Eros (Contemporary Mythos Book 4)

My breath hitched as it took in the glory that was Dunvegan Castle. I’d seen it dozens of times, but it never failed to take my breath away. Being nestled in the Isle of Skye hadn’t hurt either. The rich landscapes surrounding it fluttered the land with sprouts of green from clusters of trees, surrounded by cerulean water and a view of the vast mountains on the horizon.

Eric touched the small of my back, bringing my attention to his face. He gleamed down at me, canting his head to one side. “And you say you don’t remember how to love.”

“It’s impossible to love an inanimate object.” I playfully smacked him.

“Not true.” He offered his arm, and I curled mine with his. “Correct, you can’t marry an inanimate object or form a relationship, but love is all about the way something or someone makes you feel. So, how does this view—this place, Elani, make you feel?”

I asked for this. I may as well dive in. Closing my eyes, I concentrated on the light wind playing through my hair and the smell of pine floating through the air. My chest tightened as I returned my gaze to the picturesque view of the castle.

“Comfort. Anticipation. Longing.” The castle represented more than just a pretty sight. It was a landmark that withstood the tests of time from long ago when Highlanders roamed the countryside. “And pride.”

“And when I kissed you?”

I snapped my gaze to his, my heart speeding into overdrive. “What?”

“When I kissed you.” He squinted. “How did you feel?”

His lips were gliding over mine, a fingertip dragged between my breasts, his firm touch on my hip.

“I—” A gust of wind snatched my words and carried them away.

His chin tilted down. “Think about it. And when you have it figured out—tell me.”

I was beginning to regret asking him to “show me.” A momentary lapse in judgment.

“Do you know the history of this castle?” The chill in the air brought me closer to him, our sides pressing together.

“Honestly, no.”

I gasped and halted.

He lurched backward, still hooked with my arm, and chuckled. “I assume that surprises you?”

“You’ve been around for what? Eons? Shouldn’t you know the entire history of the known universe?”

He laughed, deep and glorious. A few sun rays peeked through the clouds, glinting off his pearly grin. “The entire universe? Wow. Can’t say I’ve seen it all.”

A whole galaxy to explore. Did the gods have the means to do it? Would they freeze as we did without the aid of a spacesuit?

Blinking the thoughts away, I led us down the path. “Dunvegan Castle has been around since the thirteenth century and preserves legends of a famous clan. One of my favorite TV shows happens to feature said clan.” I quirked my brow, pausing.

He shifted his eyes. “Oh. Uh…Braveheart? Wallace?”

“Albeit an amazing piece of cinematic wonder, that’s a movie, not a show.”

Eric’s expression morphed into the same look I had in high school while trying to learn calculus. “Outlander?”

My shoulders dropped. “Duncan MacLeod of the Clan MacLeod?”

He threw his head back and patted my hand. “Highlander. How silly of me to get my landers confused.”

I bit back a smile. “You are silly.”

“Anything else I should know about the MacLeod mansion?”

“Eh. That’s probably the coolest factoid. I think the fact they renovated it enough to enjoy it for what it is versus a ruin like most of the others is impressive in itself.”

His lips suddenly brushed the corner of my mouth, sending a shockwave blasting through my core.

I traced my fingers over the spot he kissed, searching for scorch marks. “What was that for?”

“There needs to be a reason?” He two-eyed winked.

“Do you still think you know how to wink properly?”

He stopped walking, his jaw squaring off as he stared at the walkway. “Normally, I can wink fine. For some reason, it goes haywire—” He lifted his gaze, roaming it from my toes, all the way to my face. “—around you.”

I clutched the neckline of my jacket, bunching it. “What does that mean?”

“I may or may not know.”

“And you’re not going to share?”

We paused at the main entrance, both of us craning our necks to stare at the gigantic structure.

“Nope. Right now, isn’t the time.”

“When is?” I turned my attention from the classic piece of architecture to the man—the Greek god standing next to me.

He patted my hand, saying nothing.

I waited for him to elaborate, to give me something—absolutely anything. But he didn’t. Had he always been like this? Playing games and plotting life like a Choose Your Adventure book?

“I’m surprised there aren’t more people here.” He swiveled his hips, scoping the few people on the grounds—a mother with her two young boys, an older man with a pipe, and a tourist couple taking repeated selfies with their cellphone on a stick.

“You should be here in the spring. This is the off-season. On warm days, there are so many people you can barely move.”

Classic décor filled the vast foyer like it’d have been ages ago. A man asked us if we wished to purchase a tour, and I politely waved him off. I was the only tour guide we needed. Not to mention I wanted privacy. There were so many questions to be asked of the god of love.

“Want me all to yourself, hm?” Eric’s eyes lit up.

“Something like that.” I held out my hand. “Come on. I’ll show you the best spots.”

His gaze explored my body. “Of the castle—” He pulled me against him, keeping our eyes locked. “—or you?”

My chest heated. No doubt a dozen red splotches blazed my skin.

“Is that part of your power?”

“What is?” His eyes lingered on my lips.

My fingers numbed. “Things you say to me. How you say them. Your touch. It turns my insides into gelatin and confetti.”

He flashed a grin—the masculine variety which suggested he knew exactly the effect he had on me. “I believe that’s called attraction, Elani.”

“No. No. It’s something else. I didn’t feel like this with Graeme or Michael or…hell I didn’t feel like this watching Jason Momoa in Aquaman.”

Beaming at me, he traced the freckles on my cheek with a fingertip. “Time will tell. You just have to be patient.”

Were all Greek gods this cryptic? Did he have his reasons?

“Weren’t you going to show me the ins and outs of this place?” He stepped back, keeping his grip on my hand.

My stomach twitched, and my grip tightened against his palm. With a villainous twist of lip, his eyes shot to my fingers like a rocket.

“Right this way, Cherub,” I said through gritted teeth.

He let out a burst of roaring laughter. “Back to the verbal jibes, I see? I’m game if you are.”

I smiled up at him, remembering the first time we’d met. Something had eaten at me—told me he was different. At that moment, I figured he was different in the way that someone with an inhuman IQ was, not that he was a deity.

As we ascended the winding staircase, I pointed out several paintings hanging on the walls that always caught my attention. He listened, never interrupted, and spent more time watching my lips than viewing the art.

And I didn’t mind it one bit.

We paused on the top floor in front of the banister that held a view of the floor below. I pressed my forearms against the smooth wood and tapped my fingertips together.

“You’re really him?” I didn’t look at him, focusing more on the massive column in the center of the room.

“Yes.”

I turned to face him and pressed my back against the railing. “How does it work? You don’t actually shoot an arrow at someone, do you?”

Eric scanned the area with a subdued chuckle. “No. Arrows do, in fact, kill people. That achieves the opposite effect of my desire.”

Desire.

“Do you throw glitter at them?”

He looked at me like I asked how to boil water. “I can achieve it one of several ways. A fleeting touch—” He traced his middle finger down my forearm, making the hair stand on end. “Eye contact.” Those sapphire eyes locked with mine, pulling me into a trance for a fraction of a second. “Or I can wiggle my nose.”

I’d been breathing like I was short of air until he ended it with that last sentence. “Wiggle your nose? Like Bewitched?”

His stone-cold face fell away, replaced by a wide grin, followed by laughter. “I’m kidding. I just wanted to see your reaction.”

I rolled my eyes as I bumped my hip against his. “Very funny.”

“In the past, I did shoot arrows, but they’d shimmer into magic before striking. Can’t exactly get away with that in public anymore.”

My brain dipped into a daydream. He stood bare-chested with an arrow notched on his bow, muscles flexed, taut and—

“Elani?” His face appeared in front of mine.

I jumped. “Have you used your powers on me?” I clutched the railing behind me.

Please say no.

The amusement disappeared from his face as soon as the words left my mouth. “No.”

I stood straighter. “Not even once?”

“No.” He kept my gaze.

His eyes didn’t falter. No lip or brow twitch. Nothing.

“Why?”

He turned his side to me, gripping the banister, making his shoulders bulge through his jacket. “There’s no fun in simply making someone love you. Nor does it last.”

“You’ve been in love?”

A rolling sigh escaped his throat. “Once.”

Psyche.

My throat tightened, and I slapped a hand over my eyes. “How could I be so stupid? You’re—you’re married.”

“Elani.” His fingers peeled my palm from my face. “We’re not together anymore. Haven’t been for—a long time.”

“You’re trying to tell me true love exists, and even the god of love himself is divorced?”

He balled one hand into a fist, beating his knuckles against the railing. “It’s a long story.” His knuckles turned white as his hand shook, and a grimace pulled his face tight.

My gaze immediately shot to his back, expecting to see his wings rip through his jacket. “Do you need to step away?”

“Yes.” He craned his neck. “Will you be alright for a few minutes?”

“It’s not a seedy gas station or something. I think I’ll be fine. Go. Before someone thinks you’re an angel sent from heaven or something.”

He smiled, and it was quickly torn away by a scowl of pain. After squeezing my hip, he ran off.

“I’m curious where you think this is going,” a woman’s soft voice said nearby.

I turned to find Vena leaning against the banister with her arms crossed. Her flowing honey-blonde hair rested over a bright red dress, clinging to every curve and leaving very little to the imagination.

“The castle is about as far as we’ve gotten so far.” I had a fair idea of what she was getting at, but knowing who she was now, I didn’t want to give her any more ammunition.

She smirked, bouncing her red spiked heel against the hardwood beneath our feet. “I thought Graeme would be enough to keep you away from him, but now I see I need to resort to more—drastic measures.”

She flicked her wrist, and I snatched it with a faster reflex than I’d ever seen on myself—this coming from a woman who could barely catch random items thrown at her.

She glared at my hand. The intensity—the pure rage in her eyes made my knees shake until I stared at their color. A perfect match to the radiant sky blue of Eros’s. His mother.

“Careful. You don’t know who you’re dealing with.” Her words flowed from her mouth like snake venom.

“I do. I know who he is. What you both are.” My insides screamed bloody murder at the sudden backbone I seemed to have grown.

Her stare softened, and she yanked her hand away, rubbing the skin I touched like I’d left a bruise.

“What is this all about? And why did you try to force Graeme on me?”

She let out a deep sigh as she tossed her long locks over her shoulder, and then her entire face brightened at something behind me.

“Because she was trying to keep you away from me,” Eric’s voice boomed.

A wide grin pulled at Vena’s lips, and she brushed past me, making sure to hit my shoulder with hers. She spread her arms wide, going in for a hug, but Eric batted her hands away with one quick swipe of his forearm.

She pouted. “Is that any way to greet your mother?”

Aphrodite.

The world kept reminding me that this wasn’t a dream. Greek myths were real. The gods. Were. Real.

I stared wide-eyed at the young woman with a grown son who looked the same age as her.

“You meddle and expect me to be all chummy with you?” Eric crossed his burly arms, eyes forming slits as he glared down at her.

Aphrodite rolled her eyes. “I miss the days where you did anything I asked without question. It was a real sense of loyalty, commitment, respect?” She arched a thin blonde brow. “Or have you forgotten what all those words mean?”

Eric bent forward with a snarl of his lip. “That was a long time ago. And I’m not letting you interfere with my affairs ever again, nor am I your lackey. Understood?”

Tapping one of her red heels, she curled her fingers over her hips. “Are you going to denounce me as your mother now too?”

Eric leaned back as he rubbed a thumb between his eyes. “Unfortunately, there’s nothing I can do about that. I’m still your son, but it doesn’t mean I’ve forgotten all the things you’ve done or that the number one person in your life—is you.”

Her jaw dropped, and she stomped her foot. “That is so not true. Even back then, everything I did was to protect you.”

He didn’t respond, lifting one brow in answer.

I cleared my throat. Their heads whipped in my direction simultaneously.

“Sorry to interrupt, but can someone please explain to me how and why she made me obsessed with Graeme.”

“My son doesn’t know what’s best for him. I’m the goddess of love. I know a match when I see one, and this—” She pointed between us. “Ain’t it.”

“Why wouldn’t you let us choose that for ourselves?” I glared at her.

Eric shook his head. “Your power has been on the fritz lately, and you know it.”

Aphrodite’s lips parted, and her arms stiffened at her sides. “How did you break my spell, anyway?”

Eric kept his head turned in Aphrodite’s direction but did one quick shift of his eyes at me.

Aphrodite looked between us, and her eyes widened, her mouth following. “She’s—”

Eric nodded.

“I can’t believe—” Aphrodite traced a finger over her lips. “There really is something wrong with my power.”

I’d interrogate Eric later about what the hell that exchange was all about, but for now…

“Are your powers fading because you love yourself more than anyone else?” A lump formed in my throat, not having a clue how I came to such a conclusion.

Eric’s gaze fell on me, his eyes brightening.

Aphrodite folded her arms. “Alright, Smartypants. You’ve known we exist for what, twenty-four hours, and now think you know all there is to know about us?”

“No. It’s a hunch.”

“She could be right,” Eric added.

Aphrodite threw her hands in the air. “Fine. Let me just jet out of here and find someone to love me. Easy, right?” She went to snap her fingers, but Eric wrapped his hand around hers.

“You have to love them in return. You know that.”

Her eyes glistened like she was on the verge of tears. “I really do miss the days where you looked up at me with awe and adoration, Cupie.”

Eric’s eyes dropped to the floor. “Please don’t interfere again. I don’t need your protection. If I screw up…that’s on me.”

A single shimmering tear rolled down her cheek, and she cupped his chin. “I’m sorry.” She disappeared in a flash of pink glitter and rose petals.

I did a quick scan of the area, hoping there hadn’t been anyone around to witness it. Eric’s hand was still in mid-air, and he dropped it with a deep sigh. Scooping an abandoned rose petal from the floor, I rubbed it between two fingers and elbowed Eric’s arm.

“She wasn’t a horrible mother, but at some point, she lost sight of her purpose. I hope she finds someone.”

“Was I right?”

He took my hand and led us further into the castle. “It does make sense. But she’s been so into herself, for so long, I’m skeptical it’s even possible.”

How had I known why her powers weren’t working as they should?

Halting, I squeezed his hand. “Eric, how did you break her spell?”

He scratched the stubble on his chin, and I forced my gaze away from that damn charming cleft.

“When I kissed you.”

The weight I’d felt lifting from my chest…

“And why did she seem surprised you were able to?”

He scratched the back of his head. “I promise I will answer this, but considering you very recently found out about me, I don’t want to overwhelm you.”

The skin between his eyes crinkled as he stared at me. It was a silent plea to let it go for now. Normally, I’d have felt compelled to argue with him, to demand answers, but a bubbling in my gut told me to back off…for now.

“Alright.” I tugged on his sleeve. “Come on, then. There’s so much more of this place to see.”

He blinked twice. “You’re not going to press me on it?”

“Something in my gut is telling me to wait.” I led him into a room with crystal chandeliers, gold textured walls, and paintings with ornate copper-colored frames.

“That gut’s been pretty damn intuitive lately.”

I offered a warm smile. “Exactly why I should continue to listen to it.”

Half-covered in a wide mirror, making the already vast room look even more extensive, was a gold clock on the far back wall. I’d passed by it countless times, but the two figures standing on it sparked my attention. As soon as Eric’s eyes fell on the two people leaning over the clock, he stiffened—a man with wings and a beautiful maiden with her hair in a bun on top of her head.

“Is this—” I started, pointing at the winged man.

His throat bobbed. “Yes.”

Eros and Psyche immortalized in gold. A clock I’d passed every year since I was a teen. Eros leaned toward Psyche with his head resting on her shoulder, holding out a heart. Cocking my head to the side, for the first time, I noticed Psyche too had wings, but not angelic ones like Eros. Hers resembled a butterfly.

Eric glowered at the clock, unmoving and unblinking.

“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have brought you over here, I—” I turned away, but his hand shot out, delicately wrapping around my arm.

“It’s not bothering me. It reminds me of a time long, long ago. I had no idea this piece existed.”

I pressed my back to his chest, admiring the clock with him. “It’s a beautiful rendition.”

He kissed my hair, and I could hear him breathing me in. “A memory of a time long past. Time to make new memories to inspire future art.”

I closed my eyes, nestling into his warmth. Our bodies aligned perfectly, molding against each other like overlapping feathers of a wing. “I know the perfect place to start said memories.”