Forbidden To Love (The Erosians) (6 page)

I told him that I knew what he was, and I knew he knew what I was, and I knew he knew he was working for Amora, to wind me up, and I
… ”

Allana shushes me and pats my shoulders in an attempt to calm me from the frenzy I
’ve worked myself up into. I take a few deep breaths, relieved I’ve told most of the story. I’m not going to share with Allana the effect he had on my feelings. I’ll keep my emotional explosions to myself for now.

“
Everything’s ok. Listen, did you actually tell him what you are?” Allana places her hands on the tops of my arms and squeezes gently.

I think clearly over my conversation with Josh.
“No, I didn’t.” I shake my head as a mad smile invades my face. I never told him what I am.

Allana sits back into her seat, folding her arms as her brow wrinkles slightly in thought.
“Then don’t worry. We aren't jeopardized in any way. Chances are he probably thinks you’re a little crazy.”

I groan as she reaches her hand out and rubs my arm. Something is off about her expression, though. She keeps her eyes fixed to the counter in front of her. Allana is usually remarkably easy to read. Her life sucks more than mine she
’s always going to be in love with Eros, but he will never return it, and she has to live with the two others who were made for the man she loves, to love!

“
So you don’t think he’s some rogue God come to get me?”

“
No,  I’d know if another God is here; especially at your school. Probably going to be for the best though if you just stay away from him for now”

“
I hope I can! Being near him almost killed me; I had these pains they were burning me alive the feeling was horrible and then he looked at me and every hurtful sensation stopped, the whole thing was unbelievably weird"

Already my insides are starting to smoulder again, desperate for his touch to soothe the pain. Allana starts to wring her hands, and her brow furrows in concentration.

“What about him being some puppet of Amora’s?”

Her forehead smoothes as eyebrows shoot up into her hairline.

“I –“

The front door crashing open interrupts whatever she was about to say as Amora comes striding in. The last of the day
’s sun glints in her golden hair, which is still perfectly styled despite the gale blowing outside.

I turn to her and even though I see her every day I'm still in awe of her beauty. The s
parkle in her violet eyes, which she always gets when she enters a room, is brighter than usual. Luckily her attitude more than counter-balances her attraction – guess everything balances somewhere.

Allana interrupts my thoughts.
“Why don’t you go do whatever pointless homework you’ve got? You can’t slip behind now, can you?” She smiles at me, but I can tell she’s having to force the grin. Something’s not quite right; I'm guessing they’ve argued today at some point. Allana does her best to tolerate Amora and her volatile moods, but even saints snap.

As I leave the room, Amora
’s mumbling tickles my senses. I may be able to hear all mortals from any distance, but when I'm with older Gods, I may as well be a mortal.

My substandard senses around immortals are only temporary though. The more experience I get, the more powerful my abilities become, so one day I
’ll be able to hear them no matter how far they are if I get to live past the deadline.

My powers advancing in the future won't help me now though; I need to know what they
’re about to discuss. There will be no chance of getting any information if I go upstairs, so I walk back to the kitchen door and hide myself at the side of the wall. I know eavesdropping is wrong, but there’s more about our situation Allana isn’t telling me.

“
Is he a puppet of yours, then?” Allana asks curtly.

Amora giggles,
“Maybe”

My breath catches in my throat.

“Amora,” Allana scolds

“
Of course not,” Amora snaps back and I let out a deep breath. Phew!

“
There are more important things in my life than messing with that irritating brat upstairs. Looks like she’s in a bit of a situation, though” her voice is thick with delight, “Maybe I should take a quick trip to Olympus and speak to …”              “You don’t need to tell him anything.” Allana’s voice is tense, her anger towards Amora finally surfacing.

“You know as well as I do if she does anything, she’s finished.” Amora’s conceited voice rings clear. She wants the threat she’s making to reach me.

“
My scars from Eros are still raw, not like you need reminding of what he is capable of doing - do you?”

Oh my God, what would Eros do? Am I really in so much trouble because I sort of told a mortal, who I'm still not entirely convinced, is a mere mortal, I'm something more? I guess Allana has edited our history more than I thought. She never mentioned anything to me about Eros doing anything to cause scars.

“Acacia hasn’t done anything, and I’ve told her to stay away from him”

“
Please Allana wake up! The searing pain she described you know it was the flames of love, they’ve burned her. Like what I'm saying or not but she’s joined to that boy and Eros is going to bring all the power of the Furies against her for her infatuation”

I barge into the kitchen this is about me and I want answers!

“What are you talking about? Flames of love and Eros causing scars, what don’t I know about us?”

“
A lot!” Amora scoffs as she hops up onto the counter. I stare at her open mouthed as Allana shoots her a warning shot.

“
What are the flames of love?” I ask Allana knowing she’s most likely to tell me the truth, but there’s no shutting Amora up.

“
Did you feel like you were being set a light from the inside, and the scorching flames flew to the ends of your fingers to your tippy tippy toes!” Her laughter fills the kitchen as she toys with me.

“
And then let me guess, he looked at you, and everything was right with the world again!”

“Amora stop” Allana’s voice is becoming tenser than I’ve ever witnessed.

“
No! And now let me guess he’s touched you in some way, and now there is no pain until he’s not there and then there is a smouldering ball of fire resting in the pit of your stomach ready to erupt if you don’t get near him soon!”

“Allana I want to hear the truth; so what if that is what’s happening, what do the flames mean?” And holy Hades if she’s right what is Eros going to do!

“
You’ve been burned baby, and now he’s going to be your everything! You’re going to be so consumed by needing to be with him, you won’t be able to think straight – and Eros is going to kill you for falling in love when he finds out!”

Satisfied with Allana
’s furious glare and my open mouthed stare Amora jumps off the counter landing like a ballerina on the tips of her toes.

“
Ciao”

And she
’s gone. Allana slumps as her head falls into her hands.

“
Is she right; are these flames of love some skill we get? Can you set people alight to make them fall in love?”

She sounds like she is to me everything fits! The searing pain, his calming effect and now I can
’t stop thinking about him.

“
The whole thing sounds like it, but Acacia you need to stay away from him. We belong to Eros you can’t love another! And no starting the flames is not a skill any of us can possess. The flames of love are a power, which no one can control, when two halves meet the flames erupt by themselves”

“
Why though and don’t tell me because he lost his love and now no one can love because he didn't lose his love he threw her away! And if I’ve met my other half why must I give him up!” My voice becomes louder than I meant it to be, I don’t want to be mad at Allana, but this is all wrong.

Allana sighs and lifts her head as she lays her hands out before her.

“He didn’t throw her away; he was tricked, Aphrodite told him Psyche was going to kill her if Eros carried his relationship on. Eros gave Psyche up to save his mother, but Aphrodite’s story was all a lie”

Oh. Well what happened to Eros was horrible an all but why am I getting punished for her lies?

“So why is it fair for me to suffer because of his mother?”

“
Eros is still majorly bitter and angry, and we are his, so we live with the life he has given to us”

I shake my head as I walk from the kitchen I can
’t listen to anymore of this. Up in my room I throw myself into finishing the history homework I’ve been assigned so I can ignore everything that’s been said and silence my brain before the incessant stream of questions and theories as to what’s happening begin.

Is staying away from him even a possibility? I
’m already burned by the flames of love; will they cause me to combust if I disobey them? Staying away from him is probably not going to be my choice; Josh already thinks I'm crazy, so I'm sure he’ll be staying away from me.

Flopping onto my bed the angry glare of Eros finds a way into my head. I bury my face into a pillow desperate for the twisted image to disappear.

* * *

It
’s pitch black and too warm. I can hardly make anything out,

just a faint red haze of light. The air is thick with the heat and the stench of something. My breath chokes in my throat, my body refusing to let this putrid oxygen find a way into my body. My arms are tied down, and so are my legs. I can only move my head. Terrified, my heart begins to race in my chest. I try to call out for help, but my voice is caught in a fist of silence. My senses are no longer heightened, they
’re dulled. My vision is usually perfect in the dark, and I can always sense anyone around. This has to be the work of an immortal; how could a mortal be powerful enough to do this?

I twist frantically, trying to loosen my ties but the rope cuts against my normally impenetrable skin. An immortal who has the power to harm me is responsible for this.

“Hello, Acacia.” I don’t recognize the voice, but my heart kicks itself up a gear in response, “Your disobedient behaviour will not be tolerated.” The voice is almost melodic in a taunting way. My heart stops, a cold rock sinking to the bottom of my chest. “Now the time has come to pay the price,” the haunting voice continues into a horrifying lullaby.

This has to be the Furies, it has to be. This must be the Underworld. I
’ve been sent here for telling Josh. Amora must’ve told the Gods what I’d done, and they obviously didn't think Josh, and I are as innocent as Allana does. Allana would never tell the court of Olympus about me; no matter how loyal she is to Eros, she’d never want me to face the Furies. They are as evil as Amora is beautiful.

Closing my eyes I try to centre my strength and throw my body from left to right in an attempt to get the ropes to snap, but every move I make forces them deeper into my skin. They carve themselves into my flesh as tears sting my eyes.

The red haze starts to move closer. No matter how much pain the ropes are causing, I'm sure whatever this haze is bringing with it is going to be ten times worse. With the last bit of my strength,  I throw myself against my binds, but they hold tighter.

The scream growing in my body escapes and the control I had on my imagination disappears. The Furies' faces manifest in my mind. This must be them. The Furies possess no conscience, no morality, they are made to torture those they are sent to pursue and now they
’re pursuing me.

But how?

I'm meant to go before the judges of the Underworld; there’s supposed to be a trial before I'm sentenced. Amora must have gone straight to Hades who told the judges about me almost telling Josh and being burned by love. My sentence has been determined without trial. My crimes are undeniable and undefendable.

A wave of searing heat washes over me. I scream as the intensity scorches every inch of my body. The excruciation passes as instantly as it arrived, but now I'm physically numb, motionless. I can no longer struggle against my binds.

I cry but its silent and dry. There are no tears. I’ve been robbed of all my outward senses and actions, but I can only feel inside the pain from things around me. I can sense the pain the rocks are causing that I'm laid on, but I can’t detect their jagged edges. I can hear footsteps coming closer to me, but I can’t call out for help.

I can see Amora standing in front of me, but I can
’t react.

Amora! I guessed she
’d be behind this, but I only suspected her to be the informer, not the torturer, executor or kidnapper.

Amora stands before me, practically glowing from the satisfaction of having me so helpless at her hands. Pleased with herself, her deep red lips twist into a satanic grin. Her dazzling eyes grow wide with expectation, and her usually fair hair is now tainted red
– wild, exactly like her.