He doesnt play by the rules...

 

I stand up and wave at Halcyone as I walk out of the library. She looks up from her book in surprise and I feel guilty for ditching her without warning. Several groups glance up as I pass and I hear scraps of conversations, “she fought alongside Mogh, Broke up with Ares, no he broke up with her, shh you idiot, she heard you.” I exit the library and head up to Eros' office. I walk hurriedly, hoping that I'll be able to get him to help me. I knock and wait for him to answer. Nothing. I knock again, harder this time. I spin around upset and disappointed and there he is behind me, looking at me with a mixture of curiosity and amusement. I bite my lips in anger, painfully aware of how ridiculous I look.

“I was hoping you could help me...”

“To button your shirt?” Eros gestures towards my chest. I look down and, omg, my shirt is practically open, exposing the top of my b***s. Oh great. I button it with speed.

Eros nods and open his office, stepping back for me to go in first. He shuts it behind us. “Well I read my file and well, thanks again because now I'm sure of what I need to practice.”

“No prob.” he takes the file and places it on his desk on top of a pile of other identical folders.

“i know its asking a big favor and I barely even know you but can you show me how to conjure. Its always been a problem for me.”

“Sure Selene but don't say we barely know each other, that sounds bad,” he says laughingly, “but, I'm just curious. I read Ares' file and he is excellent in conjuring,summoning and shape shifting. Why didn't you ever ask him for help?”

I try to answer truthfully, “Well, I know it was dumb of me but I felt kinda embarrassed to ask Ares for help.”

“and you are not embarrassed to ask me?” he is staring at me intently now and I look away.

“No.”

“Well, we can't practice the Arts in here. Lets go outside.” We go downstairs using a staircase that is hardly used instead of the courtyard in order to attract less attention. It is very dark outside and I shiver from more than the chilliness. We are in the back of Nightschool and Eros takes off his shirt. I am tempted to run my hands over his chiseled his chest. Instead I say, “It's rather cold to be barebacked,isn't it?”

Eros just shrugs and grins. He comes close to me. “Sit down Selene.” I sit next to him. “close your eyes.” I close my eyes, half hoping something is about to happen. “when your conjure something up, you have to envision it. Everything about it. You have to smell it hear it and see it. Thats what makes a conjurer different from an illusionist. Think of it in terms of 3D and 2D.”

I see the dark of the insides of my eyes as I hear his steady breathing next to me. I focus on a grass snake. I see the green snake, I hear the sound it makes and I feel its cold scales against my hand. I feel its cold scales writhing against my hand!I open my eyes and I scream as I drop the snake and it slithered away through the bushes. Eros smiles, “You see how easy that was.”

“I didn't even focus that much.”

“You think you didn't.” Eros leans closer and I draw away. He peers at me in the darkness. “Whats wrong Selene?”

“Nothing.” I am lying because I know it is all wrong. I know what he is about to do and I don't know how to tell him that I am back with Ares.

“Good.” His face is inches from mine now and I feel the warmth of his minty breath on my face. His lips touch mine and instantly I am on fire. Suddenly I pull away, surprising myself and him.

“Sorry, I just can't.”

Eros sighs but sounds sympathetic as he says, “I understand why you would feel uncomfortable doing this with me because, I guess, you barely even know me.”

“No you don't understand, I never did that before.”

Seeing a look of confusion on his face I blurt out, “ I never had sex, I'm still a virgin.”

“Ohhh.” Eros seems shocked. “I'm sorry I thought that you and Ares had a bond, you know...”

“Yes, I know. Everyone thinks that. You are not the only one.”

I tell him about what happened in the Marriott hotel and Madam Tsali's surprise. We both laugh. He strokes my hair gently. “I was close to deflowering you.”

“Not really.”

He laughs at this and looks at me sideways. I get up.

“Going already?” he too, is on his feet now.

“Inside. Its cold out here.”

“I still haven't taught you how to conjure weather elements.”

I close my eyes and await instructions. Eros come behind me and put his hands on my shoulder. I try to shrug him off but they don't budge.

“You're distracting me!”

“In combat you have to deal with distractions. Conjure a small burst of water.”

I focus on a pond and I look into the water and begin to draw out the water when I feel him press himself against me. Immediately I lose the scene. I try to pull away but he holds me firmly. “ Come on Selene. So if your enemy, say for instance, a hot dude is holding you will you be immobilized? Try again.”

I bring up the image of the pond again. I look into the water, see the thousands of shimmers dancing on the surface of my reflection. I scoop a handful of water and use my energy to pull up a line of water. Eros' hands move down to my breasts and I gasp. My image fuzzes up, like a bad TV and I have to refocus. I ignore him and pull just enough water for a good soak down.

Eros shouts in surprise as I wring myself out of his grasp and bring the water down on him in a splash. I get wet too, though. He congratulates me. “Well done Selene. If you withstood me then I am sure you could withstand any distraction.”

“Oh please.”

He conjures up a towel and dries himself. I do the same.

I turn to him, “Thanks a lot.”

He smiles, “Always willing and ready to help.” I shake my head and smile ruefully as I walk away.

“You're going to nightschool in Gorrenna, now?” Eros asks.

“Yes, I want to find out how their task with Dionysus is going and I'll practice some more with Mogh.”

“I'm better than Mogh,you know. Not boasting or anything.”

“Yes but Mogh wont try to fondle me while we practice,” I say turning to see the expression on his face. He is not listening to me and he looks disturbed for some reason.

“What is it?” I ask going back to him. Something doesn't feel right.

He holds his finger to his lips. “Shh.”

Together we walk away from Nightschool toward the dark high rising bushes in which he seems to have seen something. The hairs on my back and shoulder tingle as we walk into the forest. The lights from Nightschool looks faint from here. The silence here is eerie and my heart beats the rapid tune of a drum. Eros' green eyes are shining and I know he is excited also. He pulls aside a low branch that blocks our path.

I smell it before I see it. The sickening stench of Death. Six vultures crowd around the mutilated bodies of... Oh no, oh God no... three Nightschool students. I gag and vomit into the nearest bushes. Eros is quiet and I realize that he is shaking with rage. He turns around, “Selene, you should get out of here. Go to Gorrenna and tell Madam Tsali. Tell her to come here an to bring her best Students with her because we need as much as we can get. His eyes meet mine and I am shocked by the coldness of his look. “This is it Selene. The battle is on. They started this f*cking war, well we'll finish it.”

I nod mutely and close my eyes, concentrating on getting to Gorrenna. I end in in Madam Tsali's office, interrupting Ares and Mogh's progress report. She looks at me in surprise but is sensible enough to know that something is wrong. Ares and Mogh gather around me, eager for the news.

“We found three bodies in the forest bordering Nightschool. The head of Nightschool in Azza sends for you and all your best students, immediately.”

Madam Tsali stops a young student in the hallway. “Make sure this message gets to each and every advanced student in Nightschool. Let them know that they have orders to go assemble and go to Azza immediately.” The boys runs off, looking excited to be given such an important responsibility. Ares taps him on the head as he passes by him. Madam and Mogh leave to gather weaponry. Ares and I walk outside.

I feel comfortable and at home in Gorrenna. The night sky is speckled with shining stars and there is a sweet scent in the air. I lean on Ares, burying my head into his chest. “ We couldn't even recognize them as people. It was...awful.”

“Don't worry Selene. Its okay. You'll be alright. I'll make sure of that.”

there is a brief silence before he asks slowly, “who was with you when you found the bodies?”

“It was me and the group. Eros was there of course.” I feel horrible, lying to Ares like that. “Did Eros try to do anything, anything inappropriate with you?”

Ares turn to look at me as he asks this. I think of Eros' hands gliding over my chest and how he pressed himself against me. “No.” I lie smoothly. He nods, satisfied. I stand up quickly and say, “We should go to Azza now.”

“yeah, lets go.” Ares sighs.

“whats wrong?”

Ares shrugs his shoulder puts his hand in his pocket. “i just feel a bit overwhelmed. You know what I mean? Like its all too much for me to handle.”

“yeah,” I say softly, “i get what you're saying, I feel like that a lot especially since this whole thing with Dionysus started.”

I wait for him to say something, to be reassuring, to say that everything is gonna be OK. He doesn't. He just nods, takes my hand and concentrates on getting to Azza. I start to say something else but I stop. The moment is gone.