Chapter 15
CUPID
I hummed to myself as I put together breakfast, feeling rather satisfied after last night and the way it had felt for Eloise to fall apart in my arms. She was everything I'd ever hoped for in a match and far more. Being physically compatible was one thing, but it went deeper than that. It was still early, but it was easy to see the two of us peeling back the layers and discovering the small things that made us suited to one another.
Footsteps sounded and I turned around to find the woman in question entering the kitchen wearing one of my shirts. My body immediately responded to the sight.
Eloise seemed to notice and raised an eyebrow. "Are you ever turned off?"
I chuckled. "It's one of the disadvantages of being a god of attraction. There's no real off switch if I'm with someone I like."
"Mmm, I wasn't complaining last night." She sat down at the breakfast bar, the shirt riding up to reveal the top of her leg.
"It gets old after a while. Do you want butter on your toast?"
"Yes, please. I know I shouldn't, but it tastes so much better that way."
"It does." I grabbed the pot of butter and spread some over her toast. "But you can have whatever you want."
She raised an eyebrow. "Because you're going to help me work it off, right?"
I laughed. "If you want."
"After last night, yes."
"Then I'm yours until five," I said. "But after that, I need to prepare for the Jinx Valentine's Day party."
"Oh." She looked down at her knees. "I totally forgot about that."
I finished plating up breakfast and set her plate down in front of her.
"Thank you."
"You're welcome." I grabbed my own plate and sat down beside her at the breakfast bar. "I'd rather stay here with you all day than go to the party," I admitted.
"Why did you say yes to hosting if you don't want to?"
"Optics," I muttered. "Aine wants a love god to be the face of the party, and I'm the one she wanted." I would be glad when it was all over and I no longer had to worry about the party.
"Isn't she a love goddess herself?"
"Yes. But apparently, she believes she's not well-known enough to the general public, so she's turned to me. Partly because I didn't want Aphrodite to be the one."
Eloise laughed. "Let's guess, the rivalry between the Greek and Roman gods again?"
"Something like that." I ate some of my breakfast.
"What even caused that?"
"Humans, more or less. The Romans stole a lot of the stories from the Greeks, along with lands, statues, and other things. It was just the progression of the world, but as I'm sure you can imagine, they weren't pleased about it."
"Said from a wholly Roman perspective," she joked.
"Naturally. Though the Greeks did it to the Egyptians, and the Egyptians did it to others. It's always been that way. Something to do with promoting a peaceful transition of power."
"I bet it wasn't peaceful for those who suffered for it," she mused.
"No, I imagine not. I honestly don't remember. I wasn't there for the start of it, and even when I was, I was a child." I took a bite of my toast and tried not to dwell on what the past had been like.
"Right. The little cherub figure."
"I've never once looked like that," I countered "I've never had wings."
"That's a shame, I think they'd look good on you." She smiled in a way that made it seem as if she was teasing.
"Maybe. I've never really thought about it."
"I looked up some of your statues," she responded. "When I started working for you. They caught your likeness well, but you're younger in some of them."
"That's because I was younger," I pointed out. "I didn't spring into being looking like this, I grew up the normal way."
She frowned. "I know it's not true, but I think the idea of gods not just springing into being is hard to get my head around."
I finished my breakfast and gave myself a moment to decide on the best answer to give her. The reality of what it took to be a god wasn't really a secret. "I told you I was human before becoming a god, right?"
"Oh, huh, I forgot about that," she admitted.
"Well, that's how it works. You start out mortal, become immortal, and eventually, become a god. I think there are some immortals who have stayed in that stage. It's a bit complicated."
"What's the difference?" She pushed her plate away from her and wrapped her hands around her coffee mug.
"It's hard to explain," I said. "And I'm not just saying that. I didn't feel that different when I became immortal. It ultimately just froze my body, but when I became a god, I felt something change inside. I think it changed my soul, but without being able to see it, I can't be certain about that."
"How did it happen?" she asked.
"I don't know that either. Or I do know, but I also don't. It has something to do with how worshipped I was, and how many humans knew and thought about my name in connection to what they thought I was the god of. I had a bit of a head start because people were talking about me as Cupid from when I was old enough to walk."
"So your name isn't actually Cupid?"
I shrugged. "I assume it isn't the name I was born with, but I can't tell you what that is, even if I wanted to. Everyone has called me Cupid for as long as I can remember."
"So Venus isn't your mother?"
"Oh, definitely not. Venus is many things, but a motherly figure, she is not. Steer clear if you come close to her."
Eloise raised an eyebrow. "Intriguing. And I'm guessing Aphrodite is worse?"
"I've heard she's turned over a new leaf recently," I admitted. "But on principle, yes, I suppose so."
"Interesting."
"But that's enough about other gods," I said.
"Is that so?" She slipped off her stool and headed over to me, wrapping her arms around my neck.
"Yes."
"That's okay, there's only one I'm really interested in anyway."
"Good." I pulled her closer, enjoying how it felt to have her body pressed against mine.
She kissed me deeply, and all thoughts of my past fled my mind in response, completely replaced with thoughts of Eloise.