erupted into the air going up, up against the crimson-and-pink
sunset.
Nyx took Erebus’s hand. “It is so pretty! Thank you again for creating a thing of
such beauty for me.”
“Your smile is thanks enough,” Erebus said. Then he tilted his head and his golden
gaze caught hers, searching. “You should go to him.”
Nyx blinked in surprise. “Him?”
“Kalona. You should go to him. He needs you. With you, he is a better being than he
is without you.”
“I was giving him time to—” Nyx stopped herself, not wanting to appear uncaring of
Erebus’s feelings.
“You were giving him time to focus on the final test without the distraction of your
loveliness,” Erebus finished for her. “I am sure that that seemed a good idea, but
if I know my brother, and I have come to realize that I do know him, as he is really
just another version of myself, I can tell you that solitude does not bring him focus.
He needs you,” Erebus repeated.
“Do you never feel jealous of what he and I share?”
“No, my bright, beautiful Goddess. I am content with that destiny for which I was
created. I would not make a very good warrior.”
“I wasn’t speaking of the warrior part,” she said softly, meeting his sunlit eyes.
His smile was warm. “If you ever desire me to be your lover, I would most willingly
and happily return that desire—as frequently or as infrequently as you might want
me. But I have no wish to claim your body as mine and mine alone. My only wish is
for your happiness, and I believe my brother at your side, being your warrior and your lover is what would make you happiest. It would also make him happiest, which
is important to me, though I am sure it will take me eons to convince Kalona of that.”
Nyx slid from her rock stool onto Erebus’s lap, where she threw her arms around him
and hugged him tightly. “You do make me happy, so very happy!”
“Then I shall not interrupt that happiness.”
From Erebus’s embrace, Nyx looked up at the darkening sky to see Kalona hovering above
them, his voice as flat and emotionless as his expression.
“Brother! Come, join us,” Erebus said, standing and carefully helping Nyx back to
her rocky seat. “We were just speaking of you.”
“I heard only your Goddess’s voice,” Kalona said, not looking at Nyx. “And she spoke
of the great happiness you bring her. Nyx, with your permission, I will leave you
to that.”
“You have my permission,” Nyx said, her voice sounding very young.
With a flash of silver wings, Kalona disappeared into the horizon.
Erebus sighed. “For a warrior he seems awfully sensitive.”
“He loathes me,” Nyx said.
“He loves you,” Erebus corrected. “That is why he has flown away in a jealous fit.
All you need do is to find him and explain why you said that I make you very happy. Later I will mention to him that if he is going
to eavesdrop, he should learn to do a more thorough job of it.”
“Erebus, you are a good friend,” Nyx said, bending to kiss his cheek.
“And you are a kind and loving Goddess,” Erebus said. “Oh, and I am ready to complete
the final test.”
“Shall we summon Spirit to call Mother Earth?”
“There is time aplenty for that. I can wait a little while until you have made peace
with my brother.”
Nyx hugged him again and then she stood and, thinking of Kalona, called the magick
of Divinity to her. It lifted her and, leaving a trail of glittering starlight in
her wake, began to carry the Goddess toward the sea of grass that covered the center
of the wild continent.
10
FOR MY DAUGHTER, THIS CREATION OF MINE, I GIVE THE GIFT OF NIGHT DIVINE …
Nyx found his campsite easily, though Kalona was absent from it. She meant to leave quickly, to follow the connection
she had with him and go directly to him, but the spot Kalona had made his own intrigued
her.
It was at the edge of the grassy prairie where it curved into the
sunset.
Nyx took Erebus’s hand. “It is so pretty! Thank you again for creating a thing of
such beauty for me.”
“Your smile is thanks enough,” Erebus said. Then he tilted his head and his golden
gaze caught hers, searching. “You should go to him.”
Nyx blinked in surprise. “Him?”
“Kalona. You should go to him. He needs you. With you, he is a better being than he
is without you.”
“I was giving him time to—” Nyx stopped herself, not wanting to appear uncaring of
Erebus’s feelings.
“You were giving him time to focus on the final test without the distraction of your
loveliness,” Erebus finished for her. “I am sure that that seemed a good idea, but
if I know my brother, and I have come to realize that I do know him, as he is really
just another version of myself, I can tell you that solitude does not bring him focus.
He needs you,” Erebus repeated.
“Do you never feel jealous of what he and I share?”
“No, my bright, beautiful Goddess. I am content with that destiny for which I was
created. I would not make a very good warrior.”
“I wasn’t speaking of the warrior part,” she said softly, meeting his sunlit eyes.
His smile was warm. “If you ever desire me to be your lover, I would most willingly
and happily return that desire—as frequently or as infrequently as you might want
me. But I have no wish to claim your body as mine and mine alone. My only wish is
for your happiness, and I believe my brother at your side, being your warrior and your lover is what would make you happiest. It would also make him happiest, which
is important to me, though I am sure it will take me eons to convince Kalona of that.”
Nyx slid from her rock stool onto Erebus’s lap, where she threw her arms around him
and hugged him tightly. “You do make me happy, so very happy!”
“Then I shall not interrupt that happiness.”
From Erebus’s embrace, Nyx looked up at the darkening sky to see Kalona hovering above
them, his voice as flat and emotionless as his expression.
“Brother! Come, join us,” Erebus said, standing and carefully helping Nyx back to
her rocky seat. “We were just speaking of you.”
“I heard only your Goddess’s voice,” Kalona said, not looking at Nyx. “And she spoke
of the great happiness you bring her. Nyx, with your permission, I will leave you
to that.”
“You have my permission,” Nyx said, her voice sounding very young.
With a flash of silver wings, Kalona disappeared into the horizon.
Erebus sighed. “For a warrior he seems awfully sensitive.”
“He loathes me,” Nyx said.
“He loves you,” Erebus corrected. “That is why he has flown away in a jealous fit.
All you need do is to find him and explain why you said that I make you very happy. Later I will mention to him that if he is going
to eavesdrop, he should learn to do a more thorough job of it.”
“Erebus, you are a good friend,” Nyx said, bending to kiss his cheek.
“And you are a kind and loving Goddess,” Erebus said. “Oh, and I am ready to complete
the final test.”
“Shall we summon Spirit to call Mother Earth?”
“There is time aplenty for that. I can wait a little while until you have made peace
with my brother.”
Nyx hugged him again and then she stood and, thinking of Kalona, called the magick
of Divinity to her. It lifted her and, leaving a trail of glittering starlight in
her wake, began to carry the Goddess toward the sea of grass that covered the center
of the wild continent.
10
FOR MY DAUGHTER, THIS CREATION OF MINE, I GIVE THE GIFT OF NIGHT DIVINE …
Nyx found his campsite easily, though Kalona was absent from it. She meant to leave quickly, to follow the connection
she had with him and go directly to him, but the spot Kalona had made his own intrigued
her.
It was at the edge of the grassy prairie where it curved into the
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