The Angel King (boyxboy)

Chapter Six

Lena

Everyone was acting weird.

Katrina sometimes went through phases where she would ignore me, or maybe ignore Eros, but she would never avoid the two of us simultaneously. Yet now, no one ever saw her. She wouldn't talk to me at all, and when she would talk to Eros, it was strictly for business.

Dehlia was always strange, but for whatever reason, Katrina's distant attitude had brought out the leader in the Lady of Addiction. She was sober now, and most of our demons went to her for orders. I still thought she was strange.

But Eros was acting the weirdest. He was hardly ever in his own Ring anymore, and when he was, his eyes seemed fixed on the ground. He would often walk with a slight limp and always seem to be in pain. Mostly he just looked miserable. If he didn't hate me so much, I would have felt sorry for him.

One day I came up with the great idea of following him. I was short and thin, so it was easy for me to sneak around, especially when I was following someone who attracted so much attention. But even Eros was making an effort to not be seen. I followed him all the way to the edge of the Lust City, where he walked into the thin forest that surrounded the outer buildings.

Our journey ended by a fallen tree, which was propped up by a boulder. I was able to hide within a bush that was growing off of a large oak. Eros leaned against the trunk of the tree.

He was waiting for someone.

He didn't have to wait for long, though. Another demon, not of Lust, came from behind a thicker area of the forest. As a Resurrected human, Katrina almost never let me leave the palace, and I never saw foreign demons. But even still, I recognized this one.

"Hello, Aaron," Eros greeted him cheerfully. At least, anyone who didn't know him would think he was cheerful. But years of living in the same palace had taught me his mannerisms. I could tell he was faking.

"Eros," the famous traitor grumbled back. I leaned forward from my hiding spot to get a better glimpse of his face. Aaron of Envy was a celebrity in Hades.

Eros smirked. "Ready for Round... what are we on now? Twenty-seven?"

I saw Aaron roll his eyes and seize Eros roughly by the arm. "I don't know, and I don't care," he said dully. "Are we doing this or what?"

My jaw dropped. No one ever spoke to Eros that way unless he was trying to seduce them, and I could tell that this was not one of those moments. What was Eros playing at?

But then they started kissing and I knew. I knew by the way Aaron would shove Eros against a tree trunk almost angrily, and I knew by the way Eros' touches remained sweet and soft. I could tell by the way Eros kissed his partner, gently and passionately, even though Aaron's kiss was (ironically) full of Lust.

Eros, the Lord of Adultery, was in love.

I pitied the poor demon. From what I knew of the gossip, from what I knew of Aaron, I knew that love would never be returned. There was still Robin of Sloth who would forever hold Aaron's heart. Eros was destined to be heartbroken by both Katrina and Aaron.

I made my way back to the palace, feeling lowly for spying on Eros. The demon was just trying to get it on with the guy he was in love with. Even if what they were doing wasn't based on love at all.

Katrina was in her throne room, only she wasn't on her throne. She stood in front of a large painting of Greek gods and goddesses, all of which were nude. When she noticed me, she pointed at a very familiar face on the painting.

"Eros, god of Love," she announced. "Back in the day where demons wouldn't hide their powers. People mistook me for Aphrodite," she pointed to herself in the painting. "And Eros was Love. We let them believe it was so. Much better than Lust and Adultery."