by Marie Medina
“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 t
hings 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.
* * * *
Apollo rolled over and looked at Harmonia. She looked peaceful. He reached out to touch her cheek, but he stopped when she opened her eyes. He must have looked startled because she laughed.
“Sorry. I woke up a few minutes ago but didn’t want to wake you.” She rolled onto her side and moved closer. “Morning.”
He put his hand on her shoulder. “Morning.”
She held his gaze and said, “Last night was wonderful.”
“So is this morning. It’s not going to only be last night, Harmonia.” He took her hand. “I’m free and can fall in love again. I see no reason it couldn’t or shouldn’t be you.”
“But it shouldn’t be me just because I approached you or because I was the first after Daphne.”
He considered her words, trying to decide if she was trying to protect him or herself. Her eyes revealed nothing. He liked that, though it was frustrating for the moment. “You don’t seem to regret last night.”
“Oh no. It was beautiful.”
“Still taking care of me then?”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean I think you’re holding back so I feel I’m free to do whatever I want to do.”
With a small sigh she said, “Maybe a little. You will always have a choice with me. All right?”
His mind had wandered at the sound of her sigh. So sexy. Every sound she’d made as he’d made love to her had been arousing and sensual. “Yeah, I see. But I’d like you to do something for me.”
“What?”
He wanted to sound smooth and sexy and clever, but he couldn’t come up with anything. He groaned. “To put it simply, I want you to be my girl. I know I said that last night, but I want to make sure it wasn’t just the intimacy of the moment that made you agree.”
She looked away for a moment, but then smiled and looked back. “We do things like that? Date? Have boyfriends and girlfriends? Those things are recent for mortals even, if you look at all of human history.”
He shrugged, though he thought the question was odd. “Same as having a lover, just a different word.”
“With exclusive implications.”
He didn’t want to start an argument, but she seemed to be trying very hard to keep her emotions distant. “Yes, and that’s what I meant to imply. Are you involved with anyone else?”
“No, not for about six months, and he was just a casual thing anyway.”
A casual thing? Maybe he and Harmonia were more alike than he’d at first believed. Though she was incredibly sexy, Harmonia seemed innocent in some ways. Her warm smile and frequent laughter combined with her long and nearly white blonde hair gave her an air of innocence. He wasn’t going to say that however because he didn’t want to admit he judged women by their looks to such an extent. He knew he did and suspected she knew it too, but that didn’t mean he wanted to discuss it. He certainly didn’t want her thinking he was comparing her to Eris again. “Do you think you’ve liked me long enough to be exclusive?”
She stroked his cheek, and then traced a line over his jaw with her finger before running her hand over his chest. “I thought I was in love. I’m more than willing to be exclusive. I want to discover what it’s really like to get to know someone and fall in love.”
He smiled and leaned in to kiss her cheek. “I’m glad, but why did you go to Aphrodite? Are you sure she told you the truth? She’s not my biggest fan and she might not want you and me together.”
Harmonia’s face turned serious. He hoped he hadn’t offended her.
“I know she told me the truth. She’s not against you the way you think. That was over for her long ago. It’s hard to say why I asked her. I think I wanted her advice. I didn’t expect her to say I wasn’t in love with you.”
“But that is what she said?”
“Yes. She said I needed you and wanted you. She felt desire and lust and said you occupy most of my thoughts.”
He couldn’t help grinning at her. “I do? That’s very good information to have. I guess it must be true since she confirmed it and you did say you believed you were in love with me.”
She blushed a lovely shade of pink. “You do occupy my thoughts a great deal. You always interested me, but I started thinking of you more when Ares challenged you. This is going to sound stupid, but in some ways I fell victim to a crush. I saw you as lonely and misunderstood and I became infatuated.”
“I hope it’s more than that now.”
“It’s more realistic now. Once we’d had a real conversation, I started to see the real you. I think I wasn’t that far off in my previous way of seeing you though. I swear I like the real you I’ve seen so far.”
He turned onto his back. “That’s good. So we’re together? You don’t have to stay here or be here every night, but it would be nice to see you as often as possible.”
“We’ll see. I’m not going anywhere in the ways that matter. I live in the mortal world most of the time, but I have a home here. I think I have a good reason to stay there more often now.”
“Good.” He pulled her over to him and kissed her. He loved her immediate response, her hands moving over his chest and her body pressing against his. He never wanted to let go or be apart from her, but that attitude might scare her away. She needed to know she had a choice too in case her feelings didn’t grow the way she believed they would.
Her fingers wrapped around his cock, and he groaned at the contact. He hardened in her hand, and she began to rub him in an intoxicating way. Then she let go and climbed on top of him. She rubbed her pussy over his cock, and he drew in a sharp breath when he felt how wet she was.
She smiled down at him. “I wake up very horny some days.” She repositioned and slid down onto his cock.
Her pussy was hot and felt smooth as silk. She had to be horny, as wet as she was, and that made him harder. He thrust upwards to encourage her to ride him. He’d spent a lot of time admiring her breasts last night when he’d found they truly were as amazing as he’d guessed. He reached up to cup and fondle them as she began to move.
She looked breathtaking bouncing on top of him. He loved how she went after her own pleasure. He thought women were beautiful as they came, and she’d certainly dazzled him every time she’d found her release the night before. He felt her pussy clench, and he toyed with her nipples using his thumbs. She moaned and tightened around him. He put his hands on her thighs, and then pressed one finger on her clit. She gasped and quivered.
She was close to coming, so he said, “Open your eyes.”
She did so and looked down at him. Her eyes had glazed over with her pleasure, and her breathing was labored.
He tightened his grip on her thighs and slowly sat up, moving her legs behind him as he did so. She slid down into his lap, his cock deep inside her. He grasped her bottom and thrust into her repeatedly, reveling in her soft cries and gasps. She threw her head back as she came, and he held her tightly as she squeezed him with her legs. Her pussy trembled and nearly sent him over the edge, but he waited until she was almost still to give a final thrust. He buried his face in her neck as he released into her, cherishing her scent and the feel of her.
As they settled into each other’s arms on the bed, he was very aware h
e’d never felt like this before and knew it was impossible he ever could again with any woman but her. Instead of trying to say that, he held her close and rubbed her back, trusting she felt what he wasn’t yet brave enough to express.
Chapter Eight
Zeus waited for Hades to say something. He looked out past the flowers in the garden and watched the trees moving in the wind. Hypnos had remained silent the whole time.
“I’m not doubting she would know,” Hades began as he looked across the table, “but is she absolutely sure nothing will be upset by this?”
Zeus looked back at his brother. “Nyx sees us as part of a much bigger picture, and she also knows adverse effects here would ripple across all of existence.”
Hades folded his hands together and rested his chin on them. “I knew something was still coming. My mind has been filled with these things for months. Even Persephone can’t distract me some days.”
Hypnos finally spoke. “You might have known it wasn’t over yet. It does affect your realm most of all. It’s been a very long time since any of the ancients took an interest here.”
“You’re no longer bound to the Underworld. Will you stay?” Hades asked.
Zeus watched Hypnos consider this question. Persephone would be upset if he left, but Hypnos needed to think of Daphne. Hypnos hadn’t told them yet how she felt about all of this. Zeus had no doubt she was still confused and frustrated. He’d considered contacting Peneus, but he’d held off when Nyx had come to him to tell him what she had done.
Hypnos shook his head. “I’m not sure yet. I think Daphne would be jealous of Persephone, and I also think she’s going to find it harder to be friends with Apollo than she thinks. She has a vicious temper, though she probably needs it to be with me.”
“I seems that might have changed,” Zeus said. “Don’t you feel different?”
“I do. I feel the way I did when Thanatos was here. You may be right, but I think I need to take this one careful step at a time.”
“Perhaps you and Daphne need to be different in that way,” Hades suggested. “Two people with combative personalities can do a lot of damage to each other if they want to.”
