Page 26 of Hermes
“Of course. When would I have had the time to visit Smilax and make her disappear, all the while going unnoticed?” I countered with, hoping she could see the crack in her logic with assuming I was the culprit in all of this.
“You are resourceful and clever to a fault. I have no doubt of your abilities in being able to pull something like this off. You are the God of trickery, after all.” Aphrodite may have been trying to throw an insult my way, but I took this as a compliment. It was likely the only compliment she would ever give me again in our entire existence.
“Even I have my limitations, Aphrodite. You can’t expect me to have been able to pull a feat like that off. Plus, why would I risk trying to make her go missing knowing you could be watching me at any given time? I would never do something so careless.”
“Then where is she, Hermes? There is no trace of her anywhere on the surface,” she said in a heated tone.
“Like I said before, I haven’t the slightest idea. But I will be honest, I am glad Crocus has now come to his senses. And you will not do anything to tear us apart again. Because if you do, I will go to my father about you meddling in my affairs. And I know very well he will take sides with me on the matter,” I warned her, hoping she would take my threat seriously.
Aphrodite and I were now even. I embarrassed her on the beach many years ago and she cast a spell, keeping Crocus away from me for a short while. There should be no more quarrel between the two of us. It was time to put this matter to rest and pick our battles elsewhere.
“Hmph!” she grunted, irritated that I would resort to getting Zeus involved if the situation permitted. “Very well. I will continue to search for Smilax and uncover her whereabouts. But mark my words, Hermes, if I do find out you had anything to do with her going missing, I will make you suffer! I will ruin you and all that you stand for. You’ll only wish I cast a minor spell on your lover, because what I will do next will be so vicious, you can’t even imagine it.”
I crossed my arms, folding them over my chest. “It won’t come to that. When you do find her, where ever she may be, you will realize that I was telling the truth all along. And when that time comes, I will be expecting an apology.”
“I’d rot in Tartarus before the day came where I would ever owe you an apology. But we are done here. You have wasted enough of my time!” And with that, she took off, out of sight.
Once she was gone, I exhaled deeply. Although the heated conversation that had just taken place was contentious, I knew I had nothing to worry about. I was careful in covering my tracks in transforming Smilax into a dirty shrub. There would be no way of Aphrodite figuring out where Smilax was, and that I had everything to do with it. So, I would return to my duties, choosing not to be bothered by her threats. My mind should strictly be focused on Crocus, and the next time I would be able to see him again. That was what I was most looking forward to in the near future.
Chapter 15
JustasIhadpromised, it was only a matter of weeks before I returned to Corinth to visit Crocus. I was now getting used to prioritizing my tasks as a god. All of those that directly impacted Zeus would remain the most important. However, smaller and less critical undertakings that were requests made by other minor gods and goddesses were put at the bottom. If I got to them right away, then that was great. But there were still some I was not quite able to get to just yet. So, oh well. Those gods and goddesses can wait just a day longer, right? The extra few hours of waiting wouldn’t kill them. Well, of course it wouldn’t kill them. They were immortal after all.
But it was time I put my own needs before anyone else’s. Well, mine and Crocus’s needs. So, I would continue to pay him visits at least once every week or two.
He and I now strode through the woods together, side by side. We arrived at the center of the forest, the canopy of trees left a space here. A wide clearing hovered above us, so that we could see Apollo’s brilliant sun penetrate through to shine on the forest floor before us.
“You know, I have been meaning to ask you something…” Crocus began with, trailing off seeming slightly unsure of himself and nervous.
His trepid behavior left me a little suspicious, wondering what he had to ask me that would cause him to be so timid. “Oh? Well, what is it? You know I’ll be honest with you about anything.”
This was absolutely true. I was done with lying to Crocus. I vowed that after I had pretended to be a shepherd to him for years, that I would now be as transparent as possible with him with anything and everything.
“It’s about Smilax,” he began with.
The second I heard her name, I felt a sting of sickness plague my body. I thought I would never have to hear about the vile creature ever again, but I should have known Crocus would bring her up, eventually. After all, he, like Aphrodite, hadn’t the slightest clue of whatever became of her.
“What about her?” I inquired, despite knowing all too well where he was going with this.
“I find it odd that she just… disappeared all of a sudden. She couldn’t have just run away, right? Because if she did, I wouldn’t be standing here loving you. I would still be wrapped under her spell,” he reasoned aloud.
I didn’t give Crocus enough credit for his logic and intellect. But he was right. And I knew me withholding this secret from him would only end poorly for the two of us. So, I had to tell him about how I transformed her. It was my only way out of this.
“Look, Crocus. It pains me to have to tell you this, but you are right. Smilax didn’t just run away. Before she went missing, I did confront her. You see, Aphrodite informed me of the spell she and Smilax had over you. I could not stand the idea of letting them both get away with this, and deceive you in such a way that was meant to drive a wedge between the two of us,” I explained.
“So does that mean you have something to do with her absence?” he further asked.
I reluctantly nodded to confirm his suspicions. “Yes. When I did go to confront her, Smilax was hateful and showed no remorse for having lied to you. She threatened to continue to do harm to us both. My rage had built up to the point where I barely could contain myself. And so I turned her into a prickly bramble. The very new shrub that you see on the trail leading back to your home.”
Crocus stepped back, away from me, with a look of horror striking his face. “Hermes, you didn’t…”
“I had to Crocus. I love you. You have to understand, it was the only way to keep us together,” I stated, trying to get him to understand my motive.
“You practically killed her!” he accused me. “You didn’t have to go that far, Hermes.”
“But I did!” I countered back, moving forward to reach for his hand. Crocus withdrew it, though, not wanting me to touch him. “There was no other way around it. If I didn’t take matters into my own hands, her claws would still be dug into you. If anything, she deserved what she had coming to her.”
Crocus shook his head, still disapproving of the just actions that I took against Smilax. “And what am I to think of that?”
