by Tee, Marian
Yup.
Unseen knuckles run gently down my cheek, and as I close my eyes to savor his touch, I hear the god murmur in my mind—-
Meet me at the labyrinth after class.
There is something we need to speak of.
IT'S RAINING AGAIN when classes end for the day, but I don't give it a second's thought as I take off my blazer and hold it over my head before making a run for it.
A concealing mist starts to form as I reach the road leading to the labyrinth, and it turns into a thick wall of fog behind me just as I spy a large creature with snowy white fur resting by the entrance. The beast abruptly sits up with a growl as soon as its eyes of gold and blue rest on my drenched profile, and barely a second passes when I sense the god growling in my mind—-
Why do you NEVER remember to take your umbrella with you?
I don't even have the time to answer. The beast has vanished, the god switching back to its other form, and I only know he's materialized right next to me when I feel his magic dry-cleaning my uniform in an instant.
"Uh...thanks—-ow!"
Invisible lips have just nipped the marked skin on the side of my neck, and I can only grimace, knowing better than to complain.
Do not let me catch you without your umbrella again, you understand?
"Ne, kyrios."
The words translate to 'yes, master', and I secretly sigh in relief when I hear the god cough a moment later. I remember reading somewhere that the old gods love it when humans from foreign lands speak their language, and since my god is older than, well, just about everything else...
Punishment averted, mission accomplished, which then leaves me one last thing to do—-
I lift my gaze to where I sense the god is, asking, "Why did you want us to meet here?"
Come with me, and I'll show you.
He takes my hand, and memories tease my mind as I let the god lead me deeper into the labyrinth. I know it's only been weeks, but it feels like an eternity has passed since I first laid my eyes on the god's bestial form within these very walls.
Perfumed air wafts around us as we reach the path where I last saw Isabella and the professor together, and my blood turns cold when I recognize the scent.
Carolina roses.
It's that flower again, and I find myself swallowing hard when I remember the message its nocturnal blooms are supposed to deliver.
Are you alright, moraki mou?
The quiet concern I sense in the god's voice makes me quickly push all thoughts aside. "I'm fine." I turn my gaze back to the vine-colored wall we're standing in front of. "Does this lead to the headquarters of the order?"
If you place your hand on the wall, you shall see the answer for yourself.
Now that you bear the order's mark, it shall open upon your touch.
I do as the god bids me...and jump back in surprise when the walls silently part just like I remembered them doing in the past.
Shall we go?
The god takes my hand again, and the quiet strength in his grip becomes my private source of comfort as we descend the steps in complete darkness. You'd think a god like him would afford to have lighting installed, but I guess being divine doesn't save someone from being cheap—-
I hear the god cough, and my thoughts come into a guilty halt. He can't have heard what I was thinking.
Right?
And it's not like I meant any of it, anyway. I simply can't help cracking jokes when I'm nervous, and considering how my anxiety levels are currently scoring, I'm this close to applying for a job at SNL.
A strobe of light finally appears at what seems like the end of the tunnel, and I can't help holding more tightly to the god's hand as we come into what seems like an underground maze of chambered caverns.
Its stone walls are cold and faintly moist to touch when I curiously run my fingers on their surface, and the solid ground has a mirror-like sheen that I've never seen before. Above us, glowing flowstones have turned into living chandeliers as they bathe the caves with golden light. Together, they create an airy atmosphere you would never expect from an underground cave, and any lingering fears I have of being claustrophobic are quickly distinguished.
The god suddenly squeezes my hand, and his words unfold in my mind when I look at his direction.
Do you know of the Erotes, moraki mou?
"I think I can recall a few stories," I answer hesitantly.
Good ones, I hope?
"Uh...well..." I suddenly have a feeling I need to pick my words in care, just in case my god and the Erotes are all from the same prehistoric era. "If I remember correctly, the Erotes are basically primordial giants with multiple heads. Sort of like the Hydra, but less...heads?"
The god doesn't answer right away, but I'm definitely sensing something here, and I shoot a suspicious look at his direction. "Are you laughing at me?'
Of course not.
Yup. He's totally laughing at me.
But you are partially correct.
I am?
They are primordial beings, but they are no giants.
"Titans then?"
No.
"Cyclops?"
No.
I can sense exasperation in the god's voice this time, and it makes me hesitate. I was planning to ask if perhaps the Erotes were chimeras or satyrs—-
They are gods, moraki mou.
"Oh. Right. Cool." Not. I may no longer be as divine-wary like before, but old habits die hard. I'd still rather talk about roaches than gods.
And besides—-
"I'm sorry, kyrios, but...I'm still confused. Why are you telling me about the Erotes?"
The members of the Order of Sub Rosa believe that they only honor one god.
"But I'm guessing...they're not?"
They are not.
I try connecting dots from there, but I just can't find any linear path from Point A to Point B, and a sigh escapes me. "I'm sorry, but I'm still confused."
I am one of the Erotes.
Now, we're getting somewhere.
There are four of us in all, and the others are my brothers.
Did he just say...brothers?
Would you like to meet them?
Uh.
Hell.
No.
But the question turns out to be rhetorical, with three other men already materializing into view, one in each corner—-
These are my brothers, moraki mou.
Anteros. Himeros. Erma.
The way the hairs at the back of my neck instantly stand up at the sight of them is telling, and the way my trembling legs are this close to kneeling down tells me these men...are not men at all.
They can't be anything else but gods, and when I think about how the man whose arms I fall asleep in can only be as divine—-
I turn to the god I can't see, but whose soul I am getting to know better and better. And right now, his soul is telling me one thing very clearly—-
There's something else he wants to say, and that letting me know about his brothers is just the start.
There's something else, something more precious, like—-
His name.
And he hears this. I know he has because I can feel him smiling at me.
Would you like to know it?
Only if you trust me.
Because that's what he said it would take. He has to trust me first—-
I do.
My breath catches. "I want to then," I say shakily. "I want to know your name."
The god cups my face.
My name, moraki mou, is Eros.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
A BLT with add-on mushrooms, chips on the side with garlic dip, and blue lemonade, extra large.
That's what I'm having for dinner, which I happen to be sharing with not one, not two or three, but four divine beings, and not just any gods at that, but the four, full-blooded primordial (read: ancient as hell) gods that make up the mysterious Erotes.
Red-haired Erma is easily the most approachable,
and he turns out to be the one responsible for leaving the order's mark on its members. Anteros with the jet-black crew cut reminds me of a stoic soldier with an occasionally acerbic tongue while third-born Himeros is almost ethereal with his long, honey-blond locks and quietly soothing voice.
The three brothers look nothing alike, and the only reason I don't question their claim of kinship is their identical eyes of gold and blue, which my god in his bestial form also possesses.
My god, whose name Eros I am finally in possession of.
The reminder makes me feel all foolishly tingly inside, and it's all I can do not to fidget in my seat.
Eros, Eros, Eros.
I know I'm acting like the stereotypical infatuated schoolgirl here, but I truly adore his name, and I can't get enough of it.
Eros, Eros—-
Anteros coughs, and when I look at him in concern, he says dryly, "Our big brother has not told you, has he?"
"Tell me what?"
"With all of us in the same room and belonging to the same order," Erma says with a smile I can only describe as devilish, "it's impossible for us not to hear your mental dialogue."
Shit.
Himeros' silver eyes twinkle. "We heard that, too."
SHIIIIIIIIIIT!
"And that as well, I'm afraid," Anteros drawls.
Shit, shit, shit, SHIT!
I've made a mental note in the past to pick up a library book on divine telepathy, but I just never got around to doing it, and now I'm paying the price.
Dessert is courtesy of Erma, and it's while Eros pours champagne into my wine glass that he addresses me again.
Now that you have met my brothers, I thought you should know one last thing.
I can't help making a face at this. Why do I have a feeling that I'll run out of years to live before you ever run out of secrets to confess?
Women's intuition, probably?
So you do have more secrets you're hiding!
We all have secrets, moraki mou.
Is he seriously using that as an excuse? I'm about to tell his divine face to 'fuck off' when I notice too late the way his brothers' interested gazes are flicking back and forth between my god and me at the exchange. It makes me feel awkwardly self-conscious, but since they're already listening in—-
"He told me that his face is the kind that makes people cry," I blurt out.
His brothers start choking, and I'm now more confused than skeptical.
Is it not true, brothers?
"As painful as it is to admit," Anteros says with a grimace, "our oldest brother speaks the truth."
"And his voice?" I arch a brow at them. "Does it also brings tears to his eyes, and that's why I'm not allowed to hear it?"
"Well..." Himeros' tone is pensive. "Our big brother can sound more than annoying every time he talks about—-" He suddenly stops speaking, and I see the three visible gods suddenly sporting the same hardened expression.
"What is it?" I ask worriedly.
An emergency meeting of the order's sovereign council has been called.
I'm tempted to pretend I'm getting what he's saying, but in the end I just decide it's better to be stupid and honest.
Is that bad?
"Only the Grand Master can call for such a meeting." Erma is the one who answers my question, and his unusually sober voice makes the hairs at the back of my neck start standing again. "And since neither of us four did it..."
Invisible fingers cup my chin, and I can feel the god's tension as his words unroll in my mind.
We have to leave Rosethorne, moraki mou.
Can I have your word that you will stay put while we are away?
EROS USES HIS DIVINE powers to transport me outside Rosethorne's library, and I shoo him away right after because a) I know how urgent his business is with the order and b) I don't want him to see...this.
I'm bent over the water closet, puking my guts out, and although my stomach finally settles down after a minute, it takes another five before the world around me ceases to spin.
I'm hoping I'm wrong about this, but maybe I need to schedule a discreet check-up with Keia. Is it possible there's such a thing as being allergic to, well, magic?
Then again, since I'm already at the library...
Ginny beams at me as soon as I enter. "Welcome back."
I shake my head in wonder. "You are so friendly."
"And you make friendliness sound like a sin—-"
"It is," I assure her.
"We shall agree to disagree."
"See? Friendly."
"Again: not a sin." The librarian takes her tortoiseshell glasses from the counter and puts it on. "Let's get down to book business, shall we? Are you looking for another guide this time?"
"Well—-"
"May I suggest The Idiot's Guide to Socialization? Or perhaps No Man's An Island? There has also been several rave reviews about Friendliness Doesn't Kill—-"
"Very. Very. Funny." I shoot her a dirty look. "Not."
Her lips crack a smile. "But seriously, what book—-"
"Secret societies."
Ginny laughs. "Yeah right."
"Uh, I mean it."
"Uh, no, you—-" Ginny stops speaking at the look on my face, and her brows shoot past the top of her glasses. "You hate being friendly," she sputters, "but you're interested in joining a secret society?"
"Who says I'm interested in joining one? I just know someone—-"
"Oh, now I get it."
Ginny's smile turns knowing, and I feel defensive all of a sudden without knowing why.
"That someone you know is someone you like."
And now of course the reason is absolutely clear.
"Can you just give me the damn book? Please?"
The librarian laughs, and it's this sound that continues to grate on my nerves even though I'm already at my own desk and poring over said damn books about secret societies. I can feel her totally judging me, and it's all I can do not to yell 'it's not true'. The only reason I asked for a book on secret societies is because I want to distract myself from thinking about killers on the loose, dead and missing former schoolmates, my parents' lives in danger—-
Ah, shit.
I stare down at the pages, but this time even my own eyesight refuses to cooperate, and all of it is just a blur. All I can see right now is the photo of Myrrha's corpse, which - as impossible as this was to imagine - is even more grossly mutilated than the ones found in the music room.
No one, not even a bullying bitch like Myrrha, deserved to die like that, and just like that night, all I can think of is...why?
Why is he doing these things?
Why, why, why?
The word echoes in my mind as I take my phone out and tap on the Files app. The professor gave me soft copies of every report he's obtained regarding the killer, but I've never had a chance to go over them.
Until now.
A private detective hired by the professor (on Eros' order?) had done a thorough background check on both Myrrha and Cen, and both reports reveal a couple of things I wish I had known earlier.
Myrrha, for instance, was only fifteen when her parents sold her to become a rich but married satyr's mistress. Cen, on the other hand, is one-third divine but whose failure to show any special abilities led to the removal of her name in her grandfather's will.
While I'm not so much of a softie that I think these things would justify any evil both girls have done, I just think something might've or could've changed. I'm not sure how or what, but...
My phone suddenly vibrates against the desk, and the low, buzzing sound startles me out of my thoughts. It's a text message from Rosethorne's official number, saying that I have a visitor waiting for me at the school gates.
I text back to ask who it is, a part of me already assuming there's been some mistake.
But there's not.
I can feel my blood turning cold as I type my reply, and I have to force myself to smile as I say goodbye to Ginny.
A cold blast of air slaps my face as soon as I step out of the library, but otherwise the night is silent. Too silent, actually, that I can't help looking around in search of some sign of life.
But there's none.
It's only half-past eight, a time when students and faculty are usually walking back home after having dinner at Lavender Hall. But today, the roads are empty no matter where I look, and even the trees that normally sway in the arms of evening breezes are completely still. I strain my ears for the sound of owls and wolves - for anything that goes bump in the night. But even they have been silenced, and it's starting to make me wonder if all of these have something to do with the emergency meeting that had four ancient gods seriously pissed.
This is probably me being half-paranoid and half-divine-challenged again, but can animals also be a part of secret societies, and that's why Rosethorne feels like a ghost town again?
The crunch of gravel under rubber tires draw my attention away, and a Tesla bearing the school's logo soon slows to a stop in front of me. The driver steps out to open my door, and I do my best to thank him without looking like I've been coerced into accepting his assistance.
Eros has apparently left word since the day I was attacked, and well...what can I say? Ridiculously protective, my god is, and damn, damn, damn...why am I talking like Yoda again?
The ride to the school's outermost gates only takes minutes, and when I'm out of the car I see a full dozen of school security standing guard. It's overkill at its worst, especially since their one target is a frail-looking girl who has her back to us. Her hair is completely disheveled, her clothes in tatters, and when she turns around at security's request, it's to reveal one swollen eye, a cut lip, and a body that's bruised all over.
She looks like she's escaped from Hell, and her eyes start to water the moment she sees me.
"H-Halyna?"
"Cen..."
She takes a step forward, and I can't help but draw my breath.
"P-Please."
She takes another step, and I can't help thinking that she's only one step away from crossing property lines...and then we'll find out if Rosethorne considers her a friend or an enemy.
"I don't know who else to turn to," Cen chokes out. "Can you help me?"
She moves forward as she speaks.
