Aeëtes had no words. No wonder she was so afraid, so hesitant to believe that there could be a happy ending in store for her. She had spent her immortal life by reliving the same story over and over again, acting like her own confirmation bias. It was a wicked way to patch up over her heartbreak, but he couldn’t blame her for it. His thoughts quickly turned violent again as he mulled it over in his mind.
“What happened to her lover?” Aeëtes growled the words, grinding his teeth together as he turned to look at Thanatos.
“Hades had his shade destroyed.” Thanatos said it so casually that it reminded Aeëtes he was dealing with the God of death. Aeëtes’s doubts crept in.
“Did Hades and Hecate…?”
“No,” Thanatos laughed at that, which brought Aeëtes peace that the idea seemed preposterous to him. “Absolutely not. There is a deep respect there, and they are both creatures of the Underworld. Hecate did him a favor, and he responded in kind, although you’ll have to ask him for that story.”
Aeëtes felt his body shiver. “I’d really rather not.”
Thanatos’s tricky grin was back. “You’ll meet him sooner or later. Especially if your fate stays intertwined with hers.”
“May the Fates keep their course,” Aeëtes muttered under his breath, saying a quick prayer to the sisters. The light was beginning to shift all around them, and the earliest rays of the sunrise were peeking through the stars. Thanatos looked up at the shifting night sky, able to discern the shape of his mother and father among the stars.
“I must be going. My work never ends.”
“I would imagine—”
Thanatos cut him off, stepping forward and placing a hand on Aeëtes’s shoulder. “Listen to me, son of Helios, prince of Colchis. I have seen your fate wrapped around Hecate’s, and they glowed like the gifts of your father. You will not find that it is an easy path or a fast one. The only reason that I have told you this story here today is to remind you that Hecate’s willingness to love is not centered on you. It is her own fears that hold her back. If you understand her…may you be prepared to face whatever obstacles come up between you.”
Aeëtes was silent, the weight of Thanatos’s words settling over him. The God of death was not one to trifle with, and there was a threat in his words, too. Aeëtes could only nod in response as the dark, blue clouds began swirling around them again, Thanatos beginning to fade into them.
“Remember, Aeëtes,” his voice was disembodied and already being carried away on the wind, “what happens to the shades of men who break Hecate’s heart.”
26
Aeëtes watched until Thanatos faded away, the god’s words ringing in his ear. He didn’t care how many threats he faced; there was only one woman for him, and that was Hecate.
You really have lost your mind.Aeëtes rolled his eyes at no one in particular, looking around and noticing that the ship was still quiet. The sunrise was now in full-force, and he found himself looking at it with a particular level of indifference. He watched as the sun climbed higher, and with it, his distaste for his father grew. His thoughts drifted to Circe, whom Helios had admonished, and how he didn’t seem to care what happened to his children after he abandoned them in Colchis.
Abandoned probably isn’t a fair word,Aeëtes’s chided himself. He did love his adoptive parents, but after learning about everything that happened with his sister, it sat with him differently.
There would still be an hour yet before the crew began springing to life, and Aeëtes found himself making his way back towards Hecate’s cabin. The fact that he had a cabin of his own conveniently slipped his mind…as well as his resolve to give Hecate some space. Before knocking on her door, he slipped towards the storerooms, grabbing a couple of bundles he would use as a peace offering.
He knocked once and waited, wondering if it was impolite to knock again or if he should take a hint. As he was deciding, Hecate swung the door open with a surprised look on her face.
“What are you doing up so early?” she mumbled, running a hand over her face and disappearing back inside. “And why did you have to wake me up with you?”
Aeëtes followed her and shut the door with his foot, placing the satchels and wrapped pieces of cloth down on a barrel. He turned to look at her and found himself smiling, his stomach turning in playful knots as she sat down on the bed. Hecate’s hair was loose from its braid and was mussed from sleep, her eyes blinking as she got used to the morning light. She lookedsoftand utterly touchable.
She shifted on the bed, crossing her legs as her stare turned more inquisitive. “Aeëtes?” Her voice was coaxing, still rough with sleep, and it brought all of him to attention. “Was there a reason you came to wake me up?”
She leaned back on her elbows, the movement pushing her breasts out ever so slightly. Aeëtes gaped openly, her seduction of him obvious. He took a step towards her and stopped, shaking his head and remembering that he had a plan. In that same instant, it dawned on him that she had misread his expression.
“I brought breakfast.” He motioned towards the bundles. “I thought that you might want to eat with me.”
Hecate’s head tilted to one side, looking confused. “If you want to have sex, you don’t need to bribe me.” There was a playful look in her eyes, but there was more hidden in her tone.
“No.” Aeëtes coughed, taking a step back. Hecate sat up quickly, a sharp sting of rejection quickly piercing her side. He saw it on her face and immediately began backtracking. “Not that I wouldn’t— I would, you would…it was good when we…I mean.” Aeëtes was now red with embarrassment, and Hecate bit her lip to stifle her laughter, realizing that it was not a question of desire. Aeëtes watched her and sighed, a dopey grin on his face, shrugging good-naturedly.
“You brought breakfast just to…” she trailed off, confused as to why he would’ve come back for anything else. Not that she was complaining, per se.
“Yes.” Aeëtes nodded slowly, a certain hesitancy in his voice. He felt a sick realization wash over him, evaporating what was left of his good mood. “Hecate…have you never…” His voice trailed off. “Like, after a night with someone, just…had breakfast?”
Hecate felt her face heat up, and she wanted to drown in her embarrassment. She chewed on her cheek, struggling with the realization of how jaded she was. She wondered if he was judging her.
Aeëtes, who owed quite a bit of his emotional intelligence now to due to Thanatos’s willingness for stories, was one step ahead. He got down on one knee in front of her, one of his hands encompassing both of hers. Hecate turned her face away so he wouldn’t see how wet her eyes were.
