Blinding Night

by Chantal Gadoury

  “I suppose you’ll have to wait and see,” he said with a faint, teasing smirk.

  “If it moves or wiggles, I won’t eat it,” I warned.

  Darce crossed his arms against his chest and shrugged. It was the first time that day I actually noticed what Darce was wearing. Instead of black trousers, he wore a pair of dark washed jeans. And instead of his button-down shirts, he wore a soft-looking pullover. He looked more relaxed—human. His hair was parted down the side, leaving his bangs to be swept across his forehead. Just beneath the fabric of his shirt, I could see the imprint of his chest... his muscles...

  “What a serious expression you’re wearing.” Darce’s teasing tone broke me away from my thoughts. My cheeks warmed as I diverted my longing gaze back toward the ocean.

  “I was just...thinking.”

  “About?”

  Your abs. I was grateful when I saw the waiter approach with a tray. He set down two glasses of water, splayed with slices of lemon. Carefully, he maneuvered a bowl of cheese and bread in front of me, and then a second bowl of octopus legs in front of Darce. It was only after the waiter walked away that I physically cringed.

  “Ew.” How was I supposed to enjoy my meal when he was going to suck down an entire octopus on his own?

  “Don’t worry,” Darce chuckled. “This is just the appetizer. You’ll like what I’ve chosen for lunch.”

  “What is that?” I asked, pointing towards my own bowl. Cheese or no cheese, it was too orange for my liking. Darce rolled his eyes and lifted a table knife, dipping it into the cheese and spreading it onto warmed pita bread. He leaned forward, offering it to me as he moved the piece of bread towards my lips.

  With a flash of a smile, he said, “Just try it.”

  I was tempted to say no, but I was too hungry to pick a fight. I wouldn’t win, not when my stomach was caving in on itself. So I took the piece of bread from his hand and bit into it.

  “It’s good,” I said as I chewed. It was good. Darce nodded with a chuckle.

  “You just have to learn to trust me,” he replied.

  Trust. Maybe he was right about that too. He had even said it himself last night. The stuff about Minthe, my mother, it had all been his way of proving himself to me. In a way, he had shown me that I could trust him. Not just with food, but with knowledge; and knowledge was power. Right?

  I took the knife and buttered another slice of pita bread with the cheese dip. I took a bite and savored every hidden note. Darce leaned across the table, fluid in all of his movements, and then his cool hand cupped my cheek. I breathed.

  His thumb traced along the curve of my parted lips and then he drew his hand way. I couldn’t take my eyes off of him. My heart jumped a little as I realized he had wiped away a drop of cheese. I sucked in a breath as he brought his thumb to his mouth and sucked the little bit away.

  “Delicious,” he hummed.

  Chapter 19

  “I think Gyros are my new favorite thing,” I said as I leaned back in my chair.

  I felt stuffed. Beyond stuffed. I probably shouldn’t have ate as much as I had but, when in Rome? Or rather, when in Greece? Whatever the saying, it didn’t matter. As soon as I had finished off the cheese spread, the waiter returned with a plateful of gyros and crispy, fried potatoes. While they weren’t exactly American french fries, they were beyond amazing.

  I definitely ate more than I needed to, but blamed my appetite on Darce for his earlier behavior. His stunt left me embarrassed and bottomless—as in my stomach felt bottomless. Not that I was actually bottomless or anything, I was just really hungry.

  Oh my god. I groaned and gripped my stomach. I was way too flustered. I lifted my espa bottle up to my lips and took the last sip of the drink. I hoped the fizz would calm my nerves some, but it didn’t.

  “I’m glad you enjoyed your meal,” he said as he slid a leather wallet from his jean pocket. “It was good to see you finally eat.”

  It felt even better to finally eat. He nodded and placed a few euros on the table to cover the bill. I was surprised that he had real money, not that I expected a god to dine and dash. It was kind of amusing.

  “Now that you’ve been fed, what else would you like to do?” Darce asked curiously.

  As I glanced around at the beautiful scenery, I pointed to a nearby fishing boat.

  “A boat ride maybe?”

  “Do you suddenly wish to fish?” Darce asked, turning to glance over his shoulder at the ocean.

  “Well... no,” I replied. “But the ocean is so beautiful.”

  “How about we stay on shore this time, hmm?” Darce said and pushed himself up to his feet.

  “And do what?” I countered.

  “Walk,” Darce replied with a smile as he tilted his head towards the road. “We could just do a bit of exploring.”

  Simple enough. Maybe getting on a rocking boat was a bad idea, especially after having eaten so much. With a sigh, I rose to my feet and followed down the road beside him. The town was quiet, despite the coming and goings of everyday routines. The fishermen were on their boats, carting their mornings catch in large round buckets. A few were hanging their sea fare up on long lines. I wanted to ask why, but felt silly for thinking about it in the first place. Instead, I turned my attention to the small boutique shops, ranging in jewelry and books, and handmade crafts. And while most of it was beautiful, I hardly had a need for such things.

  At least—not anymore.

  It wasn’t until we stumbled upon an art-supply store a few blocks down that I really felt keen on purchasing a few things. We saw the shop, sitting isolated on the corner. I didn’t think twice about entering. It was wonderful to be back inside among familiar things. I could smell the paint, the fresh canvases and new, unused acrylic brushes. It almost felt like I was back at college—back in the art studio.

  The shopkeeper gave a nod in my direction, a silent welcome, and I waved back sheepishly. I moved onto some shelves, exploring their supplies and making a mental list in my head like an Amazon shopping cart. Stuff I wanted, but would never buy. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Darce watching me while pretending to be interested in the many different sizes of paint brushes. Smiling, I turned and came to stand beside him.

  “So many choices,” he said softly, lifting a large brush to admire.

  “Yeah,” I agreed happily, “They all have a very specific use. Like, each brush is unique to the job.”

  He lifted another brush with a smaller tip.

  “For the finer details,” I explained with a laugh.

  “So you paint.” It wasn’t a question really, more like he was acknowledging the fact.

  “I do,” I said with a nod. “I went into college as an art-history student, but—painting, photography, drawing—I love it.”

  “Which is why you brought all of that stuff with you.”

  “It’s expensive to replace,” I said with a shrug. “Not every hobby is free.”

  Darce let out a snort as he lowered the brushes back into place.

  “Do you have pieces that I could see?”

  “I have some photos on my phone I could show you,” I said as I slid my cell-phone from my pocket. I hadn’t bothered to look at it since earlier in the morning. The battery was running low, and I wished I had remembered to bring my charger. Not that I’d be lucky enough to find an outlet out in the middle of a fishing village, but still. It was my one last connection to the outside world.

  Unlocking the screen with a quick swipe, I chose the photo app in the top right hand corner and waited for it to respond. Then I clicked on the self-made ‘Artwork’ folder I had created a few months prior and handed him the phone.

  “Some of it is from school. The rest... candid moments, I guess,” I explained, uncertain how to describe my work properly.

  Darce’s slender fingers moved along the screen as he clicked on each photo to see and explore. He concentrated on each picture, which made me a little nervous. Having someone critique your art was like le
tting them pick you apart, from the inside-out. Finally, he tilted the screen for my view and turned to glance at me.

  “And this?”

  I peered down at my phone, only to see a photo of me sitting on a swing. I was laughing. Really laughing. I remembered the day it was taken pretty clearly. A few of my classmates from the art studio and I went down to the nearby children’s park as volunteers to paint some of the wooden structures. We had more fun painting each other than the actual playground though. It was a good day all around and as I peered closer, I could make out the light smudge of yellow paint on my cheek.

  Definitely a good day when you’re covered in paint, I thought.

  “You’re laughing.” Darce grinned.

  “I am human,” I rolled my eyes, “I do laugh.”

  “I’ve never seen you like this before.”

  “You haven’t spent much time with me.” Which was true. We had only shared a few private moments and even then, there wasn’t much talking involved. “Besides, I can’t say I’ve had too much to laugh about, not with everything that’s happened.”

  The stinging reminder of the accident—and my parents—sent a shiver down my spine as I reached for my phone.

  “I’d like to see you laugh,” Darce said softly as he pulled the phone a little out of my reach.

  “I guess you’ll have to adopt a better sense of humor then,” I teased as I rose to my toes, hoping to snatch my phone from Darce’s grasp. He smiled and slid my phone into his front pocket.

  “I’ll make it my mission in life.”

  “Can I have my phone back?”

  “How about we go get some ice cream?” Darce suggested and tilted his head towards the door.

  I sighed obnoxiously, hoping he’d hear my irritation. I just wanted my phone back.

  “Sure,” I replied dryly, “But you’re paying.”

  Darce had brought me to a small ice-shop lined with several familiar flavors I recognized. But the ice cream was nothing compared to what I was used to back home. It was sweeter, creamier, and there was so much more to savor. If I wasn’t so stuffed from the gyros, I would have asked for a second serving.

  We found a removed area and sat on a stone dock with the water just below our feet. I was tempted to take my shoes off and dip my toes in, but I was hesitant to find anymore surprise coral. As I licked the vanilla ice cream droplets from my finger, I watched curiously as a group of women dressed in long black skirts and white tops gathered on the dock ahead of us.

  Little flowers were laced throughout their hair, resembling a crown with a veil. Their skirts and hair danced in the gentle breeze from the ocean, it made them look light. Like ethereal spirits or nymphs. They carried clay pots in their arms as they paraded down to the water’s edge. As the water lapped at their toes, they carefully lowered the pots to the ground.

  “What are they doing?” I asked, gesturing to the group of women as I turned my attention back to Darce.

  “It’s their summer solstice ritual,” Darce said, licking a bit of chocolate from his lips. “It’s called Klidonas.”

  “Care to explain?”

  Darce took a small bite of ice cream and grinned.

  “It’s a ritual they perform to unlock their futures. Or at least, so they think,” he was reverent as he watched them, “Unmarried women fill a pot with pure water and one personal item inside of it, and leave it outside overnight, covered with a red cloth. At night, as they slumber, they believe they will dream of the men they’re destined to marry.”

  “Does it work?”

  “I suppose if Morpheus feels generous enough, he or his brothers visit the women and bestow upon them dreams of their future,” he shrugged, “But truly, I stay out of ridiculous rituals like this. I have no need to take part in them.”

  “So what do they do with the pots of water the next day?”

  He shrugged as he crunched into half of his cone. “The items are removed, and as they are, someone makes silly prophecies about them. Then the girl receives her item, and she is given a glimpse into her future.”

  It did sound a little absurd, but...magical too. It was astonishing to me that such a ritual was still performed. Especially in our day and age. Most people didn’t believe in things like that anymore, not unless their phone told them to. But then, I didn’t want to be most people.

  “I want to try it,” I said as I passed my cone into his hand.

  “Summer,” Darce chuckled and shook his head, “It’s just something human women do to preoccupy their time. It’s not real.”

  “You don’t know that,” I argued as my feet touched the ground, “You just said it yourself. You don’t take any part in the ritual. So, I’ll find out for myself if it’s true or not.”

  I didn’t wait for Darce to respond. I’d lose my nerve to approach the women if I did, and I was already determined to follow through. I walked towards them, and watched curiously as the last of the women lowered their pots beside the water’s edge.

  I was only a few steps away when I realized I didn’t have a pot… or pure water. Pausing, I glanced around, hoping I’d find something that could work as a substitute. On the side of one of the buildings, I saw a cracked flower pot sitting in a trash bag. It would work, as long as it wasn’t cracked too badly. I approached the pile and leaned down to pick up the pot. The top rim was cracked, but the bottom seemed to be solid.

  “Trust you to dig through the trash,” Darce said from behind me. I turned on my heel to face him.

  He extended his hand, motioning for me to hand it over. “Let me see it.”

  “You’ll just break it,” I said, shaking my head. Darce raised a brow and smirked.

  “Don’t trust me?”

  “Not in the least,” I replied curtly.

  He tugged the pot from my hand and slid his fingers over the broken rim. As his fingers moved away, I could see it was magically seamed back together. He reached a hand into his pocket, and came away with a small red piece of cloth and handed the items back to me.

  “I’ll go buy a water,” he said as he turned and walked away from me.

  I couldn’t believe it.

  The God of the Underworld was actually helping me. Helping me with what I was sure he called a ‘silly human ritual.’ I wandered back to where the women had left their pots and set mine down beside theirs. I glanced down at my bare hands, suddenly wishing I had been more of a jewelry sort of girl. The only item I had on me to leave behind was my hair tie. I pulled the elastic from around my wrist and slid it into the pot. Darce returned seconds later with an unopened bottle of water and handed it to me.

  “It won’t work,” he said with a sigh.

  “Indulge me,” I replied as I knelt and poured the water over the hair tie. I carefully placed the red piece of cloth over it, adjusting it to be sure it would stay in place. I wouldn’t be back to retrieve my item, but I supposed it was alright. Whatever prophecy given to me... It would never come true. Not now.

  “I think Morpheus will be tempted to trick you after tonight.”

  “Yeah, right.” I didn’t think about the ritual being an invitation for a field day inside my dreams. Besides, I already knew who I was going to dream about anyway.

  “He’s taken a liking to you.” My heart jumped and I looked up into Darce’s dark eyes.

  “What do you mean?”

  He smoothed the back of his neck down and sighed. “Morpheus is so rarely seen in anyone’s company. After the truth of Persephone was revealed, the Underworld felt changed, we all handled our grief differently. Her loss affected us all.”

  “Are you telling me Arae wasn’t always so snarky? Because I would have a harder time believing that than all of the stuff about Kildonas.”

  “No, Arae has always been the same, if not more hostile towards...well, you know who,” he chuckled, “But Morpheus’s returning presence is a sign that your being here has restored us to a sense of normalcy.”

  “Really?” I was shocked. I didn’t think I
was anything but a joke to them, a silly human to mock and leer at. If their behavior was normal, pre-Persephone’s disappearance, then I wasn’t sure I wanted to know what they had been like before.

  It made me wonder though, what kind of relationships she had with everyone in the Underworld. They didn’t talk about her, not openly anyways, and Darce was the only one who had said her name. Did Arae style Persephone the way she had done with me? I seriously doubted that Morpheus would plant dreams in her head like he had mine, so maybe they were friends once. Maybe he looked out for her when Darce wasn’t around.

  Is that why it was easy to be around him?

  What about me then? If Darce was telling the truth—and I didn’t think he would lie—then that meant some part of me was like Persephone. But what? I was going to go nuts just thinking about it—about myself. Personal critical thinking was never my strong suit.

  “Come on,” Darce’s voice made me jump, “There’s one more rite you should experience today.”

  “Okay, but first I’d like my phone back,” I said. I held out my hand expectantly and he smiled playfully.

  “In exchange,” he purred.

  “For what?”

  “I’ll give you back your device and in exchange, I want to hold your hand.” Hold my hand? I darted a glance down at my palm and tried to ignore the fluttering butterflies in my stomach.

  “My hand?”

  “Mhmmm,” he replied softly. “It’s only fair.” Even the way he responded sent a thrill down my spine. It was a date after all. Our date.

  “Okay.” I blushed. The smooth case of my phone connected with my palm and I curled my fingers around it. It sunk into my pocket, a little heavier than before. My heart was beating wildly in my chest as I slowly took his hand and squeezed.

  “Let’s go.”

  Chapter 20

  I sipped on a bottle of espa with amusement as Darce opened the fire-resistant lantern and carefully began to piece it together. He seemed determined as he laid out the contents of the lantern before him. Confident as he tried to figure out the mechanics of it. His fingers swiftly tied the burner to the lower part of the lantern, finally ready to be released into the air.