Page 191 of The Curse of the Goddess

Arwin rolled his eyes before facing the woman. “Bad life.”

“Got it. I can’t blame you. You would think that life here would be easy. It isn’t.” The woman smiled at the bartender and winked. “I’ll have whatever he is having.”

“I am not paying.”

“Oh, is King Brontes not paying his soldiers what they are due?” She laughed, circling her finger around the glass, taking one short sip. “Oh my, the hard stuff. I’m always fascinated how mortals want to destroy their insides with such things.”

Mortals? Arwin’s curiosity peeked. Out of the corner of his eye, and acting as uninterested as he could, he took in the woman. An ethereal smile painted her lips as her dark eyes examined the now empty glass. Her skin glowed with eternal youth and unbroken innocence. This woman was not real, she was… goddess-like.

“Who are you?”

The woman chuckled, her eyes flicking to Arwin’s. Holding his gaze, she leaned closer to his space—her scent was thick and flowery, overpowering. Swallowing hard, Arwin allowed her essence to relax him, subdue him, and he found himself smiling at her. Her own grin never wavering, as if she had nothing to be worried about, unlike him.

“I think the last name that stuck with me was Eris.” She chuckled.

Arwin released the breath he was holding, a shiver running down his spine.

Eris, goddess of discord.

What was she doing here? What did she want? Wasn’t she supposed to be gone, along with the other gods?

Arwin’s hands trembled, unable to do something other than stare. Finding his voice again, he cleared his throat before asking, “What do you seek?”

Eris laughed, the sound earthy and pure, and otherworldly. “I seek nothing, General. It is you who seeks something you cannot obtain.” She settled the glass between them, her hand slipping to touch him. The contact froze him in place. “I’ve heard your cries, General. I’ve seen you on your knees begging, whimpering to Ouranos to give you peace, to fill your heart. What has he done?”

Nothing. Ouranos had done nothing but ignore him. Arwin shook his head, answering her question.

“I didn’t ignore you, General. I heard you loud and clear, and I am here. Renounce Ouranos, let me be your goddess.”

Pushing his chair back, Arwin stood, knocking his drink, spilling over, and dripping to the floor. He pulled a couple of coins from his trembling hands and slammed them on the table and walked away. As he exited the tavern, he could feel the goddess’ burning glance on his back.

It had been two months since Arwin found himself face to face with the goddess Eris. And in his desperation to hide from her, he had decided to head to his old home, where he used to live with his mother. Maybe she couldn’t find him there, but as Arwin pushed the door open, he feared Eris’ glance would find him. Racking his fingers through his white hair, he stared at the mess in his living space. Its interior was slowly succumbing to a lifetime of neglect, the condition worsening with each passing week. He knew he needed to go back to work but didn’t think he would be ready to face the king or Rionach again.

But what if he did what he was yearning to do? He could do as Eris wished. Renounced Ouranos as his god, go under her wing and protection. Worship her. What would happen if he did? Could she really give him what he wanted?

A soft knock on the door pulled him from his thoughts. Turning towards the entrance, he noticed the door ajar. A small face pressed through, and a pair of dark eyes stared back at him. Arwin’s chest tightened with recognition.

“Rionach?”

“Arwin,” she sounded relieved to see him. “I thought you would be here.”

Rionach took a step inside and closed the door behind her. And just like that, the air in the small living room grew dense, acidic. Arwin swallowed hard and stood in the middle of the room, unmoving. He hadn’t seen Rionach since the duel, and he thought that maybe staying away from her would clear out what he felt for her, but oh, how wrong he was.

“What are you doing here?”

Did she come back to say sorry? Did she want to take him back? A small spark of hope ignited in his chest. He would take her back in a heartbeat, he would forget about the entire duel ordeal, he would forget about seeing her underneath his brother. Gods, he would take her back and worship her instead of Eris.

“Does he know you are here?” he asked, but the mere thought of his brother made his nose scrunch as if he just smelled something rotten. But when Rionach’s face softened so did his frown. “What is it?” he asked again, holding his breath.

Rionach’s eyes turned from him up to the broken-down ceiling. Maybe she was reminiscing of their time together in his home, perhaps she was searching for words as beautiful and articulate as she was. He couldn’t help but smile hopefully, his fist clenching by his side.

“I am sorry, Arwin.”

He released his very soul from his lungs. “Sorry?”

Rionach nodded. “I am sorry I was never clear. I am sorry I am not clear right now. I am sorry it had to come to this.”

Her hands quivered. Unsure of what to do with them, she looked down and clasped her fingers together, preventing them from trembling. He tilted his head to the side and stepped towards her, arms open. Oh, how he wanted to embrace her one more time, to pull in all the broken pieces of his own heart with one hug, surrounded by her scent, and heal himself.

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