eerie glow, like there was light inside me looking to escape.
Raphael approached slowly, then wrapped his arms around me, pulling me into a hug.
“It’s okay.”
“It’s definitely not okay.” Tears streamed down my face, sadness replacing my anger.
“I know. It’s not. I meant that it will be okay. Someday. He loves you, and he wants to protect you from the unknown dangers of this world, of Asphodel, but sometimes he doesn’t know how to do that.”
“I’m not a child.” How was I supposed to trust people when they didn’t trust my own judgment? When the world kept turning upside down?
“No. Definitely not. And you’ll teach him that. Power dynamics are strange when we grow into our own, and old relationships have to take new shapes. It takes time.”
He stood in silence, hugging me tightly. My powers calmed, and I leaned into him for a long time.
After I took a moment to let my feelings resolve themselves, Raphael brushed the hair out of my face, tucking the strands behind one of my ears.
“It’s time we go back. We need to leave for the city center soon.”
“Right.”
“Don’t worry. We will wait for you directly outside the temple. You won’t be alone for long.”
I nodded and tried to get myself together, steel myself for what lay ahead. I couldn’t allow myself to be mad at my uncle right now. We had to focus on the journey. My anger, my betrayal, all of it could wait until we returned home. Right now, the important thing was to get us all home intact.
We walked through the grove towards the house again. After a few steps, Raphael stopped suddenly. He sniffed the air, his face growing pensive.
He raised his finger to his lips, indicating that I should move silently. We walked off of the path through the rows of trees. The scent of oranges and lemons wafted over us, the citrus smell catching on the breeze. I wondered what he had detected. All I could smell were the scents of the approaching summer.
We rounded the corner and stumbled upon a disturbing scene. Cleon was leaning over Eryx’s sister Lyra. He grasped her tightly, blood dripping down her neck as he voraciously lapped it up. So intense was his hunger that he didn’t even hear us approaching, didn’t notice as Raphael rushed towards him in a blur of movement.
“Cleon!” I screamed.
Raphael pulled him off of her, catching her before she fell. Her eyes fluttered, barely open, as she struggled to stay conscious.
“What are you doing?” he roared at Cleon.
Cleon wiped the blood from his mouth with his thumb. “I’d think that was obvious, guardian. Or has it been that long since you’ve fed on someone?”
He laughed quietly and straightened his jacket, smoothing out the wrinkles.
“You know the rules better than
anyone. I don’t feed on those in this realm,” Raphael responded.
Cleon looked at me and then back to Raphael. “Don’t you?”
Technically speaking, he was right. Raphael had fed on me when the Furies had weakened him. Still, we didn’t make a habit of it. It was dangerous. Feeding on non-humans could lead to unforeseen consequences, as their powers became melded and absorbed in unpredictable ways. But with the Furies closing the portals, cutting off the main food source of the vampires, the humans in my realm, it didn’t surprise me at all that Asphodel’s vampires were feeding on the witches and wizards of their realm.
“At any rate,” Cleon said. “She wanted me to. She begged me, even.”
I helped the young woman to the ground and cleaned the blood off of her neck. She was in a daze, completely out of it. Her hand raised slowly, and she pointed to something, laughing like a toddler.
Raphael turned back to Cleon. “She looks influenced to me. Did you use your powers on her?”
Cleon raised his hands innocently. “No, I swear. She’s simply a fawner. Wants to be a drone herself.”
Raphael gazed at him levelly.
“I swear. She practically begged me. Isn’t that always the case?” he said wickedly.
Raphael knelt before Lyra. He placed his hand over her neck, then grabbed my hand, chanting an incantation quietly to the wind. Color flooded her face again as her blood and vitality were restored. Her eyelashes fluttered wildly and she smiled.
“Hello, friends. When did you get here?” She looked less weak but still out of it.
“Just now,” I said. “Is it true that you asked Cleon to come here with you? Did you want him to feed on you?”
“Oh, yes. Vampires are so exciting, right? But it took some convincing the first time, though,” she said conspiratorially.
I shrugged at Raphael. He glared at Cleon, who waved him on dismissively. We helped Lyra to her feet and returned to the main house together, leaving Cleon alone in the grove.
