Page 40 of Always Eros

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I pull up in front of the gated home, tapping my fingers on the steering wheel while I wait for Justice to appear. I’m early, but as Thorn pointed out before I left, I have “zero chill.” I can’t disagree. The hours dragged by so slowly I thought I would go mad, but now I’m minutes from seeing him again.

The gate opens and a woman steps out, followed closely by Justice. I shut the car off and step outside to greet them. The woman’s gaze is critical, assessing, but she offers a slight smile.

“Hi, Eros,” Justice says, his smile wide and beaming. “This is Carina. She runs the house. I wanted her to meet you so she knows you’re a good guy.”

“My pleasure.” I offer my hand to the woman. “Eros Orpheus. Nice to meet you.”

“Carina Ortega. Justice is an adult and able to make his own choices, but I am kind of a mama bear when it comes to protecting the people at the house. We’ve had situations in the past where cult members attempted abductions of those who’d escaped.”

“Really?” Justice asks, looking worried.

“It’s why we moved to New Onyx,” Carina explains. “It’s never happened at this location, but you can’t be too safe. I can be overprotective.”

“I don’t blame you at all,” I say. “It sounds like they’ve all been through a lot to get here.”

“Yes.”

“Even though Justice can make his own decisions as you stated, I want to assure you that I have only his best interests in mind. His well-being is front and center for me.”

Carina nods, seemingly appeased. At least her energy says as much. “Well, have fun, you two.” She puts her hand on Justice’s shoulder. “Just remember, this is a new world for you. Take it all in, but if you get overwhelmed, know that you don’t have to understand everything all at once.”

Justice nods, glancing at me. “I bet Eros can help me learn too.”

I bow my head slightly. “Of course.”

Carina steps back and watches me open the passenger door for Justice. I walk around and get in the car too, and as we back out of the drive, Justice waves to Carina, but I notice his sullen expression.

“Is something wrong?” I ask.

“No. Not at all. Just…” He exhales, relaxing into the seat. “Carina treats me better than my own mother did, and she’s only known me for a couple of days. It’s just weird, you know?”

“I can only imagine. Your parents weren’t kind to you?”

“It’s not that easy to categorize. The compound was so different. Family units were separated by gender and age and all kinds of other things. The Supreme Being has all these ‘filters,’ as they call them. They group us by similarity in traits and strengths. Weaknesses too. The belief is that there’s benefit in numbers.”

He glances out the window, and I remain silent to give him time to talk about whatever he wants.

“When they took me away from my parents, I was barely old enough to do any independent tasks. I guess the older I got, the more it bothered me that they never came to see me. Only during Devotion did I see them, and it was never hugs and joy. It was rules. They only cared that I was compliant so that I could be a disciple. When I received my demerits, they didn’t talk to me for over a year.”

“A year?”

“It was required of them, and they cared more about their standing than their son. The only sort-of kind thing my dad said to me was that at least I had the good sense to choose a male. My punishment would have been far more severe if I had defiled a female.”

“So they have no problems with same-sex love?”

“I wouldn’t say that. We’re supposed to suppress all earthly desires, but if we fail, it’s better to fail amongst our own than to tempt the other. We’re taught women make men weak.”

“Oh, that’s right. You said that.”

“So at least we can say we weren’t weakened by feminine desire. Same for the girls. They didn’t harm a man if they fornicated with each other.”

“It’s oddly fascinating. One thing you told me stood out. Why do they wait until the women are thirty before they become pregnant? In my experience, youth is often more associated with childbearing. Very young.”

“Oh yeah.” He turns toward me in his seat. “It’s a blood thing. The young people are prized for the purity of their blood. That’s why staying a virgin is important. Thirty is the age deemed mature enough to move past that.”

I glance at him, choosing my words carefully since this is the only world he’s ever known until now. “And what is done with the virgin blood?”

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