Metamorphosis

Chapter 10: Burn down the garden or tell me the truth?

I remembered the beam of cosmic light and the blood-

"W-Where am I?" I asked as I looked at my surroundings. A gorgeous stone fountain with what I could only assume was a cupid sculpture sat center among a vivid green garden, which gleamed with life. 

I sat up, realizing Annie wasn't with me. I shot up in a panic, "Annie! Annie?!" I cried out.

"She's resting; your friend will make a full recovery," I turned to see Eros come out from the shadows. 

My body ached everywhere, and I winced as I held my arm.

"That was some trick you did back there, and you're just full of surprises, aren't you?" Eros says, his voice like silk as he slowly walks towards me.

My senses were on high alert; I raised my hand again, hoping whatever I did would still work if Eros got too close. "I'll light your ass up too if you don't back off," I threatened, but he kept coming closer; he backed me into a tree. My heart raced as Eros closed in on me. He was so close I could smell his sweet, warm scent; it was enough to give you cavities.

"Jesus..." I said under my breath.

"Your no threat to me, love, go ahead try me," he said with a teasing smile, and without thinking, I smacked him across the cheek; his hand immediately went to the red print I had left on it. His eyes were wide as he gazed at me again,, but he smiled he smiled instead of getting mad, which was what I expected.

I was taken aback by his reaction. I double blinked, "I-uh..." I then realized he had me completely cornered, and he had godlike powers on his side...he could be planning to smite me, "Sorry?"

Eros took a moment to look at me, then snorted laughter, which confused me; what was so funny?

"Wow, you're an ornery one," he says as he turns on his heels back to the bench.

My mind was reeling, one moment, I was terrified and fleeing for my life, and now here I am in god knows where with Eros, the god of love, who saved me?

"Why have you been following me?" I ask; Eros looks down at his necklace I had noticed earlier; it was gold with a turtle dove. 

"As I said before, you interest me," is all he said. I was getting pretty fed up with the short answers. Finally, Finally, I marched up to him and placed my hands on his thighs, looking right into his eyes.

"Listen to me, you baby cupid son of a b***h. I have been through hell and back, and right now, I'm not fond of your secretiveness; in fact, I'm pretty f*****g tired of it. So let me make one thing clear."

 I grab one of his golden arrows from behind him, and press it to his neck. 

"If you don't explain what the hell is going on here I will lose my s**t, and set your pretty little fairy garden on fire. Got it?" 

Eros' brows raise for a moment; then, a fox-like smile spreads across his lips; he raises his hands as if to surrender. "Hostility becomes you..." he says with a flirty look in his eyes. He pats the space next to him, "Sit, we have a lot to discuss."

I removed the arrow from his neck, and I don't know if it was threatening to burn down his garden or a sharp point  to his neck that broke him, but whatever it was, I was happy to be getting some answers finally.

"Alright then, spill it," I demanded with my arms crossed. Eros sighed, pausing for a moment.

"My brother is hunting you; I haven't the slightest clue why because this is none of his business, but somehow you have become his target."

I sat next to Eros, eager to know more, "You said you knew who my father was, tell me."

Eros looks at me, "The blacksmith of the Gods, Hephaestus, is your father."

"What?" I say in disbelief, "no, that can't be right."

"It is," Eros says as he grabs his bow from behind him and shows it to me, "He made this for me when I was young."

I gazed at the golden bow, it had such enteric detail, but something about it made me feel uncomfortable. I pushed the bow back to Eros.

"Funny, he had time for this but not me...and not my mother either," I said bitterly. I could feel Eros' eyes on me. I didn't understand; why did they decide to give me up? I was just a baby; I didn't do anything...

My eyes started to burn as I inhaled a shaky breath, "You know what, I can take an asshole of an ex-boyfriend, and surprisingly I can take your hooded creep of a brother hunting me but this?" My voice started to crack, Eros might have seen my father's bow as some work of art, but I saw it as a stab in the heart because it told me he had better things to do than to find his only f*****g daughter.

"Dove-" I feel Eros' hand lay gently on my shoulder, " It was not my intention to upset you."

I shrug his hand off my shoulder, "What kind of man just off's his daughter-no scratch that, parents. What kind of parents just give up their daughter? If my father's a so-called "god," then what excuse did they have to give me up?" 

"I understand how you feel-" Eros starts to say, but I cut him off. I turned to face him.

"No, don't you dare say that. You have no idea what I feel right now, and it's a slap in the face if you say you do. I don't want your pity," I said with hot tears rolling down my cheeks. God, I hated this; my week had gone from bad to worse. As I started sobbing, I could feel Eros's hand caress my cheek.

"If it makes you feel any better...my mother's a hypocritical b***h," Eros' says nonchalantly.

I stare back at him, trying to think if I heard him right, then I start to laugh; Eros smiles at me. 

"Oh my god-I'm sorry, I didn't mean to"

"Don't be, it's true," he says as he stands up; I wipe my eyes, still chuckling. "Come on; I'll take you to see your friend."

I nod and wipe my tears, "Sorry you had to see my ugly crying," I say jokingly.

Eros chuckles, "Want to hear a messed up thought?"

I raised a brow out of curiosity, "Okay..." 

Eros closes the distance between us; his hand caresses my cheek again as he lifts my chin to meet his gaze, " Your cheeks have a natural rose-tinted bush when you cry..." he says; I feel my cheeks heat up.

I didn't even notice that...and I'm a known Cryer.

As I looked into Eros's eyes, I noticed a tinted gold shade glazed over them. My body shivered in pulses of small electric shocks, ones that felt like those little shivers you get when you are cold. My skin prickled with goosebumps, my body was starting to relax in a way I had never felt before, but it felt nice; I melted into Eros' arms as they wrapped around me.

His touch set my skin on fire; what was going on? 

Eros' held his gaze on me,, and the longer he did, the more relaxed I felt. 

"Now...no more crying," I heard him say; I started to giggle; this feeling was like euphoria...

"You look sexy with your brown swirly hair..." I said as I bopped his nose; oh lord, did I say that?!

Eros' chuckled, " Shh."

I put my finger to my lips and mimicked him, "Shhhh."

He put one of my arms over his shoulder to help me walk; I was so hopped up on whatever he did to me; I was laughing until we were at our destination, which I had no idea how we got to.

"Dove? Dovey-" I heard Annie say as she walked up to me, but all I saw was a red blob which made me bust up laughing.

"Um...is she okay?" I heard Annie ask Eros.

"Yes, she was distraught so, I calmed her down, probably gave her too much...my bad. She should be back to herself in a moment. It doesn't last that long, and I will leave her with you."

I swore I heard the swooshing of wings, but then again, I was high as a kit, Annie waved her hand in front of me, and soon I could see her face.

"Hey, earth to Dove?! Hello?"

I had to focus on Annie to focus, but soon I was back to my usual self, "Oh, Annie!" I gave her a great big hug, "Oh my god, did he hurt you? Are you okay?" I asked, searching for any wounds on her body, but her abdomen was wrapped in red bandages.

"I'm better now, but uh, what the holy hell is going on here? There's a man who can fly, and these women with transport wings helped heal me," she whispers to me.

I then looked around at our surroundings; the room we were in was eggshell white with columns; honestly, it looked like the most expensive resort master bedroom I had ever seen. 

"Are we safe here?" Annie asked, "Cause I'm down to make a run for it again."

I smiled at her, I had almost last her, and because of Eros, she was alive.

"Yeah, I think we're safe for now," which was true because something deep down told me there was much more I needed to know about what was going on, but for now, I was with Annie, and I was just glad she was alive.