Kalona's Fall (House of Night Novellas #4)(26)

“No! I love the Great Mother and the mortal realm. There are such interesting creatures that populate it. And, I owe her a vast debt—that of my creation.”

“You are truly kind and generous, Erebus.”

“Thank you, my Goddess. Would you sit with me awhile and wait for your geyser to erupt so that we might watch it together?”

“I would love to,” Nyx assured him. Before he closed the den with the frond, she gave the kittens one last, lingering look. “Did Mother Earth happen to mention to you if she would mind if I secreted away a few more wildcats?”

Erebus laughed. “No, she did not, though I will ask it of her when next she and I visit.”

“So you visit her regularly?” Nyx asked as they made their way back to the ridge overlooking the geyser.

“Yes. I enjoy her company, though I do not understand her obsession with the Fey.”

“I would warn you to get used to them, but they seem to prefer the mortal realm to that of the Otherworld. Even my skeeaed has been temperamental lately.”

“Skeeaed. Is that the little pink-colored Fey who is so often in your shadow?”

“Yes, L’ota. Did you not speak with her today?”

“No, I haven’t seen the creature since the last test,” Erebus said. Then he stopped and lifted her off her feet. “Goddess, there are brambles everywhere and the rocks are sharply edged. The next time you visit me here, I would ask that you remember to wear shoes.”

“I’ll do that,” she said. “But until then I will appreciate your gallantry.”

When they reached the ridge, Erebus put her gently down on a smooth-sided boulder that made a perfect chair. He sat on the rocky ground beside her, and they faced the geyser. Neither of them spoke, but the silence between them was not uncomfortable. Nyx was thinking how pleasant and peaceful it was there, and how the rank smell hardly reached the ridge, when the earth began to growl and then whooshing waves announced the coming water and the column erupted into the air going up, up against the crimson-and-pink sunset.

Nyx took Erebus’s hand. “It is so pretty! Thank you again for creating a thing of such beauty for me.”

“Your smile is thanks enough,” Erebus said. Then he tilted his head and his golden gaze caught hers, searching. “You should go to him.”

Nyx blinked in surprise. “Him?”

“Kalona. You should go to him. He needs you. With you, he is a better being than he is without you.”

“I was giving him time to—” Nyx stopped herself, not wanting to appear uncaring of Erebus’s feelings.

“You were giving him time to focus on the final test without the distraction of your loveliness,” Erebus finished for her. “I am sure that that seemed a good idea, but if I know my brother, and I have come to realize that I do know him, as he is really just another version of myself, I can tell you that solitude does not bring him focus. He needs you,” Erebus repeated.

“Do you never feel jealous of what he and I share?”

“No, my bright, beautiful Goddess. I am content with that destiny for which I was created. I would not make a very good warrior.”

“I wasn’t speaking of the warrior part,” she said softly, meeting his sunlit eyes.

His smile was warm. “If you ever desire me to be your lover, I would most willingly and happily return that desire—as frequently or as infrequently as you might want me. But I have no wish to claim your body as mine and mine alone. My only wish is for your happiness, and I believe my brother at your side, being your warrior and your lover is what would make you happiest. It would also make him happiest, which is important to me, though I am sure it will take me eons to convince Kalona of that.”

Nyx slid from her rock stool onto Erebus’s lap, where she threw her arms around him and hugged him tightly. “You do make me happy, so very happy!”

“Then I shall not interrupt that happiness.”

From Erebus’s embrace, Nyx looked up at the darkening sky to see Kalona hovering above them, his voice as flat and emotionless as his expression.

“Brother! Come, join us,” Erebus said, standing and carefully helping Nyx back to her rocky seat. “We were just speaking of you.”

“I heard only your Goddess’s voice,” Kalona said, not looking at Nyx. “And she spoke of the great happiness you bring her. Nyx, with your permission, I will leave you to that.”

“You have my permission,” Nyx said, her voice sounding very young.

With a flash of silver wings, Kalona disappeared into the horizon.

Erebus sighed. “For a warrior he seems awfully sensitive.”

“He loathes me,” Nyx said.

“He loves you,” Erebus corrected. “That is why he has flown away in a jealous fit. All you need do is to find him and explain why you said that I make you very happy. Later I will mention to him that if he is going to eavesdrop, he should learn to do a more thorough job of it.”

“Erebus, you are a good friend,” Nyx said, bending to kiss his cheek.

“And you are a kind and loving Goddess,” Erebus said. “Oh, and I am ready to complete the final test.”

“Shall we summon Spirit to call Mother Earth?”

“There is time aplenty for that. I can wait a little while until you have made peace with my brother.”