Thanatos : The Red Dawn

(33)My Fire, My Fury

I glanced up to the tall, sky-scraping towers of the palace. What if, now that he had me alone and away from everything and everyone, he'd try his luck? Take what he considered 'his'? I shook my head- this was no time to allow anxiety to cloud my senses. Besides, he had that chance last night. He didn't force anything and from what I could tell, it didn't seem he would. Then again, Thanatos was not particularly predictable.

We stepped through the doors and into the most beautiful and lush courtyard I'd ever seen. 

There were trees and bushes; some as high as the walls and others short and neatly cut into cones. Some grew wild and untamed and the grass was a vibrant green. Vines snaked around the pillars and over the terrace, creating a cool pathway down the marble corridor. 

The flowers were all different colours and shades; and there was a large fountain in the centre with a gorgeous marble statue of an inverted torch at its core. Clear, fresh water delicately sprang from the bottom of the torch and streamed into the shinning mosaic tiles of the fountain's base.

An inverted torch was one of Thanatos' symbols in Greek mythology. If I remembered correctly, so was the flower- Poppy, swords and butterflies.

Butterflies- I tried to block the chuckle by biting my lip. 

The courtyard was very spacious and it seemed to stretch on forever. I imagined that it probably went right around the palace; encircling the building and its towers. I could spot a few terrace roofs and the nearest one to us had ivy and roses growing up and around the dark wood.

The ground was covered by short grass and there were grey, pebbled paths leading in all directions. There were flame torches along each path, casting a magical light throughout the garden as the sky shone with orange and dark blue hues.

Around the fountain and the terraces there were high-perched, black, marble bowls filled with fire; their flames slowly licking at the air. The smell of flowers and fresh water and earth filled my nose.

"Your palace... It's beautiful." I had no words really, I just wanted him to know that I was amazed by all of this. I think he could tell I was a little giddy at the thought of living here.

With him.

My future was starting to look a little brighter; bit by bit.

Well, up until-

"Master, welcome home."

Almost mechanically, Thanatos rolled his eyes. He stopped dead in his tracks causing me to bump into him from behind. I quickly recovered and poked my head out from behind him to find a dazzling smile beaming up at him. 

She was beautiful! Her hair was a deep shade of brown and her eyes were hazel and clear. She was wearing a simplistic, rose-coloured gown that flattered all the right places. I could tell she was a few years older than me, but her smile was filled with child-like glee.

"I'm so happy you're home!"

A pang of jealousy shot through me.

"Evangeline, what a surprise..." Thanatos' dry tone certainly didn't make it sound all surprising.

The young woman smiled with a love-sick expression. "I waited for you, my lord."

The words slipped out of my tongue before I could catch them. "My lord?"

What the fuck?

Thanatos continued to drag me along with him towards the entrance of the palace. The girl, clearly distraught by Thanatos' lack of attention, followed closely behind.