Chapter 18 - Eros

Eros paced deep in the forest near his new palace. The sun had already ipped below the horizon, leaving little light amongst the trees.

"Will you calm down, man?" Hermes said between bites of apple as he prawled underneath an oak tree. "It worked, didn't it? Apollo gave Darion our prophecy and Psyche is here." He gestured with the half-eaten apple in he direction of the palace. "All you have left to do is go in there and meet her. Again."

"That's what I'm worried about," Eros snapped. "She doesn't want to meet me."

"Seriously? How can you be worried about something like that?" Hermes asked. "You can change that in a second with your arrows."

"I won't do that to her." Eros paused his pacing to run his hands through his hair. "You don't understand what it's like. Being obsessed by
love like this makes your soul feel like it's -- I don't know, being crushed out of your body. I can't think of anything but her." Eros punched the oak. "I won't make her suffer from this much love."

"You're a piece of work," Hermes said, tossing the apple core to the ground as he hopped to his feet. "You're so close to having everything you want and you're not willing to seal the deal."

"I will not use my arrows on her. End of discussion."

Hermes slapped Eros's shoulder. "Good luck dealing with a girl who thinks you're a monster then. If it were me though, I'd use the gifts I was born with. Think about it."

Hermes winked at Eros as he launched into the air.

"Where are you going? It's not time yet. You can't leave me here to wait by myself," Eros called after him.

"You'll be fine," Hermes yelled back. "I have too much work to do to listen to you whine anymore. No one stopped dying just because Eros fell in love."

Eros turned and kicked Hermes's apple core, launching it deep into the trees. Then he sat under the oak to wait until it was time to meet Psyche.

Hopefully they wouldn't have a replay of the last time he'd been her bedroom. He wasn't sure he could handle it if she kicked him out now

Chapter end