Aphrodite's Flame

46. Light

I didn't even pass the first corridor when a tall figure limps toward me. My heart starts pounding, almost leaping out of my chest. I recognise my husband immediately. Surprised, he stops walking as soon as he sees me. I take a deep breath.

'Why are you here?' he asks, and hearing his voice sets something off inside me. I start running toward him and jump into his arms. He catches me, staggering back. He pushes my hair back and holds me tight while I am crying in the crook of his neck.

'Aphrodite, you're choking me,' he mutters. I can hear the relieved smile in his voice and tighten my hold on him.

'I am so glad you are safe,' I sigh. 'I wouldn't want to live without you.' He freezes before releasing his breath. 

'I know.' I look at him. He knows?  'I can still see your very soul, woman.' Before I get to ask any more questions, we hear the screeching and hollow screams of the Minotaur. Hephaestus puts me down on the ground and takes my hand in his. It's the first time I get to take a closer look at him. His face is bloody, scratched and beaten. It breaks my heart seeing him like this. Ashamed, I look at my feet and we exit the labyrinth, our fingers entwined.

No, we cannot die. But we can get hurt and be humiliated.

We follow the winding paths of Crete toward the harbor in silence.

'Will you come with me?' he asks me, his voice hardly a whisper. 'We can go to Lipari for another while.' I can't look at him as he squeezes my hand encouragingly.

'I can't,' I breathe, holding back all the emotion that is still held captive inside my body. 

'You came back for me. What if I hadn't come out - would you have come looking for me then?' I look at the floor. Yes.

'I just can't,' I whimper. 'I made a promise. I just - I couldn't leave you behind. I needed to know you were safe.' Hephaestus lets go of my hands. Defeated, he turns toward the sea, watching the little waves breaking on the boulders below.

'I have to go in the morning. I can be with you tonight. I will tend to your wounds and we will sleep in the same bed, as husband and wife. With the first light of morning I need to go.' I am compromising. I never compromise.

'Where are Artemis and Apollo?' And Ares. I hear the question, even though he cannot bring himself to say it out loud.

'I left them in the woods.'

'Do they know you're here? Safe, with me?' I cross my arms.

'Don't care. You shouldn't have sent them for me. You may think I'm nothing but a pretty girl - but you are mistaken.' His shoulders shake in laughter and I raise an eyebrow.

'Do you really think I think you're nothing but a pretty girl? I actually think you're one of the scariest goddesses on that damn mountain.'

'Don't mock me.'

'I'm not.' He sighs. 'Do you even know what you are capable of? What you are? Come on, I am desperate for some sleep. And you promised to clean my wounds.' Our fingers entangle and we make our way to his lair - to his mountain palace behind the forge.

***

The caves are abandoned. I wonder when Zeus and Hera expect their hero to return to his forge. I wonder if they started a wager on how long my husband would be wandering through the labyrinth. Sure, mortals would get lost as soon as they would turn the first corner - but not a god, not even a limp one. 

'Don't be angry,' Hephaestus tells me as we enter his living space. The candles and torches stir up as soon as both his feet pass the treshold. In the light, his appearance overtakes me. It didn't look as bad back in Crete, did it? I worry about him. He smiles at me and takes my face in his hands, carressing my cheeks with his thumbs.

'You look terrible,' I inform him. 'I get to be as angry as I want.' His smile doesn't falter as he moves toward the seating pillows near the fire place. He drops down and relaxes his body. Literally everything must hurt. I walk over to the bathing place and fill a bowl with hot water. 

There has been something on my mind a lot lately. 'Can I ask you something?' I wonder while collecting a couple of soft cloths.  

'Of course.' I walk over to him and kneel down beside him, putting the cloths in the fragranced water. 

'Can you see your own flame?' He looks up as I wringe out the cloth in my hands. Carefully I start cleaning the deep gash on his thigh. He flinches. 

'Why are you always wondering about the soul-thing? I mean, more than the average goddess.' I shrug and get a little careless as my mind wanders off. He breathes in sharply, as I clean the dried blood on his chest and touch the cuts there.

'Does it annoy you?' I ask, after apologising.

'Not at all. I just don't think it's that interesting. Hey, I made something for you.' I ignore his less-than-subtle change of subject and look up.

'You made something? For me?' He smiles warmly.

'Will you open the drawer in that cabinet?' he says, pointing to a black wooden cabinet. 'It's the wooden box.' I get up and walk over to the intimidating piece of furniture. 

'You made me a wooden box?' I parrot, pulling out the drawer. He sighs.

'It is inside the box.' I open the beautifully carved case to find the most beautiful necklace inside. It resembles the crystals catching the light on Olympia. They are the crystals, hanging on a beautiful necklace. I hold it against the light. Something warm erupts in the depths of my stomach, flowing through my chest.

'Thank you,' I croak. Hephaestus emerges next to me and holds out his hands. I give him the necklace and hold up my hair, turning my back to him so he can put it on.

'I can't give you a crown,' he mumbles close to my ear, 'while you deserve one so clearly. But I hope this will do, for now.' I turn around to face my husband, putting my arms on his shoulders. Even beaten badly, he invokes something inside me.

'I don't want a crown.' I kiss him right on the left corner of his mouth. 'This is all I wanted.' I kiss the right corner of his mouth. 'You are all I wanted.' I nip at his bottom lip, sucking him in. 'Thank you.' I kiss him softly and press my forehead against his. His hands find a way to my hips, to my sides, to my shoulders. His soul is a white little orb, sparking happily. It is so happy and satisfied, I wish I could see it always.

'What colour is my soul?' I ask him quietly. He meets my gaze and looks at me in earnest. 

'I- I don't-'

'Go on,' I urge him on, 'I'm not afraid to know any longer.' 

He lets out a nervous sigh. 'It is a sparkling white.' 

Well. I did not expect that.