Page 19 of Thanatos' Craving

“Brother, did you call for me?” Hypnos asked, his voice laced with weariness. The echoing sound of his bare feet reverberated through the cavernous chamber, their weight crashing against the sleek, cool surface of the polished stone floor. The sensationwas akin to walking on the smoothest marble, reminiscent of the grandeur of the palace of the Underworld.

“I need your assistance,” I said hastily.

Hypnos, the God of Sleep, straightened his back, tilting his head in amusement. “Oh? Since when do you have excitement in your voice? Where is Death’s dragging monotone tune?” He chuckled at his amusement.

Hypnos was the likable twin, more approachable. He could speak to others and give off that fake sympathy everyone craved. However, he was easily manipulated. He would help anyone get to sleep if they had sleeping problems.

I stuck by my brother’s side at the required appearances of parties and gatherings, hoping to deter the gods from coming near him. He hated being asked to remedy sleeping issues as much as I hated to keep human souls in their vessels for longer periods to see if their bodies healed.

He just couldn’t say no. He was a god-pleaser, he wanted to fit in.

I was not. I did not care to fit in and had lost hope long ago. I had learned to say no and not cater to those who wanted from me. It angered Hypnos at times. He wanted us to be part of the inner circles, to make friends, but what good were some of them? They just take and take.

If he knew Ember asked of me to save a mortal, he would certainly give me those innocent eyes, would have urged me to help the Queen, which is why I never told him.

Then again, I have this mortal in my home, but I’m not giving her up. To Ember, to Juniper’s mate, to no one. She was mine now, and I’m never letting her go. Ever.

I gritted my teeth, feeling the rough edges grind together, as I drew Juniper’s lifeless body toward me. With determined hands, I tightly bound the wounds on her back and stomach, and feltthe warmth of her body against mine, as if trying to infuse her with life once more.

“Holy mother Rhea, you have a human!” Hypnos beamed, coming closer. “And she’s bleeding!”

“Obviously,” I drawled.

“I finally know who you remind me of!” He slapped my back.

I grunted and laid Juniper back on the sofa. She slept peacefully, for now. The bandages were tight, and the bleeding wasn’t seeping through.

“Alan Rickman when he played Snape in Harry Potter.” He wagged his finger at me.

“Excuse me?” I asked, resting Juniper’s hand on top of her abdomen.

“Yeah, Severus Snape. You remind me of Severus Snape. The monotone voice, the dull personality you’ve acquired. Except, you are more extreme and broodier, really. You are still going with that getup, aren’t you?” He looked me up and down in my attire. “Seriously, get rid of this transformation you’ve held for so many centuries. You might scare the poor human.”

“She isn’t frightened of me,” I growled. She was the only one that wasn’t frightened of me. “Juniper stared right into my hood and saw straight to my skull.”

Hypnos shrugged his shoulders. “Well, she’s dying. Maybe she was just totally over it all. You didn’t even faze her.” He fell back into the oversized chair and threw his hands over the arms of it. “Now tell me what you want so I can get back to my Harry Potter marathon.”

I pinched the bridge of my nose. “I was going to ask a favor. If you do not wish to help me, I understand.”

I knew my brother secretly hated to use his powers to help others. He only did it to gain friendship, a sense of normalcy, but we were the dark ones. The ones that hid in the corners and shadows of the Underworld.

A different breed.

To make the other gods like us for who we really are was difficult, and I’m sure being my twin did not gain him any favors.

Hypnos’ eyes softened. “Of course, and I’ve already done what you wanted. Her body is put on pause, brother.”

My brother’s powers extended beyond the ability to put others to sleep. He can pause bodies and keep them “sleeping” for long periods of time. When in sickness, if a cure needs to be found, he can have the body in an eternal rest. It wasn’t a power that was used often.

I let out a shuttered breath. “Thank you.”

Hypnos eyed me, puzzled. “There is something with this female? Does it have to do with the sex trafficking rings Ember has you hunting for? Is she under your protection?”

Do I tell him?

My brother is the only one I trust in all the realms. I trusted him with my life, but what about my Juniper’s?

"No words spoken in this cave ever leave." I rubbed my finger up Juniper’s chilled arm. I drew a blanket from the top of the sofa and draped it across her body. “She will never leave.”

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