Chapter Seven: Catching Feelings by Rosaline Saul
The air was electric as Christopher stepped into the hidden
grove tucked away on the far side of the island. A place untouched by mortal
eyes, it pulsed with a quiet, otherworldly energy. The moon hung low, casting
silvery light over ancient stone ruins draped in ivy. The air shimmered
faintly, as if reality itself wavered at the edges of this sacred meeting
ground.
He wasn’t alone. The grove was alive with the subtle presence of other beings—ancient and eternal. Their whispers blended with the rustling leaves and the distant crash of waves, forming a symphony that only the divine could decipher.
Christopher’s stomach tightened. He had not summoned the
council in centuries, and doing so now felt like baring his soul to an audience
both unforgiving and unimpressed.
From the shadows, the first figure emerged. She was tall,
with skin like burnished gold and hair cascading in black rivers down her back.
Aphrodite. Her eyes gleamed with an amused knowing as she stepped forward, the
faint scent of roses trailing her.
“Well, well,” she purred, her voice like silk over steel.
“If it isn’t Cupid, our resident loner. What brings you here, darling? Another
mortal in need of your meddling?”
Christopher clenched his jaw, meeting her gaze. “It’s…
complicated.”
A second figure materialized beside her, the air cooling
instantly as Hades stepped into the moonlight. His dark robes seemed to absorb
the light, and his sharp, angular face bore a look of disinterest.
“Complicated,” he echoed, his voice low and gravelly. “That word always
precedes trouble.”
“You called us here for a reason,” Athena added, her tone
brisk as she emerged from the shadows. Her grey eyes shone with wisdom and
impatience. “Speak plainly, Cupid. We don’t have eternity to waste.”
Christopher took a steadying breath, his wings fluttering
faintly as his nerves got the better of him. “I’ve… met someone.”
Aphrodite’s laughter rang out like bells, bright and sharp.
“Oh, this is rich. Cupid, the eternal matchmaker, finally ensnared by his own
craft. Tell me, darling, is she pretty?”
Christopher’s face hardened. “This isn’t a joke. She’s…
she’s different. I don’t know how to explain it, but she makes me feel things
I’ve never felt before. Things I’m not supposed to feel.”
Hades raised a brow, his expression unreadable. “Love.
You’re talking about love.”
“Yes,” Christopher admitted, his voice barely a whisper.
“But you know the laws. We’re forbidden to love mortals. And yet…”
Athena’s eyes narrowed. “And yet you’ve let yourself grow
attached. Foolish. Dangerous.”
“I didn’t intend for it to happen.” Christopher’s voice
cracked, and he took a step forward. “Do you think I want this? To be torn
between what I’m meant to do and what I want? Do you know what it’s like to
watch humanity experience the one thing you’re denied, over and over, for
centuries?”
The grove fell silent.
Aphrodite’s smile softened, her gaze turning almost
sympathetic. “Ah,” she said softly. “So, it’s not just about her. It’s about
you.”
Christopher dropped his head, his fists clenching at his
sides. “I’m tired of being the outsider, the observer. I’ve spent lifetimes
giving others what I’ll never have. And now, for the first time, I see the
possibility of something more, but I don’t know what to do. If I pursue this,
if I let myself feel, the gods could strip me of everything.”
Hades spoke, his tone as cold as ever. “Then don’t pursue
it. The consequences of defying divine law are not a price you want to pay.”
“And yet,” Aphrodite countered, her voice softer now, “what
is eternity without love? An endless void, unchanging and hollow.” Athena
crossed her arms, her expression thoughtful. “You’re at a crossroads, Cupid.
One path will lead to safety but leave you empty. The other risks everything
for the chance at true fulfilment. It is not a choice any of us can make for
you.”
Christopher looked up, his eyes meeting theirs one by one.
“I don’t want to hurt her. She’s been through enough already, but I can’t stay
away from her, either.”
Aphrodite stepped closer, her hand brushing his shoulder.
“Love is never without risk, darling. You, of all beings, should know that. If
this mortal truly matters to you, then perhaps she’s worth defying even the
gods.” It was not what she had told him centuries ago.
Hades scoffed. “Spoken like someone who’s never faced the
wrath of Olympus.”
Aphrodite smiled. “Perhaps. But I’d face it a thousand times
over for what I’ve known.”
The tension in the grove grew thick, the weight of their
words settling heavily on Christopher’s shoulders. He glanced at Athena, hoping
for a final shred of guidance.
“Think carefully, Cupid,” she said. “You are playing with
forces that could destroy you, and her, if you’re not careful.”
Christopher nodded, his heart heavy with the impossible
choice before him. The grove grew quiet once more, and as the gods began to
fade into the shadows, Aphrodite’s voice lingered in the air, a soft whisper
meant only for him. “Follow your heart, darling. It might just surprise you.”
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