Chapter 31 - Psyche

I rushed through dinner and hurried back to my bedroom before the sun had fully set. When I entered my room, I stopped in my tracks.

The room was overflowing with fragrant, white flowers. Roses and lilies. Orchids and chrysanthemums. I leaned over a bouquet of roses and inhaled. Their scent was so perfectly sweet it was almost intoxicating. I pulled one of the long-stemmed beauties from among the others and traced it under my nose. It felt like softest velvet.

As I stood back to admire the flowers more fully, I noticed how the white petals glowed mysteriously in the candle light. How the heady aroma of fresh blooms wrapped around the room like a cozy quilt. It was sort of funny -- how he'd tossed away the orchids I'd brought him last night only to make it up to me with this. He definitely got points for style.

But then I remembered that he had forbidden my sister from visiting me. No matter how much I appreciated everything he'd given me, I couldn't let him keep me from my family. Especially not now.

Darkness was only starting to envelop the palace when Aris flew through the window and swept me into his arms. He kissed me deeply. Not passionately, but as if he were afraid he might lose me if he let go.

I looked up at his face, wishing for the millionth time that I could see the flawless features I knew were hiding there. All there was of him to see were his dazzling eyes. He'd said all I needed to know about him was in his eyes, but that didn't feel exactly true tonight.

Something was off and whether it was me or him or both of us, I didn't know.

Finally, he broke the heavy silence. "I need you to promise me something, Psyche." His hands gently shook my shoulders, as if his words were like flour that needed to be sifted into my brain. "Promise you'll never try to talk to your family again."

"What?" I wasn't sure what was worse, the fact that he'd been spying on me or the promise he wanted me to make. "Are you insane? They're my family?"

"You should've let them think you were dead. It was safer."

"Is that the little string you're going to pull to get your way every time? This isn't safe. That's not safe. Safe from what? What do you think my family's going to do to me that's so dangerous?"

"Psyche, let me expla--"

"No, I want to finish," I said, pulling the petals off the rose I was holding. "You obviously knew Chara was coming since you'd already forbidden Favonius from bringing her down." The more I thought on it, the angrier I became. "Why are you trying to keep me away from her?"

Aris stepped back. He was probably stunned that I'd raised my voice at him. I had to admit it surprised me a little too.

Finally he said, "I did it for us."

"Us? There's only been an us," I said, indicating with my finger between your chests, "for like two days. How did you think cutting my family out of the picture would help us?"

"Because if I can't keep you safe, there is no us. Got it?"

"No, I don't. I feel like we're talking in circles. My family is not a danger to me." His eyes had turned metallic and I sensed I was losing, so I changed fact.

Clasping his hand in mine, I pulled him down to sit on the bed next to one. "You don't know what it was like for me today... to hear her up there,
knowing Father is sick. All I want is for her to come visit for a day, just an afternoon even. She deserves to know I'm safe." I squeezed his fingers. "That you're keeping me very safe."

"Her visit won't make you happy." His answer sounded more like a sigh than spoken words.

"If she only brings bad news, I can deal with that. Heck, she could come down here, tell me she hates me and I'd be happier than I am right now. My family needs to know I'm okay."

"Psyche," he said, his fingers lacing into mine, "I don't want to fight with you." He reached over and stroked a strand of hair away from my face. If you want to see Chara, then she can come. I won't stop her."

My eyes closed in relief. "Thank you."

"But I want a different promise from you instead. Deal?" he asked.

I couldn't bear to open my eyes and look at him when he was attaching trings to my last visit with my sister. "What is it?"

"Promise you won't tell her anything about me. Or listen to anything she says about me," he added. "Okay?"

"Fine."

That should be easy enough, since I hardly know a damn thing about you myself.

He leaned in, like he was going to try to plant one of his mesmerizing smooches on my lips. But I turned my head away. I was not ready to kiss and make up. On either front.

No kissing.

No making up.

Until I saw my sister tomorrow and knew he was making good on his end of the bargain, I wasn't ready to be done fuming.

"All the pollen in here is giving me a headache,” I told him. “I think we better just call it a night."

His eyes looked misty. "I understand."

After planting a kiss on my forehead, he unfurled his wings and flew out of the palace. When I blinked, the flowers disappeared too. All except for the shredded rose I still held.

Falling back against the pillows, I realized he hadn't uttered his sleep command when he'd kissed me goodbye. Of all the nights. Between being keyed up from our argument and knowing I'd see my sister tomorrow, sleep didn't feel like it was going to come easy.

Sometimes I hated being right.

Chapter end