Chapter 19 - Psyche

The banquet hall would've been large enough to hold forty tables and couches, but only one grouping stood in the center. Chandeliers of hammered brass dangled from the ceiling and their thousands of candles danced light across every inch of the room. I paused before crossing the threshold, as if the enormity of it all might suck me in. Alexa nudged me forward to the dining couch.

Even though I couldn't see anybody, the room pulsed with life.

Tentatively, I reclined across the pillows. I wasn't used to eating on a couch, since at my home they were reserved for men. But that's where Alexa guided me, so that's where I sat.

As I settled in, musicians began playing lyres and flutes. The songs were so much happier than the ones that'd been played during my procession up the hill that morning. Had that really only been a few hours ago?

Plates of food and a goblet of wine floated down and landed on the square table in front of me. I recognized some traditional foods of welcome: slices of pomegranate, baskets of bread, honey and sesame seeds. But there was so much more. My invisible servants brought plate after plate of delicacies. As I ate, invisible tumblers swirled ribbons around the room in a hypnotic dance of color. I let the music and motion carry my tired brain away to place where I didn't have to worry, or think, or pretend to be anyone but myself. Was this what relief felt like?

When I was already stuffed to the gills, a miniature cake danced toward me.

"Oh, I can't eat another bite," I protested.

"You've got to try this," Alexa piped up right behind me. I'd been so engrossed in the food, music and dancing, I'd forgotten Alexa was still with me. "This cake is truly divine."

Who was I to refuse dessert? "If you insist," I sighed, forking up a huge bite. The cake melted in my mouth. It was sweeter than honeysuckle and dripped with liquid caramel. I rolled my eyes as I indulged.

When only one bite of the tiny cake was left, I pushed it away. "I can't eat anymore. I'm about to burst out of this dress," I said, patting my full belly.

As I set the fork back on the plate, Alexa said, "There now. How's that for an easy first night?"

"I suppose," I agreed, "but it's not over yet. He isn't even here, or..." I lowered my voice, "is he invisible too?"

"No, he's not invisible," she assured me. "You'll be able to tell when he arrives."

I thought about her words for a minute. "That's not the same thing as saying I'll see him. You're hiding something."

"There you go, worrying again." Alexa was dismissive, so I knew I was right.

"Don't speak to me in riddles, Alexa. I need --"

She cut me off in a light voice, as if she hadn't been listening to me at all. "So, I figure in the morning, I can give you a proper tour. You haven't seen anything except your own suite, and I'm sure you'll just love the gardens. Plus, I want to show you the library and --"

"Just stop." My voice was so low and trembling, I barely heard it myself. "I can't think about tomorrow. Not when I question whether the sun will even rise for me."

"This again? I thought we settled this already."

"Yeah well, maybe my mind can't get past the bone-numbing fear quite so easily. All this food makes me feel like a sacrifical lamb, just being fattened up for slaughter or something."

"Your mind is too poisoned against him," Alexa told me softly. I felt her kneel in front of me and take my hands in hers. "Look around you. No girl in the history of Greece has ever been so well cared for. Can't you see the love he put into creating this palace for you?"

Her words pleaded with me to open my mind. And I wanted to, but I was still so filled with doubt.

"But what if all this beauty is just a cover for monstrosity?"

"It's not. Psyche, it's not. Please gods, what will it take to convince you? Would you feel better knowing I'd take your "monster" in an instant if it were me he wanted? Because I would."

I looked away from the spot I knew she occupied. Alexa had finally gotten through to me - a bit - but I still didn't feel certain. How could I? We'd never even met before today. Was I just supposed to trust her now because she was the best hair and makeup artist in all of Greece?

Still, I wouldn't reject something she so obviously wanted to her face. No point in being cruel.

"You're right," I finally said. "When will he be here?"

Alexa sighed with relief. "Soon, soon." She pulled me off the couch and hurried me down the hall. "We've got to get you touched up before he comes."

We wound back through the maze of halls and crossed into my room. The fireplace had been lit while I was at dinner, filling the room with the intoxicating aroma of cedar. Alexa pulled me back to the vanity for my final touch-ups. She reapplied my lipstick and dusted my cheeks again with blush. "Better?" she asked, spinning me around.

Instead if being gold, the vanity and mirror were now silver. I turned back with wide-eyed astonishment. "How is this possible?" I asked Alexa, pointing at the changed table.

"Anything is possible here."

She pulled me toward the edge of the bed and squeezed my hand to indicate I should sit. The bed bounced a little as she obviously sat down beside me. Alexa waited with me for him to arrivé and I squeezed her hand so tightly I'm sure her fingers must've ached.

As he approached, I heard the flapping of wings, like an overgrown eagle. The sound dissolved as he landed at the edge of the open window. A rush of wind flew past me and extinguished the flames in the fireplace. Stars lowed behind him but his figure was encircled in black.

As he came in, Alexa released my hand. How can she leave me now? behind me, I heard her close the door as she slipped out of the room.

Although I couldn't see him, I was too scared to look away. I wanted to peek behind the darkened cloud surrounding his body so badly. I peered at him, trying to focus on any features I could define. I needed to see his ace, however hideous. What was he hiding? Was he really as repulsive as the Pythia had warned?

Panic swelled through me as I stood to face my captor. I'm not sure how kept my legs from following Alexa out the door. When I looked back over my shoulder to see how far it would be if I decided to make a run for it, he lipped in front of me and pulled my hands into his.

I choked back a startled gasp, horrified by the creature holding my ands as softly as if I could crumble.

"Look at me, Psyche." His voice was hypnotic, almost familiar. I stared into the blackness surrounding his form and found a pair of lovely blue eyes gazing out at me. "I know you fear me, but I beg you, believe that I will never hurt you."

"Why won't you show yourself then? If there's nothing to fear?"

His voice came back to me compassionate, but firm. "I didn't say there's nothing to fear. I said I'd never hurt you. Don't confuse the two."

That good old I'm-about-to-puke feeling made me wish I hadn't eaten every bite of food on my plate tonight. I reached back for the bed, easing myself down as I tried to figure out what could possibly be scarier than the invisible beast in my new bedroom. Or who else wanted to hurt me now that I'd already been condemned to a fate worse than death.

He reached a satiny, smooth hand to my face and let his finger trail from my cheek down my jaw line. "Psyche, I am no monster. I love you, and I will love you always."

"You don't even know me," I shrieked, swatting away his hand. "How could you possibly love me?" Hurt registered in those soft blue eyes and he blinked them closed for what felt like an eternity. "Who are you?" I finally whispered.

His eyes popped back open with a glimmer of hope. Like I'd just thrown a life line to a drowning man. "Aristeo, but please, call me Aris."

That wasn't exactly what I'd meant, but I couldn't hold the literal answer against him. "Okay, Aris," I paused, sucking in a deep, jagged breath and steeling myself to ask the real question, "what are you?"

"You cut right to the chase." His darkened shape retreated a few steps until it looked like he must be sitting on the stool in front of my silver vanity. I welcomed the extra space between us, but the weight of those eyes I knew were watching me from across the room still felt intensely heavy.

"I'm the son of a harpy. Hence the wings." The night air rustled with the sound of feathers beating once and then refolding into place.

Well, that's new. Didn't know harpies even had kids - not that I'd ever considered it - or thought that harpies were anything more. than bedtime story to make kids shut up and go to sleep. But son-of-a-harpy sounded pretty foreboding. I mean, harpies were the ones who supposedly tortured souls on their way to Tartarus. And soul torturing gave me a clue as to why even the bods might fear him. I just hoped his supposed love for me was enough to keep his torturous side in check.

I swallowed. Hard. "So, um," I looked around the pitch black room, grasping for some way to save our floundering conversation before he got bored and decided to entertain himself with a little sadism. "Tell me something else about you."

He rose and moved closer. When he was right in front of me, he dropped down to his knees, leveling his gaze with mine. "I know you don't believe this yet, but the only interesting thing about me is how much I feel for you."

Seriously? The guy tells me he's a mythological creature and his feelings are the most interesting thing about him? The darkness must not have been enough to hide the rampant disbelief splashed across my face.

With an effortless move, he swept me up into his arms and laid me gently across the bed. "I know you're tired. And stressed. I can feel it coming off you in waves." His lips brushed across my forehead and I felt the soft wisp of a curl follow in their wake.

"Sleep, my love," he whispered. "You've had a long day. But know this one thing." I focused my eyes on his, now only a few inches away from my face, dreading the words that were coming. "I will earn your love."

As creeped out as that idea made me, my muscles relaxed. A great warmth coursed through my body, starting from where he'd placed the kiss on my forehead and moving down. I felt peaceful. And sleepy. The alarm puling through my veins faded, even as I tried to pull it back and keep myself awake. As sleep overtook me, I somehow knew I'd at least make it through this one night intact.

Chapter end