||Chapter 21: To Love is to Kill||
☾
Eros's glossy eyes gazed up at the place he once loved and learned to dread. The night had fallen perfectly upon the castle; the shadows contoured the plain parts while the moon highlighted the heavenly details.
The castle was shut down after many years of usage, only opening in the sight of money. But one of its windows peered open as if it whispered Ero's name hungrily.
Eros arched his back, his wings cutting through the air mercilessly until he reached the window. He opened it fully and stepped in.
The room was dark, but the moonlight gave permission for Eros to get a taste of the past. He glazed past the silked bed as his bare feet touched the ancient carpets. He felt his heart brake as he held back tears.
After his memories stopped rushing through his brain, he finally settled on the figure that was leaning next to the fireplace. "Hello brother," the demon said.
Eros's hands curled up into first as gritted his teeth. His brother enjoyed seeing this side or Eros, and he crossed his legs gently, taking in every detail.
"What do you want, Anteros," Eros words were pure acid.
"You're not even going to greet your brother?" Anteros said, standing up from the chair and coming towards the light where Eros could see him clearly.
Anteros had changed physically- his hair was shorter, his skin was paler, and his hands more bony- but his personality was the same: selfish, cruel, and stubborn.
Eros took a deep breath, "Hello Anteros, you piece of shit that I should have killed as an infant, but thank the Gods you looked innocent."
"You couldn't kill me," Anteros said jokingly. "Because you were too lonely."
"Funny how when you disappeared for thousands of years, I was the opposite of lonely. I was glad."
"Well," Anteros continued grinning at his brother. "Now that I'm back aren't you wondering why. After so many years being under the radar. Not even the most three powerful Gods could find me, why do you-"
"Anteros, stop the motherfucking suspense and get to the point. This isn't Shakespeare, brother."
Anteros's face twisted in annoyance and he crossed his arms over his chest. "You never let me have my moment. " Eros rolled his eyes and signaled for his brother to continue. "Nevermind that then. I heard Hades and the human...what's her name...Isabella is going to get married. That's a big change in history brother. Hades's marring is unexpected, especially with a human."
Eros pinched the tip of his nose, "You brought me all the way out to France to tell me something I already knew?"
Anteros sucked his teeth and shook his head. "That'd be dumb, Eros. I came here to tell you something you might like to know." Eros looked into his brother's eyes and saw a flam of cruelty dance in his eyes. Anteros glanced at the silk sheets, caressing them with his left hand. "I'd thought you'd be glad to know that your lover is back."
☾
"Did you find him," Hades asked Zeus as he took a seat in his chair. Zeus made himself comfortable on the seat across from him and nodded his head.
"I did. It's not that difficult to track down a human, you know? You could've done it yourself," Zeus said, picking on the pieces of leather on the arm of the chair. Hades glanced at his brother and glared at him to stop, which he obeyed.
Zeus rolled his eyes and snapped his fingers, a large folder fell onto Hades's desk.
"I know," Hades opened the folder and started scanning through the files. The first page had basic information (name, address, phone numbers, job, etc) and the rest were more specific information that only people close to him would know. "But I thought I'd be generous and give you something to do."
Zeus huffed at his brother's comment, "If I were you, I wouldn't joke with me brother." Hades looked up as he heard his brother's threat. "I have family gossip." Hades glared at Zeus with so much intensity that it could have made a hole threw his head. Hades didn't care much about regular gossip, but Zeus's gossip was everything but regular. Zeus had the special ability to know everything about everyone. Or in other words, Zeus had too much free time on his hands.
Feeling uncomfortable under Hades's glare, Zeus adjusted himself on the chair. "Okay, but only because I love you brother," He said almost making Hade's laugh. "When I was searching for the Human, Tyler, I found out I wasn't the only one tracking him"
Hades sat up straight, squinting his eyes confused. "What do you mean?"
Zeus leaned forward with a grin on his lips, as if he was about to tell his brother the secret of the world. "When I tracked down Tyler, I landed on a jackpot." Hade's brows cocked up. "Anteros."
☾
"You dare taunt me, brother. After all, you have done, you take joy in seeing me in pain," Eros's facial expression was indifferent as he stared at his brother's wings. Unlike his angel-like ones, Antero's wings were shaped like a butterfly, his feathers cleaned the ground from the fallen petals.
It was the fall of 1792 and both brothers walked through the garden admiring the beauties of the time. Versailles should have been one of the great wonders of the world, with it's sculpted arches and exceptional decorations ranging from the inside paintings to the symmetrically planted flowers of its vast garden.
"I don't take joy in your pain, brother," Anteros responded plucking at one of the petals that had survived the change of weather.
"Then why did you kill him?"
Both brothers watched as the King wandered through his garden, hands behind his back as he spoke to his Queen. The brothers were invisible to the human eye, but Eros could not help but feel butterflies creep into his stomach when the King stopped in his tracks and looked at their direction as if he sensed that something was wrong.
Anteros watched as his brother's eyes sparkled with joy when the King's face twisted their way. "They can't see us, remember?" He made fun of his brother's naivety.
"I know they can't," Eros glared forward.
"Hm, then what is that look for?" Anteros persist in tormenting his brother.
"Anteros I don't have time for your games."
"Yet, here we are."
Eros halted and faced his brother. He was beyond annoyed at his games of torment and decided. "I will ask this one last time, Anteros; why did you kill him?"
Anteros was quiet for a moment before his lips formed a grin and his eyes became wicked. "Why did I kill him?" He repeated the question to himself. "I don't know. Why did I kill Valeria?"
Between the brothers, a woman with tanned skin and olive hair passed by as she balanced jar water over her head. Eros stared at the woman as she walked away, his heart sinking with every step she took.
"Why did I kill Antonio?"
A man appeared behind Anteros as he scribbled in his notebook. Maybe he wrote about his day or a story he had heard from one of the older men that used to sit in front of his house at noon. Eros felt an old curiosity to know what the man was writing with his gentle hands trail his heart.
"Why did I kill Sebastian, Angelo, Micheal, Marianne, Melodeaus...Why did I kill all of your lovers?That is a really good question."
Eros felt tears stream down his face as he looked into the face of his own demon.
YOU ARE READING
Wanted by Hades
Romance"Don't cover my bite marks," he said with a smirk planted on his lips. "I want people to know you are mine." Isabelle lived most of her life alone. She was a sick of her family, sick of her friends, and sick of her life. So sick of it that she dec...
