Usual disclaimers concerning who should read what and whether or not it is legal for you to do so, so forth and so on. This is a work of fiction and should be treated as such.
A huge special thanks to Benji for editing. Hugs and kisses are due him for his fast and wonderful work. XXXOOO. And an extra kiss for his birthday! This story is getting to the crossroads of too many possibilities, so bear with me for a while. That is why there are so many explanations for certain events. Enough said, read on!
Near Collision"
By Lael Stalnaker
Chapter 7: Another Bonding
Joshua struggled off and on with the bonds that entrapped him. It was all in vain. Somehow, Skyler had found a way to sap his strength so that the energy bonds surrounding him were unbreakable. He glared at Skyler, who sat sipping grape juice with obvious contentment and amusement as he watched the squirming struggle. Bryce burst out into laughter. He soon fell over on his side; nearly face down into Ethan's lap. Ethan just sat there, confused by the whole scenario. None of it made sense to him.
"Just what did you do, Sky?" Ethan finally asked. He shoved Bryce's still laughing head off of his lap. Bryce then rolled right off the couch onto the carpet. His laughter was now a faint wheeze. He was gasping in between fits of giggles and cackles. Ethan was still just as puzzled as before. He felt a faint unease with the situation. There was something very eerie about Joshua's attempts to move yet nothing appeared to be holding him in place.
Skyler set down his juice and got up from the floor with a sensuous flip of his body. He casually walked over to Joshua placing a hand on the side of his cheek. Joshua glared up into Skyler's eyes and then lost control himself. Tears streamed down his face as his laughter joined that of his wheezing twin. Bryce was curled into a fetal position now at Ethan's feet, gasping for air between deep guttural belly laughs. Skyler grinned down at Joshua. Having the immortal stuck with his legs over the arms of the chair and his arms folded across his chest was kind of sexy. Skyler glanced over at Ethan and his grin got even bigger.
"Should I let him loose?" Skyler asked Ethan in their twin speak. "Or, should I let ya ravage him while he's stuck like this?"
"Sky, I don't like this. Let him go. Why are you doing this to him?"
"A point had to be made. He's used to lording it over mortals. He, by his own admission, has not been material in many centuries. His attitude stinks. The only reason he left me alone is because he thinks that I belong to Bryce. I've now shown him that I'm my own person," explained Skyler, still in twin speak. "Besides. I wanted to get him back for scaring the wits out of me when he showed up in my room!"
"Sky! What is wrong with you? Joshua said no such thing! I don't understand..."
Skyler grew thoughtful for a moment and then drew the energy back into himself. It surprised him with the ease with which it was accomplished. Joshua quickly adjusted his legs to a more comfortable position. After a few more moments, Joshua's laughter finally began to subside. Bryce hauled himself back onto the couch, drying the tears from his face and eyes while still snickering randomly. Ethan just sat staring around him still stunned. Skyler dropped back into a cross-legged sitting position smoothly. He grabbed his juice again to occupy his hands.
Ethan felt even more confused than before. He could not understand why Skyler had done what he did, much less why he, himself, felt so disturbed by it. If he did not know better, he would almost think that he was in love with this newcomer. But that was patently ridiculous! He felt an unease creep through his mind as he contemplated the possibilities for his reactions. It just made no logical sense to him. Then he had a horrifying thought. Ethan's eyes darted back to Joshua. He examined his emotions as he stared at the immortal whose form was casually slumped in the armchair. Ethan's face began to turn a shade of crimson as yet unrecorded in the history of humanity.
Skyler watched his brother's face for a few moments before looking back at Joshua. Joshua's laughter had finally faded away and he too sat watching Ethan. Skyler frowned faintly as bits of thought came to him from Ethan. This was a new development in his experience with his twin. Sure, he had 'heard' feelings from Ethan before, but never clear thoughts. He chewed on that as he pieced together just what those thoughts coming through meant. He recognized a confusion that matched his from the first night with Bryce. He could also detect the traces of hidden feeling that was being suppressed ruthlessly. Skyler's eyes widened as he ferreted out that feeling that Ethan was squashing with such care.
Ethan was spellbound to Joshua's gaze. His heart almost skipped beats with the surge of feeling those deep brown eyes evoked. Ethan began to comprehend what had happened to Skyler with Bryce. This being had a magnetism that simply could not be resisted easily or by logic. He tore his eyes from Joshua and glanced over at Skyler. He was startled to find his brother's eyes watching him intently. Ethan felt a blush begin to color the top of his ears and then spread across his cheeks in a flood of heat. He watched as Skyler's hazel eyes flicked over to Joshua and then back to him. Ethan just knew that Skyler was aware of everything that was running through his head at breakneck speed.
Skyler saw the blush that flowed rapidly over Ethan's face when their eyes connected. He came to a decision after a few more moments of watching the two men. He rose to his feet, went to Ethan and hugged him tight. Ethan squeezed back just as hard, clinging to his brother. Skyler kissed Ethan's cheek softly before releasing him from the embrace.
"I think we need to let you and Josh talk this out. Just remember that your mind and heart are your own, bro. Don't let him rule it. I know exactly how this feels. Ride it out and follow your own heart," was Skyler's advice as he stood back up. A soft smile broke through his earlier stern expression.
Ethan was now at a loss about what to do. He was normally so reserved about sharing how he felt with anyone but Skyler. Now Skyler was pretty much saying that he should talk this out with the source of his current emotional upheaval. He nearly panicked as Skyler pulled Bryce to his feet and hauled him down the hall to his own room. Ethan glanced furtively from the sides of his eyes at Joshua. Joshua was sitting quietly, apparently at ease. He was again loosely draped into the armchair now that Skyler's hostility was no longer present.
Skyler pulled Bryce down the hall into his room. He quietly closed the door behind him and then, turning to Bryce, leaned back against it with his hands tightly gripped on the knob. He raised an eyebrow in inquiry at the bemused look on Bryce's face. Bryce had crossed to the bed and slumped back onto it. He kept his feet planted firmly on the floor while keeping his torso elevated using his elbows to prop himself up to watch Skyler.
"I think you had better tell me what your brother is up to with Ethan. I swear that, if he hurts him, I will rip his wings out at the root. Am I being clear enough, oh voiceless one?" asked Skyler in a honeyed tone that was far from sweet.
Bryce did not say anything for a space. He kept eye contact with Skyler and remained very still. Skyler continued to lean back into the door. He stared back at Bryce until he could no longer stand it. He made a running jump and landed on top of Bryce, pinning his body to the bed. Ooooooooooomph! All of the air in Bryce's lungs shot out as Skyler's body impacted his diaphragm. Skyler began to laugh at the bug-eyed expression on Bryce's face. He eased himself up just enough for much needed air to re-enter Bryce's oxygen starved lungs. Bryce grinned up at Skyler and then rubbed the tip of his nose on Skyler's.
Ethan sat stunned. He didn't know what to do now that Skyler had left the field to him. Joshua was still staring at him with the unblinking gaze that was usually reserved for predators stalking prey. The tiniest of smiles quirked at the corner of Joshua's perfect mouth. Ethan felt his earlier blush return with a vengeance. As the blood flow stained his skin surface, Ethan saw that Joshua's smile broadened. He had to do something to salvage the situation, or he felt that he would become permanently red.
"Let's get out of here and talk. We can go over to a state beach that I like. It's pretty close to here. I think we should talk where our brothers won't overhear us and I think that there are some very private things to be said," suggested Ethan in a rush of words.
"I do not know what a 'state' beach may be, but it sounds interesting. By all means, let us go."
"Let me tell me tell Sky we are going. We don't need him coming out and having a fit if he finds us gone."
Ethan went done the hall and knocked at Skyler's door. When the answer came to come in, he cracked open the door and poked his head in. he blinked as he saw Skyler laid out on top of Bryce on the bed. At least they still have their clothes on was all Ethan could think as he told them that he and Joshua were going out and would be back around dark. He quickly shut the door on them before either could reply. He hurried back into the living room where Joshua was now standing patiently.
Ethan gave his head a jerk toward the front door and continued onward. Joshua followed him out and then closed the door behind them. Ethan led the way up to the parking spaces. He unlocked his '65 Stingray Corvette and leaned over to unlock the passenger door once he was in himself. The shiny blue-green paint gleamed with the care that Ethan took with it. It was a car that Skyler had already restored some years before and then given to his twin as a present one Christmas. Skyler knew that this was Ethan's all-time favorite car.
He belted himself in, showing Joshua how in the process. Once they were both buckled in, Ethan revved the motor to life and then got the hell out of Dodge, so to speak. He quickly got onto the 101 freeway then got off at Kanan Road. He began the winding way up into the Malibu hills, taking the route he loved best. All of the curves and tunnels along the route thrilled Ethan each time he went this way.
Ethan was pushing the edge of the speed limit as they wound their way through the canyons of the mountains. The scenery blurred by in a haze of merged green and brown of plant life. Joshua craned his neck a bit to peer down into the canyon. Water flowed along the bottom toward the ocean. He was also fascinated with the tunnels they passed through at break neck speed. Mortals had not had the power or ingenuity to perform such feats when last he had been among them. He was amazed at how much had truly changed in his absence.
They topped the last rise and the Pacific Ocean lay below them in all its grayish-blue glory. The swells were not very large and there were hardly any number of boats out on the water. The sun's bright rays glistened on the wave tips as the car began is winding descent down form the mountains. The Corvette finally hit Pacific Coast Highway and Ethan made a right onto it. Another twenty minutes found them parked in a tiny lot that was only maybe 30 feet by 50 feet. Ethan got one of the parking permits from the machine to put on his dashboard before locking the car. Joshua had wandered over to the edge of the picnic area to gaze down at the ocean.
The tiny park was one of the numerous state beaches along the coast. Many were far larger than this one, but Ethan liked it because so few came to this one. It was situated on the top of a 60-foot cliff. A deep gully to the right, as you looked at the ocean, led part way down to the actual beach. Then you had to look carefully to find that the trail back-switched and led to some log steps implanted into the steep bank. Those steps led down to the actual rocks of the beach. Once there, people had to scramble down the rocks for the last ten feet to reach sand. Scrub and other assorted plants lined most of the way down. The path itself was badly in need of some heavy maintenance, but it was still usable, barely. Ethan grabbed Joshua's hand shyly but firmly to show him the way down to the shoreline.
Skyler rolled himself off of Bryce and onto the bed once Ethan had shut the door again. He lay on his side watching Bryce. He reached over and began to trace Bryce's jaw-line with a fingertip. Bryce turned his head toward Skyler and rewarded him with one of his breath taking smiles. Skyler's breath caught in his throat at that stunning smile. Eyes locked together, they reached for each other at the same time. They embraced for a very long time, simply enjoying the contact of their bodies from head to foot. Then Skyler pulled away and sat up, shifting so that he could lean against the headboard.
"You never did give us a better understanding of why you have linked your power to me. I really don't understand why you felt the need."
"Well, do you know the story of Apollo and Hyacinthus? Let me retell it though you know it already. It explains fairly plainly why I have done this.
"Apollo fell in love with Hyacinthus, a Spartan prince. He was very handsome and athletic, which enamored the passions of Apollo. They did many things together, often to the exclusion of many of Apollo's divine duties. One morning while Apollo and Hyacinthus were practicing throwing the discus, Zephyrus, the god of the west wind, made the discus veer off the ground by blowing an ill wind. He was also captivated by the young prince, and jealous of Apollo's amorous affection towards the youth. Hyacinthus ran after the discus to take his turn throwing, not realizing it had changed direction. The discus Apollo had thrown swerved back upward, hit Hyacinthus, and crushed his skull. Apollo rushed to him, but he was already dead. The god was overcome with grief as he tried to save the already departed prince. Through his healing arts and herbs, he labored in vain. Apollo immortalized the love he had for the beautiful youth by making a flower grow from where Hyacinthus' innocent blood had stained the earth. (1)
"This is the main reason that I have bestowed so much on you. As with many types of war and revenge, loved ones become the targets. Immortal jealousy is no different than mortal's. I do not want you at risk for such attentions. You have already proven that you are intelligent and resourceful enough to withstand unwanted intrusion. I am now not so worried that you will become a target," finished Bryce.
"Oh," was all the staggered Skyler could come up with. Then he asked, "Was this one of your matches between them or a random happening? Oh hell, what I mean is, did you bring Apollo and Hyacinthus together or did it just sort of happen on its own?" Bryce laughed softly.
"Oh, that was not exactly my doing. Not all matches have my stamp on them, so to speak. However, I do benefit from each pairing, whether it was my own work or that of raging hormones!"
"So, what is the difference between a match made by you and one that happens spontaneously? Is there a difference?"
"A good question, actually. A pair that I bring together may not happen without my intervention. It is something that I just know should be. An instinct, I suppose. Then there are couples that come together by decree, at least in the old days. My mother would sometimes direct me to bring together one half and to make the other half dead to love from that person. It was a very severe punishment to inflict and it never made me happy to do it. Finally, there are those who come together on their own and are just as much in love as if I had used my own arts to bring them close. Those couples are such a relief to me. Still, I am a very busy person, even today in the modern world."
Skyler took a deep breath and hesitantly asked, "And us? Which do we fall into?" He locked his eyes to Bryce's, waiting fearfully for the answer to come.
"Us? That was spontaneous. I have too much experience to fall victim to my own devices. It does not make it any less or different than those who fall to my arrows. Still, I think I will always cherish our coming together, be it the Fates or simply chance."
Bryce leaned toward Skyler and drew him into an embrace. Skyler felt the tension binding his neck and shoulders leave with Bryce's touch. He had not even been aware that he was so rigid with being troubled by the possible answer to his question. He still wondered at the quickness of the emotions within himself. Still, after such a long time of longing for someone to be with, it felt great. He pushed aside any further doubts as being just over-doing it. He knew that he would not soon give up his newfound love, regardless of its source.
The beauty spread out before him amazed Joshua. The ocean lapped at the stones and sand of the shore he stood on. Ethan sat on a boulder not far away, lost in his own world of thoughts. Joshua studied the young man cautiously from the corner of his eye as he faced the oncoming waves. These waters were so different from those he remembered around the Aegean Sea. Joshua continued to look at Ethan as much as at the waves. The sun gleaming on Ethan's hair sent a golden shimmer dancing around his head. Ethan's hazel eyes were lost in another world as they stared sightlessly out over the tumbling waves. His face and neck shone with a golden brown hue. His hands were clasped loosely in his lap and there seemed to almost be an air of trepidation about him.
Joshua removed his shoes and socks to feel the warm sand shift between his toes. He found a midsize flat stone at his feet and picked it up. He turned to the water and flung it forcefully outward. The tannish stone flew an incredible distance in a low arch. It hit the water edge first and skipped. It skipped a total of 5 times before sinking beneath the oncoming surf. Joshua's delight in the simple action was plain to see for anyone who happened to observe it. He turned back to Ethan and walked the short distance to him. He sat on a boulder that was next to the one that Ethan occupied.
Ethan came out of his reverie as his peripheral vision registered the motion near him. He realized that Joshua had sat down next to him but not with him on the same boulder. He shivered just a bit as a breeze came in off of the unceasingly motion bound water. His hair lifted slightly as that breeze ruffled his golden hair. The sun really did give it a metallic sheen from the angle that it hit. The silence between them quickly became nearly unbearable. Ethan turned his waist just enough to be half facing this incredible being that evoked such strong and unfathomable feelings within him.
Ethan studied the man sitting at his side. The deep brown eyes continued to watch the pulse of the waves as they came in. His features were rather square, but not in a sharp angular way, just solid. His nose was very straight but not pointed. The cheekbones were high and his clean-shaven chin solid without a clef. His eyelashes framed those dusky eyes to perfection. Joshua's neck was also very solid looking without being blocky. His dark brown hair came down to midpoint on his neck in loose waves of its own. His tanned skin had that classical Mediterranean olive tone to it. In fact, Ethan was very much reminded of all of the classical Greek sculpture he had ever seen, but with more beauty than any pale, cold marble could ever attain. Even Joshua's muscle tone was perfectly proportioned to his physique. This man took Ethan's breath away each time he saw him.
Ethan started as he realized where his thoughts had gone, yet again! He had never before reacted with such strong attraction to any man, or woman for that matter, as he did this one next to him. It thrilled him at the exact same time that it scared him. He had barely known him for a few meager hours and already he was considering if he was in love with him. Guilt washed through as he remembered his reaction to finding Skyler with Bryce just a few days before. He now had a better idea of what was running through his twin's mind and also why Skyler had said what he said before leaving him with Joshua. Dealing with immortals was going to be tricky, scary, wonderful, and downright perplexing.
Joshua held his peace for as long as he could before turning toward Ethan. He started to open his mouth to say something and then realized that Ethan was already staring at him. The wonderment and longing were plain to the immortal's eyes as well as to his heart. He was awestruck with the depth of emotion that was laid plainly before him. He had not expected it at all. He could also guess that Ethan had not expected it either. Joshua felt a tingle of energy caressing his skin as Ethan continued to stare at him. Joshua began to laugh with delight. One of his unmentioned concepts was that of love returned. He wasn't just about vengeance of love rejected, but also of love that was freely returned. Then the implication of that socked him in the gut. He was already far down the to road to loving this mortal. His scoffing at his own twin now burned in his ears' memory. He had joked too soon.
They began to speak at the same time and then laughingly halted together. Ethan motioned for Joshua to go ahead and speak. Joshua gazed at Ethan in wonder. He had not really ever loved anyone other than his family before this minute. The newness of the difference in tone and nuance staggered him for a few moments. He now understood Bryce's total abandonment of all else for Skyler. He finally choked out words that held more meaning than he was prepared for.
"Will you help me to stay?" was his simple question.
"W...what do you mean?" Ethan looked puzzled by the unexpected question.
"I have been out of space and time for millennium. I have no reference to this time or place. So much has changed in the time that I have been gone. The place I have been has no relation to here and now. It costs me a lot to just maintain this form, much less continue it from moment to moment."
"Oh! Let me think."
Ethan quickly analyzed what Joshua had just said. His mind tracked down all of the implications rapidly. The key to what had happened between Bryce and Skyler was now in his possession. Understanding followed. He stared at Joshua and really looked at him. Joshua's heart was in his eyes. Ethan blushed all the way to his ears as he realized that Joshua was just as smitten as he was. Ethan felt a little guilty with the elation that brought him. It was all so fast. He reached out and took Joshua's hand in his own. Vertigo washed over him as skin met skin.
An intense blue glow enveloped Joshua as Ethan's hand closed on his. His eyes opened wide with surprise. This was not what he had imagined at all. Fire ran along his nerves and enflamed his senses. His heart pounded out a startled rhythm. Ethan's eyes had grown just as wide. Ethan almost pulled his hand away but then gripped even tighter. The vertigo began to fade and in its wake, erotic waves of electricity flowed.
"Will you swear an oath that you will not reveal who I am to anyone? Obviously, Skyler already knows, but no one else can be told."
"I will tell no one else," Ethan said softly but clearly.
The blue ethereal glow suddenly engulfed Ethan while staying with Joshua. Ethan's scattered thoughts calmed and then settled. A tremendous peace spread throughout his body, relaxing the tense muscles that had been beginning to torment him. The vertigo left him completely now, but that electrical tingle now built to dizzying heights. Joshua leaned over and kissed Ethan's soft lips. The glow melted into them both, gradually fading beneath their skin. The lip-to-lip contact sent bolts of non-thought through Ethan's brain. Joshua finally pulled back from their blissful joining. He watched Ethan carefully to see what reaction there would be.
Ethan felt dazed but incredibly calm, all things considered. A sense of wonder permeated the enter experience. It was one thing to guess about Bryce, it was an entirely different thing to have something happen directly to him. His unease had melted away with that kiss. Now all new questions took the place of that.
"So, maybe you can answer some of the questions that Bryce wouldn't..." Ethan hinted.
"Such as?" Joshua inquired, still distracted by Ethan's hazel eyes.
"What does being bonded to a mortal really mean?" Ethan was becoming just as distracted.
"Hmmmmm?"
"What does bonding mean?" Ethan gently socked Joshua in the arm to bring him back to his senses. He laughed with delight at being the center of this immortal's attention. It had been a while since anyone had made him feel so giddy.
"Huh? Oh, yes, I see. Bonding? It is when an immortal needs the help of a mortal to create an anchor into this present time and world. It gives us a point of reference of sorts to fixate onto and to keep us in material form here. Otherwise we may become lost in the expanse of time." Joshua managed to spill out around his tongue-tied state. He was in awe of the emotions that swept his new form. This was a side of existence that he had never actually taken part in.
The pair sat in silence while Ethan thought about what Joshua just said. It made more sense now. It also helped explain what was happening with Skyler. Ethan watched the waves roll in as the sun began to set. The light made an orangish red pathway to the shore. The blazing trail ended nearly at Ethan's feet. He was startled. Time seemed to have spun forward faster than he had realized. That had never happened to him before. Usually he was very aware of the passage of time.
Skyler and Bryce were now curled up on the bed together, tightly wrapped in each other's arms. The sun had set not a long time before, but they were just now drifting off to sleep. They were both still fully clothed, just basking in the glow of each other's presence. Quality cuddle time was in progress. Skyler had a vague thought concerning whether Ethan was home yet or not, but his mind shut down and sleep overcame him. Bryce soon followed.
Skyler woke on the sand of his favorite beach. Once again he knew that he was dreaming, though there was a difference this time. He couldn't quite figure out what it was. He turned onto his side and found Eros lying next to him. He sneaked a look down their prone bodies. Both of them were absolutely naked as the day they were born. Well, at least the day Skyler was born. Eros lay there with his eyes still closed, oddly on his side but not. Skyler finally realized that Eros could never really lie on his back due to the magnificent wings at his back. The upper most one lay along his leg like a downy-feathered blanket. It trailed over the top of his thigh and flowed off the back leaving his front entirely open. The wing tips reached to Eros' ankle.
Skyler raised himself to his elbow and stared at the immortal intently. That difference in dream quality was still bugging him. Just as he was about to say something, Eros opened his eyes. They entranced Skyler with their dark luminescence. Eros sat up slowly and his wings drifted back unobtrusively. Those wings thrilled Skyler to the core of his being every time he saw them. The fact that neither of them had any clothing did not bother Skyler in the least.
"Good waking, my beloved," Eros said with a heart piercing smile. His eyes wandered down the length of Skyler's body in appreciation, much the way Skyler's had moments before.
"Eros, what is different this time? This doesn't feel the same. Am I right?" asked Skyler once he recovered his voice.
"Ah, most perceptive, my love. Yes, this time is very different. We are here in an unusual way. We are physically here. It is not just your mind and soul wandering through the Dreamlands. It is something else that I needed to show you. You asked about the things that I granted you with my power, well, this is another of them."
"Ph...physically in the dream?" stuttered Skyler.
"Yes, we are completely within the Dream Realm. In all ways, physically, mentally and in spirit. There are many reasons for doing this. One, it is another defense against ill wishing of other immortals. If you are completely here, they cannot harm you in the outer world. Also, it is a quicker way to travel to other places. Time and distance have a different meaning here. The third is this; I have a stronghold here. One of the arrangements I made with Morpheus was to move my palace here from the mortal world. None but myself can enter it. With the power I have infused into you, you also may enter."
"Whoa, back this up! You are telling me that we are entirely in the dream? And that my body is not lying on my bed back home?" Skyler stared around him in bewilderment. The ocean's waves crashed against the rocky shore. Instead of night, the shore was bathed in bright sunlight. It gave the waves their namesake, whitecaps. Confusion rippled through his already befuddled head. He turned back to Eros and waited for more enlightenment to his questions.
"Yes, you are really here, outside of what you knew as reality. You should be able to do this on your own, whenever you wish. The trick will be learning how to dream and stay on your home plane!" Eros grinned at him impishly.
"Oh," was all that Skyler could say to that bit of startling information.
"Once you have mastered entering the Dream World, you should be able to reach my permanent home here. In fact..." Eros stood quickly and then snatched Skyler up into his arms. It was so fast that Skyler was hardly aware that it had happened before the ground was suddenly far below them both. Skyler felt the play of muscle from Eros' chest moving in time with the beat of the massive wings at the back. The inertia shoved Skyler's head hard against Eros' chest before evening out again.
Skyler lifted his head from the smooth skin beneath his cheek. The Dream Realm swept by at an astonishing pace far below them. Then the very fabric of the world around them seemed to fold on itself. After a split second of darkness, they reappeared again high above a mountain range. Eros licked Skyler's ear to get his attention and then jerked his head upward. Skyler automatically looked up and gasped in delighted shock.
A marble Grecian palace floated on a cloud above them. Skyler had trouble getting his mind around the scope of magnitude of the buildings. The cloud itself was immense with various shades of blue and reddish pastels highlighting its curves and valleys. The building was carved from marble veined with blues and gold. The columns lent grace to it that did not cause pompousness. As they approached, Eros gained enough altitude to bring them high above this magnificent structure. Skyler could now make out the general layout of the complex. It was a simple four-sided square, absolutely geometrically even on all sides, with an incredible garden at its center. As Eros hovered in place, Skyler realized that the palace was moving with the cloud.
"It's moving?" asked a breathless Skyler.
"Yes, Zephyrus has a standing agreement with me. I will keep my sharp arrows out of his hide if he keeps moving my palace and keeps others out who do not bear my mark upon them. Other than you, only Psyche and my mother can reach this place without me to guide them. Zephyrus is paying a debt, concerning meddling in some of my business affairs."
Skyler felt soft puffs of breeze along his bare skin, some of them just a bit stronger than others. He blushed as he figured out what was happening. Zephyrus was checking him out in more ways than one! Skyler made an attempt to slap at the near tangible air. He could swear that he heard the merest ghost of a laugh in the air around them. Then Skyler heard a more audible gasp from the air around them.
"Eros! What have you done now?!?" came a voice from what seemed like all directions at once.
"Zephyrus, this is Skyler. He is my bonded. I am showing him my home so that he will know how to reach it on his own if there is dire need," replied Eros in a calm controlled voice.
"You may have gone to far this time. Do you understand his potential? Did you even look that far? Too late now, done is done," reproached the invisible being. "Welcome to the fold, Skyler. You may come and go as it pleases you. Eros has seen to that."
"It is good to meet you as well, Zephyrus," stated a puzzled Skyler.
Ethan was very quiet on the drive back to the apartment. Once the disquiet had settled, he pointed out to Joshua that they had said that they would be back by dark. The sun was a sullen disk on the horizon now, barely completely above the waves. They hiked back up to the car, stealing glances from the corner of their eyes at each other when they thought the other was not paying attention.
Once the car was unlocked, they both jumped in and Ethan pulled out all the stops. They flew through the tunnels and canyons in an attempt to make the self- imposed deadline that they had set with Skyler. Joshua turned the radio on to get himself into the right driving mode. With Matchbox Twenty's "Bent" blasting into the twilight, Ethan hugged the curves of the road so tight that Joshua had unimpeded views down into the bottom of most of the valleys and canyons now that they were on that edge of the road. He grinned to himself at the speed that they were going. It just did not compare in any way to the thrill of flying. Joshua's grin got even bigger as he thought of ways to get Ethan into the air with him.
They pulled into the parking lot just as the sun sent its last dying rays over the horizon. Ethan grinned at Joshua. He made sure that the car was locked tight before they headed back down to the apartment. Night blooming jasmine sent its scent wafting through the air. Joshua almost stopped to take it in, along with the other blossoms that were not entirely closed for the night. Ethan grabbed his hand and tugged him onward.
"We're home!" shouted Ethan as he banged the front door into the wall. "Oops! Sorry!"
It embarrassed him that he had pushed it so hard. He had not lost control of himself like this in years. He glanced at Joshua to see his reaction. Joshua had followed him in and then gone immediately out onto the patio. That puzzled Ethan. He peered through the half open blinds to see if the others were out there, but saw no one except Joshua. He was now bending over one of Skyler's rose bushes.
Ethan went down the hall and listened for a moment outside of Skyler's door. He blushed furiously at the memory of last time he had come in unannounced and certainly did not want a repeat of that sight. He tapped lightly on the door. He could just make out the sound of two people breathing on the other side. It didn't sound as if it was heavy breathing either. When he got no answer, he knocked a little harder. There was still no answer from within.
He turned the knob carefully and slowly opened the door. Ethan just wanted to check on them to make sure they were ok. After that morning's shock, who knows what could happen next. Ethan shuddered at the thought of another confrontation with an unknown being of unimaginable power and unknown purposes. He carefully lifted the door as he pushed it open so that the hinge would not possibly squeak. He was just as concerned about not startling his twin. He didn't want to end up trussed like a turkey ready for the oven! The example made of Joshua that morning was also still very clear in his head, even if a bit on the strange side.
Ethan poked his head in the door and looked over at the bed. There was still just barely enough light to see the two forms snuggled into each other there. Ethan almost let out a sigh of relief to see them both safe, relaxed and completely covered in clothing. Just as he was about to close the door, the final strange thing for the day happened.
The two bodies on the bed began to fade and then were gone. Ethan stood frozen as he watched it happen. The door swung all the way open as his fingers slipped off of the knob. There was the small sound of the door hitting the wall in the silence. Ethan blinked his eyes rapidly in an attempt to try and clear them. He stared dumbfounded at the now empty bed. He was ready to burst into tears now. This was the final straw on his overtaxed nervous system and brain. He slumped down to the floor, still staring at where his brother had been moments before with his love.
After agonizing minutes had passed, Ethan began to pull himself together. He inched his way back up to a standing position and then walked, as if he were a zombie, to the bed. He flicked on the light that was next to Skyler's bed to see it better. He could clearly make out the impressions in the coverlet where two bodies had lain. There was no other trace that anyone had been there moments before. There was no sign that they had gone against their will either.
Ethan was still standing there, staring mindlessly at the bed, when Joshua finally came looking for him. Joshua reached out and grasped Ethan by the shoulders. He then turned Ethan towards him and looked into his horror-struck eyes. He nodded, almost as if to himself and wrapped Ethan into a tight embrace.
"What is wrong, Ethan?" Joshua asked quietly.
Ethan pushed him away and stared at him angrily. "What is wrong?!" he shouted as he pointed at the empty bed. "My brother disappears before my eyes, in his sleep and you have the balls to ask me what is wrong? As if nothing in the world were wrong with it! Where are they? What happened?"
Ok guys, that is it for chapter 7. I sweated it out over this one. Many delays, more crises, narrowly avoided catastrophes, you name it, all of it hit during August. I am trying to get a motion put into Congress to rename August, "That Fuckin' Month". No luck on that so far. :D Still, I think things may be settling down, at least for a few days. Many thanks, as always, to you readers! Without your supportive comments , genuine, heartfelt and oh so nice during a bad time, I would have come to a complete halt for who knows how long! Send all encouraging, or not, comments to LaelSt@aol.com or ICQ#11938988 , including any other death threats... <which were all jokes by the way...I think grin> Yes, there will be a chapter 8. When is up to the gods.
(1) The story of Apollo and Hyacinthus, as told by Thomas Bulfinch. Retold by Ron Leadbetter under the Apollo listing at http://pantheon.org/mythica/areas/greek/ Also found at http://www.hsa.brown.edu/~maicar//Hyacinthus1.html Further recombined by me from those 3 sources.