Chapter Six
Normal

I didn’t exactly fall asleep, since I knew I was going to have to be up in about an hour or so anyway, so I just enjoyed the time snuggled up under the covers, especially since it was steadily getting colder and colder outside.  Not like Papa couldn’t afford to keep the house warmed up – it was a good thing he was a billionaire considering the costs it took to keep such a large house warm in the winter and cool in the summer – but I think it was just human perception that, since it was autumn and thus getting chiller, that it was naturally just cold in the mornings.  Whatever the case, I couldn’t stand the thought of moving out from under my covers, and actually starting my day.

It probably also had something to do with the fact that Eros was still there beside me.  I knew it was probably wrong to be enjoying the presence of the man I didn’t even know if I had a relationship with in my bed, but I honestly didn’t care.  Maybe it was because we had that deeper connection that most people didn’t, having loved and known each other in a past life.  Maybe it was because it was just him.  I didn’t know why I was comfortable with this guy in my bed, but that didn’t matter at the moment.  I was just glad he still was there, silently watching over me as I relaxed slightly after having been transplanted outside my usual realm of existence.

Not like the task was difficult or anything.  Sure, it would have been, at least mentally, if Eros hadn’t come and helped me out like he had last time.  Sorting grains?  I didn’t see the point in that, but considering she had the first Psyche do it, for whatever reason the last time, I suppose she figured it was a good enough task for me.  I still wasn’t sure what reason Psyche had to be willing to do such silly crap, whether it was because she was actually in love with him, or if it was because she was carrying his child and didn’t really have any other option.  I also sort of wondered, knowing what he actually looked like, if Psyche wasn’t more like my sisters than myself, in that she only agreed to do the tasks because she was disappointed that she managed to lose such a hottie. 

It was strange to think of the Psyche in myth as a little superficial, but it was something that I’ve wondered for a while.  I mean, it’s not like the myth hadn’t said that Eros wasn’t good looking or anything.  He as the god of love, after all, the son of Aphrodite, so he certainly wouldn’t be ugly.  And Mom was right in one regard – if Psyche was really that different from other girls of her time, and actually sensible like Papa claimed, then she wouldn’t have gone to such great lengths to get Eros back.  Maybe she’d rationally talk to Aphrodite about it.  Maybe she’d just realize she didn’t really need a man, especially one that didn’t trust her enough to let her see him, and just raise their child on her own.

Then again, there was that issue of the fact that she was pregnant.  Even today, it was frowned upon to raise a child by yourself so long as the father was alive.  And maybe she did try to rationally talk to Aphrodite.  Unlike me, she had time in her wanderings to realize what was going on, and actually think rationally rather than make a panicked decision.  I had ever confidence that, if I had been given a day or so to calm down after hurting Eros, I would have been rational enough to at least make an informed argument to Aphrodite.  But I also knew that Aphrodite wasn’t really a rational goddess, at least where her son was concerned.  I had no doubt that I’d be performing these trials regardless, just because she wouldn’t take no for an answer.  So maybe that’s what really happened to the first Psyche.  Maybe she tried to talk to Aphrodite, and ended up agreeing to these dumb trials because Aphrodite wouldn’t give her any other options.`

So maybe she really did love Eros (I questioned it at times, considering how much she did hurt him.  I barely knew him, and I knew I’d never go so far as to hurt him like that.  But then again, her love of Eros would definitely explain why I felt like I had a deeper connection with him than I’ve ever had with anyone else.) and maybe she was doing it merely because she didn’t want to be a single mother.  Either way, I wasn’t sure why I was thinking about this of all things when I should just be enjoying having Eros’ arms around me as we lay there, and possibly mentally celebrating my first victory.

Maybe because it didn’t really feel like a victory, but more like finishing busy work given by a teacher.  Yes, it was done, but it didn’t really mean anything in the end.  All that hype, all that worry that she was planning something terrible, and this was the end result?  I felt a little cheated, to be honest.  Where was my proving that I did in fact love her son, and that I was worthy of him?  Was the fact that I could sort grains somehow important to being married to Eros?  He wasn’t even a grain god, so what need does he have of the skill?

She was pulling it out her ass, I knew, but that didn’t make it any less annoying.

But still, I did need to get up and prepare to go to class, as loath as I wanted to do that.  But that was typical for me in the morning, wanting just to lay around for a little while longer, but knowing I couldn’t, at least not until the weekend.  Unfortunately for me, Eros seemed to have similar ideas, since his arms only tightened around me as I shifted to roll out of bed.  I shoved against him, trying to get free, but he held me in a way I didn’t have any leverage.

“I need to get up,” I grunted, although I sort of saw his point.  We hadn’t really had the chance to get this close with each other since we met, and I think he’s been pretty much dying to hold me like that for, well, centuries at this point.  “I have to go to class.”

“Hmm, do you?” he muttered sleepily into my hair.

“Yes, I do,” I insisted, giving him another shove just as he loosened his grip on me.  “Thank you.  It’s bad enough you’re in here to begin with.  I can’t have you affecting my grades as well.”

He sat up on my elbow and watched me walk across the room the change.  Normally, I didn’t bother, heading to breakfast in my pajamas and robe, but since the filming started, I didn’t want to risk being caught so underdressed by the film crew.  They didn’t seem like reputable men, I hated to say.  “How is this bad?” he asked me curiously.

“Seriously?  Eros, in case you hadn’t noticed, I haven’t actually known you all that long.  Sure, you can make the claim that I’ve known you for thousands of years, but me, personally – Psyche Karalis – hasn’t known you for even two months yet.  And we’ve only actually seen each other a handful of times.  So yeah, this,” I gestured to him reclining on my bed, “is, in fact, considered a bad thing.”

“You didn’t seem to mind too much last night.  You could have said something then, but you allowed it.”

I glanced back at him.  “I wasn’t saying I don’t like it; I’m saying there has to be a compromise.  I’ll let you hang out in here, without my parents’ knowledge, and I’ll you sleep with me in my bed if you don’t interfere with my education.  Because, you know, then people’ll get suspicious, and I hate lying to my father as it is.  If he asks about it…well, I might not be able to lie, you know.”

“Ah, I got you.  You’ll let me stay here at night if I let you get up in the morning.”  He pouted.  “And if you don’t want to get up in the morning?”

I rolled my eyes at him.  “Then it’s okay,” I said, shaking my head at him.  “But considering I’m a goody-goody, at least according to, well, everyone, I doubt that’s going to happen when I have school, Eros.”

“Fair enough,” he allowed, still grinning at me, and making it all too tempting to just crawl into bed and wipe that confident smile off his smug little face.

Luckily for me, the house was still blissfully camera-free when I went down for breakfast.  This happened every so often when Penny and Phoebe made it a point to go clubbing for the sake of the show.  To be honest, I think the only reason they were even here that early in the morning was simply to annoy me, since, generally speaking, neither of them ever really got up before noon if they could help it.  It used to annoy Mom to the high heavens on the weekends (they would get up in time for school only because they viewed the place of their own fashion show/social club), since she grew up as a socialite as well, but still managed to get up before ten each day.

Papa says that’s because she’s a mother first and foremost, and she had just gotten used to making sure she was up before her children were, so she wouldn’t miss anything.  It didn’t always work – by the time I came around, she was generally too exhausted to be up that early, and Papa thought it would be hilarious to have me wake her in that case.  She never minded, actually, since she claimed that was her favorite way to wake.  Having woken up in Eros; arms, though, I began to realize she was exaggerating a little.

Still, the entire cast was either still out partying despite the early hour, or else crashed at Penny’s place.  They couldn’t come back here to crash, because there was the possibility, however slim, that Papa would cut off filming here if they came back drunk off their asses too much.  He didn’t exactly approve of the behavior to begin with, but he always figured it was their bodies to do whatever they wanted with.  But he never appreciated being woken up in the middle of the night because they were coming in entirely too loudly, and he’s told them repeatedly when they were younger that he was going to kick them out if it continued.  And considering how absolutely serious he was when he said this, they would stop, at least long enough to get back on Papa’s good graces so he doesn’t actually kick them out the next time.

“Starting a little late there, aren’t you, dear?” Mom asked as I slid into my seat.

I shrugged, and mentally blamed Eros.  I had been fine until he randomly came up behind me, giving me such distracting kisses that I found it difficult to shove him away again so that I could come down for breakfast.  And this was with my inexperience with kissing!  I can’t even begin to imagine what it was going to be like when I actually knew what the hell I was doing.  “I didn’t sleep very well last night, I guess, and I didn’t really want to get up.  I figured a few extra minutes wouldn’t hurt, and it sort of got away from me.”

I wasn’t lying, not really.  But the reason I couldn’t sleep was because I was forced awake by a goddess, but I doubted they’d understand that.  Papa just gestured his paper at me.  “But you’re not going to be late, are you?”

I shook my head.  “I mean, unless traffic is horrific, but even at this time of day, it’s not bad.  I just won’t have as much time to sit and chat, I don’t think.  I can’t be late; I’m a Karalis after all.”

He chuckled slightly.  “Tell that to your sisters,” he muttered, going back to his comics. 

“So, how long do you think this is going to last?” I asked halfway through shoving food in my mouth, feeling like I needed to take advantage of the situation. 

Papa glanced up again, since Mom couldn’t seem to figure out what I was talking about.  “I’m estimating that they’ll all be back here before you come back from class, koritsáki mou.  I mean, unless that happen to be getting tired of the same old routine in the house, since they can’t get any footage of you, and decide to take their little circus act somewhere else.”

“Unlikely,” Mom said.  “I think they’re trying to make the mansion a permanent setting.  It’s the one place Penny can be and not have Donald catch her with her various, er, amours.  It’s not just because of Psyche that she chooses to remain here.”

“Can’t she be unfaithful in Phoebe’s house?  I mean, the show focuses on her as well.  Look at all the wedding crap they’re shoving at us.”  I was a little surprised Mom knew about Penny’s infidelity, although I suppose it’s fairly obvious.  But I was more surprised she was so excepting of it.  Papa, for his part, had started to frown.

“I don’t think Penny feels that comfortable being unfaithful in Nate’s house, since she knows that he and Phoebe actually love each other.  Plus, I think she thinks that Nate’ll catch her one day and go running to Donald.  She may hate the guy, but she loves being married to him, and being adulterous, for whatever reason.”

“How in the world can you be so calm about this, Helen?” Papa demanded.

She turned to him.  “Don’t you think I’ve talking to Penny about this before?  About how marriage is supposed to be sacred, and if she doesn’t love Donald, then she shouldn’t be married to him?  It goes in one ear, and completely out the other, and she makes excuses as to why she’s doing this.  I figure it’s just a part of who she is, and as a mother, I need to be accepting of that fact, even if I hate it.  Even if you don’t approve, Nik.  Because she’s certainly not going to listen to me about it.”

He shuttered slightly, and I knew what he was thinking, even if he didn’t want to.  For one brief moment, he thought maybe Mom was okay with Penny being unfaithful because she had someone on the side as well.  Not like she had any reason to have a lover, considering she was married to the love of her life, not to mention Nik Karalis.  But I sort of understood where he was coming from – the way she was nonchalant about it was a little unnerving.  But he completely dismissed the idea all together once she gave her explanation as a silly fear that other billionaire entrepreneurs had to worry about.  It was nothing he had to.

Let the tabloids speculate.  They’ve never seen the way Mom and Papa have looked at each other before, without any prompting.  They were, after all, the reason I had such a loft ideal for romance, which I sort of hoped Eros wasn’t going to be put off by.  But considering how easy it was just to talk to him – not to mention he was very easy on the eyes – helped with my ideal that you needed to be best friends with your soul mate first.

It probably wasn’t a good thing, though, that he managed to scare the living crap out of me so often, which he did again when I found him chilling out in the front of my car again.  But I figure that was merely because I wasn’t used to him just appearing just yet, and considering this was obviously an ability that he had and that he used quite often, it was something I was just going to have to get used to.  I also had to get used to the idea that I was dealing with gods, and that they were just so different from us.

But it was early in our relationship yet, so I was keen to forgive him…for now.

“Good lord, you’re lucky I don’t get chaffered into school,” I said after I had jumped when I realized he was in the car with me.  “How in the hell would I explain this to my driver?”

“Well, for starters, I wouldn’t be hanging out with you when you were driving to school if you were chaffered.  I’m not that dumb, Psyche.  The only reason I’m doing this now is because, well, why not?  It offers me a chance to sit and talk with you for an uninterrupted period of time.  I want to spend time with you, Psyche.  Don’t you want to spend time with me?”

“Not when you’re making it a habit to scare me!  You can’t just appear and expect me to be okay with it, you know.  I’m not a goddess anymore.”

This caused him to start slightly, which lead me to believe that he had just gotten used to acting godly around the first Psyche, and had somehow just assumed that I was going to be okay with it as well.  He had forgotten what it was like to deal with a mortal, probably because his dealings with the mortal Psyche didn’t last all that long.  He didn’t know how he was supposed to act, actually.  It was sort of cute.

“Sorry,” he muttered, deflating a little.  He put on a fake smile.  “I suppose I’m more out of touch with mortals than I thought.”

“Eros, you’re allowed to make mistakes,” I insisted, feeling a little bad for making him feel guilty.  “The problem’ll be if you don’t actually learn from your mistakes.  I’m not mad that you’ve forgotten, or that you’re out of touch.  I might be a little mad at the reminder of the fact that we’re not on equal footing, but that’s not really your fault.”

“Isn’t it?” he asked as I started down the driveway, causing me to glance at him briefly.  “I didn’t have to fall in love with you, Psyche.  I didn’t have to obsess over your reincarnations.  I could have just moved on like some of the other gods, and just gave you up like you apparently wanted to do with me.”

“Eros,” I said, shaking my head.  “I know you’re the god of love and all, but you of all people should know that love sometimes just happens on its own.  It’s not rational, either.  Love doesn’t care about social classes or status quo.  I mean, look at my parents.  Mom grew up in a world of riches, lavish parties, and getting anything and everything she ever wanted.  She literally could have had any man she wanted.  Instead, she falls for a man who grew up barely in middle class, with so many brothers and sisters and cousins that there was never really enough to go around.  By that logic, she wouldn’t have been happy with the life that he could give her, but she simply didn’t care, because she loved him.  So yeah, you might be divine, and I might be a mere mortal, but that doesn’t really matter in the long run.”

“You’ve given this a lot of thought?”

“Yeah, well,” I said blushing slightly.  “I mean, it makes sense that I would love you and all, considering you’re the god of love and whatnot, but I couldn’t figure out the interest in a mere mortal like myself.  I mean, beyond the whole idea that I have your wife’s soul.  But then I realized it’s probably because it doesn’t really matter.  You loved Psyche as a mortal, and you had no idea why.  Although…could it be because she was the most beautiful girl on Earth at the time?  Wasn’t that why your mother was pissed at her?”

He smirked.  “Maybe just a little,” he admitted.  “That certainly played a part in it.  But the first few times I saw her, that’s all it was.  I looked at her and thought, ‘well, I can see why men are lining up to take this girl in marriage!’.  But the thing was that I couldn’t shoot her directly, not with what Mama had in mind for her.  I had to wait until the perfect moment, which meant I spent months just watching her.    I wasn’t laying before when I said that I became interested in you by simply watching you in TV.  I did in fact fall in love with Psyche because I was observing her all that time.  And when the time came for me to fulfill Mama’s plan…I just couldn’t.  Because I couldn’t stand the thought of Psyche being with another man.”

“What about me?  Would you be mad if I fell for another man?”

He considered that.  “That would depend, really,” he admitted.  “I mean, now, I’d be mad as hell.  But I couldn’t exactly fault you if you managed it before you even met me, could I?  It’s happened a few times before, although I could never tell if she actually loved any of the other men or not.  Most of the time, it happened after she rejected me.  You, on the other hand, are clearly different, and I’m certainly not going to give you up.  Not without a fight.”

“I still wonder how much of that is because I’m me, and how much is because I’m Psyche’s reincarnation.”

We were almost on campus at this point, so he probably could have had an easy out.  “Psyche,” he said, shaking his head.  “I understand the worry, but there’s really nothing to worry about.  You and Psyche are actually nothing alike, to be honest.  Some of the girls I actually did pursue merely because of the fact, and when I watched them, I realized I didn’t actually love them.  There’ll always been something there because of your soul, yes, but it is the fact that your Psyche Karalis that makes me interested in you further.  No other reason.”

I blinked at him.  “Really?”

He nodded.  “I know it’s difficult to understand given the circumstances, but I really do love you, Psyche, and not just because of the soul you’re carrying.  Just as I hope you love me, not because you’re a reincarnation, but because your heart belongs to me.”

I felt myself blushing again.  “It’s…it’s a bit too early for love, is it not?” I stammered out.  “Isn’t it?”

He shrugged.  “You tell me?  I’ve been watching you for the past eighteen years, so I know without a shadow of a doubt that I love you, Psyche.  You, on the other hand, as you pointed out, barely know me.  So is it too early to be declaring love, or does it really matter?”

“I, um…I don’t know,” I muttered.  “Can I get back to you on that?”

He smiled gently.  “Of course,” he reassured me.  “Don’t worry; I do understand that all of this is not only confusing, but new to you.  You take all the time you need, okay, Psyche?”

I sort of half expected him to follow me out of the car, and possibly follow me around for the rest of the day, but he seemed to make it a point that he was staying there.  Now, whether or not he did end up following me around all day was debatable, but at least I knew he’d be invisible when he did it.  I didn’t mind him following me around invisible, since, while it did make me feel paranoid from time to time, I also associated it when a comforting feeling, so I was able to relax a little better.

Since I was a little late that day, I didn’t have time to meet with Maddie before class, which I could tell she was disappointed about.  I walked in just as the professor was closing the door, and thanks to the fact that Maddie’s next class was in another building, and she had about ten minutes to get there, we weren’t going to have time to talk after class, either.  And I could tell she was still bursting at the seams with questions. 

I figured I’d be a good friend and remain after school that day as well, although it wasn’t that much of a stretch.  Phoebe could just screw herself if she was waiting for me with some wedding stuff, because she didn’t tell me before school that she had anything planned, nor had she texted me.  She knew I spent more time on campus lately, hanging with Maddie, in order to get away from them.  As it was, she just about jumped down my throat when I came up to her room.

“Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God,” she said to me excitedly as she dragged me into her room.  Her roommate gave me a distained look, and I sort of motioned at her with my head, since Maddie seemed to have forgotten she was there.

“Oh, no,” she said sarcastically.  “Don’t let me ruin your fun.  I was just on my way out anyway.  What a gagfest.”

I think Maddie’s roommate was the only person in the world who actually hated me, since she shot me a rather dark look as she passed.  Well, she didn’t technically have to go – I wasn’t forcing her out.  It was nice, certainly, and I could have taken Maddie out of the room.  So why is it my fault that she had to leave? 

“Oh, what a pleasant lady you’ve found there, Maddie,” Eros said dryly, causing us both to jump since, obviously, he wasn’t in the room five seconds before.

“Okay, seriously?  I’m going to have to get a bell for you, I think.  Didn’t we just have this conversation?”  He shrugged, trying to look innocent.  I don’t think he could help it, though; having someone dislike me pissed him off enough that he materialized without thinking.

“So what’s gotten you so excited?” I asked of Maddie, ignoring Eros.  She was still looking a little confused out the door, like even she couldn’t understand her roommate’s animosity.

She shook her head.  “Nothing, nothing,” she insisted.  “I’m sorry; I’ve still got, like, a million questions for you about all this.  It’s just so mind blowing, you know?”

“You have more questions?” I asked, shocked.  “I thought I explained all I could to you already!”

“I thought of more things when I went to bed.  Like, I know you’re the reincarnation of Psyche, so do you, like, have her memories now that you know this?  Or any of your past lives?”

I glanced at Eros, since I hadn’t mentioned to Maddie yet that it was a touchy subject, although I realized I probably should have.  “Um, well…sort of.  From what I understand, when Greek figures are reincarnated, they’re passed through the River Lethe, which wipes their memories clean.  But I guess it doesn’t work fully, because sometimes I dream about them.  My past lives, I mean.  All except for my first life, though.”

This seemed to catch Eros’ attention, since I hadn’t mentioned it to him just yet.  “So what can you remember, exactly?” Maddie asked, seeming to forget Eros was in the room with us. 

“Well, not much,” I admitted, staring at my knees shamefully.  “It’s mostly just snippets here and there; nothing important.  Most of them seem to involve my rejection of Eros in some way, though.”

She glanced at Eros this time, finally remembering we weren’t alone.  “Oh God, I’m sorry,” she said earnestly.  “I didn’t mean…I didn’t know…”

“I’m more interested that she does have these memories,” he said, leaning forward slightly.  He hadn’t taken a seat just yet, and he flopped down next to me, crowding the bed with his wings.  Maddie didn’t realize this, though, so it was interesting to see her reaction.  “I’ve never heard of one of them actually remembering anything.  Have you always been dreaming of this?”

“Well, no,” I said.  “It only really started after your mother revealed who you were.  Maybe it’s just the knowledge of what you are that unlocked them?”

He shook his head.  “If that were the case, your divine memories would have been unlocked, not your mortal ones.  This is interesting.  I’ll have to ask Persephone if this is something that commonly happens.”

“Is gods and the reincarnated mortals reuniting a common thing as well?”  Maddie leaned forward to talk over me.  “Or is this the first instance?”

“I’ve heard of a few.  In fact, I seem to be the only one faced with the problem of rejection.  Most of the time, its not revealed that they are reincarnations, though, and the god takes on a mortal life to be with their lost love.  It’s sort of sweet, actually, something I was very willing to do, if offered the chance.  And then the mortal dies, and the cycle starts again.  I’m told it’s actually more interesting this way, since they get to fall in love over and over again.  That’s sort of why I was okay with it at first…at least until I was constantly rejected.”

“I wonder why Psyche’s so different?  I mean, from what she’s told me, everything about her is different than her past lives.”

“Yes, the only life remotely close to her is actually her first life, truth be told,” Eros admitted.  “And even that’s slightly different.  That might be what causes her to be similar, though.  She even mirrors Psyche’s home life!”

“Coincidence,” I grumbled. 

I think Maddie realized that I needed a change of subject.  “So, is there anything new on the trial front?  Any clues as to what she’s planning, and when she’s going to enact revenge?”

“Actually…she got me last night,” I said sheepishly.

“Last night?  Are you serious?  And yet you’re here now.  What happened?”

“Mama’s uncreative?” Eros smirked.  “Had her do the exact same thing as last time.  It was sort of funny, to be honest.”

“Seriously?  She had you sort grains overnight?  What does that prove?”

“Nothing, as far as I can tell, especially in modern times.  Even if I didn’t have the money to hire someone to sort grains for me, there’s no real world purpose to it, especially in the time frame she gave me.  I don’t know if it was important in Psyche’s time, either.”

“It wasn’t,” Eros said dryly.  “Least of all to me.  Mama was scrambling, and she saw Psyche sort a few grains in Demeter’s temple, and she was like ‘that’ll take forever!’, and an idea was sparked.  She obviously wanted Psyche to fail, so her tasks were set up with that intention, except she didn’t count on everyone being annoyed at Mama for putting Psyche through all that.  The myth doesn’t really state this, but another reason Mama disliked Psyche was because not only was she more beautiful, but everything seemed to like her better.”

“So what happened?”

“What so you think?  The same thing that happened last time.  Eros popped in with his army of ants, of all things, and they sorted them for me, and Aphrodite was beyond pissed when she came for me.  I guess she’d forgotten the fact that Eros had helped me the first time, and since he has no grudge against me this time, he was certainly going to help me.”

“I think she was banking on the fact that I hadn’t figured out what was going on yet.  She likes to pretend she has a close eye on me, but she’s slipping, I think.  Either that, or she thought, for whatever reason, that I’d be mad at you for breaking my wing.”

“I’m still surprised you’re not,” I said.  “I mean, I broke your wing, Eros.”

“Yes, and it was an accident.  I was never mad that Psyche burnt me – a little annoyed, sure, since burns are harder to heal than broken bones – but I was mad that she’s go against her promise.  You never had that promise, so you didn’t do anything wrong, and thus, I’m not mad at you.”

“So what’s going to happen now?  Are you going to…which was it?  Collect golden fleece or something?”

I shrugged.  “I don’t know.  I might.  But I think she’s already caught on to the fact that her old tricks won’t work.  I do know the trick to the fleece, and I could just get Zephyr to help me with the eagles.  And I’m already best friends with Persephone.  She knows she’s going to have to get creative.”

“The problem is that I don’t know how much her creativity’s changed over the millennia,” Eros said, wincing.  “She could still be pulling trials out her ass, or she might actually get creative.  She might actually pick something that Psyche’ll fail at.  I can’t be sure.”

Maddie squared her shoulders.  “Well, whatever is it, I’ll be there for you, Psyche.  I’ll help in any way I can.”

“Thanks, but I’m not sure if you can.  She took me while I was asleep last time.  She might do it next time as well.”

“No problem; we’ll have more sleepovers.  Or I can just get your little boy toy over there to wake me and take me to you.  He seems able to do that, at least.”

I shot him a look that suggested me better not try anything like that.  It was fine for him to transport himself to my aid, but it would be completely different to transport Maddie into danger.  “I might,” he said, although I couldn’t tell if he was serious or just trying to placate her.  He’d better not be serious.  This was my problem, and I was better qualified to handle it than Maddie was. 

But I suppose that didn’t really matter in the long run, since I wasn’t even sure what Aphrodite had planned, or even when.  It was worrisome, yes, but I’d feel better about it if I knew Maddie wasn’t in danger, either.  At least one of us could be saved from her wrath, at least.

Chapter Five

The Trials of Psyche Chapter Six

Chapter Seven