“Do go on. You’re making such an eloquent point that I’m enraptured with your cause,” Hecate deadpanned, her gaze nearly withering a man as ancient as time itself. Erebus shook his head.
“I’m not going to do this again. Nyx will understand. I am not going to do anything to separate myself from her.”
There was a tense silence that settled over the kitchen as Hecate continued to stare at Erebus with an imperceptible look in her eyes.
“She’s worried she’s already lost you, Erebus.” Her voice softened. “You’ve waxed so much poetic,” Hecate waved a hand in the air, “about wanting to bein the light…It makes her question every moment you’ve spent in the darkness together. Between the two of you—”
“It’s a lot of darkness.” He sighed, rubbing his hands over his face. “How? How could that make her question everything that we’ve built together?” Hecate shrugged, finally taking her stare off Erebus and grabbing a jar from her apothecary table.
“I’d say ‘she’s human’ but that isn’t true. She’s a woman though and a strong one at that. It’s the way of strong women to be prepared for the day that a man can’t accept their strength anymore.”
Erebus said nothing, sitting down once more at the table as his mind ran in a million different directions. He had been convinced that they had gotten over the worst of their issues together, but Hecate’s prophecy had dragged everything back up to the surface. Things that he didn’t even know were there. He was embarrassed that he hadn’t considered the effect that his intentions would have on Nyx. Everything Erebus symbolized was action. He had never had an issue with Nyx consuming him, bringing on nightfall, giving him a place to operate in the darkness. The idea that he had different allegiances now, even if he didn’t act on them, would hurt her… Of course, of course they would.
As old as the universe, only ever been with one woman—and I still find a way to mess it up.
“Erebus,” Hecate snapped him out of his trance.
“Yes?”
“You certainly aren’t going to solve your problems sitting in my kitchen.” She looked towards the door. “Nyx thought you were right behind her.” Erebus shook his head as if he could rattle his thoughts free, and stood quickly. Hecate looked him over once more like she was analyzing his intentions, and Erebus went after his wife.
???
Nyx waited in Tartarus,knowing the moment that Erebus had followed. He hadn’t followed her as soon as she left Hecate’s home, and she figured the goddess had a word or two reserved just for her consort. She waited, keeping her eye on the horizon in her corporeal form as she felt him materialize around her.
“What else did Hecate say to you?”
There was a tone in her voice that felt distant, aching. It struck something in Erebus, and he wondered if that prophecy was all that it took to send them both careening once more towards division. He watched as rogue stardust settled on her shoulders, wondering how often the cosmos she contained felt like the weight of the world. His shadows flickered around him in response as if they anticipated the weight of her absence.
“She loves you deeply.” Erebus shrugged. “Your friend.”
“She does.” Nyx turned to faced him and there were tears in her eyes. “Do you?” The question was singular and defiant; it rocked Erebus once more to his core.
“I know I’ve hurt you.” His brow furrowed as he took one small step forward, giving Nyx plenty of time to retreat. When she didn’t move, he took another step forward. “You must understand, anything that I feel about joining Zeus, it doesn’t mean that I don’t love you. Love us. Lovethis.”
He took one step closer. The tears broke on Nyx’s cheeks.
“This whole thing frightens me,” she shook her head, “Gaia has told me to stay away from it. We’ve all heard Hecate. It’s not about power…”
“What is it?” Erebus’s voice was pleading, begging for some insight into what was happening in his beloved’s head.
“We’reprimordials,” Nyx sighed, tossing her head over her shoulder as her voice got angry. “If Zeus is overthrowing Kronos, some titan, in a power grab, do you really think he won’t try to come up with a plan to getusunder heel?”
“He wouldn’t dare!” Erebus’s voice rose, his shadows flaring out from all around him and immediately flocking around Nyx as if protecting her from an invisible threat. Nyx looked at them with a small, wistful smile.
“I shouldn’t be upset…” she said softly. “You’ve agreed with me, but feeling that you don’t want this, that it is only a matter of time until you give in…”
Erebus crossed the remaining distance between them and pulled Nyx to his chest, his hand going up and tangling in her hair. He led her to the crook of his shoulder, letting his body wrap around her like armor as she shook with silent sobs.
“Nýchta.” Erebus’s voice was a quiet, gravelly whisper as he turned to her ear. “I’m so sorry. I don’t regret a moment with you. How could I? Everything I do is for more moments with you.”
“This does not need to concern us.” Nyx pulled back from him, something wild and untamed in her eyes as she gripped his face. “Who have you become?”
Erebus’s eyes went wide as her panic washed over him, feeling the anxiety rising in Nyx like a wave of her own power. A wave that she wasn’t in control of. He watched her for another moment, afraid to breathe while she searched his eyes. Another moment passed and before he could let her worries consume her, Erebus leaned forward and kissed her. There was something panicked about it, rushed and frightened, an embrace that was frantic and fearful as if every second they had was already stolen.
For the first time since time, Erebus and Nyx found no comfort in their intimacy. It was like an aftertaste, a memory or recollection of a feeling that was quickly fading—something already gone.
14
