Summoning Bones

26. Truth in the Bedroom

Cadmus heard the sound of the bathwater start to run filling the tub. He sat on one of the armchairs scattered around the room.

He saw her guilt, he knew she regretted her words, and yet she was cold again. Their little progress between them, the small connection he had grown and nurtured, had suddenly fallen away, dying like a plant in autumn. But he had not lost hope, perhaps going through the Underworld, would connect them again. Although, they need to talk before going to the Underworld. 

The Underworld fed on fears and weakness, morphing them into monsters to trap and enslave one forever. Fear grew and festered burrowing into one's heart, letting it poison the mind. Eirene was distant enough, and the cruel nature of the Underworld wouldn't help. He would make sure to protect her in the wicked place. Both of them would leave, together. Even if he had to fight every ghost himself.

The bath turned off, and Eirene slipped into the warm water. Sighing as the scent of roses floated in the steam.

She had come to a similar conclusion of her mate. They needed to talk. Even with her guilt, weighing on her, she was cold towards him in the hallway. But even if she regretted how harsh her words were, she still believed some of what she said. They weren't anything, not yet. And couldn't be until she spoke to Selene. But he had witnessed her do magic beyond a witch's ability. She needed an explanation.

She mulled over her thoughts, allowing the bath water to grow cold. She stepped out of the water, and rubbed a moisturizing body butter over herself. She then reached for her nightdress, but paused. She had left it in the bedroom. She groaned and cursed aloud.

"Are you alright?" Cadmus yelled through the door.

"Yes, I just," she paused contemplating her options. She could run out there with a towel and quickly dress, or have him bring her night clothes to her. Rather than except defeat, she set her shoulder back, and wrapped her towel securely around her. "Turn around and close your eyes. I forgot my clothes," she ordered, then waited a few seconds, hearing Cadmus shuffle around. Then she opened the door, and stuck her head out. Cadmus' large form was turned away from her, and his hands were covering his eyes. Eirene blew out a breath and quickly walked to where their clothes were folded on the bed. She pulled on undergarments and the night dress.

"You can open your eyes," she said. Cadmus turned back around and looked her over, inhaling the smell of roses and rainwater. How even after a bath, could she smell like rain when they hadn't encountered any for days? Cadmus shook his head and dragged a tired hand over his face.

"We should talk," they both said. Eirene blushed, and motioned for him to speak.

"You first."

"Well, I," now given the opportunity, he didn't know what to say. The words died on his tongue. Eirene looked at him, concern beginning to show in her eyes. Cadmus could get lost in her eyes. The seemed to always shift between colors. Under the trees of the woods they shown like autumn, now they were forest green. "I know I have no right to be jealous, but I want you to know I care for you. More than as a mate, we're revealing through Hell together and mate or not, we will be connected afterwards. Yet when you kissed they guard," jealousy roared to life in him and he bristled, his wolf ready to pounce and kill the guard himself, "I felt betrayed. But, damn Eirene. You, you are extraordinary. Why did you kill him? How did you bring him back? He was dead, and if you brought him back that quickly why couldn't you do it to Lidia? What does this have to do with Makaria? How does she come into this? And how, how in the worlds above and below are you going to speak to the Moon Goddess herself, Selene?" Once he began to question, the mysteries that grew tumble dour. They poured from his lips and pooled around Eirene. She knew she had to scoop each one up, and explain. He was right, they would be connected after visiting her home. And if she wanted a relationship when they returned, she owed him answers.

"Please, Eirene, stop lying," he whispered. Eirene's head slumped forward in defeat. Then she steeled herself, and stared into the icy gaze of Cadmus. Then it was just them. No fancy castle, no murder, no betrayal, lies, secrets. It was just them, holding onto each other through the storm of the world.

"Okay," she whispered. "Please sit down." Cadmus did so, and leaned forward with his elbows on his legs, propping himself up as Eirene sat on the bed, moving their clothes aside. She took a deep breath and began to unravel the string of lies she had woven to protect herself.

"I am no witch, I have told you this," she began. Cadmus chuckled darkly, she had, and yet what creature other than a witch could bring the dead back? "I am daughter to a powerful warlock and a witch. They both gained their powers from the gods themselves. I am no ordinary witch, I barely qualify as one. I know you suspect Eirene is not my name. You are correct, but I cannot tell you it. Not yet, I will," she said imploring him to trust her. She would tell him everything, when the time was right. "Makaria, sister to the goddess who gave my father his powers. She requires my aid, and my family is indebted to her so I must comply. The blood of the dead and the crown are needed by her. Yet I do also need the crown for Lidia. That is no lie."

Her heart wrenched as she stacked more lies between them, all while attempting to tear the others down. Yet she spun a half truth, she began to hand over parts of her life to Cadmus. "The guard, I brought him back as I have others, his soul had not left his body yet. It's much easier to reattach them to the body when they never left. Lidia is in the Underworld, we may see her when we go there, and before you ask," she said holding up a hand to stop Cadmus from speaking, his mouth already open. "We cannot being her back with us. Do you know the tale of Orpheus and Eurydice?" He shook his head. "Well Orpheus wanting to bring his love, Eurydice back with him to the living world, and could if he didn't look back at her. Yet he did. He turned too early, and they were separated forever with no chance of coming back. It's too risky to do the same with anyone soul. The spell has no risk as great as trapping Lidia forever."

"I see," whispered Cadmus, the hope in his eyes falling slightly. "But the guard, why did you kill him?"

"I never bring anyone back not really, half their soul will be in the Underworld, forever. I cannot fight Hades to bring them back fully. But they will live their life was though they never died. But with every soul brought back, I exercise some control over them. The guard would never follow our plan without my help. As for the kiss, coming back is a painful process, meant to discourage mortals from doing it, I wanted to make his last moments precious, and move him away from escape. It meant nothing." She had spoken the truth, the full truth for the first time to Cadmus. When the words left her mouth she felt lighter than she had every before. Her abilities have weighed on her, separating her from the mortal world, where she wished to belong. And sharing her burden, as cruel as it was to place it on Cadmus, felt better than anything before.

"And Selene?" Prompted Cadmus. Eirene shook herself back to the present, her elation falling slightly. She had to lie once more. Hopefully, for the last time.

"My connections to the gods who gave my parents their powers, she was a sort of grandmother figure to me, occasionally visiting me. Last I knew, she was on holiday in the Underworld." Cadmus's mouth fell open. His mate was a granddaughter to Selene, the goddess of the moon, the goddess he grew up worshipping. He stared at Eirene in awe. She looked back at him, amusement pulling at her lips.

"I didn't know it would shock you so," she laughed.

"I'm speechless," he mumbled.

"I can see as much. But we must go the sleep, the journey to the Underworld is far more dangerous than stealing from a mortal king. We are entering the land of the dead, and stealing from one of the three Kings of the Gods." With her warning, the mirth and joy between them fell. Numbness fell over Eirene as realization sunk into her bones. She would be closer to her father than she had been in centuries, and she was directly going against his wishes.