9. SOPHIE
The Isle of Deos – the city where the gods lived and the Tienthan trained. Surrounded by giant, tree-covered mountains, the small town felt like it was deposited onto the set of Jurassic Park. The island was covered in lush tropical jungle, various birds flocked and flowed as if they were dancing to a secret song. Island folk dressed in various colours of floating linen, laughed and waved. Together with Cal, Sophie walked through the town centre, a sheen of sweat coating her skin, and her eyes wide in appreciation.
In the distance, nestled between the mountains was a breathtaking waterfall, larger than any Sophie had ever seen before, whose waters ran upward instead of down. It was an island paradise. One that distracted her from the deep pain she couldn’t seem to shake.
Everywhere she went, she was met with smiles from people of all ages. Some were Fae, some looked human, and some were outright glowing – beings surely from other realms she did not know. Children ran up to pet Cal, who revelled in all the attention. The Isle of Deos was really something else. What else would you expect from the proverbial Heaven itself?
But the smiles, the sunshine, the joy, all combined to highlight what she had not felt in a long time. The sneaking claws of anxiety began to crawl and creep up her chest.
She swiftly pushed it down.
Its talons however, remained embedded in her skin.
“How about we find somewhere with more adventure of the natural kind? Maybe with fewer people?” Sophie asked Cal, wanting a bigger distraction from the darkness she’d lived in for the past few weeks or months – she never counted.
The hellhound huffed, spun in place and pointed a paw toward the giant waterfall that centred the Isle.
“Ah, to the waterfall it is then.” It was hard not to grin.
Acheron, despite his annoying letter, was right about Calypso. The hound had an extraordinary way of understanding and communicating.
Sophie and Cal walked silently side by side until they reached the edge of the waterfall where a pool of glistening clear water lapped up against her ankles. To the left of the large pool of water surrounded by rocks and the mountain walls, were stables. Sophie could hear the distant neighs and clopping of horses from within. To the right of the pool was what looked like a training ground. Ropes and obstacles were strewn across the sand and dirt, while racks of weapons neatly lined the edges of a training ring.
“The Isle of Deos, the city where the gods live and the Tienthan train. I’m assuming that’s where they train?” Sophie turned to Cal who lay next to her in the water blowing bubbles with his nostrils.
Sophie scratched behind his ears at the endearing sight. Cal perked up at her touch and huffed once, which Sophie understood was a yes. “How about we check out the stables then head to the training ring?” It’d been a long while since Sophie trained her body. The least she could do was have a go at the obstacle course while no one was around to watch her fall on her face.
Cal huffed once more and shook the water out of his coat. His flaming tail sizzled as water brushed against it. Together they walked over to the stables where the horses seemed to have calmed. Unlocking the latch before her, Sophie stepped inside. The smell of hay shot up her nostrils with a vengeance, but it did not prepare her for what lay before her eyes.
Before her was not a small, forgettable stable. Before her was a marble-made, open-air stable that led out to endless, rolling grassy hills. It was like a pocket into a different realm. It was an optical illusion.
Along the grassy field, horses – no, arions – roamed freely. She’d read about the illustrious, Heaven-made, winged horses before. The most famous one being Pegasus. Fifty or so arions of different colours – black, brown and white – roamed and galloped about. In the distance, a team of arions flew in formation. It was like they were practicing for war. Beds of clouds lined the walls of the stable itself. Some arions grazed lazily at hay and fruits that had been laid out on the floor while others napped on the beds of clouds. It was some sort of illusion that Sophie’s mind had not yet processed.
When she was outside by the waterfall, the meagre stable was most definitely surrounded by rocks and mountains, yet in here . . . it was somewhere else entirely.
She stood in the stable with her jaw wide open.
Holy mother of Faery. This is . . . wondrous. Sophie spun in place, taking in all the sights and sounds of this pocket of heaven within Heaven.
Carefully, Sophie moved forward, closer to the arions that grazed peacefully. Their wings, so intricately made and majestic, fluttered and twitched with the breeze that crept through the place. Their eyes twitched. Noticing her presence, they moved toward her. Some neighed and some nickered. A graceful white mare approached her first. It bowed its head closer to her outreached hand. Slowly, but surely, Sophie greeted the mare with a light brush of her muzzle.
“Hi there, beautiful.” Sophie’s voice was all soft and airy. The white arion pushed against her hand wanting more attention. “What’s your name?” The arion nickered again and its wings shook with excitement.
“Her name is Aika,” a masculine yet chirpy voice said.
Sophie jumped and shrieked, startling all the arions that surrounded her. Her voice echoed onto the grassy hills where all the arions in the illusion-stable whipped their heads toward her. Her shriek echoed for a few moments more before dying out.
Well, that was embarrassing.
Sophie winced and dared to turn on her heels to face the stranger that surely thought she was crazy. Before her stood a tall pale-skinned, handsome male with strawberry-blond curls that almost covered his eyebrows. His strong, muscled shoulders bore pure white wings that stretched out behind him. His light-silver armour accented a cinched waist and strapped to his back between his wings was a silver bow and arrow. His face, however, was scrunched with something that looked a lot like pain . . . or mortification.
“I think I spooked the horses?” Sophie shrugged and tried not to drown herself in her own embarrassment.
“That you did.” The blond angel sighed. He looked down toward Sophie’s feet. “Cal, my boy! What are you doing here?” The angel crouched down to give Cal a good scratch on the head.
Cal sat patiently before the angel, savouring as many pets as he could.
That little attention-loving demon,Sophie groaned.
“Oh, you’re showing this screaming lady around? What a good boy! Does the scream-y lady have a name?” The angel cooed and looked up at Sophie expectantly.
Sophie figuratively facepalmed herself but somehow pushed through the public humiliation. “The name is Sophie. Nice to meet you . . . ?”
“Eros. The name is Eros.” The angel beamed and stretched his hand out for Sophie to shake.
Sophie gulped. “As in Eros, God of Love and Attraction?”
“Tis I!” he smirked and bowed dramatically.
Sophie almost rolled her eyes. Almost. She would’ve done it outright if the gods didn’t have a reputation of being a little bit chaotic, easily offended and bloodthirsty.
“Oh, oh shit. Do I need to bow or something?” Sophie scrambled to her knees and looked at Cal for help. The hellpup just looked at her and tilted his head.
“Oh no, no, no. No need to grovel. Gone are the days . . . as unfortunate that may be.” Eros laughed deeply and helped Sophie off the ground. “Since Calypso here is taking care of you, I’m assuming I have Acheron to thank for several spooked arions?”
Sophie nodded. “Yes, that would be the case. Acheron said I could roam the Isle of Deos as I pleased. I realise I’m probably not meant to be here . . .”
“Nonsense! The Isle of Deos is an open city. Come with me. You’ve arrived just in time to watch me kick some angel ass.” Eros snickered.
He offered his elbow to Sophie.
Angel ass. Now that would be a welcome distraction.
Eros’s cheerfulness reminded her so much of Camrine. Her friend. She tried not to think about it; the pain that permanently lived inside her chest. Come on, Sophie. You’re in the Godlands! And the ACTUAL god, Eros, is about to show you around town. Eighteen-year-old, Greek-mythology-obsessed Sophie would be dying! Enjoy it while you can. Sophie tried to convince herself, but still, her heart ached tremendously.
Sophie placed her hand in the crook of the elbow Eros offered. “Lead the way.” She smiled, though it did not quite reach her eyes.
Eros had led her to other side of the waterfall, where a small amphitheatre surrounded a dirt-covered training ring.
“Lady and Pain in the Ass, please meet Sophie Taliesin, Acheron’s special guest here on the Isle of Deos.” Eros waved his hands about Sophie like she were part of his magic show as she stood in front of two other angels.
“So lovely to finally meet you! You’re looking nice and alive.” The female angel with long chestnut-coloured hair hugged Sophie as if she were an age-old friend. The angel’s chestnut-coloured wings wrapped around Sophie. She was dressed in similar fighting gear as Eros and her eyes glowed white. Sophie couldn’t help but marvel at their otherworldliness. “Oh, you’ll get used to these.” The angel pointed at her eyes. “They’re a little bright at first.” The female pulled back from the embrace. “My name is Nemysis, but you may call me Nemy, and this . . .” She motioned to the tall broad-shouldered male angel with short, silver hair. His grey wings were the colour of ash. His eyes were wholly black with bright yellow irises. He looked terrifying, as if he enjoyed bathing in the blood of his enemies. “This is the second biggest pain in the ass you’ll ever meet – Deymos.”
The silver-haired angel Deymos, who looked a lot like death incarnate with an eight-pack, rolled his eyes and casually saluted Sophie. “Lovely to meet you, Sophie. Welcome to the Isle.”
Sophie nodded back in greeting. “Deymos, as in the god of dread and terror?” It explained the way he looked.
“Correct,” Deymos said, giving Sophie a cheeky wink.
“Wait, if you’re the second biggest pain in the ass . . .” Sophie pointed at Deymos and scrunched her brows. “Then does that mean Eros is the biggest pain in the ass?” Sophie glanced over to Eros, who looked as if she had just shot an arrow through his heart.
Silence.
Nemy and Deymos both burst out into laughter.
Eros stood there with his arms crossed and his eyes narrowed at his two friends. “Remind me to never introduce new people to you two again.”
His reaction only caused more hysteria.
“She’s been here for five minutes and she’s already got jokes!” Nemy moved closer to Sophie and wrapped an arm around her petite shoulders. Nemy was beautiful. Godly even. She stood about six foot and her skin was perfectly tanned – as if she spent hours in the sun. She looked to Sophie who felt infantile next to all the gods. “You’ll fit right in.”
I sure hope so.
Eros and Deymos moved to the rack of weapons that were placed around the training ring. They pushed each other jokingly. Eros lifted himself off the ground to scruff Deymos’s hair. Deymos swatted him away, disgruntled.
Sophie turned to Nemy who led her to the amphitheatre steps where Sophie could watch them train. She had already mentioned she wasn’t feeling too well physically but would love to see them in action. “Nemy . . . Nemysis, as in the goddess of retribution?”
Nemy’s eyes grew a touch brighter. “Ah, you’re a clever girl too. Yes, the goddess of retribution. If anyone has wronged you, come to me and I will handle it for you.”
Sophie laughed nervously but considered the goddess’s offer for just a second. Okay, maybe it was more than a second.
“Refreshments are down there if you need.” Nemy pointed to a table beside the ring where fruits and water had been laid out. “Otherwise, enjoy the beating that these two are going to get.” She smiled sweetly and gave a knowing nod to Sophie before traipsing to the training ring.
Sophie didn’t smile back. The friendship that these gods shared reminded her of Cam, Elowan and Zala. It made Sophie’s heart break again into a million irreparable pieces, and she had no idea how to put it back together. She wasn’t even sure if she wanted to.
Cal leaned his head on Sophie’s lap and looked up at her with his puppy eyes.
He whined.
“I know, boy. Sometimes I’m okay and then sometimes, out of nowhere, it hits me.” Sophie softly brushed her hands through the scruff of his neck. “If only I could keep you forever. You read me so well.”
Watching gods and a goddess battling it out in a training ring was something else. Sparks flew, loud crashes of thunder roared and echoed against the mountain walls. Eros and Deymos created a violent storm of throws, grapples and strikes while Nemy critiqued their every move.
Sophie mentally practised their graceful movements. Perhaps she could train with them one day. One day when she had the energy and heart to do it, but today wasn’t the day.
Nemy roared out, “You’re slower than you were yesterday, Eros! What happened?” She hovered just around them, her chestnut wings flapping elegantly.
“He stayed up watching Emily in Paris!” a familiar, deep male voice sounded from the entrance of the training ring.
All heads, including Sophie’s whipped around to the owner of that voice. Sophie’s heart clenched. Their truce last night and her decision to stay didn’t soften the blow of who he reminded her of. It made her uneasy. Awkward even.
Eros stopped his sparring to stare at Acheron who stood with his arms crossed over his bare chest. “I told you to keep it a secret!”
Acheron chuckled and his broad chest rumbled with the movement as he casually swung a war hammer emblazoned with flames along its sides. Sophie couldn’t help but stare. A mixture of hate, sadness and gratitude filled her chest. He had saved her, and yet . . . he looked so much like Kaine. When she thought of Kaine, she thought of Cam and how he should be alive. Next to her. Laughing and enjoying life just as the angels were. The feeling burrowed deeper in the emptiness in her chest.
Nemy and Deymos joined in on the laughter.
“I can’t help it. I love love, okay?” Eros threw his hands in the air and floated down to the ground to greet Acheron with a brotherly hug. “Good to see you back, baby brother.”
Before anyone could notice, Sophie walked down from the amphitheatre steps with Cal in tow. “C’mon boy. Let’s go home.” The hellhound whined and pointed to his master with a furry paw. Sophie stopped her hurried steps. “You’re welcome to stay, pup. I’ll see you at home.” She gave the pup a reassuring scratch behind the ears and hurried her steps out of the training ring – back toward the town centre.
As she walked, hot tears flowed down the peaks of her cheeks. Sophie didn’t dare look back. She knew she was being unfair but every time she looked at Acheron, he reminded her too much of Kaine. On paper they were different, but their features were similar enough for Sophie’s heart to wrench in all the wrong ways.
As she neared the small villa she’d been occupying, her throat eased and the tears stopped. Sophie moved quickly up the few steps to the front door but slowed when she noticed a small gift left for her. Bending over, she picked it up.
A tiny, crocheted Cal – flaming tail and all – stared back at her. That negligible warmth in her chest pulsed again. The small note attached to the crocheted dog said, A best friend to keep. The small gestures chipped away the darkness that ate her heart away each day.
Entering her bedroom, she fished out the crocheted sun the servants had left for her earlier that day and placed it on her bed stand next to the tiny, crocheted Cal.
And there it was. Small and imperceptible. But it was there.
A smile.