40. SOPHIE
The Ephemeral Eclipse was to start in an hour and Sophie would be spending the first night of it in the company of angels, gods and goddesses.
Who woulda thunk?
Sophie’s mother had told her all about it. Three days of night, to celebrate love and life. It turns out all her bookish dreams were coming true, but the nagging sensation in the back of her head also told her that all her bookish nightmares were about to come true too. Sophie had been warring against herself over the past day, seeming to have forgotten why she was staying in the Godlands in the first place. She’d gotten stronger and had grown her power. It was probably time that she made her way to Faery, though a few more days in ignorant bliss surely wouldn’t hurt.
Sophie opted for a black halter-neck maxi dress for tonight’s celebrations. Completely backless and flowing, it was perfect for staving off the summery night. She tied her purple hair up into a high ponytail and finished everything off with a touch of clear lip gloss. She already knew who was at the door before they knocked. “I’m in the bedroom, Mum!” Sophie called out.
The warmth of her mother’s golden mana washed over her as Danna entered the room, a bright smile on her face. “You look absolutely stunning, darling!” She hugged Sophie as tight as possible.
“You too, Mum.” Sophie pulled back, noticing that her mum had a bit of make-up on. Danna never wore make-up. Ever.
Sophie’s eyes widened, ready to gasp dramatically for full effect. “Mum, you’re wearing make-up.” Sophie pointed a finger at her mum. It was an accusation.
Danna, with her long silver hair and golden eyes, stuttered but righted herself just as quickly. “So what if I am?” She turned to start toward the front door.
Sophie followed, a wolfish grin on her face. “It’s Ares isn’t it? You’re seeing him.”
Danna pushed out the front door with her head held high. Sophie locked her front door behind them. Before them stood a pearl-coated arion with blond wings. “Thanks for waiting, Spirit.” Danna ran her hand across the arion’s neck before pulling herself up with ease. She reached back, lending a hand to Sophie who pushed up and over Spirit, seating herself behind Danna.
Sophie embraced her mother. It’d been a while since she’d done it. Ever since Danna had admitted to shielding Sophie’s memories, it felt like there was a wedge between them. A wedge that was tall and intimidating. Sure, a part of her was angry but there was also a part of her that was tired and ready to move on. The road ahead for them wasn’t going to be smooth, but at least there would be one.
Danna made a sharp clicking sound and the arion boosted into the air. Sophie could feel the tension in her mother, her back tense. “He makes me feel safe, Sophie,” Danna said lowly. A taste of reservation and guilt hung around her words.
Sophie tucked her chin onto her mother’s shoulder, feeling the mana that calmed her through childhood and even now in moments like this. “That’s what matters most, Mum. You shouldn’t feel guilty either. If father was the way you had described him, a good male, then he’d be happy knowing you’d found happiness. I’m certain of it,” Sophie offered.
Danna remained quiet for some time. The only sound breaking their silence was the beating of the Spirit’s wings and the gush of air around them as they soared over the Isle of Deos.
Danna’s voice was soft again. Solemn. “I looked for him. From the Meadows of Mainn. It all happened so long ago. I thought, maybe there’s a slim chance he’s there by the river, waiting for me. I even searched Soul City”—Danna scoffed—“The thing with most souls in the Elysian Fields, is that they find peace. And I know that if I found peace, I wouldn’t want to leave it either.” She let out a long breath. The type that only a heavy heart could muster. “He was a good male.”
Sophie smiled. “Then be happy, Mum. You deserve it.”
Danna’s body softened at the words. They remained that way for the remainder of the flight. Sophie with her arms around her mother’s waist, and Danna leaning back into Sophie.
Sophie followed behind Danna as they pushed into the golden doors of Ares’s home. Correction, mansion. The white marble house could easily fit ten of Sophie’s villas. Ancient weapons, shields and armour lined every single wall as if it were a museum. The click of their sandals on the pristine floor echoed as they walked down the hallway. Sophie had to pick her jaw up from the floor as she spotted a large shield and sword, encased in glass. The plaque below it read Achilles.
She was in the freaking Greek god of war’s home. The actual son of Zeus and Hera, who had freaking ancient Greek artifacts that no human had ever laid eyes upon. Artifacts that were on display in his home as if they were random golf trophies. What was Sophie’s life right now?
Danna resorted to dragging Sophie by her neck because she couldn’t stop gawking, fawning and silent squealing from artifact to artifact down the hall.
They stopped before a set of large golden doors. Pushing them with her magic, Danna grabbed Sophie’s hand and together they walked over the threshold.
The doors opened to a large, circular dining room etched out of marble. Golden tapestry lined the entire wall. Towering marble columns surrounded the sunken dining area where a long table sat in the middle, laden with fruits and starters. Ares stood up to greet them. Deymos, Eros and Nemy did the same, but Sophie’s vision simmered and tunnelled in on one person only.
Her mouth instantly fell dry.
Ash. Ash.
His long hair was slicked back into a tight bun so that part of his undercut was on display. A thin golden diadem with a small angel wing beside his temples painted him the image of a perfect pious angel. A golden sash covered parts of his chest and wrapped tightly around his waist. His dark tattoos popped out against the warm tones of his clothes and Sophie never felt so powerless. Her knees quaked and her heart hammered like a fool. He was an angel. A perfect fucking angel and he was her damned date for the Ephemeral Ball. How had she managed that?
Ash grinned his bright, gummy smile she knew he only reserved for her. Sophie’s ovaries self-detonated. Her will and resolve dissolved into nothingness and her throat . . . so, so dry.
Someone please get me some water. Girl dying from thirst here. Sophie made a squeaking noise that was a mixture of gushing and terror.
Ash walked over to Sophie, and she swore time itself died just so she could savour every moment of this. His thick, corded, muscled thighs peeked through the golden sash he wore as he moved closer. He grabbed Sophie’s hand with confidence and bent low, placing a chaste kiss on the back of her hand. His large white wings, no longer patchy, spread out behind him, encompassing her entire field of vision. Those turquoise smoking eyes burned into her and didn’t dare leave. He mouthed a greeting, but Sophie’s couldn’t hear through the roaring in her ears.
What was happening? Why did it feel like the entire world was spinning away and the only thing that survived the chaos was Ash? Why did it feel like her stomach had been sucker punched into another realm and at the same time, her heart was soaring in the clouds? It was a confounding conundrum of emotions but what Sophie knew for sure, was that she wanted to feel this high forever. Whatever it was, she’d take it.
Sophie gulped.
The sound of Danna clearing her throat snapped Sophie back to reality quicker than a rubber band. Sophie gave Ash a light, breathy smile. She probably looked like she was off with the fairies, but she didn’t care.
Sophie turned to find Ares with his arms outstretched, waiting to greet her. “Hi Ares, how are you?” Sophie laughed, stepping into the Ares’s embrace. He hugged her like she was his child and it made Sophie feel all sorts of warm.
“Very well.” Ares guffawed, his laughter vibrating through Sophie. “Happy Ephemeral Eclipse.” He let her go to greet everyone else in the room.
Deymos, Eros and Nemy swarmed around Sophie, offering their Ephemeral Eclipse wishes. They all wore similar sashes to Ash. Deymos wore all grey, while Eros wore white. Nemy wore a beautiful green chiton, embellished with gold leaves. It complemented her chestnut hair and wings perfectly.
Beyond the dining table was a wide balcony. Three large marble arches encased the balcony, which overlooked the dense jungle of the Isle. Above in the night sky, the moon shined with fervour as the eclipse slowly took its place. The sounds of insects buzzing and singing made its way through the dining room and everything, for once, felt at peace.
Ares moved to the head of the table with Danna in tow, her hand gently placed in the crook of his arm. She moved to his left, standing behind her seat. Sophie moved to sit next to her mother. Deymos took a seat to Ares’s right. Nemy slotted in next to him with Eros on the end. It left Ash sitting right next to Sophie.
They all shared warm smiles across the table, and it honestly felt like a perfect Australian Christmas. Not that Sophie had ever had one, but this was as close as it was going to get. The only thing she was missing was Elowan, Zala . . . and Cam.
Ares cleared his throat. “Thank you all for coming. My children,”—Ares pointed to the angels in the room—“my light”—he then pointed to Danna—“and the new force to be reckoned with.” Ares gave Sophie a wink. “Every three years, we come together to celebrate life and love under the eclipse of the moon. And this year, we are blessed with additions to our found family.” From the folds of the Between, Ares manifested what looked like a snow globe. In its centre spun a replica of the moon. He held it between his two hands and shot a sprout of his power into it. The golden sparkling power danced happily around the moon. He passed it around the table, each person imbuing the globe with a shot of their power.
As it reached Nemy, Ash leaned in closer to Sophie, his wing coming to wrap around her, but not quite touching her. “It’s a tradition of ours. Each eclipse, we put a tendril of our power in the globe to perfectly encapsulate who was here and how we felt,” he explained.
Sophie craned her neck to look up at Ash. “Like a little time capsule?”
Ash nodded as he took the globe from Eros. He quickly shot his power into it. The globe was now full of energy that danced around the little moon that was inside. Ash gently passed it to Sophie who marvelled at the little time capsule of power. She pushed a tiny piece of her mana into the globe, and she could see the purple magic twist and shout around the moon, among the other pieces of power that lived in there.
There was something special about all of this. Not once had Sophie felt so full of warm love. Her childhood was always cold and distant, as if she was never really there. This felt real.
Sophie passed the globe to her mother who repeated the process with a tender smile across her face. Ares moved to take the globe from Danna. Sophie’s eyes caught at how he purposefully brushed his fingers across hers, stealing moments wherever he could.
Ares levitated the globe and placed it in the centre of the table. “Let the feast begin!” With a click of his fingers, food appeared. Roasts, seafood and hearty vegetables lay across the table. Everyone dived into conversation as soft classical music spilled into the room.
They spoke about their childhood, their favourite battles and the funny moments spread out in between. Ares was basically a walking encyclopedia and Sophie was eager to listen. Her heart was full and so was her belly – from laughter and food. She didn’t even have enough room for dessert and that was a first.
Ares leaned back into his seat, his wings stretching out behind him. “Acheron, I heard you’re heading to the ball. Who’s the lucky lass?”
Nemy gasped. “It’s Chronos isn’t it? That sneaky angel has finally worn you down.”
Ares leaned in, eating up the gossip with a smirk. He pointed a finger at Ash who had storm clouds brewing around him. Sophie laughed, happy to not save Ash from this embarrassment. Though a pang of jealousy made its way through Sophie’s chest at the name of another female who sought Ash’s attention.
“She has always been persistent. She is a quite a good match for—” Ares didn’t get to finish the words as Sophie let out a warning growl. A full-blown, territorial-Fae growl. She didn’t mean to. Sophie blanched.
Did I just growl like a fucking territorial Fae bastard?
Sophie cleared her throat, grabbed her goblet of wine and stood abruptly. “If anyone needs me, I’ll be on the balcony watching the eclipse.” Sophie’s smile was more of a grimace.
Sophie passed Danna, who gave an amused, knowing smile. Ares however, looked severely apologetic. Of course, he hadn’t known that Ash had asked her to the Ephemeral Ball, not when every chance she could, Sophie would refer to Ash as her best friend and nothing more. But there was no denying how she felt now. The warning growl was proof enough that even the fibres of her being knew where she wanted to be when it came to Ash. Even if her brain and heart hadn’t really caught up. It was a startling revelation and made her feel a little uneasy.
Sophie climbed onto the balustrade of one of the balcony arches, careful not to spill her wine as she did. The moon was almost fully eclipsed and the jungle before her was darker than she’d ever seen it before. It made the stars burn brighter in the sky.
A rustle of wings sounded behind her, and Sophie turned to find Ash, holding back a smirk. Sophie rolled her eyes but patted the space next to her so he could sit. He obeyed, lifting himself up with a flutter of his wings to gently sit down beside her. They said nothing for a while. All they could do was stare at each other. Unspoken words lay heavily between them. Sophie wished upon every star in the sky that they would be spoken but something like fear wrapped around her throat. She’d let the steel walls around her heart down before, and well, that didn’t turn out too great, did it?
It was Ash who broke first. “Listen, I—” He didn’t finish his words as the rest of the dinner party came tumbling out of the dining room, loud and unruly.
Deymos levitated over to Ash, clasping a strong hand on Ash’s shoulder. He moved to kiss Sophie’s cheek. “Happy first Ephemeral Eclipse, Sophie.” Deymos beamed. His shadows weren’t out on display today.
Danna moved to Sophie and hugged her close. “Happy Ephemeral Eclipse, my darling.”
“You too, Mum.” Sophie squished herself against her mother.
Danna moved to Ares who stood just behind the others, watching the moon with content in his eyes. Deymos, Nemy and Eros climbed onto the balustrade, next to Ash. Ash scooched over just the slightest to give them room, his wing gently brushing Sophie’s back.
Sophie laughed as Eros fought to sit beside Ash, but Deymos wouldn’t let him. They pushed each other around like pups in a pack.
A moment later, the group fell silent, watching the moon as it became fully eclipsed. Sophie leaned back on her hands, letting her feet dangle over the edge. She breathed it all in. The Godlands washed over in darkness, and it felt like everyone had let loose a breath.
From the corner of her eye, Sophie noticed Ash leaning back on his hands too. The smallest, tension-filled space separated their hands. And Sophie’s hand burned to touch his. They’d held hands before, but this was different. This was all consuming. A moment before the flood gates opened, but could she cross the line with her best friend? Sophie didn’t dare look at Ash. What if he didn’t feel the same way she did? Would their friendship ever be the same if they did cross the line from best friend to something more?
The stars above rattled to life, dancing around to a waltz that Sophie could not hear but felt in her soul. She’d seen this before. Her eyes widened just a fraction. The Ephemeral Lights, made of blue-and-green swirls, from the night she had escaped Faery with her mother. Tears stung behind her eyes. She committed this to memory. She had dreamt of and thought of these lights for all her life. They kept her grounded and they kept her calm. And suddenly she remembered why she had committed these to memory. Even though she was young, she never wanted to forget the tether that had been torn to shreds as she left Faery. The tether whose other end belonged to Ash.
The dinner party whooped and cheered, but Sophie and Ash didn’t. They continued watching the night sky come to life. She was wondering if he too was remembering that fateful night they parted ways.
As if in answer, Sophie felt a feather light touch on the back of her hand.
Still, she did not look at him. She was scared to. She worried about how hard her heart was beating. Singing. The warmth of his skin was like a lullaby that soothed the fire burning inside her.
He was seeking permission. And by the Fates, for Sophie, it was a yes. For one night at least. She could do that right?
Softly, gingerly, with all the care in the world, she flipped her hand over, letting him intertwine his hand with hers.
Together, they watched the night sky.
Two halves of a whole.