43. Daughter Of The Fates
Haera
Time felt like it never moved in this castle, Haera realized when she woke up. She had no idea how to figure out whether she’d been asleep for houyras, or syrises had passed since she’d closed her eyes. Somehow, it was comforting. She didn’t have to keep track of daylight to make sure that she could be home before sunset. She didn’t have to turn all the lights in her cottage off at nights to prevent The Shadow from getting any ideas about attacking her while she was at home. She didn’t need to fear anymore.
The throbbing between her thighs reminded her of what she’d done every time she moved – of what she’d signed up for with her mate. Of how easily she’d submitted to his demands. To his hands. To his praise. Gods . Just the memory of the things he’d confessed to wanting to do had her gushing arousal again, and cheeks flaming, she forced herself out of the sticky mess she was making and hobbled to the shower room attached to his bedroom.
He was long gone, having woken up before her. Not that gods slept to begin with. She smiled. He’d been content to hold her while she slept. He’d left, but she’d felt his kiss on her forehead as he was easing out of bed. No part of her twinged with shame, or regret. No part of her feared being abandoned. She was his. He was hers. The bond was overflowing with euphoria.
After a shower in the entirely glass bathroom that looked out into the stars and the vast expanse of space, she rummaged through Theos’ closet and pulled one of his button-up shirts over her freshly scrubbed skin. It flowed down to mid-thigh, and she giggled at her reflection in the mirror. She looked like a child in his clothing. She looked like a child standing next to him. She felt so small when he was holding her open. Gods . She hurried towards the door before her wayward thoughts could sink into her.
Determined to find something to do besides sit and stare into the universe, she opened Theos’ door and wandered out into the corridor. Before her eyes, the long expansive walkway that led to a deadened shifted, flitting back and forth between shadows and light until it revealed a much shorter corridor with a left and a right turn at its end. At the crossroads, she looked down each corridor, willing the bond to lead her to her mate. Moving slowly to keep the ache in her thighs at bay, she made her way gingerly down the left corridor, to a room where she found Theos standing with two other gods.
All the attention in the room shifted to her as soon as she appeared in the doorway, the conversation dying down until she could hear her own blood rushing in her ears. Sheepishly, she waved a hand. The god with long black hair and blue eyes stared at her intensely, and when she met his gaze, a wave of sickening familiarity washed over her.
“You can come in, little love,” Theos called, his lips twitching into a smile.
“Oh!” she exclaimed, blushing furiously at the intense attention on her. “I – I think I might wander around a bit and leave you to it…” she tried to turn around to walk away and found herself staring at the chest of the third entity she had just been nervously staring at. She shrieked, stepping backwards too quickly and toppling over.
Kheos’ hands darted out to catch her, pulling her easily to her feet again. “Humans,” he murmured. “They startle so easily.” Haera stared, transfixed by his tanned skin and the markings all across it. Kheos turned to walk away. “You may join your mate. I…sense that my presence makes you uncomfortable, so I will depart.”
─── ?? ? ?? ───
Kheos & Haera
“Wait,” she called out weakly, feeling Theos’ attention burning into her back. “Do I know you?”
“No.” Kheos answered firmly, not turning to look at her lest the emotion overwhelm him .
“But you feel so…familiar.” She finally whispered.
That made Kheos stop, and slowly, he turned. He should keep walking. But he was so weak for her. He always was. “What a strange thing to say, little human.” He said, more to himself than to her.
“Are you…” Haera hesitated, swallowing thickly around the lump in her throat. “Are you Kheos?”
Kheos winced at the sound of his name coming from her lips. “ I am .”
Absently, Haera took a step forward. “Hi,” she whispered.
Kheos angled his head at her. “Hello, little human.”
She was moving towards him now, more sure. “I do know you.” She breathed as she came to a stop before the god who towered over her.
Kheos’ features contorted into a mixture of pain and grief. “I suppose my brother has already spoken ill of me in your hearing and now you also find me to be your mortal enemy much like the rest of the worlds –”
Haera shook her head, and Kheos’ words died in his throat. He cleared it, obviously uncomfortable. “That isn’t why I recognized you.”
Kheos angled his head even further, eyes sweeping over her from her still wet curls to her toes. “Then what is it, little human?”
“All created things know their creator,” Haera whispered, voice barely audible.
Kheos’ entire frame went rigid. He stared down at Haera, expression flitting between confusion and disbelief. She…knew. “I –”
“You made me?” Haera offered, trying to smile as best as she could to prevent the tears streaming down her cheeks.
“Does that make you hate me even more?” Kheos asked, his voice strained. “To know that I did, and know what you had to go through?”
His heart was rending itself to pieces. His only creation, standing before him, her eyes glistening with tears. The sensation of his child crying was rending him to pieces. How did Theos stand it? To watch the mortals fear and fail and die? To listen to them cry? Gods . He was coming undone at just this one . He had always come undone for her. He’d tried his very best to keep her safe. And he had failed. He couldn’t have done anything more without removing the free will of the mortal who’d harmed her.
Haera’s smile was sad, but she shook her head. No. She didn’t hate him. The realization of it would send him to an early grave. All the secret guilt and shame he had been harbouring was crashing to the forefront. He wanted to sink to his knees. Then, the little human moved, darting forwards and wrapping her arms around his torso, her head only barely reaching the middle of his chest. A child. He had a child. And she was hugging him. She didn’t hate him.
“Fuck.” He rasped, sinking to his knees as helplessly as though he no longer knew how to stand.
Haera let go only long enough to readjust, wrapping her arms around his neck and cradling him to her instead. Theos was in the corridor now, watching their interaction. Kheos’ tears blurred his vision of his brother.
“I’m not angry with you,” Haera whispered, the tears flowing freely down her cheeks too. “It’s not your fault.”
His soul was rending apart. Without thinking, he raised both hands, wrapping them around her and squeezing her to him. “I’m still sorry.” He barely managed to say.
“I know.”
“I’m still so fucking sorry.”