Between Heaven and Hell (PA #2)

Chapter Thirty-Nine

Willow

The Harvest Festival is today. Well, more like tonight, but students are already getting drunk and being merry. Even the professors are canceling classes and joining in on the festivities. My Fae Etiquette professor has been frolicking through the trees with the rest of the wood nymphs, and Professor Fenrir took Killian and the other shifters on a run around campus before the sun was even up.

There's joy and anticipation in the air, but none of it reaches me. I'm too nervous to be excited about boysenberry tarts and warm apple cider. Alexander and I are supposed to steal the headmaster's pen while the faculty and student body are distracted. It's something we've been planning for weeks now and I can't believe the day is finally here.

"Aries season has officially started, bitches! I'm once again at my strongest," Eli crows with a whoop and a fist pump.

Cassie frowns from her spot on the window seat. "The Greek god of war has his own season?"

"You know about Greek mythology but not astrology?" I ask her, braiding my hair back from my face. It's long enough now to actually attempt the hairstyle but I'm not adept at the required movement. It's probably lopsided with chunks of hair escaping the braid entirely.

"I watched the Disney animated classic Hercules as a child and my mother told me about them," my angel roommate explains. "Plus I was named after a woman in Greek mythology, but I have not heard of this astrology before."

"Aries is my sun sign," Eli says, furthering Cassie's confusion. "Today's March 21st, the first day of Aries season, so I feel the most powerful at this time."

I snort. "We were just in Pisces season and I felt like an emotional wreck. Hardly strong at all."

Eli waves me off. "Yeah, but that's your fishy thing. Overly sensitive and emotional. Empathetic. Either the manipulator or the easily manipulated. Just all over the place, really."

That all may be true.

I wish I was the type of person who could just make a decision and stick with it. I'm too wishy-washy, too easily swayed by those around me.

I don't think I like myself very much these days.

I don't know what got into me a few nights ago. That's not to say that I didn't enjoy it—I did. It's something I always thought I'd do with Rome—maybe not in quite so graphic detail—but the Romeo I grew up building an imaginary life with is not the same Romeo of today. I'm not the same Willow, either.

My entire life is an anomaly, an exception to rigid sets of rules. I'm a human who grew up in Hell. I'm a woman with multiple mates, all of whom couldn't be more different. They don't even all know about each other, nor are they all in equal positions in my life.

How can a relationship with multiple people actually function? On paper, it might make sense to give each person the same amount of time and attention. However, equity isn't the same thing as fairness and all the men have different needs.

A pillow gets tossed at my head. "Purgatory to Willow. Come in, Will."

"I have a lot on my mind," I sigh out the excuse for my zoning out.

Eli's eyes narrow to thin slits. "Yes, you should. Things like what you're going to wear tonight, what color you're going to paint your nails. Which of our brothers," she gestures between herself and Cassie, "you're going to grace with the delight of your company.

"Not pleasure," she adds with a shudder. "I don't want to think about that unless you choose the angel. Then I would like a full account with lots of details."