“I’m… err… invited for tea.” I looked at Nyx hoping she’d go along with my story.
“Oh?” Claire raised her eyebrows. “Where’s Andrea?”
“She couldn’t make it?”
“Didn’t I tell you to call me if you left town?”
“Technically, we’re still in town, Mom.”
Nyx interrupted, “Isis, dear, I forgot how you take your tea.”
“Cream and sugar please,” I said.
“Do you remember Elsa and Mary from the office?” Claire asked.
“Yes, how are you?” I said to both women.
Just as one of them started to make small talk, Nyx called for me from the next room.
“Isis, would you help me with the canapés?”
“Excuse me,” I said, walking away from the enclosed patio and into the gourmet kitchen.
“I’m so sorry that I got you in trouble,” Nyx said. “I knew your mother’s name was Claire, but I just didn’t think to put two and two together.”
“It’s okay. She’ll get over it.” I took a platter of the finger foods in each hand.
“Nyx, is David out of cell phone range?”
“Why do you ask?”
“He doesn’t answer his phone. I was just curious, that’s all.”
“I don’t believe he has his phone with him.”
“Oh, I thought… something else.”
“I know,” she said and smiled. “Well, let’s get this soirée going.”
***
Before leaving that afternoon, I wrote down my home phone number and a short note—nothing like his poems: please call me. I left my cell phone number with Nyx, just in case.
After saying goodbye for the eighth time, Claire finally climbed into the car.
“Why didn’t you tell me you were coming here?” She asked right after she closed the door.
“I didn’t know. I got a call after you left.” I lied. “How’d you meet Nyx?”
“She came by the courthouse to ask about the deed to the Ebony Estate. Did you know that house is under David’s name?” she asked, and I shook my head. “Anyway, Elsa slipped her a Tupperware catalog and asked if she’d be interested in having a demo party. Nyx mentioned she was new to the area and had no one to invite. We got to talking and she ended up asking us to tea.”
“You knew who she was,” I said. “You wanted a first-hand account of the estate and the family, didn’t you?”
And hadn’t I told Nyx that Claire worked at the courthouse?
“I was being neighborly.” She paused. “So, David, huh?”
“What about him?”
“I thought you didn’t like him?”
“I never said that.”
“So you do like him?”
“I barely know him.”
“That doesn’t matter. The first time I laid eyes on your father, I was head over heels in love.” Claire sighed.
“Love at first sight? How original.” I rolled my eyes.
“When you know, you know.”
***
Claire went out with The Judge around eight. I stayed up and watched television for a while in my room. Sometime between reruns of I Love Lucy and The Honeymooners, I fell asleep.
***
The sun’s rays broke in through the window, announcing another day. A faint ringing woke me, and I reached for my phone.
“Hello?”
“Good morning.”
I sat up. “David?”
“Yes.”
“Where’ve you been? I’ve been trying to find you.”
“Have you?”
“Yeah.” I sighed. “Um… I wanted to apologize for that incident.”
“Why are you apologizing? I overreacted. Besides, I shouldn’t have pressed you so much after you had told me how you felt. I’m the one that should apologize.”
“No, David… I shouldn’t have spoken to Gabriel. It was dumb of me to do. And what you saw, it was nothing.”
“Stop, Isis. If you hadn’t spoken with him, he might have started a brawl, something we both know is simmering in that bird brain of his.”
I relaxed my back against the headboard.
“Does that mean I’m forgiven?”
“Tenacious, aren’t you?”
“I guess I am.”
He laughed.
“Listen, I was wondering… do you think your mother would allow you to come out with me for the day?”
I looked at the clock. It was a few minutes past seven.
“I don’t think she’d mind.”
“May I pick you up in an hour for breakfast?”
I jumped out of bed and skidded into the bathroom. “Okay,” I said, reaching for the shower knob.
“See you then.”
“Bye.”
DAVID CHIOS
Enraged, I raced to my car and sped past the security guard at the school entrance. I was cloaked with disillusionment.
What did she think I was—a mere plaything for her own sadistic pleasure? I cursed the day I laid eyes on her enchanting face. Surely, she must think I was her jester, there for her private entertainment.
I was so stupid to think she would have me. I loathed her with a passion, yet my heart yearned for her a million times more. Her wicked emerald stare bewitched me every time; I held no cure to her curse. She was the most incomprehensible human I had ever met. I didn’t understand her quick to change moods, or why she gazed at me in a way that made me think she held feelings for me.
She must see me as a fool, and a fool I must certainly be to continue with this obsession. I can’t endure her apathy for me any longer. A dying leper would be more likely than me to receive pity from her. And yet, with all her coldness, she pulses through my veins like wildfire.
Her soft pink lips, her sweet breath…
But if there were a way—a way to claim her frail, poisonous heart—I wouldn’t hesitate. I care nothing for those imposed rules of the Council.
Mother had warned me against growing weak for her affection, but this was impossible to avoid. I needed some means to sway her emotions, but what?
Every one of my thoughts led to her. The only thing my mind could see was her face—and that should belong to me along with the rest of her.
Many times my friend, Eros, god of love and lust, had recounted stories of lovers. At the time, I was ignorant of the meaning of the word “love” and far more ignorant of the words he spoke in reference to humans: “Their prayers seek me out asking to pierce my arrows through the hearts of their unrequited halves because it is so great—their love—that they fall physically ill.”
I judged their request ridiculous. But now, I was the one to be ridiculed by my own wits. I had become a hypocrite to my own views.
As I thought more about it, I knew that Eros held my answer. I couldn’t waste any more time.
I parked the car under an ebony tree and ran inside the house.
“Mother!”
My mother appeared at the top of the staircase.
“What’s wrong?”
“I have to leave for a few days, but I need you to do something for me while I’m away.”
“But why? Where are you off to?”
“Please don’t question me. I need your help.”
I turned away from her. I took a deep breath, and then pierced my torso with my forefinger and thumb. I dropped to my knees in pain. My mother attempted to stop me. I pushed her away.
My fingers searched for the sacred object buried deep in my chest. I tried not to breathe as I extracted the life within me, a small, luminous six-pointed star. I held it out to my mother to take.
“Make sure she receives it.” I let the Star Crest fall in her hand.
“David, no! You don’t know what you’re doing!”
Struggling against the pain, I rose to my feet. “Yes, I do,” I gasped. The wound was already beginning to heal. “Now, please, I beg you to deliver this. I know you can feel t
he physical and emotional pain within me.”
“I can. I’ve felt it for a long time—since she appeared in Somnium a year ago today.” She looked at the vibrant star in her hand. “And you’re certain?”
“I… I love her, Mother.”
“But it’s your life, my son.”
“And now my life is hers.”
My mother swung her arms around me and wept on my shoulder.
“Please, don’t do this.”
“Let me know what happiness is, Mother. You already have it with Father. I’m begging you.”
She pulled away from me and nodded. “I’ll make sure she receives it.”
“There’s one more thing,” I said. “Wait here.”
I climbed the stairs as fast as the pain would allow me. I threw my cell phone on the bed. Where I was going, I didn’t need distractions.
I wrote a few phrases on papyrus and rolled it. I descended the staircase and handed the note to my mother.
“If Isis should come looking for you, where should I say you’ve gone?” she asked.
“Tell her that I had to settle some business.”
“When will you return?”
“In two, maybe three days' time.”
“Ite cum Deo.” Her voice was broken as she gave me the ancient blessing in Latin. “Go with God.”
“Thank you.” I hugged her. “And Mother… don’t tell her what it signifies.”
With those last words, I left the estate in search of Eros. I couldn’t fly over the Atlantic, weak as I was. I boarded a plane in a nearby city. I slept the majority of the way, arriving in the crisp and chill of the morning in Paris, Eros’ current city of residence.
Since Eros possessed the power to tamper with the heart, I was certain he would help me once he saw my heartache. Eros was a pushover for love.
I arrived at the Café de Flore, one of Eros’ favorite spots. Fragrant European coffees and the scent of pastries filled the air. Eros wasn’t at the café this morning. I took a seat at an empty table, ordered a double espresso, and waited to see if he would appear. After two hours, I never did see him arrive.
I pondered the places where Eros would roam. I knew him well enough to know these sites, and so I set pace to an antique bookstore named Shakespeare and Company, a short distance from the café.
As I walked among the rues of Paris, I wished one day I would be able to show Isis the City of Love. I came to the street where the bookstore was located. I prayed to Deus that I would find Eros.
The shop doors were opened wide with books stacked on tables on the sidewalks. I stepped in to the sweet vanilla smell of vintage paper coming from the antiquities. A numerous collection of works were scattered over tables and arranged on shelves. I examined the literary hunters, which were but a handful.
Next to one of the book tables by a window there stood a blond, tall young gentleman in a grey trench coat and spectacles.
I approached him discretely, as if I were also searching for literature. As he picked up a book, I leaned into his field of view.
“Bonjour.”
“Dahveed! My brother!” Eros embraced me. “How are you, my friend?” he asked in his thick, French accent. “Have you come to visit as you did last time… for pleasure?”
“Actually, I’ve come to ask for a favor. But where are my manners? How are you?”
“A favor you say?” He set the book down and led me out of the store.
“Tell me what I can help you with. You know I’m at your disposal.”
“I would rather discuss this in a more private place, if you don’t mind.”
“I see. We can speak at my current residence then.”
“That would be perfect.”
***
Eros flagged down a cab on the sidewalk.
“La Reserve. Place du Trocadero,” Eros told the driver.
During the cab ride, we spoke of my family. He was surprised to learn we had moved to a small town instead of a fast-paced city.
“Paris is where you should be. The women here die for our kind… I jest, of course. I should be so ignorant as to put myself in that position.”
I avoided that topic of conversation. I couldn’t let him know the circumstance behind my visit until he knew the entire story. He’d be more inclined to help me if he understood the degree to which I was now emotionally engrossed.
We walked through the lobby of the hotel as a familiar classical number by Chopin played in the background. Upon entering his elegant and contemporary penthouse suite, Eros removed his coat and offered me a drink.
I declined and waited for him to prompt me to tell him the reason behind my visit.
“I’ll assume this concerns a female, oui?”
“You assume correctly.”
“Is it someone I know?”
“No. She… she’s not of our kind.”
“What?” Eros dropped his glass of wine. “Mon frère, please don’t tell me this concerns a mortal?”
“Let me explain.” Eros sat down and awaited my rebuttal. I deliberated on how I should gain his empathy. “I love her.”
“I thought this was a case of lust. You? In love?” His laughter echoed in the room.
“Should I return when it’s no longer a joke to you?”
“No, no.”
“I don’t appreciate your mockery.”
“Forgive me, brother. It’s just come as a shock from you, of all people—and in love with a human girl, to say the least.”
“May we speak in a civilized manner now?”
Eros sighed and closed his eyes. “I cannot help you. I’m sorry.”
“Yes, you can, Eros. You must. You have no idea what it’s like to need someone like you need the flow of your own blood.”
“David, you will never be able to procreate from this relationship. It’s against the law. My answer is firm. I can’t help you.”
Eros pressed his temples as if attempting to release the pressure of my petition.
“Eros… I’ve done something to prove my love for her. But I see that your support is too much to ask, brother. I shouldn’t have come.”
“Wait. Hear my thoughts on the matter. To be in love with a human… that’s impossible. You know the prohibitions of such acts. The law is impenetrable.” He walked to the bar again to serve himself another glass of wine. “You mentioned you had done something to prove your love. What exactly have you done, Romeo?”
“Do you really have to ask?” I sighed.
“I need an answer if you want my help.”
“I gifted her something of mine.”
“O Mon Dieu…”
“The Star Crest⎯my life⎯it belongs to her now.”
“Merde.” Eros dropped his drink for a second time. “Dahveed, you have done the unthinkable.”
I stared at the shards of glass on the hardwood floor and nodded. “It’s done.”
“You’ve gone insane. It’s suicide!”
There was a knock at the door.
“Don’t move. Stay—right—there.”
Eros turned the doorknob and cracked the door open enough to see whoever was on the other side. He exchanged a few words in almost a whisper. Then he opened the door wide and stepped aside. In walked my brothers, Galen and Eryx. Wonderful.
“And just what do you think you’re scheming here, brother?” Galen asked while helping himself to the wine Eros had left on the bar.
“I’m not scheming.”
“Oh, please… We all know you’re in love with the little mortal girl that travels to Somnium.” Galen gave Eros a hostile glance as he awaited an explanation from me.
“That’s not possible,” Eros said.
“It’s not supposed to be possible, but it’s true,” I said.
“Did you think you’d get away with it, hmm?” Galen swirled the wine in his glass.
“Mother has sent us,” Eryx said. “She was afraid you’d foolishly conspire to encourage Isis’ feelings for you.” If
Mother had told Eryx and Galen of the Star Crest, then they must have assumed I would end up here.
“Be quick to judge when you’re in my shoes. I don’t need lecturing. I’m quite aware of what I can and can’t do.” I walked to the balcony door.
“He hasn’t mentioned any of this to me,” Eros lied. “Besides, Dahveed is aware that my power is limited to only lust when it involves human and deity relationships. The feeling would wear off in a matter of hours. In most cases, the girl would detest him afterwards. I’m sure he wouldn’t surrender his love for her to such a thing.”
“I wouldn’t,” I said, but I almost had.
“Then why are you running to Cupid’s nest at the first sign of defeat?” Galen asked, reminding me of the happenings of the previous day.
Eros hissed at Galen’s reference to him.
“I don’t need to be pestered with unnecessary questions. This was a social visit to a close friend,” I lied again. “If you must know, I was on my way out. And don’t bother following me. I’ll be taking the long way home.”
I shook Eros’ hand. “A pleasure to see you again, dear friend.”
Eros’ face reflected concern as he walked me toward the door. The Council didn’t just frown upon cases like these. There were consequences that could lead to decades or centuries of penalty.
“Many blessings to you,” Eros said as I walked out.
Eryx and Galen followed close behind me, as if they were my keepers. I waved my hand to signal a cab and left without saying another word to them. I was furious that my mother had sent them to seek me out, yet I understood her concern. I knew the repercussions of my actions, and this wasn’t to be taken lightly.
***
On the flight back to the States, I had time for self-reflection. I realized what I had almost done. If my brothers hadn’t showed up at Eros’ suite, he would’ve condoned my decision, as he was my best friend.
Was I so preoccupied with my egotism that I was willing to obligate her to love me? Only a tyrant would obligate anyone to such a degenerate form of affection. I would rather die soulless, than take her love by force. I could not, would not, do that to my lovely Isis.
I had let the face of desperation lead me. I knew that it wouldn’t last if it weren’t meant to be. Yet, I had grown irrational enough to attempt it. What was I thinking?
My heart ached, and my stomach felt as if I had been on a drinking binge the night before. Was this what it felt like to be lovesick?
I would have to wait to see if Isis ever requited what I felt for her. For now, my best friend and enemy would be time. I would have to woo her just as any other man would.
I departed the plane and walked out of the airport. There were some hours left before the break of sunrise. I found a secluded area behind two parcel trucks, spread my wings, and ascended into the dark, cloudless sky.