Metamorphosis

Chapter 20: Trust me or Trust me not

"He's told you about our mother's jealousy? Has he not?"

"Yes," I say, still trying to wrap my head around all of this.

"Well, this is what happens when my mother wants someone dealt with; she calls upon her loving son," Himeros opens one of the jars and scoops out the glowing orb.

"I was born with Eros, so we are very close, but there was always something different about Eros," he says as the soul glowed brighter until it flashes images in front of me, "And one night I found out why..."

The images that flashed before me were of a girl who seemed to be boasting and threw rocks at what I could only assume was Aphrodite's Temple from the turtle doves. Eros appeared out of nowhere in front of the girl and seemed to be his charming, playful self, but I could see something change about his demeanor as the images went on. His eyes glowed pink again; he grabs the girl who at first laughs and giggles, then Eros dips her as if to dip her in dance then he passionately kisses her, but the woman starts to struggle against him because as he parted from her lips, a glowing light shot out of her mouth and Eros swallows it, the girl drops to the ground, dead.

I gasp as the orb fades away.

"My brother was born with the spirit of an Incubus; my mother knew and took advantage of it. She's used him for these kinds of things fairly often."

My heart was aching, "Why are you showing me this..." My voice was cracking.

Himeros places a hand on the shoulder, "My intention was not to scare you, but this is what Eros hides, and you seem to draw it out of him whether he realizes it or not. My brother means well, but I fear he can't control it when he's very drawn to someone and that someone, being you. He wanted to consume you back there, Dove; I felt it when I touched him."

I wrapped my arms around myself, not wanting what Himeros was saying to be true. "He wouldn't hurt me," I say more to myself than Himeros.

"Not on purpose, he wouldn't..."

I stare up at Himeros, "You have feelings for my brother, don't you?" he asks; his question takes me aback. "Oh, and I would advise you not to lie, my dear; I know when love is reciprocated. I just wanted to know if you do."

"I-Uh," I hadn't thought about it, but now that I think about all the times I Had spent with Eros, I could only remember fondness, and laughter and smiles and kisses and-Oh god, I look up at Himeros again.

"That's the look I was hoping for," Himeros says with a bright smile.

My heart starts to flutter, my cheeks turn flush, " I guess they kinda snuck up on me..." I admitted. Himeros seemed to be giddy. 

"No wonder he has taken to you so fondly," he says.

"What do you mean?"

"Your humanity, the rawness of your emotions, you stick out like a gaping wound."

"Ewe," I said with a bit of a chuckle.

"It's true, my dear; there's no other way I can put it. But with what I just told you in mind, please be careful around my brother. He's a suave son of a b***h, and he can make you weak in the knees."

I ran my fingers through my hair, "Ugh, he already has, " I say under my breath as the haunting feel of his hot kisses trailed down my neck.

A door slams, Eros takes my hand and leads me back out of the room, and as soon as we were out, the door vanished. "What in the?"

"You can only access that room when Eros is in his Incubus space; you had him pinning, my dear. "

My cheeks heat up; I knew that wasn't supposed to be a complaint, but I couldn't help it.

"Ah, there he is; you had a little nap, brother?" Himeros says, Eros looks lost, and when he sees me, he rushes towards me.

"Dove, are you alright?

She's fine, brother." Himeros says as he slightly nods his head; Eros deflates and sighs in relief.

"Hey, um, I'm going to take a shower now...If you guys couldn't see, I'm still covered in chocolate so, I'll be back in a minute." I say, rushing off to the bathing room.

When I walked in, I locked the door; the look on Eros's face saddened me. He thought that he had hurt me, but he was so gentle with me. Himeros says that I'm a weakness for him. Did that mean we couldn't be close to one another like I wanted to be? Would he lose control and take my soul? There were so many questions, yet I didn't know how to ask Eros without being insensitive.

Knock, Knock

"Dove?" the doorknob jiggles, "You locked me out?" Eros's voice sounded hurt, but after what Himeros said, I didn't know if I should chance to be alone with him again like that...

"I-I just wanted privacy. I'll be out in a second, okay?" I said, trying not to sound affected by what I had just found out.

Eros was silent for a second, "Himeros showed you, didn't he?" Eros's voice turned cold.

My breath caught in my throat, "Y-Yes." I could feel the tension even if the door was between us.

"You don't trust me now, do you?"  Eros asks, and I can feel the ache in his voice. My eyes start to burns; the truth was, I did but didn't. After seeing that side of him, I didn't know what to think.

He had saved my life so many times, and my feeling had only grown for him but, what would he have done to me if Himeros didn't walk in on us? 

"I do; it's just I don't think-" God, I couldn't say it. I waited for his reply, but I didn't hear anything after a few moments of silence went by.

"Eros? A-Are you there?" He still didn't answer, and I feared that I had broken his heart by not trusting me.