The Fugitive - Chapter 181

The voice was smooth as velvet with a darkness that threatened the hair at her nape to stand on end. That voice belonged to Erebus, and he was anything but the kind god she had known for so long. There was a steely coldness to his voice, and his laughter filled her with dread.

But that wasn’t what concerned her right then. How was she in this bottomless pit of darkness? She could barely make out the edges of her hands, and her powers could not call upon any light; though she usually thrived in the darkness, this was not her magic, and so none of it was in her control.

“Reveal yourself,” Nyx said, her voice echoed across the darkened plane.

The voice chuckled without humour. “You have not changed, Nyx.” Erebus appeared before her like rising smoke from the ground, solidifying in the form of his horns and wings, his body covered in markings. Although he wore ripped jeans instead of his usual attire and his hair that was always pulled back was now left long, falling to the top of his shoulders. “Or should I call you Esme? Which would you prefer?”

Her lips parted in surprise. “What..” She frowned at his question. “Where am I?” She asked instead while she wrapped her mind over what was happening. Was this still the dream, the memory? Was she Nyx the goddess or Esme in front of the god of darkness? Because from what she could recall as the goddess, Erebus did not have such powers to snatch her away from the underworld.

Erebus stepped towards her raising his hand to her face, but she stepped back. His obsidian eyes flashed at the movement, his lips thinning until they curled into a smile that did not reach his eyes. He looked all the more dangerous, cloaked in darkness that suited him well. “I wanted to see you in person. It has been over 2000 years..” He stated simply before waving his hand, and the darkness slowly dissipated, revealing a dark throne room. A throne room she recognised as his, the walls were still black marble and gold, golden silks draping over the walls with vines wrapping around the pillars and behind Erebus was two golden thrones. One is slightly larger than the other.

Esme’s gaze fell back on the almighty god curiously. “I am not Nyx..” She said slowly, and Erebus smiled at her knowingly.

“Are you not? Denying what you are.. It is not what I anticipated, but alas, I have only watched you from afar this time. Yet there is no denying that this is most certainly the closest to your truest self, this time,” Erebus commented nonchalantly as he turned his back on her, and instead of going to the throne as she predicted, he sat on the first few steps, his large wings flopping by his sides.

Closest to her truest self, this time?

“Why does everyone keep speaking in riddles with me?” Esme snapped, her mind flicking towards a certain warlock-shapeshifter. “What is it you mean to say, Erebus? Why am I here? Is this.. your realm?”

Esme didn’t know how she had the guts to talk to the god like so, but after witnessing the pain between herself and Gabriel, it was hard not to resent him and throw her fury at him, even if she was completely hopeless against him. But from what she could recall from these dreams, these memories, she had always been blunt with Erebus when they were friends and otherwise.

The god smirked at her. “Ah, to hear my name on your lips again..” His fingers stroked against his bottom lip as he stared at her, then continued, his face hardening and any softness that was within his eyes now gone. “I told you already, my dearest Nyx. I wanted to see you, and this was the only way I could; though I would prefer to speak in person, this would have to do.” At the confusion in her eyes, the god continued. “This is still a dream. I have created the illusion of my realm unless you wish to be in complete darkness?”

Esme only stared at him; it was all too surreal. She looked down at herself, and she was also wearing her usual attire, black jeans, a crop top and a leather jacket, her dark brown hair pulled back in a half-up hairstyle, strands falling to her face. “But you do not control dreams, but nightmares.. So.. should I be expecting something to scare the shit out of me soon?” She asked, not knowing what else this god wanted with her.

Erebus chuckled and stood, his chiselled body flexed from the movement, but Esme moved her gaze away, somehow knowing the god would appreciate her checking his well-built body. Esme crossed her arms and looked around warily at the tall painted ceiling and the windows near it revealing a dark night and stars. “Nightmares can come in different forms; it is not always the monster with green eyes that will come to haunt you.” Erebus walked to her, his gait confident and lazy.

Esme scoffed and looked away. So, the god of darkness was aware of the nightmares that plagued her, the nightmares of Ethan. She eyed him warily from the corner of her eyes. “Did you plant that monster in my mind?” The she-wolf didn’t know all of what happened between them and Gabriel other than she was to break apart from her one true mate to marry Erebus. But Erebus could control nightmares, so she didn’t put it past him if he was the one to plant that phantom of her ex in her mind.

“No, I do have other things to do than torture you for an eternity.” Erebus stopped by her side. “I am.. tired, Nyx.” He admitted almost in defeat. She looked up at him from the tone of his voice. He still looked like the young, handsome god, but his eyes shone back with centuries of knowledge along with a certain coldness. “The fates must truly mock me. After all this time.. HE had to have you. Even as the creature you are, not even half of what you once were, and years of torture you and Gabriel..” He trailed off and chuckled darkly before waving his hands. “Found each other. Your happiness makes me sick.”

His words both fuelled her anger and shocked her at the same time. Her mouth gaped open, but she shut it and turned to him, slapping his cheek so hard his head whipped the other way. Even if this was a dream, she hoped it hurt. “You know what makes me sick?” Esme snapped as the god of darkness slowly turned his face back to her, his nostrils flaring, his eyes darkening along with the black veins surfacing under those eyes. Greek god or not, she was done. “Men who think they care for me and treat me like shit.” Erebus opened his mouth, but she glared at him, making his lips clamp shut while he glared back. “My memories haven’t fully returned, so if I did something to hurt you, then I do apologise, but don’t act like all of this came from a place of love. If you loved me or cared for me at all, you wouldn’t have tried to split Gabriel and me up. You would want me to be happy, but no, you wanted to own me, become more powerful or whatever.”

By the time she finished speaking, she was breathless as her eyes flicked between his, staring back fearlessly at the god of darkness after slapping him and reprimanding him. Erebus’ lips twisted and grabbed her by the back of her neck and forced an aggressive kiss upon her lips; she tensed then, just as his tongue tried to force entry, she bit down on his bottom lip, drawing blood. He pulled back, and she slapped him again and took several steps backwards, trying to will herself out of this dream, out of this prison he was keeping her in.

Erebus chuckled, wiping the blood from his lip. “Always so feisty,” He drawled, looking back at her with a heated gaze making Esme’s body grow cold. He smirked at her reaction, then turned away, clasping his hands behind his back. “You might be right. But I told you before, I do not feel the same as others. I do not recall what emotions I have; if it is love or possession, it is the same for me.” He shrugged unapologetically. “Like I said, I wanted to see you.. Soon, you may be even more protected than before, which may make this the last time we speak.”

Esme’s hands curled into fists. She wanted to be out of this dream and away from this god whose very presence kept making her furious, and that wasn’t just because of the kiss he forced onto her, but it was something almost engraved inside of her to hate him so passionately.

Erebus stopped suddenly and turned to her. His features had softened, his eyes revealing the wisdom and tiredness of all his years. “I wanted to torture you for an eternity, Nyx.. And even now, after seeing you with him, I wanted to torment you both. Why did you get to be happy? But maybe it is true that I, like other gods am envious of a mortal’s life. That is what you are now..” He sighed, then lowered his gaze and raked his claws through his hair, missing the horns on his head. His gaze flicked back up to her, and an apologetic smile lifted the corners of his lips. “I am sorry, Nyx, for the part I have played in your lives.”