Aphrodite's Flame

44.

The day the chains and shackles are done is a sad day for me. Not only is Summer about to start, June is also the month Adonis comes back. I don't even know whether I will see Hephaestus before he has to lead the beast out. I do know he has been doing his best to get the work done before I have to leave.

On the morning itself I hear knocking on my door. Wondering who could want to see me this early, I put on my robes over my dress and walk over to the door. Right before I can answer, the door swings open and Hephaestus appears. I don't think he has ever been to my quarters at the palace.

'Does this mean your work is done?' I ask quietly as he comes in and closes the door behind him. He nods and seeing his light, I know he is equally as mournful as I am. I'm proud of him for getting the work done in time, though. Quickly I wrap my arms around his neck and pull him close to my body. He kisses my chin, my lips, my cheek, my jaw, my ear - anything he can get, in an adorning way.

'We have to go,' he says. 'They picked up the chains this morning. We're leaving for Crete in twenty minutes.' He frees himself from my hold in order to leave, but I grab his hand and pull him back.

'Can't we just… not go?' He smiles and pulls me closer again.

'Silly girl. They would find us, wherever we hide in this damn universe. Don't worry so much about me. I bet the Minotaur guy isn't much scarier than what I'm used to already. Come.' I take a deep breath and step out of my room. There's no turning back now.

Crete is not exactly what I expected it to be. Is this the land that was fought over so violently? This is it? I look around to see the people living on the island. Sure, it has its beauty, but - is it worth fighting over? Is anything worth fighting over in these parts?

Hephaestus had to go with some of the Olympian warriors. I look for him in the crowd. Of course, I don't have to look very hard - within minutes my husband appears in a field that looks very much like an arena. A little too much for my taste, actually. And that's really what I'm afraid of. That Zeus is playing a trick on us and he wants the Minotaur to rip my husband to pieces while we all watch. I'm guessing he underestimates not only Hephaestus but also me. I would not stand helplessly and watch. 

My eyes scan the crowd, looking for familiar faces. When we are among humans we both look the same and totally different. There's something about us, something unheimlich, maybe, that lifts us above the crowd - but we look just as human - maybe even more so - as the mortals. I spotted Hera and Zeus already, but I know Ares is here as well, as are Artemis and Apollo. Ares would never want to miss a spectacle like this.

'Behold!' the king of Crete bellows. 'The hero that Zeus has gifted us, the man that will chain the Minotaur and lead him to the heart of Daedalus' Labyrinth!' The crowd goes wild. I look at my husband as he locks eyes with me. I give him the tiniest smile, for I can't possibly be happy about this damn situation, but I want to encourage him, show him I believe in him. I can only imagine what he sees when he looks at me, but I can see his flame and it's a bright hot confident red. 

The hero pulls his linen shirt over his head in a swift motion, still looking at me, when I hear a voice behind me murmur,

'You must be aware Zeus has a plan. Why else would all these people be around, if not for a game or two?' As Ares breath tickles my ear, Hephaestus' flame flares up in annoyance. He turns around to pick up the chains when my eye falls on the drawing between his shoulder blades, right where he is most vulnerable.

The flower of Aphrodite.

He has a tattoo of my divine symbol on his body.

Ignoring Ares I start making my way over to Hephaestus, looking only at him, wanting to touch him, wanting to kiss him, wanting to say goodbye. I'm pushing people aside, not caring about the words they throw in my direction.

Turn around. Look at me.

He doesn't. Right before I escape the mass of people, Hephaestus is led toward the gates where an enormous cage containing an equally enormous man-beast will appear. My eyes are following my husband while screams and cries erupt in the crowd. The gates are opened. Before I even get to see the Minotaur, someone grabs me and pulls me back, having me stumbling over my feet. At first I want to yell at them, but then the crowd starts to panic. I can hear the breaking of metal and the screaming of warriors and the cries of scared women.

It escaped.