Fruit of Misfortune (6 page)

“No. The word ‘Journal’ is on the cover.” He
pointed to the notebook.

“Oh. Right.”

Eros walked around the desk and sat on the
edge. I was careful to keep my eyes turned away from his, but his
magnetic energy was hard to resist.

“Are things okay between David and you?”

“Yes,” I lied. “We’re fine.”

“Really? Well, I’m concerned, you know?”

“About?”

“You could say that you only just met David.
Do you think you’re ready to accept that vow you hold there between
your fingers?”

I hadn’t noticed I was tugging on the Star
Crest.

“We care a lot about each other.”

“That’s not an answer to my question.”

“He sacrificed his life to be with me. We
belong together,” I said, glancing up at him for only a second.

“You’re evading the question, my sweet.”

“I just answered you.”

“No, you didn’t. But let me ask something
else. Do you think it’s right that given your age, and given his,
he pushed that commitment on you, knowing what the repercussions
would be? He’s put you in danger, and he gave you no choice in the
matter. To me, that seems quite unfair.”

“I wasn’t forced into anything,” I said. “I
had feelings for him before I was given the Star Crest.”

“Oh, Isis, Isis…” His head fell back, and he
closed his eyes. “Can’t you see that you’re making a huge
mistake?”

“To be honest, I don’t think that’s any of
your business.”

“Isis…” He brushed my face with the back of
his hand, and I flinched. “Haven’t you realized that you will never
fall in love again if you go through with this? You’ll be bound to
him. And even if he isn’t truly your life partner, you’ll have no
alternative but to stay with him—out of pity. Unhappy and
alone.”

“That won’t happen.” I glared at him.

“The way I see it, David was sure of his
decision when he gave you the Star Crest, but then again, he’s
lived millennia and knows what he wants because he’s a man.

“You, on the other hand, have lived under two
decades, and are just awakening into womanhood. You’re an
inexperienced, young girl. Innocent, I assume.” He cocked his brow.
“You see the difference? Now, I’ll ask you again. Are you ready for
that commitment?”

I made the mistake of looking up at him.
Slowly, he inched his face closer to mine, his eyes holding my
stare. I froze. He cupped my cheek with his hand.

“Do you have the will to live without knowing
what it’s like to love another? To never feel another man’s touch?
To never breathe another man’s sugary breath?” His lips were a
centimeter away from mine. His breath smelled like cherries. “Do
you really want that life, when you could have a better one with
someone else?”

I closed my eyes, feeling a pull as strong as
the gravitational force that kept me sitting in that chair.

“You can have anyone, Isis.” He licked his
bottom lip. “You can even have me, if you want.” I felt his hand on
my neck. “Would you like to—
have me
?”

Tiny shocks
sped through my body creating a ripple of goose bumps from my head
all the way to my feet.

“Signor.” A voice broke the current between
us.

I pulled away from Eros, red-faced.

Paulina was standing in front of the desk
with a cup and a cloth napkin in her hands.

“Your tea,” Paulina said.

“Thank you,” Eros said coolly. “That’ll be
all for the evening. You may take your leave.”

“Sì, signor. Good night, Miss Isis.”

“Night,” I said, without meeting her
eyes.

As soon as Paulina left the den, I stood up
and faced Eros.

“How dare you do that, knowing I’m in a
relationship with your best friend?” I grabbed my journal and
walked to the door.

“And how dare
you
let me, knowing that
I
am his friend?” Eros followed close behind.

Turning to look at him, outraged at what he
was implying, I raised my index finger. “Stay away from me. I don’t
appreciate you using your power, or whatever it is, on me.”

Eros stifled a laugh. “I’m not using
anything, my sweet. I swear. We have chemistry, and I must admit, I
like it. I like it very much.”

“There’s absolutely nothing, but
nothing
here.”

“Only the passion in your eyes when you look
at me.”

“You’re unbelievable,” I hissed. “I’m sure
David will appreciate knowing that his so-called ‘brother’ is a
conniving backstabber. I’ll be sure to quote you when I tell
him.”

“And you’ll also tell him how I can feel your
body temperature rise, and how your heart beats at a faster pace
when I come in the room? Funny, you don’t react the same way to
him.

Why do you think that is, Isis? Do you think
I’m not well versed in my specialty? I understand emotions better
than anyone. You can’t hide those feelings from me.
I—own—them.”

Eros had nailed the description of how my
body reacted to his presence. I wasn’t fooling him by denying that
I felt a deep attraction, but that gave him no right to try to take
advantage of the circumstances. Did he really think that I would be
swept away by his godly appeal in the snap of two fingers?

“Yes, I know all about that charm you were
born with that makes girls fall at your mercy, but I won’t be drawn
into your circle of adoring groupie fanatics.”

“Ha!” Eros smiled. “My sweet, I can make you
beg for me, if I want to.”

I felt my nose flare. “Don’t you dare.”

“I know how you like to be pursued. I know
you like jealousy in a man. I know how to look at you, and I know
where to touch you. I know your heart’s deepest desires. No one
will ever satisfy them like I can.”

“You’re a pig.”

I turned to walk away, but he grabbed my arm
and pulled me against him.

“That may be true,” he said. “But that
doesn’t make you like me any less. And it certainly doesn’t make
you any less delicious to me.”

Infuriated, I raised my hand and swung it
back, ready to slap his filthy mouth. Eros gripped my raised arm by
the wrist before my hand touched his face.

“No, no, no,” he warned. “You wouldn’t like
to see what could happen if you strike a deity, my sweet. How would
we explain our first lovers’ quarrel to David if you’re dead?”

I pushed him away, stalked up the stairs, and
slammed the door to my room. I would die three horrible deaths by
skin-eating larvae, if I could have the pleasure of punching his
perfectly-lined teeth out.

I threw my journal on the bed and walked to
the opposite side of the room. Shaking, I paced on the balcony,
trying to subdue my anger. My neck and ears were burning.

I didn’t care that Eros was right about
everything he said that I felt. I was enraged that he was
threatening to use his ability for a deity ego boost. There was no
doubt in my mind that I would tell David about his hypocrite
friend. I’d tell him everything as soon as he got back from his
meeting.

Leaning over the balcony railing, I closed my
eyes and breathed in the night air.

“I’m sorry for my forward behavior.” Eros’
voice made my jaw clench. He was standing at the balcony door, next
to the swaying sheer curtains.

“Get out!”

“No.”

“I’ve had enough of you. I’m calling David,”
I said, taking the phone from my pocket.

“Oui.” He nodded. “Run to your protector now
while you still can. And after he’s become human and weak, who will
you run to? Maybe, he’ll lose his appeal, no?”

As Eros said those words, I realized that if
David lost his strength and abilities, we would be left defenseless
against the Turpis. How would he fight the demons back without
superhuman powers?

“Is there any way to stop that from happening
to him, from changing?” I tried to mask my alarm. “Can’t he just
take the Star Crest back?”

“It can’t be reversed. Once the star is out
of the chest and the cavity has closed, there’s nothing left to
do.”

“Nothing at all?”

“Mhhh.” Eros raised a shoulder. “Unless you
have a death wish. If you die, he won’t change, and the cavity
opens again. The Star Crest could be returned to him then.”

Somehow, I had known it all along. I turned
away from Eros. I felt faint and sick to my stomach. I took a deep
breath.

“You’re pale,” Eros said.

“I’m fine.”

I made my way to the bed and sat down.

“Isis,” Eros said, “fructus est?”

“I don’t know what that means,” I said, as
the room started to spin.

“Is it the fruit?”

“No. I didn’t even touch my dinner.”

“I’m asking if you’re pregnant,” he said with
a fixed stare.

“What? No.”

“Good, because it’s forbidden for a human to
bear the fruit of the gods. The
thing
would be killed upon
birth, and the deity responsible would be dealt cruel
punishment.”

He placed the back of his hand on my
forehead.

“Don’t touch me,” I said, turning my
head.

“Your temperature is dropping. It’s a
low-temperature fever. I think you may have a virus or food
poisoning.”

My stomach churned as I breathed in deep
gulps of air. Then, I don’t know why, but I started to cry.

“What’s wrong?” Eros looked puzzled.

I felt a devastating angst, and the crying
turned louder. Eros wrapped an arm over my shoulders, trying to
console me. I tried to shove him away, but I couldn’t break free of
his hold. I didn’t understand why I was so emotional. All I knew is
that suddenly my wailing had turned into nothing short of screams.
Eros covered my mouth with one hand and tightened his hold on me
with the other. Finally, the muffled shrieks simmered down to
crying again, and Eros draped both his arms around me.

“Shh…” He rocked his body and mine back and
forth. “No more, my sweet.”

As much as I wanted to punch his lights out,
I felt comforted. He released me and swept his hand across my
cheeks, wiping away the tears.

“Stop.” I pushed him away, feeling nauseated.
My body shivered, and I broke out in a cold sweat.

“Do you suffer from anxiety?”

“Go away,” I moaned, holding my stomach.

“You need to go to the hospital.” He pulled a
phone from his pocket. “Your temperature is still dropping.”

“I don’t want to… g-g-go,” I gagged.

“You have to. I’m calling an ambulance,” he
said, pressing numbers on his phone.

I felt a strong pressure coming up my throat.
I held my breath, but it was no use. I couldn’t overcome it, and I
retched.

“Mag... ni… fique,” Eros said, looking
down.

There would be no need to knock Eros’ teeth
out after all. Justice had been served—on Eros’ over-priced
designer shoes, that is. That’s where most of the nastiness landed.
Eros raised his foot with a disgusted look on his face.

“Camilla!” he called out.

If I hadn’t felt so horrible, I would’ve
laughed.

***

Poor Camilla had the unpleasant job of
cleaning up my mess. I trembled so much and my body felt so weak
that she also had to help me change into my pajamas. In the
bathroom, she wiped my face with a warm damp cloth, which felt good
against my cold skin, and then brushed my hair.

“Thank you,” I said, shivering as I sat on a
vanity stool. She replied in Italian with a lot of words that
sounded like gibberish to me.

When we returned to the bedroom, Eros had
turned down the bed and was waiting to help Camilla. Even though I
protested, he lifted me and placed me on the mattress, pulling the
sheets up to my neck. Camilla pulled a chair next to the nightstand
and sat with a pan on her lap and a towel over her shoulder.

“What’s she doing?” I asked Eros.

“Her job.”

“Can you tell her to go? I’ll be fine.”

“I no go.” Camilla surprised me with her
English.

For a few minutes, Eros and Camilla spoke in
Italian, leaving me in the dark. Camilla then handed the towel and
pan to Eros with her brow tightly knit. She left the room with what
sounded like nagging, and Eros took her place on the chair.

“I don’t want you here,” I said.

“I’m not leaving you in this condition. What
would your David say if I left you alone and ill?”

“You’re a hypocrite.” I glowered at him.

“And you’re not? Do you think that because
you keep your feelings for me a secret you’re being sincere? You’re
two times a hypocrite because you try to pretend with me, as
well.”

“I’m going to tell David about you as soon as
he gets home.”

“And who do you think he’ll believe? He’s
going to confront me, and I’ll have to tell him the truth. I’m
going to have to tell him that you—” he shrugged “—threw yourself
at me.”

“That’s a lie! He won’t believe you.”
Or
would he?

My teeth rattled, either from rage or from
cold. I knew their long years of friendship were my
disadvantage.