Chapter 4
Alex was giving me a funny look when she shook me out of bed. “Get up!” she prodded, pulling my covers away. I wanted to do nothing of the sort. Gods, how could one person be so energetic? “Or are you too sleepy?” she joked. “Because you came back so late last night?”
Alright, that got me up. “No,” I moaned as I rolled off the mattress. “I was just walking, that’s all. I guess I was out for a while. Maybe I got carried away.” I rubbed my eyes and moved toward the wash. My sisters were way ahead of me.
“Uh-huh,” she mocked. “You know, you’ll have to tell me about these long ‘walks’ eventually.
” She gave my shoulder a little shove and studied my expression closely, looking for a reaction.
Clearly she saw something of interest, as she broke into a grin and waggled her eyebrows.
Fuck, I must have been blushing. Damn my stupid face.
“Oh, sister, it’s okay,” she said happily, sensing my restraint. She wrapped her arms around my shoulders and gave me a squeeze. “I just hope your walks are satisfying. And that you let us in on it someday.” She giggled, then let me go to finish pinning up her hair.
Ugh, she was right; I would likely have to say something eventually. They knew me too well. But at least they valued my privacy now, making this a problem that could be put off to another day.
Today’s problem was mustering the energy for another round of festival preparations.
It promised to be just as difficult as yesterday, with the added trouble of the wet grounds left over from last night’s rain.
After morning prayers were finished, we all ventured out in working clothes and messy updos to pick up where we’d left off.
Our keeper chased us around all afternoon to make sure not a breath was wasted.
It worked—I mean, the preparations were completed at record pace—but we ended the day exhausted and in a sour mood.
As the temple workers were packing up, I made my way over to Alex. “I’m going for a walk,” I said wearily. “Not sure when I’ll be back.” My sister patted me proudly on the shoulder, then nodded and herded everyone else inside.
I grabbed a lantern and began my trip out to the scholarly gazebos.
The sky was already growing dark, but the little flame lit my path well.
The brush was wet and cool beneath my feet, and the crisp breeze helped to keep me alert.
There was still a skip in my step as I approached our meeting place.
Unsurprisingly, there was no one out here.
It was rare for anyone to come at night.
I peered into a few of the enclosures before I found the one with the purple blanket tucked beneath the seat.
I set my lantern onto the small center table, then sank onto the bench and enclosed myself in the stolen fabric.
Warm inside my luxurious cocoon, I propped my feet up on the edge of the table and leaned back, eyes closed. Yes, this was nice.
Only a short time passed before the sound of ruffling feathers startled me back to attention.
Beneath the entrance archway, Thanatos fluffed out his wings, and for the briefest moment I could see the little violet lights that flitted around them.
“Hello,” he said, his eyes twinkling in the lamplight.
He performed his weird teleporting flutter and appeared seated at my side.
“Hi,” I said cheerily as I turned to face him. “How do things go in the realm of death?”
“Mmm, same as always.” He arranged his wings a few different ways before settling into a satisfied position. He met my eyes and licked his lips, then paused, his brows drawing together. “You look…oh, shit.”
“What’s the matter?” I asked in alarm.
He dropped his face into his hands, then glanced back at me timidly, a touch of color warming his cheeks. “I am sorry. Somehow I forgot about sleep. How you need to do it. You have been putting it off to see me, haven’t you?”
“Are you saying I look tired?” I protested. “Because you’re not supposed to say that to ladies.”
He laughed. “You look…fatigued? In a very attractive way?”
“Hmm.” I considered him, and concluded that all of the attractiveness in this room had to be his: lovely expressive eyes, lovely light blond hair, lovely teasing grin.
Perfect fucking cheekbones. Damn it, he was always going to win me over.
“Ugh, I suppose I’ll allow that. Are you saying you don’t sleep? ”
He raised an eyebrow. “Do I seem like the type of god who would sleep?”
Right, silly question. “Point taken.”
He flicked his wings and gave me a lopsided smile. “Not many in the Underworld care for it,” he explained. “I suppose I probably could if I wanted to, but I have never had the desire without my brother around. Oh, and I rarely eat, as well…but I did remember that one!” he added defensively.
I giggled. “Don’t worry. I’m ‘fatigued’ because of work just as much as this. And only one of those things is enjoyable.”
“Well, you should sleep, regardless,” he advised. “You have to do…priestess things soon, do you not?”
I scoffed. “Don’t you tell me when to sleep! You clearly know nothing about it. And I have a whole day before I have to do ‘priestess things.’”
“But I am going to feel bad about it now.”
“Stop it, then!” I retorted, laughing. “I want to see you!”
He shook his head and attempted to hide his smile behind a dissatisfied sigh. “Stubborn mortal,” he grumbled. But then a sudden playfulness lit his features. “Lie here with me, then, if you feel so strongly about staying.”
I prepared to argue, but stopped when I processed what he’d said. “I—what, seriously?” A wave of heat flashed through my body, and I raised an eyebrow at him.
“Sleep here. Everyone gets what they want.” His tone was innocent, but mischief was written on his face. The corners of his lips curved upward, teasing.
“Oh. I mean, fuck,” I stammered, my face turning crimson. He grinned at my embarrassment, and I surrendered. “Fine, then. I will!”
I wasn’t sure if he’d expected me to actually do it, but too late!
I closed the distance between us before my nerves could catch up.
And that was how I ended up cuddled in some fucking scholar’s hut, wrapped in a nobleman’s stolen blanket, with my head resting in Death’s lap.
Tension spiked, then eased, and I relaxed against his warmth.
“Much better,” Thanatos murmured. He rested his hand on my shoulder and softly traced some pattern against my skin with his thumb. I snuggled against him, heartbeat pounding in my ears, wishing I could see his face so I could try to guess at his thoughts.
“You’re going to get bored of me now,” I mumbled.
“I doubt it,” he retorted quietly, his gossamer touch drifting down my arm. “Is this alright?” he added. “I can stop.”
“Don’t stop,” I breathed.
My mind had never been so conflicted. Sleep, of course, beckoned my exhausted body.
Meanwhile, my heartbeat raced at the reality of my lying in his fucking lap, stirring up all sorts of flutters in my insides and prickly tingles across my skin.
I kept my eyes closed and tried to focus on the gentle drift of his fingers.
It was soothing, almost reverent, and I sighed contentedly.
Sleep was winning. He always got what he wanted, didn’t he?
I would curse him for it if he wasn’t so sweet.
I slipped into dreams, not stirring for what must have been hours. Deep in the night, I woke only to the low murmur of his voice and the soft stroke of his fingers in my hair.
“Cyrie?” he whispered.
“Mmhmm?” I didn’t want to open my eyes.
“I have to go,” he said softly. “I am going to put you in bed, okay?”
“Mmmkay.”
I felt him scoop me up and set me down again on what was presumably my own mattress. I peeked through my lashes and smiled up at him lazily, and he gave my forehead a little pet. “Go be mortal,” said Thanatos. “Honor your Olympians. I will see you after your celebration.”
* * *
Did that actually happen? This was my very first thought upon waking to morning sunlight. The night had definitely been good-dream material, so a healthy sense of skepticism was required in my analysis. It was real, though, I decided. I had undeniably snuggled the god of death last night.
My thoughts seemed to be confirmed when Sophie asked what time I’d come to bed. “I didn’t even hear the door open,” she said, “which is sort of a miracle, knowing how squeaky that thing is.” I played it off with a stupid joke about how sneaky I could be if I tried.
Now I have to come to terms with how much I liked it.
This was my second consideration of the morning, a bit more weighty than the first. I mulled it over as I made my bed and changed my clothes.
He’d stayed with me for hours. Me: a boring, sleeping human.
I remembered the sweet caress of his fingers in my hair and the tender way he held me when he carried me to bed.
The feel of him was burned into my memory.
Just the fact that he liked to touch me at all made my pulse flutter.
But hope was a dangerous thing, and something I was not prepared to allow.
It wasn’t me he wanted, I told myself. Underneath my unusual perception, I was just another mortal destined for reaping.
It wasn’t me that made us special; it was only my sight.
Surely he’d move on from me soon enough, and it wouldn’t do for me to be lovesick when it happened.
So I threw myself into our last day of festival preparations and tried to forbid myself from thinking on it any more.
Luckily, there was no more manual labor for us priestesses.
After prayers, it was a day of setup and final checks.
Since the procession would begin at dawn tomorrow, we were expected to bathe in the evening, then retire early in order to conserve our energy. My sisters and I eagerly obliged.