Pomegranate Kora, Ch. 4
Kevin knew something odd had happened when Selena appeared in a wash of sea foam to settle on his sofa. He frowned at her from his armchair, resting his ankle on his knee and using his leg as a table for the crossword puzzle he was working on. "You know, we've been friends for a long time, so I'm not really afraid to tell you this: I know you're a goddess and all, but you're allowed to come visit me using my front door instead of getting my couch and carpet wet. It takes forever to dry, you know. And, it smells like fish in here for weeks."
Selena didn't laugh. Her dark eyes were far too solemn to fit the sweet face of the goddess of love. She reached over, covered his hand. "Kevin." Her voice held sorrow she couldn't express with words. "We became friends during your pursuit of Nicholas, when he was so stubborn about it that I had to intervene to help you." She shook her head, smiling sadly, drawing his hand to her lips to kiss his knuckles gently. "Always, he had a love for you in his heart that he was trying to deny."
Kevin studied her face, adjusted his glasses, swallowed hard. "Selena..." His voice was quiet, nervous. I knew all this. We've talked about it before. Why are you...?" He trailed off, the expression in his eyes changed, reflecting his alarm. He gripped her hand tightly. "Where is he? What happened?"
"He is alright." Selena assured him gently, knowing that it was half a lie. "But... he's a long way from home. Pluto - He has taken a fancy to him." She faltered, sighed, closed her eyes. She rarely had to tell mortals that their lovers were gone. She smoothed her thumb across his knuckles, casting a soothing feeling over him. She felt his heart rate slow, his muscles relax, and knew it would be sufficient in keeping him calm. It wasn't exactly fair, but it would make it easier. "Nicholas has been taken as a lover by Pluto. He is being held in the underworld."
Kevin's blinking was slow, his mind processing the words with a lazy feeling of disbelief. "But..." His brows furrowed. "He just... went shopping for house plants. I don't get it. He's supposed to be home any second."
"He won't." Selena sighed. It truly saddened her to see such a perfect love torn apart. She drew her hand back slowly, lifting the fog she'd settled over Kevin's mind and hated the confusion, the devastation that shifted the angles of his face. She shook her head. "I already talked to some of my uncles and my father; I know that you want me to bring him back to you, but it is beyond my abilities."
"But..." Kevin leaned toward her, his voice earnest. "I don't understand. How could this happen? I mean, he was only a few miles from here! I got a text from him a few hours ago; he's fine."
"Does it take 'a few hours' to buy a plant, Kevin?" Selena's voice was gentle. She glided over to settle on the armrest of his chair and touched her hand to his cheek, shaking her head. "I wish I could help you to understand in a way that will be easier for you. But, Nicholas is in the underworld. For all that he matters now in the world of the living, he is dead."
The words had Kevin shaking his head, desperately, and by the time the sobs starting wracking through him, Selena was cradling her head to his chest, stroking his hair and murmuring soothing words. She mourned the loss of loves like theirs, the kind that made the world brighter.
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She helped him to his bed, draped a soothing sleep over him. After pressing a kiss filled with blessings to his forehead, she swept out of the house in a breeze that smelled of the sea. She knew this love well enough to know that Kevin needed Nick and would not doubt fall apart without him. Bitterness didn't suit a heart like his.
She couldn't fix this on her own. But, that didn't mean she couldn't help them find their way back to each other. Call her a romantic, but she wasn't the type to give up on love; she would lose her title if she was. So, now, she was going to ask David for a favor. He could never say no to her.
Selena didn't laugh. Her dark eyes were far too solemn to fit the sweet face of the goddess of love. She reached over, covered his hand. "Kevin." Her voice held sorrow she couldn't express with words. "We became friends during your pursuit of Nicholas, when he was so stubborn about it that I had to intervene to help you." She shook her head, smiling sadly, drawing his hand to her lips to kiss his knuckles gently. "Always, he had a love for you in his heart that he was trying to deny."
Kevin studied her face, adjusted his glasses, swallowed hard. "Selena..." His voice was quiet, nervous. I knew all this. We've talked about it before. Why are you...?" He trailed off, the expression in his eyes changed, reflecting his alarm. He gripped her hand tightly. "Where is he? What happened?"
"He is alright." Selena assured him gently, knowing that it was half a lie. "But... he's a long way from home. Pluto - He has taken a fancy to him." She faltered, sighed, closed her eyes. She rarely had to tell mortals that their lovers were gone. She smoothed her thumb across his knuckles, casting a soothing feeling over him. She felt his heart rate slow, his muscles relax, and knew it would be sufficient in keeping him calm. It wasn't exactly fair, but it would make it easier. "Nicholas has been taken as a lover by Pluto. He is being held in the underworld."
Kevin's blinking was slow, his mind processing the words with a lazy feeling of disbelief. "But..." His brows furrowed. "He just... went shopping for house plants. I don't get it. He's supposed to be home any second."
"He won't." Selena sighed. It truly saddened her to see such a perfect love torn apart. She drew her hand back slowly, lifting the fog she'd settled over Kevin's mind and hated the confusion, the devastation that shifted the angles of his face. She shook her head. "I already talked to some of my uncles and my father; I know that you want me to bring him back to you, but it is beyond my abilities."
"But..." Kevin leaned toward her, his voice earnest. "I don't understand. How could this happen? I mean, he was only a few miles from here! I got a text from him a few hours ago; he's fine."
"Does it take 'a few hours' to buy a plant, Kevin?" Selena's voice was gentle. She glided over to settle on the armrest of his chair and touched her hand to his cheek, shaking her head. "I wish I could help you to understand in a way that will be easier for you. But, Nicholas is in the underworld. For all that he matters now in the world of the living, he is dead."
The words had Kevin shaking his head, desperately, and by the time the sobs starting wracking through him, Selena was cradling her head to his chest, stroking his hair and murmuring soothing words. She mourned the loss of loves like theirs, the kind that made the world brighter.
-------------------
She helped him to his bed, draped a soothing sleep over him. After pressing a kiss filled with blessings to his forehead, she swept out of the house in a breeze that smelled of the sea. She knew this love well enough to know that Kevin needed Nick and would not doubt fall apart without him. Bitterness didn't suit a heart like his.
She couldn't fix this on her own. But, that didn't mean she couldn't help them find their way back to each other. Call her a romantic, but she wasn't the type to give up on love; she would lose her title if she was. So, now, she was going to ask David for a favor. He could never say no to her.