By the time morning rolls around, I have something resembling a backup plan. It’s not a good plan, and if I tell it to Eros, he might lock me into the panic room and throw away the key. Of all the things I never expected of this marriage, his protectiveness surprises me the most. It’s not just in regard to the current situation with his mother. He’s constantly…taking care of me.
It’s not an act, either.
Eros has what he wants from me, everything he wants. We’re married. We’re having sex. Judging from the way Clio’s story about us broke across multiple gossip sites this morning, we’re successfully convincing Olympus that ours is a love story for the ages. He has absolutely no reason to lie to me, not in word and not in action.
Which means he meant what he said last night. He cares for me. I’m not foolish enough to think that caring translates to love, but it’s more than I could have dreamed. It’s almost enough to give me hope.
First, we have to survive the coming confrontation with Aphrodite.
My phone buzzes on the nightstand, and I angle myself enough to reach it without dislodging Eros where he’s wrapped around me. He’s held me like this all night, clinging as if he thinks I’ll slip out of our bed under the cover of darkness and never return again.
Considering that’s what my sister pulled with Hades when she rode off to save him from the last Zeus, Eros isn’t too far off the mark there. I could tell him he has nothing to worry about on that front; trying to deal with Aphrodite in secret will just backfire a thousandfold. Keeping things below the radar is what got us into this trouble to begin with. It’s time to bring everything out into the open.
I see my sister’s name scrolling over the screen and swipe to answer the call. “Early for you, Persephone.”
“Early, or late.” She sounds a little breathless. “Why is Hades fielding calls from both Mother and Zeus this morning?”
They’re working fast, which doesn’t mean anything good. I had planned to call Persephone this morning and loop her in, but apparently I should have done it last night if I wanted a jump on things. I don’t like that our mother is already up and maneuvering. The call with Poseidon must not have gone well. I sigh. “There’s been a bit of trouble.”
“More trouble than you up and marrying Eros without so much of a word of warning?”
“Persephone, I thought we were past that.”
“It’s been less than a week. We’re not past it.”
I roll my eyes, both frustrated and comforted by her overprotectiveness. Alone in this situation, it’s something normal and expected. “If not Eros, it would have been Zeus.”
She’s silent for a long moment. “Tell me she didn’t. Not again.”
“Mother is single-minded. You know that. She has her heart set on establishing one of us as Hera.”
She curses. “Okay, we’ll deal with that later. Right now, I need to know what’s happened with you, since that seems to be the more immediate issue.”
“Aphrodite took a hit out on me.” It feels good to say it aloud, almost cathartic.
“What?”
“Yes.” I feel Eros tense a little, a silent acknowledgment that he’s awake. “Zeus won’t step in unless we have definitive proof, so we planned to get the support of Hades and Poseidon and force his hand. Even Aphrodite can’t stand against those three.”
She’s silent for a beat. “It’s not a bad plan as such things go, but it’s not really a good one, either.”
“I’m aware.”
Another pause. “You have something in mind for backup.”
My sister knows me so well. Normally, I’d appreciate her insight into what I’m considering, but I’m achingly aware of Eros against me, listening to everything. “We’re set on trying this first,” I finally say. It’s even the truth. Just because I don’t think it will work doesn’t mean I’m correct. I desperately want to be wrong.
“Hades will stand in support of you.”
That makes me smile. “You aren’t going to talk to him first?”
“I don’t need to. One, he’s sitting right here, listening in like a nosy husband. And two, you’re his sister-in-law and he likes you, so obviously he’s going to do whatever it takes to ensure you stay safe. Right, Hades?”
I hear a deep murmured assent in the background. Well, that takes care of that. I didn’t anticipate anything different, but I’ve been surprised enough in the last week that I can take nothing for granted. “Thank you.”
“He’ll let Zeus know, but you need to work on Poseidon. He stays out of this stuff, and it would take one rather large inciting incident to get him into the mix.”
I’m all too aware of that. “Let Mother worry about that.” We’re both silent for a moment as we contemplate what our mother could possibly have to incite cooperation from that man. I shudder. “I have to get up and make some calls.”
“Stay safe. We’re here if you need us.”
My throat goes tight, and I have to swallow hard to get the words out. “Love you.”
“Love you too.”
I toss the phone aside and turn in Eros’s arms to face him. “You heard.”
“I heard.” He cuddles me close. For such an icy man, Eros certainly likes to touch me. Almost as much as I like being touched by him. He rests his chin on the top of my head. “One down, one to go.”
I press a kiss to his chest, enjoying this closeness. It feels like we’ve turned a corner. I don’t know what the future holds if we can get through this current mess, but a strange sort of hope takes up residence in my chest. I love him. He cares about me, which seems to indicate he could love me if given the opportunity. “Eros?”
“Yeah?”
It’s tempting to keep my thoughts internal, but I’ve never been good at controlling my mouth around this man. Especially when his feelings hang in the balance. “Last night, you said you don’t know how to love.”
He tenses. “I don’t.”
“You’re wrong.”
Eros huffs out a strained laugh. “I think we can both agree I’m damaged goods.”
“Stop that.” I sit up. “Stop talking about yourself like that. I wouldn’t let someone else talk about you so cruelly, and I’ll be damned before I let you do it, either.”
The shock on his face hurts my heart. “It’s the truth.”
“Eros, you love Helen.”
He makes a face. “She’s like a sister to me.”
“I know.” I press my hand to the center of his chest. “And you love her like a sister. That love counts. One could argue it counts even more than romantic love because there isn’t sex in the mix, muddying things up.”
He opens his mouth, hesitates, and finally covers my hand with his. “It’s difficult to argue with that.”
“Because I’m right.” I take a deep breath. “Whether or not what we have gets to love, that’s not something either of us can control.” Even if it’s too late for me on that note. “But never doubt that you’re capable of it.”
Eros studies my face for a long moment and then his face relaxes in a smile. “I really don’t deserve you.”
“You really don’t.” I laugh a little. “But not for the reasons you’ve stated previously. I’m just a gem of a human being.”
“I know.”
The moment spins out between us, and those three little unforgiveable words dance on the tip of my tongue. I love you. I can’t say them. Not now, not after that conversation. It will look like I’m trying to manipulate him or, worse, that I expect him to say them back right now.
Desperate for a distraction, I clear my throat. “I’m starving.”
That springs him into motion just like I suspected it would. “Let’s get you fed, then.”
An hour later, we’ve eaten and showered. We’re plotting out the rest of our day when my phone rings. I hold my breath when I see my mother’s name. “Hello?”
“Poseidon is out. I’m sorry, Psyche. I tried every bit of leverage I have, but he refuses to get involved.”
Disappointment takes the bones right out of my legs. I barely manage to land on the chair instead of the floor. “I see.”
“He’s a young stubborn fool and he still thinks he can play the game his way instead of sinking down to the depths the rest of us occupy. If you give me some time—”
“Thank you, but that won’t be necessary.” Time is one thing we don’t have. Even now, Aphrodite will no doubt be ordering the next assault. She’s not one to take disappointment lightly, and from her point of view, I’ve bested her twice now. She won’t let it happen a third time. “I’ll take care of it.”
“Psyche…” For the first time in as long as I can remember, my mother sounds unsure. “Let me help.”
Horribly poisonous words threaten to surge forth. I wouldn’t be in this situation if Aphrodite didn’t hate you so much. I wouldn’t even be in Olympus if your ambition weren’t so strong. I don’t say them. Ultimately, I bear nearly as much responsibility in this situation as the rest of the players. I could have been like Persephone and tried to find a way out of Olympus. That was never my goal. I’ve played the game, too, and now I need to play it better than I ever have before.
To fail is to die.
I inhale slowly. “I have things under control. I’ll call you later.” I hang up and glance over to find Eros watching me. “Poseidon won’t offer his support.”
“It was a long shot, but I hoped I was wrong.” He’s gone still the way he seems to when he’s thinking hard, ice creeping into his features. “I’ll take care of it.”
“Eros, no.” The strength rushes back into my body, born of pure panic. I cross to him and take his hands. “No. You can’t hurt your mother.”
“I don’t want to.” He sounds like he’s in pain. “But we both know she won’t stop.” Eros slowly shakes his head. “There’s no other way. We’re running out of time.”
I know that. I’m achingly aware of the seconds ticking by. “Eros, please.” I skate my hands up his chest and cup his face. Gods, I think I’m going to cry. “I love you.” A cruel move to say it now, underhanded and just as manipulative as I feared it would be. I don’t care. I’ll say worse to keep him from doing this. It’s the truth, after all.
I thought he was still before; he’s practically frozen in place now. “Say it again.”
“Eros, I love you.” The words spill so easily from my tongue. I dig my hands into his golden curls. “I love you.”
He looks almost agonized. “I meant what I said earlier. I don’t deserve it.”
“Love doesn’t much care whether you deserve it or not. It’s not exactly a conditional thing—or at least it shouldn’t be.”
He coasts his hands over my hips. “I, in particular, don’t deserve to be loved by you.” Eros shudders out a breath. “But I don’t give a fuck. You’ve said it. You can’t take it back.”
I find myself smiling even though it feels like my heart is breaking. “Please don’t go. Please give me time to find another way.” To put things in motion that will save him from this.
He covers my hands with his own and lifts them from his hair. Eros kisses one palm and then the other. “I promised to keep you safe. That’s exactly what I’m going to do.” He releases me and steps back. “Go to the panic room and stay there until I return. Don’t open it for anyone but me.”
I’m losing him. Maybe I lost him the moment Poseidon removed himself from the equation. I don’t know, but I can feel Eros slipping through my fingers even though he’s standing right in front of me. He might think himself a monster in truth, but if that were accurate, he wouldn’t be able to care for me the way he does.
If he harms his mother, he’ll lose what little there is left of his soul.
I can’t let him do that, not for me. “Eros, please.”
He kisses me gently. It feels like goodbye. “The safe room, Psyche. Promise me.”
“I promise,” I whisper. It’s the first time I’ve lied to him since we were married.
He nods and releases me. “I won’t be long.”
I stand there, my heart sinking, and watch him pull on his coat and shoes. The sound of the door opening is obscenely loud in the quiet of the penthouse. I find myself counting softly. “One…Two… Three…” At twenty, I force myself to move.
The first step is the hardest. I’m taking a gamble of my own with this. Not only with my life but Eros might never forgive me for what I’m about to do.
It doesn’t matter. I’ll bear that price and gladly if it means I spare him from carrying the weight of harming one of the few people he cares about in this world.
I scramble for my phone, nearly dropping it in my haste. There’s only one person I can call to pull this off, and it’s a gamble of the highest order. I take a deep breath and dial.
When she answers, Helen sounds like she’s been sleeping. “Hello?”
“Helen, I need Aphrodite’s number.”
“Hi, Psyche. So nice to talk to you. I’m doing great, thanks for asking.”
I swallow down my need to scream. “Helen.” I speak slowly. “Eros is in trouble, and I need Aphrodite’s number. I don’t have time to explain why.”
She’s silent for a beat. “I like you, Psyche, but Aphrodite will skin me alive if she finds out I gave her contact information to you. Ask Eros.”
“Helen!” My voice spikes despite my best efforts to stay calm. “Eros is going to kill Aphrodite.”
“What? He wouldn’t. They have a toxic as fuck relationship, but she’s his mother.”
“I know. That’s why I need her number and need it now.”
Another pause, shorter this time. Finally, she says, “If this is all some ploy that will hurt him in the end, I’ll grind you to dust. There will be nothing left of you when I’m done.”
“If I fail with what I’m about to do, you’re more than welcome to try. The number, Helen. Please.”
She curses and rattles off the number. I hang up without saying goodbye. Time is of the essence, but I still allow myself a few seconds to take some breaths and get my head on straight. I only get one shot at this; I can’t afford to screw it up.
My heartbeat isn’t anywhere near normal as I dial Aphrodite’s number. It’s just as well. She won’t believe me if I’m too calm. She’s smart enough to sense that there’s more to this than it seems, so it’s my job to ensure she’s too focused on the possibility of getting to me to worry about a trap. Or at least too arrogant to think that any trap of mine could hold her.
When she answers, she’s as cold as ice. “Aphrodite speaking.”
“I’ve changed my mind.” I don’t have to fake the quiver in my tone. “I didn’t sign on for all this, and I want out. You can get me out of Olympus, can’t you?”
She barely misses a beat. “Psyche? How lovely to hear from you. I’ll admit I’m surprised you’ve reached out.”
Damn it, I need this to move faster. I take a loud inhale. “I want out. You want me out. This serves both of us.”
“And here I thought you were in a love match with my son.” Her words drip acid.
“You know better.”
Aphrodite laughs. “Yes, I do. You bit off more than you can chew with Eros, but that’s neither here nor there. What are you proposing?”
“Meet me at… I don’t know, the gardens in the university district? If you can smuggle me out on the next shipment from the docks, you’ll never see me again.” The quiver in my voice gets stronger. “I didn’t sign on for this. I don’t want to die.”
“Of course not, sweet girl. No one wants to die.” She’s silent as she seems to consider this. “I was under the impression that you had no plans to leave the city.”
“It’s not exactly easy to leave Olympus,” I snap.
“Mm-hmm, that’s true enough.” Another pause. “I’ll get you out. Meet me in the gardens tonight.”
“No!” I realize I was too loud and silently curse myself. “Eros went out to run an errand. It has to be now. If I don’t leave before he gets back, he’ll keep me here.”
Aphrodite sighs. “Yes, my son is rather tenacious when he’s got his mind set on something. I suppose I can shift my plans for the day. I’ll meet you in the gardens in an hour.”
Barely long enough for me to get there with time to spare. I’m already moving to the door and yanking on my coat. “Okay. Thank you, Aphrodite.”
I can hear the evil smile in her voice. “Not a problem, dear. Mother knows best, after all.”
