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LOSING
“Where is Eros now?” I ask Hypnos.
Becoming suddenly alert, he sits up in the bed, and I do the same.
“Lost,” Hypnos answers, his gaze distant.
“What do you mean,lost?” My chest tightens., and I can’t breathe. Even in Hypnos’s dreamworld, I feel my physical heart somewhere else, clenching to the point where it feels like it might stop working. I jump up and pace the room, trying to pull in air, but I’m not really breathing air, not here, so I can’t seem to calm down. The room is spinning.
“When Eros lost his part in the bet, Hermes began to claim his power,” Hypnos tells me with a grave voice.
“What?” I grit my teeth. “Erosbetover my soul? It really is all a game.” The truth of that smacks me down, and I let myself fall—not that the fall hurts, unlike my broken heart.
“A game forhim? No, I wouldn’t say that,” Hypnos says.
I need to confront Eros and find out what’s true. Even if he betrayed me with some game, I need to make sure he’s okay.
“Is he… dead? Dying?” I ask, and I realize I really don’t want that to be the case even if he played fast and loose with my soul. I can’t believe he meant to hurt me.
“Not exactly.” Hypnos’s eyes swirl again, black on black. “But soon, he will be gone forever.”
“Can you take me to him?” I grab the god’s arm in desperation.
Hypnos glances down at the contact and frowns. “Yes, but I don’t want to.”
“Why not?” I pull my hand away. “Because you’re trying to win now?”
“No, because it will upset you to see him.”
My blood chills, and I go numb. “I think it’ll be more upsetting if I don’t go.”
“Alright.” Hypnos sighs. “Hold on.”
He reaches out for me and as soon as his arms are around my waist, I’m spinning through an abyss. I would likely vomit if I could sense where my stomach or mouth are. It feels like I’m in about fifty separate locations at once, so it’s far worse than Eros’s transportations.
Instead of landing with a thud, we drift to the ground like a feather. Thank goodness for that, because I’m about to fall over. Hypnos holds onto me for another moment, letting me settle. He presses my head to his massive chest with a protective hand, while his other arm holds me to him.
I twitch to let him know I’m ready to be released, and he slowly uncoils his limbs from me.
Before I can turn, he catches my chin. “Whatever you do, don’t blame yourself.”
I’m about to argue, but Hypnos seems to know me. I turn around and see Eros collapsed on the floor, looking half drained of life, and I burst out with a sob and guilt.
Is this happening because I didn’t accept him?
I run to his side and drop to my knees. “Eros!”
It takes a moment for him to look at me, but when he does, his eyes are completely dazed.
With surprise in his voice, Hypnos says, “You pulled him back?”
This is pulled back? How far gone is he?
Eros reaches out for my face, but it’s a strain for him to do so. We try to touch each other’s hands, but I’m only there in my dream body.
Confused for a moment, he glances over to see Hypnos, and Eros nods slightly and then turns back to me. “What are you doing here, love?”
“Me?” I shake my head, and tears fall from my eyes. “What’s going on? Why would you bet on my soul and lose your powers? Are you nuts?”
