Erebus’s shadows unfurled at the admission, swirling around the pair until they were hidden in darkness.
“Subtle.” Hephaestus was unmoved, leaning against the column and crossing his arms over his chest. Erebus made a disgruntled noise and spoke through gritted teeth.
“He asked you to build him something tohelphim?” He stepped towards Hephaestus, who didn’t move.
“He did. He wanted a set of chains made that would keep even a primordial incapacitated. I think that’s why he wanted you and Nyx to join him. Then he could keep a better eye on you, maybe use them when the time was right.” Hephaestus’s face furrowed as he chewed over the words, thinking out loud about what Zeus’s plan was. Erebus calmed down slightly, the shadows fading but not disappearing entirely. He was convinced that Hephaestus was there to help him.
“He didn’t tell you what the plan was for them?”
“No.” Hephaestus shook his head, looking frustrated. “Only that he wanted me to build them. I’m only guessing.”
There was a moment of silence between the two of them as the rest of Erebus’s shadows faded.
“I need to get back.” Erebus took a step away and turned to go back down the steps.
“Wait,” Hephaestus followed him, taking the steps two at a time, “Erebus, I think you need to stay.” Erebus turned around and looked at the god, confusion marring his features.
“Stay? You just told me that Zeus wants to capture me, capture Nyx, and you think that I should stay here and fight for him?” Hephaestus nodded, his eyes seeming to glow a little bit brighter beneath the helmet.
“I’m supposed to deliver the chains to Zeus this evening. It’s why I’m here. I think you need to stay, keep an eye on him. He won’t stop until he’s found a way to imprison Nyx.”
For the second time that day, a cold chill went down Erebus’s spine. He searched over Hephaestus’s face, trying to find something that would let him know if he had other intentions. It only took a few days on Mt. Olympus to understand that everyone had their own motivations. Hephaestus’s face was somber even if Erebus couldn’t read his expressions very well underneath the bronze that covered him. The god was right. If Zeus was planning something, he wasn’t going to learn what it was by leaving; if there was a plot against Nyx and himself, Erebus needed to make sure that there was a way to stop it. How could he stop a plan if he didn’t know what it was?
Forgive me, Nyx.His heart dropped in his chest.I promise, I wish I was coming home. I don’t want to be here anymore.
“I’ll stay,” Erebus muttered under his breath, rubbing his hand over his face. Hephaestus nodded, clapping his hand on Erebus’s shoulder in an unexpected gesture. Erebus looked up and met the man’s gaze. “Zeus is going to cause all hell to break loose—literally—if he attempts this.”
“I know.” That was all that was said between them. Hephaestus turned, disappearing back inside the pantheon, to go update Zeus on the creation of his weapons.
Fuck.Erebus wanted to kick something, and he fought the greater urge to plunge the world into darkness. He wanted to go home. He was a simple man, at the end of the day, who wanted his wife. As soon as he had his moment of clarity, that there was nothing he needed more than to be back in the Underworld, Mt. Olympus found a way to keep him reeled in.
Mark my words.Erebus looked around at the shining acropolis around him.I am only here for one reason and that, this time, really is for her.
He watched as the sun began to set on the horizon, catching the final rays reflecting off the back of Helios’s carriage. He sat on the steps as night descended, waiting to feel the comfort of its embrace around him. The sky turned darker, and the stars slowly flickered on as if on command, but there was something missing to it. It seemed incomplete, without its duality. Erebus sat there for the rest of the night, watching each second of darkness pass him and feeling empty.
By the time the darkness started to fade, there was a small commotion escalating in the hall behind him. Erebus sighed, looked out at the horizon one more time, and rolled his shoulders back. He turned around and opened the door, stepping inside the chaos once more. All the gods were bustling about with a frenzied energy, strapping on breastplates and sharpening weapons in the same place that they had been drunk the hour before.
In the center of them all, stood Zeus. He stood taller, even with the fading imprints of Erebus’s grip around his throat. Erebus wondered if he was the only one who could see the marks. He was dressed in heavy armor, gleaming in the morning dawn in such a way that Erebus was sure it had been handed to him directly from Hephaestus. He scanned the crowd and found the blacksmith, leaning up against a wall, apart from the group. The rest of the gods paid him no mind, only Zeus’s gaze fell directly on Erebus. His brow creased, and he stared at the immortal, not sure what to make of Erebus’s commitment to stay. Zeus gave him a short nod, acknowledging his presence and making no other comment. Erebus said nothing in return, only exchanging a steely gaze and feeling his shadows running under his skin like a current.
He understood now why the gods were falling in line under Zeus. Or, at the very least, why they were letting him play this part while they concocted their own schemes. The God of lightning was standing tall, his shoulders pushed back, his graying hair and beard giving off an air of authority that Erebus knew was intentional.
I don’t even have gray hair.Erebus did a mental eye roll.Everything about him is carefully crafted and for all the effort, it might not take much to crack that facade.The wheels began turning in Erebus’s head as he moved off to the sides of the room, spying Poseidon and Hades deep in conversation.
The gods saw him coming and quickly stopped talking, temperate smiles crossing their faces.
“We heard you were leaving,” Hades remarked, not unkindly. Erebus saw something in his eyes that he couldn’t place… regret? Hades almost looked like he had hoped Erebus left.
“I’ve received some new information.” Erebus shrugged, a knowing glance going between the three gods. There was a beat of silence and then a loud, booming laugh from Poseidon. It nearly shook the entire room, a truly joyful sound that was wildly out of place in a hall of angst-ridden gods on the brink of war. He clapped Erebus on the back.
“Now you’re talking like an Olympian!” Erebus couldn’t help but join in the laughter and an easy smirk slid back into place on Hades’s face. The brief reverie was broken by a loud clap, Zeus calling the attention of all the gods in the room. The ambience in the room got heavier, everyone turning to look at him.
“As you all know, my father’s reign of terror has gone on too long. We’ve lost too many siblings…” Zeus paused dramatically, looking around at each of the gods. “Too many to count. Now it’s time that we release this titan’s grip on the world. For us, for men.” He unsheathed a sword and held it up in a mock salute, with one grand gesture that made Erebus’s stomach turn. The gods let out an echoing cheer, furor taking over them.
Erebus scanned the crowd and pressed his back up to the wall, flanked on either side by Poseidon and Hades. Each of the gods had a different glimmer in their eyes, some sort of secondary emotion that they were hiding. They cheered when Zeus encouraged them, jumping into his morale building “back and forth” but it didn’t consume them. This had the potential of going in a million different directions once everyone’s motivations came bubbling to the surface. Erebus was pulled back to the moment, listening to Zeus’s comically booming voice.
“We go forth!” Another set of cheers, no one louder than Ares, who was the only one who had a genuine smile on his face. The gods cleared a path for Zeus, who went barreling through the center of the room as they all filed out after him. Erebus exchanged a look with the brothers on either side of him, who nodded, and they all begrudgingly set off, bringing up the rear.
“This is happening now, isn’t it?” Erebus cocked an eyebrow, the only god who didn’t have any sort of weaponry strapped to his side. They stepped outside, jogging down the steps.
