1. The Immortal Convocation #3
The two whisked off to find some other companions, leaving Endymion to shrink under Erasmus’s scowl. “Could you stop burning holes in my skull?” Endymion growled to him.
Erasmus jammed his finger into Endymion’s temple. “Everywhere you go, mess follows you. Do you realize how much chaos you cause?”
“Alright, alright, let’s play nice. You two need to keep it together for one night,” I said as I sandwiched myself between the two and tried to shake them out of their oppressive glaring.
Erasmus ground his teeth. “Yes, a night hanging on my ex-husband’s arm. What a fun evening this is turning out to be.”
“Stop being so grumpy and get a drink,” I laughed, shoving him towards the refreshments table. He finally took his leave, though he did stick his tongue out at Endymion for good measure.
Endymion crossed his arms. “I suppose I can’t be mad at him for hating me. I’m not exactly a valiant partner.”
“So I’ve heard. Then again, letting go of him is probably for the better. You two are very toxic for one another, and you deserve to find your happiness,” I said.
He flicked his odd eyes to me curiously.
“Happiness, eh? I don’t know where to begin looking for such a thing.
I’ve been alone for so long, yet somehow fall into the same habits, even after four thousand years.
Childish, isn’t it?” His voice was distance as he said this, remorseful, and did make me frown in his honor.
“You two are still the same people. You’ve been alive for centuries; it’s not like your personalities are going to do a magical reset.
Times have changed, though, so you should probably work on conforming to them.
” I nudged his arm, which made him wobble a little.
“We’re all trying to right wrongs, so cut yourself some slack.
Neither of you are perfect by any means, and neither are any of us. Just take it a step at a time.”
“I’m trying…” he sighed through his nose before tousling my hair gently. “I’m going to make sure our kids aren’t causing too much trouble. Do your best to network tonight. It will be very beneficial for you to meet as many Elementals as possible this evening.”
“Will do,” I replied as he walked off, his energy still full of anxiety, but he was hiding it well. I shook my head at him before ducking to find Odysseus, who was wrapped in a conversation with two women on the opposite side of the hall.
Odysseus let out a delighted laugh, though his champagne glass rattled in his hands slightly. “I suppose that’s true…” he said before turning to see me traversing the crowd. “Ah, here he is now. Ladies, this is my fiancé, Nicodemus Crawford.”
“Charmed,” I loosely said as I shook hands with the immaculate women he’d been entertaining. “And who do I have the pleasure of meeting?”
“My name is Aexina, and this is my wife, Eliana. We were Stark’s second-in-command and have stayed on as guardians of Caelum for your mother,” Aexina chimed in delight.
I smiled wider at their dignified roles. “How was working with Stark? He’s one of my closest companions, so I always like to learn as much about him as possible.”
In reality, I knew nothing of my Shadows’ time as Gods, so every ounce of information I could garner from people was warranted.
Eliana chuckled to herself. “Stark was certainly spunky. He ran a tight ship but was known to enjoy a relaxing day quite often. He was highly revered as a God during his time. We’re glad to know he is having a prosperous afterlife, especially since we miss him so much.”
“He’s incredibly talented, that’s for sure,” I gushed.
“Odysseus reminds us a lot of Stark. He has the same drive, the same tenacity, and is equally as talented. We are ecstatic to see how he changes the Life Realm in the coming exchange,” Aexina added with a pinch to Odysseus’s red cheek.
I set a hand on the small of his back proudly. “The feats he has been on are like nothing any of us have ever expected. Trust me, I, too, am in awe of him.”
“Shush…” Odysseus whispered with a playful peck to my temple.
Aexina grinned warmly at us. “You two are quite the pair. You contrast Ashlynn and Atlas well. Speaking of, I need to speak to Ashlynn about something. I will be back to continue with you soon, Odysseus. I can’t wait to get to know you better.”
“Same here,” Odysseus echoed as the two women disappeared into the crowd. He let out a loose sigh and slid his arm around my back, laying his face into my hair. “Thank Gods you came over when you did. This whole thing is totally stressing me out.”
I chuckled and kissed his exposed cheek lovingly. “You’re doing fine, though. Your charisma is through the roof tonight.”
“I’m glad you think so. My hands have been shaking for hours…” he breathed deeply for a moment before bringing his eyes up towards the grand tables, where guests had begun to find seats for the extravagant dinner. “I wish we could sneak away for a moment.”
I rubbed his back in small circles. “Try not to worry, love. Let’s get through this dinner, then find a place to decompress. We’ve only got a couple more hours; what’s the worst that could happen?”