Arcadian Nights by Marie Medina Page A

believe all the things he’d been saying to
her for weeks weren’t true? “Because I’ve come to care for you.
Eris, I’m in love with you.”
    She looked down. “I’m good in bed and
the exact opposite of Aphrodite. What’s not to like?”
    “ I didn’t say ‘like’. I
said ‘love’.”
    “ And how are you so
sure?”
    “ I’ve never felt this way
before. And I want to get back to my questions.”
    Eris stared up at the mountain. “Okay.
Go ahead.”
    “ Did the Fates plan this
or foresee it? They never told you to put that spell on me. They
could have foreseen the result, but they couldn’t make me react a
certain way. It was your magic, not theirs. You thought I would
hate you. You expected that, but you got a surprise instead of a
quickie.”
    Eris laughed. “Nice way of putting
it.”
    “ And what do you
think?”
    “ I don’t know. That’s a
very different way of thinking about it.”
    “ Why would you fight the
Fates anyway?”
    “ I want to be in
control.”
    “ You can be. I’m the
helpless one.” He stroked her cheek until she looked at him.
“Sitting here, asking you to love me.”
    “ You could never be
helpless. You’re the strongest god.”
    “ No, I’m not.”
    “ Maybe not the most
powerful or foul-tempered, but those aren’t the same as
strength.”
    Hermes wasn’t sure he understood what
she meant. She was giving him a compliment, but the implications
weren’t all that clear to him. “I don’t see what you
mean.”
    “ You never
yield.”
    He pulled her close. “I would yield to
you.”
    “ I’m not talking about
sex.”
    “ Neither am I. I am
helpless until the day you admit that my actions and my love have
made you care for me.”
    “ And what if I never
know?”
    He kissed her cheek. “You’re very
strong yourself. I think I already have my answer though.” As she
looked into his eyes, he thought he saw that hint of vulnerability
again. “If I’m so strong and never yield, how could anyone force me
to love you this deeply? Can’t you trust this?”
    “ What if I never say the
words? What if I can’t?”
    “ You can do anything. I
know that. You made me fall in love.” He kissed her softly. “Eris,
I want to make love to you. I don’t want to fuck. I want to make
love.”
    She smiled. “Is this how you’ll
convince me and win me over?” Her words seemed confident, but her
voice was soft and a bit shaky.
    “ It’s one of my plans.” He
stood and then lifted her into his arms, carrying her to a pavilion
that appeared as he walked toward it. As he carried her between the
white pillars, vines grew up and surrounded them, blocking every
entrance.
    She laughed as he set her down on a
pile of cushions. “How very mythological.”
    He smiled. “I love it when you laugh.
That’s why I did it. You seem so much more at ease.”
    She sobered and took his hands. “I
planned this, yet I didn’t.”
    “ What do you mean?” He
knelt beside her and pulled her close.
    “ I wanted to have you, if
only for one night. And I wanted you to like me. I wanted others to
accept me because you liked me.”
    “ So you wanted us to be
friends?” He hoped she wasn’t backpedaling emotionally. They’d
seemed so close.
    “ It’s hard to say now. I
didn’t plan for us to be together for more than a short
time.”
    “ And isn’t this
better?”
    “ I suppose.”
    “ Your brother says you
love me.”
    Her head snapped up. “Since when do
you two ever talk? Since when is he even speaking to you? I thought
he was still mad about you and Aphrodite.”
    Hermes shrugged, though he enjoyed
seeing her get so riled. It made him want her even more. “He seems
to have decided to give me a chance based on how you feel about me.
Ares and I never hated each other. We simply never talked much
before.”
    “ I see.”
    Hermes didn’t want to upset her, but
he had to know one thing. “He’s closer to you than anyone, the only
real family you have. You love each other,