cupid's curse

04 | THE RIGHT PLACES

HEDONE LIKES TO THINK she is more mortal than a god. There was just something about the way the humans loved that she felt she could sympathize with. But just when she starts to believe in her mortality, her mother's words about the two most powerful forces in this world come whispering :  love, a god's greatest fear, for it can make the weakest man as powerful as the greatest god, and the greatest god as vulnerable as the weakest man, and the soul, that when set on fire will do everything to become anything for the pursuit of its greatest desire. But as Hedone emptied out of her mother's stomach, something much greater was born, the love of the soul ;  and the gods—they feared her capabilities. 

Yet right now, formidable was the last thing the goddess felt like with the absence of her father and Kharis' pitiful gaze melting into her very skin. It was almost unnerving. "Please don't do that." Hedone tells the brown-eyed woman sitting across from her. Kharis' eyes grow wide, obviously startled by the sudden confrontation, "Sorry, I didn't mean to stare. It's just that . . . " her voice only fades away into the rumbling sounds of the train and its occasional whistles. Hedone watches as the Graces' eyes drift over to the sunset which was noticeably more pink than its usual orange. 

"It's alright, tell me." Hedone says, smiling warmly. At this, the girl tears her gaze from the window and its magnificent view, and meets the goddess' eyes.

"I have only ever heard about you from the other Graces, " There was a pause in her speech before Kharis finally continues, carefully stringing her words together with a more serious tone to her voice, "and it must take some great courage to handle everything despite that, but as loyal as I am to Aphrodite, I am not so sure of this deal you have with her. " 

Hedone only smiles at the Grace's concern, "I hardly see any struggle with finding a mortal, just as long as you know the right places to ask." 

That was how they found themselves in a familiar study room stupendously filled with books and maps of all sorts in Hermes' oversized abode. The God of Travel is a good friend of her father's, and if anyone in the slightest knew about the whereabouts of both mortals and gods, it was Hermes. Hedone tries to hold back a giggle as she watches a stupefied Kharis with excitement flickering in her doe-like eyes. They reminded Hedone of bubbles—round, shiny, and just a little bit iridescent. 

The goddess remembers having just about the same reaction as her the first time she set foot in Hermes' grand study room. It is vast, filled with shelves which seemed to stretch on for miles and of course, they are filled to the brim with books both ancient and contemporary. In the middle of it all is an enormous map hung up against the walls with seemingly thousands of thumbtacks in assorted colors pinned through its fabric, marking every place The God of Travel has ever gone to. 

"My father isn't here at the moment, but Eros contacted him in advance, informing him about this whole situation."  Angelos' voice resounds, as he lays out a large map, but not nearly as big as the one at the center back of the room, on nearby table. Hedone feels the uneasiness settle again at the mention of her father, she could not bare being away from him, the goddess has always been dependent on him that it almost seemed wrong to not have him by her side.

"My father already has some places he thinks Lukas Rye might be at and judging by the places he encircled, I can already tell we're going to have a fun time looking for this guy." Hedone's eyes graze over the map, analyzing the parts which have been marked with red ink, all of which located were in France and Italy. 

"We're?" Kharis asks the demigod, narrowing her brown eyes at him. They have only met a few hours ago but Hedone already knew it was going to be difficult to keep the two from bumping heads. 

"Mhm, I was tasked to accompany you ladies." Angelos tells them, flashing his pearly whites in a grin which stretched his bronze-y cheeks.